Twice a year the members of the AER Committee on Regional Development and Economy gather in plenary meeting. This is the opportunity to set goals for cooperation through the development of a joint work programme and to evaluate progress every six months.
During the AER Spring Committee Plenaries 2019 in Örebro (SE), AER members identified joint actions they wanted to implement with fellow regions and came up with a work programme for 2019-2020 which was integrated in the AER Action Plan. Six months later it is time to evaluate progress, celebrate achievements and share experiences!
The progress report below is organised into 3 categories and gives an overview of the current situation and progress of the different activities going on within AER.
Projects
Good practice sharing
Lobbying
Projects
Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite! project: ongoing
“Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite!” is a project submitted under a call launched by DG REGIO. On the one hand, this project aims at raising awareness on the importance of programmes, projects, and services funded by the cohesion policy funds. On the other hand, the project will encourage the participation of citizens and stakeholders to turn them into active players in the dialogue on cohesion policy. AER coordinates the project and it will collect experiences on cohesion policy together with regions.
Within AER this project was officially launched during the General Assembly in Larnaca (CY) in June 2019. With the project partner mc Group, also six AER member regions have taken up the challenge of becoming core partners: Varazdin (HR), Csongrád (HU), Trentino (IT), Timis and Alba (RO), and Catalonia (ES).
E-health in rural areas: planned
Members discussed the possibility to develop a pan-AER regional e-health rural project based on innovation and digitalisation.
- Regions interested in developping such a project should share their idea with the Secretariat in order to start developping this initiative.
Project development on farming, rural planning and infrastructure: planned
Members of the AER working group on rural development would like to develop a project to compare and incorporate good practices in farming (cattle, dairy) and infrastructure.
- Regions interested in developping such a project should share their idea with the Secretariat in order to start developping this initiative.
Project on rural development: planned
Members of the AER working group on rural development would like to develop a project on how to invest and develop basic infrastructure in rural areas. For example, water, waste, gas, roads, education, health care .
- Regions interested in developping such a project should share their idea with the Secretariat in order to start developping this initiative.
Good Practice Exchange
Breakfast seminar “Sustainable Development Goals and regional growth”: finished
On 15 May 2019, a breakfast seminar was organised by Oppland (NO) on how to integrate the SDGs in regional planning. This event which gathered speakers from the region and from the OECD revolved around the question whether it is possible to reach the SDGs and have economic regional development, or if they are mutually exclusive? The Powerpoint presentations and videos are available on the AER event page.
2019 AER Autumn Committee Plenaries – Podčetrtek (SI): ongoing
The annual Autumn Committee Plenaries of the Assembly of European Regions will take place on September 24-26 2019, in Podčetrtek, Slovenia.
The topic of the thematic event of the plenaries will be Cohesion & Contrasted Regional Realities. The aim is to share experiences especially from regions with considerable disparities within their territories to learn about different strategies and practices as well as enablers and barriers to more cohesive regional development.
Workshop ” connectivity vs sustainability?”: ongoing
On the occasion of the Autumn plenary meeting in Podčetrtek (SI), the working group on transports & mobility chaired by Martin Tollén is organising a workshop on connectivity and sustainability.
Supporting members to use the TAIEX-Environmental Implementation Review: ongoing
The AER Secretariat disseminated information about the TAIEX-EIR peer to peer learning programme and is supporting members to use this programme to gain or provide knowledge on environmental policies on topics as diverse as air quality, waste management, water management, the circular economy. This programme which is relatively easy and quick to access is a good complement to activities carried out within AER and an opportunity to access support from the Commission to carry out exchanges with other regions.
Gelderland (NL) and the European Commission organised a TAIEX-EIR workshop on “Maintaining and Enhancing Ecosystem Services in Urban Regions” on 4 and 5 July 2019.
In the context of the joint action to protect Romanian forests, the AER Secretariat has been in touch with DG Environment, to identify ways to use the TAIEX-EIR programme. This should help improve legislation and practices for the protection of primary forests and biodiversity in Romania.
Mutual learning event on economy 4.0: ongoing
Each year Brussels Capital proposes a mutual learning event on a current and transversal topic. On 4 December 2019, Brussels Capital will organise a mutual learning event on economy 4.0. Economy 4.0 describes a new era of productive, industrial and economic development characterized by the implementation of big-scale automatization, artificial intelligence (AI) robotic instruments, computational big data analytics software, and high tech infrastructure. It aims to gather experiences from all three AER Committees and regions who will be welcome to share inputs and regional examples.
Creation of a working group on how to attract more workforce: planned
Several regions in AER have expressed the need to exchange experiences on how to attract more workforce to regions which are largely rural.
- This action could be developped within the contect of the working group on business and SMEs. Regions interested in working on this topic should share their idea with the Secretariat in order to start developping this initiative.
Effective legislative frameworks: planned
Tulcea would like to collaborate with other regions to elaborate good legislative frameworks for tourism, business, industry, research. The goal would be a simplification of administration and the reduction of red tape.
Workshop on sustainable transport and mobility: cancelled
AER member regions Gelderland (NL) and Östergötland (SE) planned a workshop on sustainable transport and mobility during the European Sustainability Energy Week on Clean Energy from 18-20 June in the House of Dutch Provinces in Brussels.
Lowering emissions in transport: planned
AER member region Norboten (SE) would like to organise good practice exchange on identifying how to lower emissions in transports within the Working group on Energy and Climate Change.
Waste collection in rural areas: planned
Within the working group on rural development, members would like to have an exchange of good practices on how to raise awareness on recycling and waste collection in rural areas.
- This topic could be addressed either in the context of a meeting of the working group on rural development or in separate events, such as Breakfast seminars in Brussels. Regions which would like to develop something aroud this topic should contact the AER Secretariat.
Small hydropower plants: planned
Exchange of good practice on noise reduction with (small) hydro powerplants (finding suitable location also from environmental point of view). Lobbying and advocacy with NGOs and governments about environmental point of view, partnership, and exchange of good practice. National stimulations for developing projects on national tourism strategy on a local and regional level.
Energy efficiency: planned
Good practice sharing on stimulating energy efficiency, for instance, competition between organisations and OECD. Indicators on energy efficiency and EC energy efficiency directive.
New mobility services: ongoing
Good practices exchange on electric cars and infrastructure both at AER meetings and in events of the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC), where Östergötland (SE) is representing AER.
European Week of Regions and Cities: ongoing
The European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) is an annual four-day event during which cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy, and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance. It will take place from 7-10 October 2019 in Brussels.
AER is hosting a workshop during the EWRC with the title REGIONerating Europe on 8 October 2019 from 9.00am in Brussels. More information is available on the AER event page.
AER Delegation at Smart City Expo World Congress: ongoing
AER will again be taking part in the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) from 19-21 November in Barcelona (ES). This 2019 edition aims to be the meeting point to encourage all stakeholders (from technology industries to policy-makers and entrepreneurs) to engage in dynamic action to enable a sustainable and inclusive future.
- Members interested in attending should contact Tina Wu. AER has received 10 free Expo passes and a 25% discount on the 3 day congress pass.
Advocacy/Lobbying
Mobility: engagement in the EIP-SCC: ongoing
AER is involved in the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC). This framework is an opportunity for strategic intelligence, state of the art information, partnership building and influence.
Protection of Romanian forests: ongoing
Primary forests are rare in Europe and the ones in Romania are threatened by excessive logging. AER members therefore agreed at the Committee 1 Spring plenary meeting in Örebro, to support Romanian regions to protect this invaluable natural heritage. As a first step, a breakfast debate will be organised at the 2019 AER Autumn Committee Plenaries in Podčetrtek (SI), on the topic of European Biodiversity: Protecting Primary Forests. The situation will be presented and different opportunities for concerted action and next steps will be discussed. The goal will be to establish a joint initiative for the protection and preservation of the Romanian forests.
Action for the protection of Romanian forests will also entail a mutual learning dimension (see above in “good practices”)
Joint initiatives for advocacy
Member regions can decide to initiate joint actions and find partners among AER members. Regions can get support from the Secretariat to connect with other regions, get an overview of the existing legal framework and identify relevant actions and target institutions. The AER Secretariat will also organise Breakfast Briefings to help regions organise their advocacy activities.
AER Bureau Task Forces
The Bureau established the creation of Task Forces on dedicated topics. These Task Forces will gather examples, identify and formulate policy messages which will be brought together in position papers which will then be used for advocacy. Members who would like to contribute to one of the below Task Forces should contact AER Coordinator for Advocacy & Institutional Relations Vania Freitas.
-Task Force on Food Security
-Task Force on Cohesion Policy
-Task Force on Digitalisation
-Task Force on Migration
-Task Force on Sustainable Development Goals
The Committees’ work programmes and the AER Action Plan
The development of the Action Plan is a collective process to enable all participants to specify needs and decide to initiate activities that add value to their region. The principle is the following: as long as an action fits with the AER values, is in line with the AER priorities and has support from other regions, it can be included in the Committee’s work programmes. The Committees’ work programmes are developed in spring each year.
The AER action plan is the consolidation of the three Committees’ work programmes with all other activities led by the Bureau and the Executive Board. It is adopted at the General Assembly.
Members can propose new joint initiatives at any time during the year, these are then approved by the Executive Board and included in the Committee’s work programmes and the AER action plan.
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