How can the regional level bring the citizens closer to the EU and answer their needs despite the pan-European interests represented in the European cohesion policy? In how far can the objective of European competitiveness profit the deletion of regional disparities through all 28 member states? Which are the future challenges of the EU cohesion policy with regards to national territorial reforms?

On Wednesday, July 23, the radio network Euranet Plus staged a debate at the European Parliament’s Voxbox in Brussels on all of these questions and more. This Citizens’ Corner was produced in partnership with Radio România, a member of the Euranet Plus network. It took place on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, at 12h30 CEST at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Moderator: Brian Maguire - MEP Mercedes Bresso, Italy, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament and former president of the Committee of the Regions - MEP Jan Olbrycht, Poland, Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) - Normunds Popens, Deputy Director General for Implementation DG REGIO - Joost Van Iersel, President of the EESC Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO) - Laura Goarna, student journalist from UBB Radio of the Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania - Patricia Ricon, student journalist from Universidade de Vigo - Tomasz Paziewski, student journalist from Kampus Radio Warsaw

Get all the details, audios, photos and more about the debate at