Officials of the Regional Policy Directorate General of the European Commission are to come to Cork to Cork City Hall for a one-day workshop on EU funding initiatives for cities and towns, on Tuesday 27 March. The invite was sent by Cllr Kieran McCarthy, who is an Irish delegate member of the European Committee of the Regions and is currently working as a rapporteur on an assessment of the EU Urban Agenda. Cork City Council and the Southern Regional Assembly are hosting the event and invites have been sent to each local authority in the Republic. Attendance is free and open to the public. Registration and agenda is online on www.southernassembly.ie.

   An Urban Development Network Workshop aims to exchange ideas and find solutions to common challenges in implementing sustainable urban development strategies in Ireland and to learn more about the Urban Innovative Actions and what cities in other Member States are doing in addressing these challenges.

   Cllr McCarthy noted: “there is not a meeting goes by in Cork City Council whereby the need for funding for larger projects is discussed. The meeting aims to share EU funding initiatives and share practice especially from the Urban Innovative Actions.

“The workshop is open to the cities and towns in Ireland implementing sustainable urban development and cities/towns with an interest in the Urban Innovative Actions. Organisations active in urban development as well as ERDF/ESF Managing Authorities are also welcome to attend. I wish to also reach out to Chambers of Commerce and Colleges”.

  All participants will have the possibility to be actively involved in the discussion and solve technical questions on potential projects with experts.

   The workshop will be closed with an Urban Conversation framed within the Committee of the Regions’ initiative entitled “Reflecting on Europe”. Citizens will have the opportunity to dialogue with European institutional representatives on the current challenges that the EU face.

“Regions such as Cork cannot afford to underestimate the effects of Brexit on the local and regional economy. many sectors are affected such as tourism, cross-Channel transport, UK residents settled in adjacent countries, trade exchange with the UK in fishing industry, agriculture and agribusiness. The list of effects is long. This day long workshop is also an opportunity to lay the challenges of smaller cities such as Cork and smaller towns on the table of the Regional Policy unit of the European Union, and to make sure we are not forgotten about as talks begin on the EU budget beyond 2019 and 2020”, noted Cllr Kieran McCarthy.