​On 10 July, the COTER commission met in Brussels to discuss the future of regional development strategies and how to better communicate Cohesion policy. Members also discussed the potential of the rail sector in delivering EU policy priorities such as sustainable development and territorial cohesion.

During this meeting, Kieran McCarthy highlighted the need to better communicate cohesion policy so citizens can better realize what impact the European Union has in their region. Additionally, he also acknowledged that more recently there were already great initiatives on communication that need to be praised as well and which should be strengthened in the future.

The EA coordinator and member of the Executive Council of Corsican Regional Authority Nanette Maupertuis and Pierluigi Marquis member of the regional council of Valle D'Aosta stressed the need for more investments in the rail sector in remote areas like island and mountain areas. Proper rail connections are pivotal for these areas and to ensure territorial cohesion and balanced development across EU regions.