In the German city of Bremen, the local government has worked with an Interreg project encouraging locals to ditch their own cars for simply hiring one when they need it. Counting over 20,000 users so far, project coordinator Rebecca Karbaumer tells us how the scheme has managed to remove over 6,000 privately owned cars from the city’s streets, lowering its carbon footprint while improving locals’ quality of life. Meanwhile, in the Austrian town of Graz, local Mayor Jakob Frey has been encouraging his citizens to go car free for years. He explains how, thanks to a recent Interreg project, his ..read more

Across the sparse landscapes of the far north of Europe, scientists have collaborated with master beer brewer Mattias Bergström to show how much can be done with waste wheat leftover from the beer making process. Mattias tells us how important the support of Interreg is in getting this ‘circular’ economy up and running in Europe, and of the commercial opportunities it could eventually present across the continent. Meanwhile in Austria, an industrious network of Reuse advocates have come together to create ‘Smart Parks’ offering upcycling masterclasses, repair cafes and reuse collection points ..read more

Following a flight from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, Bruno Tot, from the Croatian Blind Union, is ready to inspect the work of a project helping blind and visually impaired people to travel independently. Visually impaired himself, Bruno tells us of the challenges involved in travelling Europe today and how the programme is improving accessibility for people like him.  Meanwhile in Lebanon, amidst one of the worst crises in the country’s history, Interreg is funding work developing a drastically new model of care and inclusion for the nation’s elderly. Psychiatrist and project partner Dr Georges ..read more

In Sweden, a food revolution has been going on for some time. Consumers are increasingly demanding local produce of superior quality. We hear how meat farmer Agnetha Björnsdotter Berglund has capitalised on the trend, transforming her business by going local thanks to an Interreg programme linking small producers to national supermarkets. Meanwhile, perched a few miles from the French riviera, the small town of Mouans-Sartoux has held out against the advances of property developers to build a farm feeding its schoolchildren organic food. The town’s deputy mayor, Gilles Pérole, tells us why he ..read more

Shahidha Bari hears from refugees that have fled violence for the continent and the Interreg funded projects helping them to integrate into their new lives. In the Italian city of Parma, the ‘Wonderful House’ is providing refugees with accommodation, visa application support, language training and other resources to help them become fully fledged citizens of their new home. Pedro Apollos, Wonderful House manager and former refugee, tells us about his incredible story.  Meanwhile, in the Limburg region of Belgium and the Netherlands, an innovative project has helped many refugees gain mean ..read more

From the northern Italian city of Bologna, Interreg has funded an innovative pilot programme helping artists build their connections across the continent, finding new work opportunities and broadening their creative community. Musician Guido Manfrini tells us about his work with the project and how the industry has coped with performance venues being shut for over a year. Meanwhile, in the far south western corner of Europe, two Portuguese towns have teamed up with their Spanish neighbour across the Guadiana river to create a “EuroCity”, bringing their events programmes together into a joint c ..read more

There are 27 countries which make up the European Union, a union whose official motto is, ‘United in Diversity’.  But how exactly do you cultivate unity across a region with such a diverse mix of culture, language and heritage?  In the second series of This Is Europe, broadcaster Shahidha Bari talks to the Europeans whose lives have been transformed by Interreg - a community that was created in a spirit of knowledge-sharing and collaborative thinking both within the EU and beyond to help create a peaceful and prosperous union. Across the series you’ll hear how the Interreg community ..read more

Shahidha Bari convenes a panel of European thinkers for a conversation about the future of cooperation on the continent. Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist and the author of  ‘A Short History of Europe: From Pericles to Putin’. Birte Wassenberg is Professor in Contemporary History at the University of Strasbourg. Reinier Zweers works with Interreg as Coordinator of European Cooperation in the Gelderland province.  Together, they tackle the big questions facing Europe – from populist politics to the climate crisis – and ask how the continent might survive and thrive now and af ..read more

For the third edition of This Is Europe, Shahidha Bari journeys to the outer perimeters of the European Union – and beyond – in search of the stories that are shaping the future of life on the continent. In a small village in rural Saxony, proximity to the Czech and Polish borders provides an excellent starting point for the most European of educations. Primary school teacher, Kamil Prisching, brings us along for a border-hopping school day, as his young German pupils travel to their partner school in the Czech Republic, and receive a crash course education on everything from the traditional p ..read more

In the second edition of This is Europe, Shahidha Bari hears from members of the Interreg community who are working together, across borders, to shape the future of the EU, and establish meaningful connections with their European neighbours. A new tram line connects the French city of Strasbourg to Kehl, its German neighbour. Cathy Gebhart-Levy, a mobility planner for Strasbourg, takes us on a ride over the river Rhine, to explore the ways the new tram has strengthened a relationship with a long and complex history. Plus, we hear from the locals on either side of the border who have benefited ..read more