On 12 July 2024, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) held a COTER external seminar on the role of functional areas in enhancing the EU’s Cohesion Policy in Balatonfüred, Hungary. The primary aim was to explore opportunities for developing policy instruments and effective forms of territorial cooperation to support these functional areas.
The seminar was an opportunity to go over the current use of functional areas and territorial tools within the EU, providing a foundational understanding of how these tools have been utilised. The event delved into the effectiveness of functional areas in promoting territorial development. It highlighted success stories, identified challenges faced by regions and cities, and emphasised the potential of functional rural areas. The final session looked to the future, exploring how Cohesion Policy, complemented by national measures post-2027, can enhance policy efficiency in functional areas. Discussions centred on potential adjustments to territorial tools and their application to better support territorial cooperation.
This COTER seminar is connected to key work from the GRANULAR project, notably the “Scoping Report on Rural Typologies Across Europe, a comprehensive report analysing territorial typologies at both the EU and regional levels. Additionally, the project introduced the Rural Diversity Compass, which can integrate the concepts of multi-spatiality and multi-functionality. These insights were presented during the GRANULAR webinar “One, None, or Thousands of Ruralities: A New Vision Based on Functionalities” in February 2024.
