Informest interviews Bogdan Birnbaum and Giampaolo Tarpignati, officials of the European Projects Office (UPE) of the Municipality of Udine, about the outcomes of the Fit4CO CBO project, the cross-border tandem between Udine and Villach developed with the technical support of Informest.

What is the balance of the Fit4CO project for the Municipality of Udine?
Fit4CO allowed us to launch a structured cooperation process with Villach, starting internally. We organized operational meetings involving around 60 municipal employees from different sectors to map skills and needs on one side, and European funding opportunities on the other. At the same time, we conducted a short survey among area managers to understand obstacles and opportunities in cross-border cooperation. A bottom-up approach that provided a realistic picture of the municipality’s priorities.
From this work, several operational recommendations emerged: establishing a permanent cross-border task force between our Office and the Villach Funding Office, developing a portfolio of “ready-to-use” project ideas, and investing in staff training, particularly on Interreg frameworks and language skills, to reduce technical and communication barriers. We are already working in this direction within a proposal of the Central European Initiative – Cooperation Fund, for which we hope to continue collaboration with Informest. We also aim to adopt shared digital platforms for joint monitoring and to begin preparing for the 2028–2034 programming period.

Have you found similar needs in Villach?
Absolutely, and this was one of the most encouraging aspects. Villach also highlighted the need to first strengthen internal preparation and then structure stable and continuous exchange formats. Like us, they identified common cooperation themes—sustainable mobility, energy transition, service digitalization, urban planning—and share the goal of preparing in advance for the 2028–2034 programming period by working on a shared portfolio of project ideas.
A shared awareness also emerged: cross-border cooperation cannot be episodic. It requires stable structures, mutual trust, and constant dialogue. Fit4CO has laid solid foundations; the challenge now is to turn them into concrete projects benefiting the territories.

What are the next steps?
The path launched with Fit4CO will continue beyond the formal conclusion of the project. In the coming months, the two entities will continue to meet regularly to develop project ideas, monitor funding opportunities, and analyze key European policies of interest. The goal is to consolidate a stable and structured dialogue capable of turning relationships into concrete initiatives.
Further opportunities to strengthen cooperation are currently being assessed, including participation in projects under the CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) and exchange initiatives such as EUI City-to-City Exchange, which would allow deeper sharing of skills and best practices. Beyond individual funding opportunities, the priority remains building stable cooperation between the two administrations, preparing together for the challenges and opportunities of the future European programming period.