The International Municipal Fair for local governments NEXPO 2013, titled ˝EU integration - Removing barriers, unlocking our potential˝, was held in Rijeka from the 25th-27th of September. This two-day fair aims to attract investors for public projects in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources which are presented by local authorities, associations of local governments, development agencies, civil society and business actors in the region and beyond.

The central theme of the conference was the Croatian accession to the EU and the implications accession to the European community has for local government and the wider region. In the final part of the conference Member of European Parliament Dubravka Šuica, who participated in the conference as the Vice President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, delivered a presentation where she said:

˝Membership in the EU opens up new opportunities for national as well as local and regional authorities in this country, which is most important for Croatian citizens, and I am confident that these possibilities be used to the fullest extent possible.˝

˝We at this Congress are convinced that networking at the local and regional level is of great importance for building the future of this region, so it is not surprising that cross-border cooperation in the framework of inter-regional actions is identified as one of the main components of the EU Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance.˝

In her speech, Member of European Parliament Dubravka Šuica pointed out that cross-border cooperation and networking are essential for the exchange of good practices and the improvement of territorial cohesion in the region, and she said she was certain that the discussions at the conference would pave the way for EU integration in South East Europe.