T33 at the 2026 RSA Annual Conference

In June, T33 travelled to Gothenburg for the 2026 Annual Conference of the Regional Studies Association (RSA), hosted by the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg under the theme “Regions as Arenas in a Changing World”. Over four days, more than 700 presentations brought together researchers, policymakers and early-career scholars from around 55 countries to discuss topics ranging from innovation and the green transition to artificial intelligence, labour markets, governance and regional inequalities.

Our colleagues Arianna Mori and Dea Hrelja presented research on a timely question for EU enlargement: how can candidate countries develop the governance practices and partnerships needed to work effectively with EU cohesion policy before becoming Member States?

The paper, “Applying the EU partnership principle in enlargement countries: cross-border cooperation as a laboratory of multi-level governance”, draws on a study carried out by T33 for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO). The study was coordinated by Pietro Celotti, with Dea Hrelja, Arianna Mori and Lisa Legrand, Giulia Pilia and Helene Gorny among its authors.
The research looks at nine EU candidate countries and examines how participation in Interreg programmes can provide practical experience of the EU partnership principle. By bringing national, regional and local authorities together with civil society and other stakeholders, cross-border cooperation creates opportunities to develop more inclusive and collaborative approaches to policy-making.
The findings suggest that Interreg can act as a practical laboratory for European integration, helping candidate countries build administrative capacity, strengthen cooperation across levels of government and involve non-governmental actors in programme design and implementation. At the same time, challenges remain, including limited administrative capacity, centralised governance systems and uneven stakeholder participation.
 

On 17 June, Arianna and Dea presented their paper in the session “Peripheral and Cross-border Regions 2”, alongside six other contributions. The session explored a range of issues affecting peripheral and cross-border regions, including how the Central European Initiative and the Adriatic–Ionian Initiative could strengthen EU enlargement governance in the Western Balkans, as well as Türkiye’s position as a “cusp” state in a multiplex world.
Presenting this work in Gothenburg was a valuable opportunity to exchange views with researchers and practitioners working on similar questions across Europe and beyond. At T33, we will continue to support the European Commission, national and regional authorities and Interreg programmes in making cohesion policy more inclusive and effective – both within the EU and along its borders.