Inforegio-Newsroom
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EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region: have your say!
(30 May 2012)
The European Commission is inviting comments on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR).
The EUSBSR was launched in 2009. It aims to make the Baltic Sea Region cleaner, more connected and more prosperous. The Strategy is a pilot initiative where the Macro-regional concept is tried and tested in a specific geographic area. The EUSBSR was followed by the introduction of a Strategy for the Danube Region.
Over the last couple of years, there has been continuous learning in respect of new and improved ways to ensure sustainable implementation. There are both very successful parts, and areas that can be improved.
The main lessons were outlined in the report written by the Commission in June 2011 and in the Communication of March 2012. These assessments have also been discussed in the Council during both the Polish and Danish Presidencies.
The EUSBSR Action Plan is also being reviewed, to be completed by the end of 2012. The most important elements of this review are to introduce objectives, indicators and targets, at Strategy level and for each Priority Area of the Strategy. These should measure the success of the Strategy, but also focus efforts on the most urgent challenges.
There will also be an assessment of the number and content of the Priority Areas, to decide if they could be merged or reinforced. There is a need for greater focus, and to concentrate efforts on actions that respond to the indicators and targets selected. The end result should be a more compact Action Plan, with Flagship Projects and actions in more specific terms to increase impact.
In addition, there is a need to strengthen the capabilities of the key implementers of the Strategy. New and clarified descriptions of roles and expectations have been developed, as well as set out in a handbook with examples.
An overall analysis is currently being prepared by the Priority Area Coordinators and the Horizontal Action leaders. We also need input from other stakeholders for example at the Annual Forum in Copenhagen 17-19 June.
We therefore urge all stakeholders with views on the Action Plan to send us their comments, as well as to take the floor during the discussions at the Forum. There will be a plenary session and a break out session dealing specifically with the review process. Your ideas on focus, on efficiency and on added value would be particularly welcome. For written comments please send them to REGIO-EU-BALTIC-SEA-STRATEGY@ec.europa.eu. This stakeholder consultation on the new Action Plan will remain open until the end of July.
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Project of the Week: 'Centre of Polymer Materials and Technologies Otto Wichterle' for research with high innovation potential in Prague
(25 May 2012)
Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by plastic substances and products made from polymer materials. They are indispensable in all economic sectors. Polymer materials represent challenging scientific research with a high innovation potential. The city of Prague saw therefore the necessity to establish a research centre exclusively dedicated to polymer materials, namely the 'Centre of Polymer Materials and Technologies Otto Wichterle'.
The 'Centre of Polymer Materials and Technologies Otto Wichterle', which benefitted from an EU investment of around € 2.5 million, opened its doors in October 2011. Otto Wichterle was a Czech scientist who fifty years ago invented soft contact lenses, which are made of a polymer substance and are still utilised by hundreds of millions of people all over the world.
The 'Centre of Polymer Materials and Technologies Otto Wichterle' focuses on basic research in the field of polymer materials, but it also deals with practical application of research outcomes. It consists of five new laboratories on 950 m² of space, dealing with different aspects of polymer research like for example the development of technologies for recycling polymer materials from the automotive sector, the modification of waste starch for biodegraded plastic substances, which is useable in the sector of agriculture, or the improvement of plastic parts of joint replacements for the sector of medical research.
The positive results achieved by the 'Centre for Polymer Materials and Technologies Otto Wichterle' are already becoming apparent: new scientific devices have been purchased and five new jobs will be created shortly. The Centre also provides professional development and training for young researchers not only from the Czech Republic but from other European countries as well.
Dr. Zbyněk Pientka, the researcher in charge of the implementation of the project, says:
“This project co-financed by the European Union allowed for concentration of research and experimental capacities in the area of polymer materials. The Centre has been successful in interconnecting top basic research with targeted research and development, and in supporting the transfer of findings from basic research to practice. New conditions for the research of polymer materials in the Czech Republic mean benefits in competitiveness and sustainable development for the country. It is important to point out opportunities and advantages of our membership in the European Union at a time when this is under such strong criticism".
More information:
Centre of Polymer Materials and Technologies Otto Wichterle
Czech Ministry of Regional Development (National Co-ordination Authority)
Capital City of Prague (Managing Authority)
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Digital Agenda for Europe: have your say!
(21 May 2012)
The Digital Agenda for Europe is one of the seven Europe 2020 flagship initiatives. The European Commission has launched a discussion forum with the aim of gathering inspiring examples from this sector. Those involved in regional policy are invited to take part in this debate. Those expressing the most interesting ideas will be invited to take part in the Digital Agenda Assembly on 21-22 June in Brussels. These contributions will be used to carry out a mid-term review of the Digital Agenda for Europe which will be adopted at the end of this year.
The discussion will focus on nine topics: (1) converged media; (2) high-speed Internet; (3) e-commerce; (4) social media; (5) cloud computing; (6) data; (7) security; (8) innovation and entrepreneurs; (9) skills and jobs.
Discussion forum: http://daa.ec.europa.eu/
To get involved in the debate on Twitter, connect to @DigitalAgendaEU and use the hashtag: #DA12
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‘Regions for Economic Change’: Sign up now!
(16 May 2012)
Registration is now open for the ‘Regions for Economic Change’ conference to be held 15 June in Brussels. This year’s conference is entitled ‘Transforming Regional Economies: The Power of Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation’. This 5th 'Regions for Economic Change' conference will discuss the challenges, benefits and possible limitations of implementing the smart specialisation conditionality through EU Structural Funds and how to best tailor smart specialisation to different national/regional frameworks and contexts.
The ‘Regions for Economic Change’ initiative was launched in 2006 and aims to promote the exchange of good practices. It looks to present new approaches to stimulating regional and urban networks by helping them work in close cooperation with the Commission and experiment with innovative ideas.
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Don't miss the RegioStars Award Ceremony!
(16 May 2012)
On 14 June, the Commission will reveal the RegioStars 2012 winners, awarding Europe’s most innovative projects having benefited from European regional policy support.
The objective of the RegioStars Awards is to identify good practices in regional development and to highlight original and innovative projects which could be attractive and inspiring to other regions. For this 5th edition of the Awards, the European Commission has received a record number of 107 applications. An independent Jury will select the winners, who will receive the awards from the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, during a ceremony in Brussels.
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The Spring 2012 issue of Panorama magazine, "Targeting Results: fine tuning cohesion policy", featuring an editorial by Commissioner Johannes Hahn, is now online
(14 May 2012)
'Key features of future cohesion policy are a much stronger focus on thematic concentration and the achievement of results'; so says Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn in the current edition of Panorama. The edition therefore examines how these policy changes will work in practice, outlining a series of pilot tests which were run by the European Commission in partnership with 12 managing authorities in eight Member States.
Panorama 41 starts from the premise that In times of economic crisis it is more important than ever that available resources are spent in a way that delivers maximum value for EU citizens, and then it takes a closer look at the sharpened focus on cohesion policy intervention results for the coming period 2014-20 .
We are given an invaluable insight into inter-institutional cohesion policy negotiations in Interviews with European Parliament rapporteurs on the Funds' Common Provisions draft regulation, MEPs Constanze Angela Krehl & Lambert van Nistelrooij.
The magazine also includes special features on innovation in Europe's outermost regions and European Regional Development Fund support for e-Government.
Panorama is currently available in English, French and German. The other language versions will be accessible in the second half of May on the Inforegio website.
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Live webstreaming of the RSA European Conference 2012
(11 May 2012)
The Regional Studies Association will be live streaming the European Conference 2012 Plenary session on Monday 14th May from 9:00 – 11:00 am. Direct from the Aula Conference Centre, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
Professor Maarten Hajer, "The Energetic Society - or: how to conceive of governance in the 21st century?"
Professor Lisbet Hooghe, Still an Era of Regionalization? A Report on New Data for 81 Countries across the Globe
Professor Joan Fitzgerald, Linking Innovation and Sustainability in Urban Development
Welcome from Bas Verkerk, Multiscalarity, Delft Mayor, Metropolitan governance and the city of Delft
Webstreaming : http://collegerama.tudelft.nl/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=773c7a32b1274d2096f8bcda3031faff1d
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How is the partnership principle to be strengthened for European funds?
(08 May 2012)
The Commission has set out in general terms the principles by which countries in the European Union must be guided in order to ensure the successful participation of the partners whose involvement in the implementation of European funds is required. This paper contains the elements for a future ‘European Code of Conduct on Partnership’.
These principles relate to the five European funds comprised in the EU’s ‘Common Strategic Framework’: the Cohesion Fund, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
The partnership principle is one of the key principles for the management of European funds. The partners, i.e. regional and local authorities, the economic and social partners and the many bodies representing civil society, must be actively and closely involved throughout the whole cohesion policy cycle (programme preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation).
The Commission is inviting organisations and all interested parties to submit their reactions and proposals. They may send their comments to the following address:
empl-eccp@ec.europa.eu.Read the Commission Staff Working Document (available in English only):
The partnership principle in the implementation of the Common Strategic Framework Funds - elements for a European Code of Conduct on Partnership -
Project of the Week: Mater Dei Hospital Oncology Centre to improve fight against cancer in Malta
(04 May 2012)
The project 'Mater Dei Hospital Oncology Centre' in Msida, Malta, will be an extension of the public general Mater Dei hospital. This project is seen as crucial by the public health authorities since statistics show that the cancer survival rate is lower in Malta than in many other European states.
The 'Mater Dei Hospital Oncology Centre' aims directly to improve the population’s cancer survival rates. To this end, the focus of the new centre will be to provide medical care and support during the treatment phase of cancer with special efforts being dedicated to adolescents and patients requiring palliative care.
The project 'Mater Dei Hospital Oncology Centre' was approved as a 'major project' by the European Commission on 10 April 2012 and will be funded under the "Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life" EU regional policy programme. The total costs for the project are around EUR 60 million, made up of EU and national contributions combined. The EU contribution amounts to EUR 41,5 million. The project is currently being implemented and should be finalized and operational by the end of 2013.
The 'Mater Dei Hospital Oncology Centre' will replace the existing Sir Paul Boffa Hospital and will be physically and organisationally inter-connected to the Mater Dei Hospital. It will accommodate 96 beds – 74 inpatient beds and 22 day-care beds – and will be divided in 4 functional areas: inpatient areas, outpatient areas, treatment areas including radiotherapy treatment and anaesthesia procedure facilities, as well as spaces for clinical support services like Physiotherapy and Psychology and non-clinical support services.
The project also includes additional investments in environmentally-friendly technologies such as a fresh air ventilation system, photovoltaic panels on the roof as well as rain water collection and collection and the treatment of waste water in order to lower the dependence on fossil fuels and consequently, to achieve a substantial reduction in carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere.
Brian St John, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Medical Services and Project Leader for the 'Mater Dei Hospital Oncology Centre', says:
“The patient lies at the centre of everything we do and we will continue to pursue a holistic approach to the provision of cancer treatment propositions in Malta. We remain as committed as ever to bringing a range of benefits to our patients through this new major health infrastructure - a healthcare asset that shall be dedicated to advancing oncology treatment; education, and research. We will continue to work most diligently so that the investment being co-financed by the EU is sensibly realised to the benefit of our patients; and equally to the benefit of our medical professionals. Our medical professionals are exceptionally talented and I believe that this new facility will be a catalyst for the development and furtherance of new and improved methods of working.”
More information related to the Mater Dei Hospital Oncology Centre:
- Planning and priorities coordination department (managing authority) and EU regional policy in Malta
- Foundation for Medical Services (project implementer) within the Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care
- Mater Dei Hospital in Msida, Malta.
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WIRE2012 to focus on Regions in the Innovation Union
(04 May 2012)
The Week of Innovative Regions in Europe – an annual forum bringing together the key players in knowledge- and innovation-based regional development, will this year address the major current issues related to the effective implementation of the 'Innovation Union' at regional level for the period 2014-2020. This year's event (WIRE2012) will be organised in close cooperation with the European Commission and will take place in Krakow, Poland on 4-5 June 2012.
WIRE2012 will uncover the challenges and barriers to regional innovation development, and will elaborate recommendations for policy‑makers, including the effective realisation of the Innovation Union at regional level; it will address three main thematic pillars:
- Innovative regions in the Horizon 2020 will investigate the role of regions in smart specialisation, the role of cities as innovation hubs, and regional innovation ecosystems within Horizon 2020;
- Stairway to Excellence will focus on the future of research and innovation at the regional level, on synergies between Horizon 2020 and the Cohesion Policy, and on smart specialisation in convergence regions and Centres of Excellence;
- Networking for ERA at Regional Level will discuss the European Territorial Cooperation, networks of clusters, European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation, networks of research infrastructure and Multiregional Knowledge Partnerships (e.g. Danube, Baltic)
See www.wire2012.eu for further information, or contact:
National Contact Point for Research Programmes of the EU (NCP Poland)
Ul. Krzywickiego 34, 02-078 Warsaw, Poland
Web: www.wire2012.eu
E-mail: info@wire2012.eu
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ESPON Calls for Proposals
(02 May 2012)
ESPON (the European Observation Network on Territorial Development and Cohesion) has launched Calls for Proposals for Targeted Analysis, Scientific Platform/Tools Projects and Transnational Networking Activities. Scientists and experts representing universities, research institutes, public bodies, private companies from 31 European countries are invited to apply for the Calls. The available budget amounts to 1.988.000,00 €. The deadline for submitting proposals is 13 June 2012.
More info
- ESPON Calls for Proposals
- Info Day and Partner Café 10 May 2012
- Official Journal of the EU C 111 of 18/04/2012
- Video "Why does Europe need ESPON?"
- Contact: Piera Petruzzi
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A ‘risk-sharing instrument’ to help the Member States worst hit by the crisis
(25 April 2012)
The European Parliament has just approved a Commission proposal allowing cohesion policy allocations still available to back up guarantees and loans from financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank (EIB). EU funds will be used to create ‘risk-sharing instruments’. This measure is intended to resolve the serious difficulties faced by certain Member States, particularly Greece, in raising the private finance needed to implement major projects that can only be partly financed from public funds. This instrument will encourage investment in the economy and hence job creation.
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Project of the Week: Sámi Cultural Centre to keep Sámi people's cultural heritage alive
(23 April 2012)
The project 'Sámi Cultural Centre' in Inari, Lapland (Northern Finland) has been operational since January 2012. It aims to create better opportunities for the Sámi people in Finland to preserve and develop their own language, culture and business activities. It also helps to manage and develop the Sámi cultural self-government and to improve their living conditions.
The Sámi people are the only indigenous people in the European Union whose cultural and linguistic rights are secured in Finland's constitutional legislation, but only inside the Sámi homeland. Taking into account the fact that 65% out of 9000 Finnish Sámi people are living outside of their homeland, the existence of the cultural centre will provide job opportunities and therefore incentives for young and educated Sámi people to return to their region of origin.
The 'Sámi Cultural Centre', which benefitted from an EU investment of EUR 2.6 million, is a multifunctional building which provides the Sámi population with welfare and education services and support for business development. It also offers cultural services like language courses, language studies, events, congresses and fairs to promote the Sámi culture and hosts the Sámi Library and Archives. Moreover, two enterprises were established in its walls: a restaurant and the Sámi handicraft shop.
So far 50 people are working in the 'Sámi Cultural Centre'. The centre is intending to employ 10 more people in the near future.
Mr Juha Guttorm, Executive Director of the Sámi Parliament, and responsible for the implementation of the project, says:
"Sámi Cultural Centre is mainly intended to benefit Sámi people, their culture and language remaining and to support their cultural self-government, but it also benefits other people in the region like culture operators, tourists, event visitors and event organizers. It has therefore a positive impact on the economy in the region and contributes to the creation of growth and jobs. By its virtual studies, beneficiaries are Sámi culture and language students from all around Finland".
More information on the Sami Cultural Centre:
- Project Sami Cultural Centre
- Regional Council of Lapland (managing authority)
- Sámi Parliament (project implementer)
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Regional innovation strategies in France: a source of inspiration for other regions?
(19 April 2012)
In 2007, with the agreement of the French Government, the European Commission invited each of France’s 26 regions to adopt a regional innovation strategy. The intention was to increase the effectiveness of European investment in research and development, innovation and business support under Cohesion Policy programmes.
France’s principal management authority (La délégation interministérielle à l’aménagement du territoire et à l’attractivité régionale — DATAR) has recently published an overview of those strategies that are currently being employed on the ground. These ‘diagnoses’ can act as a source of inspiration for other regions of Europe.
The European Commission is encouraging all regions to develop this type of ‘smart specialisation strategy’ under which a region identifies its comparative advantages and the areas in which it can demonstrate its excellence.
The Summary of French regions' regional innovation strategies (available in English and French (as ‘synthèse des stratégies régionales d'innovation des régions françaises’)).
More information on smart specialisation strategies
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Project of the Week: Ardèche Drôme Numérique - Expanding broadband internet in the Rhône-Alpes
(13 April 2012)
The Ardèche Drôme Numérique (ADN) project, which benefits from a EU financing of EUR 14 000 000 for a total cost of EUR 123 000 000 EUR for the programming period 2007-2013, stemmed from the need to combat internet access discrimination, particularly in less densely populated areas where profits are lower for service providers. Such areas often have little or no access to internet services or have to pay much higher costs for access.
The ADN project is helping to promote the creation and growth of businesses in the knowledge economy field and supports long-term job creation. Broadband also permits the introduction of new organisational approaches such as teleworking from home, which offers businesses and employees added flexibility and options.
The ADN project is finally making a significant contribution to territorial and social cohesion in the region, providing greater access for those living or working in isolated areas to new services, notably health, culture, education, training, security, public services and social networking.
The ADN project has helped has helped build 2 000 km of fibre optic cable infrastructure allowing 360 000 homes and 96 % of people in the Ardèche and Drôme départements to connect to broadband internet. It also helped 2000 enterprises and 212 areas of economic activities to connect to fibre optic cable infrastructure.
Behind this project is the ADN Joint Syndicate, made up of the Ardèche General Council and the Drôme General Council, with support from the Rhône-Alpes Region and the European Union.
‘Being wired to high speed Internet will make the Ardèche and Drôme départements more attractive for businesses by offering a more innovative and competitive business environment. The new infrastructure provides high-quality Internet services, access to general online services, and better public services for all’. Bernard Soulage, Vice-President Europe and International Relations at the Rhône-Alpes Region’s general delegation in Brussels.
More information on the Ardèche Drôme Numérique (ADN) project:
- Website of the Rhône-Alpes Region
- Website of EU co financed project in Rhône –Alpes
- Website of the Préfecture of the Région (managing authority)
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Project of the Week: Reempresa
(04 April 2012)
The 'Reempresa' project, launched in November 2010 in Catalunya (Spain), is a new model of entrepreneurship and business development. It consists of purchasing or leasing the assets of an existing business in order to continue its operations and ensure its growth instead of creating a new company.
'Reempresa', which benefited from an EU investment of €850.000, is a professional tool used as an alternative to the long process of business creation. This is a method by which one or more "re-entrepreneurs" access the property of an existing business through a virtual platform, contributing with their ideas and motivation, but bypassing the stage of creating the company, which could entail lengthy procedures.
Reempresa's aim is to avoid the extinction of a large number of micro enterprises and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises which cannot continue their activity for various reasons. To achieve this goal, the "re-entrepreneurs" receive guidance from Reempresa to establish a roadmap to complete the transfer, thus promoting the creation of a standard that serves as a reference for all types of business transfers.
Around 95 000 micro enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) close every year in the region of Catalunya. This initiative will regenerate the business fabric of the region and will guarantee the continuity of the life cycle of business. This exemplary project may be transferred to other regions with high rate of business disappearance. It is expected that at least 15% will survive thanks to this innovative system in the coming years.
Moreover, this project will ensure the continuity of most of the jobs which probably would be destroyed should the company fail. In 2011, and thanks to Reempresa, 13 'SME's matches' took place and as a result around 145 jobs were preserved. In the first months of 2012, the number of 'SME's matches' is already higher than in the previous year. These figures indicate the success of this project.
Mr. Antoni Gualda is one of the entrepreneurs who recently sold his company through Reempresa:
"I am very happy with Reempresa, because besides the economic value of the transfer of the company I am satisfied for having ensured the continuity of the business to which I have dedicated more than 20 years of my life".
More information on 'Reempresa':
- Cecot (Catalan Employers Association, co-initiator of the project)
- CP'AC (Private Foundation Promoting self-employment in Catalunya, co-initiator of the project)
- Departamento de Economía i Coneixement (Intermediate body).
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Cohesion Policy and Sustainable Development
(03 April 2012)
Produced with the support of the European Commission, a study entitled "Cohesion Policy and Sustainable Development" is now available on this website. The purpose was to examine how Cohesion Policy could contribute to managing the shift to the green economy and to the development of the post-2013 Cohesion Policy framework .
The study assessed the impact of Cohesion Policy investments 2007-2013 on the environment, and the way that sustainable development considerations have been integrated into planning, implementation and follow-up at the strategic, programming and policy level. This was done through a number of case studies, as well as analysis of the available data at EU level, in particular in relation to expenditure. It also made a number of recommendations on how the integration of sustainable development into Cohesion Policy could be improved.
The study was completed in December 2011 by a consortium led by the Institute for European Environmental Policy. -
Commission approves funding for Pompeii to restore important European heritage site
(29 March 2012)
Today, the European Commission has approved funding from the European Regional Development Fund for a major project to restore the area of the UNESCO site of Pompeii, in Campania, Italy. The project 'preservation, maintenance and improvement of the archaeological site of Pompeii' will lead to the investment of 105 million euro of EU and national contributions combined. The objective is to preserve the site as a long term tourism attraction for the region.
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A new guarantee fund for Greek enterprises
(28 March 2012)
EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, in Athens on 21 March, added another element to boost growth by launching a new Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium-Sized enterprises (SMEs) for Greece. This new facility, agreed in cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB) will help SMEs which have been worst hit by the crisis to access credit, by providing the banks in Greece with sufficient liquidity. This is another step to assist the country in optimizing the use of EU Structural Funds: some €500 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will guarantee loans with an expected leverage of €1 billion through EIB loans to SMEs. Banks will act as intermediary bodies.
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Ex ante evaluation – reinforced role in the next programming period
(27 March 2012)
A new guidance document on ex ante evaluation, based on the proposals for regulations adopted by the European Commission on 6 October 2011, underlines the increased role of ex ante evaluation for the 2014-2020 programming period. In the framework of the cohesion policy's new approach strongly oriented towards results, the new regulation increases the importance of well-designed programmes, clearly articulating their intervention logic and demonstrating their contribution to the Europe 2020 strategy. This guidance applies to programmes funded by the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund.
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Project of the Week: "Corallia" Clusters Initiative
(26 March 2012)
"Corallia" Clusters Initiative: Innovation made in Greece
While the debt crisis and austerity measures have been dominating the headlines, the "Corallia" clusters initiative located in Attica and Western Greece shows that there is also goods news to report about Greece.
This project, which has benefited from around EUR 40 million EU support since 2006, aims to boost economic growth, innovation and regional specialisation.
The Corallia Clusters Initiative connects representatives of industry, suppliers, buyers, researchers, infrastructure providers, financial institutions, public sector organisations and the media. The sectors covered include nano-microelectronics, space industries and gaming technologies.
Prof. Vassilisos Makios, General Director of the Corallia Clusters Initiative states:.
“With our work at Corallia, we aim at providing young generations with a vision and inspire them to join us in our efforts to establish “Innovation Made in Greece”. Up to now, we have managed to bridge the Greek microelectronics industry with academic and research institutions, support the establishment of start-ups and strengthen Greece’s regions that demonstrated a strong competitive advance, as in the case of Attica (Athens) and Southern Greece (Patras). Our efforts, fueled by public funds (European Regional Development Fund and national funds), will continue with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation and on inspiring the youngsters on the joy of creation.”
The results achieved since the creation of the "Corallia" initiative in 2006 are very promising.
The total cluster members grew from 13 at the beginning to 132 ( 68 industrial, 41 academic and 23 others).
The preliminary results of the project in the period 2008-2010 show that the companies belonging to the cluster marked a turnover growth rate of 266%, an employment growth rate of 63% and an export growth rate of 119%.
The investments made by private investors rose by 438%, exceeding €12m with a forecast to double this figure by next year. Patent applications rose by 105%, surpassing 100 applications, with a forecast of a further increase by 60% in 2013 and the cooperation of the academic and research institutions with the industry grew by 228%, surpassing 110, with a forecast of further increase by 40% in 2013.
More information on the "Corallia" Clusters initiative:
- "Corallia" Clusters initiative (website available in 6 languages: Greek, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian)
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Do you have questions for Commissioner Hahn?
(26 March 2012)
A live web chat with Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, will take place on Monday 26 March from 14.30-15.30h CET (Central European Time).
Commissioner Hahn will answer questions relating to the plans for cohesion policy during the 2014-2020 funding period. The web chat follows on from:
- The legislative proposals for cohesion policy during the period 2014-2020 that were adopted by the Commission on 6 October 2011
- The "Common Strategic Framework", which intends to help Member States and regions in setting clear investment priorities for 2014-2020, that was presented by the Commission on 14 March 2012
The web chat will be hosted on RegioNetwork 2020, an online platform which the European Commission has set up to encourage exchanges and cooperation on EU regional policy. In order to join the web chat, you will need to create a profile on RegioNetwork 2020 and click on the 'access the chat' button on the homepage at 14.30h on 26 March.
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RegioStars 2013: applications must be submitted before 20 April 2012
(23 March 2012)
Have you run an innovative project financed thanks to the EU Structural Funds that you would like to let people know about? Does your project make a contribution to smart, sustainable, inclusive growth at regional level? Does it relate to the urban development sector or help communicate better the contribution made by the cohesion policy? If so, you may be able to win one of the RegioStars 2013 awards, a prize presented every year by the European Commission. Each programme can submit one application in each category.
There are five award categories for 2013:
- SMART GROWTH: Connecting universities to regional growth
- SUSTAINABLE GROWTH: Supporting resource efficiency in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- INCLUSIVE GROWTH: Social Innovation: creative responses to the challenges in society
- CITYSTAR CATEGORY: Integrated approaches to sustainable urban development
- INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION CATEGORY: Promoting EU Regional policy using short videos.
Applications may be sent by no later than 20 April 2012. The selected finalists will showcase their projects before an independent jury during the tenth annual European Week of Regions and Cities - OPEN DAYS 2012. The award ceremony will take place in Brussels in February 2013.
To register online, visit the RegioStars website.
Further information: REGIO-STARS@ec.europa.eu
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Commission sets new priorities and performance indicators for Baltic Sea region
(23 March 2012)
The European Commission has today released a Communication on the first of its Macro-Regional Strategies, the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), setting out how it proposes to take co operation between the participating states up a gear. The aim of the Strategy is to increase the impact of EU funds to reach common goals, such as the improvement of water quality in the entire region. The Communication sets three priorities for co operation: "Save the Sea", "Connect the Region" and "Increase Prosperity. Targets and indicators are set under each. It also clarifies the roles and responsibilities of all those involved, to put the Strategy on a firm footing to prepare the 2014-2020 programming period.
Communication concerning the European Union Baltic Sea Strategy COM(2012) 128 final
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INTERREG IVC: call for experts
(22 March 2012)
The INTERREG IVC programme is looking for specialised experts to carry out a thematic programme capitalisation in the following 12 topics:
Priority 1: Innovation and Knowledge economy :
1. Innovation systems (triple helix & open innovation)
2. Innovation capacity of SMEs
3. Eco-innovation
4. Creative industries
5. Entrepreneurship
6. E-government services
7. Demographic change
8. Rural development
Priority 2: Environment and Risk prevention :
9. Climate change
10. Energy efficiency
11. Renewable energy
12. Sustainable transport
The deadline for submitting the offers is 2 May 2012. For further information, see the INTERREG IVC website. -
Comparative study on the project selection process applied in Cohesion Policy programmes 2007-2013 in a number of Member States
(20 March 2012)
Selecting projects best contributing to fulfilment of the programme objectives with minimum administrative resources is crucial for delivery of the Cohesion Policy. DG Regional Policy commissioned a study comparing the project selection process inAustria, theCzech Republic,Germany, theNetherlands,SlovakiaandSloveniain the fields of research and development, innovation in the small and medium enterprises and urban regeneration. The study identified a number of areas for improvement of the process, in particular for reduction of the administrative burden, and provides recommendations and good practice examples for setting-up the project selection structures and procedures for this and the next programming periods.
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Seven capital city regions in Top 10 of GDP regional figures for 2009
(15 March 2012)
Eurostat, the European Union's Statistics Agency, has just published the eagerly awaited regional GDP figures for 2009 – the first to reflect the economic consequences of the financial crisis in 2008. GDP per capita for 2009, expressed in terms of purchasing power standards, in the EU27's 271 NUTS-23 regions ranged from 27% of the EU27 average in the region of Severozapaden in Bulgaria, to 332% of the average in Inner London in the United Kingdom.
Seventeen regions recorded a GDP above 150% of the average. The highest were Inner London (332% of the average), Luxembourg (266%), Brussels (223%), Hamburg (188%) and the Bratislava region (178%).
Twenty-two regions below 50%. The lowest regions in the ranking were all in Bulgaria and Romania, with the lowest figures recorded in Severozapaden in Bulgaria (27% of the average), followed by Severen tsentralen in Bulgaria and Nord-Est in Romania (both 29%) and Yuzhen tsentralen in Bulgaria (31%). -
Solidarity Fund: Commission proposes €18 million for flood damage in Liguria and Tuscany
(15 March 2012)
Brussels, 15 March 2012 – The European Commission has today proposed to allocate an amount of EUR 18.06 million from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to Italy following the severe flooding in Liguria and Tuscany in October 2011. This funding will contribute towards the costs borne by public authorities in response to the emergency, in particular for restoring essential infrastructure, like reconnecting water, gas and electricity supplies.
Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn, responsible for the EU Solidarity Fund, said: "I was able to see first hand the magnitude of the damage done and the importance of an EU intervention when visiting the affected sites in January. Our priority is to restore as quickly as possible normal living conditions for the citizens of these regions, as well as the speedy recovery of economic activity, such as tourism."
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Commission paves the way for the better combination of EU Funds for 2014-2020
(14 March 2012)
Following the Cohesion Policy proposals of 6th October, and to help Member States prepare for the next programming period, the Commission presented on 14 March 2012 the "Common Strategic Framework" (CSF). It is intended to help in setting strategic direction for the next financial planning period from 2014 to 2020 in Member States and their regions. It will enable a far better combining of various funds to maximise the impact of EU investments. National and regional authorities will use this framework as the basis for drafting their 'Partnership Contracts' with the Commission, committing themselves to meeting Europe's growth and jobs targets for 2020.
Comments on the CSF may be sent to the European Commission by e-mail (REGIO-CSF@ec.europa.eu).
Press release
Staff Working document on the Common Strategic Framework : Part I - Part II -
European soil degradation is a concern
(12 March 2012)
European Commission reports emphasise the need to take measures to prevent the continuing degradation of European soils. Soil erosion, waterproofing (the overlay of fertile land by impermeable substances) and acidification are phenomena that have worsened over the last decade.
Within the framework of cohesion policy, approximately EUR 3.1 billion was allocated in 2007-2013 in order to rehabilitate industrial sites and contaminated land. Hungary, the Czech Republic and Germany are the countries that have in this connection been granted the most significant sums (EUR 475 million, EUR 371 million and EUR 332 million, respectively). It is envisaged that this type of support will be maintained in 2014-2020. Moreover, specific soil-protection measures (for example, for solid-waste management) have been integrated into the EU’s agenda for macro-regions.
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The impact of single market on cohesion : Implications for Cohesion Policy, Growth, and Competitveness
(07 March 2012)
The study assessed the impact of the Single Market on growth, competitiveness and employment in EU27, in particular as regards its role in generating disparities and convergence processes. It also analysed the institutional and policy linkages between cohesion policy, the Lisbon process and the Europe 2020 strategy. The study draws on a range of sources, including desk-based research, modeling work, econometric analysis as well as qualitative assessment through a number of case studies covering regions with different characteristics. The study draws conclusions concerning the alignment of cohesion policy with the Europe 2020 strategy, the integration of regions into the Single Market, the role of leading regions, the quality of public investment as well as the framework conditions for investments and addresses governance challenges.
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Overview of the main EU funding opportunities for SMEs
(06 March 2012)
The European Union provides support to European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is available in different forms such as grants, loans and, in some cases, guarantees.
Support is available either directly or through programmes managed at national or regional level, such as the Structural Funds.
SMEs can also benefit from a series of non-financial assistance measures in the form of programmes and business support services.
A new guide aims to present the European programmes available to SMEs and contains brief information as well as the main web sites for each programme.More information on structural funds and SMEs
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Measuring performance: country factsheets
(01 March 2012)
The European Commission is publishing country factsheets outlining the progress of individual Member States in meeting their agreed targets under the Europe 2020 Strategy. The factsheets give the state of play in various themes under the three headline targets of the Strategy: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth. The factsheets will be an invaluable support in the negotiations on the next period of EU cohesion funding (2014-2020). They place each country in a European perspective by measuring performance and comparing to the EU average, as well as the best and the worst performers in theUnion.
Each fact sheet shows the country's national target, the EU target and the highest and lowest targets adopted by other countries. In addition, it measures how far that country is from the target it has set itself and compares this to the EU and the most and least ambitious country.
These factsheets are based primarily on data from Eurostat, but also from the Joint Research Centre, the European Environmental Agency, the World Bank and other sources. The targets have been collected from official documents. In some cases, absolute targets have been translated into relative targets to allow for a cross country comparison.
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Brochure 'Simplifying Cohesion Policy for 2014-2020' now available
(29 February 2012)
The European Commission adopted on 8 February a Communication dedicated to simplification in all policy areas to draw stakeholders' attention to the key aspects of simplification included in the regulatory proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020. Inview of the preparations of the next programming period, the brochure Simplifying Cohesion Policy for 2014-2020 explains to the beneficiaries and managing authorities in the European Union the main practical improvements proposed in terms of simplification as regards Cohesion Policy.
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'Working Papers': A New Regional Competitiveness Index: Theory, Methods and Findings
(27 February 2012)
The latest issue out of the series 'Working papers' : A New Regional Competitiveness Index: Theory, Methods and Findings is now available.
The regional indicator 'EU Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI)' is the first composite indicator which provides a synthetic picture of territorial competitiveness for each of the NUTS 2 regions of the 27 EU Member States. It builds on and modifies the approach of the Global Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and consists of eleven pillars grouped in three groups: Basic, Efficiency and Innovation. It takes into account the level of development of the region by emphasising basic issues in less developed regions, and innovative capacity in more developed regions. The pillars measure not only issues relevant to firms but also those relevant to residents of the regions in question and their quality of life.
For further information, see the publication A New Regional Competitiveness Index: Theory, Methods and Findings.
'Working papers' is a series of short papers on regional research and indicators produced by the Directorate-General for Regional Policy.
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Commission urges Hungary to step up efforts to release funds
(22 February 2012)
The European Commission has proposed to suspend EUR 495 184 000 of Cohesion Fund commitments taking effect on 1 January 2013, representing 0.5 % of GDP and 29% of the country's cohesion fund allocations for 2013. This unprecedented step follows the Commission's repeated warnings to Hungary urging it to step up its efforts to end the country's excessive government deficit, and its subsequent failure to take appropriate action. On 11 January this year, the European Commission concluded, as part of the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP), that Hungary had not taken effective action to bring its deficit to below the target of 3% of GDP by 2011 in a sustainable and credible manner (see press release and memo). The European Commission therefore proposed to step up the Procedure. This recommendation was endorsed by the Council of Ministers on 24 January, paving the way for a suspension of part of the Cohesion Fund commitments for Hungary.
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16 February: Follow the Urban Forum live
(14 February 2012)
The debates from the first European Urban Forum will be rebroadcast live on this site between 0930 and 1600 on 16 February. This event will bring together around 500 participants inBrussels, including the mayors of a number of large European cities and representatives of urban networks, associations and European institutions. The Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn wishes to launch a direct dialogue withEurope’s cities in order to discuss the place of urban development in the cohesion policy for 2014-2020. This dialogue will then be put on a formal footing with the creation of a ‘European urban development platform’, encouraging the exchange of experiences at EU level.
In particular, the mayors of Amsterdam, Barcelona, Warsaw, Lisbon, Sofia, Bratislava, Manchester, Leipzig, Łódź,Naples,Turin,Roubaix andDunkirk will be attending the Urban Forum.
You will be able to follow the debates on the conference site in 4 languages (the speaker’s language, English, French and German):
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EU-Brazil cooperation on regional policy
(13 February 2012)
Brazil, a country of 27 Federal States, experiences the challenge of significant regional, economic and social disparities, for example, between North and south, between urban and rural areas, between the coastal areas and those in the interior. The country also shares borders with 11 countries and which means that, as in the European Union, cooperation with its neighbours is highly important.
The European Commission's Regional Policy DG has been working together with the Brazilian Ministry of National Integration (MNI) since 2006 to share experiences on regional policy development and implementation. For the fourth consecutive year, the European Parliament has voted resources to support this cooperation with third countries. It has now entered into the core competences of the Commission Directorate general for Regional Policy ("DG REGIO"). Ronnie Hall, Director in DG REGIO spoke with Mr Henrique Villa da Costa Ferreira, Director for Regional Development Policies from the MNI to reflect on this cooperation and to see whatBrazilfeels it has gained from it.
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Research and Innovation: working with EU funding
(08 February 2012)
The European Commission has published a practical guide to 'EU funding Opportunities for Research and Innovation'.
This new edition covers the following EU funding instruments:
- 7th Research Framework Programme
- Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme
- EU Structural Funds
- European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
- European Fisheries Fund
- Lifelong learning programme
- LIFE + in the field of the environment.
It also describes the research and innovation funding opportunities offered to countries and territories beyond the European Union, in the framework of Pre-accession Assistance and within the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument.
This updated Practical Guide allows potential beneficiaries to quickly identify exactly how they can access European funding at any stage of a project.
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EU funds support youth employment and SMEs
(31 January 2012)
Following an agreement at the 30 January European Council, the €82 billion of EU structural funds still to be allocated to projects is to be quickly examined to ensure that it is effectively mobilised to support economic growth and job creation. In particular the remaining funding will be examined to see if it can have a greater impact on tackling youth unemployment and providing support for small businesses.
Member States accepted a proposal from President Barroso to examine the plans for the unallocated European Social Fund resources to help finance training and work experience opportunities for young people. The Commission will now work with the national authorities and social partners from the eight EU countries with the highest youth unemployment rates (Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ireland) to ensure that existing plans are accelerated and reinforced where possible.
Member States also endorsed proposals to review, accelerate and redirect European Regional Development funding in support of job creation by small businesses. Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises have created 80% of all new jobs in the EU over the last five years.
These decisions follow on from a series of actions that the European Commission has taken to ensure that structural funds help EU countries to improve growth prospects and counter the effects of the economic crisis, including:
- Increased rates of co-financing
- Advances for the countries hardest hit by the crisis
- Reprogramming and simplification of procedures
- Access to finance for SMEs
Further information:
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3rd URBACT Call for Proposals for the Creation of Thematic Networks
(27 January 2012)
The 3rd and final URBACT Call for Proposals is now open for the creation of up to 19 new Thematic Networks. Expressions of interest are invited up until 15th March 2012.
URBACT is a European exchange and learning programme promoting sustainable urban development jointly financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) and the Member States. The programme enables cities from across Europe to work together to develop solutions to major urban challenges, reaffirming the key role they play in facing increasingly complex societal changes.
Projects approved through this 3rd URBACT Call for proposals will address one of the 8 topics defined for this call, and partner cities will be requested to consider the 3 following challenges:
• How to manage urban development in the context of the economic and financial crisis
• How to foster integrated and sustainable approaches to urban development
• How to develop efficient partnerships and multi-level governance processes
For more information, visit the URBACT website.
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Commission payments getting EU Cohesion Policy working on the ground
(25 January 2012)
End of year analysis confirms 2011 as another high performance year for cohesion policy in the Member States. The European Commission's analysis has shown record levels of payments in Member States, ensuring the timely implementation of the EU's main investment policy. Some EUR 32.9 billion were paid out by the Commission to the Member States in 2011, representing an increase of 8% over the previous level of EUR 30.5 billion in 2010.
The average payment rate for all 3 funds (ERDF, ESF, Cohesion Fund) in the EU-27 was at 33.4% of the allocated amounts on 31 December 2011. These rates vary significantly between countries, from 16.5% to 48.3%; while the analysis per fund reveals that the ERDF payments increased by 55% year-on-year from 22.3% at end 2010 to 34.3% at end 2011.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the financial crisis, temporary "top-up" payments were made to Greece and Romania for a value of 374 million € following the entry into force of Regulation 1311/2011 on 20 December.
Period
Country
Paid / Decided*
2007-2013
Éire/Ireland
48.27 %
Lietuva/Lithuania
47.98 %
Sverige/Sweden
46.52 %
Eesti/Estonia
41.99 %
Deutschland/Germany
41.15 %
Suomi/Finland
40.92 %
Luxembourg
40.58 %
Österreich/Austria
39.19 %
United Kingdom
38.83 %
Danmark/Denmark
38.28 %
Portugal
37.77 %
Kypros/Cyprus
37.39 %
Polska/Poland
37.23 %
Slovenija/Slovenia
37.01 %
España/Spain
36.52 %
Latvija/Latvia
36.43 %
Magyarország/Hungary
35.25 %
Ellada/Greece
34.94 %
France
34.77 %
Nederland/The Netherlands
33.62 %
Belgique-België/Belgium
32.17 %
Slovenska Republica/Slovakia
27.76 %
Malta
27.29 %
Cross-border cooperation
26.62 %
Ceska Republika/Czech Republic
26.14 %
Balgarija/Bulgaria
23.55 %
Italia/Italy
21.72 %
România/Romania
16.51 %
2007-2013
Total
33.36 %
*Claims pending at end 2011 amount to EUR 9.6 billion for all funds (ERDF, ESF, CF). Due to lack of credits, this amount will be paid on 2012 credits, but would have brought the overall Structural Funds payments to 36.14%.
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Live webstreaming : Commissioner Hahn to address European Parliament Committee on Regional development
(24 January 2012)
Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn addresses the European Parliament's REGI (Regional Development) committee's first meeting of 2012 on 25 January. On the agenda once more will be the legislative package post-2013 and the Commissioner briefing MEPs on the state of play of negotiations in the Council.
The draftsmen of Parliament's positions on the various proposed regulations will also present their Working Documents and debate the issues at stake; while the Danish Presidency of the Council will also partake in the debate with the representation of Nicolai Wammen, Minister of European Affairs, presenting the priorities of the Danish Presidency in the field of cohesion policy.You can follow proceedings of the committee Live via Webstreaming and see the Agenda: Committee on Regional Development
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Priorities of the Danish Presidency
(23 January 2012)
Denmark has just taken the helm of the European Union for six months and has presented its work programme. On the subject of the cohesion policy, it has undertaken to make progress on the negotiations on the new regulations for 2014-2020, along with the discussions on the multiannual financial framework. Its aim is to win the agreement of theMemberStatesand European Parliament on certain priority matters, in particular: strategic planning, thematic concentration, ex-ante conditionality, simplification, financial management and controls. Two General Affairs Council (GAC) meetings will take stock of the negotiations on 24 April and 26 June2012 inLuxembourg.
European Commission’s proposals for Cohesion Policy 2014-2020
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Commissioner Hahn launches a dialogue with European cities
(19 January 2012)
In its proposals for the cohesion policy 2014-2020 the European Commission suggests strengthening the urban aspect. In line with his commitment to set an ambitious urban agenda at EU level, Commissioner Johannes Hahn is launching a direct dialogue with Europe’s cities. The mayors of Europe’s cities and representatives of the European institutions are being invited to the first Urban Forum which will take place on 16 February in Brussels. It will involve discussing the new proposals contained in the new legislative package and preparing the future urban development platform which will be created to promote capacity building and the exchange of experiences at EU level.
Further information: Urban Forum
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Regional Studies Association: Call for Papers for REGIONAL INSIGHTS magazine
(18 January 2012)
In 2010, the Regional Studies Association launched its Regional Insights magazine as a new publication for the Association. Regional Insights focuses on publishing short articles from Student and Early Career members, and making their research accessible for all Association members.
The editors are currently seeking submissions of paper proposals for short articles (max. 3,000 words) for future editions. All Student and Early Career members of the Regional Studies Association are eligible to publish in Regional Insights. Contributions are welcomed from any discipline in the field of Regional Studies and with any geographical focus.
Deadline for paper proposals: 14th February. For more information, see here -
"Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 investing in Europe's Regions": full analysis and feedback in the latest edition of Panorama magazine now online
(17 January 2012)
The winter 2011/2012 edition of Panorama gives a more in-depth review of the new approach proposed for cohesion policy from 2014-2020. A full analysis of the proposals is provided in a special eight-page feature, along with reactions from key interlocutors, such as the European Women's Lobby, the European Anti-Poverty Network, the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and the Assembly of European Regions. Interviews with French and Swedish high-level regional actors are also included, while a whole range of thematic articles look at projects in European Territorial Cooperation, the Urban dimension of the policy and the RegioStars awards categories for 2013.
Panorama is currently available in English, French and German. The other language versions will be accessible beginning of February on the Inforegio website.
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The regional diversity of the EU illustrated through maps and figures
(16 January 2012)
Which region has the highest proportion of higher education graduates? Which cities are considered to have the worst air quality? Which regions have the highest intensity of research and development?
The answers to these and plenty more questions can be found in the 2011 regional yearbook from Eurostat, the European Union’s office of statistics. This publication gives an overview of the most recent economic, social and demographic trends in the 271 NUTS level 2 regions in the 27 Member States of the European Union.
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'RegioStars Awards'
(13 January 2012)
The European Commission's search for the most innovative projects which have received investment from EU Cohesion Policy continues in 2012 and 2013.
2012 Awards – Commission unveils finalists
The Commission has announced the finalists for the 2012 RegioStars Awards. The 2012 RegioStars Jury under the Chairmanship of Mr Luc Van den Brande has chose 24 finalists from the 107 nominations received. The 24 projects highlight the excellent and innovative work being done on the ground and represent a good geographical spread across the Union. The 24 projects will make presentations to the Jury at an event on 16 January 2012.
The 2012 finalists, in no particular order, are as follows:
Category 1: Smart Growth - service innovation
- 'Technopol Programme' - Lower Austria, AT
- 'RUR@CT' – régions actrices de l’innovation rurale – Limousin, FR
- 'Innovative Collaboration Networks for Smart growth' – London, UK
- 'ECO World Styria' - Styria, AT
- 'Hohe Tauern Health' - Salzburg, AT
- 'Orientation and guidance services for start-ups in Brandenburg' – Brandenburg, DE
- 'Digi-lodge' - various Greek regions, EL
Category 2: Sustainable Growth – eco-system services
- 'Parc naturel transfrontalier du Hainaut (PNTH)'- Wallonie–Nord-Pas de Calais. BE-FR
- 'Alps-Carpathian Corridor Trnava' – Bratislava, Vienna, Burgenland, Niederösterreich. SK-AT
- 'SIC ADAPT! (Strategic Initiative Cluster – Adaptation to the impacts of climate change)' – North‑West Europe, DE BE FR IE LU NL UK
- 'Green Corridors Contracts' - Rhône-Alpes, FR
- 'GRaBS: Green and blue space adaptation for urban areas and eco-towns' - England (leader), UK
Category 3: Inclusive growth – addressing demographic change and active ageing
- 'I-Cane' - Province of Limburg, NL
- 'Project for Early Support of Elderly People in their Daily Lives (VAMU)' - Northern Savo, FI
- 'O4O : Older people for older people' - Finland, Greenland, N.Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, UK FI IE SE
- 'Seniors in Motion' - Northern Portugal, PT
Category 4: Citystar: - Integrated development of deprived urban areas
- 'SÖM South East Malmö' – Malmö, SE
- 'Baum – Bratislava Urban Regional Cooperation' - Nordburgenland, Wiener Umland-Nord, Wiener Umland-Süd, VUC Bratislava, SK-AT
- 'Open LAB Ebbinge (OLE)' – Groningen, NL
- 'Rediscovering Vila do Conde' - Vila do Conde, PT
Category 5: Information and Communication: presenting project data
- 'http://www.estlat.eu/' - Estonia – Latvia, EE-LV
- 'http://www.europaomdehoek.nl/' - The Netherlands, NL
- 'http://www.efrr.wrotapodlasia.pl/' – Podlaskie, PL
- 'http://www.nfu.gov.hu/' – Hungary
The Jury's decision on the award winners will be announced in June 2012 at the Regions for Economic Change conference.
2013 Awards
The application process for the 2013 RegioStars Awards is now open. The Award Categories for 2013 are:
1. SMART GROWTH: Connecting universities to regional growth
- SUSTAINABLE GROWTH: Supporting resource efficiency in SMEs
- INCLUSIVE GROWTH: Social innovation: creative responses to societal challenges
- CITYSTAR: Integrated approaches to sustainable urban development
- INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION: Promoting EU Regional policy with short videos
Applications should be sent by 20 April 2012. The selected finalists will have the opportunity to showcase their projects before an independent jury during the tenth annual European Week of Regions and Cities - OPEN DAYS 2012. The Award ceremony itself will take place in Brussels in early 2013.
Further information is available on the RegioStars website and on Twitter (@EU_Regional, hashtag #regiostars).
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European Territorial Cooperation: building bridges between people
(10 January 2012)
This publication, available on line here, will give you an insight into how cooperation, including the European groupings for territorial cooperation and EU macro-regional strategies, currently works, and what the future may hold. It brings you stories about people from all over Europe who either have benefited from, or are somehow connected to, cooperation.
European Territorial Cooperation is central to the construction of a common European space, and a cornerstone of European integration. It has clear European added value: helping to ensure that borders are not barriers, bringing Europeans closer together, helping to solve common problems, facilitating the sharing of ideas and assets, and encouraging strategic work towards common goals.
Should you wish to order one copy, please send an email to regio-info@ec.europa.eu with the language requested and your full contact details.
European Territorial Cooperation: building bridges between people
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Investing in broadband internet
(20 December 2011)
How can EU regional funding best promote the roll-out of broadband?
The European Commission has published a guide for public authorities managing EU funds on the strengths and weaknesses of different models of investment in high speed internet infrastructures. It provides advice to managing authorities and project promoters on the issues that should be considered when planning a public sector investment in broadband infrastructure.
The guide is based on a detailed review of several broadband investment projects (mostly co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund). It includes messages on success factors and lessons learned.
The Digital Agenda for Europe aims to ensue that by 2020 all Europeans should have access to the Internet at speeds above 30Mbit/s and 50% or more of European households should have subscriptions above 100 Mbit/s.
The guide has been co-signed by Commissioners Hahn, Kroes, Ciolos and Almunia. It complements other activities by the Commission services such as the European Broadband Portal and the Bottom up Broadband initiative.
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Connecting Universities to Regional Growth
(16 December 2011)
Universities can play a vital role in the development of regional innovation strategies.
The European Commission has published a guide designed to help Managing Authorities responsible for programmes under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to improve the involvement of Universities in regional development.
The guide aims to promote the active engagement of universities and other higher education institutions in regional innovation strategies for smart specialisation, in cooperation with research centres, businesses and other partners in the civil society. It can also be used by academic and economic partners to explore the benefits they can expect from working together for regional development.
It is not an academic publication but a practical tool with recommendations, part of a series of guides prepared in the framework of the Smart Specialisation Platform set up by the Commission for providing methodological assistance and practical guidance to national and regional policy makers involved in designing and delivering innovation strategies for smart specialisation. It will be useful for the last years of the current ERDF programming period (2007-2013) and for preparing the next period (2014-2020).
Connecting Universities to regional Growth : A practical guide
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Council to put future Cohesion Policy under the lens
(15 December 2011)
On Friday 16th December, the General Affairs Council of the EU will hold a debate on the basis of a progress report drawn up by the Polish Presidency on the legislative package for future cohesion policy, adopted on 6th October 2011. The package contains proposals for five regulations for the period 2014-2020, laying down principles and detailed operating rules of the Cohesion Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and of European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation. The overarching regulation also lays down provisions common to these Funds and to the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
Discussions are expected to focus on the central themes of strategic programming and thematic concentration – both with a view to ensuring the closer alignment of cohesion policy with the goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
These regulations will have to be adopted by the end of 2012 to allow the new programming of cohesion policy to get underway on time to start in 2014.
European Commission proposals of 6th October
General Affairs Council meeting information (16 December 2011)
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Debate with Commissioner Hahn: web-streaming
(08 December 2011)
The second bi-annual meeting of 2011 between the Commission's Regional Policy's department (DG REGIO) and representatives from regional offices in Brussels takes place on 15 December. EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn will present the legislative package on future cohesion policy for 2014-2020. This will be followed by an open floor discussion. Registration for this event has now closed but you can follow proceedings live from 15h00 to 17h00 in English, French and German.
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Improved access to investment for SMEs
(05 December 2011)
The European Commission has amended a 2006 Regulation on investments through financial engineering instruments, in order to help businesses to have ready access to investment. This measure enters into force on 1 December.
The amendment to Article 45 of Regulation (EC) No 1828/2006 aims to reinforce investment in businesses, particularly Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), in all Member States through financial engineering instruments. It allows for investment in enterprises at any stage of their normal business activity and not only at the time when they are established or are expanding.
The measure is of particular importance in times of lack of liquidity for enterprises and public budgetary constraints. -
2012 – European Year for Active Ageing
(02 December 2011)
The European Union has declared 2012 as the ‘Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations’. This provides an occasion to remember that Europeans are living longer and healthier nowadays and to reflect on the prospects this offers.
Active ageing provides baby-boomers and the future elderly population with an opportunity to keep working and share their experience, as well as to continue playing an active role in society and leading as healthy and enriching a life as possible.
The European Commission, the Committee of the Regions and AGE Platform Europe have published a brochure on the subject, entitled ‘How to promote active ageing in Europe – EU support to local and regional actors’. This document features examples of projects funded by the EU which support the objectives of the 2012 European Year and provides an overview of the funding programmes which the EU makes available to local, regional and national actors.
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Seventh report on economic, social and territorial cohesion shows regions' and cities' contribution to Europe 2020
(01 December 2011)
The seventh progress report on economic, social and territorial cohesion, highlighting the urban and regional dimension of the Europe 2020 strategy has just been published. Hot on the heels of the Commission's legislative proposals for cohesion policy post-2013, the report assesses how, in the context of cohesion policy, regions and cities can contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and Europe 2020 headline targets. It also measures the distance of regions from national 2020 targets proposed in the Member States.
This report shows that cities and regions are faced with different combinations of development problems and growth potential. This is one of the main reasons cohesion policy uses an integrated approach that can be adjusted to local needs and opportunities.
The report provides an important input to current discussions on the 2014-2020 period. Future cohesion policy programmes must look at how they will contribute to the EU reaching 2020 targets, and how EU investment will help them reach these goals.
Read the Seventh progress report on economic, social and territorial cohesion
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Energy Efficiency Workshop
(29 November 2011)
On 29 and 30 November experts from Member States, from civil society, from the academic world and the EU Institutions will meet in Brussels to discuss around “Cohesion policy investing in energy efficiency in buildings”.
The aim of this conference and workshop, organised by DG Regional Policy, is to inform participants about developments at EU level which are relevant to the period 2014-2020, and to focus on implementation difficulties encountered and possible solutions for the future.
A workshop session will take place on 30 November to discuss difficulties in implementation experienced in Member States.
You can follow the conference in web-streaming:
Papers and presentations will be published after the conference on the website:
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Priority projects in Greece
(28 November 2011)
Following a meeting on 28 November between European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn and the governors of the Greek regions and mayors from the main cities, an updated list of priority projects to be co-funded by the European Commission was presented. This list will be updated regularly, as regularly new projects will be added, in order to use the EU structural funds and cohesion fund in the most optimal way, to ensure that high quality projects with a strong added value will create economic growth and new jobs in all Greek regions.
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Invitation to the Closing Conference of Effective Roma Campaigning (Strand 3 of the EP Roma Pilot Project)
(27 November 2011)
On Tuesday 29 November, the European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) network is organising a closing conference in their awareness-raising campaign, as part of the European Parliament Roma Pilot Project. The event will take place from 13:30 to 17:30 at Mundo B (Rue d’Edimbourg 26, 1050 Brussels, metro Porte de Namur).
To conclude the campaign, the ERGO Network, along with its implementing partners (the Policy Center for Roma and Minorities (Romania), Integro Association (Bulgaria) and Roma Active Albania) will present results, achievements and lesson learned, and showcase a selection of the rich research that bears testimony to their achievements and presents the stories behind the conclusions.
Please visit the project website for more information: www.ergonetwork.org or contact Gabriela Hrabanova (g.hrabanova@ergonetwork.org).
See also: Roma Inclusion and Regional Policy - Pilot project for Roma Inclusion
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Commissioner Johannes Hahn attends Informal ministerial meeting: "Integrated approach to development - a key to smart, sustainable and inclusive Europe"
(24 November 2011)
Poznań, Poland - 24-25 November
A high-level discussion on the development of Europe, the shape of the post-2013 Cohesion Policy and its territorial dimension, as well as on the integrated approach to development are the topics for discussion in Poznań on 24 and 25 November. The meeting is the first of its kind, bringing together ministers dealing with regional development policy form all Member States and is a key event on the calendar of the Polish Presidency of the Council.
The ministerial meeting aims to revive strategic actions for European development, discussing methods of maximising Europe’s potential and directing it towards the fulfilment of strategic goals to ensure the reconstruction of the European economy and allow its entry into competition in global markets. It presents the integrated approach to regional development as a key to achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy of Smart and Sustainable Growth for All.
Fro more information see: http://pl2011.eu/en/content/integrated-approach-development-key-smart-sustainable-and-inclusive-europe -
The EU supports disaster-stricken Spain and Italy
(22 November 2011)
The European Commission is proposing to allocate EUR 21 million to Spain in the wake of the earthquake which hit the town of Lorca last May, and EUR 16.9 million to the Italian region of Veneto to clear up the aftermath of the torrential rain in 2010. This aid being provided from the European Union’s Solidarity Fund will go towards reimbursing the cost of the emergency measures carried out, such as the rescue operations, cleaning up the disaster-stricken areas and restoring the basic infrastructure.
For more information, visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/thefunds/solidarity/index_en.cfm
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The Regional Studies Association (RSA) has launched two calls for papers for upcoming conferences in 2012.
(21 November 2011)
The first of these takes place from Sunday 13th to Wednesday 16th May at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands (with a field trip on Sunday 13th May) and is entitled 'Networked regions and cities in times of fragmentation: Developing smart, sustainable and inclusive places'. The conference will look at the increased interdependency of cities, in environmental, social and economic terms; and the patterns of interaction between them. It examines the implications of this for regional governance, as well as the potential it offers for the development of regional clusters and networks. Such networked cities and regions face challenges of coordination and blurred boundaries of competence, with consequences for transparency, accountability and legitimacy of decision-making.
The RSA welcomes papers that consider these issues in relation to the development of smart, sustainable and inclusive places (the three dimensions of the Europe 2020 Strategy), with a deadline for Abstract submission of 10th February 2012
The second conference sees the RSA hosting its annual conference outside Europe for the very first time, in Beijing, China. It is being organised in conjunction with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, around the theme: 'Sustaining Regional Futures'. Papers assessing the forms and successes of regional policies in managing regional disparities; establishing basic public services; supporting endogenous growth; promoting regional competitiveness etc are invited. Equally, papers on governance, city-regions, spatial planning and analysis (in the context of China, or elsewhere) are most welcome. The deadline for abstract submission is 10th February 2012.
For further information, see: www.regionalstudies.org
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The Court of Auditors gives its financial assessment for 2010
(16 November 2011)
The EU's independent audit institution, the European Court of Auditors (ECA), which examines whether EU income and expenditure is completely and accurately recorded in the accounts and has been raised or spent in accordance with all contractual and legal obligations, has released its assessment of the management and control of EU funds for 2010.
While errors do still occur, the European Commission and European Parliament will persist in their efforts with the Member States to ensure the continuous reduction over the coming years and financial terms. Regarding cohesion policy spending, the Court finds that errors are concentrated in a small number of programmes in a limited number of Member States. Two thirds of the error rate is found in 7 programmes in 3 MS. The Commission will work with these countries in particular to assist them in their financial control and management systems.
More information:
ECA 2010 Annual Report
Information Note
Press release
Frequently asked questions -
Saving Pompeii with EU support
(15 November 2011)
At the end of October, torrential rain caused serious damage to the world famous archaeological site at Pompeii in Italy. Violent storms had already caused part of the site to collapse in 2010.
On 7 November, Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn visited Pompeii and agreed with the Italian authorities on an action plan entailing investments of EUR 105 million, to be financed from a national contribution and a European contribution, to ensure that Pompeii’s precious legacy of the past is preserved.
The European investment will be funded from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under a programme entitled ‘Attrattori culturali, naturali e turismo’, designed to support the cultural, natural and tourist attractions of Campania, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily between 2007 and 2013.
For more information visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/italia/attualita/primo_piano/pol_regionale/hahn_roma_pompei_it.htm
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Local development and EU territorial policies
(15 November 2011)
A seminar on local development as a key pillar of post-2013 EU integrated territorial policies due to be held in Brussels on 29 November will be attended by representatives of the European institutions and the Polish Presidency of the EU.
In its proposals on future cohesion policy presented on 6 October, the Commission suggested that integrated local development strategies should be implemented and local action groups set up, in a bid to find better ways of combining the various European funds [European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund (ESF), European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)] at local level.
The seminar has been organised by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Romanian Municipalities Association and is sponsored by the European Parliament.
Programme: http://www.ccre.org/docs/29_11_11_Seminar_Local_Development.pdf
For more information visit:
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Commission strives to eliminate all form of error in cohesion policy spending
(10 November 2011)
The European Commission has recently published its 'Analysis of errors in cohesion policy for the years 2006-2009', as well as actions it has taken to reduce their occurrence, and the way forward. While errors do exist, they are concentrated in a handful of programmes in a small number of Member States. The document stresses however, that 'errors' are not equal to 'fraud'. The term 'error' is used for any non-compliance with a condition for receiving EU funds, while 'fraud' entails deliberate or criminal deception for the purpose of making an unjust gain. The Commission's analysis highlights the most common examples of errors, such as contracts awarded without following the correct tender procedure; inadequate documentation to support expenditure (lack of audit trail); inaccurate calculation of overheads; application of incorrect co-financing rate; and, overestimated payment claims.
The Commission will continue its stringent audit work, along with the European Court of Auditors to further reduce the incidence of such errors. The proposed legislative package for cohesion policy form 2014-2020 will play a major part in this also through such features as the move to E-Cohesion (electronic data management) and conditions for a wider use of simplified costs.
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Eight ultra-peripheral regions: eight jewels in the EU’s crown
(09 November 2011)
Commissioner Hahn attended the Conference of Presidents of Ultra-peripheral Regions (chaired by Regional Council President Serge Letchimy) in Martinique (France) on 3 and 4 November and outlined the Commission’s recent cohesion policy 2014-2020 proposals.
The new legislative package takes account of the special circumstances of ultra-peripheral regions, as recognised in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU):
- the specific allocation to compensate for additional costs due to their insularity is to be maintained;
- ultra-peripheral regions will continue to benefit from Community co-financing of up to 85%;
- they will also receive a larger envelope of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for territorial cooperation (up from EUR 150 million to 275 million).
The European Commission is in the process of planning a new strategy for the ultra-peripheral regions, to be adopted in 2012, which will make the most of their numerous advantages.
The European Union has 8 ultra-peripheral regions: five French overseas departments (Réunion, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Saint-Martin and Martinique), two Portuguese autonomous regions (Azores and Madeira) and one Spanish autonomous community (Canary Islands).
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Good practices in e-health, broadband and e-government
(26 October 2011)
IMMODI is an INTERREG IVC project which brings together 10 partners from European Regions representing 7 countries: Italy, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Germany, Finland and Sweden. It aims to address the development of e-government and e-health services in mountainous and rural regions of the EU.
The IMMODI project partners held an information conference on 26th October at the EU Committee of the Regions in Brussels. The specific objective of the project is the transfer of good practices to regional operational programs in the framework of cohesion policy. Each participating region prepared action plans which are expected to be signed by the managing authorities at the final conference in Auvergne on the 15th November 2011.
A general overview of the regional partners and a summary of the identified good practices in the field of e-health, broadband and e-government, is now available at:
http://www.interreg-immodi.net/attachments/article/107/Guide-Immodi.pdf
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'Effective Instruments Supporting Territorial Development' – Warsaw, Poland 24-25 October
(20 October 2011)
From 24-25 October 2011 Warsaw will host the conference 'Effective Instruments Supporting Territorial Development', co-organised by the Polish Ministry of Regional Development and the European Commission. The conference, one of the major events of the Polish Presidency, will facilitate an exchange of views and best practice between practitioners dealing with cohesion policy on the ground, and will also see the Commission present proposals for cohesion policy instruments supporting territorial development. The conference will pay particular attention to urban areas – as engines for innovation and growth, and their linkages with rural areas, as well as the local approach to development.
The conference comes just weeks after the Commission's adoption of legislative proposals in the area of cohesion policy for the period after 2013. The discussions around the future policy framework will be enriched by practical observations from experience in the implementation of EU policy instruments in current programmes. Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn will attend on the first day and will present the Commission's “Cities of tomorrow” report.
More information:
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Winner announced! Early Career Researcher Competition
(18 October 2011)
The second annual early career researcher competition was held at this year's OPEN DAYS, European Week of Regions and Cities (10-13 October). DG REGIO, together with the Regional Studies Association, invited early career researchers in European regional policy to present their research in the form of a poster. 6 finalists were chosen this year out of nearly 80 applications by the jury, which was made up of Veronica Gaffey, Head of the Evaluation Unit, DG REGIO, Ana Stankaitiene, Principal adviser, EU Structural Assistance Management Department, Ministry of Finance, Lithuania and David Bailey , Chair of the Regional Studies Association, and Professor at the Faculty of Business, Environment and Society, Coventry University, United Kingdom
The six finalists presented their research at OPEN DAYS in front of approximately 40 participants. The winner, Anne Nygaard Tanner from the Technical University of Denmark presented her research "Where do high tech industries of the 21st century locate? And how can regional policy attract new industries?" while the runner-up, Andrei Mitrea from the ‘Ion Mincu’ University of Architecture and Urban Planning (UAUIM), Bucharest, Romania presented his research on "Regional Innovation Systems within Urban-Rural Relations in Romania. A mid-term regional development strategy based on the wood industry". Details of the next early career researcher competition will be announced in February 2012.
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EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region: Annual Forum
(17 October 2011)
Decision-makers from business, politics, international organisations and academia will meet in the Polish City of Gdańsk on 24-26 October to discuss the development of the Baltic Sea Region.
The 2nd Annual Forum on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region will take place together with the 13th Baltic Development Forum (BDF) Summit.
The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, launched in 2009, mobilises several EU policies to support the development of this "macro-region". The Strategy aims to make the region more environmentally sustainable, economically prosperous, accessible, attractive, safe and secure.
Under the headline New Ambitions for the Baltic Sea Region, the programme of the 24-26 October event includes discussions on the link between the Baltic Sea Region Strategy and the Europe 2020 Strategy for sustainable, smart and inclusive growth. Commissioner Hahn is scheduled to speak at the event.
Further information:
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Webchat with Commissioner Hahn on 18 October
(14 October 2011)
Do you want to find out more about the Commission's proposals for EU cohesion policy during the period 2014-2020?
Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, will be making himself available to answer your questions in a live webchat from 15-16h on Tuesday 18 October.
The webchat will take place on the Commission's RegioNetwork 2020 website. You will need to create a profile on the site (if you do not already have one), log in and click on the 'access the chat' button on the homepage of the site to participate.
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OPEN DAYS 2011 opens EU Cohesion Policy to the World
(12 October 2011)
EU Cohesion Policy is now widely recognised as a lever for stimulating global competitiveness across the EU at regional and local level, and is looked upon as a model worldwide for its principles of multilevel governance, long-term strategic vision ad local economic development.
Open Days 2011 draws on this by bringing together stakeholders from around the globe to discuss the future of the policy. Some 5,000 participants will share best practices in cohesion policy implementation and learn from each other, as well as from national and regional policy makers, practitioners and representatives of business, civil society and academia from the EU, Latin America, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Japan, China and Brazil. The 200+ participating EU regions will have the chance to hear from these third country experts, as well as from international organisations
Most of the participating countries have cooperation agreements with the EU on regional policy dialogue, drawing on the EU experience of fostering civil society participation and the bottom-up approach. OPEN DAYS 2011 will give these countries the chance to present their own experiences and discuss best practice in a global context.
Two new publications, highlighting the cooperation with Brazil and China on regional policy, have just been published:
- Brazil – EU Dialogue on Regional Policy : English - Português
- Regional Policy in China and the EU, A comparative perspective : English – Zhongwen
For more information, visit:
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European Code of Good Conduct for microcredit provision
(11 October 2011)
The Commission is publishing on the occasion of the Open Days of Regional Policy 2011 a European Code of Good Conduct for microcredit provision. This Code provides recommendations and standards that should foster best practice in the microcredit sector. It is intended to provide guidance for microcredit providers from the point of view of consumers, investors, funders and regulators.
By setting out good practice guidelines and identifying expectations and common principles, the Commission is seeking to support the microcredit sector in facing the challenges of accessing long term finance, maintaining and raising the quality of services and moving towards sustainability.
Organised in a practical way, this voluntary Code of Good Conduct is divided into five indexed sections addressing customer and investor relations, governance, common reporting standards, management information systems and risk management. A sixth section on social performance will be added to the document in 2012.
This document was developed in close consultation with a large number of stakeholders including representatives of the banking and non-banking micro-credit sectors.
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Delivering europe 2020: three commissioners outline how they are meeting the targets
(11 October 2011)
The European Union has EU set itself an agenda to achieve smart and sustainable growth for every EU citizen through its 'Europe2020 Strategy'. The Strategy, adopted in March 2010, saw EU leaders set themselves the key targets of;
- lowering unemployment rates across the EU;
- raising educational attainment;
- continuing to invest a set amount in research and development, and measuring results;
- abiding by our environmental commitments to reduce carbon emissions; and
- reducing poverty in all parts of the Union.
On Thursday 13 October, in the framework of OPEN DAYS – Europe Week of Regions and Cities 2011, the three European Commissioners tasked with the key policies to meet these targets will come together in Brussels.
Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes HAHN, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria DAMANAKI and Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László ANDOR will discuss, together with Loretta DORMAL-MARINO, Deputy Director-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, in a roundtable, questions & answers format, the progress of the Union in meeting the Strategy's goals, and particularly how their four respective policy areas are moving Europe in the right direction.
For more information see: www.opendays.europa.eu
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European Union Solidarity Fund: Commission proposes improvements
(10 October 2011)
The European Union's Solidarity Fund (EUSF) provides support to regions affected by major natural disasters. In order to improve the functioning of the EUSF, the Commission has adopted a Communication on the Future of the EUSF with proposals for making the Fund simpler, clearer, quicker to respond and more visible for the citizens. Following discussion with Member States, the European Parliament and other stakeholders the Communication could lead to a legislative proposal at a later stage.
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A new architecture for cohesion policy 2014-2020
(06 October 2011)
The European Commission has adopted a draft legislative package which will frame cohesion policy for 2014-2020. The new proposals are designed to reinforce the strategic dimension of the policy and to ensure that EU investment is targeted on Europe's long-term goals for growth and jobs ("Europe 2020").
Through Partnership Contracts agreed with the Commission, Member States will commit to focussing on fewer investment priorities in line with these objectives. The package also harmonises the rules related to different funds, including rural development and maritime and fisheries, to increase the coherence of EU action.
Read the draft regulations for cohesion policy 2014-2020
Follow the debate on Twitter: @EU_Regional
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Major projects in Greece
(04 October 2011)
Following the visit of Commissioner Hahn to Athens on 19-21 September which initiated a series of Action Plans to stimulate the Greek economy, the Greek authorities have compiled a list of 44 viable major projects that according to their estimations should be completed within the current programming period i.e. by 2015. These projects should bring a concrete and immediate contribution to economic growth and jobs in Greece. The feasibility of each project has so far been assessed by the Greek Managing Authorities and sets out deadlines and lines of responsibility. The management and implementation of these 44 major projects remain under the full responsibility of the Greek authorities. It is foreseen that these projects will accelerate the absorption of EU Structural Funds with a particular emphasis on developing infrastructure within the operational programme's priorities.
The list is established by the Greek authorities and does not pre-empt the agreement of the Commission's services on these projects (a review will take place with all related Commission Services including the new Task Force) nor their approval by the Commission before the official submission and assessment of the files for the major projects.
In parallel, the Commission Services are working together with the Greek authorities to draw up a list of viable flagship projects which are not only mature, but will also boost regional economic growth and employment opportunities to maximum effect. A preliminary list is currently under evaluation by the Commission Services and will be finalised in the coming weeks.
Further information -
OPEN DAYS 2011 - European Week of Regions and Cities
(28 September 2011)
From 10th to 13th October 2011, politicians, officials, experts and researchers will come from all around Europe to discuss, debate, and help shape the future of EU Cohesion Policy. Now, nine years running, OPEN DAYS is more than just an annual event for cities and regions to showcase good practices in regional development. It is a veritable forum where people from all levels of government and civil society meet.
OPEN DAYS 2011 will comprise of over 100 sessions and networking opportunities for over 6,000 participants expected in Brussels. The event is organised by the European Commission's DG Regional Policy and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) in partnership with 206 regions and cities from all over Europe, and further afield, as well as national and regional policy‑makers, practitioners and representatives of business, civil society and academia. About 300 journalists are also expected to register.
Debates will focus on three main themes:
- Europe 2020: How do Cohesion Policy and the Structural Funds contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth?
- Better delivery: How can the EU improve the delivery of Cohesion Policy now and beyond 2013?
- Geography matters: What future for territorial cooperation and what lessons can be learnt from third countries?
All participants are also invited to contribute to a set of seminars forming the ‘OPEN DAYS University’. Here, a selected number of renowned academics from different European countries specialised in urban and regional studies will hold 10 joint lectures and seminars where the findings of their recent research will be discussed, focusing on the thematic priorities of OPEN DAYS 2011.
Watch the Opening Session broadcast LIVE from the European Parliament at 3pm on 10 October here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/wps-europarl-internet/frd/live/live-video?language=en
or at: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm
Also, follow OPEN DAYS @EU_Regional on Twitter and tweet using the hashtag #euopendays or join other OPEN DAYS participants on RegioNetwork 2020
All photos of the event will be available on Flickr
For further details, contact points and regular updates, check the website
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Shared Challenges, common solutions – 20 URBACT projects present results
(26 September 2011)
In 2002, the EU, with a view to promoting balanced, dynamic urban development, created URBACT - a European exchange and learning network promoting sustainable urban development through the sharing of good practice, and cooperation between cities to find and share innovative, sustainable and integrated solutions to their common urban challenges.
Today, URBACT brings together some 300 cities in 29 countries; and in September 2011, 20 sponsored projects are presenting their results after a three year programme of learning and exchange. The projects have collaborated to research and test solutions to challenges such as preservation of cultural heritage, regeneration of disadvantaged neighbourhoods, stimulation of innovation and creativity, active inclusion etc.
For more information on the solutions offered by individual projects - such as:
- 'REDIS - Restructuring districts into science quarters';
- 'OPENCities - Openness and the competitive advantage of diversity'; or
- ' My Generation – Effective strategies in promoting the positive potential of the young generation',
Visit www.urbact.eu
Or contact:
Laura CALDIRONI
Communication Officer
URBACT Secretariat
Tel: 00 33 1 49 17 46 40
l.caldironi@urbact.eu -
The latest issue of Panorama magazine, "2020: The role of Regional Policy in the future of Europe", is now online
(23 September 2011)
This “autumn” issue of Panorama falls within the scope of the EU 2020 growth strategy for the coming decade. This edition examines the role of regional policy in helping Member States reach the EU's 2020 strategy targets and takes a closer look at what regional policy is doing now to foster smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the EU. Interviews with key people in our regions and presentations of projects throughout Europe complete the scope of the magazine.
Panorama is currently available in English, French and German. The other language versions will be accessible at the end of October on the Inforegio website.
Panorama : "2020: The role of Regional Policy in the future of Europe"
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Don't miss the RegioStars 2011 winners on Euronews
(23 September 2011)
The European Commission has launched a publicity campaign on Euronews to enhance the visibility of regional policy and its results.
During six weeks between September and November, four different daily broadcasts will feature the winners of the 2011 Regiostars Awards in 1-minute clips and 12 languages.
The weeks of the campaign are:
19 - 23 September
3 - 7 October
17 - 21 October
31 October - 4 November
14 - 18 November
The clips will be visible at certain times on TV and on www.euronews.net during these weeks. -
Europe 2020: what's happening on the ground?
(22 September 2011)
Is the EU's Europe 2020 strategy making a difference in your region? The Committee of the Regions has launched a survey to look at:
- The implementation of the Europe 2020 Flagship Initiatives
- National Reform Programmes
- Country Specific Recommendations
- Involvement of local and regional partners (including through Territorial Pacts and other multilevel governance tools)
Responses to the survey must be submitted by 3 October 2011.
The survey will feed into the Committee of the Regions second Europe 2020 monitoring report, which will be published in December 2011 as a contribution to the European Commission's 2012 Annual Growth Survey, just before the 2012 Spring European Council gives political guidance for the 2nd European Semester.
Further information:
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European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn proposes action plan for improved EU structural fund investments in Greece
(21 September 2011)
European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn, today in Athens, concluded a seminar with all Greek Ministers responsible and regional governors to improve the investment of EU structural funds in Greece. Improving the uptake of EU co-funding is the key factor to create economic growth and improve competitiveness in Greece in the years ahead. An action plan was drawn up, which consists of two major pillars:
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The drawing up of a list of viable and high quality projects, to invest in all Greek regions, in order to make maximal use of the remaining allocation until the end of this financial programming period in 2013 of around 15 billion Euro in EU funding from the European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund. A list of some 100 projects to be carried out before the end of this year was presented on Wednesday, highlighting at least 5 high quality projects for each of the thirteen Greek regions. A final list of major projects to be implemented by the end of this funding period will be drawn up with the Greek authorities in the next ten days, with clear deadlines for all projects and showing who has responsibility. Proposed projects range from infrastructural investments in transport, energy and environment, to innovation, digital infrastructure, tourism, culture and the fostering of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) as quick providers of new jobs. Regarding SMEs, the Commission is exploring the possibility to extend the scope of existing funds to offer guarantees to them on a temporary basis.
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A major drive to reduce bureaucratic procedures in the application and handling of European co-funded projects. In the field of expropriation procedures the Greek authorities will table by the end of the year a legislative proposal to shorten and simplify procedures, to improve major infrastructural works, for instance in the field of transport. Regarding the licensing of environmental permits, by mid October a new law will enter into force to drastically shorten the assignment time of permits, by at least one year to a maximum of six months, with the sole responsibility of one authority ensuring a quicker handling of procedures. Commissioner Hahn will monitor this process personally and will visit Greece again before the end of this year. If required, further changes will be proposed.
The Task Force for Greece of the European Commission is closely involved. Among a wide range of its competencies linked to the implementing of reforms under the IMF/ECB programme the Task Force is also mandated to assist in this process of quicker uptake of EU funds. It will therefore undertake a further scrutiny of a broad range of procedures to reduce cumbersome and time consuming bureaucracy and assist Greece in implementing quickly the agreed projects.
The joint press conference in Athens by Commissioner Johannes Hahn and Michalis Chrysochoidis, Greek Minister for Regional Development and Competitiveness will be retransmitted via EbS today at 3 p.m.
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Katowice Seminar showcasing Transnational Cooperation Programmes boosting Europe's regions, 15-16 September 2011
(14 September 2011)
Participants in the 13 transnational cooperation programmes running under the ‘European Territorial Cooperation’ objective of EU Cohesion Policy will come together for the first time in Katowice, Poland on 15-16 September, and share their experiences, lessons learnt and best practices with with EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes HAHN and Polish Minister for Regional Development, Elżbieta BIEŃKOWSKA, amongst many other high-level representatives in EU Cohesion Policy.
The 600+ participants will have the chance to discuss the future of transnational cooperation, and inform policy-makers of the benefits they have seen in their own regions - in areas where other policies and levels of governance have not reached, and where the general quality of life has been improved.
The conference will last for two half-days and will focus on key themes and areas for action corresponding to the Europe 2020 objectives, such as:
- Transport
- Environmental Risk Management
- Innovation
- Energy
- Demographic Change
- Enlargement and cooperation with our neighbours
For more information visit: http://www.transnational-cooperation.eu/
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THE EUROPEAN COURT OF AUDITORS FINDS EU REGIONAL INVESTMENT EFFECTIVELY TARGETED
(13 September 2011)
The European Court of Auditors published on 13 September 2011 findings of their research on the effectiveness of EU investment in tourism, which is the third largest economic sector worldwide, and receives much EU support, specifically through the European Regional Development Fund. The results were most positive for the fund, concluding that:
- all of the projects examined provided positive results; either through lasting job creation (58%), creating tourism capacity (73 %) or activity (74 %); while nearly half had results in all three categories;
- projects were deemed sustainable, with 98% of projects ongoing at the time of the audit, and 94% of created or maintained jobs still stand; and
- the EU support was considered vital to 74% of projects, allowed modification to a further 20%; while only 6% of the projects would have gone ahead without EU investment.
The performance audit is based on a wide survey of projects in nine Member States encompassing 26 regions. The questions addressed by the audit were: Did the projects deliver the results expected of them? Are project results sustainable? Did the EU support influence the existence or the design of the projects?
To read the full report, click here
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ESPON launches Calls for Proposals: New Challenging ESPON Projects for over 7 million Euro
(26 August 2011)
ESPON (the European Observation Network on Territorial Development and Cohesion) has launched Calls for Proposals to further enlarge its Evidence Base on the development of the European territory. Research institutes, universities, scientists, experts and academics from 31 countries are invited to submit proposals. The new Calls are expected to generate four applied research projects, five targeted analyses, six projects within the ESPON scientific platform and proposals for transnational networking activities up until the end of 2014.
ESPON calls for researchers and experts to send submissions and to get involved in the production of ESPON data to support an evidence-based and result-oriented implementation of EU Cohesion Policy. The available budget amounts to €7.417.176,09. The deadline for submitting proposals is 20 October 2011.
More info
Info Day on Calls, 13 September 2011
Official Journal of the EU C 245 24 August 2011
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Map of the month – 2010 Unemployment rates
(18 August 2011)
Regional disparities in unemployment among the EU-27 regions remain high. One region in three has an unemployment rate above 10%, while four regions in five had to face an increase in unemployment rates between 2007 and 2010.
The highest rates are registered in regions of France (overseas departments) and Spain. Most of the 26 regions with unemployment rates over 15% can be found in these two, as well as in Slovakia and in the Baltic States. In contrast, 34 regions mainly located in Austria, Germany, northern Italy and the Netherlands have unemployment rates below 5%.
The regions in which the unemployment rates decreased the most between 2007 and 2010 are, with the exception of Corsica, German Landers. Unemployment rates dropped also in some regions of France, Poland, Austria and UK. On the other side, several regions in Spain, Ireland, Baltic States and Greece witnessed a substantial increase in the unemployment rates.
Unemployment: map
- short note 
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16 European groupings of territorial cooperation (EGTC)
(16 August 2011)
In 2006 the Member States, regional/local authorities, associations and public bodies were presented with a new instrument designed to overcome obstacles linked to cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation. In a recent report, the European Commission has taken stock of this new tool: 16 EGTCs have been set up in Europe, and 21 are in preparation. For example, the first cross-border hospital, which will open its doors in 2012 at Puigcerd in Catalonia on the Franco-Spanish border, is the result of one such EGTC.
The EGTC makes it possible to simplify procedures and to remove institutional, legal and financial barriers which to date have managed to block cross-border development projects. It allows partners to form a single legal entity founded on a single set of rules to carry out common initiatives in several Member States.
European Commission report
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How best to get seniors involved in business development?
(09 August 2011)
The Senior Enterprise project is an initiative of the Transnational Territorial Cooperation Programme, “North West Europe.” Its purpose is to help those over 50 start businesses, invest in companies, consult with entrepreneurs and support innovation. At present, Ireland, the United Kingdom and France have signed on to the programme.
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Call for papers “Multi-level governance and partnership in EU cohesion policy” - Vienna, Austria, 29-30 November 2011
(08 August 2011)
The Regional Studies Association (RSA) has recently established a Research Network on “Effectiveness, Added Value and Future of EU Cohesion Policy”, bringing together academics researching the impact of cohesion policy, with practitioners working with the policy on the ground. The Network is now seeking contributions to its First Workshop on “Multi-level governance and partnership in EU cohesion policy”, due to take place at the Institute for European Integration Research (EIF) in Vienna, Austria on 29-30 November 2011.
The Network aims to promote dialogue and synergies between the two communities, and explore new research methods to contribute to the policy debate, through a series of workshops The first workshop in Vienna will look specifically at MLG and partnership in cohesion policy and how this works in different Member States, the added value of domestic interventions and ways to improve the partnership approach. Participation in the workshop is free.
More information: Multi-level governance and partnership in EU cohesion policy
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Estimating the capital stock for the NUTS 2 regions of the EU-27
(04 August 2011)
To identify and target lagging regions, policy-makers require statistics to be produced at regional level. In many instances it is not possible simply to compare regional-level statistics produced by Member State national statistical offices as there is variation in the methods and assumptions used to produce them. Capital stock statistics at the national level have been available for most countries of the EU-27 for some time, but statistics at the regional level are absent for almost all countries. Where they do exist the methods used to produce them are not consistent across countries.
This paper assesses the feasibility of producing comparable estimates of the capital stock at NUTS 2 regional level for the EU-27 and makes some initial estimates. The paper outlines the method and data employed, and the techniques used to fill missing values. The approach is a Perpetual Inventory Method based on that outlined in the OECD Manual (2001; 2009) on capital estimation, and the data employed were taken from Eurostat or other publicly available sources wherever possible. The paper analyses the robustness of the capital stock estimates produced, as well as their impact on productivity analysis, and suggests how they can be improved in future updates.
Estimating the capital stock for the NUTS 2 regions of the EU-27
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Increasing co financing rates for EU funds - boosting European economic recovery
(01 August 2011)
The European Commission has agreed to measures that should make a significant contribution to getting some of the EU's most troubled economies back on track.
Under the proposal, six countries would be asked to contribute less to projects that they currently co-finance with the European Union. The Commission makes available for Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Latvia and Hungary, supplementary EU co financing, vital for growth and competitiveness-boosting projects in each one of these countries. As a result, they will have to find less national match-funding at a time when their domestic budgets are under considerable pressure and therefore programmes that have not been executed so far for lack of national funding may be launched and inject fresh money in the economy.
Press Release: Increasing co-financing rates for EU funds - boosting European economic recovery
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EUREGIO III - Final conference, Brussels
(29 July 2011)
EUREGIO III, an organisation supporting EU regions to maximise health gains through the effective use of EU Structural Funds for health and the reduction of health inequalities among EU regions has announced their 'Final Conference', to be held on 22 September 2011 in Brussels as a follow up to 5 recent workshops in Poland, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Brussels.
The training workshops aimed to develop knowledge and skills in the design, implementation and evaluatation of Structural Funds investments for health and to compare best practice between participating countries. The 'Final Conference' will review key findings of the project 'Learning lessons from health investments in Structural Funds' and their implications in the context of emerging EU policy and planning for the next period. The conference will also be a platform for discussion on the necessary actions to be taken at SF management and delivery levels to influence SF policy planning and implementation for the 2014-2020 period, at EU, national, regional and local levels.
For more information and online registration : EUREGIO III – Final conference
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The financial execution of Structural Funds
(18 July 2011)
This Regional Focus contributes to the debate on the financial absorption of Structural Funds. It analyses the functioning of Structural Funds' financial execution and outlines the limitations in the use of financial indicators for assessing the implementation of Cohesion Policy on the ground. It shows that the long term trend of ERDF and ESF payments per capita is fairly stable considering the last 15 years of Cohesion Policy's implementation. This confirms the stability of Cohesion Policy's investments at aggregate level, with no gaps even in years characterized by the ending of a programming period and the beginning of a new one. The paper also examines the 2007-2013 dynamic up to 2010, with the identification of current challenges in financial execution.
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ESPON Info Day and Partner Café, 13 September 2011
(15 July 2011)
The European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion (ESPON) invites you to an Info Day and Partner Café in Brussels on 13 September 2011. The purpose of the event is to inform and assist potential beneficiaries in preparing proposals for the upcoming ESPON Calls. The European Commission's DG Regio and the Polish EU Presidency will present the policy requirements underpinning the need for further ESPON results. The event will also give participants the chance to network, find partners for projects and get feedback.
The Info Day is suitable for all potential beneficiaries interested in learning more about this opportunity to take part in ESPON projects and to apply for funds through the ESPON 2013 Programme - scientists and experts representing universities, research institutes and private companies from 31 European countries (EU 27 + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).
Deadline for registration is 2 September 2011 at 15h00. Reserve your place by filling in the online form available here.
For programme details visit the ESPON website
Further information on the ESPON Calls for Proposals here
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EU regional Human Development and Human Poverty Indices
(13 July 2011)
This Regional Focus analyses the regional Human Development Index (HDI) and Human Poverty Index (HPI) as published in the Fifth Cohesion Report (EC 2010). They are based on a slight variation of the methodology developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Its shows that a high level of human development is no guarantee of a low level of human poverty or vice versa. Several regions combine a high level of human development with a high level of human poverty and or low development with low poverty. The Nordic Member States, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have both a high level of human development and a low level of human poverty. Unfortunately many regions in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary scored poorly on both indices.
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Connecting Europe - Transport and regional policy
(12 July 2011)
Transport is much more than just getting from one place to another: it is about the networks supported and developed by EU funds helping to shape economic growth, sustainability and access to vital services. In this edition of Panorama, we take a look at the whole picture from high-speed rail linking one country to another, to environmentally friendly urban transport systems.
Inforegio Panorama 38 : Connecting Europe - Transport and regional policy
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Printed versions of the 5th report on cohesion now available in 23 languages
(07 July 2011)
The printed versions of the 5th report on cohesion (already available in German, English, French, Polish, Italian and Spanish) are now available in all EU languages. To order your copy, please send an email to : regio-info@ec.europa.eu
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Regional Policy for smart growth in Europe 2020
(07 July 2011)
Regional policy is a key delivery mechanism for Europe 2020 and the Innovation Union. Investment in research, innovation and human capital is crucial for all regions, but regions start with different endowments and capabilities. There are potentially large gains from strategies that focus on competitive advantage exploiting global specialisation niches and strengthening a region's knowledge-based potential through targeted interventions. This publication sets out the key innovation tools relevant for regions. Regional diversity favours different routes to growth through innovation and specialisation and challenges policy-makers to develop the right policy mix adjusted to regional potentials and needs. All regions can gain from adopting a policy mix that develops their strengths and tackles their weaknesses, whether through knowledge generation or through its diffusion and absorption.
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Register from today for OPEN DAYS European Week of Regions and Cities
(06 July 2011)
(06 July 2011) Online registration for the OPEN DAYS 2011 European Week of Regions and Cities gets underway today. Participation is free, with 111 specialist seminars to choose from 10-13 October. Registering for an event could not be simpler: the official website, includes details of all the seminars and workshops, speakers, dates and venues, as well as a step-by-step guide on how to apply.
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Cohesion Policy: a priority for the Polish Presidency
(05 July 2011)
The Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union will run from 1 July - 31 December 2011.
The priorities of the Presidency include Cohesion Policy, particularly the negotiations on the legislative framework for the next programming period after 2014. Elzbieta Bienkowska, Poland's Minister of Regional Development, commented:
Poland, as a country rapidly closing the gap in economic and social development through efficient implementation of Cohesion Policy, has a special role to play at a time when post-crisis negotiations of the new financial perspective begin.
See the information brochure on Cohesion Policy and the Polish EU Presidency for further information about the Presidency's objectives, planned events and contact information.
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Focus on results: towards a new system of monitoring and evaluation
(04 July 2011)
A methodological note on outcome indicators and targets has been prepared by a team of academics and experts as part of the ongoing reflection on the future cohesion policy. In the context of a growing demand for more results oriented policy, this paper calls for methodological clarity and recommends use of appropriate indicators that capture progress and well-being of citizens rather than financial inputs. The note proposes a revised simplified logic of monitoring and evaluation system after 2013 and gives practical examples of outcome indicators linked to the EU2020 objectives.
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EU budget 2014-2020 and cohesion policy
(30 June 2011)
The European Commission presented its proposals for a Multi-annual Financial Framework covering the period 2014-2020 on 29 June 2011.
The Commission proposes to allocate €376 billion for the 2014-2020 period for spending under cohesion policy instruments. This amount comprises:
- €162.6 billion for convergence regions,
- €38.9 billion for transition regions,
- €53.1 billion for competitiveness regions,
- €11.7 billion for territorial cooperation
- €68.7 billion for the Cohesion Fund
It also includes €40 billion for a new Connecting Europe facility designed to boost investment in transport, energy and information communication technologies.
The European Social Fund will represent at least 25% of the cohesion envelope, not taking into account the Connecting Europe facility, i.e. €84 billion.
The other main elements of the proposed Multi-annual Financial Framework in the area of cohesion policy are:
- Reinforced focus on results and effectiveness, with a systematic link between cohesion policy and the Europe 2020 strategy
- New conditionality provisions to ensure that funds are used to meet the Europe 2020 objectives, affecting both the initial allocation of funds and the release of additional funds
- The introduction of a new 'transition region' category including regions with a GDP per capita of 75-90% of the EU-27 average
- Measures to improve the absorption of funds by Member States
Further information
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Commissioner officially opens EU-funded iconic 'Peace Bridge' in Northern Ireland
(30 June 2011)
EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn opened the European Union funded ‘Peace Bridge’ in Londonderry/Derry alongside the Irish Taoiseach and the heads of the Northern Ireland Executive.
The Peace Bridge has been awarded £14,677,823 from the European Union’s PEACE III Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), and is considered as one of the EU's flagship projects in a region that Commissioner Hahn described as a 'beacon of hope for conflict zones around the world'. The funding for the iconic bridge represents a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund, the Northern Ireland Executive and from the Irish Government.
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Call for Papers : 'Contested Regions: Territorial Politics and Policy'
(28 June 2011)
The Regional Studies Association is currently looking for submissions of academic abstracts (circa 400 words) for its one-day winter conference, 'Contested Regions: Territorial Politics and Policy', on Friday 25th November 2011 in London. The conference will act as a forum for discussion and debate on recent developments and trends in the field and the key areas for further research. It will look at the emergence of territorial conflicts, contests and struggles around such notions as identity, sovereignty, borders legitimacy and democracy. Contributors will consider the newest forms of intra-regional disparities and dispute, deepened by the accelerating processes of global economic integration with geographical differentiation and rapid urbanisation. The challenges posed by such global trends will be analysed with the aid of international examples.
Submissions should focus primarily, though not exclusively on the following themes:
Remapping of regions and localities and the implications of this for multilevel governance, policy success or policy failure;
Global comparative perspectives on models of regional and metropolitan governance;
New sites and forms of regional conflict: inter-regional, intra- regional, and in-between regional;
The role of territorial politics in regional strategies for economic development and state redistribution;
Cooperation, disputes and political struggles around borders /boundaries/ sovereignty;
The politics of local and regional infrastructures; models and practices of decentralisation and the impacts of this on territorial justice
The deadline for submission of abstracts is Monday, 4th July 2011.
More information on the conference is available at the following web address :
http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk/events/2011/winterconf/cfp.pdf
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Regional Policy contributing to sustainable growth in Europe
(27 June 2011)
Sustainable growth is one of the three main pillars of the new 'Europe 2020' strategy. The brochure sets out the how EU's regions and cities can exploit the opportunities offered by Cohesion Policy to boost local and regional sustainable growth. A number of good practice examples provide practical support and underline the potential of the low-carbon and resource efficient economy to provide jobs, growth and preserve the environment and resources.
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Regiostars 2011
(24 June 2011)
Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, and the President of the RegioStars Jury Ann Mettler, executive director of the Brussels think thank Lisbon Council, announced yesterday evening the winners of the "RegioStars Awards" 2011. The prize giving ceremony recognised the most innovative projects that have been supported by European Regional Policy. Madeira and the Azores in Portugal, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Northern Mid Sweden, Wales in the UK were at centre stage. Municipalities in the Northern peripheral regions of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands were also winners thanks to a territorial cooperation project.
Regiostars 2011: videos and presentation of the finalists
Videos:
RegioStars Awards 2011: Amsterdam Smart City and Story
RegioStars Awards 2011: Innovative and sustainable mobility (CIVITAS) and Story
RegioStars Awards 2011: system management for innovative platforms (SLIM) and Story
RegioStars Awards 2011: Growth in environmental marine science (GEMS) and Story
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Commission welcomes progress of Macro-Regional Strategies
(24 June 2011)
European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn, today welcomed two developments that demonstrate the progress being made in the EU's policy for Macro-Regional Strategies. Positive outcomes on the ground are evident in the new progress report on the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the first of its kind, launched in 2009. Also today, the Heads of State and Government gave their endorsement to the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, adopted by the Commission last December. Some 15 Member States benefit from these new cooperative approaches. The political commitment of stakeholders at all levels is vital to the success of both strategies.
Report on the Implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region
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Follow the Regions for Economic Change conference live on this website
(22 June 2011)
On Thursday 23 June, Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn will open the annual "Regions for Economic Change" conference. The two-day event will gather in Brussels more than 500 representatives from Europe's regions. Drawing on the recent Commission communications on smart and sustainable growth this year's edition of the Regions for Economic Change conference will explore tools and networks for smart and sustainable cities and regions and highlight excellent projects and initiatives that demonstrate the key contribution of regional policy to economic modernisation and the Europe 2020 goals. One of the highlights of the event will be the announcement on Thursday evening of the winners of the 2011 'RegioStars' Awards, celebrating the most inspiring and innovative projects funded by the EU's regional policy.
Webstreaming: Regions for Economic Change "Fostering Smart and Sustainable Growth in Regions and Cities"
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Localism: sufficient and fit for purpose?
(21 June 2011)
The Regional Studies Association (RSA) will organise a conference on localism on 3 November 2011 in Manchester in the United Kingdom. Localism and regionalism tend to be seen as conflicting and competing conceptions of territorial organisation. Nevertheless, many successful economies around the world have strong local government structures which are complemented by regional structures.
The conference is open to all: academics, policy makers and practitioners. Early career researchers are especially encouraged to attend the conference and use this opportunity to present their work.
Papers are welcomed on a number of themes. More details can be found at: www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk
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Only 1 month to go … check out the practical tips on how to win a RegioStar in 2012 !!
(15 June 2011)
If you have implemented an innovative project in line with the Europe 2020 strategy and you want to showcase it, you have 1 month to meet the 15 July closing date for submitting applications.
The categories for the 2012 RegioStars awards deal with service innovation, sustainable development, demographic change, urban development and informing the public about EU supported projects. Visit the RegioStars 2012 website to download the application forms and guide.
10 practical tips for winning an award in 2012 are available on the RegioNetwork 2020 website. RegioNetwork is a collaborative platform for representatives of European regions and other people who have an interest in EU regional policy. You will need to log in (or create an account if you don't already have one), then join the group called "Regions for Economic Change" in order to access the practical tips for the 2012 RegioStars awards.
The RegioStars 2011 award ceremony will be held in Brussels on 23 June 2011. This year, projects submitted by 31 finalists will be competing for the six prizes.
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Poster competition for early career researchers in European regional policy
(10 June 2011)
The Directorate-General for Regional Policy, European Commission, and the Regional Studies Association invite early career researchers in European regional policy to present their research in the form of a poster at OPEN DAYS 2011, the European Week of Cities and Regions (10th - 13thOctober). The overall winner will get €750 and the first runner-up will get €250.
The Competition takes place in two stages:
- Stage One: Submission of a 1000 word (max) abstract and a current CV to info@rsa-ls.ac.uk before the 28th May 2011
- Stage Two: The Competition Jury will shortlist finalists by 31st May 2011. Finalists will be invited to prepare a poster and to be prepared to take questions on their poster from the Competition Jury.
Further details are available at http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk/events/future.asp (see "Call for Papers ").
For more information on OPEN DAYS, please see the OPEN DAYS website
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Panorama 37: the EU Strategy for the danube region a united response to common challenges
(06 June 2011)
The Danube, Europe’s second longest river at around 2 850 km, links the Black Forest to the Black Sea and runs through ten countries, with four more in its basin. Hydro-electric power stations, a Pan-European transport corridor and home to some of Europe’s rarest species – the pressures placed on the river are often conflicting and the Region's political changes have had their impact on how challenges are met.
Panorama -
RegioStars 2012 awards: applications are now open
(31 May 2011)
Are you implementing an innovative project and do you want to showcase it as an example of its kind in Europe? Are you in charge of a project geared to innovation, sustainable development, demographic change or urban development? Have you created a website that tells the general public all about projects supported by the European Union’s regional policy? If so, you are invited to visit the RegioStars 2012 website in order to download the application forms and be in with a chance of winning a prize for your region.
“RegioStars – The Awards for Regional Innovative Projects” were launched in 2007. Each year they single out and reward innovative projects receiving support as part of the EU’s regional policy. Applications have to be submitted by the (national or regional) managing authority in cooperation with the project partner. The official closing date for submitting applications is 15 July 2011.
The RegioStars 2011 award ceremony will be held in Brussels on 23 June next. This year, the projects of 31 finalists will be competing for the top prize.
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Conclusions from Gödöllő
(26 May 2011)
The conference of European Ministers responsible for cohesion policy was held in Gödöllő, near Budapest, Hungary on 20 May. The Hungarian Presidency of the European Union published the conclusions of the discussions. Member States called for a post-2013 cohesion policy that is result-oriented and consistent with the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy. Also discussed were the Commission's proposals regarding conditions and incentives that could be introduced to make the policy more effective.
These are the last debates before the Commission issues its formal legislative proposals on future cohesion policy, which will follow its proposals regarding the future financial framework of the Union.
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Survey on the Inforegio Panorama Magazine!
(25 May 2011)
The Directorate-General for Regional Policy of the European Commission produces a range of publications each year, which aim to inform stakeholders and citizens about regional policy.
We would very much appreciate your feedback on the Inforegio Panorama magazine, which is published four times a year, in order to make sure that this magazine responds to your needs and therefore we ask you to take a few minutes to fill in this questionnaire.
The survey will be available on line until May 31.
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Why city openness matters during recession?
(25 May 2011)
The OPENCities project is part of the European URBACT programme; its final conference was held in Brussels on May 25th. Research carried out for this project has shown that cities can gain a competitive advantage by being open to migration in recessionary periods. OPENCities has developed a unique tool to measure the openness of cities and share best practice through a partner network. The ‘Monitor’ is based on 54 internationally comparable indicators and presently includes 26 cities.
Nine European cities participating in the project – Belfast, Bilbao, Cardiff, Dusseldorf, Dublin, Nitra, Poznan, Sofia and Vienna – hope to further apply the results of this research and have just presented their local action plans to increase their openness.
The URBACT network is funded by the European Union and brings together nearly 300 cities. Its objective is to promote the exchange of knowledge and best practice in urban development.
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‘Regions for Economic Change’: Sign up now!
(19 May 2011)
Registration is now open for the ‘Regions for Economic Change’ conference to be held 23-24 June in Brussels. This year’s conference is entitled ‘Fostering smart and sustainable growth in cities and regions’. The workshops will pay particular attention to the question of smart specialisation and its implications for regional development. The Commission will use this event to launch the ‘smart specialisation platform’ to help regions develop their strategies in this field and take stock of their needs and strong points.
On 23 June, the Commission will reveal the RegioStars 2011 winners, awarding Europe’s most innovative projects having benefited from European regional policy support.
The ‘Regions for Economic Change’ initiative was launched in 2006 and aims to promote the exchange of good practices. It looks to present new approaches to stimulating regional and urban networks by helping them work in close cooperation with the Commission and experiment with innovative ideas. The goal is to then ensure the rapid transfer of these ideas into cohesion policy programmes. The initiative includes communication activities such as a website, a database of case studies and the RegioStars awards.
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Debate with Commissioner Hahn: web-streaming
(16 May 2011)
The first meeting of the year between the Commission's Regional Policy's department (DG REGIO) and representatives from regional offices in Brussels takes place on 17 May. EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn will present his point of view on the preparations for the new legislative framework for Cohesion policy post 2013. This will be followed by an open floor discussion. Registration for this event has now closed but you can follow proceedings live here on the web from 10h00 to 12h00 in English, French and German.
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Consultation on the Conclusions of the 5th Cohesion Report
(13 May 2011)
With 444 contributions received between 12th November 2010 and 31st January 2011, the public consultation on the Conclusions of the 5th Cohesion Report was a real success, allowing hundreds of contributors to express their views on the future of Cohesion Policy. The contributions were received from many different groups, including Member States, economic and social partners, regional and local authorities as well as citizens, European interest organisations on territorial issues, private companies and civil society organisations. A Staff Working Document, and a citizen summary presenting the results of the public consultation were published on 13 May 2011.
Contributors expressed their views on ways to enhance the added value of cohesion policy, as well as on ways to strengthen governance and to streamline the delivery system of cohesion policy. Respondents also gave their opinions on the future architecture of cohesion policy for the next programming period.
Public consultation on the Conclusions of the 5th Cohesion Report
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Regions at Risk of Energy Poverty
(10 May 2011)
The Japan nuclear disaster and the recent unrest in the Arab world might change the energy policies in Europe. According to the International Energy Agency, Europe receives over 85% of Libya’s crude-oil exports. Therefore, oriented policies towards clean energy supplies and sustainable energy sources become more and more urgent. ESPON provides policy makers with detailed knowledge on the development of the European territory; this is clearly reflected in the recently released ESPON ReRisk (Regions at Risk of Energy Poverty) Final Report, which puts the results of the project into an interesting policy perspective.
Speaking to the ESPON Coordination Unit, policy makers emphasized the ways they can make use of the findings from the ReRisk Project while scientists highlighted evidence and scenarios on the impact of rising energy prices. Read the interview at the ESPON Website.
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Regions celebrate Europe Day
(06 May 2011)
Many EU regions will be celebrating Europe Day on 9 May.
Europe Day marks the declaration made by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman in 1950 calling on France, Germany and other European countries to pool their coal and steel production. The Schuman Declaration launched the process of European integration that lies behind today's European Union.
Here are just a few examples of the many activities that will be taking place across Europe to highlight the positive impact of EU regional funding.
Belgium
- Visits of 40 EU-funded projects in Brussels and Wallonia will be organised during the 7-8 May weekend (Sur la piste de l'Europe).
- The Toujours Plus Haut website presents information about more than 1000 projects in Brussels and Wallonia that have benefited from EU funding.
- West Flanders will be organising a special event Europa, beleef het in je buurt! on 22 May.
France
- Poitou-Charentes has produced a video clip featuring beneficiaries of EU Structural Funds chosen from amongst over 30,000 projects funded in the region since 2007. The clip will be broadcast on France 3 Poitou-Charentes and made available on various web platforms.
- Strasbourg and several other towns in the French region of Alsace will be organising events during May 2011 – the region's first 'Mois de l'Europe'.
- The Midi-Pyrenées region is also organising over 60 different events under the heading 'Joli Mois de l'Europe'.
- Burgundy will be organising sports activities, including the possibility to take part in a bike ride visiting EU-funded projects (Bourgogne – la region fête l'Europe)
- A full list of the events taking place in France is available on the web portal l'Europe s'engage en France.
Germany
- 5-16 May will be Europe week in Saarland, with a particular focus on the role of young people in the EU.
- Berlin will be highlighting the role of EU funding in promoting innovation, under the heading Europa ist hier – Innovationswege Berlin 2011.
- Brandenburg is organising the Europawoche 2011, including events on vocational training, anti-discrimination, migration policy and urban issues.
The Netherlands
- Projects open their doors for the public during the Europa Kijkdagen in the the Netherlands: http://www.europaomdehoek.nl/kijkdagen
Portugal
- Portugal is organising a national information campaign highlighting projects that have benefited from EU regional funding. The campaign will feature two video clips and postcards that will be distributed at universities, theatres, restaurants, bars etc… during the first half of May.
Poland
- A Forum on EU regional funding will take place in Warsaw on 6-7 May 2011. The event will feature project presentations, competitions and entertainment.
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Map of the month : Quality of government in EU regions
(04 May 2011)
This report has analysed a wide range of governance indicators and shows that a significant number of EU Member States score poorly on all of these indicators. Poor governance undermines social and economic development and can reduce the impact of Cohesion Policy. For example, poor governance can hinder economic growth, damage the environment or reduce personal safety and well-being. The report concludes that four issues are particularly relevant for the EU: 1) corruption, 2) rule of law, 3) government effectiveness and 4) voice and accountability. This study is the first to measure the quality of government in the EU at the regional level. It is based on the largest multi-country, regional quality of government survey to date. This survey shows that several Member States are confronted with a large internal variation in the perceptions of quality of government. The report concludes with ten case studies which provide insight into how regional quality of government can be enhanced. This study was financed by the European Commission. Nevertheless, the study represents solely the views of its authors and cannot in any circumstances be regarded as the official position of the Commission.
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Improvements to Inforegio website
(29 April 2011)
The European Commission is making some changes to its website on EU regional policy, taking into account feedback from users of the site.
A new version of the Inforegio website was launched in English, French and German on 29 April. This includes the following improvements:
- Updated presentation of EU regional policy
- New 'information sources' section (publications, analysis, videos, photos, maps, legal texts)
- Clearer navigation and organisation of content
- Search engine
We will be making as much content as possible available in 22 EU languages as soon as possible. However, due to translation constraints and the fact that certain items (eg news) are time sensitive, some information will only be available in a limited number of languages.
Further improvements to the website are planned during the course of 2011 (including the pages presenting information about the implementation of EU funding in each region).
Please note that you may come across some outdated content and/or broken links while we are archiving the old web pages.
If you have any comments or suggestions for improving the Inforegio website, please contact the European Commission's DG for Regional Policy.
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High Level Event on Roma inclusion in Slovakia, 23-25 May 2011
(20 April 2011)
A High Level Event on the better use of Structural Funds for the integration of Roma will take place in Slovakia on 23-25 May 2011. The High Level Event will consist of a national conference in Bratislava (23 May), field visits (24 May), and a High Level regional conference on 25 May. These events will bring together representatives of the EU institutions, national, regional and local authorities as well as civil society. The aim is to discuss how Slovakia can use EU funds more effectively and exchange experiences for improving the socio-economic situation of the Roma. The inclusion of marginalised Roma communities can significantly contribute to the economic growth of Slovakia. This event in Slovakia follows on from similar High Level Events in Hungary (2009) and Romania (2010).
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Pyrenees Mediterranean Euroregion sponsors European CreaMed project to stimulate start-ups
(19 April 2011)
The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) of the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion has introduced the CreaMed project to support business networks and incubators in the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion (Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Midi-Pyrenees and Languedoc-Roussillon).
‘The data shows that companies are 20 to 30% more likely to survive if they develop as clusters’, states Antònia Sabartes, Secretary General of the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion.
A grant of €1.1 million has been extended to the project by territorial cooperation program INTERREG IVB SUDOE. Project partners are the Generalitat of Catalonia Labour Department, Balearic Islands ParcBit Technology Centre, the Languedoc-Roussillon Synersud Network and the Midi-Pyrenees Business Incubator Network.
An innovative instrument mobilised in a project area
‘The CreaMed project shows that our EGTC is able to motivate leaders in the Euroregion to become involved in making a direct local contribution to EU2020 strategy’ concludes Philippe Mestre, Director of the Pyrenees-Mediterranean EGTC.
Further information:
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Map of the month - Wealth gap between regions narrowing
(13 April 2011)
The gap between the richest and poorest EU regions has narrowed since 2000, according to the latest GDP per head figures (2008).
The GDP per head map shows the situation in each of the EU's 271 so-called NUTS regions (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) relative to the EU average.
In 2008, 64 regions had a GDP per head below 75% of the EU average. This represents 119 million people, compared with 131 million people in 69 regions in 2000.
High growth rates in less developed regions have helped them to narrow the gap with the EU average since 2000.
Further information:
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Discover ‘Region of the week’!
(11 April 2011)
A new section has just been created on the site of the Commissioner for regional policy, Johannes Hahn. The aim is for people to discover a European region each week, including its profile, priorities and the contribution made by regional policy. Project examples are used to illustrate how Europe supports its 271 regions on the ground.
Vorarlberg (Austria), Wallonia (Belgium) and Puglia (Italy) have launched this new section. Regions wanting to showcase their results are invited to write to regio-info@ec.europa.eu
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206 regions and cities selected for OPEN DAYS 2011
(08 April 2011)
206 regions and cities from 27 Member States and eight third countries will take part in OPEN DAYS 2011, the European Week of Regions and Cities. Organised in 23 regional partnerships, they will contribute with 24 workshops to the complete programme of more than 100 seminars taking place between 10 and 13 October 2011. In addition, the EU Committee of the Regions will host some 35 workshops in the framework of the Meeting Place, most of which focusing on public-private partnerships.
List of OPEN DAYS Regional Partnerships
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Europe's outermost regions and the single market: public consultation
(07 April 2011)
Despite their distance from mainland Europe, the outermost regions of the EU are still an integral part of the single market – and have all the rights and responsibilities that go along with that status.
Are the outermost regions well served by EU policies relating to the single market? Tell the European Commission what you think by participating in the public consultation that has been launched (deadline for responses 15 May 2011).
Further information:
- On-line consultation: outermost regions in the single market
- Regional policy – Europe's remotest regions
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National strategies for integrating Roma
(06 April 2011)
The Commission has just presented an EU-wide framework for national strategies on integrating Roma. The framework will serve as the basis for national policies concerning Roma and will contribute to mobilising European funds available for this.
The Member States will be required to present their national strategies before the end of 2011, including clear objectives to be achieved in the areas of education, employment, health and housing. They are also invited to adapt their operational programmes co-financed by the Structural Funds in order to provide strength to the projects targeting the Roma population.
The European Commission will be holding a high level meeting 23-25 May this year in Slovakia (Bratislava and Kosice) on the contribution made by European funds to Roma integration. This event follows on from the 2008 European Roma Summit held in Brussels and other similar events organised in Hungary in 2009 and Romania in 2010.
For more information:
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Northern Ireland Task Force launches the second phase of its work
(01 April 2011)
From March 31 to April 1, the members of the European Commission's Northern Ireland Task Force visited Belfast to discuss with the Northern Ireland departments their priorities for the future. This is a second phase in the work of the Task Force which was set up by Commission President José Manuel Barroso in 2007 and is led by Commissioner Johannes Hahn responsible for Regional Policy.
In the first phase, the Task Force took stock of Northern Ireland's economic development amid peace and stability, and pointed out leads for new ways in which the region could boost its modernisation.
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Debate on cohesion policy: analyses by academics
(31 March 2011)
On 16-18 March the European Commission, in partnership with the Regional Studies Association (RSA) and the Slovenian Government, organised a conference at Bled in Slovenia on the theme of "What Future for Cohesion Policy? An Academic and Policy Debate". A full set of conference analyses and presentations is available on the RSA website.
The conference offered a platform for exchanges between academics, specialists in regional issues and European Commission representatives. The Commission’s recent proposals – contained in the report on economic, social and territorial cohesion – provided input for the debates.
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Conference on the future of cohesion policy in Budapest
(30 March 2011)
In Budapest on 31 March, Commissioner Hahn will participate in a high-level conference on cohesion policy organised by the Hungarian Presidency of the EU. He will focus on the achievements of this important development policy for the 271 European regions and its future architecture after 2013. As this debate is entering its final stage, he will reiterate the wish of the Commission for a more result-oriented policy in the future.
The politicians, experts from Member States and academics who attend the Budapest conference will discuss specific aspects of the Commission's proposals on the future policy (results-orientation and thematic concentration), with a view to the Ministerial meeting which will take place in Gödöllő (Hungary) on 19-21 May 2011.
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Printed versions of the 5th report on cohesion available in Spanish, Italian and Polish
(29 March 2011)
The printed versions of the 5th report on cohesion (already available in German, English and French) are now available in Spanish, Italian and Polish. To order your copy, send an email to: regio-info@ec.europa.eu.
The report will be available in 16 other languages in electronic format in mid-April, and in printed format in May.
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The Geography of Economic Growth
(25 March 2011)
DG REGIO hosted a workshop entitled "The geography of economic growth: theory, evidence and policy implications" on 22 March 2011. Academics from across Europe discussed the importance of agglomeration and externalities as well as policy instruments to better understand how economic growth, competitiveness and trade have important spatial effects.
The papers are published: The Geography of Economic Growth
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Webchat with Commissioner Hahn
(23 March 2011)
Commissioner Hahn made himself available on 21 March from 3-4pm (Brussels time) to chat on-line about future EU cohesion policy. This live web chat formed part of the broader consultation process launched by the European Commission's Fifth Cohesion Report.
The web chat took place on the RegioNetwork 2020 website, the on-line networking platform for European regions and others who have a professional interest in EU regional policy.
The transcript of the web chat is available on RegioNetwork (or see this pdf document).
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€10.9 million in EU aid for flood damage in Czech Republic
(23 March 2011)
Commissioner Johannes Hahn confirmed the Commission's proposal to allocate aid totalling €10.9 million to the Czech Republic, following the severe floods of August 2010. The grant is being made available through the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF). It will contribute towards the costs borne by public authorities in response to the emergency, in particular for restoring essential infrastructure.
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Survey: Anti-Crisis Policies in Regions & Cities
(22 March 2011)
The aim of this online survey by the Committee of the Regions (launched during the 6th Territorial Dialogue, 22 February 2011) is to review the socio-economic situation in the EU's regions and cities during the crisis and to provide a further assessment by local and regional authorities of the anti-crisis measures adopted with the assistance of the European Union.
The results of this survey will be used as a basis for contributions to the debate on the need for anti-crisis measures, better spending of EU, national, regional and local financial resources, and on the effectiveness of Europe 2020 as an exit strategy. Last but not least they will give a snapshot of the current situation in regions and cities on the eve of the discussion on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020.
The survey will run until 18 April 2011.
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Webchat with Commissioner Hahn
(21 March 2011)
Do you have a question or comment about the way EU cohesion policy should be organised in the future? Where should be resources be targeted? What should be the priorities? How can we monitor progress?
Commissioner Hahn will be making himself available on 21 March from 3-4pm (Brussels time) to chat on-line about future EU cohesion policy. This live web chat will form part of the broader consultation process launched by the European Commission's Fifth Cohesion Report.
If you would like to follow or participate in the web chat with Commissioner Hahn, all you need to do is:
- Create a profile on the RegioNetwork 2020 website
- Login to the site on 21 March at 3pm (Brussels time)
- Join the web chat and post your questions or comments
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RegioStars 2011 finalists announced along with the details of the 2012 awards
(16 March 2011)
RegioStars – the awards for innovative projects - is an annual event to recognise and reward innovative projects supported by EU regional policy. The RegioStars 2011 Jury, with Ms Ann Mettler as its President, has now chosen 31 finalists across the five categories. The 2011 scheme has seen 66 applications from project promoters and regions from 18 Member States for the awards on offer under RegioStars or CityStar categories. The finalists are listed and described in this brochure.
The award winners will be announced at the Regions for Economic Change conference on 23 June 2011.
This year for the first time an online public vote is being launched in the "Photo" category.
The call for the 2012 RegioStars Awards nominees is now open with a deadline of 15 July 2011.
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ESPON High Level Conference : Targeted Analyses for Stakeholders: Territorial Evidence in Practice
(14 March 2011)
ESPON, the European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion, supports policy development related to EU Cohesion Policy.
The ESPON Programme organises its first High Level Conference on 11 May 2011 in Brussels (Belgium).
The Conference will discuss the use of territorial evidence in practice on the basis of the experiences with Targeted Analysis for Stakeholders. At the event key policymakers in the field of Territorial Development and Cohesion will be present, amongst whom Mr. Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, and Mr. Claude Wiseler, Luxembourg Minister for Sustainable Development and Infrastructures.
The objective of the Conference is to bring European policymakers and Stakeholders involved in ESPON Targeted Analyses at national, regional and local level together with the purpose of:
- Exchanging experiences on added value and use of evidence provided by Targeted Analyses
- Pinning down future needs for evidence in support of an effective implementation of EU Cohesion Policy post 2013
Reserve your place by filling in the online form. The registration will close as from 29 April 2011. More info at the ESPON Website.
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Madrid-Valencia in 90 minutes thanks to European support
(10 March 2011)
Just a few weeks ago, it took nearly half a day to travel from Madrid to Valencia, Spain. The trip now takes just one and a half hours via AVE high-speed rail on a new line built with European Union support.
The ribbon-cutting for the new line was held last December with King of Spain Juan Carlos and Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero in attendance. The construction project generated numerous jobs and helped boost the economy during the crisis.
Total EU investment for high-speed lines in Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, and the Valencia and Murcia regions (€ Millions) : 2000-2006 Period 747.3 Cohesion Fund 574.6 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 124.5 Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) 48.2 2007-2013 Period 1 202 Cohesion Fund 726 ERDF 476 Further information:
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EU regional policy supports equal opportunities
(08 March 2011)
EU regional funding helps to promote equal opportunities between women and men.
The rules underpinning the EU's Cohesion Funds include a clause on gender equality and non-discrimination, as well as a requirement that Member States should involve bodies responsible for promoting equality between women and men in the programming of the funds.
Support is available, for example, for projects that support female entrepreneurship. Several EU countries are using EU regional funding to improve the availability of childcare, in order to make it easier for women to access the labour market.
Here are some examples of projects that receive EU funding:
Micro-Finance Institute (Sweden)
Set up in 2008, this project focuses on improving access to finance for migrant women who often face difficulties in trying to secure capital to start-up or develop their own business. The main aim of the project was to establish a permanent micro-finance institute to help overcome these barriers. So far the project has supported 80 new female entrepreneurs and contributed to the start-up of 15 micro-enterprises, creating 20 jobs.
Launch pad for successful women entrepreneurs (Romania)
A multi-regional Romanian project aims to develop the entrepreneurial skills of 400 women and enhance their employability. Women from Bucharest, Giurgiu, Oradea and Slatina will undergo an intensive course to facilitate their insertion, maintenance and progress on the labour market in accordance with the principle of equal opportunities for men and women.
Women in business (Denmark, Sweden, Norway)
Female entrepreneurs in three Nordic countries have joined forces to boost women-led small and medium-sized companies. Their aim is to strengthen the competitive conditions for the Kattegat/Skagerrak region through innovation, development and viable growth.
All-day child care facilities (Austria)
The “Pfifferlingsplatz” Association was established in 2005 with the aim of implementing an all-day childcare facility in the rural area of Salzburg. In association with the company “Sport & more Unterwurzacher GmbH”, a small-sized company in the tourist sector and mainly employing women, Pfifferlingsplatz provides childcare for the mothers employed in the company.
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Regional GDP per inhabitant just released
(03 March 2011)
In 2008, GDP per inhabitant ranged from 28% of the EU27 average in Severozapaden in Bulgaria to 343% in Inner London. This information is taken from data released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
To determine which regions will be categorised as "less developed" under cohesion policy after 2013, the Commission is expected to use the GDP averages for 2007-2009.
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Commissioner Hahn visits Finland
(25 February 2011)
Commissioner Hahn met the Finnish Prime Minister, other members of the Finnish Government and the Mayors of Finland's biggest cities during his visit to the country on 25-27 February 2011.
The themes covered at the meetings included the support that Finland receives from the European Regional Development Fund, as well as the Commission's proposals for the future of EU Cohesion Policy.
Finland has been allocated €1.7 billion in EU Cohesion Policy funding for the period 2007-2013. Priorities include:
- €448 million to tackle long-term unemployment and encourage young people to stay in education
- €443 million to help businesses, particularly SMEs, adapt to structural challenges such as an ageing workforce and globalisation
- €380 million to promote adult training and develop employment services
One successful example of EU cohesion funding in Finland is the Lahti Cleantech Cluster in southern Finland, which has helped to transform Lahti into Finland's leading environmental technology centre.
Further information:
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Floods in Slovenia and Croatia: EU support
(24 February 2011)
Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, confirmed the Commission's proposal to allocate aid totalling €8.6 million to Slovenia and Croatia, following the devastation caused by flooding in September 2010. This aid will be used to repay the cost of emergency measures such as relief operations, cleaning up the affected areas and repair of basic infrastructure.
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Road Map on implementation of European regional funds in Slovakia
(22 February 2011)
The European Commission and Slovak authorities have launched a Joint Road Map (JRM) to facilitate the implementation of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund (CF) in Slovakia. The outline of the Roadmap was agreed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Construction and Regional Development of the Slovak Republic, Ján Figeľ and EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, in Bratislava in November 2010. The final framework sets out a joint approach to ensure a timely absorption and effective implementation of the ERDF and CF programmes in Slovakia. The Joint Road Map is an example of good practice in terms of collaboration between the European Commission and the Slovak authorities.
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Commissioner Hahn announces priority area coordinators for EU Strategy for Danube Region
(16 February 2011)
In order to develop the huge economic potential of the Danube river, the European Commission has end 2010 proposed an overarching Strategy for the Danube Region, which covers eight EU Member States and six other European countries. This Strategy will focus on concrete priority action areas, such as the improvement of navigability, water quality, security cooperation and the opportunities for tourism. To realise the Strategy on the ground, Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn and Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi, have recently announced which countries and regions will lead priority areas of work. They will drive implementation of the Strategy by agreeing a work programme and identifying sources of finance with other countries involved and partners like non-governmental organisations. Eleven priority areas have been identified.
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Brandenburg, Wales and Lithuania recognised as “Regions of Excellence”
(07 February 2011)
The Cohesion Forum which recently drew to a close highlighted the need to align future cohesion policy investments with the Europe 2020 strategy. Brandenburg (Germany), Wales (United Kingdom) and Lithuania stand out as regions that have already carried out projects clearly on track to achieving these objectives. During a ceremony held on 31 January as part of the Forum, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso awarded the 'regions of excellence' prize to their representatives.
The regions awarded were selected from among those with the most finalist projects in the RegioStars Awards programme since 2008.
The 2011 RegioStars finalists will be revealed at the end of February.
Cohesion policy and the Europe 2020 strategy
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Hungarian Presidency: cohesion policy a priority
(03 February 2011)
Cohesion policy is set to feature prominently in the programme of the Hungarian EU Presidency, which runs from January – June 2011.
The first half of this year will see several important meetings designed to prepare the future cohesion policy after 2013. These will include:
- Cohesion Forum, 31 January – 1 February 2011
- Conference on the future cohesion policy, 31 March-1 April 2011
- Informal Ministerial meeting, Gödöllő, 19-20 May 2011
The role of territorial cohesion will also come under the spotlight at several events:
- Meeting of the network of Territorial cohesion contact points, Budapest, 9 February
- Meeting of the director generals in charge of territorial cohesion, Budapest, 29 March
- Informal meeting of minister responsible for territorial cohesion, Gödöllő, 19-20 May
Given Hungary's geographical location, it is only natural that the EU's recently-adopted Danube Strategy to promote growth and quality of life in the region should be a priority for the Presidency. Events focusing on different aspects of the Strategy will bring together governmental and non-governmental representatives:
- A thematic conference on water management issues organised in coordination with the Hungarian presidency and stakeholders (date to be confirmed)
- The Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is planning a region-wide event (date to be confirmed) with special focus on the inclusion of the Western Balkans with participation of high-level decision-makers from the EU and Member States.
- Conference on 'Europe-Danube-Water Innovation and sustainability', 4-7 May, Budapest municipality
- Conference is scheduled for national parliaments in Serbia, Novisad in March-April.
- Croatia organises a 'Danube Culture and Tourism Day" in Vukovar in summer 2011.
Further information
- Hungarian EU Presidency website
- Regional policy events on Inforegio
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EU Regional Policy- key for achieving Union's 2020 sustainable growth goals
(27 January 2011)
The European Commission presented a communication setting out the role of the EU's regional policy in contributing to the implementation of the 'Europe 2020' strategy, in particular to its newly adopted flagship initiative on 'Resource Efficient Europe'. This document provides recommendations for Member States - responsible for managing the regional funds - on how best to harness EU investment to achieve a low carbon, resource efficient, climate resilient and competitive economy.
Cohesion Policy and the Europe 2020 strategy
Presentation of the communication by Commissioner Johannes Hahn :
More Information :Environment and climate change
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Regional development: challenges, choices and recipients
(26 January 2011)
Long-term factors shaping the prospects for cities and regions include the effects of climate change, population ageing, globalisation and technological change. A conference at the University of Newcastle (UK) on 17-20 April will look at how local and regional actors are addressing these challenges, particularly in the context of the economic crisis and austerity policies. The deadline for submitting papers is 31 January 2011.
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Follow the Cohesion Forum debates live on this site!
(25 January 2011)
The European Commission has invited top policy-makers from the 27 Member States to Brussels for the Fifth Cohesion Forum on January 31st and February 1st . The event will mark the end of the public consultation begun in November on cohesion policy after 2013. The 800 participants expected at the forum will discuss future policy directions and their important role in the implementation of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy.
This year’s forum will be the last opportunity for Member States and regions to make their voices heard before the European Commission presents its first legislative proposals on the future of cohesion policy, due out by summer, 2011.
Click on the link below to follow the debates live beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 31st.
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Delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth
(19 January 2011)
The latest edition of the European Commission's Panorama magazine on regional policy is out now!
Highlights of this 36th edition include:
- Information and examples about the way regional policy is supporting the Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs
- The impact of regional policy and options for the future
- Helping less advantaged regions to catch up
- Beyond GDP: new ways of measuring economic and social progress
Panorama n°36 also includes a quiz, so that you can test your knowledge of EU regional policy!
Further information:
- Read Panorama on-line
- Subscribe to the print version of Panorama
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Rebranded "Policy Learning database" has three new project case studies
(17 January 2011)
DG REGIO has recently rebranded the Case Studies Database under the Regions for Economic change initiative as a Policy Learning Database. The database is now expanding to allow targeted searched of around 100 ex-post evaluation reports on specific regional experiences. These studies cover strategies in areas such as structural change and globalisation, transport, environment and climate change and demographic change and gender.
We have also now added three specific case studies from Manheim (DE), Northern Ireland and the West Midlands (UK) dealing respectively with three schemes helping entrepreneurs of Turkish descent, supporting a conflict resolution network in Belfast and funding a regional University network dedicated to technology transfer to small businesses.
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Study on regional policies in China and EU
(14 January 2011)
A study which compares aspects of regional policy in China with cohesion policy in the European Union – financed by the Commission under its EU-China Policy Dialogues Support Facility - was carried out in 2008-2010. The study concerns practical aspects of policy-making and regional development. It concentrates, in particular on: the definition and economic classification of regions; the governance and co-ordination of regional policy; and the role of regional policy in improving competitiveness, sustainable development and urban and rural development. As illustrations, the study report describes examples of best practice in these subject areas in China and the EU.
The conclusions of the European part of the study cover a number of key dimensions of EU regional policy, with an analysis informed by experience in China. In terms of the fundamental mission of EU regional policy, the authors believe that one way the Union could learn from China is by defining a limited number of clear objectives. It calls into question the "binary" or "in-out" aspect of EU regional policy created by the use of the 75% threshold for eligibility for priority support based on GDP per head.
In terms of implementation, the report expresses doubts about strict "use it or lose it" approaches to financial management suggesting, instead, a greater focus on ways to help regions develop the capacity for making more rapid and more effective development expenditures. Finally, the report warn against the development of "counter bureaucracy", which results from a drawn-out process of incremental reforms that lack an overall strategy or purpose. This creeping counter bureaucracy is seen as existing in the changes that have been introduced over time in EU auditing and evaluation procedures.
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ReRisk - Regions at Risk of Energy Poverty
(12 January 2011)
ESPON, the European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion, releases the final report of the project ReRisk which focuses on opportunities to support competitive and clean energy supplies for regions in Europe and to generate and strengthen sustainable energy sources. It delivers future-oriented territorial evidence and scenarios on the impact of rising energy prices on the competitiveness of European regions as well as on cohesion in Europe in a long-term perspective.
The ReRisk Final Report, its maps and all background documents are available at the ESPON Website.
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The impact of the crisis on European cities
(10 January 2011)
None of Europe’s cities were left unscathed by the crisis that struck here in 2009 and 2010. The URBACT Network has just released a study in which various European cities share their experiences of the crisis. Included are the results of a survey of member cities of the network, along with a series of case studies examining the responses developed by some cities to deal with the crisis.
Further information: URBACT cities facing the crisis -
Service innovation: the role of EU Structural Funds
(04 January 2011)
Service innovations are an important driver for competitiveness, growth and job creation. Many service innovations have the transformative power of fundamentally changing existing business relations and creating new markets or even entirely new sectors, most often driven by the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). A conference in Warsaw on 27-28 January 2011 will look at good practice and assess how EU Structural Funds can be used to promote innovation in services.
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New European platform for cross-border cooperation
(22 December 2010)
Almost a third of the EU population lives in cross-border areas.
At a conference in Budapest on 9-10 December 2010, an agreement to create a new European platform to support cross-border cooperation was signed by representatives of the following organisations:
- Mission Opération Transfrontalière (France)
- Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives (Hungary)
- Grensmakelaar (Netherlands)
- Galicia-North Portugal and Castilla y León-North Portugal (Spain/Portugal)
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ESPON Info Day and Partner Café in Brussels, 10 February 2011
(17 December 2010)
In the framework of the upcoming Call for Proposals and Expression of Interest to be opened on 24 January 2011, ESPON invites for an Info Day and Partner Café in Brussels on 10 February 2011.
The purpose of the event is to inform and assist potential beneficiaries in preparing proposals for the upcoming Call. The European Commission DG Regio and the Hungarian EU Presidency will present the policy demand behind the need for further ESPON results.
The Info Day and Partner Café will also give participants the chance to network, to find partners for their projects and get feedback.
Deadline for registration is 28 January 2011 at 15h00. Reserve your place by filling in the online form available here.
For programme details visit the ESPON website.
Further information on the Call for Proposals and Expression of Interest here.
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EU-funded project wins Single Market Award
(16 December 2010)
The 2010 Single Market Award went to "Grenzoffensive", a cross border project that helps to make it easier for small and medium enterprises to do business across borders in the neighbouring regions of Bavaria (Germany), Upper Austria and Southern Bohemia (Czech Republic). Grenzoffensive provides on-line forms, assistance with administrative formalities, and expert advice regarding cross-border procurement, taxation, wages and other issues relevant to local SMEs and citizens. The project received financial support from the EU's Interreg programme.
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Europe 2020: Regions monitor progress
(14 December 2010)
Local and regional authorities have been involved in the preparation of the draft National Reform Programmes in several EU countries, although there is still a way to go. They are also driving reform and investments in the areas of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
These are amongst the main findings of the Committee of the First Monitoring Report on the Europe 2020 strategy, which was published on 30 November 2010. The Committee will be publishing a Monitoring Report annually, as a contribution to the Spring European Council.
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Working Paper 3: Public spending
(13 December 2010)
Public spending is one of the main policy tools used to promote development and tackle disparities across regions. This paper takes a look at patterns and trends of public investment in the new Member States of the European Union. It also examines the contribution of EU cohesion policy across various investment fields, and the effects of the economic crisis, on public expenditure.
Key findings show that despite restrictions and their relative lower levels of public expenditure, public investment is higher in new Member States than in the rest of the EU in terms of GDP. This can be linked to a significant extent to the support from cohesion policy. Given the pressure on public budgets as a direct impact of the crisis, the role of cohesion policy has become even more significant in relative terms in ensuring sufficient supply of public goods and services - critical for strengthening growth and employment.
Patterns and trends of public investment in the new Member States of the European Union
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OPEN DAYS 2011 : 10 to 13 October: dates for your diary!
(10 December 2010)
The European Commission and the Committee of the Regions of the European Union have just announced the launch of the next edition of their OPEN DAYS – the European Week of Cities and Regions, which will be taking place from 10 to 13 October 2011. The programme and related seminars will be organised around the theme of "Investing in Europe's future: regions and cities delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth". An online information pack is available for regions and cities, European associations, international organisations, and businesses wishing to enlist as partners for the event. The deadline set for applications is 4 March 2011.
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Commission launches Strategy to boost development of the Danube Region
(09 December 2010)
The European Commission has presented its proposal for an EU Strategy for the Danube Region and its 115 million inhabitants. This initiative seeks to develop the huge economic potential and improve environmental conditions of the region. By establishing a framework for long-term cooperation on a wide range of issues, the Strategy will play a key role in improving sustainable transport, linking energy systems, protecting the environment, preserving water resources and stimulating the business climate. With its focus on sustainable growth, it will also make an important contribution to achieving the Europe 2020 goals.
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Innovation Union: Commission launches consultation on active and healthy ageing
(07 December 2010)
The European Commission is seeking the views of public and private organisations, companies and individual citizens on how Europe could scale up innovation to meet the challenges of the ageing population in Europe, and in particular on a pilot European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on active and healthy ageing, as set out in the Innovation Union Flagship Initiative, presented on 6 October by Maire Geoghegan Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science and Antonio Tajani, Vice-President for Industry and Entrepreneurship. Between 2010 and 2030, the number of Europeans aged over 65 will rise by nearly 40%, posing huge challenges but also offering great opportunities for Europe's society and economy. The EIP, which the Commission has proposed should be launched in 2011, would seek to meet three goals: to improve the health and quality of life of older people, enabling them to live active and independent lives; to contribute to the sustainability and efficiency of health and social care systems; and to foster competitiveness and business opportunities . The online consultation runs until 28 January 2011.
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Cohesion policy in the news
(01 December 2010)
EU cohesion policy has been making the headlines in recent days. This kind of reporting and scrutiny provides a welcome contribution to the discussions and reflections on the future policy after 2013. It also helps people understand how the policy works in practice - both in terms of the challenges it faces and the opportunities it provides. EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, made a statement on 30 November clarifying a number of issues. Some of the points raised in the reports were also addressed in the Commission's press briefing.
The Commission is open to suggestions for adapting and improving the policy after 2013. Make your views heard by taking part in the public consultation open until 31 January 2011.
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RegioNetwork 2020
(30 November 2010)
A new professional networking website on regional policy has been launched by the European Commission: www.regionetwork2020.eu.
RegioNetwork 2020 is an on-line forum for exchanges of good practice and discussions relating to EU Cohesion Policy. It is also designed to support "Europe 2020", the EU's strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Sign up for www.regionetwork2020.eu today and join the conversation!
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The European Union promotes JEREMIE and JESSICA: innovative ways to enhance the efficiency of EU investment in the regions
(29 November 2010)
The European Commission is organising in co-operation with the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group an event in Brussels on 29 and 30 November to further promote two initiatives designed to provide loans or guarantees instead of one-off grants under cohesion policy. The current economic situation in Europe reinforces the need to use tools like JEREMIE (access to finance for small businesses) and JESSICA (urban development) which can help regions and cities to meet their investment needs.
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Debate with Commissioner Hahn: web-streaming
(25 November 2010)
The second meeting of the year between the Commission's Regional Policy's department (DG REGIO) and representatives from regional offices in Brussels takes place on 26 November. EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn will present the Fifth Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion. This will be followed by an open floor discussion. Registration for this event has now closed but you can follow proceedings live here on the web from 10h00 to 12h00 in English, French and German.
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Funding for Roma: does it work?
(22 November 2010)
Evaluation and monitoring techniques can support the inclusion of Roma by helping to design better projects and policies. A conference organised by the European Commission in Brussels on 30 November 2010 will look at a number of case studies and good practices. It will also touch on sensitive issues relating to data collection and ethnicity.
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Creating futures
(19 November 2010)
Six projects funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund received awards at the "Creating futures" event organised in October 2010 by the East of England Development Agency. The awards recognised achievements in areas like reducing carbon emissions and skills development. The East of England is due to benefit from over €300 million from the EU Structural Funds during the period 2007-2013.
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Public consultation on cohesion policy
(17 November 2010)
A public consultation on economic, social and territorial cohesion has been launched by the European Commission.
The consultation aims to collect ideas and contributions on the question of how the Union's cohesion policy should adapt to new challenges and how its delivery can be improved in order to maximise its impact in the future. It will help to shape the Commission's proposals on the future of the policy.
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Fewer errors reported in cohesion policy payments
(16 November 2010)
The Court of Auditors of the European Union has just published its annual report in which it recognises that improvements have taken place in terms of management and controls related to Structural Funds.
The amount of errors in payment claims made by Member States, which can lead to incorrect transfers from the Community budget, has decreased since the last report (error rate approximately 5% against 11% in previous years).
The action plan launched by the Commission in 2008 to help Member States in this area is beginning to bear fruit (see MEMO/08/673).
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Launch of the ESPON 2013 Synthesis Report
(15 November 2010)
The ESPON 2013 Synthesis Report presents the first results from the major Applied Research projects undertaken by ESPON so far. It also includes result from Targeted Analyses priority, which is specific research done at the request of a Member State or a group of regions or cities.
The ESPON programme addresses a wide variety of issues relevant for Cohesion Policy such as the functionality of major urban agglomerations, the diversity of development options for rural regions, demography and migratory flows or the territorial impacts of climate change.
This first synthesis report highlights the added-value the ESPON projects can have for policy development with regards to the aims of the European cohesion agenda and the development of the EU territory. It is available on the ESPON website. Click here to discover it.
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Commission assesses economic and social trends in EU regions and sets out options on future cohesion policy
(10 November 2010)
The Commission's 5th Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion published today shows that the EU's cohesion policy has made a significant contribution to growth and prosperity and promoting balanced development across the Union. However, in the wake of massive economic and social upheavals over recent years, the policy now needs to adapt to address new challenges.
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Call for Expression of Interest for non-bank micro-credit providers under JASMINE: Joint Action to Support Micro-finance in Europe
(08 November 2010)
The European Investment Fund (EIF) has launched a second call for expression of interest to select up to 20 European non-bank credit providers to benefit from technical assistance under the JASMINE initiative in 2011. The first call launched in 2009 provided training and assessment for 15 micro-credit providers. The deadline for submitting an Expression of Interest is 19 November 2010. All details can be found on the EIF website
JASMINE is a joint initiative of the Commission, the European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund. It was set up to enhance the capacity of micro-credit providers/micro-finance institutions (MFIs) in various fields such as good governance, information systems, risk management and strategic planning. The first phase is the provision of technical assistance through assessment and training for non-bank micro-credit providers.
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Cohesion Policy helping economic recovery
(29 October 2010)
European Union Cohesion Policy is playing a key role in dealing with the economic crisis, according to a report published by the European Commission on 25 October 2010.
Reforms approved in 2008 and 2009 have boosted the take-up of EU Structural Funds, with more than 27% of the funding available for the 2007-2013 period (€93 billion) already allocated to specific projects. EU support is helping to improve access to finance for small businesses, and providing active labour market measures targeted at groups affected by the crisis. Although the report notes progress in some areas, it highlights the need to accelerate project implementation in the rail sector, energy, environment, the digital economy and social inclusion.
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Financial engineering: support for SMEs and Urban Development
(28 October 2010)
A conference to review progress with the implementation of two EU financial engineering instruments - JEREMIE and JESSICA - will take place in Brussels on 29-30 November 2010. JEREMIE aims to promote access to finance for Small and Medium Enterprises, while JESSICA supports sustainable investment in city areas. Both instruments were developed by the European Commission in partnership with the European Investment Bank.
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Study examines regional innovation strategies in France
(27 October 2010)
Every French region, in its programme supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), has incorporated the aim of developing a “regional innovation strategy”. Following a request by the Commission, a study has recently been published and analyses how these strategies are developing and what the main lessons to be learned are. This analysis will help the French regions review their programmes mid-term.
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EU budget review: implications for Cohesion Policy
(22 October 2010)
The Commission published its ideas for the post-2013 review of the EU's budget in a Communication adopted on 19 October 2010. President Barroso commented that the budget should help the EU to face collective challenges "not necessarily through increased expenditure, but by focussing on the right priorities". In the field of Cohesion Policy, the Commission has suggested a new planning and management cycle to ensure that future EU funding is firmly linked to the Europe 2020 targets.
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Eurobarometer survey: EU citizens' awareness and perceptions about EU Regional policy
(18 October 2010)
This EU-wide survey asked representative samples of EU citizens in each EU Member country. Questions asked in the survey included:
- How many EU citizens are aware of the support received in the framework of EU regional policy?
- How many feel that their cities or regions – and they personally – have benefited from the policy?
- What should EU regional policy have as its priorities, both today and in the future?
- Which are the preferred information sources?
Discover some surprising results and find out how your country compares with the EU average:
Eurobarometer report : EU citizens' awareness and perceptions about EU Regional policy
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OPEN DAYS Early Career Research Competition
(15 October 2010)
Together with the Regional Studies Association, DG REGIO hosted the first ever OPEN DAYS Early Career Research Competition. With over 50 entries, the jury shortlisted 6 finalists who were invited to OPEN DAYS to present their work through a poster session in front of the jury. The winner, Frank Neffke from the Erasmus University Rotterdam, presented his work on structural transformation of regional economies. The runner-up, Emmanouil Tranos from the University of Newcastle, presented his work on the geography of internet infrastructure in Europe. Both have been awarded a cash prize and all finalists were presented with a certificate.
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Microfinance in Europe
(14 October 2010)
The contribution of microfinance and entrepreneurship to the Europe 2020 strategy will be discussed at a conference in Brussels on 9 November 2010. Participants will have an opportunity to find out more about EU initiatives to promote microfinance including JASMINE (Joint Action to Support Microfinance Institutions in Europe), JEREMIE (Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises) and EPMF (European Progress Microfinance Facility).
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OPEN DAYS 2010 draws to a close
(13 October 2010)
Over 6 000 representatives from around 240 regions and cites came together in Brussels last week (4-7 October) for the OPEN DAYS 2010. In over 130 seminars, participants discussed ways of working together to boost European competitiveness, in line with the Europe 2020 strategy - the EU’s plan for growth and job creation. Presentations, photos and videos from the event are now available on the OPEN DAYS website. Participants are also invited to take part in the evaluation which is open until 18 October.
Organised every year by the Commission and the Committee of the Regions, the Brussels week marked the highpoint of the European Open Days 2010, which also feature some 260 local events – conferences, cultural events, fairs and exhibitions – taking place across Europe between September and November.
Take part in the on-line evaluation
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Raising the innovation potential of regions
(12 October 2010)
EU regional funds can help unlock the growth potential of the Union as a whole, by targeting investment in innovation in all regions. This is the central message of a Commission Communication 'Regional Policy contributing to smart growth in Europe 2020' adopted on 6 October 2010. The Communication encourages national and regional authorities to design 'smart specialisation strategies' to help regions identify their best assets. Concentrating resources on a limited number of priorities will ensure a more effective use of public funds and help to leverage higher levels of private investment.
Communication: Regional Policy contributing to smart growth in Europe 2020
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What Future for Cohesion Policy?
(08 October 2010)
The Fifth Cohesion Report's broad orientations on the future architecture of cohesion policy will be discussed at a conference in Slovenia on 16-18 March 2011. The conference is co-organised by the European Commission's Directorate General for Regional Policy (DG REGIO), the Regional Studies Association and the Slovenian Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy.
The Conference will provide a forum for the first international academic debate on the Fifth Cohesion Report between regional studies researchers and senior officials from the European institutions. The key topics of the conference will be: the contribution of cohesion policy to Europe 2020, the territorial coverage of the policy, the policy performance and effectiveness, the efficiency of governance structures and implementation arrangements and the relationship between cohesion policy and other EU structural policies.
More information on the calls for papers, paper submission deadline and registration Regional Studies Association
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OPEN DAYS 2010
(04 October 2010)
4 October will mark the beginning of OPEN DAYS – the European Week of Regions and Cities. On top of the 130 seminars organised in Brussels, bringing together almost 6 000 participants, 260 local events will be taking place throughout Europe during October. Organised on the eve of the launch of debates on post-2013 cohesion policy reform and centred around three themes: Competitiveness, Cooperation and Cohesion, OPEN DAYS will encourage the exchange and promotion of good practices.
Press release : OPEN DAYS 2010 – European Week of Regions and Cities (4-7 October): towards Europe 2020
Website of OPEN DAYS
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Biodiversity and ecosystems: practical support for regional authorities
(01 October 2010)
The joint United Nations/European Commission initiative on 'The economics of ecosystems and Biodiversity' has just launched a report for local and regional policy makers.
It gives practical guidance on how to deal with the challenge of biodiversity loss at a local and regional level. It examines what local governments can do with respect to natural resource use and management, maintaining and supporting biodiversity, local and regional urban and spatial design, as well as market-based approaches, such as Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES).
The report can be downloaded on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
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Commission announces aid for France and Portugal following February's natural disasters
(30 September 2010)
Six months ago, storm Xynthia on France’s Atlantic coast and floods on the island of Madeira caused major damage and claimed the lives of many people. Following requests from authorities in the two countries, the Commission is today approving use of the European Union’s Solidarity Fund.
Find out more about the European Union Solidarity Fund
Press Release :
Commission proposes € 31.2 million aid for Portugal following severe floods in Madeira
The Commission proposes assistance of 35.6 million euros for France to tackle the legacy of Storm Xynthia -
The latest issue of Panorama magazine, 'Towards greater social inclusion - Regional policy's contribution', is now online
(29 September 2010)
This “autumn” issue of Panorama falls within the scope of the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Illustrated by a host of examples of projects, it highlights cohesion policy’s leading role in contributing to a more social Europe and in reducing discrimination. The situation of Roma people also comes under the spotlight.
Panorama is currently available in English, French and German. The other language versions will be accessible from 11 October on the Inforegio website.
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Panorama magazine special issue on the 2010 OPEN DAYS: get involved!
(29 September 2010)
A few days ahead of the launch of the 8th European Week of Regions and Cities, we invite you to discover this special issue of Panorama magazine. It contains a host of articles, illustrated with multiple examples of projects, on the three pillars of the 2010 edition: competitiveness, cooperation, and cohesion. Similarly, you are invited to come and meet the founding figures behind the OPEN DAYS as well as seminar organisers, not only in Brussels but also in … Slovakia and Spain!
At the same time as the hundred or so seminars being organised in Brussels, more than 250 local events are taking place throughout the European Union and beyond.
This special issue is available in English, French and German: Panorama
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Conference on Innovation in fisheries areas, Vigo, 19 october
(24 September 2010)
‘Making European maritime areas places for innovation and development’ – this is the message to be expressed on this occasion by the Directorate General for Regional Policy and the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
The conference will highlight innovative initiatives in the maritime industries for the countries of the European Union which are dependent upon the sea, and European partner institutions, experts and sponsors from throughout the Union will be in attendance.
Four thematic roundtable discussions will be held, focusing on:
- New information and communication technologies in the fishing industry;
- Renewable energy in coastal areas;
- Fishing and coastal tourism and other related economic activities;
- Fishing, aquaculture and industrial processing.
Programme and registration: conference website
(Required conference code: Vigoconference2010)
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European Territorial Co-operation celebrates its 20th anniversary
(23 September 2010)
Since the creation of the INTERREG programme in 1990, European Territorial Co-operation has taken on added importance, to the point of becoming a specific objective of Cohesion Policy. From 30 September to 1 October, representatives of the 27 Member States are meeting together in Tournai (Belgium) in the presence of Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, and Rudy Demotte, Minister-President of the Walloon Government, to examine this co-operation and discuss its future.
Several successful cross-border, transnational and interregional projects will be showcased, including the project FLAPP, bringing together 15 Member States to manage floods in at-risk areas. An exhibition is also open to the general public.
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'Cohesion policy key for economic growth': concludes Parliament debate
(21 September 2010)
The European Parliament's Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis (CRIS) held a workshop on 15 September on the role of cohesion policy in EU economic recovery. The chairwoman of the regional development committee, Danuta Hübner, concluded: "Cohesion policy is the motor of growth and the wisest solution to the economic crisis." All panellists underlined that the crisis had affected regions in different ways, with some countries suffering more than others. "The crisis must be used to get rid of structural weaknesses," said European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn. He added that cohesion policy must create an added value and remain flexible, and in particular focus investment on the key EU 2020 strategy projects.
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New videos of Danube conferences available
(15 September 2010)
The “Danube Video Library” is now online on the INTERACT website. Watch clips of all the preparatory conferences for the EU Strategy for the Danube Region . The library contains over 70 interviews with key stakeholders from many of the Danube countries, giving their views on issues important for the region.
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'Working papers': Modelling EU Cohesion Policy
(13 September 2010)
A new analytical model could lead to a better understanding of the economic, social and environmental impacts of EU Cohesion Policy. The so-called "regional holistic model" (RHOMOLO) is currently being developed using data from five EU countries (Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary). The model takes on board a wide range of factors, from transportation costs to education and research. For further information, see the latest Working Paper published by the European Commission's Regional Policy department.
Modelling the Policy Instruments of the EU Cohesion Policy -
Evaluation of structural funds programme at heart of Prague conference
(10 September 2010)
The European Evaluation Society (EES) is organising its 9th International Conference on 6 - 8 October in Prague, Czech Republic. This year's theme is "Evaluation in the Public Interest: Participation, Politics and Policy”. The programme encompasses over 140 sessions which cover a wide range of evaluations - from regional development and EU programmes, to evaluations in developing and transition economies. Evaluation of the EU Structural Fund programmes will be a key topic of many workshops.
As part of the event, the Commission's Directorate-General for Regional Policy is organising a symposium on 7 October 2010 on "How to capture effects in real world public policies". Discussions here will build on the extensive experience from the ex post evaluation exercise of the 2000-2006 structural fund programmes.
Complete programme and more information:
The 9th European Evaluation Society International Conference -
Innovation vital for regions' economic development
(08 September 2010)
All European regions need to focus on innovation, but 'smart specialisation' strategies that take account of local specificities are the most likely to succeed. A study published by the European Commission breaks European regions down into seven main groups and looks at the relative importance of a wide range of factors, from business R&D to education and training. The study highlights the difficulty of obtaining risk capital as one of the most important barriers to research and innovation, particularly in the light of the current economic crisis. Support for research and innovation accounts for 25% of EU Cohesion Policy expenditure.
Read the study : EU Structural Funds: support for research and innovation
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Regions in a shifting global landscape
(06 September 2010)
How can regions contribute to economic recovery, promote innovation and improve quality of life for future generations? A Conference organised by the Regional Studies Association in Manchester on 2 November 2010 will look at the impact of global changes on the role of regions. Participation is particularly welcome from early career researchers. Deadline for submitting papers: 3 October 2010.
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Have your say on the future EU biodiversity strategy!
(01 September 2010)
The Commission's Environment department has opened a public consultation on the post-2010 EU biodiversity strategy. The objective of this consultation is to gather input from a wide range of stakeholders on possible policy options for the new strategy. These views will be assessed by the Commission as part of the process of its development. The consultation is open until 22 October 2010 and is available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish.
Consultation questionnaire
