With Citizens for Effective Cohesion Policy

Cohesion Policy is one of the EU’s strongest expressions of solidarity, representing nearly one third of the EU budget and aiming to ensure balanced development across all regions. Its longstanding objective, ensuring that no place and no one is left behind, has gained new urgency amid growing social inequalities, ambitious transitions, geopolitical tensions, and declining trust in public institutions.

Since 2020, the OECD and DG REGIO have collaborated to promote innovative models of citizen participation in Cohesion Policy. The OECD understands citizen participation as “all the ways in which stakeholders [including citizens] can be involved in the policy cycle and in service design and delivery”.

Between 2020 and 2025, 16 pilot territories across nine EU countries experimented with new approaches to involve citizens, showing that policies become more targeted and effective when people are meaningfully engaged.

Learn more about the experience of the pilot territories:

• First Cohort (2020-2022): Engaging citizens in cohesion policy | OECD
• Second Cohort (2022-2025): Implementing citizen participation at all stages of the EU Cohesion Policy cycle

As the EU prepares for the next Cohesion Policy cycle (2028-2034), there is a unique opportunity to institutionalise meaningful participation, both in the work of Managing Authorities who define priorities, and in cities that implement sustainable urban development strategies. 

The OECD supports members and partner countries in fostering government openness and government responsiveness to deliver more effective policies while reinforcing citizens’ trust, following the mandate of the 2017 OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government.

The EU has reinforced its commitment through initiatives like the Democracy Defence Package, the Commission Recommendation 2023/2836, and the European Democracy Shield. However, a gap remains between political ambition and concrete implementation. 

Citizen participation must become a systematic and institutionalised part of Cohesion Policy with dedicated resources and skills, not an ad hoc practice. 

The findings from The Future of Cohesion Policy report highlight the need to:

1. Strengthen voice and participation
2. Improve vertical coordination across level of governance
3. Promote interjurisdictional cooperation and peer-learning
4. Better involve disadvantaged groups

These findings resonate with OECD work on citizen participation (e.g. the OECD Guidelines for Citizen Participation Processes and the OECD Discussion Paper Exploring New Frontiers of Citizen Participation in the Policy Cycle).

This project addresses these needs by providing tailored support to subnational authorities across the EU. 

With Citizens for Effective Cohesion Policy is positioned at the intersection of EU and OECD priorities in building trust and reinforcing democracy. It builds on previous phases of experimentation to mainstream and embed good practices of citizen participation in the Cohesion Policy cycle, leveraging OECD expertise in open and responsive governance. 

The project brings together Managing Authorities of EU Cohesion Policy instruments and cities, the two levels that will shape and implement the next Cohesion Policy cycle. By working simultaneously with both, this project:

• Strengthens multi level governance
• Supports evidence based decision making
• Helps align participation with budgeting and implementation cycles
• Ensures that citizen involvement has real influence on policy outcomes

The project also reinforces the capacity of public authorities to engage specific groups, such as youth and other underheard communities, and to use public sector innovation methods, digital, emerging technologies and artificial intelligence to improve their participation practices.

EU territories willing to participate in the project shall apply through the Call for Expression of Interest published by the European Commission – DG REGIO on this portal. The Call will be published on February 11th, 2026 and will remain open until April 30th, 2026. 

This project starts in February 2026 and will end in September 2027.

The project is structured around two complementary Tracks:

Track A – Capacity Building Programme for Managing Authorities to embed meaningful citizen participation in the governance of Cohesion Policy

Participants: 10 Managing Authorities selected through the dedicated Call for Expression of Interest.

The Programme consists in a series of interactive workshops providing expertise and actionable insights on how to design, implement and embed meaningful citizen participation processes, including by leveraging public sector innovation methods, digital and emerging technologies, and artificial intelligence.

Final Outputs (2027)

• Flagship Guidance for all Managing Authorities to embed meaningful citizen participation in the next EU Cohesion Policy cycle
• Tailored recommendations for each participating MA
• Practical Toolkit to action the insights of the Guidance and the recommendations.

Track B – Pioneer Cities

Participants: 4 EU cities selected through the dedicated Call for Expression of Interest.

Track B consists in a structured technical assistance programme for cities willing to experiment with innovative citizen participation in key policy areas. The technical assistance programme includes support in the design and implementation of citizen participation process. Each programme will be tailored to the needs and priorities of selected cities.

Final Outputs (2027)

• OECD Case Studies for each pilot, including context, approach, results, and lessons learned
• Showcase event for the wider community of EU cities