Croatia: when historic castles become living places againWhat happens when heritage is not just preserved, but used?In Istria, two historic castles are showing how cultural heritage can drive local life and sustainable tourism. Once abandoned, Morosini-Grimani Castle in Svetvinčenat is now a lively community hub, welcoming around 45,000 visitors a year and hosting everything from concerts and medieval nights to food markets, escape games and family activities.Nearby, the more remote Petrapilosa Fortress, dating back to the 10th century, has also found a new role. Despite its isolation, it now attracts visitors through poetry festivals, treasure hunts, meditation workshops and music events — proving that even lesser-known sites can thrive when reimagined with care.Behind this transformation is KulTERRA, a project that combines heritage preservation with cultural tourism and local economic development. By keeping these sites active and meaningful, the project helps ensure they are maintained, respected and passed on to future generations.A reminder that heritage survives best when it remains part of everyday life — with EU support.
Hungary and Serbia: when a shared river demands shared solutionsFloods, droughts and pollution are reshaping the behaviour of the Tisza River — the largest tributary of the Danube and a lifeline for communities across five countries.Through the ADAPTisa project, Hungary and Serbia are working together to better understand and anticipate these changes. Researchers, universities, water authorities and citizens are pooling data to build a shared digital platform for integrated river basin management. The goal is simple but ambitious: improve flood and drought forecasting and support faster, better-informed responses.On the ground, this cooperation takes many forms. Volunteers clean riverbanks, researchers collect water samples, and local memories of past floods are recorded — all feeding into models that combine historical data, real-time measurements and AI-based simulations.When climate risks don’t stop at borders, cooperation can’t either — with EU support.
💶 On 13 January, we raised €11 billion in its first EU-Bond syndicated transaction of 2026.The dual-tranche transaction was designed to offer attractive investment opportunities to a wide range of investors, with issuance at both the short end and the very long end of the yield curve:📜 A new €6 billion 3-year EU-Bond, maturing on 12 July 2029📜 A €5 billion tap of the EU-Bond maturing on 12 October 2055In line with our commitment to investors, the transaction combined the launch of a new EU-Bond line with an increase of an outstanding line, supporting liquidity across maturities.The transaction received very strong demand, with order books exceeding €65 billion for the 3-year bond and €97 billion for the 30-year bond, underlining strong confidence in EU securities across the curve.The funds raised will be used to finance a range of EU policy programmes, most notably:🪴 NextGenerationEU, supporting reforms and investments that underpin economic recovery, resilience, and the green and digital transitions across Member States🤝 EU financial support to Ukraine, contributing to macroeconomic stability and resilience in the EU’s neighbourhood📈 Other EU programmes financed through EU borrowing under the unified funding approach📊 Why this mattersEU-Bonds allow the European Union to leverage its strong credit rating to mobilise funds efficiently on capital markets for the benefit of EU citizens. EU issuances have enabled hundreds of billions of euros in disbursements to Member States and partner countries in support of the EU’s political priorities.
Porto’s Bolhão market: when renovation keeps a place aliveSome renovations erase the soul of a place. Bolhão did the opposite. Reopened in 2022 after four years of work, Porto’s historic Bolhão market shows how a city can modernise infrastructure without losing what makes a place matter. Behind the restored Art Nouveau façade, everything has changed: better logistics, hygiene standards, cold storage, underground deliveries — all designed to make daily life easier for traders.And yet, the spirit is the same.The same voices, the same products, the same human connections that make Bolhão the heart of the city, visited by around 20,000 people every day. Financed with EU support, the renovation proves that investing in heritage isn’t about freezing the past — it’s about keeping it useful, welcoming and alive for the people who rely on it every day.
🛡️💶 The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) is expanding its reach to support EU defence technologies, thanks to the recent adoption of the Defence mini-omnibus Regulation! Key developments: · The Regulation, in force since 23 December 2025, extends STEP’s scope to include defence technologies alongside digital, clean, and bio technologies. · It aligns with the mid-term review of the cohesion policy framework, creating new incentives for EU Member States and regions to fund defence-related investments. · A second STEP Guidance Note was published on 23 December 2025, clarifying the scope of defence technologies and other implementation details. · Over EUR 27bn in EU funding has already been allocated to strategic technologies under STEP since its launch in March 2024. · All funding calls, including for defence, are available on the STEP calls dashboard: https://lnkd.in/eZ769bvX STEP is now a key driver for innovation in EU defence, digital, clean, and bio technologies, fostering competitiveness and security.
EU funding isn’t just for “big players” — it’s already helping SMEs, cities, researchers and innovators turn good ideas into real projects.This first 2026 funding overview brings together:• EU calls open now or opening soon• Opportunities in clean tech, digital, circular economy, skills and innovation• Clear deadlines to anticipate• Concrete examples of projects already delivering results on the ground• A practical focus on intellectual property, often overlooked but essential to scaleWhether you work in a public authority, SME, research centre or project partnership, this is designed to help you spot the right opportunity and move from idea to action.👉 Read the full newsletter and stay tuned — more funding opportunities, more impact, with EU support.
Where learning science means touching, playing and experimentingWhat if learning science didn’t start with formulas, but with curiosity?At the Luxembourg Science Center, children and adults learn by doing: feeling electricity through a plasma ball, playing table football against a robot, reshaping landscapes in augmented reality or travelling through the universe in a planetarium.What stands out isn’t the technology alone — it’s the joy of discovery. Students laugh, experiment, ask questions and remember what they’ve learned because they experienced it first-hand.With EU support, this centre shows that science doesn’t have to be intimidating. When people can touch it, play with it and explore it together, learning becomes something everyone can enjoy.#ScienceForAll #LearningByDoing #STEMEducation #EUFunds
Could seaweed be part of Europe’s future diet? What if part of the answer to climate-friendly food was already growing in the sea? In Denmark, seaweed farmers, researchers and students are discovering that edible seaweed can be nutritious, sustainable — and surprisingly versatile. Grown offshore with minimal inputs, it offers a new way to rethink protein, food production and coastal livelihoods. What makes this initiative stand out is its hands-on approach: from seaweed farms to school kitchens, people are learning by doing — tasting, cooking and experimenting. With EU support, Denmark and Germany are showing that changing what we eat doesn’t start with rules, but with curiosity, education and practical alternatives. Sometimes the most sustainable solutions are closer than we think — just beneath the surface. #SustainableFood #Seaweed #FoodInnovation #ClimateAndPeople #EUFunds
I recently learned a new word: paludiculture.It’s not an easy one — but in Ireland, it might just be a game changer.Instead of draining peatlands and watching them pollute the atmosphere, farmers are learning how to farm with water, not against it. Herbs, vegetables, fruits, even building materials — all grown on wet peat.What struck me most is this:the fight against pollution becomes a source of income.With EU support through the Just Transition Fund, farmers can restore their land, cut emissions — and even earn carbon credits for the CO₂ they no longer release. Climate action stops being a burden and starts becoming part of a viable rural future.This project isn’t about theory. It’s about testing, learning, failing sometimes, and showing other farmers what’s possible.Sometimes the most powerful transitions start with a strange word — and the courage to try something new.#JustTransition #Ireland #ClimateAndPeople #RuralFutures #EUFunds
