European Community of Practice on Partnership (ECoPP)

The First Plenary Meeting of ECoPP took place on 26 April 2022, with the participation of high-level officials, including Commissioner for Cohesion Policy and Reforms Elisa Ferreira and Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit. The Chair of the REGI Committee of the European Parliament - Younous Omarjee, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee - Christa Schweng, and the Director General of the Association of Territorial Cohesion - Yves Le Breton, acting as representative of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU also participated. The recording of the high-level panel to see commissioner Ferreiras’s message to the ECoPP members is available here.

Additional meeting documents:

For additional background information presented at the first plenary, please click here

The Second Plenary meeting of ECoPP took place on the 16 of February 2023.The meeting featured a keynote speech by Commissioner for Cohesion Policy and Reforms Elisa Ferreira, sub-group sessions on "Working with partners" and "Creating fruitful relationships", and presentations on the 2023 work plan and next steps, concluding with a reflection session with representatives from five Directorates-General and a wrap-up by DG REGIO's Deputy Director-General, Normunds Popens.

Output of the Subgroups:

During the second plenary, the six thematic sub-groups presented their outputs and recommendations. Please find the complete list of outputs below:

Documents

Additional Meeting Documents:

The third Plenary Meeting of ECoPP was held in Brussels on 8 February 2024. The plenary brought together members to reflect on the network's progress and agree on a work plan for 2024. The meeting featured a panel discussion with DG representatives, task force sessions, and a plenary discussion focusing on strengthening the partnership principle across EU funds. The overarching theme of ECoPP in 2024 was “‘Co-creation and capacity building for multi-level governance”. This theme was agreed upon by the members during a virtual meeting in October 2023. The event saw the launch of seven task forces with specific focus areas, such as: awareness-raising, knowledge sharing, and ecosystem mapping. The meeting concluded with an agreement on a work plan for 2024, which includes developing task force products, sharing milestones, and making linkages across task forces.

Taskforce groups outputs

• Task force 1. Awareness-raising around the ECCP: Continued review and input into the ECoPP’s proposal for a revised ECCP with connections to proposals of other stakeholders and suggestions for awareness-raising activities around the ECCP. This may include tailored communication to key stakeholders and media activities.
• Task force 2. Partnership knowledge and skills sharing: Exploration of opportunities for sharing partnership knowledge and skills. This could include tailored knowledge building activities and specific training for key stakeholders on partnership and the implementation of the partnership principle. The task force may also explore the use of Technical Assistance and other funding options for these activities.
• Task force 3. Compilation and analysis of partnership practices and ECoPP webinar series: Using new and existing information from the ECoPP to develop a compilation of partnership practices. These include assessments of innovative ways of using the materials through options such as feeding into a ‘living’ ECoPP Working Guide. The working guide covers topics such as training, awareness raising, and storytelling.
• Task force 4. Ecosystem Mapping: Tools and resources for mapping and analysis of stakeholder landscapes in relation to EU funds. This may involve looking at stakeholders in relation to different contexts/territories/funds. This also includes non-traditional stakeholders such as citizens, communities, social enterprises, vulnerable groups, and small businesses.
• Task force 5. Citizens’ engagement - Building transformational environments: Exploring and sharing different forms of working with citizens to promote cocreation and transformational change through citizens’ participation and decision-making. This can be achieved through fora, arranging assemblies, and other participatory methodologies.
• Task force 6. Going beyond Monitoring Committees: Exploring partnership beyond monitoring committees with attention to partnership in programmes and projects at different governance levels and in relation to new funds/instruments to adjust policy delivery. The task force may examine consultation practices, equity and transparency issues, accountability, etc.
• Task force 7. Partnership in the next programming period 2028+: Gathering information on issues relating to future programming, including new instruments/stakeholders. This may lead to the possible development of an ECoPP Partnership Declaration.

Video of the plenary meeting: ECOPP 2024 Wrap-Up:

“Video messages from ECoPP members”