Assembly of European Regions

Connecting regions, inspiring Europe since 1985

You are here: Home / Archives for Climate change

This is the tag for all posts relating to climate change.

Bio-based Innovation to Decarbonise the Construction Sector

By

On 6 December, the day before the AER Bureau, the AER Working Group on the Bioeconomy is organising a workshop on “The Bioeconomy & the New European Bauhaus“, which will look at bio-based innovation in the construction sector.

Bio-based innovation: a catalyst for change

The bio-based sector or bioeconomy, is a catalyst for systemic change. Indeed it opens new ways of producing and consuming resources while respecting our planetary boundaries. It contributes therefore directly to achieving the economic, social and environmental goals of the European Union’s Green Deal.

Massive impact in the construction sector

The construction sector has a considerable environmental impact, during the whole life cycle of buildings (construction, use, demolition) as well as the life cycle of construction materials.

In this context, bio-sourced construction materials, if managed in a sustainable way during their whole life cycle, have a major role in the decarbonisation of the construction sector. The development of technological innovation, value chains and skills ecosystems require however intense collaboration across sectors.

Creativity, sustainability, inclusion: it’s possible!

The New European Bauhaus is a creative and interdisciplinary EU initiative that connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces and experiences. 

The New European Bauhaus was launched by President von der Leyen in September 2021. It adds a cultural dimension to the Green Deal and accelerates the green transition with change on the ground that combines the values of aesthetics, sustainability, and inclusion.

Mutual learning to accelerate the development of the bioeconomy

The ambition of the AER Working Group on the Bioeconomy is to create a community amongst European regions to share challenges and opportunities. The activities organised by the working group are also laying the ground for future partnerships and projects.

The workshop “The Bioeconomy & the New European Bauhaus” will therefore look at:

  • European strategies supporting the decarbonisation of the construction sector
  • Societal challenges, the territorial approach
  • Technical innovations in bio-based materials, which are being explored and implemented in the regions
  • The state of play in the regions.

The programme of this workshop is available on the event webpage. As places are limited, registrations will be taken on a first-come first-served basis.

Share your experience!

It is still possible to propose policies and practices you are proud of in your region to be presented at the workshop on 6 December. Your experience matters and is interesting for other regions: this is what the mutual learning community is all about! If you would like to share your region’s experience in the decarbonisation of the construction sector via bio-based innovation, please get in touch with AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius.

More information on this topic

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Proposal for a Working Group on Green Hydrogen Adopted

By

The Executive Board which took place on 13 October 2022 in Brussels (BE) adopted the proposal for the creation of an AER working group on Green Hydrogen.

The proposal for this working group is led by Catalonia (ES). It is supported by Burgenland (AU), Lower Austria (AU), Valle D’Aosta (IT), Flevoland (NL), Maramures (RO), Värmland (SE), Västra-Götaland (SE), Fribourg (CH), and Denizli (TR).

Policy Exchanges to Accelerate the Green Transition

On May 17th, the AER co-organised with Catalonia the event “Green (H)ydrogen: Powering Our Regions’ Future” at the AER premises in Brussels (BE), under the impulse of the Vice President for Sustainability, Environment & Climate, Albert Castellanos.

The event was an opportunity to:

  • Hear from EU policymakers about opportunities for regions to develop the green hydrogen industry locally; specifically, about funding opportunities under the clean hydrogen partnerships programme and other relevant instruments;
  • Share regional experiences on the development of renewable hydrogen value chains and the impact on regional development
  • Get insights from representatives from the hydrogen industry and work towards developing private and public partnerships for regional development of the hydrogen economy;
  • Have an open discussion/networking session between AER members and identify partnership opportunities.

In the context of this event (presentations are available on the event webpage), as well as through a survey which was circulated, AER members expressed interest in continuing to exchange on the topic, both to exchange experiences in the development of green hydrogen and with views to developing partnerships and EU-funded projects.

Focus of the Exchange and Dissemination of Best Practices

There is significant work to do to scale-up production and demand. At present, hydrogen makes up less than 2% of Europe’s energy mix and is still largely produced from fossil fuels. Producing clean hydrogen from renewable sources like wind and solar is expensive, and while technology has improved and come down in cost, there remain challenges connecting hydrogen production to energy grids and securing enough investment to make it viable.

Regions have a key role to play in scaling up the renewable hydrogen economy across Europe. As noted in a 2020 opinion adopted by the Committee of the Regions, green hydrogen “has the capacity to promote regional and local development because significant parts of the value chain can be established in regions and municipalities”. With the right level of private and public investment, European regions can lead in the creation of self-contained “hydrogen hubs” that link all elements of the value chain.

The role of regions in facilitating, supporting, and developing collaborations for the deployment of green hydrogen was also highlighted during the event on May 17th.

By cooperating and sharing experiences and best practices, regions can inspire each other inter-regionally to the best possible solutions in several areas.

Proposed Activities

The working group aims to

  • organise an event, either in person or online, on EU-funding opportunities and support systems around green hydrogen for regions.
  • facilitate the exchange of regional experiences: how are regions encouraging & supporting the development of the hydrogen economy?
  • develop policy briefs, collect good practices, develop, and share research insights

Next Steps

Regions interested to participate & contribute to the AER working group on Green Hydrogen can fill in this form, to be informed about the activities of the Working Group.

A first online meeting will be announced in the coming weeks on the AER website, to get to know each other, specify interests, identify joint activities, agree on collaboration, and chose a Chair for the working group.

The proposal, which was adopted by the AER Executive Board can be found here.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

AER working groups: it’s simple

By

The long-awaited guide for members willing to set up a new working group is finally there!

Working groups are for all AER members

All AER members can participate in working groups. Any AER member can submit a proposal for setting up a working group on a new topic.

It is possible to contribute to the work by:

  1. Sharing needs and topics your region would be interested to work on
  2. Offering expertise, flagging good practices you would like to share with AER members, proposing speakers
  3. Participating in events organised by the Chairs of the Working Groups
  4. Representing AER at thematic events: all AER members can be AER ambassadors!

To do this, contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius with ideas, proposals, requests.

How to propose a new Working Group

1. Identifying partner regions

Any AER member can submit a proposal for setting up a Working Group. A region, which would like to set up a working group should test the idea with other members and find supporting regions, in order to ensure there is a core group of regions that will be interested in dedicating time to exchange on the topic, and to be able to define activities that will be relevant to more than one region

Any AER member wishing to set up a Working Group should therefore find at least three supporting regions, which will contribute to shaping the activities, participate and contribute to the work. Either the AER member is already in contact with regions that could join the new Working Group, or they request the help of the AER Secretariat to contact regions that may be interested.

2. Submitting a proposal to the Executive Board

The region, which would like to set up a working group should develop a draft proposal for the focus of the Working Group and list a few potential activities to be presented to the EB together with supporting regions. The Draft Proposal for setting up the new Working Group, should:

  • mention the topic of the Working Group
  • clarify the focus of the exchange and dissemination of best practices
  • indicate the lead region and the supporting regions
  • propose a few activities which they would like to implement within the first two-years mandate
  • define an objective for the work of the Working Group (what will the activities help to achieve?)

3. The EB establishes the creation of the new Working Group

Once the proposal for setting up a new Working Group has been approved by the EB, an article is published about the new Working Group including information on:

  • the proposed focus
  • objective
  • lead region and supporting regions
  • envisioned activities

Regions interested to join the new Working Group and shape activities are invited to provide inputs by email.

4. Appointing a Chair

A first meeting of the working group will be organised in person or online, to appoint a Chair and agree on joint activities. The meeting will be announced beforehand on the AER website. The meeting will be open to all AER members. During this first meeting, Working Group members will agree on implementation details and responsibilities. Each Working Group decides on its own working structure

Role of the Chair of a Working Group

The Chair is responsible for the leadership of the Working Group and liaising with the Vice-President in charge of the Working Group policy area.

Each Working Group Chair’s region is charged to appoint a seconded officer to act as working group secretariat in liaison with the AER secretariat. The seconded officer is responsible for:

  • Co-organising events and projects in collaboration with the secretariat;
  • Managing the content of the meetings;
  • Drafting speeches and policy contributions;
  • The Chair will take the responsibility for the planning of the Working Group’s activities;

The Chair of the Working Group will inform the Vice-President in charge of the related policy area about the activities organised by the Working Group.
The Vice-President in charge of the related policy area will inform the Chair of the Working Group about upcoming events or EU policy developments, which may be of interest to the Chair and where the findings of the Working Group could be shared
When the Vice-President in charge of the related policy area is invited to external events, they will mention the activities of the working group

Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

SOLD OUT: AER Summer Academy 2022 – Donegal, Ireland

By

 

***PLEASE NOTE: ALL TICKETS ARE  SOLD OUT. IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR TICKET, PLEASE CONTACT THE AER SECRETARIAT***

 

With the European Year of Youth in full-swing, the AER is delighted to announce that our flagship youth event, the AER Summer Academy is returning in 2022 after a two-year hiatus. 

In partnership with Donegal County Council and Údarás na Gaeltachta, this year’s Summer Academy will take place from 29 August until 1 September in the stunning surroundings of  County Donegal, in Ireland’s Atlantic North-West.

2022 marks fifty years since Irish citizens voted by referendum to join the European Community, precursor the European Union in 1972. 2022 also celebrates the Irish language acquiring equal status to the other 23 languages in our Union for the first time. We are therefore enormously privileged to bring this year’s iteration to Ireland and the Gaeltacht [Irish-speaking region] during a year of important milestones for the country’s relationship with Europe.

The Covid-19 pandemic, the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine have fundamentally changed expectations about Europe’s future. 2022 has become a time of big, existential questions about what Europe stands for, and what future we shape for the the next generation. Right now, we have a unique opportunity to reimagine Europe from a democratic, economic, cultural and social perspective.

The theme this year focuses on how young people in our regions can be empowered to answer these questions, and shape “A Europe for the Next Generation”. As we look to build back better, this year’s programme will focus on key key topics such as climate change, skills and education, cross-border and transnational cohesion and reconciliation, remote working and entrepreneurship.

As Europe works to build back better, regions are best-placed to ensure young people lay the building blocks for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future for all. Do not miss this opportunity to join regional leaders from all over Europe for a series of debates, workshops and excursions to enlighten and inspire.

Last but not least, the 2022 Summer Academy programme is offering participants an exciting opportunity to visit Derry/Londonderry City to learn about the Peace Process, take-in spectacular scenery on Inis Eoin island and Glenveagh National Park, visit the region’s unique rural innovation hubs, and sample Irish music and dance as part of our social programme—this is a programme not to be missed!

***

The 2022 Summer Academy is proudly brought to you by:

Green (H)ydrogen: Powering Our Regions’ Future

By

You can check out the agenda and full list of speakers HERE.

Why is Europe talking about hydrogen?

Hydrogen is a versatile energy source with significant potential. It can be used as a feedstock, a fuel or an energy carrier, and has many possible applications across industry in the transport, heating and construction sectors. Most importantly, it does not emit CO2 and produces almost no air pollution when used. The European Commission estimates that “green” hydrogen from renewable sources could make up 13-14% of Europe’s energy supply by 2050, and act as a replacement for fossil fuels in high polluting sectors. 

However, there is significant work to do to scale-up production and demand. At present, hydrogen makes up less than 2% of Europe’s energy mix, and is still largely produced from fossil fuels. Producing clean hydrogen from renewable sources like wind and solar is expensive, and while technology has improved and come down in cost, there remain challenges connecting hydrogen production to energy grids and securing enough investment to make it viable.

What’s in it for Regions?

Regions have a key role to play in scaling-up the renewable hydrogen economy across Europe.  With the right level of private and public investment, European regions can lead in the creation of self-contained “hydrogen hubs” that link all elements of the value chain. Indeed, the EU has committed to a total generation capacity of 40GW of renewable hydrogen by 2030, and in early 2022 launched a call worth €300.5 million for projects to develop “cutting-edge hydrogen technologies” under its Clean Hydrogen Partnerships programme.

In this context, the AER and the Government of Catalonia are initiating discussions among European regions on hydrogen in the energy transition. This knowledge exchange and networking session will be the first step towards sustained exchanges between regions on the development of green hydrogen. It will be an opportunity for AER members to identify common priorities in the field, project and funding opportunities with the European Commission, and accelerate work towards building a hydrogen community within the AER network.

How can I get involved?

Members are welcome to register online to view this event remotely. There will be limited possibilities for those who join online to take the floor during the open session.

Members interested in joining a future working group on green hydrogen can fill in this survey.

Presentations

Presentation by Pere Margalef SVP Technology Officer Hydrogen

Presentation by Albert Ballbé, Head of technical evaluation, monitoring and verification of R&D projects in ACCIÓ, Catalonia (ES)

Presentation by Ana Ursua, General Director, Navarra Industrial Association, Navarra (ES)

Presentation by Giampaolo Canestri, Head of Energy Efficiency and Open Innovation Sector – engineer at Compagnie Valdôtaine des
Eaux, Valle d’Aosta (IT)

Proposal for a Working Group on Bioeconomy adopted

By

The Executive Board which took place on 23 March 2022 adopted the proposal for the creation of an AER working group on the Bioeconomy.

The proposal is led by Innlandet (NO) and is supported by Lower Austria (AU), Gelderland (NL), Värmland (SE).

Skills & knowledge at the heart of the development of the Bioeconomy

It is estimated that the bioeconomy contributes to almost 9% of the EU-27 labour force and 4.7% of the EU-27 GDP1. As a concrete operationalisation of the bioeconomy, more than 2,300 bio-based plants have been mapped by the Joint Research Centre across Europe.

To fully reap the economic, social and environmental benefits of the bioeconomy, dedicated bioeconomy strategies, investments and innovation are required at all levels in the EU. That is why the updated European Bioeconomy Strategy of 2018 states the need for the development of national and regional bioeconomy strategies.

However, this needs heavy investment in knowledge, competency, and know-how and collaboration with vocational education and the industry. There is a need to recruit, train, retain skills, in particular in rural areas, where the industries are located.

Proposed activities

The main goal of the working group is to share knowledge, experience, and best practises. Other activities may be included, such as:

  • Arrange events in Europe through AER, on the topic of the bioeconomy, with a “glocal” focus
  • Develop policy briefs, best practices, and research/insight.
  • Develop small scale projects and large-scale projects such as CoVE

The Working Group is open to all AER members

If you are interested in collaborating with this working group, please fill in this short questionnaire so we know you better and can contact you. Working groups are exclusively for AER members. If you have any questions, you can contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Exchange Johanna Pacevicius.

Next steps

A first meeting will soon be convened and announced on the AER website, to get to know each other, specify interests, identify joint activities, agree on collaboration, and chose a Chair for the working group.

The proposal, which was adopted by the AER Executive Board can be found here.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

A New Horizon for Europe: Navigating into the European Horizon for Research and Innovation

By

The launch of the new Horizon Europe funding programme worth 95.5 billion EUR and its first round of calls have being sparking enthusiasm and interest among the multiple actors that were long awaiting for initiating and testing their innovative actions for the green and digital transition, as well as an inclusive economy. Yet, while the scope of the funding programme meets widespread societal demands, it may not be that easy to navigate within one of the world’s largest research and innovation programmes. What do you need to know? The article provides an overview of the main opportunities under this programme as well as the links to the recordings from the informative sessions held by the European Commission.

The new HORIZON EUROPE: Priorities and structure

As part of the new Multiannual Financial Framework, the European Union has established the Horizon Europe programme as successor of the well-known Horizon 2020. As its predecessor, #HorizonEU deploys a large-envelop of financial incentives to support research and innovation that will contribute to achieving the EU priorities across and beyond Europe.  

As defined in the First Strategic Plan 2021-24, in the first four years, the programme will focus its investments towards actions aimed at:

  • Promoting an open strategic autonomy by leading the development of key digital, enabling and emerging technologies, sectors and value chains
  • Restoring Europe’s ecosystems and biodiversity, and managing sustainably natural resources
  • Making Europe the first digitally enabled circular, climate-neutral and sustainable economy
  • Creating a more resilient, inclusive and democratic European society  

PILLAR II: Clusters, ‘EU missions’, and calls

It is especially under the second pillar ‘Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness’ that the European Commission is providing the ground and support to different kind of stakeholders (universities, research institutions, public authorities, associations, NGOs, SMEs and large companies) for research addressing key societal, economic, and environmental challenges, and to reinforce and innovative the technological and industrial capacities in line with the EU policies and the Sustainable Development Goals.

A key novelty introduced with the Horizon Europe programme are the EU-Missions. Missions are commitments to address the most serious challenges that our world is facing and contribute to the goals of the European Green Deal, the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, and the Sustainable goals through a wide portfolio of actions – research projects, policy measures, or even legislative proposals.

Cluster 1 – Health

Actions supported under this cluster will be aimed at:

  • Improving and protecting the health and well-being of citizens through new knowledge, innovative solutions and the integration of a gender perspective to the preventions, monitoring, and curing of diseases
  • developing health technologies, mitigating health risks, protecting populations and promoting good health and well-being
  • making public health systems more cost-effective, equitable and sustainable

The Cluster is divided in 6 destinations under which the first calls are already open for submission:

The deadline for all the open calls under the Health Cluster is 21st September 2021. Forthcoming calls under the same destinations will open on 6th October and will close on 21st April 2022 (1st February for 2-stages submissions).

EU-Mission: Preparing UNCAN.eu, a European initiative to understand cancer (deadline 20th October 2021)

Detailed information concerning the Cluster and its calls can be found in the Cluster 1 Working Programme.

Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society

Actions within this cluster will contribute to strengthening the EU democratic values, safeguarding our cultural heritage, and foster inclusion and growth through socio-economic transformations.

The Cluster is divided in 3 destinations under which the first calls are already open for submission:

  • 5 Calls under Destination 01 – Innovative research on democracy and governance (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 01)
    • Activities launched within this destination will contribute to reinvigorating and modernising democratic governance through the development of evidence-based innovations, policies, policy recommendations, and institutional frameworks that expand political participation, social dialogue, civic engagement, gender equality and inclusiveness. Additionally, they will support enhancing transparency, effectiveness, accountability and legitimacy of public policy-making.
  • 6 Calls under Destination 02 – Innovative research on the European cultural heritage and the cultural and creative industries ((link to the recording of the info session on Destination 02)
    • Activities launched under this destination will aim at protecting and promoting historical sites and monuments, artefacts, heritage sites, landscapes, museums and other cultural institutions, languages, customs, traditions, and values through new or existing conservation and restoration technologies and methods employing green and digital paths. Innovative management actions and models for cultural institutions will seek to expend the industry triggering inclusive growth, jobs, social cohesion and diversity,
  • 7 Calls under Destination 03 – Innovative research on social and economic transformations ((link to the recording of the info session on Destination 03)
    • Actions launched under this destination will contribute to foster social and economic resilience and sustainability through an improved knowledge of the social, ethical, political and economic impacts of drivers of change – as digitalisation, demographic trends, globalisation, and migration. The implementation of research activities in the field will strengthen inclusive growth ensuring that no one is left behind especially in light of old and new societal and economic challenges.

The deadline for all the open calls under the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society Cluster is 07th October 2021. Forthcoming calls under the same destinations will open on 20th January 2022 and will close on 20th April 2022.

Detailed information concerning the Cluster and its calls can be found in the Cluster 2 Working Programme.

Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry and Space

Activities under this cluster will support digital, space, and key enabling technologies that are strategically important for Europe’s industrial future and especially for achieving a global industrial leadership in clean and climate-neutral industries, as well as autonomy in digital technologies and a secure data-agile economy.

The Cluster is divided in 6 destinations under which the first calls are already open for submission:

The deadline for all the open calls under the Digital, Industry and Space Cluster is 21st October 2021. Forthcoming calls under the same destinations will open on 23rd November 2022 and will close on 05th April 2022.

EU-Mission: Better prepared regional and local authorities to adapt to climate change (deadline 14th September 2021)

Detailed information concerning the Cluster and its calls can be found in the Cluster 4 Working Programme.

Cluster 5 – Climate, Energy and Mobility

Actions under this cluster will contribute to the fight against climate change by increasing the understanding of its causes, evolution, risks, impacts and opportunities, as well as by facilitating the development and implementation of more climate and environment-friendly solutions to the transport and energy sectors.

The Cluster is divided in 6 destinations under which the first calls are already open for submission:

The deadline for all the open calls under the Climate, Energy and Mobility Cluster is 19th October 2021. Forthcoming calls under the same destinations will open on 14th October 2021 and will close on 12th January 2022.

EU-Missions (deadline 14th September 2021):

Detailed information concerning the Cluster and its calls can be found in the Cluster 5 Working Programme.

Cluster 6 – Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Actions financed through this cluster will support the reduction of environmental degradation, reversing the decline of biodiversity and better managing natural resources through transformative changes of the economy and society. They will contribute to the objectives of the EU Green Deal in relation to the Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, the Farm to Fork strategy, the European Climate Pact, initiatives under sustainable industry and eliminating pollution, the long-term vision for rural areas, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Cluster is divided in 7 destinations under which the first calls are already open for submission:

The deadline for all the open calls under the Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Cluster is 6th October 2021. Forthcoming calls under the same destinations will open on 28th October 2021 and will close on 15th February 2022.

EU-Mission: Preparing the ground for healthy soils: building capacities for engagement outreach and knowledge(deadline 14th September 2021)

Detailed information concerning the Cluster and its calls can be found in the Cluster 6 Working Programme.

Are you seeking to develop or join a proposal under the calls above?

All the above topics are key priorities for the AER and its members, hence we are looking forward to support members and their stakeholders in the development of a proposal, as well as in the establishment or search of a consortium. To know more about how we can support you, have a look at this article on the services of the project unit and get in touch with our European Projects Manager! Additionally, the AER is glad to assess the possibility to join consortium working on the calls in light of the strong relevance of the topics for the AER.

SAVE THE DATE! the AER will offer the possibility to further explore the novelties and opportunities introduced by the Horizon Europe programme during the next MFF info session that will be held on September 24th! The session will look at several funding programmes: Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and Creative Europe, Digital Europe, and Life.

Picture from Unsplash by Christian Lue

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Public consultation on Education for Environmental Sustainability

By

The European Commission has opened up an open public consultation to feed into a proposal for a Council Recommendation on Education for Environmental Sustainability later this year. The Recommendation will deal with all types and levels of education, including vocational education and training (VET) and Adult Learning (AL).

Education to support the goals of the Green Deal

Through the Green Deal, the EU is taking action to fight climate change and encourage all citizens to work towards a greener and more sustainable Europe. Education and training are key, helping citizens and local communities to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for this transition. This survey aims at gathering ideas and views from individuals and organisations on this initiative, which is scheduled for adoption by the Commission in autumn 2021

AER members and partners working in the field of education are warmly invited to complete the survey and send in position papers to help us the European Commission to gather expert views and strengthen their evidence base.

The European Commission would like to hear the views of citizens, educators, researchers, governmental and non-governmental organisations (international, European, national, regional, and local) as well as education and training stakeholders. It is possible to respond to the public consultation in a personal or organisational/institutional capacity by filling in the questionnaire. Registered stakeholder organisations can also submit a position paper.

In light of the activities carried out in the past year on the topic of skills in the context of the Skillnet project, in which AER has been organising a series of webinars, it has become quite clear that this topic is of utmost importance for regional stakeholders.

LINK TO THE CONSULTATION

DEADLINE: 24 September 2021

Photo by kazuend on Unsplash

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

AER Climate Debate: Back to Our Future – Regions Leading Europe’s Green Recovery

By

The COVID-19 crisis brought the world to a standstill in 2020. City centres became ghost towns, economic activity slumped, and political priorities fell by the wayside as managing the pandemic became the all-consuming political focus. However, what has not stood still despite the pandemic is the alarming rate that our planet continues to heat up. Unless we align our recovery with our climate targets, another global pandemic will be a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’. The need to make up for lost time to meet these targets – all while ensuring a resilient recovery from the pandemic – presents a once-in-a-generation political challenge.

The scale of the task at hand has not been lost on Europe’s leaders, who are determined for the EU to spearhead global efforts to meet the Paris Climate Goals. Indeed, Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen’s lofty choice of metaphor – describing the European Green Deal as our “man on the moon moment” – reflects the political impetus to deliver a climate ‘moonshot’ by 2030.

But as any seasoned astronaut will tell you, a successful mission to a great degree depends on the people leading on the ground. That is why on 9 June as part of EU Green Week, the AER’s Task Force on Climate brought together international experts, EU and regional policymakers for an open discussion on how our regions can lead a sustainable, resilient recovery across Europe. Moderated by AER President, Magnus Berntsson, this was a chance to explore how regions can chart the path towards carbon neutrality, and ensure “a better, greener and more resilient future” for our villages, towns and cities.

Europe’s Moonshot – Leading the Mission on the Ground

All things in nature, including the climate crisis, are connected and demand a collective response. In his opening remarks, President Berntsson stressed the need “for joint action by all levels of government” to achieve global objectives. This was echoed by first speaker, Veronika Hunt Šafránková, Head of the United Nations Environment Programme Brussels Office. She underlined that the “interconnected nature” of challenges like pollution, biodiversity loss and global warming means “they must be addressed together to maximise benefits and minimise trade-offs.” Regional and local authorities are essential actors in this effort, for example, by translating green funding into “effective stimulus policies that will lead us towards decarbonisation.”

The European Commission shares this view. Our second speaker, Elena Višnar-Malinovská, Head of Unit for Adaptation at DG CLIMA called for regions “to come on board the spaceship” to help reach emissions targets. Regions, she noted, have already started implementing effective climate and energy laws, adopted climate-friendly budgets, and will be essential in monitoring how closely Europe’s climate targets are being adhered to.

AER members are leading from the front on this issue. Arnau Queralt-Bassa, Director of the Advisory Council for Sustainable Development of Catalonia [ES], pointed to Catalonia Region’s new CO2 fund that would be paid for using a Carbon Tax. Another example came from Värmland Region [SE], where policies aimed at improving energy efficiency have seen a 70% reduction in carbon emissions from buildings, according to Eva Hallström, Chair of the AER’s Working Group on Energy & Climate. Similarly, Donegal County Council in Ireland is in the process of creating an energy agency and making use of “nature based solutions” to meet climate challenges. All of Donegal Council’s policy initiatives are being framed within a written “statement of intent” guided by the Sustainable Development Goals. So while regions are working on the ground to translate global ambition into local action, they cannot go it alone.

Global Challenges & Supporting Local Solutions

The climate crisis affects Europe’s regions in different ways and to varying degrees. A truly sustainable and resilient recovery is therefore only possible if it meets the diverse territorial needs of all Europe’s regions. Dominique Riquet, Member of the European Parliament and Rapporteur on the Opinion of the Committee on Transport on the Just Transition Fund, noted that many Eastern European regions will struggle to shift to climate neutral economies without “ambitious financial support”.

It also demands a real say for regions in implementing Green Deal legislation. “Regions” he stressed “will need to play a key role in drafting the legislation delivering the Green Deal to make sure regional differences are taken into account.” The success of the Green Deal will to a large degree “depend on the ability to tailor legislation”. He pointed to the success of regions in managing European programmes – in particular Cohesion Policy – as clear evidence of their experience and expertise in making sure that funding gets where it is needed. Mr Riquet stressed that regions “will be more important than ever” when it comes to implementing elements of the Green Deal like the ‘Fit for 55’ package.

This need for a territorial approach was further emphasised by our final speaker, Andries Gryffroy, Member of the European Committee of the Regions and its Rapporteur on the European Green Deal. “The Green Deal”, he said “is a credible plan, but must take “a bottom-up, balanced and targeted approach” if it is to effectively address the many environmental, economic and social challenges presented by the climate crisis. The same logic applies to national recovery plans. Chair of the AER working group on Transport and Mobility, Martin Tollén, pointed out that while regions are working hard to deliver sustainable solutions to reduce carbon emissions, there are limits to what can be done going it alone. Mr Tollen underlined that “Regions need to be “fully integrated in the design and implementation” of national recovery plans to meet diverse territorial needs and drive the wider green agenda.

Other important disparities that need to be addressed were highlighted in contributions from AER members. Victor Vaugoin, Director of Lower Austria’s EU Liaison Office, said that the nexus between the green and digital transitions means that less well-resourced rural regions could lose out on new opportunities in the green economy. For this reason, it is essential that the digital skills gap is addressed to ensure a fair transition. Another vitally important concern – gender equality – was highlighted by Värmland [SE] Councillor, Kenneth Johansson from the AER’s Equal Opportunities Group. Woman are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis, and it is therefore crucial that this lopsided impact “is better understood” and – more importantly – “reflected in legislation, programming and planning” at all levels of government.

Europe’s ‘moonshot’ mission to save our planet will only be a success if all levels of government “come on-board”. As we learned during the debate, local and regional authorities are leading the recovery using all resources available to them. However, to ensure a fair, green and resilient recovery, their ambitions needs to matched with political and financial support European and national level; offering regions significant financial support and a real say in how legislation is implemented to meet territorial needs.

No one is questioning Europe’s ambition when it comes to achieving our climate targets. However, starting locally and supporting our regions will be absolutely crucial if this moonshot mission is to ever get off the ground.

***

📺 Missed our Bureau debate? Never fear – you can rewatch on youtube channel here!

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

REGISTRATION OPEN: Social Inclusion in TVET and Skill Development – Leaving No-one Behind

By

TVET policies and programmes are of core importance to ensure that all people can enjoy inclusive skill development leading to both individuals’ affirmation and the creation of diversified learning environments.  As reported by Srinvas Reddy, Chief of the ILO Skills and Employability Branch, “inclusive skills development and lifelong learning opportunities are vital to prevent people from being left behind, to maintain people’s employability, and to ensure that economies and enterprises recover promptly from the crisis”.  (Guide on making TVET and skills development inclusive for all, ILO Skills and Employability Branch, 2020).

Yet, as a result of rapid and increasing societal changes – as the digital transformation, climate change, globalisation and demographic trends – in-depth transformation have been taking place in the labour market creating further constraints to inclusion and societal wellbeing. This condition has been further amplified by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the creation of the so called ‘lockdown generation’.

The AER has been actively working on societal challenges throughout the past years. In 2018, it adopted a Position to express the need for new solutions (societal innovation) to societal and territorial challenges while ensuring quality public services and jobs.

In this context, public authorities, VET experts, and civil society organisations have a primary role in re-defining and improving the TVET system at the local level and developing societal innovation to ensure that learning opportunities address everyone’s needs and specific conditions.

The webinar aims to contribute to foster inclusive TVET systems and skill development by offering first hand insights from the European Commission, as well as a space for the exchange of knowledge and practices among policymakers, VET experts and practitioners.

The event will be held on June 23rd from 10 to 11 am CET. Visit the EVENT PAGE to access the agenda and register to the webinar!

The event IS part of the Skillnet webinar series AER is organising, which provides an opportunity for mutual learning around topics identified by AER members.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Mobility as a Service: low carbon mobility & improved accessibility

By

For the 2021-2027 programming period, digital transformation is in focus and the European Commission has recently launched the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. The Chair of the AER Working Group on Transport & Mobility, Martin Tollén from Region Östergötland (SE) is pleased to invite AER members and partners to a webinar focusing on Mobility as a Service (MaaS).

Focus: Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

The aim of the webinar is to share experiences on the topic of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) from urban and rural perspectives, as well as from different geographical contexts.

The webinar will also provide an update on the European Commission’s New mobility strategy, the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) policy, and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF2) Digital programme. The information provided is linked to the Green Deal and the wider topic of digital transformation.

Draft Agenda & Presentations

10:00 Welcome words

Martin Tollén, Chair of the AER Working Group on Transports & Mobility
10:03 Update on transport & the digital transformation at EU-level

Ebba Bjerkander, EU Policy Advisor, Central Sweden European Office

Presentation
10:15 Examples of MaaS implementation in European regions

Moderation: Edwin Mermans, Senior advisor international affairs Province of Noord-Brabant

  • John Kuijs, Strategical advisor mobility Province of Noord-Brabant (NL) Presentation
  • Siri Vasshaug, Project Manager, Nordland (NO) Presentation
  • Jean Pascal Klipfel, Project Manager, Grand Est (FR) Presentation
  • Katarina Jonsson Bratu, Senior Adviser Sustainable Mobility, Östgötatrafiken, Östergötland (SE)
  • Sandra Viktor, Senior Environmental Officer, Linköping municipality (SE) Presentation
  • Eleonora Sottile, Senior Research Fellow presso CRiMM – Research Center On Mobility Models, Sardinia (IT) Presentation
  • Marko Javornik, Founder M8Lab, Ljubljana (SI) Presentation
11:15 Panel debate between regional representatives

  • MaaS, lessons learnt and success factors?
  • The role of public organisations in terms of development of concepts and governance?
  • How to apply a city model of MaaS in rural areas?
11:30  Conclusion

Why Innovative Skills are the Catalyst for Rural Areas

By

On 25 March, the Assembly of European Regions hosted the “Ambitious Skills and Innovation Strategies: A Territorial Approach” webinar. The event was part of the series of webinars on EU funding opportunities organised within the Skillnet project (co-founded by the Erasmus+ Programme) to bring together experts in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and to establish collaborations for future EU project proposals.

We are now living in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where machines and artificial intelligence play a significant role in enhancing productivity and wealth. These changes have given rise to new skills requirements and a growing skills shortage among businesses and especially SMEs, which often struggle to find the talent they require. The new skills requirements are not only limited to high-tech and manufacturing competences but also cover interpersonal skills, as well as competences related to sales, human resources, care, and education.

In the context of regional innovation strategies, rural areas should play an essential role, not just as a source of raw material and places to locate space-intensive activities, but as genuine partners and drivers of innovation. Additionally, increasing attention should be addressed to the many interdependencies between regional development policies and the skills required to sustain innovation strategies.

Interreg EU Policy Learning Platform – Support for regions in delivering better place-based policies

Existing networks and platforms offer increasing support to regional authorities across Europe to develop and deliver better policies through a territorial approach. Among these, Elena Ferrario, Thematic Manager of the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform (PLP), presented the services of the PLP as online learning, events, and personalised policy advice through a free on-demand peer review service. The latter is a service offered to local, regional, and national policy makers who seek advice on a specific policy framework through the design of a two-day knowledge-exchange experience with experts and peers. The cooperative approach within the Interreg community allows to identify the thematic experts who will set the to-do-list of actions within two working days (online or onsite), and after 12 to 18 months they will follow-up with the implementation results.

The application for the peer review service is open permanently and is an easy process. Interested regions can access the Terms of References and/or contact Elena Ferrario [[email protected]] to apply.

Additionally, the PLP outlines policy briefs, concise and to-the-point documents outlining recommendations and best practices for regional and local authorities and policymakers. In this context, Katharina Krell, Thematic Expert of the Interreg Europe PLP, highlighted the Skills for Innovation and Skills for Energy Transition briefs, which feature policy recommendations that draw on Interreg Europe’s experience with projects on the development of skills for innovation, and which aim to show regions a path towards better regional innovation policymaking.

Good practice from the Donegal County – Education and training for high tech skills

The ICT FinTech and engineering industries are key sectors within the Donegal County, contributing to regional development and boosting place-based innovation. To this aim, Mr. Vinny McGroary, Area Training Manager at the Donegal Education & Training Board (ETB), stated that the County encourages the continuous development of new skills through Donegal ETB. The latter provides second-level education programmes and Further Education Training which include a partnership of collaborations within the community, voluntary and private sectors, as well as with businesses.

The national strategy is focused on promoting growth through the improvement of working skills from the beginning of apprenticeships right up to the professional level. Additionally, Donegal ETB provides a number of full-time and part-time programmes for the development of skills tailored to the industry’s needs, and many of these courses are industry certified and endorsed by employers. Among these, the Skills to Advance and Skills for Work programmes are tailored to upskill people with a lower skill set and who need more opportunities to make progress in their professional careers. The Apprenticeship programme enables close collaboration with industries through a combination of learning in the workplace and education in the training centre.

The provision of these trainings focusing particularly on the ICT, FinTech, and Engineering sectors has been of core relevance to address the high rates of school drop-out. Additionally, it contributed to boost solid partnerships between people, businesses, and local organisations.

Funding incentives for territorial development

As presented by Agnese Pantaloni, EU Projects Coordinator at the Assembly of European Regions, the EU has deployed several means to support territorial development in rural areas. Among these we find:

  • The Common Agricultural Policy 2021-2027 (CAP) will be supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development which is designed to reduce economic, environmental, and social constraints in urban areas and outermost regions, fostering knowledge transfer and innovation while promoting social inclusion, and economic development.
  • Additionally, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supports Technical Vocational Education and Training systems through investment on skills development for smart specialisation, employability, and adaptation to labour market changes.
  • The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) brings together the existing European Social Fund with the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and the Fund for Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD). Initiatives supported through this newly established fund will likely focus on the acquisition of digital skills through schooling and education, support measures to improve the recruitment, and promote the socio-economic integration of newcomers from third countries.
  • Interreg Programmes aim at fostering a more competitive, smarter, greener, resilient and connected Europe. Interreg Programmes include cross-border, transnational, and interregional.
  • With a budget of over €28 billion, the ERASMUS+ Programme supports mobility and learning for all across the European Union and beyond. It provides opportunities for study periods abroad, traineeships, apprenticeships, and staff exchanges in all fields of education, training, youth and sport.
  • Horizon Europe finances research and innovation projects in thematic areas such as climate change, transport, health, food, agriculture, rural development, energy efficiency. Participating in Horizon Europe is open to all types of organisations based in the EU and all over the world, both public and private sector organisations, working on individual and collaborative based projects.

Where to find resources & support?

LEADER/ CLLD: European initiative that supports development projects to revitalise rural areas through bottom-up approaches.
European Network for Rural Development: Hub for sharing ideas & experiences on how rural development policies work in practice, facilitating knowledge sharing and networking among all rural stakeholders in the EU.
Smart Specialisation Platform: The platform that provides guidance and good practice examples, tools to facilitate strategy formation & mutual learning of the smart specialisation strategy (S3).
EIP-AGRI: European Innovation Partnerships that build bridges between science and practice, collecting knowledge and best practices for farmers, foresters, advisers, and others.
Policy Learning Platform: The second action of Interreg Europe programme that provides a space for continuous learning, where a network of policy makers can benefit from personalised expert advice, updated news and examples of peer-reviewed good practices.

Open and Future EU Funding Opportunities and Initiatives

To learn more, you can download the presentations from the webinar on the event webpage, and join discussions through the Peer Learning Clubs!

Photo from Unsplash @jeshoots

This webinar was organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission. Through building transnational and cross-sectional partnerships, SKILLNET aims to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs. To this end, after each webinar, a bulletin with open and upcoming EU opportunities is circulated among relevant stakeholders.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Registrations open! Bright Ideas- The Role of Regions in Improving Energy Efficiency

By

Eva Hallström, Chair of the AER Working Group on Energy and Climate Change invites all AER members and friends to join an event on the role of regions in improving energy efficiency. Regions will share their experience, challenges, and enablers. This event is co-organised by Värmland (SE) and Viken (NO)

Energy Efficiency: how to achieve the transition in the industry?

This webinar aims to build a platform for discussions regarding the EU’s work on energy efficiency, focusing on the green transition within the industry. It will be an opportunity to share ideas, experiences, and best practices.

Experiences from the Bioeconomy Region

Värmland and Viken are both members of the “Bioeconomy Region”, a leading region of the forest bioeconomy.

To achieve climate goals while making use of the full potential of the forest bioeconomy, the rate of development and innovation needs to be faster. This is why the Interreg project «The Bioeconomy Region» was created in 2017 by a number of actors in inner Scandinavia

Both regions will share how they support improved energy efficiency in fields as diverse as production, construction or logistics.

Synergies with the Green Deal

The industry will play a central role in the transition to improved energy efficiency and carbon neutrality in Värmland, Viken, and in Europe as a whole. this is why synergies between the European Green Deal and the EU’s Industrial Strategy are needed.

This webinar on energy efficiency will also be an opportunity to gather inputs and testimonies, which will contribute to the work being developed by the AER Task Force on Climate.

Find the programme and link for registrations on the event webpage

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

BRIGHT IDEAS – The Role of Regions in Improving Energy Efficiency

By

Eva Hallström, Chair of the AER Working Group on Energy and Climate Change invites all AER members and friends to join an event on the role of regions in improving energy efficiency. Regions will share their experience, challenges, and enablers. This event is co-organised by Värmland (SE) and Viken (NO)

Energy Efficiency: how to achieve the transition in the industry?

This webinar aims to build a platform for discussions regarding the EU’s work on energy efficiency, focusing on the green transition within the industry. It will be an opportunity to share ideas, experiences, and best practices.

Experiences from the Bioeconomy Region

Värmland and Viken are both members of the “Bioeconomy Region”, a leading region of the forest bioeconomy.

To achieve climate goals while making use of the full potential of the forest bioeconomy, the rate of development and innovation needs to be faster. This is why the Interreg project «The Bioeconomy Region» was created in 2017 by a number of actors in inner Scandinavia

Both regions will share how they support improved energy efficiency in fields as diverse as production, construction or logistics.

Synergies with the Green Deal

The industry will play a central role in the transition to improved energy efficiency and carbon neutrality in Värmland, Viken, and in Europe as a whole. this is why synergies between the European Green Deal and the EU’s Industrial Strategy are needed.

This webinar on energy efficiency will also be an opportunity to gather inputs and testimonies, which will contribute to the work being developed by the AER Task Force on Climate.

Programme:

13:00 Welcome by Eva Hallström, Chair WG on Energy and Climate change, AER
13:10 Regional perspectives on Energy Efficiency

 

Stina Höök, Regional Councillor, Region Värmland, SE

Johan Edvard Grimstad, Regional Councillor Region Viken, NO
13:30 Projekt BIS – Climate measures and energy efficiency through Regional cooperation and innovation 

 

Sandra Svennberg, Head of Unit, Department of regional development, Region Värmland, SE

Janne Buhaug, Head of rural and regional business development Region Viken, NO
13:50 Digitisation as method to achieve Energy Efficiency

 

Charlotta Kullander Hedbom, Energy and Climate Advisor
14:00 Panel discussion
14:20 The AER Task Force on Climate: how the findings of this webinar will be used for joint advocacy work

 

Magnus Berntsson, AER President, Chair of the AER Task Force on Climate
14:30 Conclusion

 

 

Digital Transformation & Skills in the Agri-food Sector

By

The agri-food sector is facing a revolutionary transformation within a complex operating environment characterised by technological and economic change, consumer concerns, climate change, and global value chains. The so-called Digital Farms, which combine precision farming techniques with the use of digital and high-tech tools, have been promoted by the EU Agenda to help farmers work more precisely, efficiently, sustainably, and in turn, make rural communities more attractive. Yet, the use of advanced digital and technological solutions in the agri-food sector requires workers to develop new knowledge and skills.

To support regional policy-makers, VET and agri-food experts in this process, on March 26th, the AER held a mutual-learning webinar, ‘Innovation and Farming: Applications of Advanced Manufacturing in the Food Value Chain‘. The event was part of the series of webinars on EU funding opportunities organised within the Erasmus + project Skillnet. It brought together 55 experts in the field and allowed them to exchange and learn about available opportunities to apply innovative digital and technological solutions to the food value chain, through the uptake of new skills and knowledge in particular.

Experiences, resources, and challenges for a digital agri-food sector

As presented by Miguel De Porras, Director at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FIBL, European policies and tools offer opportunities to exploit the potential of new technologies in the agriculture sector. The new Common Agricultural Policy has identified the need to increase competitiveness and agricultural productivity in a sustainable way through the use of new technologies as one of its key objectives. Additionally, the Farm2Fork’s objective to increase production of organic food by 25% inevitably requires the uptake of new digital and technical solutions and, in turn, of new skills and partnerships.  

The need to boost new skills for digital farming has been discussed during a dedicated seminar held by the EIP-AGRI, which highlighted that the sector workforce presents a low skill level in comparison with the digital solutions available. In this context, a series of EU-funded projects were presented as key initiatives to lead the digital transition while facilitating the exchange of knowledge among farmers through activity demonstrations and online resources, as well as compiling a database of the digital tools available to farm advisors. Yet, findings from the DESIRA project, which aims to assess the social, economic, environmental, and governance variables influencing the impact of technologies, reinforce the idea that innovation in the agri-food sector must be tailored to specific local contexts.

EU-wide partnerships and research and innovation initiatives provide farmers, businesses, research institutes and academia, and policy-makers with increasing support to launch pilots and gain expertise in the field. In this context, George Beers, Horticultural Engineer at the Wageningen University and Research, presented two Horizon2020 EU-wide projects that offer new evidences, resources and networks for the agri-food sector and its practitioners. The IoF2020 project aims to demonstrate and deliver the benefits of high-tech tools focusing on five agriculture sectors: arable crops, dairy, fruits, vegetables and meat. Results from several use cases demonstrate the value of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for the European food and farming sectors. IoT enables the use of different digital prototypes with different flows of information & solutions and integrates them into existing farm systems. Use cases do not only provide information on technological tools, but also why these tools are relevant for the sector. All the information has been collected and made available to farmers and practitioners in the online ‘Use Case Catalogue’.

The SmartAgriHub project is a network of Digital Innovation Hubs consisting of 2000 Competences Centres and 28 Flagship Innovation Experiments (FIE). The project offers a space to develop ideas, prototypes and a place in the innovative smart farming techniques market. At the same time, it embeds a network of Regional Clusters, which ensure that newly developed knowledge and tools are accessible to local farmers.

Lastly, Mladen Petres, Assistant Provincial Secretary of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of the Province of Vojvodina in Serbia, shared the measures launched in the region to further boost the agricultural sector. The region launched direct subsidies for farmers to increase the purchase of relevant up-to-date equipment in the sector, ranging from greenhouse infrastructure to start-up programs for farmers. Additionally, the AgroSense platform was launched by the BioSense Institute to provide farmers with digital services, enabling them to monitor from satellite crop production to digitalised data on the chemical condition of the soil and, eventually, to facilitate the application of subsidies within the region.

Hence, meaningful opportunities and practices are available to help European regions and farmers increase their agricultural productivity while protecting the environment and ensuring the inclusiveness of the workforce. However, persisting challenges were highlighted in debate too. Among these, the need for governments to increase their financial support for a just transition into digital and sustainable agriculture, and the need to up-skill workers, including those involved in the daily management and maintenance of the digital tools.

To learn more, you can download the presentations from the webinar on the event webpage and join discussions through the Peer Learning Clubs!

Open and Future EU Funding Opportunities and Initiatives

Photo by Naseem Buras Unsplash

This webinar was organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission. Through building transnational and cross-sectional partnerships, SKILLNET aims to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs. To this end, after each webinar, a bulletin with open and upcoming EU opportunities is circulated among relevant stakeholders.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is download-4.png

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Library

Statutory Documents
AER Strategies
Minutes
Media Kit
Activity Reports
Newsletters
European Regions Map

Join AER!

Become a Member

Job Opportunities

Sign up for our Newsletter

Website map