The European Commission [1] is opening the 14th edition of the flagship REGIOSTARS awards competition that rewards each year the best projects financed under Cohesion policy.

Beneficiaries of all EU Cohesion policy-funded projects are encouraged to submit their application on five thematic categories: ‘Smart Europe: increasing the competitiveness of local businesses in a digital world’; ‘Green Europe: green and resilient communities in rural and urban settings’; ‘Fair Europe: fostering inclusion and anti-discrimination’; ‘Urban Europe: promoting green, sustainable circular food systems in functional urban areas’; ‘Topic of the year: enhancing green mobility in the regions in the European Year of Rail 2021 [2]’.

Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira [3], commented: “Thanks to this year’s REGIOSTARS categories, we want to show how local and regional Cohesion policy projects are key in contributing to the current EU’s top priorities for a smart, green and fair economy for all. For the first time, we have introduced the citizens’ dimension as a cross-cutting criterion in the project applications for all categories, as citizens are at the heart of Cohesion policy.”

The competition will be open until 9 May 2021. An independent jury of high-level experts will select the winners that will be announced in December 2021. The public will also be invited to choose their own favourite project.

Since 2008, the REGIOSTARS [4] are Europe’s awards to cohesion policy-funded projects that demonstrate excellence and new approaches in regional development.

All details of the competition are now published [5].