EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn visits the Euregio office in Innsbruck
12 years later, the Austrian EU Commissioner, who is now responsible for the entire budget of the European Union, visits the new information and coordination center of the Euregio in Innsbruck, which was opened in October 2021 by the 3 provincial governors of the Euregio. There, Hahn could experience the interactive exhibition himself, which gives citizens exciting insights into the history and direct projects of the European region.
The operational exchange with the team of the Euregio office in Innsbruck focused on the already implemented EU projects of the Euregio, such as the Euregio avalanche report, the EuregioFamilyPass and the “Fit for Cooperation (Fit4Co)” program, within the framework of which the reorganization project the Europa-Hütte in the Zillertal Alps. The EU Commissioner was also informed about the status of the work on the EU-funded Euregio weather report, which is currently in the technical implementation phase.
“An example of European cooperation”
In addition, questions of governance could be discussed. Specifically, it is about the task of the Euregio as coordinator of the topic “Mobility within the framework of the European Strategy for the Alpine Space” (EUSALP) and the cooperation of the Euregio with the CLLD regions Dolomiti Live, Terra Raetica and Wipptal, which are directly in the border area at Reschen , on the Brenner and in the Puster Valley and implement cross-border projects there.
“I’ve already had the opportunity a few times in Innsbruck and also in Bozen to see what has been set up here and how this project represents an example of European cooperation,” says Hahn about the European region of Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino.
Overcoming specific cross-border hurdles was also an important topic in the consultations with Hahn. Legal or technical obstacles often hinder the citizens and companies in the Euregio in their work. The spectrum ranges from a lack of recognition of qualifications to incompatible IT systems and language problems. As part of the new EU financial framework 2021-2027, the Euregion will systematically raise these hurdles and develop projects to solve them.
Finally, EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn was able to find out more about the current and future activities of Europe directly on site.