The Open Days 2008, organised by the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Commission's Regional Policy Directorate General, is centred in Brussels from 6-9 October 2008 and also involves more than 200 linked events throughout October in the Member States. This year, the theme of the Open Days is "Regions and cities in a challenging world".

Following two calls for participation – one for regions and cities and the other for the financial and private sector, representatives were officially informed of the full list of partners at a meeting in Brussels today, 4 April. As in previous years, the regions and cities have divided themselves into thematic conglomerates. Partners from 26 Member States are represented while others come from Turkey, Croatia, Norway, Switzerland and – for the first time – Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland. The highest number of regions and cities come from France (22), Italy and Spain (19), the United Kingdom (18), and Poland (17).

More than 5,000 participants are expected to take part in the event.

Under the overall title of "Regions and cities in a challenging world", the Brussels programme will feature 120 seminars and debates on four themes:

Thirty partners from the financial and private sector and civil society organisations will hold up to 40 seminars in the framework of the OPEN DAYS Investors' Café, the main meeting place for public and private stakeholders in the Committee of the Regions building.

For more information, please contact:

Investor's Café; Committee of the Regions, 99-101 Rue Belliard, Brussels