Side events

Dr. Anja Weisgerber MEP hosts an exhibition on the role Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plays in daily life, and in achieving EU Energy and Resource efficiency goals – by generating local energy from local waste.

On 10 October 2012 a cocktail will be held at the exhibition including a key-note speech by Prof. Katherine Richardson (UniversityofCopenhagenand former Chair of the Danish Commission on Climate Change Policy) and a presentation by Dr. Ella Stengler (CEWEP) on WtE’s role in Energy and Resource Efficiency. Concluding with the celebration of CEWEP’s 10th Birthday.

A technical visit will be organised on 11 October 2012 to the INTRADEL WtE plant in Liège.

Programme
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Contact: Dr. Ella Stengler

The Atlantic Area Programme is a European territorial cooperation programme co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the period of 2007-2013. Its transnational cooperation area covers 35 Atlantic regions in five Member States (Portugal,Spain,France,Irelandand theUnited Kingdom).

The strategic goal of the Atlantic Area Programme is to contribute to territorial cohesion through transnational cooperation projects which aim to achieve significant and tangible progress, targeted for cohesive, sustainable and balance territorial development of the Atlantic Area and its maritime heritage.

The aim of the exhibition is to introduce 18 projects and to inform about the purpose of the Atlantic Area Programme.

Website
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Under the request of the European Parliament, KEA has carried out a study on the use of Structural Funds for cultural projects with the aim of improving access to these funds for the cultural sector. The study analyses the use of Structural Funds for culture under the current period 2007-2013 as well as the new Cohesion Policy proposal of the European Commission for the period 2014-2020. Several case studies showing the impact of cultural investment at local and regional level are also presented. In the end, a series of recommendations at EU, national and regional level are proposed in order to facilitate the use of SF for culture.

In this Open Days side event, Philippe Kern -Founder and managing director at KEA European Affairs- is going to present the study.

Contact

The event is aimed at exchanging good practices between local communities in implementing and managing regional development projects in order to build-up partnerships for the future programming period 2014-2020.

BIRDA and its partners, the Bucharest-Ilfov Intercommunity Development Association and the  City Hall  of District  2 – Bucharest, want to share expertise and to identify potential interested partners to support the sustainability of these projects in the future, contributing in this way to further intercommunity cooperation for the development of Bucharest-Ilfov Region.

Website
Registration
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The urban travel plans, developed for 30 years in France and now taken up more widely in Europe, have formalized the integration of local policies for a better organisation of the travels at the agglomerations’ scale.

But what ideal Sustainable Mobility Plans, encouraging intermodality and the use of active modes favouring the planet’s as well as our health, can we create together inside the Union ? What are the different practices implemented by the local authorities and what are the difficulties that occurred ? This workshop proposed by the national and regional CIVITAS networks (CIVINET) aims at stimulating the peer-to-peer exchanges on this key topic of integrated urban transport systems, it will discuss the evaluation tools that are at the disposal of local actors and the perspectives for a further use and integration of SUMPs.

Contact: CIVINET Francophone Secrétariat ( +33 2 40 35 00 72)
Civinet website: Civinet website
Events webpage

The initiative consists of two parts considering healthy ageing: debate and brokerage session. It’s a unique chance to meet professionals dealing with ageing issues representing various European regions from regional policy level, academia, NGO’s and business.

The debate will provide complex information about different attitudes towards ageing such as: local and regional policy making methodology, research programmes and social projects.

The brokerage session enables to exchange best practices, project ideas and know-how between regions, professionals and organisations. The session will be organized at three thematic tables based on the content of the project proposals.

Please email your registration forms  by 7 September.

Maximum 2 projects can be submitted by each partner.
Confirmation of your participation will be sent in the second half of September

COFACE is organising this workshop on Family Friendly regions to draw the attention on the role local and regional authorities can have in shaping the living and working environment to respond better to the needs of families. Starting from very simple solutions, all the way to structural and integrated policies and measures, the cooperation between regions and NGOs can have a very positive social inclusion, gender equality, labour market inclusion, improvement in productivity and growth.

Register before 28 September on the event's website.
COFACE website
Contact: Agnes Uhereczky (+32 2 511 41 79)

Preventing dropouts and mobility actions are all part of local and regional growth strategies. The event will present recent findings from research and surveys as well as examples from successful labour market projects related to the European Social Fund.

Shaker K. Tahrer, short films producer (Best Screenplay Award, Brussels Film festival 2012) and leader of an ESF-project which created job openings for young people with different ethnic background, will present his vision on the future in this field.

Other speakers include the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Germany, Sabina Schlinke, European Youth Forum, James Higgins, and project leaders from Estonia and Finland.

Programme
Contact: Jacob Schulze, +46 70 313 47 10
Registration before 8 October.

Theme Group Youth website
SPeL website

Human Security Grid believes that sustainability is achieved through supporting partnerships in an eco-system that fuels R&D&I activities in fostering economic growth and encouraging knowledge and technology transfer for co-creation. Partnership opportunities to address challenges in the developing world and fragile states in the interface of crisis, reconstruction, rehabilitation, mitigation and prevention activities, will be addressed. Regional actors will prepare recommendations for human security enhancing activities, discuss current issues and priorities on their role in enhancing human security through commercial activity, to exchange good practices and to facilitate and enhance coalition-building across diverse communities, businesses, institutions and NGOs inEurope.

Programme
Registration by 26 September
Event's website
Contact: Roseanna Avento (+358 50 379 5420)

An elder population, low birth rates, an increased life expectancy, changing family structures and migration are the challenges of the demographic change in European countries. The effects of this change are obvious, especially in rural areas.

Our session is aimed at discussing political approaches on European level with special attention to the new programme period as well as presenting practical solutions - e.g. how to deal with high vacancy rates. Dr. Hans-Gert Poettering, former President of the European Parliament and Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation will be our main speaker.  In addition the winner of the German competition “Gemeinsam stark sein”, the rural area “Wittlager Land” (Lower-Saxony) will present their strategy for dealing with the demographic change.

Information and the registration
National Rural Network Germany - website

Clusters are key instruments in driving regional development and employment. The eco-innovation sector is recognised as one of the economic sectors with the largest potential for growth in Europe and globally. The conference will discuss economic opportunities created by energy and environmental clusters.

It will also offer an opportunity for exchange among cluster managers from all over Europe. In addition to EU strategies in this field, the event will present successful cluster activities and their contribution to energy and climate targets as well as to economic growth, employment and internationalisation.

The conference is organised in the framework of the "Eco-Innovation Cluster Partnership for Internationalisation and Growth (EcoCluP)", the first pan-European partnership of cluster organisations focusing on the eco-industries, and supported by the Europe INNOVA initiative.

Events' website
Registration

Is it possible for the community to reconcile the need for energy infrastructures, particularly when they are in their back yard? From the existing environmental assessment procedures, the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) comes out as an opportunity for the integration of different perspectives in the long term interests for energy and environment, acting as an approach to integrate sustainability principles at early stages of the planning process.

Belgium, Portuguese and Spanish TSO’s, regional authorities and SEA experts intend to share and debate their successful experience and views on the implementation and results on the SEA of transmission grid development plans.

Registration before 7th September 2012. Please check the event's website for details.

Access to affordable housing is a social priority, as housing is recognised as a right of European citizens in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Furthermore, investments in housing contribute also the achievement of EU climate targets, as the building sector represents 40% of the total energy demand.

Within the debate on the future EU cohesion policy, the workshop offers an interesting opportunity for policy-makers and stakeholders to discuss the challenge of affordable and energy-efficient housing. In this field, the EU can play a major role through a consistent regulatory framework and better access to financial resources, including the ERDF.

Event's webpage
To register, please email us the following information: Name, first name, company, address, email, telephone number, date of birth, country of residence.
Contact: Adolfo Aiello, TBE Secretary General (+32 2 808 38 80)

The final conference of the REALM Project (Regional Adult Learning Multipliers & the Europe 2020 Flagship Initiatives) will sum up the project’s findings and enquire about next steps.

Belgium, Portuguese and Spanish TSO’s, regional authorities and SEA experts intend to share and debate their successful experience and views on the implementation and results on the SEA of transmission grid development plans.

REALM website
Registration
Contact (Tel.: 00 32 2 504 07 35)

The European Union has set ambitious climate protection targets for 2020. The building sector is a cornerstone of the climate protection program because it represents 40% of final energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions, throughout the EU. Buildings play a central role in our societies, providing places to live, work or enjoy leisure activities. They are the basis of our urban environment, impacting the social, economic and ecologic aspects of our lives. Indeed, our health, comfort and safety as well as our economy and our natural environment are strongly connected with the construction sector activities. There will be significant challenges for all stakeholders as both private and public bodies evaluate their current investments and policies, and formulate new quality standards for future buildings.

The conference is the occasion to present the several European projects which have developed, compared, harmonized, and explored various building assessment tools. Six European projects have held four joint working sessions over the last two years to find a collective agreement for a common framework for assessing sustainable building.

Programme
Registration

The social franchise has a social purpose but it is also a business that makes profits. Local ownership is important for the creation of dynamic, entrepreneurial organisations which are responsive to local needs.  The seminar will present case studies and experience from projects supported by the European Social Fund, with representatives from franchise Le Mat Europe, CASA and Barka. There will also be a debate on topics like the Social Business Initiative and presentation of state of the art research.

Opening speech by Ms Åsa Lindh, Director General, The Swedish ESF Council. Final debate with MEPs Mr Sven Giegold (Greens) and Mr Jens (S & D).

Programme
Registration before 9 October.
Contact: Jacob Schulze, +46 70 313 47 10
Temagrupp Entreprenörskap & Företagande website
SPeL website

Fundación Galicia Europa and the Galician Government, in collaboration with other European Regions, are organizing an Open Days Side Event on the role for macro-regions in the next financial period. This seminar aims to identify and to promote regional knowledge based on macro regional collaboration seen as an instrument to reduce fragmentation and duplication. The debate will focus on the importance of macro-regional strategies and the role of non-formal ones. It will also try to give a response to the interests that could lead a region to join or not such a framework.

Online registration before 5 October.
Events' website

The world economic crisis, which hit Europe significantly, is continuing to evolve. Economic growth and competitiveness are issues of top concern for the European Union at both state and regional level. EU and non-EU European regions have to define format of economic partnership in new circumstances.

The Eurasia Competitiveness Institute organises a special expert session during the OPEN DAYS 2012. At the session experts and representatives of European regions will get acquainted with findings of Russia Competitiveness Report, in which experts of the Eurasia Competitiveness Institute assess readiness of European countries and regions to play on regional and global markets in new circumstances.

Contact and registration: Denis Maksimov, (+32 484 058 034)
Participation is free but upon preliminary registration.

It is not just about growth that we need to think about. Our cities are sites also of growing problems which threaten the chances of growth.
Participants will learn and use “Cradle to Cradle“ principles in addressing a range of city issues. This design is a holistic economic, industrial and social framework that seeks to create systems that are not just efficient but essentially waste free. The model can be applied to many different aspects of human civilization such as urban environments, buildings, economics and social systems.
Food, Drink, Music, Discourse and Discussion is what we offer, with a focus on informal learning and networking.

Contact and registration: Francesca Centola (Tel: +32 2 524 45 45)
LUDEN website
Amiando website

PROTECT is a transnational project for the  protection of the environment and the promotion of a sustainable territorial development, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the Programme MED. The PROTECT project aims at developping an integrated model for the prevention of forest fire; apply the model to the involved territories through a concrete planning and the elaboration of “action plans”; experimenting the model through the implementation of pilot projects and simulations on the spot. The results of the Project will be presented during the PROTECT Final European Dissemination Conference.

Lead partner: Province of Macerata (Italy)

Territorial partners: Provincial Government of Malaga - Spain; Region of Peloponnese - Greece; Region of Istria, Department of Sustainable Development - Croatia; National Forest Authority  - Portugal; Department of Forests - Cyprus)

Academic partners: University of Camerino - Italy; University of Algarve - Portugal; Aix-Marseille University - France

PROTECT project website

Contact and registration: Gianluca Quartulli (+39 080 5277221)

Project JULIUS, an initiative funded by the Italy-Slovenia cross-border cooperation programme 2007-2013, aims to promote training in and sensitisation to sports activities in nature, offering a new open image of the Italo-Slovene cross-border territory with a special eye for young people and less privileged groups such as the differently able.

Sports and  nature may act as the ideal context to overcome cultural and physical borders by jointly exploiting a common space in a sustainable way. Particular attention is paid to the involvement of young and disable people. This stands as a new and inclusive approach to make sport truly for all.

Contact and registrations: Cormons Gino
(Room capacity: 50)

Renovation of buildings is a real economic opportunity for Europe’s cities and regions. In addition to helping to meet the EU’s climate protection goals, renovating the existing EU building stock contributes to urban regeneration and boosts growth by creating local non exportable jobs (up to 19 jobs created for every €1 million invested). Investment of public funds in deep energy renovation of buildings also leads to high public revenues (up to €5 additional budget revenue for every €1 invested). Learn more about investing in renovation of buildings to stimulate local sustainable growth in your region at Renovate Europe Day 2012.

Register on the Renovate Europe website.
Contact: Caroline Simpson (Tel. +32 2 639 10 11)

The Brussels Capital Region organises the visit of two projects from the 'Priority Intervention Zone' (PIZ):

- The AJJA Building project, i.e. the reallocation of the old tobacco factories AJJA into a social restaurant, a local board of community service and other innovative initiatives.
- The renovation of the BELLE-VUE Breweries with the creation of a hotel and development of a training program-integration of young unskilled to help them finding a job.

Located on the East and West banks of the canal and extending from the North to the South of the Brussels-Capital Region, the PIZ is currently faced with many social and economic problems. However, it has a great number of assets (urban renovation activities, young and diversified population, available space, affordable real estate prices…).

Programme
Register before 05 October.

The conference will present at European level the impact of the Life + project on Bologna area and its specific model of partnership between public and private sectors to reduce CO2 emissions and promote green and sustainable growth at local urban level.

The presentation of the project, which aims at planting 3000 trees in urban area with positive effects also on citizens’ quality of life, intends to raise the awareness on local strategies for green growth and to foster the repeatability of this kind of strategies in other local contexts in Europe.

Cittalia website
Contact

The event aims at showcasing concrete examples of how cities and regions across Europe have integrated heat pumps into their renovation or building-projects, as well as exploring how European funds can potentially help finance this.

Programme
EHPA website
Contact and registration: Bernadett Nagy

Food, agriculture and bio economy (FAB) are of raising concern for the EU. The organising committee of the 1st FAB Industry Forum adapts these topics and focuses on strengthening the European bio economy and – industry by knowledge transfer adequate to the requirements of industrial stakeholders. The 1^st FAB Industry Forum will take place 11-12^th October and will focus on bridging science and industry by knowledge transfer, with participation of high-profile scientists, EU Commission, MEPs, Food Industry, SME associations and project coordinators. Specific themes include nutrition and well-being, environment and technology transfer of innovative solutions and regional impacts of food cluster initiative in bio economy. The event will be held during the Brussels-based OPEN DAYS (8-11 October 2012). The Forum is supported by the European Union`s 7th Framework Research Programme and it is organised by the CommNet network, communicating the bio economy, together with the Food Cluster Initiative, which joins regional food and bio-projects in the European Research Area.

Programme
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Websites:
1st FAB Industry Forum
CommNet network
Food Cluster Initiative

Region Skåne has applied as a reference site within the EIP on active and healthy ageing. This seminar aims to reflect on how the EIP has been interpreted among its many participants highlighting and discussing two regions’ take on the application and their commitments.  The seminar is followed by a networking reception with drinks and snacks.

Contact and registrations:
Mikaela Nordenfelt

Skåne website

Sign up now to attend the one day conference on the role of regions in the implementation of the Bioeconomy strategy throughoutEurope.

The event will also offer a discussion platform providing information and highlighting partnering and financing opportunities for regional stakeholders for investments in the Bioeconomy research and innovation areas. These investments can create jobs and growth at local and regional level.

Final programme (03/10/2012)
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Please provide your first and last name, date of birth, country of origin and professional occupation. Incomplete registrations will not be taken into account. Registrations will be considered on a first come first served basis