Do you know what the EU's cohesion policy is?

The European project COREJIO has been launched to make the topics of just transition and cohesion policy more understandable, accessible, and relevant to people. The EU's cohesion policy is a key instrument for reducing territorial, economic, and social disparities between its regions. Since joining the single market, Bulgaria has received over €25 billion in support to improve its living environment, infrastructure, and, consequently, its economy.

The amount is impressive, but the benefits of these funds may sound a little abstract to anyone who does not closely follow the implementation of projects funded under this policy.

And yet they are so close to everyone: for example, renovated railway stations, municipal buildings, cultural monuments and other public buildings, parks, sports facilities and playgrounds, and so much more. Literally everywhere, you can see information signs announcing that a particular improvement in the urban environment has been funded by the EU.

Nevertheless, according to several sociological studies covering the coal regions of Stara Zagora, Pernik, and Kyustendil, commissioned by Brand Media Bulgaria as part of two successfully completed European projects – "Transition of Opportunities" and "Career Transition of Opportunities" – people are not very familiar with the real benefits of the EU's cohesion policy.

This is why the media has joined forces with the Stara Zagora Regional Economic Development Agency (ARIR – Stara Zagora) and Stara Zagora Television to make the topics of just transition, European investments, and the effect of cohesion policy more understandable, accessible, and relevant to people.

As part of the European project "One Cohesion Policy: Multiple Regions in Sync for a Just Transition" (COREJIO), a broad communication campaign will be launched in Stara Zagora, Pernik, and Kyustendil, which will include training and public events for experts and stakeholders, the creation of a digital platform for sharing resources, the preparation of an e-book with good practices from regions in transition, and the development of a media handbook for journalists and communication specialists. There are also plans to shoot six video stories that will show the real impact of European investments through human stories and successful examples from the field.

The COREJIO project is a natural continuation of our mission – to make European policies understandable, accessible and useful to people. We believe that cohesion policy should not remain hidden behind numbers and documents, but should become stories of change – of new opportunities, modern jobs and a better living environment. This is particularly important in regions such as ours, which are undergoing economic and social transition," commented Dr. Rumyana Grozeva, Executive Director of ARIR.

The project will allow the Agency to use its long-standing experience in communicating European policies and encourage active public dialogue on the just transition in Stara Zagora and the country. "As leading experts in regional development and policies, we see COREJIO as an opportunity to bring together knowledge, experience, and inspiration to show that change can be successful when people are informed, included, and engaged," Grozeva added.

For its part, Brand Media Bulgaria, publisher of Economic.bg, will use the experience it has gained over the past two years to maximize the impact of the planned campaign. The media group's journalists will pass on this experience through planned training sessions and regional workshops.

This is the third project that Brand Media Bulgaria has implemented in coal-mining regions. The topic of economic transformation in Stara Zagora, Pernik, and Kyustendil is not just regional, but national and European. It has always been important to our editorial team because we believe that honest conversation based on facts and quality information is key to a fair transition. COREJIO allows us to work in the field again, close to the people, and to show what is really happening with European funds and policies," commented Georgi Zhelyazkov, editor-in-chief of the business media outlet Economic.bg.

The project will reach over 150,000 people and will support at least 50 experts through targeted training to reflect the contribution of cohesion policy. The goal is more awareness, more understanding, and more trust in the processes that determine the future of regions in transition.

Our television station's participation in the project to promote the European Union's cohesion policy is important because it gives us the opportunity to contribute to better informing citizens in the region about the benefits of European solidarity and support. Through our programs and reports, we can show the real results of the implementation of European programs in local communities. This participation strengthens public trust in European institutions and reinforces our role as a responsible regional media outlet committed to the development of the region," adds Zhelyazko Dinev, Executive Director of TV Stara Zagora.

Translated with DeepL.

Co-Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. The European Union cannot be held responsible for them.