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News 29 August 2025

Celebrating Interreg’s 35th anniversary and promoting cooperation in Alba Iulia

On 14-15 August 2025, over 50 public administration professionals from across Romania gathered in Alba Iulia for a national event focused on sustainable urban development and European cooperation. Organised by the City Hall of Alba Iulia, the event offered an opportunity to share knowledge, highlight successful projects, and celebrate 35 years of Interreg.
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With support from the ASCEND project, the Romanian National Authority joined local stakeholders to present the national communication campaign marking Interreg’s 35th anniversary. Participants learned about current funding opportunities and policy learning tools still available through Interreg programmes. The session also showcased Romanian participation across three programming periods and several programmes, including Interreg Europe, the Interreg Danube Region Programme, and Interreg Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine Programme.

By highlighting successful examples and their local impact, the National Authority encouraged greater cross-regional cooperation - inviting participants to build on lessons learned and explore how tested solutions from Interreg projects can be transferred to other regions.

 

About the ASCEND national event

The event in Alba Iulia was part of the ASCEND project (Accelerating and Scaling-up Climate-neutral and Smart Cities). Through this Interreg initiative, Alba Iulia is working towards reducing its CO₂ emissions by over 85% by 2035, aiming to become a smart and climate-neutral city.

The gathering brought together experts from local and central government, as well as over 45 Romanian public managers. It provided a valuable space for sharing experiences and exploring innovative solutions for sustainable urban development. Workshops focused on:

  • Successful urban development models from Romania and beyond

  • Good governance, including transparency, ethics, and emergency communication

  • Social inclusion as a key element of public policy

  • Current reform challenges faced by Romanian local authorities

Participants also had the chance to visit local projects supported by European funding and take part in guided tours that showcased Alba Iulia’s transformation in recent years. These activities helped strengthen professional networks and fostered future cooperation.