In some parts of Europe, it’s getting cold, and roads could become challenging ❄️Let the #EPREL database & the #EnergyLabel assist in your search for the perfect winter tyres! 🛞Balance safety and #EnergyEfficiency, check and compare, before buying

Did you know that buying the cheapest product isn't always the cheapest option in the longer term? 🤨Approaching the peak season of buying gifts - followed by post-Christmas sales! - we would like to unwrap some 𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬!Here are the 5 things you should know ⬇️Energy efficient products💶 save you money💡 encourage product innovation✅ perform well (and even better) than most ‘conventional’ products⚡ use less energy and help reducing fossil fuel importsℹ️ their energy labels offer consumers clear informationLearn more https://lnkd.in/egrviFXB#EnergyEfficiency #EnergyLabel #EUecodesign

In the far North, cooperation isn’t a choice — it’s how life worksIn Europe’s far North, distances are long, winters are dark, and challenges are shared.For 25 years, communities across the Northern Periphery and Arctic have shown what cooperation really means: not slogans, but practical solutions that make everyday life possible — from healthcare and digital services to clean energy, jobs and cultural life.With EU support, small pilot projects have tackled big issues: marine plastics turned into new value chains, digital tools improving public services, renewable energy tested in extreme conditions, tourism models that give back to local communities.What makes this work isn’t funding alone.It’s people — local authorities, entrepreneurs, researchers, young people — turning cooperation into progress.At Europe’s northern edge, cohesion isn’t abstract.It’s lived, built slowly, and sustained by trust.#NorthernPeriphery #ArcticLife #Cooperation #PeopleFirst

A smoother commute between Coimbra and Serpins — and a better way to moveFor people living between Coimbra and Serpins, getting around just became easier.The new Metrobus line isn’t just a transport project — it’s a change in daily routine. Faster trips. Fewer cars. More reliable connections to work, school and city life.With EU support, this new service offers a real alternative to driving, helping people save time, reduce stress and cut emissions at the same time. It also reconnects communities that depend on good public transport to stay active and accessible.Sometimes progress looks like a big innovation.Sometimes it looks like a bus that shows up on time — and makes everyday life work better.#PublicTransport #SustainableMobility #Portugal #EverydayLife #EUFunds #CohesionPolicy

Talent doesn’t disappear — it moves where opportunities feel realWhen young people leave a region, it’s rarely because they want to.It’s because opportunities feel limited, connections are missing, or the future looks uncertain.That’s the reality many European regions are facing — and the reason why the Harnessing Talent pilot matters.With EU support, 11 regions tested very practical ideas:✔ How do you keep skills local?✔ How do you help people grow professionally without having to move away?✔ How do you connect education, jobs and quality of life in a way that actually works?The answers weren’t one-size-fits-all. And that’s the point.Each region built solutions based on its own strengths — local businesses, universities, training centres, communities.What this pilot shows is simple:talent stays where people feel valued, supported and able to build a future.#HarnessingTalent #Regions #PeopleFirst #Skills #FutureOfWork

The Alps share challenges — and a futureThe Alps are home to 80 million people across seven countries.They are also on the frontline of climate change, demographic pressure and territorial imbalance.That’s why this new chapter for the Alpine Region matters.With EU support, regions have agreed on a renewed way of working together — clearer priorities, stronger coordination and real involvement of young people.From cleaner mobility and circular construction to energy and connectivity, the focus is on solutions that make sense at Alpine scale.In the Alps, cooperation isn’t optional.It’s how the future gets built.

Why the future of Europe needs strong, thriving rural communitiesWhen we talk about Europe’s future after 2027, it’s easy to focus on big cities, big industries, big transitions.But the truth is simple: Europe won’t move forward if its rural areas are left behind.Rural regions are home to farmers, families, craftspeople, small businesses, local traditions, natural landscapes — and an enormous amount of innovation that often goes unnoticed.What this debate highlights is the need for a future framework that truly works for rural people:🌾 access to services that many take for granted🚉 transport and digital connections that actually let people participate in modern life💼 opportunities for young people so they don’t feel obliged to leave🌿 support for land, landscapes and climate resilience🏪 strong local economies built around what rural communities do bestIt’s not about nostalgia or idealising the countryside.It’s about recognising that rural areas matter — not just culturally, but economically, socially, and environmentally.A strong rural dimension means:fair opportunities, real choices, and the feeling that your community has a future.And as discussions begin for the post-2027 EU framework, one message keeps coming back:If Europe wants to stay balanced, resilient and connected, it needs rural regions at the table — not on the sidelines.#RuralCommunities #FutureOfEurope #EUFramework #TerritorialDevelopment #PeopleFirst

We have just released the NextGenerationEU Green Bonds Allocation and Impact Report 2025 🌱📘Thanks to the financing provided by NextGenerationEU Green Bonds, a total of €78.5 billion worth of NextGenerationEU Green Bonds have been issued to date, which will avoid an estimated 14 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year being released - the equivalent of the average yearly greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emissions of more than 1.5 million Europeans. The full implementation of climate-related projects under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (worth €262.8 billion on 1 August 2025) has the potential to reduce the EU's greenhouse gas emissions by 53.4 million tons of CO₂ per year. This would be equivalent to 1.5% of the aggregate 2022 EU greenhouse gas emissions.At least 37% of spending in Member States' Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) is to be used for sustainable investments and reforms in areas such as green infrastructure and renewable energy. NextGenerationEU Green Bonds reflect the Commission's commitment to supporting green investments and reforms, while allowing investors and markets to be part of the solution. The bonds finance projects all across the European Union, offering support in areas such as clean and efficient energy, biodiversity, and clean transport.This report provides investors and stakeholders with an annual update on:🔹 How the proceeds from NGEU Green Bonds have been allocated;🔹 The estimated realised and expected climate impacts;🔹 The evolution of the NGEU Green Bond programme, based on a cut-off date of 1 August 2025.Only four years after the first issuance, the EU has become one of the largest green bond issuers globally.This annual report delivers on our strong commitment to transparency and demonstrates how hashtag#NextGenerationEU Green Bonds are driving Europe’s climate transition.

The European Commission has fresh ideas to upgrade Europe's energy infrastructure ⚡𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞Today, we proposed the European Grids Package to the European Parliament and the Council. It marks a new approach to energy infrastructure by bringing a truly European perspective on infrastructure planning, while accelerating permitting procedures and ensuring a fairer division of costs regarding cross-border projects.𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬To address the most urgent infrastructure needs, we’ve also identified 8 Energy Highways, which require additional short-term support and commitment for implementation. Announced by President von der Leyen in her annual State of the Union in September 2025, the Commission is committed to immediately fast-tracking the Energy Highways.These upgrades to our infrastructure will accelerate clean energy and electrification, help lower energy prices for Europeans and boost Europe's energy security and independence.🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNH4TXGB #AffordableEnergy #EnergyInfrastrucure

Why borders still distort reality — and how data can help fix thatIf you live in a border region, you already know this:the economy doesn’t stop at the border — but data often does.Jobs, commuting, housing, services, supply chains… all work across borders.Yet decisions are still too often made with incomplete or incompatible data, as if borders were walls instead of lines on a map.That’s why cross-border observatories matter.In late November, 21 observatories from across Europe came together in Brussels to do something very concrete: compare how they collect data, how they make it understandable, and how it can actually help decision-makers improve life in border regions.What they found is telling:📊 data exists — but it’s fragmented🧩 national systems don’t talk to each other👷 labour markets are shared, but rarely analysed together🔍 huge economic and social potential remains hiddenDespite very different geographies, the challenges were almost identical. And so was the conclusion: working alone doesn’t work.These observatories — many built with EU support — show that when data is shared, harmonised and visualised across borders, it becomes more than numbers.It becomes a tool to understand reality — and act on it.Because better data doesn’t just inform policies.It helps border regions unlock what they already are: shared spaces of opportunity.#BorderRegions #DataForPeople #CrossBorderLife #TerritorialReality

What happens when cities on opposite sides of the world start talking to each otherFood waste in Vicenza.Traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur.Clean energy ambitions in Sofia.A blue economy taking shape in Tierra del Fuego.At first glance, these places have nothing in common. And yet, they’re dealing with the same questions:How do we move people better?How do we waste less?How do we protect our coasts?How do we build a future that actually works for our communities?That’s where the IURC Programme comes in.With EU support, city leaders from across Europe, Asia, Latin America and beyond are connecting — not to exchange speeches, but to share what works. What failed. What can be adapted. What can be done together.In Barcelona this November, more than 240 people from 130 cities spent three intense days doing exactly that: sitting together, comparing notes, shaping ideas that will turn into real pilot projects over the next two years.The results already speak for themselves:🚗 smarter parking in Indian cities🏫 climate-resilient schools in Chile🌊 floating infrastructure in Belize💧 water pollution solutions in BangkokWhat makes this powerful isn’t scale — it’s relevance.Cities don’t need perfect models. They need practical answers, learned from others facing the same reality.@IURC shows that when local problems are shared globally, solutions become stronger — and communities benefit.#Cities #LocalSolutions #GlobalCooperation #UrbanFuture

Time to get your facts straight on heat pumps!❄️ Heat pumps work well in cold climates 💶 Heat pumps can save you money 🏠 Extensive renovations are not necessary for a heat pump to work well 💡The electricity grid can accommodate an increase in heat pumps 🤫 Modern heat pumps run quietlyHeat pumps are a sustainable and efficient way to heat your home.

🌍 Join the Education for Climate Coalition!Be part of a European community driving climate action through education. The Education for Climate platform connects educators, learners, organisations, and innovators across Europe.🔗 Community platform: https://education-for-climate.ec.europa.eu/community/✅ How to get started: https://education-for-climate.ec.europa.eu/community/topic/everything-you-need-know-get-started🔑Create an EU Login and register for an onboarding session to become a verified member.🛡️Once verified, you can create challenges, post events and news, and engage with communities.📖Check the guides to learn how to: build your profile, share content, and host events.📢 Stay informed📌 Join the Community Bulletin-Board and📩 subscribe to the Education for Climate Newsletter (E4C) for updates, opportunities, and stories from across Europe.

Europe is changing — and a new demographic outlook takes a hard look at what that really means for people and regions.What I found most interesting?It puts the spotlight on something simple but powerful: the right to stay.Not everyone wants to move to a bigger city or another country for work, education or basic services — and they shouldn’t have to.The report shows:• some regions are booming, others are losing people fast• ageing and depopulation are putting pressure on schools, care, mobility and health services• young people often leave because opportunities feel uneven• the gap between “attractive” and “left-behind” regions is growingIt’s a reminder that demographic change isn’t just a statistic — it’s about what it means for daily life, identity, and the future of towns, cities, and rural areas across Europe.If you're curious about how regions can stay vibrant and how people can have a real choice to stay where they grew up (or where they feel they belong), the full outlook is worth a look.👇#CohesionPolicy #Righttostay

Some stories stay with you — this is one of them.The article looks inside a centre where women from very different backgrounds come together to learn, talk, support each other, and slowly undo the divisions of the past.Not through grand statements or political debates — but through friendships, trust and the kind of daily solidarity that changes lives over time.What struck me most is how ordinary moments can reshape communities:• a shared workshop• a conversation over tea• learning a skill side by side• realising someone you thought was “from the other side” is actually a lot like youThe centre isn’t just offering services — it’s creating a safe space where peace becomes something lived, not just talked about.It’s a reminder that rebuilding trust doesn’t always happen in big conference rooms. Sometimes it starts with a warm welcome and someone who listens.If you're interested in community work, reconciliation, or the power of small everyday actions, this story is worth reading.👇#CohesionPolicy #Peace #Regiostars

🌍 Join us for the European Commission Working Group Schools: Learning for Sustainability webinar A dynamic, celebratory event bringing together educators, policymakers, researchers and partners from across Europe and beyond.💡 What you’ll get:• 🎙️ Insights on how schools are embedding sustainability in teaching, learning and governance• 🌱 Inspiring examples from peer-learning visits, policy initiatives and projects• 🧰 Practical resources you can use in your own context• 💬 Interactive discussion on how education systems can prepare learners for a rapidly changing, interconnected world📖 About the Working GroupThe European Working Group promotes mutual learning and exchange among:• national coordinators and experts from ministries of education and/or environment,• NGOs, non-formal educators and social partners,• European and international partners working on learning for sustainability

Looking for people who believe design, art and community can change the way we liveThe New European Bauhaus Prizes 2026 are taking shape — and they’re looking for experts who care about beautiful, sustainable and inclusive ways of living.This call isn’t just for academics or traditional design experts.It’s open to people who understand how creativity, community work, architecture, culture, circularity, or social innovation can make life better in our neighbourhoods.If your work touches on:🎨 design or architecture🌱 sustainability, circularity or nature-based solutions🏘️ community projects or inclusion🔧 crafts, materials or innovation💡 creative ways to rethink spaces…then your voice might be exactly what the New European Bauhaus prizes need.Being part of the expert panel means helping identify the projects that truly reconnect people, places and the planet — with EU support, of course.If you believe in solutions that feel good, do good, and look good, this call is worth a look.Deadline: 1 January 2026#NewEuropeanBauhaus #Creativity #Design #Sustainability #EUFunds

When disasters strike, recovery starts with solidarity — and real support for the people affectedAustria and Poland have lived through devastating floods.Cyprus has faced the trauma of wildfires.For the communities hit hardest, rebuilding is not just about repairing roads, fields or homes — it’s about finding stability again.With EU Solidarity Fund support now disbursed, these countries can move forward with the recovery efforts that matter most to people on the ground:🌧️ Austria & PolandSupport helps repair essential infrastructure, restore damaged public services, and ensure farmers, families and local businesses can get back on their feet.🔥 CyprusThe advance payment for wildfire damage means faster action to protect communities, stabilise burned areas and strengthen safety for the next fire season.What stands out in all three cases is the same message:when disaster takes something away, EU support helps communities rebuild what matters.Solidarity is not a slogan — it’s a concrete lifeline when people need it most.#EUSolidarityFund #EUFunds #Solidarity #Recovery #Communities

The 2nd Union list of Projects of Common & Mutual Interest (PCIs & PMIs) is out!235 cross-border energy projects have been granted the status of PCIs and PMIs, including⚡113 electricity, offshore and smart electricity grid projects⚡100 hydrogen and electrolyser projects⚡17 CO2 network projects ⚡3 smart gas grids projectsThey will be eligible to apply for EU financing from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Energy) to benefit from faster planning and permit approvals and increased visibility to investors. By allowing vital interconnections across the EU and with neighbouring countries, these projects can play a strategic role in increasing the EU’s competitiveness, accelerating the clean energy transition and enhancing our energy security and independence.

🌍 Happy International Volunteer Day! Today we celebrate the incredible impact of volunteers who make a difference across communities and borders. Your dedication brings people together — and language can make those connections even stronger. 🗣️ Whether you’re volunteering locally or abroad, learning a new language opens doors to deeper understanding and meaningful conversations. 📚 With OLS, you can boost your language skills anytime, anywhere — including A1 and A2 courses for every languages.

A warehouse that could change everything for Caribbean communitiesEvery hurricane season, thousands of families in the Caribbean live with the fear of losing everything overnight.Now, thanks to EU funding, a new humanitarian warehouse is here to help them face those moments with a little more safety — and a lot more hope.What this warehouse means in real life:🧡 Supplies that arrive faster, when people truly need them🤝 Better support for local social workers and volunteers🚑 Emergency kits, shelter materials and essentials ready to go🏝️ More resilience for small island communities that face disasters every yearIt’s a simple idea: have the right tools close by, so help can reach people before the worst happens.EU support isn’t just about programmes or investments here — it’s about giving communities the strength to recover and supporting those who dedicate their lives to helping others.A warehouse may look like just a building.But in a crisis, it can be the reason a family gets the help they need in time.#EUFunds #SocialAction #Caribbean #HumanitarianAid