Vukovar-Srijem County stayed in Brussels during the one-week professional practice program.

{gallery}Strucna praksa VSZ{/gallery}On the first day of professional practice, colleagues from the Vukovar-Srijem County had the opportunity to learn about the work of the European Committee of Regions with an emphasis on the legislative framework of cross-border cooperation in the context of the preparation and implementation of EU projects. Namely, the county is active in the preparation and implementation of projects within the Interreg program.

This was followed by a meeting with the RegHub secretariat within the European Committee of Regions on the operation and impact of the RegHub network, of which the Vukovar-Srijem County is a member. Its members monitor the implementation of EU policies on the ground and ensure that the voices of regional and local stakeholders are taken into account when these policies are evaluated at the European level. The RegHub network currently includes 46 members, 10 observers and one affiliated body.

We held a meeting in the European Commission with Katarina Ivanković-Knežević, director of the Department for Social Rights and Inclusion at the Main Directorate for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. With director Ivanković-Knežević, we talked about the card for people with disabilities, the initiative for the homeless and the European care strategy.

On the third day of professional practice, we visited the European Parliament and held a meeting with MP Sunčana Glavak . We talked about the challenges in agriculture today, as well as the imminent preparation of a new draft of the Common Agricultural Policy, and our colleagues got an insight into the work of the European Parliament itself.

The theme of agriculture also marked the day through a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nikša Tkalec , and First Secretary Nikolina Mrenić in the office of the Representative Office. This meeting was an opportunity to establish direct communication and cooperation between local/regional and European levels. During the meeting, they discussed the impact of the green transition on agriculture and the opportunities for our farmers that arise from the green transition itself, such as the circular economy and digitalization.

Colleagues had the opportunity to learn more about the work of the EU Council from Nives Mazur , Minister-in-Charge for Cohesion Policy and representative of the Republic of Croatia in this matter in the EU Council. Kumrić , the place where the voice of the governments of EU member states is heard. The Permanent Representation of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union is the key voice of Croatian interests. We also had the opportunity to meet the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union, Irena Andrassy.

The colleagues ended their stay in Brussels by participating in the Fête des event Pains , for the maintenance of which the Vukovar-Srijem County donated local products. Fête des Pains – Bread Festival is a celebration organized around bread, the only food that can symbolically express all the diversity of Europe. Visitors had the opportunity to taste and buy bakery specialties from all over Europe.

Among the last activities of professional practice, we held a meeting with the Representative Office of the Greater Poland Voivodeship in the office of the Representative Office with the aim of continuing cooperation between our two regions in the field of innovation and talent retention. The European Regions Research & Innovation Network (ERRIN ) also presented itself at the meeting.

The professional practice in the office of the Representative Office enabled the employees of the Vukovar-Srijem County to become familiar with the work of the institutions of the European Union and the perspective of the role of the Republic of Croatia in the creation of European policies, as well as opportunities for the involvement of local and regional communities in their creation. The Vukovar-Srijem County is already on the right track with its membership in the RegHub network.