“We won’t show you our successes or good practices, we want you to see the bare reality and identify the failures we don’t see” is what the 10 peers from AER, Maramures, Avila, Flevoland and Sør-Trøndelag heard at a one-week peer review in Mid Sweden (27-31 May) in the context of the Smart Europe INTERREG IVC project. Embedded with an outstanding innovation system, an … [Read more...]
We are a voice
AER represents its member regions, and stands for stronger cohesion between regions.
During the last Bureau Meeting, AER confirmed its will to help make Europe strong. We will be continuing to advocate for a stronger Europe, through stronger regions.
We are a voice for our members.
Solving health inequalities is a moral imperative
Solving health inequalities is a moral imperative Regional representatives met on 15 May for an AER Breakfast Briefing on what is often considered a side-effect to the economic crisis: health inequalities. Göran Henriksson, Senior Public Health Advisor from the region of Västra Götaland (SE) shared his experience in tackling this burden: “Health inequalities are generated by … [Read more...]
Regions leading innovation through smart jobs
During the Conference "Innovative Actions, Smart Jobs", hosted by Avila County Council on 16 April 2013 in the framework of INTERREG IVC project Smart Europe, AER member regions discussed alongside politicians and policy makers from across the EU the specific issues and common challenges to overcome the economic crisis. Promoting cooperation between SMEs and research … [Read more...]
Regional Peer Reviews promote investments in sustainable energy
During the Regions4GreenGrowth (R4GG) conference in Debrecen (H) on 27 March, the INTERREG IVC project partners presented the results of the first round of Regional Peer Reviews to boost investments in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. Through the Peer Reviews, the Regions of Valencia (E), Västernorrland (S), Noord Brabant (NL), Észak-Alföld (H), Abruzzo (I) and Western … [Read more...]
AER promotes Albania region of Lezhe in Brussels
On 21 and 22 of March 2013 AER organised together with the region of Lezhe from Albania the "Lezhe Days in Brussels" with the aim of promoting the region among Brussels representatives and of finding good partners and contacts to get assistance in setting up a regional development agency in Lezhe. For this purpose, the chairman of Lezhe regional council Pashk Gjoni, together … [Read more...]
Friendship AER/Congress reiterated at the Council of Europe
AER invited the members of the Congress of the Council of Europe to a cocktail on 20 March 2013 in Strasbourg. This short reception gave the opportunity to Congress members, in particular from non-AER member Regions, to discover the new AER communication tools and services. It also allowed President Sabban to reiterate the claim she made during her previous intervention at the … [Read more...]
First outcomes of the New Ideal Index
In 2012, Beat Vonlanthen, State Councillor of the Fribourg Canton (CH), proposed to AER members to participate in the IDeal Index project, which aims to establish a new progress indicator at regional level. This new system of measurement should reflect the real progress of a given region—including sustainable development issues. This new indicator was first calculated for a … [Read more...]
Integrated care: beginning of an ambitious project
What is the added value of integrated care? Integrated care is about closing the traditional gap that exists between health and social care: exploring and demonstrating its potential is the mission of the SmartCare, a project co-funded by the European Commission under the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy Support Programme. To this end, SmartCare will … [Read more...]
AER mobilises stakeholders for youth employment
Young people are an asset in times of crisis, help them enter the world of work! At an event on youth employment organized by AER at the College of Europe in Natolin, Warsaw (PL), 100 participants welcomed the fact that the issue of Youth Employment had been recognised as a top priority by all EU Heads of States and Governments, which granted a new amount of 6 billion € for … [Read more...]
AER and Hungarian counties meet Johannes HAHN
On 13th February 2013, Dr. Roland MENGYI, President of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Government and Co-President of the Hungarian National Association of County Governments (MÖOSZ) met, together with AER President Michèle SABBAN, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes HAHN. The meeting, initiated by Mr. MENGYI and set up by AER, focused on the new organisation of … [Read more...]
AER fights for sustainable energy at climate change conference
The voice of the AER, carried by its President Michèle Sabban and over thirty member regions, was strongly heard during the climate change conference, co-organised with the R20 on 31 January and 1 February, in Vienna (A). Already prior to the beginning of the conference, the AER President had the opportunity to present the work of the Assembly on energy policies, … [Read more...]
Enter the International Competition for Cyber Arts (Prix Ars Electronica)
The Land of Öberösterreich (A) advertises the following competition. Since 1987, the Prix Ars Electronica has served as an interdisciplinary platform for everyone who uses the computer as a universal medium for implementing and designing their creative projects at the interface of art, technology and society. Organized by the Ars Electronica Linz GmbH and ORF’s Upper Austria … [Read more...]
AER boosts interregional cooperation on employment and innovation
Unemployment, having become a major challenge affecting regions all across Europe, it is now ever the more important to implement smarter, targeted regional policies aiming to support job creation within each local economy. With this objective in mind AER held a breakfast briefing at the House of Dutch Provinces in Brussels on 24 January, to present how regions can effectively … [Read more...]
AER presents Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU
On 17 January 2013, AER Brussels office organised a Breakfast Briefing for 2013. Kindly hosted by the Irish regions office, the briefing featured the Irish Presidency's priorities for these coming months in the area of Cohesion Policy. Over 30 participants were able to listen to Frank Maughan, Cohesion Attaché in the Irish Permanent Representation, who explained the main … [Read more...]
AER conference “Faced with the crisis: The Regions at Europe’s bedside”
Whereas the debt and Eurozone crisis is not yet solved, discussions about the future EU budget will enter into a new phase at the EU summit (18-19 October). The AER Crisis Summit (21-22 September, Abruzzo (I)) was the opportunity for Regions to provide their input to this debate. To what extent education and training contribute to regional development? How can eco-innovation … [Read more...]