Europe's Cities and Regions

The EU budget is indeed facing unprecedented challenges which may have profound impacts in the size and structure of the post-2020 multiannual financial framework (MFF). One of the greatest challenges will be to handle the impact of Brexit on the EU budget’s revenues. This is not only a budgetary issue; it may well entail a shift in the ambitions of EU action as well as in its focus. Part of the foundations of Brexit are also to be found in the EU budget and should not be ignored.
The EU is under pressure to deliver in critical areas such as economic growth, environmental protection, climate change, security and migration. Depending on the role the EU will be expected or have to play, this may have considerable budgetary implications.
But the challenge is also how to adapt the budget given its limited (and unlikely to be increased) size. There is also a risk that member states, rather than focusing on Europe’s changing needs, will fall prey to pork barrel politics in order to protect their receipts from the EU budget.

This book is produced by the Members of the European Committee of the Regions in close collaboration with Europe's cities and regions. The book is all about pioneering cities and regions - or reviewing the content of the book from activities perspective: about regional innovation ecosystems. In recent years it has increasingly become apparent that only through sharing knowledge and working in partnership it is possible to create truly competitive and sustainable economies meeting the needs of the 21st century. In order to achieve this, the European Union can and must work with and for our citizens. For this to happen we need to achieve a change in mindset. This publication therefore seeks to stimulate bench-learning between regions and cities, sparking new ideas and fundamentally stirring economic development. Presenting some of the most inspiring projects across the EU, this book offers readers an opportunity to understand and explore how Europe's cities and regions are breaking new ground in regional development. The European Committee of the Regions is the EU's Assembly of 350 regional and local representatives from all 28 Member States, representing over 507 million Europeans. This book is an essential part of the process of implementing our political priorities for 2015-2020 and giving Europe's citizens the fresh start they need. In order to overcome its current challenges, Europe must establish a culture of co-creation and break its boundaries by moving towards entrepreneurial discovery, open innovation, experimentation and action