{"id":1891,"date":"2026-06-23T12:26:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T12:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/?p=1891"},"modified":"2026-06-23T12:26:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T12:26:15","slug":"if-we-dont-act-now-others-will-decide-for-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/if-we-dont-act-now-others-will-decide-for-us\/","title":{"rendered":"If We Don’t Act Now, Others Will Decide for Us"},"content":{"rendered":"

Csaba Borboly attended the European Committee of the Regions Conference \u2014 and brings home a message that demands immediate action<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, Something Fundamentally Changed in Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n

The European Union opens a new chapter in 2026.<\/p>\n

It is not Brussels that decides how Hargita County develops.
\nNot Bucharest.
\nNot Berlin.<\/p>\n

The new European principle is called: \u201eRight to Stay”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It means every European citizen has the right to live, work and grow old where they call home.
\nThey should not have to leave because there are no jobs.
\nThey should not have to leave because there is no adequate healthcare or schooling.
\nMigration must be a free choice \u2014 not a necessity.<\/p>\n

This principle applies to every rural region in Europe.
\nIf we choose to claim it.<\/p>\n

What Happened in Trnava Today?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The European Committee of the Regions held a conference in Trnava, Slovakia.
\nThe topic: how to apply a place-based approach to innovation across rural and metropolitan regions.<\/p>\n

Csaba Borboly<\/strong>, Vice President of Hargita County Council and Member of the European Committee of the Regions, attended and intervened.
\nSpeakers included an expert from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Seville, the Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s REGI Committee, and a Senior Councillor from the OECD.<\/p>\n

They all said the same thing in different words:<\/p>\n

The next EU financial framework from 2028 will only benefit regions that are ready now. Those who wait will fall behind.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What Does \u201ePlace-Based” Mean and Why Does It Matter?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Simply put: you cannot apply the same solution in a rural Carpathian mountain county as in Bucharest or Hamburg.<\/p>\n

Hargita County is a mountainous, rural region with its own culture and economic structure.
\nOur strengths are different.
\nOur challenges are different.
\nThe EU now recognises this and builds policy on it.<\/p>\n

Place-based development means local governments, local businesses, local universities and local communities plan together what they need.
\nThey are not handed a solution from above.
\nThey build it themselves \u2014 and the EU funds it.
\nThis is the only method through which rural regions can genuinely benefit from EU funds.<\/p>\n

What Do the Data Show? JRC Put Numbers on the Table Today<\/strong><\/p>\n

The debate has long discussed the divide between rural and urban areas.
\nThe JRC Startup Village Forum research presented concrete evidence today.<\/p>\n

The result is striking.<\/p>\n

When we look at patents and R&D expenditure, the urban-rural gap is large.
\nBut when we look at what share of companies introduce new or improved products, processes or services \u2014 real, everyday innovation \u2014 the gap is much smaller.<\/p>\n

64% of rural companies in Europe innovate in some form.
\nIn urban areas, that rate is 70%.<\/p>\n

This means: rural innovation exists. It is simply different. Not patents \u2014 adaptation. Not laboratories \u2014 local knowledge.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The JRC research also showed that the main obstacle for rural companies is not talent.
\nIt is the local and national tax environment \u2014 and access to finance, which today is largely concentrated in cities.
\nThe solution: local clusters, local financing channels and institutions that bring actors together.<\/p>\n

This is exactly what rural regions need \u2014 and what they are capable of.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Stakes: Numbers That Do Not Lie<\/strong><\/p>\n

The European Commission plans 450 billion euros<\/strong> for cohesion in the 2028-2034 period.
\nOf this, at least 218 billion euros<\/strong> is allocated to less developed regions.<\/p>\n

Hargita County is a less developed region.
\nIn principle, it qualifies.<\/p>\n

But the money does not arrive automatically.
\nOnly regions with an up-to-date strategy, a demonstrated local partnership and active participation in EU negotiations will receive it.<\/p>\n

If regions are not ready, national capitals will decide.
\nNational capitals’ priorities do not always align with regional needs.<\/p>\n

No External EU Border? That Is Not a Weakness \u2014 If Managed Smartly.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The OECD expert highlighted something particularly important for regions without an external EU border.<\/p>\n

Many European regions rely on cross-border programmes for development.
\nHargita County has no external EU border.
\nThis does not mean it should be excluded from place-based development logic.
\nIt means it must take a different path.<\/p>\n

That path is building internal territorial capacity.
\nIt means: a strong local institution that brings together farmers, entrepreneurs, universities and local governments.
\nOnce that is in place, the region can seek partners in similar European regions \u2014 not based on geography, but on shared interests and common challenges.
\nThe OECD’s Tuscan example shows: the best innovation partner is not always the neighbour.<\/p>\n

The Right to Stay only becomes real if the reason to stay also exists: paid employment, entrepreneurial opportunity, local perspective.
\nThat is what place-based development actually creates.<\/p>\n

Three Things Are Happening in Parallel \u2014 and Cannot Wait<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Negotiations on the 2028 cohesion regulation are happening now.<\/strong>
    \nWhat is not included now will not change for 7 years.
    \nIf regional perspectives are absent from national partnership plans, funds will be distributed according to central government priorities.<\/li>\n
  2. The \u201eRight to Stay” strategy is being shaped now.<\/strong>
    \nThe European Commission is collecting regional experiences right now.
    \nEvery intervention counts.
    \nThose who stay silent will not be represented.<\/li>\n
  3. The EIB financing window is open now.<\/strong>
    \nFunding is available in 2026 for the Romanian public sector \u2014 for those who come prepared.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Message from Trnava<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The question is not whether the EU will help rural regions.
    \nThe EU wants to help.
    \nThe system is built for this.
    \nThe money is allocated for this.<\/p>\n

    The question is: are we ready?<\/p>\n

    The new EU framework is not about capitals or central governments.
    \nIt is about places and people.
    \nAbout us.
    \nIf we choose to act.<\/p>\n

    \nThe Right to Stay will only be real if we ourselves fight for it.Those who stay silent will not be heard.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Trnava, Slovakia \u2014 23 June 2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Csaba Borboly attended the European Committee of the Regions Conference \u2014 and brings home a message that demands immediate action Today, Something Fundamentally Changed in Europe The European Union opens a new chapter in 2026. It is not Brussels that decides how Hargita County develops. Not Bucharest. Not Berlin. The new European principle is called: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[82,1,84],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cor","category-hirek","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1891"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1893,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1891\/revisions\/1893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}