The European Commission has launched a call for proposals aimed at regions currently facing the departure of their younger population.
Given that several Member States continue to face these challenges, this call is aimed at 36 regions in 11 Member States (Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain) which are experiencing significant emigration of people aged between 15 and 39.
In Portugal, the regions covered are the North and the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira. The application submission deadline began on February 14 and ends on February 7, 2024. Support and advice will be given to a maximum of 10 regions. Under the second pillar of the Talent Promotion Facility, 36 regions at risk of falling into a talent development trap will have the opportunity to benefit from direct technical assistance to draw up analyses, policy recommendations, and an action plan to respond to their specific territorial challenges related to the demographic transition.
These regions were identified in the European Commission’s Communication “Producing talent in Europe’s regions,” published this year. The communication focuses on the significant demographic changes in the EU, marked by an aging population, declining birth rates, and the exodus of young, skilled workers from various regions. The 36 regions have been identified as those with the highest net emigration of their population aged between 15 and 39.


A team of specialized technical experts will provide analysis and recommendations to all major policy sectors on responding to (rapid) population reductions, helping regions devise new approaches to demographic transition and talent development through locally adapted policies.
The technical support is part of the eight-pillar “Talent Facility” set up by the Commission to help boost talent in regions facing or at risk of facing a talent development trap. The Facility supports EU regions affected by the accelerated decline of their working-age population and the outflow of their young population to train, retain, and attract the people, skills, and competencies needed to cope with the impact of the demographic transition. The support aims to help regional authorities cope with the demographic transition, aggravated by the risk of falling into a talent development trap. An evaluation report will be drawn, adapted to the region’s needs. It will include analysis and recommendations in the main policy sectors and an action plan to guide policy implementation.


For each selected region, a report will be prepared focusing on the cohesion perspective while identifying the corresponding regional and national policies relevant to combating the emigration of young people from a spatial perspective. The aim is to obtain tailored recommendations for national and regional policies that cohesion policy can help implement or address through investments and reinforcements and to identify growth trajectories or priority areas for investment by analyzing the future needs of the territory. Field visits and local events will also be organized with the relevant authorities.
Opportunities for policy dialogue will also be offered to the regions through seminars and specific events.
The precise objectives and scope of the policy analyses, recommendations, and policy dialogues will be defined and agreed upon in the initial phase, in close dialogue between the beneficiary and DG RE- GIO, according to the note published by the European Union.

In Atlântico Expresso, Natalino Viveiros, director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno