(29 June 2015) – The European Commission announced, on Friday (26 June), the finalists for the RegioStars 2015 awards which honour Europe’s most inspirational and innovative regional projects supported by EU Cohesion Policy Funds.
An independent RegioStars Awards Jury, led by MEP Lambert Van Nistelrooij as Jury President, selected 17 finalists from 143 entries on the basis of four key criteria: innovation, impact, sustainability and partnership.
The finalists come from regions and cities in 15 Member States: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
The four Award categories for 2015 are:
- Smart Growth – unleashing SME growth potential for a digital economy
- Sustainable Growth – mobilising investmentsin energy efficiency for the benefit of citizens and society
- Inclusive Growth – Integrating into society those at risk of social exclusion
- CityStars – Transforming cities for future challenges
The four winners will be announced during the 2015 OPEN DAYS event in Brussels from 12 to 15 October 2015.