On April 15, 2025, a group of young people from Romania came together to reflect on the opportunities and challenges of living near a border, and to explore how European cooperation could better support their communities. Their perspectives revealed a hopeful and forward-thinking generation, eager to engage and innovate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The discussion opened with the question: All participants agreed that living close to a border is a clear opportunity<\/strong>. They highlighted access to educational opportunities in neighboring countries<\/strong>, exposure to different languages<\/strong>, and the chance to grow up in a more diverse and open-minded environment. Almost no disadvantages were brought up, reflecting a positive and optimistic view of cross-border life and its potential to connect rather than divide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, participants addressed local needs and priorities: One of the most frequently mentioned areas was innovation<\/strong>. Some students shared their wish for regions like Bra\u0219ov to develop into modern tech and innovation hubs<\/strong>, taking inspiration from cities such as Cluj-Napoca. There was a clear desire to see investment in future industries<\/strong>, not just traditional sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Others focused on safety and security<\/strong>, particularly in areas near the Ukrainian border. Participants underlined the need for stronger cross-border coordination<\/strong> to ensure regional stability and effective humanitarian support in times of crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Education<\/strong> remained a recurring theme. Young people expressed concern about high tuition fees<\/strong> and a lack of financial support for Romanian students, particularly when trying to access top-tier universities. They called for greater investment at both national and EU levels<\/strong> to make education more inclusive and accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked: none of the participants could point to a specific Interreg initiative. However, many were familiar with other EU programmes<\/strong> like Erasmus+<\/strong>, DiscoverEU<\/strong>, and the European Solidarity Corps<\/strong>. This highlighted a visibility gap<\/strong> \u2014 Interreg\u2019s impact may be present, but it isn\u2019t reaching youth in a way that\u2019s visible or relatable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Participants also reflected on daily challenges, responding to: A major concern was border security and logistics<\/strong>. Participants mentioned delays at border crossings<\/strong>, inconsistent coordination between authorities<\/strong>, and uncertainty due to geopolitical tensions<\/strong>. These obstacles not only slow down movement, but also discourage cooperation and shared projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Transport infrastructure was another key issue. In many less connected regions, a lack of reliable and accessible transportation<\/strong> limits mobility, which in turn limits opportunities \u2014 especially for young people who want to participate in exchange programmes or joint initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, when asked: One envisioned a large sports hub<\/strong> where young people from different areas could come together to train, play, and build friendships. Another proposed repurposing abandoned factories<\/strong> into vibrant community centers or green spaces for outdoor sports<\/strong>, merging urban development with health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Environmental issues were also top of mind. One idea focused on developing a surveillance system to detect illegal logging<\/strong>, using technology to protect Romania\u2019s forests and promote sustainability. Another participant dreamed of a network of eco-friendly guesthouses in mountain regions<\/strong>, promoting green tourism<\/strong>, environmental education, and regional cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udcac Final Thought:<\/strong> What they need is greater visibility of opportunities, real investment in their regions, and the freedom to create the kind of Europe they want to live in \u2014 one that\u2019s open, sustainable, and deeply connected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On April 15, 2025, a group of young people from Romania came together to reflect on the opportunities and challenges of living near a border, and to explore how European cooperation could better support their communities. Their perspectives revealed a hopeful and forward-thinking generation, eager to engage and innovate. The discussion opened with the question:\u201cIs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":238,"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236\/revisions\/238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yodec.rotineret.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cIs living next to a border an opportunity or a disadvantage?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the place where you live, what are the main topics where cooperation is needed?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan you name an Interreg project that you find useful in the place where you live?\u201d<\/strong>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat are the biggest difficulties for cross-border and transnational cooperation?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat would be the cooperation project of your dreams?\u201d<\/strong>,
participants shared creative and inspiring ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The energy and vision of Romania\u2019s youth show that cross-border cooperation is not just about policy \u2014 it\u2019s about people, places, and the power of new ideas. Whether they’re dreaming of tech innovation, cleaner environments, or inclusive education, young people are ready to take the lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n