On October 14, 2026, a high-level meeting was held in Brussels on the topic of "Cohesion policy for a competitive Union." The European Commission's Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto delivered remarks, addressing ministers, regional leaders, and experts gathered to discuss the future direction of EU regional policy. In his speech, Fitto noted that the competitiveness issue has shifted to the center of European political discussion and has acquired particular significance against the backdrop of current economic challenges facing the European Union. According to him, cohesion policy, traditionally aimed at reducing development disparities between regions, should be viewed as an important instrument for strengthening economic resilience and the competitiveness of the Union as a whole. The event brought together representatives of national governments and regional administrations, as well as the expert community, underscoring broad interest in the future architecture of European cohesion funds. The discussion takes place in the context of preparations for the EU's new multi-year financial framework, where issues of fund allocation between regions and the prioritization of competitiveness are becoming the subject of intensive debates among member states. Cohesion policy remains one of the largest areas of the EU budget, and its reform toward greater focus on competitiveness could significantly affect how financial support is distributed between the more and less developed regions of the bloc.