Briefs, Data Cards and Windows

Data Card - Cohesion policy and the reduction of plastic

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2025 on June 5, during which the United Nations, with its #BeatPlasticPollution campaign, stresses the urgency of reducing plastic production, eliminating single-use products and promoting sustainable solutions, OpenCoesione publishes a Data Card that gives an account of the effort in this direction supported in Italy by cohesion policies.

Data Card - Cohesion Policy and Gender Equality in the Digital Transformation

On 17 May, the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is celebrated worldwide. Established by the United Nations, the Day highlights the importance of information and communication technologies (ICT) in building a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable society. The 2025 edition focuses on the theme “Gender Equality in Digital Transformation”, as outlined in Resolution 1416 of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council.

Cohesion policy, through European and national funds, supports initiatives that promote digital inclusion with a specific focus on gender equality — as illustrated by the projects published on the OpenCoesione portal and presented in this Data Card, released to mark the 2025 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

Special - 9 OpenCoesione Video Stories to Celebrate 9 May

To mark Europe Day on 9 May, OpenCoesione presents a selection of nine videos published on the portal. These stories showcase projects carried out in Italy with the support of European cohesion policy. Intervening in various fields and sectors, these projects have contributed to territorial development and improved quality of life for the communities involved.

Data Card - Cohesione policies and Autism Awareness

2 April is World Autism Awareness Day and OpenCohesion celebrate it with a DataCard related to how cohesion policies has supported the advancing of neurodiversity, with projects that covers a range of initiatives, from housing and social farming to projects aimed at increasing cultural offerings for autistic people and their families.  

Data Card - Cohesion Policy and the National Day for the Promotion of Reading

March 24th marks the National Day for the Promotion of Reading, established on July 15th, 2009, by a decree of the President of the Council of Ministers. The initiative aims to raise awareness among all citizens, particularly younger generations, about the importance of reading. Public spaces dedicated to promoting reading are libraries. As shown by the projects detailed in this Data Card—implemented across the country with cohesion policy funds—libraries can be revitalized and transformed into community hubs: places of gathering and connection that foster cultural and civic growth, enhancing social well-being. This is also achieved by introducing organizational innovations, such as expanding services beyond traditional book lending and study rooms.

Special - The European Social Fund in Italy in the stories of OpenCoesione

On the occasion of the European Employment and Social Rights Forum, taking place in Brussels from 5 to 6 March 2025, OpenCoesione has selected several projects funded by the European Social Fund during the 2014-2020 programming period. These projects have been at the heart of the portal’s editorial production in recent years, including Project Stories, Data Cards, Video Stories, and ASOC Stories, which describe the experiences of civic monitoring.

Data Card - Cohesion Policies, “M’illumino di Meno” and Sustainable Fashion

On 16 February 2025, on the occasion of the ‘National Day for Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestyles’, OpenCoesione will highlight with a Data Card the interventions of cohesion policies that support a new approach to fibre production, also starting from re-use practices. The ‘theme’ chosen in 2025 for the Day and for the awareness-raising campaign ‘M'illumino di meno’ - promoted within the radio programme Caterpillar broadcast on Rai Radio2 - is in fact related to the textile sector, to talk about proper waste management in a circular economy perspective in the face of the fast fashion emergency.

Data Card - Cohesion Policies, the Tricolour, and the Risorgimento

January 7th marks the anniversary of the birth of Italy's first tricolour and has been declared National Flag Day. The flag itself accompanied the birth of the Republic through the Risorgimento and the unification of Italy, as outlined in Article 12 of the Constitution. The national Risorgimento is the historical period to which this Data Card is dedicated, which compiles several initiatives funded by cohesion policies. These policies also aim to promote territorial development through the protection and conservation of cultural heritage.

Data Card - Cohesion Policies and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024, celebrated by the United Nations on 3 December, highlights the theme of disability leadership. In Italy, according to the National Institute of Statistics data (2023), 21.2% of the population experiences either severe or less severe limitations in their daily activities. Over 3 million people in Italy, or 5.2% of the population, have disabilities. Cohesion policies aim to address this situation.

Data Card - Cohesion policies and Road Safety

OpenCoesione publishes a Data Card dedicated to cohesion policy interventions to promote road safety, in the face of statistics that in our country show a number of 3,039 people were killed in road accidents in 2023. In addition to motorists, those who lose their lives include many ‘weak users’ of the road, like pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The Data Card anticipates the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which the United Nations adopted in 2005 as ‘a fitting recognition for road accident victims and their families’ and which falls on the third Sunday in November.