On 13 November, Congress Vice-President Andrew Boff participated in the high-level debate “The Future of Cross-Border Cooperation in a Changing World”, held during the European Cross-Border Platform Annual Meeting, which was co-organised in Gorizia, Italy, by the European Committee of the Regions, the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region, and the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR).

He underlined the Congress’ continued commitment to strengthening local democracy and cross-border collaboration, pointing out that Congress initiatives such as the European Academy Programme and the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE), demonstrate how investment in local capacity, good democratic governance, and trust between neighbouring communities can transform border regions into genuine engines of European integration.

Vice-President Boff also stressed the importance of inclusive multilevel governance, ensuring that local and regional authorities are empowered to work jointly across borders to address common environmental, social, and economic challenges. Moreover, he presented the Congress’ flagship initiative, “Rejuvenating Politics,” which aims to promote youth participation in public life and decision-making processes at local and regional levels. The Congress Vice-President underlined that empowering young people to engage in democratic governance is particularly vital in border regions, where shared challenges and opportunities require innovative, forward-looking solutions.