(Brussels) The 17^th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities will kick off in Brussels on 7 October. The focus this year will be on “how cohesion policy can help to make Europe greener, more inclusive and smarter”. Besides the official opening in Brussels, the programme for the week includes about 400 events across Europe. The Committee of the Regions (CoR), the institutional body giving voice to local administrations and authorities, will be hosting the annual conference organised with the support of the Commission. This year’s edition will gather over 9,000 participants with a significant program for the next few days. The opening, on 7 October, will feature a debate between young local politicians and Karl-Heinz Lambertz, President of the European Committee of the Regions; Klara Dobrev, Vice-President of the European Parliament; and Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for Internal Market. The next day, debate will focus on the EU budget for 2021-2027. And on the third day, participants will talk about the ecological transition from the point of view of the EU’s coal-producing regions. The plenary meeting of the CoR will also be held those days. Topics to be discussed include: the EU regional development policy beyond 2020; the consequences of Brexit; the digital and ecological transition. On 8 October, the winner of the “Megalizzi-Niedzielski” prize for would-be journalists will be announced and will receive the award.