On October 15, 2025, the first meeting of the Regional Stakeholder Group (RSG) under the project Rural COOP – “Rethinking Sustainable and Integrated Development in Non-Urban Areas: Cooperative Foresight and Anticipation”, funded by the Interreg Europe 2021–2027 programme, was held in Byala Slatina, Bulgaria.
The event was organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vratsa in partnership with Byala Slatina Municipality, bringing together representatives of local authorities, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and civil society. Participants discussed the current challenges facing regional development and the opportunities for more sustainable, inclusive, and green policies.
The Rural COOP project unites seven partners from Italy, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Albania, and Bulgaria. Its main goal is to improve how regional development policies are created and implemented in non-urban and peripheral areas through innovative, inclusive, and forward-looking approaches. The project emphasizes co-creation of future visions, territorial cohesion, and capacity building for local authorities and communities.
Rural COOP contributes to the green transition, the reduction of territorial inequalities, and the strengthening of social cohesion across Europe by building bridges between public institutions, citizens, and businesses in pursuit of better governance and a sustainable future for sparsely urbanized regions.
