An International Insight: How I Ended Up at EU Regions Week
By Abbie Vauls
It’s EU Regions Week! No - I hadn’t heard of it either, yet ended up being a young representative at one of its events last week in Brussels. This annual event simply invites the little people on the ground (me) to showcase the potential that their region/city has to offer (i.e., beg for EU funding).
It’s the biggest event that the EU has dedicated to the Cohesion Policy. If you remotely follow EU politics, the words ‘Cohesion Policy’ are simply inescapable at present. But what actually is it? In simple terms, it’s a considerable amount of money (figures vary, but about €392 billion between 2021-2027; a third of the EU budget), that will be used to promote development and reduce inequalities across EU countries, including disparities between areas within a country. This is carried out by running educational workshops that promote employment opportunities, improving public transport, encouraging green initiatives, and many other projects. It emphasises sustainability and involvement of young people within its initiatives.
I took part in an example of one of these educational workshops in the summer of this year. I was unsure at first, as some of these kinds of events end up being a bit of a shambles, but it was actually very informative and an extremely positive weekend. Three nights in a four-star hotel may also have swayed me. It was held in Letterkenny, Donegal, and promoted the concept of “solutions journalism” – journalism that doesn’t just report the many many problems in our world, but additionally evaluates solutions to these problems in an attempt to add a little positivity to our media! The project was run by YOUTHopia, whose role is to raise awareness of the benefits of the Cohesion Policy, especially to young people – in hindsight, they really should be paying me to write this article. They’re not. Anyway, their workshop I attended in Donegal landed me an all-expenses paid trip to Brussels, so I’m not complaining.
So, I spent a few days in the land of luxurious chocolates, representing and discussing the benefits of running these educational events in parts of the EU that lack employment opportunities for young people, and their potential to inspire positive future careers. Aside from the formal benefits like networking and some CV pizzazz, I also got to exploit being in an incredible international hub like Brussels, a city full of incredible architecture, art, and of course, waffles.
Taking advantage of these opportunities made available by the EU introduced me to some incredible people, who are also interested in creating positive change in the media, and I also met those at the heart of the industry. Networking is so important, as I think we’re all aware - it’s all about who you know, not what you know.
So moral of the story folks; revel in every opportunity – thanks to the Cohesion Fund, the EU is offering plenty of them targeted specifically at young people. You never know where it’ll take you or who you’ll meet along the way – and don’t let this whole concept of Irish “notions” hold you back. Sure, they’re only jealous.
Edited by Ruby Hegarty
Abbie Vauls is a contributor for The Scoop. She is in her final (fourth) year, and studies French and International Relations.