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Digital Health, Wellbeing and Smart Specialisation

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On November 18th, the AER Digital Health Network hosted the webinar Digital Health, Wellbeing, and Smart Specialisation.

The webinar was moderated by Donna Henderson, Chair of AER Digital Health Network. It showcased the experiences of two AER in supporting the development of digital solutions that underpin healthy living and foster collaboration between the public sector, universities, civil organisations, entrepreneurs and businesses.

Kenneth Johannesson, Vice President for Health Innovation of the AER Committee on Social Policy and Public Health opened the webinar by stating that new forms of innovation in digitalisation are necessary to offer more proactive, personal, patient well-being oriented and cost-effective care.

The benefits provided by the digitalisation of services, he explained, such as virtual visits, patient portals, electronic medical records, early disease detection, and better management of chronic conditions contribute to increasing patients’ safety and deployong a competitive healthcare system.

What to do?
Place-based approaches and International Collaboration!

Anders Olsson, Manager of Research and Innovation at the Värmland Department of Regional Growth (SE), noted how the model to foster Smart Specialisation Strategies and the collaboration with the University of Karlstad are instrumental for the regional’ innovation system development.

Existing regional assets are tested, managed, developed, and used to create valuable services for users and society:

  • Forest-based bio-economy specialisation derives from the region’s strong production of paper, packaging, and tissue.
  • The competitive position in testing and developing complex IT systems and the funds given for 10 years from the national innovation authority INNOVA are strong assets for the development of the Digitalisation of Welfare services
  • The high-quality steel industry present in the region allows the support of the Advanced Manufacturing & Complex Systems sector

Mr. Olson stressed the importance of the cooperation agreement with the Karlstad Academy for Smart Specialisation which transforms and renews the private and public sector in Värmland and strengthens research and education across the Universities.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, the new ambition is a well-developed and safe IT environment where the focus is on the human aspect, through testing services with real users, and designing new and better solutions.


Linda Murray, Director of Strategy at Scottish Enterprise then presented Scotland’s broad innovation ecosystem, which brings together government, universities, institutions, civil societies groups, innovation centres, and small-medium enterprises, as well as some more local actors through a joined-up approach.

The priority in light of the Brexit, she noted, is to foster even more international cross-agency collaborations and sustainable linkages between regional innovation ecosystems to develop an inclusive, fair, sustainable, and self-reliant economy and develop new innovative solutions. 

Scotland has contributed to the work on Smart Specialisation in Europe from an early stage and plays a lead role in 3 pilot projects of the Vanguard initiative – a platform where European partners can work to deliver shared aspirations for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth.

Ms. Murray stressed the importance of continuing to influence an open environment because Regional innovation ecosystems can and do develop solutions for significant common societal challenges while improving international competitiveness.

How can be achieved an innovative Digital Health ecosystem?

Magnus Bårdén, Process Leader at the innovation cluster DigitalWell Arena, Region Värmland, Sweden, presented the process of how to establish a trusty ecosystem that creates innovative digital health services.

In this context, the Swedish innovation agency VINNOVA started the programme VINNVÄXT which brings together the public sector, stakeholders, and different service research centers, to establish a health arena by creating, developing, and testing innovative digital health services.

We have to test, before we invest!

Mr. Bårdén, explained the importance of using an approach based on user perspective to build competence for innovation on health and wellbeing focused on individual’s need. In this context, the health arena in Värmland concentrates the activities in a smaller community, by testing new, digital, and innovative ways of ensuring an equal, safe, and inclusive health ecosystem.

Let’s shift the balance of care!

Prof George Crooks, CEO, Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, Glasgow, sets out the approach that refocuses the balance of care and mobilise innovative digital health services, especially in the post-pandemic.

The collaboration with the Scottish government has allowed identifying the key priorities where concentrates more efforts through an innovation process model based on a partnership of collaboration. In this context, joining the forces in co-designing new ways of developing, testing, and sharing innovative digital health services is instrumental to achieve the best outcomes.

Prof Crooks, therefore, presented the Demonstration & Simulation Environment as a best practice from the region, a physical platform where exchange, experience, learn and create new ways to support preventive, co-managed, and predictive care.

The concept behind is to allow citizens to be empowered to access services at their own term and be the point of data integration, to achieve it, solutions need to be flexible to develop digital tools focusing the balance of care to prevention, detection, and independent living.

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AgendaClick here to download
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Cluny Training Seminar: Local democracy for European identity and citizenship

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To register to this event, please download the registration form on the event webpage of the Training Seminar

For the second year in a row, AER is collaborating with the European College of Cluny to provide a training seminar for policymakers, which brings together both academics and practitioners in an interactive format. This year’s seminar is organised together with the European campus of Sciences Po in Dijon and will be held fully online.

The collaboration with the European College of Cluny was initiated in the framework of an initiative led by Committee 3 President Radimir Čačić and aimed at facilitating civil servants exchanges and capacity building in public administration.

Difficult questions for difficult times

This training seminar will look at a question, which is deemed to have no simple answer: How can local democracy help with constructing European identity and citizenship?
Is the European Union irremediably riddled with the distrust of citizens and the rise of Euroscepticism? Although quite common, this dire depiction is neither accurate nor a fatality. And what if a reinvigoration of the European project could come from the local level? This seminar aims to discuss and brainstorm around this intuition that underlies the very purpose of the European College of Cluny.

About the Training seminar

The training seminar will combine lectures, roundtables and discussions with academics and practitioners from different regions in Europe.

The collaborative approach of the training will provide the opportunity to:

  • Share perceptions and thoughts
  • Consolidate knowledge of the latest development of the European Union
  • Further understanding of the European integration process
  • Reflect on the ways in which local authorities can contribute to the development of a“ European grassroots democracy ”

About Science Po – the European campus in Dijon

The European campus of Sciences Po Paris in Dijon hosts about 180 students coming from more than 30 different countries (mostly from France and from Central and Eastern Europe), who follow a multidisciplinary curriculum in social sciences and humanities, with a focus on the EU and the specificities of Central and Eastern Europe.

About European College of Cluny

A higher education and research institution of excellence, strongly European in its spirit, oriented towards the training of future decision-makers who will work within or collaborate with local authorities.  It is oriented towards concrete and practical solutions, emphasising the exchange of good practices, vocational training, and the network effect.

Programme

Monday 9 November

Day one will start off with an Introductory world café, which will be followed by Lecture 1 with Bruno Cautrès, a researcher at CNRS/ Centre for Political Research at Science Po (CEVIFOP). Having experience in the analysis of political behavior and attitudes, sociopolitical divisions related to the question of European integration, he will present the State of public opinion in the European Union.

In the afternoon, Yves Bertoncini, President of the Mouvement Européen-France, Vice-President of European Mouvement International, expert, and consultant on EU affairs will provide Lecture 2 on recent political developments in the European Union from the democratic legitimacy perspective

Tuesday 10 November

In this session, practitioners and speakers will debate on projects led in France aiming at involving citizens in the debate on the EU and its future. Participants will share and exchange good practices on EU-related initiatives led locally in the various Member States.

As one of the most important European case studies, Christian Lequesne will provide Lecture 3 on Brexit, the case study of a rejection of the European project. Professor and researcher at Science Po, he has previously taught at the London School of Economics and holds the charge of director of the CEFRES in Prague and Director of the CERI-Science Po. His main research interests are actors and practices of foreign policies in the EU, French European policy, States and their foreign services, the EU, and Brexit.

Wednesday, 11 November

No programme (holiday in several European countries)

Thursday, 12 November

The last day will be dedicated to the presentations and discussions of the results of a preliminary online survey, and the representatives of the Committee of Regions, AER, and experts in EU affairs will present the Local authorities’ representation in the EU debate. The Training Seminar will come to an end with a Closing World cafe’, groups will brainstorm topics related to previous debates, answering to the question ” What local agendas for promoting European citizenship? How can the European College of Cluny help?

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Cohesion Alliance: Press Release – 27 April 2020

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Deal on EU budget and Recovery Fund is needed by June or delay will put citizens’ safety and cohesion in Europe at risk

Following the video conference of the members of the European Council on 23 April the Cohesion Alliance – an EU-wide alliance calling for a stronger cohesion policy after 2020 – calls for cohesion policy to remain a priority amid talks about the Covid-19 recovery strategy taking regions and cities needs and experience on board.

The fight against the COVID19 pandemic and the relaunch of Europe’s economy are a race against time. Any further delay in securing an adequate EU recovery plan, based on a bold EU budget, will undermine our capacity to protect citizens’ health and social rights, preserve Europe’s productive capacity help businesses survive the emergency and invest in a sustainable future.

We need Member States to take a crucial step ahead for Europe by:

  • securing the continuity of emergency measures backed by cohesion policy in the worse hit countries and territories, with adequate funding and special rules.
  • strengthening the planned investment for cohesion policy 2021-2027 to speed up the recovery and deliver a resilient, more just and sustainable Europe in the longer term. 
  • make sure that extraordinary financial initiatives contribute to social, territorial and economic cohesion by addressing local tax losses and revenues and supporting local and regional authorities – and related public-owned companies – in running local services for citizens in the pandemic and post-pandemic scenario.
  • bringing the negotiations on the future cohesion policy to a successful end to allow for the timely start of the funding period in 2021 and ensure that cohesion policy can be carried forward in the following years.
  • bringing together all levels of government to invest on improved health services across the Union both by increasing the funding for health under cohesion policy and establishing a specialised Health Mechanism. acknowledging the good examples of cross-border and transnational cooperation during the current crisis and actively involving EGTCs, Euroregions and all EU’s border regions in fighting against the virus, as well as in the future economic recovery.

We demand that both the “core” EU budget and the extraordinary financial investment initiatives rely on the experience and knowledge developed by local actors dealing with the pandemic and its consequences. EU investment must benefit from flexibility and simplification but any over-centralisation would seriously undermine its effectiveness.-Cohesion Policy is EU’s best tool to structurally strengthen regions’ and cities’ social and economic development (including health and climate action). It must be strengthened and fully mobilised to enhance the resilience of all local and regional authorities in the long term to ensure they are sufficiently prepared for the economic consequences of the current crisis as well as any future crises and thus complement existing and future emergency reaction instruments.

With regards to the potential reinforcement of the Reform Support Programme, a real involvement of regions and cities in the needs’ assessment and in the shaping of interventions, in close coordination with cohesion policy plans, will be decisive to ensure that no place is left behind and the territorial asymmetric impact of reforms is effectively managed. Furthermore, regions and cities should participate in the debate on how to strengthen the resilience of European societies in dealing with the pandemic crisis and its economic and social effects from a territorial point of view.

It is vital now that EU institutions go ahead in a spirit of solidarity and responsibility. The final outcome of the negotiations cannot be a set of over-centralised funds and uncertain financial instruments, relying only on private markets’ reactiveness. We must provide Europe with an effective mix of tools, where grants and loans are properly balanced, and the partnership principle is fully implemented to better respond to EU citizens’ needs.

Only by finding the courage and the mutual confidence to act together can we lead Europe out of this emergency. 

Contact the Cohesion Alliance Secretariat

The #CohesionAlliance is a coalition of those who believe that EU cohesion policy must continue to be a pillar of the EU’s future.

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Eurobarometer: What do we know about Cohesion Policy?

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The results of the flash Eurobarometer 480 on “Citizens’ awareness and perception of regional policy” were published on 7 October, just in time for the European Week of Regions & Cities. 

The flash survey was carried out on a sample of 700 -1000 respondents in each EU Member State in June 2019.

4 in 10 European citizens are aware of projects funded by cohesion policy. 

Awareness of EU-funded projects has increased significantly since over the last three years. There could be many explanations for this, including an increased effort by the European institutions to communicate about cohesion policy, the 2019 European elections, or potentially even the ongoing Brexit process drawing attention to the merits of EU membership. 

The increased awareness of cohesion policy is especially noteworthy in Italy, Austria, and France with overall highest awareness in Poland (82%) and Slovakia, Czechia, Malta, Croatia, Latvia, Slovenia, Hungary and Lithuania all above 60%. It can be stated that beneficiary countries are more aware of cohesion policy than countries that receive less funding. 

When people are aware of projects funded by cohesion policy in their region, an overwhelming proportion (81%) believes they have a positive impact on their lives. Interestingly, some 19% apparently do not feel that these projects are useful or beneficial to their region. 

Most citizens surveyed believe the EU should invest in education, health and social infrastructures (91%), as well as the environment (90%) and in renewable and clean energy (87%). Topics such as support to SMEs (81%), research and innovation (80%), training (78%) and transport (75%) follow. These topics are fully in line with the proposed priorities for a smarter, greener and more social Europe as well as with the draft arrangements to strengthen coordination with other EU funds. 

Respondent also believe regional policy should invest in ALL regions (58% in 2019, compared to 47% in 2010) but granting priority to regions with high unemployment (69%), deprived urban areas (54%) and remote rural or mountain areas (52%). These results are similarly coherent with the proposals for 2021-2027 where regions will benefit based largely on GDP per capita but also new criteria such as youth unemployment, low eductaion level, climate change, and reception and integration of migrants. 

The moral of the story? The more people know about regional policy & cohesion funding, the more they see its benefits and perceive its impact as positive.

How can the EU, networks and regions themselves better communicate Cohesion Policy? AER is working on this topic as part of the Together4Cohesion project, where 15 local events will take place in 5 European countries to highlight in the regions, how cohesion funding makes a difference to the everyday lives of EU citizens. Visit together4cohesion.eu to learn more. 

Together4Cohesion
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Will you help us to rEUnite Europe?

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Ever heard of European Cohesion Funds?

… said nobody ever…

According to a Eurobarometer survey from June 2017, in some regions, up to 95.3% of the population consider Cohesion Policy useful. This sounds great – but do people actually know about the EU’s investments in regions more generally? 

The study revealed that only 35% of EU citizens are aware of projects funded by EU cohesion policy in their region. The most shocking fact that the survey revealed was that of all people interviewed, only 4% have heard about Cohesion Policy.

Cohesify.eu found similar results: Asking “What do citizens think of Cohesion Policy and does it matter for European identity?” to focus groups in 16 regions across Europe, the participants recognise that Cohesion policy matters for improving the quality of life in their area, but feel they are inadequately informed:

Participants identified the lack of communication – defined as the insufficient publicity of Cohesion policy – as an important problem in the implementation of Cohesion policy. People think they are inadequately informed and expect European, national and regional government authorities to step up their communication about EU policies and fulfil their obligation to inform the public. The effort to communicate Cohesion policy should be reinforced. […] (Pegan, Mendes & Triga, 2018, p. 33)

There are many examples of how European Cohesion Policy Funds support people’s daily lives. Whether it’s transport, healthcare, communication, leisure activities, community life – Cohesion Policy aims to reduce economic and social disparities and to promote sustainable development (read more about Cohesion Funds here). 

That is why AER has partnered up with mc Group to finally spill the secrets of success stories and best practices from European regions!  

Together, we want to ensure that your efforts are visible: through the European funded project ‘Let’s rEUnite‘, we want to tell these stories to all citizens across Europe.

As such, we’re keen on hearing your success stories! Did your region recently design a campaign on beneficial outcomes for your citizens? Are you working on a best-practice which benefitted citizens? (for example, in healthcare, sustainability, etc.) Have you had a push on engagement together with other partners in your region? How do you show your citizens that they benefit from services provided with Cohesion Funds?

Submit your campaign – with Let’s rEUnite it gets heard on a European level!

Let us know about your Cohesion Communication Campaign in this form:

Cohesion Communication Campaign Survey

We also want to hear about your upcoming events!

Whether it’s a local fair, a presentation for entrepreneurs or a two-day food festival: let us know where your locals meet!

Insert your local event for our European Cohesion Calendar in this form:

European Cohesion Calendar

Our aim is to provide all project partners & friends with a comprehensive guide on communication strategies for their policy projects. The main outcome of Let’s rEUnite is a central website hub which will garner attention not only from the EU Institutions but also from the regions and citizens themselves!

Therefore, help us in shaping a campaign that best suits you by replying to the two forms above before 24th May!

Featured image: by Luca Upper on Unsplash

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Brexit and the Brussels-Capital Region

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This article, written by the Brussels-Capital Region, is part of our Brexit & European Regions Series.

The Brussels-Capital Region is important to the United Kingdom both in terms of economic opportunity as with respect to its citizens working in international institutions and the private sector. As the Brexit date approaches, businesses and citizens both in Brussels and in the UK are not only getting ready for potential adverse effects – opportunities are on their radar as well.


Economic ties and Brexit as an opportunity for the Brussels-Capital Region

The UK is the fourth largest commercial partner of the Brussels-Capital Region. About 700 Brussels’ businesses export to the United Kingdom, and 55,000 jobs are concerned.

Hence, strong economic ties between the UK and Brussels are and will continue to be an important factor in the relationship. As one of the global “city-regions”, Brussels plays a vital role in the world economy because of the direct link to the international financial system and global multinational companies.

Although it is difficult to determine the exact impact of Brexit on Brussels’ economy, the UK’s departure could also create economic opportunities.

In order to prepare for Brexit, the Brussels-Capital Region has been targeting UK-based businesses which are likely to relocate in order to continue benefitting from being part of the European internal market. To do so, the region has launched the campaign “The future is close. Brussels is yours”, which was designed under the leadership of the Brussels Secretary of State for Foreign Trade with the help of Brussels International and Hub.Brussels. The finance and insurance sector, the audiovisual industry and life sciences were specifically targeted by the campaign.

The Expat Welcome Desk as administrative support for UK citizens in Brussels

Furthermore, as capital of the European Union, Brussels hosts numerous international organisations. It is estimated that around 1300 UK civil servants are working within the EU institutions alone. More largely, approximately 8500 UK citizens live in Brussels.

The Expat Welcome Desk (EWD) of the Office of the Brussels Commissioner for Europe and International Organisations offers a personalised administrative assistance service to the international community in Brussels. This public service gives UK citizens in Brussels guidance on all Brexit-related issues. British residents in Brussels are facing a period of uncertainty. They hope to be able to continue their lives in this region, where they have built up their professional careers and where they live together with their families. Although satisfactory solutions to the question of reciprocal citizens’ rights remains a priority of the negotiations, many issues remain regarding healthcare, schooling, tax, pensions and rights of residence.

In addition, the EWD is often consulted on the acquisition of Belgian nationality, which is a complex procedure involving several administrative levels. It appears to be a promising area for British expats since Belgium – unlike many other EU member states – accepts double nationality. Having spoken at most seminars and Brexit events for UK citizens in the Brussels Region, the EWD experiences on a daily basis that the prospect of a hard Brexit is particularly confusing and even frightening for them, let alone a no-deal Brexit. Although Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister stated that safeguarding citizens’ rights in case of no-deal “is a priority”, both for Brits in Belgium and Belgians across the Channel in the UK, much uncertainty remains.

If your region would like to contribute an article to this series on Brexit & European regions, please do not hesitate to contact the AER Communications Team ([email protected])

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AER at Democracy Alive

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From 11 to 13 April 2019, AER attended the Democracy Alive festival on the island of Texel, North Holland (NL). Organised by European Movement in collaboration with the European Parliament it brought together citizens, stakeholders and elected representatives for three days of discussions, workshops and entertainment on the Future of Europe and the importance of active citizenship at European level.

The festival opened with a performance by Irish comedian Andrew Maxwell before participants at the main stage were joined by Michel Barnier, EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit, fresh out of discussions the evening before which resulted in the United Kingdom and European Union extending the Brexit deadline to 31 October 2019.

Talking Europe with Michel Barnier at DemFest

Mr. Barnier spoke in-depth about the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, summing it up in five short words: “Le Brexit – c’est lose-lose” before urging the audience, largely young people active in civil society around Europe to “take care of Europe”.

The importance of safeguarding democracy was the underlying theme of the festival. In the opening discussion by the Alliance of Democracy, of which AER is a member, Magnus Berntsson, President of AER said: “Why do we face challenges in democratic processes across Europe? Our society needs to be built from the bottom: We need to pay more attention to local politics. Strengthening the regional levels within the political system is vital to implement democracy for citizens on an everyday basis.”

We need to bring improvements in the living conditions and better opportunities to our citizens. Human rights and democracy go hand in hand. Cooperation between the various stakeholders, including local and regional authorities, civil society, businesses and academia, is essential to achieve progress. The implementation of the principle of subsidiarity is also key to ensure the EU delivers for its citizens.  “If we don’t vote, we can’t complain afterwards” The European elections are too important to leave to the others”

The AER President also spoke at the AER pavilion in a discussion with the European Parliament and Young European Federalists about the I Choose Europe campaign – part of AER’s ongoing Road to the Future EU-funded project. The consensus in this discussion was the importance of encouraging young people to get out to vote in the upcoming May 2019 European Parliament Elections.

Magnus Berntsson intervening at the Plastics…Not So Fantastic debate

On Thursday evening, Magnus also participated in a high-level panel discussion organised by a consortium of actors, led by Metro Public Policy, on responsible business and plastics at the beautiful Burghtkerk in Den Burg, Texel. In the debate he stressed the importance of subnational actors in transitioning to green growth and implementing the 2030 Agenda. Furthermore, he highlighted that public bodies should use procurement as a means to incentivise a sustainable economy by creating new markets for green, bio-based plastics. In doing so he gave the example of the healthcare sector in Västra Götaland where his region leads by example.

On Friday morning, attention turned to the topics of cohesion and equality in Europe during a panel discussion hosted at the AER pavilion. Vania Freitas, responsible for institutional relations and advocacy at AER intervened in the discussion alongside representatives from the European Trade Union Confederation, European Women’s Lobby and AEGEE – the European Student’s Forum. The panel was also joined by Juan Camilo Roman Estrada, an Icelandic actor and activist of Argentinian origin, whose film Woman at War won the European Parliament Lux Film Prize in 2018. The discussion was moderated by Erica Lee, Event and Communications Coordinator for AER.

Vania Freitas, Advocacy & Institutional Relations, speaking at ‘Mind the Gap’ discussion

Throughout the festival, members of the AER team had the opportunity to speak to local people from Texel as well as holidaymakers visiting the island and participants who had arrived especially from across the EU for the festival. While promoting the AER EU-funded project “Road to the Future” and the “I choose Europe” campaign with JEF, we had the opportunity to meet Commissioner and Spitzenkandidat Margarethe Vestager for a brief chat.

The Eurodyssey programme was of particular interest to many of the young attendees, not only because of the stylish sunglasses that we prepared for the event, but also because of its nature as a wonderful opportunity to afford young people the chance to live and work in another European region. Adriana Andrés i Comas, from the Catalan Public Service of Employment, and Andrés Muñoz Rojo, AER Programmes Coordinator and a former Eurodyssey trainee himself, were on hand to provide answers to the many questions posed about the programme.

Visitors and passers-by alike were curious to see the many different regions of Europe highlighted on the AER regions maps and the AER team members were more than happy to spend time discussing our work on everything from education and e-health through to mobility and cohesion with the many guests who visited us and our EUnicorn at the AER pavilion.

On Saturday morning, AER was delighted to welcome new friends from OPENS 2019, the organisation behind the European Youth Capital 2019 in Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia. The OPENS 2019 team brought great energy and warmth to a snowy morning on Texel as they explained their successful strategy that made Novi Sad this year’s European Youth Capital. Speaking to a full pavilion of interested listeners, they also invited the audience to see Novi Sad for themselves through the means of virtual reality goggles. AER’s Summer Academy will take place this July in Novi Sad so AER members too will soon have the opportunity to learn first hand about the great work OPENS 2019 are doing in the context of the European Youth Capital.

The workshop hosted by OPENS2019 – promoting AER Summer Academy and the European Youth Capital 2019 – Novi Sad

As a network of regions across Europe, AER is proud to have taken part in the Democracy Alive festival and to have had the chance to meet with local people on Texel to discuss issues close to their hearts relating to European affairs and the upcoming European elections. Subsidiarity is at the core of our work and we believe that it is important that discussions about the future of Europe take place not only in Brussels or Strasbourg but in every corner of the continent, every EU member state, every European region.

@europeanregions at #demfest
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Romanian-Bulgarian cross-border regional cooperation: successes, challenges, and the way forward

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The Assembly of European Regions counts among its members four Romanian counties that share a border with Bulgaria. The Danube River winds along the southern edge of Mehendenti, Dolj, Olt, and Calarasi. For these regions, as with border regions across Europe, collaborations with neighbours across the border was not historically always the rule.

With the beginning of the EU accession process for Romania and Bulgaria in the mid-2000s, however, came new legal and financial capacities for a deeper interaction between border regions. Two major EU contributions to a reimagining of territorial cooperation in the region are the Romania-Bulgaria Cross-Border Cooperation Programme, currently in the form of Interreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria and the Danube Region Strategy. Nonetheless, several obstacles to coordination and collaboration between Romanian and Bulgarian border regions remain in place and new challenges emerge on the horizon.

On 7 Nov, AER attended  a workshop in the Euractiv offices in Brussels to discuss Romanian-Bulgarian cross-border regional cooperation. The event was co-organised by the Cross-Border Cooperation Regional Office Calarsi, an organisation that works closely with AER member Calarasi County Council (RO) among other stakeholders. Participants with a wide variety of perspectives sat down for an animated discussion about the value of coordinated actions and projects along the border as well as how partners can address challenges and improve upon past successes going into the future.

What do regions gain from cross-border cooperation?

All those present expressed a belief in the value of cooperation between border regions. While harnessing the economic potential of cooperation was a major focal point, participants unanimously praised the boons for human connection across the Romanian-Bulgarian border. Nathalie Verschelde, Deputy Head of Unit Cross-Border Cooperation and Internal Borders DG REGIO, underlined the role of cross-border projects in facilitating intercultural exchange and building trust between neighbouring regions.

Strahil V. Krapchanski, the Vice Mayor of Ruse (BG), presented successes from his city’s sustained collaboration with the Romanian city of Giurgiu. Since 2007, traffic between Romania and Bulgaria has increased fourfold, with much of it crossing over the Danube Bridge connecting Giurgiu and Ruse. Krapchanski attributes much of the increased movement to effective collaboration of authorities on either side of the border. Emblematic of this collaboration is the ambitious common urban masterplan shared by the cities. In addition to facilitating the implementation of solutions to common problems, initiatives like these, with their connections to EU funding programs and regional development strategies, allow local and regional authorities to upscale their priorities and give them leverage in pressuring central administrations in their respective countries, Krapchanski argued.

What challenges do border regions face?

Primary among the obstacles to cross-border cooperation, in the case of Bulgarian and Romanian regions, is the border itself. The Danube River is currently crossed by only two bridges along its stretch between Romania and Bulgaria. Bulgarian MEP Kouroumbashev (S&D) contends this far lower density of road and rail connections than in other stretches of the Danube, puts border regions at a disadvantage, and that political commitments to further bridge construction would be necessary going forward if greater bounds in cooperation were to be made.

A reduction in financial resources is also a challenge that partners are likely to face in the next programming period. The post-Brexit decrease in funding for cohesion funds proposed by the Commission, if confirmed by the Council and the Parliament, will be felt also in a reduction of funds available for Interreg projects. Calin Chira, Coordinator of the Cohesion Policy Section of Romania’s Permanent Representation to the EU, estimated that, in total, Romania would see its cohesion funds fall by 23% under the current proposal. With increasingly limited resources, improving the absorption rate and efficient use of Interreg funds will be a major concern in the coming years.

Where does the future lie for cross-border regional cooperation?

A common theme was the need going forward for cooperation among regions outside the framework of EU funding projects. Kouroumbashev held that national governments in the two countries could not afford to wait for Europe to step in to develop strategic initiatives to connect either side of the Danube. Verschelde, for her part, saw a future in the promotion of multilingualism, non-governmental cooperation, and attempts to “erase legal borders” through neighbours’ recognition of each other’s laws in border areas.

Participants’ visions for the future of cross-border cooperation sometimes differed when it came to the issue of the scale at which cross-border cooperation projects and initiatives should be evaluated. Michaela Kauer, Director of the Brussels Liaison Office for the City of Vienna, argued that cooperation on a bilateral basis was not sufficient and that the expertise and experience of bigger cities in the wider Danube region were necessary in developing smart solutions to common problems. Kouroumbashev often spoke of the wider geopolitical implications of cross-border cooperation, especially concerning relations with Russia, Turkey, and China. Verschelde, meanwhile, voiced a concern that transport infrastructure and other cross-border projects often serve wider EU-level objectives while not adequately responding to the local needs and concerns of those residing in cross-border regions.

Both Verschelde and Krapchanski advocated for a long-term, integrated reframing of territorial cooperation. As Verschelde put it, partners should “conceive of the area as a single territory,” working together to make complementary investments for an efficient employment of available resources. A rebalancing between large-scale and small-scale projects would also likely be necessary, in her opinion, in light of the above-mentioned budget cuts. Karapchanski voiced a desire for decision-makers to build synergies between cross-border cooperation programmes and operational programmes.

Whatever the future holds, AER will be there for its members. If you are looking for funding, project partners, or projects to join, the project unit is ready to give a helping hand. As an AER member, you can also share knowledge with regions facing similar challenges and make your voice heard at the European level. Be on the lookout for an upcoming position paper on the Commission’s Cohesion Policy Proposal as well as a manifesto for the upcoming European Elections. Never hesitate to contact the Secretariat with questions or concerns, and be sure to follow our newsletter for updates like this and to stay up to speed on all of AER’s activities.

European Projects

Agnese Pantaloni

Phone: +32 2 400 10 52
E-mail: a.pantaloni(at)aer.eu
Skype ID: agnesepanta
Languages: it, en, pt

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Fresh news from last AER Bureau Meeting in Oppland!

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Following the past AER General Assembly which took place in Lillehammer (Oppland, NO) on 23 May, the Bureau members got together on Thursday 24 May to discuss key issues concerning the future of the cohesion policy budget and AER overall political direction and priorities for 2018-2019. The Bureau is the primary political voice of AER and establishes the political base for AER lobbying and advocacy actions by preparing strategical positions and decisions on European and global affairs affecting regions.

Welcome words and introduction

The Bureau Meeting was opened by Ms. Aud Hove, Deputy County Mayor of Oppland, who stressed the repercussions and challenges that climate change entails for policy-making urging to take advantage of the window of opportunities awaiting to build a green and sustainable future.

Mathieu Mori, AER Secretary General, outlined very briefly the main points of the Bureau meeting agenda:

Position on new EU cohesion policy budget

On 2 May 2018, the European Commission announced its proposal for the new EU budget which will be followed by detailed legislative proposals to frame cohesion policy after 2020. This new architecture for funding is crucial for the regions to fulfil their social, economic and territorial cohesion objectives. Overall, the Commission proposes a long-term budget of €1.135 billion in commitments (expressed in 2018 prices) over the period from 2021 to 2027, equivalent to 1.11% of the EU27’s gross national income. This level of commitment translates into €1.105 billion (or 1.08% of gross national income) in payments in 2018 prices.

Mr. Michiel Rijsberman, AER Rapporteur for the Cohesion Policy Task Force, made a short introduction on the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) for the 2021-2027 period pointing out that important EU contributors (such as France, the Netherlands or Austria) have expressed reluctance to increase their share of the budget in concept of payment for the Brexit bill. Another remarkable aspect of the MMF is the fact that the European Social Fund (ESF) will turn into ESF +. Despite this fact, it is foreseen that the ESF may be expanded, and Bureau members demanded greater clarity regarding its future and impact on regions.

In this context, Mathieu Mori invited Bureau members to discuss and adopt the AER statement on the future cohesion policy budget to guide AER’s advocacy work in the negotiation process. In order to boost the debate, Bureau members were divided into six working groups to discuss the draft and possible amendments.

Following the discussions and the amendment process, the Bureau Statement on the Future of the Cohesion Budget was unanimously approved!

New political horizons for the Bureau meeting!

The discussion on the EU budget was followed by a brainstorming session to raise specific issues of concern for the Bureau political discussion in the year ahead. In order to do so, the Bureau members were asked to work in groups in order to put forward other possible topics besides the ones proposed by the AER Executive Board (EB) on the previous day –namely, digitalisation, EU Pillar for Social Rights, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and migration–.

Andrew Gibson, AER Vice-President from Hampshire county (UK), referred, on the topic of migration, to the EU position document on migration and asylum which sets out a new plan for a sustainable policy to strengthen the cooperation among EU countries as well as providing a more flexible funding to address migration and the inclusion of immigrants and refugees in society. Andrew Gibson pointed out that AER must contribute to this European Agenda by sharing the knowledge and good practices of regions.

Mr. Jean Luc Vanraes, President of AER Committee 1 for Economy and Regional Development, addressed the Bureau members stating that the digital, new technology and public affairs policy stream is preparing the next generation of actors to leverage the nexus of interactions between exponential technologies, public affairs and civil society. The digital revolution is transforming the inner workings of our economies, businesses, democracies, social models and public affairs. The regions therefore need to take the lead and invest in this strategic sector where many jobs will be created.

Ms. Anna Magyar, AER Vice President for EU enlargement, took the floor to stress the importance of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) for the economic development of regions. The CAP is a vital policy enabling farmers to provide a stable food supply, produced in a sustainable way at affordable prices for the benefit of more than 500 million European consumers. Considering it is a key policy for integration and development, and in view of the next financial period pos-2020 which tends to decrease the budget for the CAP, Ms. Anna Magyar suggested to the Bureau members to do a strong lobby for keeping the budget.

Mr. Mihai Ritivoiu, President of AER Committee 2 for Social Policy and Public Health, proposed the Bureau members to contribute to the European Pillar of Social Rights, by formulating recommendations based on the good practices of regions in the areas of equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working condition and social protection and inclusion.

Finally, Ms. Irén Lejegren (Örebro), suggested to work on the topic of food safety, which has a profound effect on regional development, not only in terms of production but also in terms of environmental challenges. In her view, the EU current level of legislation needs further development in the field of food safety and lacks an approach on sustainable development in line with the 2030 Agenda.

Following this round of presentations, the Bureau members decided by means of a vote to pick food safety, digitalisation and migration as priority matters for the next year.

Social innovation is now on the Bureau Agenda!

In the context of the ongoing reflection on the future of Europe and evolving discussions on the new EU budget and priorities for the programming period after 2020, Magnus Berntsson stated that social innovation can bring new solutions that address social challenges and improve the effectiveness of public policies and services, promoting growth and well-being. 

Vania Freitas, AER Institutional Relations & Advocacy Coordinator, introduced this topic –proposed by Mr. Albert Castellanos, AER Vice President – by sharing the definition of social innovation presented by the EU Commission in its Guide to Social Innovation, its key aspects and approaches. The idea is to shift the innovation process by focusing on the needs of the people and engaging them in the solutions developed to meet those needs, at the adequate territorial level of intervention. 

After this presentation, Bureau members were broken up into groups to explore the potential contributions of social innovation to growth and jobs, social equity and more healthy communities, and discuss the processes that facilitates social innovation and harness its positive potential to support social sustainability at regional level.

The outcomes of this discussion will lead to a political position at the next Bureau meeting in Autumn!Follow AER!

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AER at Regional Airports Conference in Naples

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AER expert on regional airports, Roger Estefors has been invited to speak at a panel on “Changes in airline strategies and their impact on regional airports” at the ACI Europe’s 11th Regional Airports’ Conference & Exhibition. Roger Estefors provides members of the AER Working group on Transports and Mobility with regular updates on changes in legislation affecting the ability of regions to support their regional airports and indeed their connectivity. In the below article, he shares insights on the upcoming conference, which will take place from 14-16 May in Naples (IT).

AER has been contributing to the ACI Europe events for the last five years. From an AER perspective it is of great value to have the opportunity to take part in an event were a broad representation of European Regional Airports are present. The connections and the information available at these events provide elements to  address questions such as development and business models, regulations and threats or opportunities for the AER member regions in the management of their own regional airport.

This year’s programme feature a broad spectrum of current issues and addresses the strategic pillars of dynamic regional development. The event will also host the 27th meeting of ACIs Regional Airports’ Forum, a most active group created in 2006.

Among the items to be discussed we can notice that Brexit will be on the agenda as well as the implications for regional airports with a high percentage of British passengers.

Another item on the conference agenda, which is relevant to many AER regions with smaller airports, is the degree of benefits from implementation and use of remote technologies.

One of the sessions during the conference will focus on the effects on regional airports due to the shift within the more dominating airline companies’ strategic thinking. Notable is that large airline groups continue their consolidation. LCC (Low Cost Airline) Companies such as Ryanair, in the first line, are now changing their strategy on which airports they serve. The dynamic effects of these shifts in strategies entail an increasing risk for the smaller players to be outnumbered. Further developed business models by the dominating LCC companies towards Long Haul LCC in combination with new and more efficient regional aircrafts will change route dynamics.

Airport Council International Europe, ACI Europe, represents over 500 airports in 45 European countries. The member airports facilitate over 90% of commercial air traffic in Europe with 2 billion passengers, 20 million tonnes of freight and 23.7 million aircraft movements in 2016. The member airports contribute yearly to the employment of 12.3 people, generating some € 675 billion GDP in Europe.  ACIs European operations are executed from its office in Brussels and  its mission is primarily based on airport operators of all sizes, along with national airport associations, educational establishments and world business partners.

 

 

 

 

Roger Estefors, from Västerbotten (SE), is the expert on regional airports for the AER Working Group on Transports and Mobility.Follow AER!

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AER meets with the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions

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A busy week in Brussels

On 26 and 27 September, AER President Magnus Berntsson, Vice-President Anna Magyar and Rapporteur on the future of cohesion policy Michiel Rijsberman met with EU Commissioners Corina Creţu and Günther Oettinger, and the President of the Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz in Brussels. The meetings covered the future of the EU budget and cohesion policy beyond 2020.

In continuation of this series of meetings, AER President Magnus Berntsson participated in the Structured Dialogue held on the 27 September with Commissioner Crețu, Commissioner Oettinger and European associations of cities and regions on the Reflection Paper on the future of EU finances.

Magnus Berntsson outlined AER’s position on the future of cohesion policy, stating that the need for a strong cohesion policy for all regions is as important as ever if the EU is to successfully address challenges faced today and effectively deliver the results for a greater economic, social and territorial cohesion beyond 2020.

As negotiations get underway on the future EU Budget and the shape of cohesion policy post 2020, Commissioner Creţu expressed her support for a modernised and simplified policy for all regions. In face of the EU budget shortfall due to the increased challenges and to Brexit, Commissioners Creţu and Oettinger called for regional and local authorities to scale up efforts to increase the visibility of cohesion policy and push national governments to step up their contributions to the future EU Budget.

And the time to do that is now!

The European Commission is currently finalising its 7th Report on economic, social and territorial cohesion, to be presented at the European Week of Regions and cities in Brussels on 9-12 October 2017. Later in the year/beginning of 2018, it will be holding an open consultation to gather input for the definition of the future cohesion policy. The findings will feed into the reform proposals the Commission is expected to set out by June 2018.

As for the EU political level, the Estonian Presidency expects to advance the discussions on the future of the EU Cohesion Policy already in the General Affairs Council of 15 November 2017. The negotiations will then be further developed during the Bulgarian and Austrian Presidencies, following the publication of the Commission’s proposals for the renewed policy in mid-2018.

The European Parliament will also formulate its position in preparation for the inter-institutional negotiations with the Council on the rules and regulations for implementing the future EU cohesion policy.

In parallel, the Commission will also prepare its proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), including cohesion policy allocations, by May 2018.

AER is looking to these next steps in the EU budget and cohesion policy discussions and will continue to make inroads into European institutions, as well as national parliaments and governments, to shape a future cohesion policy that is able to deliver on the sustainable and inclusive development of European regions.

Together with other European associations of regions and cities and the Committee of the Regions, AER will engage in a broad Cohesion Alliance to advocate for a stronger, more effective and visible cohesion policy for all regions in the EU. The campaign will be launched during the European Week of Regions on the 11 October at the event Building the Cohesion Alliance – new ideas and next steps. We encourage you all to join the Coalition and sign up to its Key Principles.

The upcoming Bureau meeting in Maastricht on 29 November will be a great opportunity to look into the current challenges and future prospects for regional development in Europe; and to develop a common vision on the future of Europe and the direction the EU budget and cohesion policy should take.Follow AER!

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#RoR2017 – This week’s focus: Brexit

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The Brexit dilemma: redrawing the map

The vote to leave the European Union after over 40 years membership threw up some major challenges for the United Kingdom, not least for the regions. Whilst England and Wales voted out, Scotland and Northern Ireland supported “Remain”. The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly said, “Scotland will not be taken out of the EU against its will”, but how that should come about is unclear. In the last year Scotland has been given even more autonomy especially on tax rates and welfare and has a special status amongst the four regions making up the UK which include England.

In all the population of the UK is around 65 million with just five million in Scotland, 1.8 million in Northern Ireland and just over three million in Wales. But also in England there are regional differences with London and major cities more pro-European than the urban North where job losses have ensued as a result of declining industries. With the direct election of Mayors large cities such as London, Bristol and Manchester assume greater political weight and promote their own agendas. Strong personalities characterise many of these mayoral politicians who have a chance to build up their own power base separate from that of their party. In all the United Kingdom is far more diverse than it was twenty years ago before the establishment of the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.

Click here for the full study by Melanie Sully.

 

You can learn more about the experts on regionalisation here.

 

The Report on the state of Regionalisation in Europe.

More than 40 experts contributed to this work, by delivering detailed reports about the state of regionalisation and multilevel governance in chosen European countries. The study covers 41 countries, and each country report is based on a similar structure, thereby allowing a comparative approach among all studied countries.

  • The first part of the report gives the political impetus from the main European stakeholders
  • The second part of this report entails a summarised version of the country reports. The objective is to provide interested readers with a short overview of the main features of regionalisation in various European countries. The complete versions of the country reports are available on the AER website, under LINK
  • The third part provides a thematic approach based on the main findings delivered by the country reports and the current state of regionalisation in Europe. The trends and outlooks lead to open questions on the future of the regions in the European landscape, and more broadly on the role of subnational authorities in the shaping of the continent.
  • The fourth part gives the floor to the actual regional decision-makers in Europe, across a series of interviews and statements by Presidents, Vice-Presidents and elected representatives of the European regions.

Over the next months, we will be focusing on a different European country’s approach to regionalisation. During these months, look out for #RoR2017 on Twitter and/or Facebook and follow us at @europeanregions.

Strong European regions are a pathway to a stronger Europe.

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What Brexit means for local government – insight from British Member of Parliament

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For our very first cocktail debate, we were honoured to welcome Mr Jim Mc Mahon, British Labour and Co-operative Party politician, MP for Oldham West and Royton, who spoke of the challenges and opportunities that local governments face in the wake of Brexit. As our moderator Mr Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of LGIU put it, it is difficult to ignore the elephant in the room when holding meetings in London these days. So after an expert panel discussion on sustainable financing for regions earlier that day, AER members tuned in for a passionate and open story of what is at stake for local government to prepare for the future of the United Kingdom.

Addressing his audience directly, Mr Jim Mc Mahon strongly assured AER members that regardless of Brexit, the labour party and its constituents believe that “we are stronger together and by working together we achieve more”. Of course, as AER brings together regions from within and outside the borders of the EU to act in one, unified, voice, this is essentially preaching to the choir, but it does keep thoughts of adversity from across the Channel at bay.

Mr Mc Mahon confirmed that many of the issues that may have pushed his fellow constituents to vote in favour of Brexit were not a direct result of the EU decisions, but rather failure from within the UK, such as poor housing, poor jobs, a slow economy and a more general feeling of being left behind by globalisation. So although the UK leaving the EU may well be collateral damage of internal unrest, it is the reality that politicians now have to deal with. “My job is to define what a post-Brexit England can be” stated the MP, and the backbone of this is “pushing power and control down to the people and away from self-serving politicians”. Mr Mc Mahon used the common analogy of a divorce between the UK and the EU, which he hopes will go as smoothly as possible, but adding emphasis on the post-divorce situation; “people need to see a difference after Brexit, they need to see a change, we fear the rise of an anti-politic mood otherwise.”

The other real risk is that the United Kingdom may not survive the test and Mr Mc Mahon was quite clear that he stands to defend the interests of England which may otherwise come out losing as the different countries raise the issue of their independence. “England needs a strong voice around the table in the midst of the this soul-searching about the type of UK we want to build”.

In his concluding remarks, the MP confirmed “we value our relationship with the people in Europe, we have shared values and beliefs and whether we are in or out of the EU, this will not change”

In his intervention earlier that day, Councillor David Simmonds from the Local Government Association, addressed Brexit from a finance and trade agreements perspective. The disparities that exist between different regions and countries within the EU is also true within the United Kingdom; the funding received from central government is very different one city or county to the next. Cllr Simmonds insisted on the relevance of local authorities to play a new role and build on their expertise in the area of procurement. He concluded by adding that local authorities need to maintain their involvement on EU level through networks such as AER.

AER has embraced the issue of Brexit under the more general question of what is the future for Europe. Cllr Roy Perry, Leader of Hampshire County Council, addressed the AER Bureau in October 2016 on “A post-Brexit system: How will Europe be reshuffled?” after which AER members adopted a declaration looking at three main parameters for the future of Europe; (1) vision and values, (2) patterns and institutions, (3) communicate and promote. The final text “Status quo is not an option” was adopted and serves as AER’s key position for the coming talks and discussions.Follow AER!

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Cohesion policy’s challenges and the voice of AER

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Challenges posed to the EU cohesion policy, according to EPRS

Last month the European Parliament Research Service issued a briefing on the issues in the forthcoming post-2020 reform, entitled “Challenges for EU cohesion policy,” which was authored by Mr. Vasilis Margaras, Policy Advisor, European Parliament.  In a nutshell, there are numerous issues facing the post-2020 EU cohesion policy reform. They cover a range of topics, such as the 2020-2026 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the impact of Brexit, economic governance and reform, flexibility with a focus on new policy challenges, performance and simplification, financial instruments and European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the urban agenda of the EU with consideration to areas with geographic specificities, alternative indicators to GDP, a stronger focus on lagging regions, and the outlook.

AER’s work on cohesion policy

We, at the Assembly of European Regions (AER), are aware of the challenges facing the EU cohesion policy and have put a strong emphasis on it. In fact, in the past year, AER has focused a big part of its efforts on the future of the EU cohesion policy. In the course of the past year, AER made two political declarations on the renewed regional policy post 2020 and the importance of regional policy. In addition, AER has held a conference on the contribution of the EU Regional Policy towards the management of future challenges. Lastly, Mr. Michiel Rijsberman, Regional Minister in the Province of Flevoland (NL), was appointed Rapporteur on the future of cohesion policy in June 2016, and is currently leading a task force on cohesion policy post-2020.

How to get involved with AER on cohesion policy?

  1. You can voice your region’s interests by taking the questionnaire, whose goal is to give a comprehensive overview of the issues at stake for AER member regions regarding cohesion policy.
  2. You can join the Task Force and take an active role in drafting AER’s position on the future of cohesion policy.
  3. You can join us for the first meeting of the Task Force in the framework of the Committees’ Spring Plenary in London on 23 March 2017.
  4. You can participate in the Bureau meeting in Lower Austria (AT)  on 1 June 2017 and join the discussions for the political declaration.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the AER Secretariat!Follow AER!

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Cocktail Debate: a new concept to discover in London

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A brand new concept, combining pleasant times and useful discussions, we are proud to introduce you with our first Cocktail Debate to take place on 21 March in London, at 5 PM, in the framework of the AER Committees’ Spring Plenary. After the opening conference on sustainable financing for the regions, all participants are invited to a networking drink to celebrate reunions with your peers from Europe or simply top get to know each other better.

To introduce this networking session, two contradictory speakers will have 10 minutes each to underline their main arguments regarding the consequences of the Brexit for subnational authorities in UK and in Europe. After the speeches, the floor is open to the questions of the audience, and we encourage all participants to continue the discussions in an informal and relaxed way, and chat over a glass of your favorite drink.

The discussions on Brexit and the many unknown consequences it may bring are still high on the AER agenda. The AER Bureau adopted a declaration in Vienna in October 2016, reminding the European decision-makers that status quo is not an option for the European regions, which was widely distributed to all European Commissioners and Members of the European Parliament.

Not registered for London yet? Hurry up, there’s only a few places left!Follow AER!

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