The European Week of Regions and Cities (EURegionsWeek) is the EU’s main annual event dedicated to regional and urban policy, cohesion policy, and the role of regions and cities in the European Union. It is jointly organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).

The 2026 edition will be the 24th edition and takes place in Brussels from 12–14 October 2026, under the theme “Strong regions, strong Europe”. Main venues include the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions’ Jacques Delors building, and SQUARE Brussels Convention Centre

ECRN is jointly coorganising a partner session with Saxony-Anhalt (Germany), Mazovia (Poland), Valencia Region (Spain), Centre-Val de Loire Region (France), Wales (United Kingdom). 

As Europe accelerates its green and industrial transitions, energy-intensive sectors (particularly chemicals) face increasing pressure from high energy costs, global competition and regulatory complexity. This session brings together EU regions to examine how EU policies such as the Industrial Accelerator Act and the Circular Economy Act shape competitiveness, decarbonisation and resilience in regional ecosystems. Drawing on regional experiences, it highlights the need to align EU priorities with place-based realities, address rising costs and unlock innovation. The discussion aims to deliver insights to secure a strong, sustainable and globally competitive industrial future for Europe.