EUFEAST – Kick-off Meeting Held in Greece
From July 28 to 29, 2025, the introductory meeting for the project “Festive Pathways to a Sustainable Tomorrow – EUFEAST” took place in Komotini, Greece. This event marked the official launch of the collaborative European initiative aimed at promoting sustainable cultural tourism through festival trails.
The meeting brought together representatives from various partner organizations across Europe. The lead partner, the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Greece), hosted the event alongside other key partners including the Xanthi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Greece), the Ministry of National Heritage, Arts and Local Government – Department of Local Government (Malta), the Region of Värmland (Sweden), the City Council of Łomża (Poland), the European Festivals Association (Belgium), and Újbuda Local Government and the 11th District of Budapest (Hungary).
The project seeks to enhance policies in the participating regions by improving policy tools through active engagement of diverse stakeholders, experience sharing, and learning activities. Local communities are involved in festival planning and execution to ensure their needs and cultural values are respected and highlighted. At the same time, artisans and businesses are supported in developing their skills and participating in festival-related activities.
This initiative underscores the vital role of culture as an integral component of sustainable development and positive social change. It aims to embed cultural considerations into all relevant policies, programs, and initiatives to foster greater synergy and advance key EU values such as freedom of expression and increased employment within the cultural and creative sectors.
EUFEAST project aims to achieve several key outcomes: fostering interregional collaboration among 47 organizations, developing six policy instruments, hosting eleven interregional policy learning events, and identifying eighteen best practice examples.
Funded by the Interreg Europe Programme under the priority “A More Social Europe: Culture and Sustainable Tourism,” the project has a total budget of €1,577,446.00.
During the meeting, project partners had the opportunity to introduce themselves and present their respective institutions. The first day was dedicated to individual presentations from each of the eight partners representing different countries, alongside a thematic overview of the project. The second day focused on project management, including legal and operational framework, financial management and reporting, as well as communication strategies.
The partners also reviewed upcoming activities and potential challenges, agreeing collectively that project work can proceed according to the established schedule.
For more information about the EUFEAST project, please visit the official Interreg Europe Programme website: https://www.interregeurope.eu/eufeast
