During the one-week practice program, employees of the Public Institution County Development Agency of Osijek-Baranja County stayed in Brussels.

On the first day of professional practice, colleagues from Osijek had the opportunity to learn more about the work of the European Committee of the Regions with an emphasis on the legislative framework of cross-border cooperation in the context of the preparation and implementation of EU projects from Suzana Matvejević, an employee of the European Committee of the Regions.

Among the first activities of professional practice was a meeting with the Liaison Office of Lower Austria in Brussels. The topic of the meeting was the previous work of the Office, which began its work in 1992, as well as topics that are currently high on the list of priorities of Dona Austria. During the meeting, they discussed projects within the Interreg program in both regions, as well as joint investment areas. Colleagues also presented the work of the Public Institution County Development Agency of Osijek-Baranja County, as well as strategic projects implemented in the area of ​​Osijek-Baranja County.

The second day of professional practice was spent in a visit to the European Parliament and a meeting was held with MP Tomislav Sokol. Current topics in the focus of the representatives were discussed: the creation of a new Single Market Instrument for emergencies, the challenges of implementing the European Green Plan, new rules on consumer credit as well as the EU digital health passport. The day was rounded off by participation in a conference organized by the representative of Karl Ressler and Osijek-Baranja County. The Osijek-Baranja County was presented in the European Parliament as the European Region of Sport in 2024. The conference "European role in sport" was attended by Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac, Prefect of Osijek-Baranja County Ivan Anušić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Tomislav Družak and other high-ranking guests.

Colleagues had the opportunity to learn more about the work of the EU Council from the Minister of Cohesion Policy, Macroregional Strategies and Outermost Regions Ivan Zeka-Pivač, also from Osijek. The Council of the EU is the place where the voice of the governments of the EU member states is heard. The Permanent Representation of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union is the key voice of Croatian interests.

In the Representative Office of the province of Hessen to the European Union, colleagues participated in the panel discussion For Tomorrow: Women in Digitization - Round Table of Digital Leaders Hessen.

The Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Croatia to the EU hosted us at a concert by the Split Guitar Quartet at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Republic of Croatia's membership in the EU.

Practice in the Representative Office enabled the employees of the Public Institution County Development Agency of Osijek-Baranja County to become familiar with the work of European Union institutions and the perspective of the role of the Republic of Croatia in the creation of European policies, as well as opportunities for involving local and regional communities in their creation.