Presidencies

The cooperation inside the network Four Motors for Europe is based on the principle of institutional flexibility and does not include its own governing bodies or budget. Each rotating presidency has the opportunity to push forward a set of priorities, while at the same time considering the work of previous presidencies in order to ensure efficiency and continuity. The rotating presidency lasts approximately one year and culminates with a high-level political meeting as a part of the presidency handover event.

List of Presidencies (since 2009)

2025-2026 Catalan Presidency (current presidency) PDF

Catalonia holds the rotating presidency of the network this year, until the first quarter of 2026. Catalonia will take over the presidency from Lombardy at an institutional event in Varese on 11 April 2025. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes will take over at the end of its mandate.

The Catalan presidency's programme is aligned with the Competitiveness Compass, the Work Plan of the European Commission, and with other recent strategies that the Government of Catalonia has approved, including the Brussels Plan and the Catalunya Lidera (Catalonia Leads) Plan. 

As its central theme, the document proposes "The Compass Motors: the contribution of the regions to the debate on the future economic and social model of Europe", and it identifies four strategic blocks, with their respective lines of action and specific initiatives. The specific lines of action proposed are:

  1. Leading innovation in advanced technologies
  2. Decarbonisation to compete
  3. Gaining strategic autonomy, safety and resilience
  4. Towards an inclusive economy: talent, decent work and equal opportunities

 

The programme is based on areas to be addressed within the 4ME's formal working groups. New areas of strategic interest for Catalonia that are shared by all the 4ME regions have also been added, including innovation in health, sustainable transport, cybersecurity and dual-use technologies, sustainable tourism and housing.

Furthermore, one of the priorities of the Catalan presidency of the 4ME is to increase our presence and influence in European institutions and to ensure we influence and make our voice heard in the debates and decision-making processes that will define the future of Europe. Accordingly, it seeks to play an active role in key discussions, including the next multiannual financial framework, the research and innovation programme (FP10) and the common agricultural policy.

In the institutional sphere, the Catalan presidency of the 4ME will also promote the joint participation of the association's constituent regions in the Europe Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC), which will take place in Brussels in October 2025, and an institutional reverse mission on hydrogen will be carried out as part of Hydrogen Week, which will take place in Catalonia in November 2025.

 

2024-2025 Lombardy Presidency  PDF

Lombardy took over the presidency of the “Four Motors for Europe” from Baden-Württemberg on 12 April 2024.

During the presidency, Lombardy will focus on the topics of communications and connections, and on their evolution in relation to the new technologies. The program of work will also offer a reflection on the improvement of physical infrastructures and the use of data, information, and artificial intelligence, while also taking into account the guiding lines of economic, social and environmental sustainability. Finally, the presidency will consider the impact of new technologies on education and work. Such issues will be addressed through a presidential mission, an economic mission, and a joint position paper, and will be comprised within the European context and the framework of the overlapping Italian presidency of the G7.

The main areas of interest will be:

  • Communication Routes, Advanced Air Mobility and Space Economy
  • Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
  • Education and Professional Training

 

2023-2024 Baden-Württemberg Presidency PDF

Baden-Württemberg took over the presidency of the “Four Motors for Europe” from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region on 20 March 2023.

Baden-Wurttemberg‘s presidency focused on the areas of economic transformation, technological transition, and the reduction of CO2 emissions with the guiding theme “New economic perspectives: Transformation as an opportunity for the viability of our regions.”

Its goals have been:

  • Implementing the guiding topic by including Four Motor formats to existing activities and thus using synergies available
  • Strengthening political presence in Brussels and setting political priorities at EU-level and
  • Further developing the Four Motors for Europe – towards a more efficient and visible network

 

2021-2022: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Presidency  [PDF]

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region took over the presidency of the “Four Motors for Europe” from Catalonia on 3 December 2021. The period of the presidency coincided with the French presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2022.

Due to the consequences of the pandemic, the AURA presidency focused on one priority - economic recovery and sustainable growth – and six key action areas : 1. Economy, innovation, energy and digital transition: promoting relocation in the regions to increase Europe’s industrial and technological sovereignty ; 2. Sustainable tourism and health tourism: supporting the tourism transition ; 3.Professional training, apprenticeships, higher education, and student mobility: renewing training practices and adapting methods to companies’ needs ; 4.Agriculture and food sovereignty: promoting the quality of regional products ; 5. Climate and environment: taking action together and promoting the Regions’ initiatives at the international level ; 6. Health and disability: sharing our experiences managing the health crisis.

 

2020-2021: Catalan Presidency [PDF] [PDF] [Visit website]

Catalonia assumed the presidency of the Four Motors for Europe from Lombardy in an institutional event in Milan on September 25, 2020. The program of the Catalan presidency puts the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda at its center, as well as the European Green Deal, in order to strengthen the transformative resilience of our societies. Inspired by the three dimensions of the 2030 Agenda, the program is organized into three types of resilience: economic, social and environmental.
In order to provide the content of the program, a consultation was carried out with all the departments of the Catalan Government, the result of which is over 30 specific initiatives that will take place during the 12 months of the Catalan presidency.

 

2019-2020: Lombardy Presidency [PDF]

During this presidency, Lombardy proposed as working program « The Four Motors for Europe following the roads of the future », as the four regions can embrace the changes, experimenting with new development paradigms that will allow the Four Motors for Europe to shape the roads of the future. Lombardy worked on six thematic areas: 1. Quality and future of care services; 2. Policies and predictive tools for the efficiency of government action; 3. Eco-innovative production chains and manufacturing 4.0; 4. Agri-food supply chains and innovative platforms; 5. The professions of the future: innovation lies in training; 6. New forms of relationship with Millennials and fight against bullying. 
Furthermore, the presidency organized for each line of collaboration at least one meeting with experts and stakeholders from each region, with the focus of triggering positive dynamics at a social and economic growth level.

 

2017-2018: Baden-Württemberg Presidency [PDF]

The programme of the Baden-Württemberg Presidency built on the priorities of the previous Presidency and set new impulses such as the transformation process in the automotive industry or the Europe of Regions. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary, the role of the Four Motors for Europe as an innovative, European and living network was acknowledged. During the presidency, the administrations of the regions were further interlinked and their visibility in Europe was increased. Furthermore, Baden-Württemberg strengthened the profile of the Four Motors for Europe as regions of quality food and respective value chains.

 

2016-2017: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Presidency [PDF]

The overall ambition was to pursue the objective of transition to smart regions which the four regions have been working on over the past years, with three thematic objectives: 

  1. Transforming the industrial model with digital technologies (Big Data and Industry of the future); 
  2. The transition towards a decarbonized economy by adapting local strategies; 
  3. The transition towards creative and cultural industry to create employment. 

The AURA presidency also organized a joint institutional and business mission in Scandinavia focused on Cleantech and Life sciences.

 

2015-2016: Catalan Presidency [PDF]

With the commitment to move towards a new economic model, based on innovation, intelligence and a more sustainable production model, ICT, as well as industrial and manufacturing innovation, the Catalan presidency of the Four Motor for Europe promoted a series of activities around these areas. The program of the presidency also foresaw a series of thematic objectives, as well as the institutional, technical and business mission which took place in Chile.

 

2013-2014: Lombardy Presidency [PDF]

The Lombardy presidency occurred during the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Four Motors for Europe network. During this year, the Presidency based its agenda on building European macro-regional realities, preparing for the Expo 2015 which was an opportunity for the regions of the Four Motors for Europe, working on new challenges 25 years after its foundation: fiscal and industrial policies, research and innovation and tourism. Ultimately, jointly initiatives were proposed in different thematic areas such as economics, research and innovation, environment, culture, ICT and Digital Agenda, agriculture, training, and work.

 

2012-2013: Baden-Württemberg Presidency [PDF]

The highlight of the Presidency was the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Four Motors for Europe. In a joint declaration on the occasion of the anniversary, the four regions presented their common visions and priorities for the future development of Europe and reaffirmed their will to actively shape it. A special focus of Baden-Württemberg’s presidency was on citizen participation. Furthermore, the Presidency's programme included cooperation with the Danube region, youth work, cooperation in education and in the vocational sector and climate protection.

 

2011-2012: Rhône-Alpes Presidency [PDF]

The programme focused on sustainable innovation with two key initiatives: the European Conference of Regions on Climate Action, held in October 2011 in Lyon; an institutional and business mission in Cordoba (Argentina) in February 2012 as part of the cooperation with the “Four Motors for Mercosur”.
The Rhône-Alpes Region also aimed at pursuing the Four Motors for Europe’s efforts to strengthen the network’s role at European level, through common policy statements on the EU Cohesion policy, the Common Agricultural Policy and EU research & development policy (Horizon 2020). In March 2012, the Four Motors for Europe’ Presidents met in Brussels and presented these joint declarations to representatives of the European institutions.

 

2010-2011: Catalan Presidency [PDF]

In an effort to give an urging response to the worldwide economic crisis, the Catalan presidency worked towards strengthening the role of non-state governments in economic activation. This was pursued through actions for interchange and cooperation in areas concerning productive economy addressed to enterprises and productive sectors, by promoting closer collaboration with the Four Motors of the MERCOSUR, as well as by stimulating a joint dialogue regarding areas of innovation or the internationalization of enterprises.

 

2009-2010: Lombardy Presidency [PDF]

The Lombardy presidency program was divided in three areas of intervention:

  1. Comparison of policies in which the regions of the Four Motors for Europe have made significant innovations, promoting exchanges in multiple fields, such as health and welfare, education and professional training, research and innovation, institutional and capacity building, institutional communication;
  2. Carrying on the international collaborations of the Four Motors for Europe, with joint initiatives related to two main areas: the Mediterranean area and the Latin American area;
  3. Consolidation of the actions of the Four Motors for Europe in the field of development cooperation, promoting meetings of the representatives of the institutions and civil society with the aim of continuing to compare different models of international cooperation.

Finally, the Lombard Presidency encouraged a greater leadership of the Four Motors for Europe.