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Join AER-Includ-EU Workshop in Cluj Napoca or Online! – Cross-sectoral, Multistakeholder Collaboration for Inclusion

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 An exciting opportunity for AER members to explore the potential of cross-sectoral collaboration and co-design to create better integration policies and practices.

In the context of the Includ-EU* project, co-financed by AMIF programme of the European Union, AER is organising a workshop looking at cross-sectoral collaboration, co-design and co-management for better integration and inclusion: What are the policies and practices which enable the much sought-after multistakeholder collaboration? What is the role of local and regional authorities in this Context?

Whole-of-Society Approach. Cross-sectoral, Multistakeholder Collaboration for Inclusion.

On the side of administrations or non-governmental organisations, understanding the circumstances and needs of migrants to provide adequate services can prove a daunting exercise. This leads to considerable frustration, for users and for organisations involved in the integration process.

In Cluj-Napoca, the one-stop shop for migrants emerged as a response to this need, expressed both by migrants and authorities. One-stop shops are services designed following a holistic approach: concentrating services in one location can help newcomers understand what services are available and improve collaboration between providers. 

As part of the agenda, the AER looks forward to connecting with members, particularly our wide Romanian membership to strengthen the relationships and build new multi-stakeholder networks. This will be an opportunity for members to exchange ideas, identify common challenges and deepen relations with the AER Secretariat. At the same time, the AER will work to better understand the needs and expectations of its members and tailor its services and activities accordingly.

With that in mind, the AER Secretariat proposes to launch a Ukraine Focus Group at this event. The aim is to provide tailored, needs-based support to new Ukrainian members by creating a platform for direct region-to-region dialogue; a place where Ukrainian regions can request support from AER regions and partners directly. In tandem, the Focus Group will onboard these Ukrainian regions into AER’s structures, open new networks to them, and build capacity for these regions over the longer-term.

If you and your region would like to attend the event, please fill in this registration form and confirm your participation to [email protected] and [email protected] Don’t hesitate to contact us with additional questions about the programme.

Separate invitations for AER members and partners will shortly follow for the first meeting of AER’s Ukraine Focus Group, which will take place during this event.

Registrations for the onsite event are now closed,  but you can

Join the Live-Streaming

When? Tuesday 28.03 | 14:00-15:45

The AER invites all regions and stakeholders to join online the live-streamed panel discussion on“What are the enabling factors for cross-sectoral collaboration? What is the role of local and regional authorities? Challenges and good practices.”

*Includ-EU facilitates transnational knowledge and experience sharing to build more inclusive and cohesive European societies. The project develops cooperation between local and regional authorities from Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia and Spain. Targeted exchanges generate actionable learning, which leads to improved integration policies and practices.

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

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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!

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REGISTRATIONS OPEN: Improving the attractiveness of TVET for women

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In the context of its activities around skills and the future of work, AER has been organising a series of webinar together with partners of the Skillnet project since Spring 2020. We are very pleased to invite you to join a webinar on improving the attractiveness of TVET for women.

Important: The event has been postponed and will be held on 13 July 2021 at 10:00 CET. The change will not impact on the registrations already submitted for the initial date (19th of May) and no further action is needed by the registrants. Yet, for all those that have not registered, registrations are already open!

What about gender?

AER has been working on mainstreaming gender and equal opportunities in AER activities. This was reflected by the setting up of an Observatory on Equal Opportunities in AER more than 10 years ago, which was then turned into a Vice Presidency for Inclusion, Diversity & Equal Opportunities, currently held by Andrew Gibson, Hampshire (GB). In this context, the current focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training provides an opportunity to look at the situation from a gender angle.

Bridging the gender gap in TVET

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training sector has a major role to play in providing the skills Europe will need in the future. Moreover, countries with well-designed vocational training programmes find it easier to avoid youth unemployment, even in times of crisis. However, this sector has traditionally been a predominantly male environment.

This is why the European Parliament underlined the need to

continue to address gender bias and gender-stereotypical choices by ensuring and encouraging the equal participation of women in vocational training for what are usually traditional ‘male’ professions and of men in ‘female’ professions; calls for the gender dimension to be reinforced in efforts to modernise VET systems and to make learning both at and outside work more accessible to women employees and those with family care duties, not least in sectors where women are under-represented, notably the digital, STEM and green sectors, in order to combat gender segregation in education and employment and combat gender stereotypes

European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2020 on the Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (2020/2767(RSP))

The event will be held on 13 July 2021 at 10:00 CET and will provide an opportunity to share regional experiences and hear about support initiatives at the EU level.

If you would like to share an example from your region, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Birgit Sandu and Johanna Pacevicius

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

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Intercultural Regions: Active Participation & Social Inclusion

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We are pleased to invite you to a webinar on how regions can foster active participation & social inclusion of third-country nationals, together with IOM and the Council of Europe

 

When? 16 February 2021 10:00 CET
Where? Gotowebinar

 

Organised in the framework of the Includ-EU project, an EU-funded project which contributes to building more inclusive societies by enhancing knowledge and stimulating cooperation between local and regional authorities in the European Union, this third webinar will focus on active participation & social inclusion.

Policies and practices that foster intercultural interaction and inclusion are instrumental in enabling cities and regions to manage diversity positively and realise the diversity advantage. This webinar will therefore focus on regional and local experiences facilitating migrant’s active participation and social inclusion.

This event will be facilitated by the Council of Europe and will feature practices identified in some of the countries involved in the Project (Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain). DG HOME will provide an overview on measures promoting active participation, especially in the decision-making process, as per the new EU priorities included in the updated Action Plan.

This webinar is organised in the framework of the Includ-EU project, in close collaboration with the Intercultural Regions Network. The Intercultural Regions Network is a platform for regions to share knowledge, resources, and experiences to promote intercultural integration at the regional level, which is based on the experience and tools of the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities Network.

This event will be recorded. By registering for this event, you agree to allow the Includ-EU consortium to publish the recording online and use it for the promotion of the project, capacity building, and mutual learning. 

Watch back!  Click here!
Agenda  Click here to download
Handouts Angeliki Petrits –  DG HOME – The Action Plan on Integration & Inclusion 2021-2027

 Jobst Koehler – IOM – Barriers to Participation

 Jossie Rocafort – Catalonia – Equipo de Atención y de Mediación Intercultural Sociosanitaria, EAMISS

 Elena Tubertini – University of Padua – Mentorship Project 2020/2021
Contact [email protected]

Includ-EU is funded by the European Union’s Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The project runs from January 2020 to December 2022 and involves the following partners: The International Organization for Migration, the Assembly of European Region, the Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani Sez. Reg. Toscana (IT), the City of Tilburg (NL), the Secretariat for Equality, Migrations, and Citizenship of Catalonia (ES), and the Region of Crete (GR).

Defining the new skills for an inclusive future at the Skillman International Forum 2020

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As a proud partner of the Skillnet project, AER is very pleased to provide an overview of the very first virtual 6th edition of the yearly SIF – SKILLMAN.EU INTERNATIONAL FORUM 2020, about redefining the future of learning, which took place on December 10th and 11th 2020. Practitioners, innovative academics, and industrial experts in the field of  Vocational Education and Training joined forces to promote an approach to curricula design based on skills foresight analysis.

This year the Forum adopted a holistic approach to face the new challenges risen during the pandemic in the context of skills and job opportunities. The underlying theme of the event was the importance of assessing and therefore providing key skills that people have to possess, especially in the Advanced Manufacturing sector, to actively participate in the society of tomorrow.

Let the curtain open!

The Skillman International Forum kicked off with the welcoming statements from Giovanni Crisonà, founder of the Skillman.eu consortium. The participants had the opportunity to hear that the skills mismatch between demands and labour offer, as well as the consequences of the pandemic, can be resolved by rebranding the Vocational Education and Training systems (VET). In this regard, it is instrumental to look at this shift of paradigm internationally by setting cross-sectoral collaborations and integrating the IT tools in any field of training.

Morning session

The morning session was the perfect venue to hear about the challenges for VET systems for the uptake of skills that can aid in the twin ambitions of the green and digital transition. In this context, providing a real on-the-job experience that makes it easier to acquire both hard and soft skills is instrumental, as well as strengthening collaborations between the public and private sector. Additionally, the pandemic is providing an opportunity to rethink how digital learning can be best integrated into VET curricula, by developing digital labs and web applications able to ensure that no one is left behind.

Afternoon session

During this session, participants had the opportunity to choose the pavilions according to their topic of interest: The IVETA pavilion addressed the issues that TVET stakeholders need to consider with regard to accessibility and inclusivity, from the work-life balance and wellbeing to the shift to the digital learning platforms. The EAPRIL pavilion focused on describing Skillman’s self-assessment tool for VET excellence, which detects labour market needs to foresight skills. The AER pavilion highlighted how VET programmes can support the transition towards a circular economy by boosting new skills in the population

The first day of the SIF 2020 ended up by expressing the instrumentality of virtual mobility in providing valuable opportunities both to participants and entrepreneurs, and the exchange of best practices from all around the world.

Second round!

Morning session

On the occasion of the second day of the event, participants turned the attention to the skills needed to master the challenges of the labour market of the 21st century. The impact of the pandemic has dramatically accelerated the need for VET systems to re-engineer certain parts to make them more responsive to changing labour market needs, and flexible to provide training to a broad audience, including adults in need of re-skilling.

Participants in the late morning had the possibility to attend different pavilions, among which the AER for those interested in the skills needed for the New Mobility Services sector, and break-out rooms listening to best practices, new assessments, curricula design and digital learning tools, such as SELFIE tool for digital-age learning in VET schools and companies, presented at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre break-out room.

Afternoon session

The final session of the event showed the importance of integrating training and engagement by using innovative technology learning devices. In this regard, the development of high-technological tools and applications play a key role in reproducing work and learning experiences while entertaining users, a key asset in increasing the interest in VET centres.

Participants promoted the “action-driven” model of vocational education centres where expertise and good practices are transferred also at the regional level creating synergies and collaborations, through a sustainable and multistakeholder approach. Eventually, the event presented the result of the discussions of the Peer Learning Clubs, the four groups of discussion which we are glad to invite you to join to shape the future of Vocational Education and Training centres, allowing exchange and empowerment via online and on-site activities.

Wrap-up!

The Skillman International Forum 2020 provided food for thought of possible initiatives to re-engineer the VET systems by changing the pedagogical approach, innovating the teaching method facilitating the all learning process with the right digital support, and last but not least by increasing the motivation and excitement of people to enact the right change. Building on discussions of the sessions and the overall findings, this is just another step to explore the pathways of VET may develop to address the future challenges that also the pandemic has posed. The transition should go beyond digital transformation and focusing also on the new models of work-based and community-based approaches that boost inclusive and lifelong learning.

Partnership in Focus

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Intercultural Regions: Improving Labour Market Inclusion

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On November 10th, the Assembly of European Regions in cooperation with IOM and the Intercultural Regions Network hosted the webinar “Intercultural regions: improving labour market inclusion“. This was the second webinar co-organised within the framework of Includ-EU project which works towards building more inclusive and cohesive European Societies.

The webinar, which was moderated by Geertrui Lanneau, Senior Regional Labour Mobility and Human Development Specialist from the IOM Regional Office for the European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO, presented different experiences on how regions work to improve labour market integration policies and provided insights from IOM, and the European Commission.

Multistakeholder approach to support cultural diversity

Fereshteh Jalayer-Hess, co-chair of the Intercultural Regions Network, County Councillor of Värmland (SE) opened the webinar by sharing her personal experience of escaping a totalitarian regime and embracing a society which tolerates and appreciates cultural diversity.

The Intercultural Regions Network, she explained, is all about cultural diversity and encouraging all levels of government to better coordinate and adopt an intercultural approach. In this context, the multistakeholder approach is key to achieve a society where all inhabitants are included and given the chance to contribute and develop.

Ms. Jalayer-Hess explained how lowering barriers for the access to the labour market is instrumental in delivering on other objectives such as improved education, active participation, political engagement and social cohesion. The Intercultural Regions Network, provides teherfore a platform for regions to share knowledge resources, experiences.

Upcoming changes at EU level

Antoine Savary, Deputy Head of Unit, DG HOME, European Commission, provided the latest development in the field of integration of migrants in the labour market, announcing that on 24 November the European Commission is going to adopt the Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion.

This Action Plan will focus on inclusion as a whole instead of focusing on migration specifically. It lays out two key commitments in the area of integration: 

  1. Adopt a comprehensive Action Plan on integration and inclusion for 2021-2024;
  2. Implement the renewed European Partnership for Integration with social and economic
    partners and look into expanding the future cooperation to the area of labour migration.

The Action Plan on integration and inclusion for 2021-2024 will:

  • provide strategic guidance and set out concrete actions to foster inclusion of migrants and broader social cohesion;
  • bring together relevant stakeholders and recognise that regional and local actors have a key part to play;
  • draw on all relevant policies and tools in key areas such as social inclusion, employment, education, health, equality, culture and sport, setting out how migrant integration should be part of efforts to achieve the EU’s goals on each;
  • ensure migrants fully benefit from the European Pillar of Social Rights;
  • recognise in its actions that people with a migrant background often face similar integration challenges to third-country nationals;
  • directly support those active ‘on the ground’ and cover the full range of measures needed to accompany migrants and their families along the path to successful integration and social inclusion.

Mr. Savary stressed the importance of the partnership of cooperation with local and regional authorities in the preparation, implementation, and revision of the programme.

Experiences from the regions

The webinar presented three experiences from the regions

The Netherlands: a one stop shop for smoother integration pathways

Iris de Kok, Policy Advisor Asylum & Integration – City of Tilburg, presented the evolution of integration processes in the City of Tilburg. The new legislation to come into force in July 2021, allows a procedure where each migrant is guided throughout the program in order to make it easier to get familiar with the municipality they are living in. This approach combines the three-elements of participation activities, skills training, and language courses in order to enable migrants to be self-reliant.

This broader and interactive programme is developed in three phases:

Phase 1 – IntakeAn early-stage to choose the direction of integration, to understand talents & skills
Phase 2 – OrientationPractical and tailored approach with a Personal Integration Plan which stipulates the route for the Dutch labour market
Phase 3 – Work & Skills routeThe participative part were migrants actually work within the Dutch labour market

Greece: support towards self-reliance

Kostas Kousaxidis & Anastasia Arapidou, from IOM Greece, shared the example of the HELIOS project – Hellenic Integration Support for Beneficiaries of International Protection. It aims at increasing the beneficiaries’ self-reliance working on five areas of integration:

Integration coursesHELIOS provides courses at Integration Learning Centres (ILCs) on the Greek language and soft skills.
Accommodation supportHELIOS helps beneficiaries of international protection to find accommodations by providing economic contributions and through networking with apartment owners
Employability supportIndividual job counseling is provided to acknowledge strengths and weaknesses and prepare the Career Action Plan
Integration monitoringAssessment of the integration process to valuate the self-reliance of the migrant once the program ends
Sensitisation of the host communityThrough initiatives and activities, the interactions between the migrants and the host communities bring value to the integration process

Italy: the experience from the business sector

Several sectors of the labour market suffer from a shortage of skilled labour, especially in the informatics sector. In this context, Roberto Strocco, Head of Projects and Local Development Area, Unioncamere Piemonte presented the MATCH project – Migration of African Talents through the Capacity-building and Hiring is a 36‑month initiative funded by the European Union (EU) aimed at providing highly skilled talents from Senegal and Nigeria, where the IT, engineering and new technologies workforce is highly qualified, to private sector companies whose needs for qualified staff cannot be satisfied by the offer available on the EU labour market.

What can be done further?

Labour market integration is not only essential to migrants, but also to receiving societies: it reduces the costs to the welfare system, and ultimately the cost of the asylum system. Some of the barriers to the labour market highlighted during the session constitute a challenge, such as languages, and cultural differences, which can marginalise migrants. The recognition of qualifications was identified as a major obstacle to labour market integration. A stronger collaboration between both private an public stakeholders is needed for better results.

Next steps

The next webinar will be organised in March 2021 and will focus on active participation and social inclusion.

Regions interested in joining the Intercultural Regions Network should contact Vania Freitas [email protected]

This webinar is organised in the context of INCLUD-EU, an EU project funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration fund (AMIF) which contributes to building more inclusive and cohesive European societies by enhancing knowledge, driving innovation, and stimulating cooperation between local and regional authorities in the European Union. To know more about the project, visit the project webpage, and consult this info sheet.

Watch back Click here
AgendaClick here to download
HandoutsInclud-EU infosheet
City of Tilburg Netherlands
HELIOS project Greece
Click to discoverCorporate Social Responsibility Strategy
Unioncamere Piemonte homepage
MATCH project Piemonte
(in Italian)
Contact[email protected]

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Webinar on Improving Labour Market Inclusion: save the date!

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We are pleased to invite you to a webinar on how regions can improve labour market integration policies and practices, with examples from different regions and insights from IOM and the European Commission

When? Tuesday November 10th 2020, 14:00-15:00 CET
Where? GoToWebinar

Mutual Learning to improve policies and share good practices

Regional and local authorities are at the forefront when it comes to addressing integration needs in practice. The Covid-19 pandemic has strongly tested systems in place, revealing tremendous needs but also the resourcefulness which exists at local and regional levels. This shows how essential it is to create opportunities for structured and meaningful mutual learning on integration in order to enable regional and local authorities to share good practices and improve policies and practices.

Integration & Social Inclusion for Cohesion and Economy

The webinar on 10 November will focus on labour market integration. The integration and social inclusion of migrants are crucial not only to ensure cohesion in society but also to address skills gaps, labor shortages, and to boost economic performance overall. The webinar will feature regional good practices as well as a presentation on upcoming changes in the new EU programming period and what this means for regions. At a moment when the Multi-Annual Financial Framework is being negotiated, it will be particularly timely to hear about upcoming changes in funding.

This webinar is organised in the framework of the Includ-EU project, in close collaboration with the Intercultural Regions Network. The Intercultural Regions Network is a platform for regions to share knowledge, resources, and experiences to promote intercultural integration at regional level.

This event will be recorded. By registering for this event, you agree to allow the Includ-EU consortium to publish the recording online and use it for the promotion of the project, capacity building, and mutual learning.

This webinar is organised in the context of INCLUD-EU, an EU project funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration fund (AMIF) which contributes to building more inclusive and cohesive European societies by enhancing knowledge, driving innovation, and stimulating cooperation between local and regional authorities in the European Union. To know more about the project, visit the project webpage, and consult this info sheet.

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AER and Intercultural Regions Network meet with Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson

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On 10 July, the AER President, Magnus Berntsson, and the Chairs of the Intercultural Regions Network (IRN), Oriol Amorós, Secretary of Equity, Migrations and Citizenship of the Government of Catalonia, Conny Brännberg, Regional Minister of Culture of Region Västra Götaland, and Fereshteh Jalayer Hess, County Councillor from Region Värmland, joined by Irena Guidikova, Head of Division on Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Programmes of the Council of Europe, met via video conference with European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson.

The Chairs of IRN took the opportunity to present the Intercultural Regions Network and its support for regions to develop comprehensive intercultural strategies to manage diversity and migration based on the principles of equal opportunities, recognition of diversity and positive interaction between people from different origins.

The IRN Chairs and Commissioner Johansson also had a useful exchange on the future of EU migration and integration policies and the role of local and regional authorities in the New Action Plan on Integration and New Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Magnus Berntsson presented AER’s work on promoting diversity and integration of migrants at a regional level. He highlighted the Include-EU Project, in which AER is partnering. Funded under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), and led by the International Organization for Migration, this project aims to enhance local and regional actors’ knowledge to implement integration measures and promote the implementation of integration actions at territorial level.

The regional representatives and Commissioner Johansson agreed that an efficient and fair common European system on migration can only be established by including a strong commitment to integration and by fully engaging local and regional authorities. 

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Improving access to public services: Join the webinar!

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Hosted and moderated by AER in cooperation with IOM and the Council of Europe, the webinar “Intercultural regions: improving access to services” will be held on June 29th. The event will focus on the ways in which regions can improve the accessibility of public services for better integration policies and practices, with insights from IOM and the Council of Europe.

When? Monday, 29 June 2020, 11:00 – 12:00 (CET)
Where? GoToWebinar

Mutual learning for better integration policies and practices

Regional and local authorities are at the forefront when it comes to addressing integration needs in practice. The Covid-19 pandemic has strongly tested the current systems in place, revealing tremendous needs of authorities but also the resourcefulness which exists at local and regional levels.

This shows how essential it is to create opportunities for structured and meaningful mutual learning on integration in order to enable regional and local authorities to share good practices and improve policies and practices.

To facilitate these exchanges, AER and the Council of Europe have launched the Intercultural Regions Network, chaired by Oriol Amorós, Secretary of Equality, Migration and Citizenship for the Government of Catalonia. The network provides support for regions to design, implement, and evaluate diversity and inclusion strategies.

Health matters!

During this webinar, Dominik Zenner, Senior Migration Health Advisor, IOM Regional Office for the European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO, will share the experience of IOM on improving the accessibility of public services for third-country nationals. He will highlight the importance of access to health services, an issue which has become particularly salient with the COVID-19 crisis.

How to implement an intercultural approach

Irena Guidikova, Head of Division, Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Programmes, Council of Europe will explain how using an intercultural approach to providing public services dramatically changes the quality and efficiency of services. She will share implementation examples from around Europe.

Join the webinar!

Speakers at the webinar will be:

  • Oriol Amorós, Chair of the Intercultural Regions Network: creating an environment for policy learning on integration in Europe
  • Irena Guidikova, Head of Division, Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Programmes, Council of Europe
  • Dominik Zenner, Senior Migration Health Advisor, IOM Regional Office for the European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO
  • Nuria Diez Guardia, Policy Officer, European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, Unit C2 – Legal Pathways and Integration.

Moderator: Johanna Pacevicius, Coordinator Policy & Knowledge Transfer AER

This webinar is organised in the context of INCLUD-EU, an EU project funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration fund (AMIF) which contributes to building more inclusive and cohesive European societies by enhancing knowledge, driving innovation and stimulating cooperation between local and regional authorities in the European Union. To know more about the project, visit the project webpage, and consult this info sheet.

AgendaClick here to download
Event pageClick here
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Intercultural Regions: Improving Access to Services

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We are pleased to invite you to a webinar on the ways in which regions can improve the accessibility of public services for better integration policies and practices with insights from IOM and the Council of Europe.

Regional and local authorities are at the forefront when it comes to addressing integration needs in practice. The Covid-19 pandemic has strongly tested systems in place, revealing tremendous needs but also the resourcefulness which exists at local and regional levels. This shows how essential it is to create opportunities for structured and meaningful mutual learning on integration in order to enable regional and local authorities to share good practices and improve policies and practices.

To facilitate these exchanges, AER and the Council of Europe have launched the Intercultural Regions Network, chaired by Oriol Amorós, Secretary of Equality, Migration and Citizenship for the Government of Catalonia. The network provides support for regions to design, implement and evaluate diversity and inclusion strategies.

During this webinar, Dominik Zenner, Senior Migration Health Advisor, IOM Regional Office for the European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO, will share the experience of IOM on improving the accessibility of public services for third-country nationals. He will highlight the importance of access to health services, an issue which has become particularly salient with the COVID-19 crisis. Irena Guidikova, Head of Division, Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Programmes, Council of Europe will explain how using an intercultural approach to providing public services dramatically changes the quality and efficiency of services. She will share implementation examples from around Europe.

Speakers:

  • Oriol Amorós, Chair of the Intercultural Regions Network, Secretary of Equality, Migration and Citizenship for the Government of Catalonia.
  • Dominik Zenner, Senior Migration Health Advisor, IOM Regional Office for the European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO
  • Irena Guidikova, Head of Division, Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Programmes, Council of Europe
  • Nuria Diez Guardia, Policy Officer, European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, Unit C2 – Legal Pathways and Integration.

Moderator: Johanna Pacevicius, Coordinator Policy & Knowledge Transfer AER

 

This webinar is organised in the context of Includ-EU, an EU-funded project which contributes to building more inclusive and cohesive European societies by enhancing knowledge, driving innovation and stimulating cooperation between local and regional authorities in the European Union.

This event will be recorded. By registering for this event, you agree to allow the Includ-EU consortium to publish the recording online and to use it for the promotion of the project, for capacity building and mutual learning. Please let us know if you do not agree with the use of the recording.

We look forward to you participating in the discussion.

Watch Back  CLICK HERE
Agenda Click here to download
Handouts Includ-EU infosheet

Oriol Amorós’s presentation: Intercultural Regions Network

Dominik Zenner’s presentation: Access to health matters!
Contact [email protected]


Includ-EU is funded by the European Union’s Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The project runs from January 2020 to December 2022 and involves the following partners: The International Organization for Migration, the Assembly of European Region, the Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani Sez. Reg. Toscana (IT), the City of Tilburg (NL), the Secretariat for Equality, Migrations and Citizenship of Catalonia (ES) and the Region of Crete (GR).

Impact of COVID-19 on regional economies & jobs: Meeting with Commissioner Schmit.

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On Wednesday 13 May, AER’s president, Magnus Berntsson and Vice-President for Employment and Skills, Alessandra Zedda met online with Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs & Social Rights.

Magnus Berntsson presented AER’s work and its existing programmes supporting its members in promoting job creation, equal opportunities and inclusion.  AER is keeping itself busy with a focus on Sustainable Development Goals,  and the launch of the Intercultural Regions Network, the kick-start of the IncludEU project and the expansion of the Eurodyssey programme.

Ms Zedda stressed that local and regional authorities have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus outbreak. The AER Vice-President shared some examples of how European regions are responding to the crisis and its economic impacts, supporting the economy and employment.  

Commissioner Schmit discussed the EU measures to support the creation and safeguarding of employment, including the initiatives in response to COVID-19 crisis and how these can support regional authorities to recover from the pandemic.

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Roadmap For Recovery: Paving the way towards a more resilient, sustainable and fair Europe after COVID-19.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a catastrophic crisis with dramatic effects on our society. The European Union had to come up with a strong response reflecting determination, unity and solidarity; the roadmap for recovery. 

The roadmap for recovery is the result of the collaboration of the European Council, the Commission and the European Central Bank. It aims to show that the EU can and should have a coordinated exit strategy, a comprehensive recovery plan and unprecedented investment. 

The roadmap proposes broad guidelines to follow in order to recover from the crisis. The first part focuses on the principles to follow. These principles are in line with those of AER.

The first principle stresses the importance of solidarity, cohesion and convergence in the recovery plan; not all regions will be impacted the same nor will they have the same means to tackle the crisis. The second principle reminds the Member States, as well as institutions, to remain flexible and to keep in mind that the plan to recovery will need to evolve over time depending on how the situation evolves. The third principle emphasises the need to remain inclusive and that the recovery is and will be co-owned all parties involved. The final principle states that the EU is based on a set of values and rights and that no matter how urgent this crisis is, these values should be upheld at all times. 

The EU Action Plan to recover the economic impact of the crisis is the next part laid out in the roadmap. It recognises that Member States have already taken some measures to prevent companies from going bankrupt and to avoid unemployment. It also refers to actions by the ECB that have created space for them to prevent the entire collapse of a country’s economy.

The first action to be taken is to restore and further deepen the single market; it is a key component of the EU’s prosperity and resilience. During the recovery, the value and supply chains that have been disrupted must be re-established. t is necessary to keep working on a green and digital transformation in order to modernise and relaunch the EU’s economy. There is a need for strategic autonomy through dynamic industrial policy – this would include producing critical goods in Europe to reduce over-dependence on third countries. This will avoid countries finding themselves in situations where there is a mask shortage for example, as it was and is the case for this crisis.

The second step will be to come up with a Marshal-plan type of investment effort to fuel the recovery and modernise the economy. Once again, there will be a need to invest massively in green and digital transitions and circular economy, alongside other policies such as cohesion. The future Multiannual Financial Framework will, therefore, be a key instrument to support the recovery.

Finally, the EU must think about acting globally. It cannot act in isolation as this is a global crisis. Collaboration with partners such as the UN, WTO, G20 and G7 will be of primordial importance. Moreover, no one should be left behind which is why the EU should provide assistance to countries in need, especially neighbouring countries and countries from Africa.

In general, the EU will aim to be more resilient, more efficient and effective and will try to keep its principles and values at the centre of its work during the execution of the future actions taken in light of this roadmap.

Although this roadmap is more directed to EU institutions or Member States, a lot of what has been mentioned resonates with AER’s values and its approach to related issues. Regions will also have an important role to play in the recovery process of the COVID-19 crisis and there is no doubt that a lot of the steps in this roadmap will have to be implemented on a more local level. 

Cohesion policy will be of major importance in the steps towards recovery. As for the achievement of the SDGs, cooperation and regional initiatives will greatly help in turning the economy around. Moreover, as indicated in the roadmap, the EU will have to start producing locally to avoid depending on third world countries. Some companies will, therefore, have to specialise in the production of specific goods as well as training workers. 

Regions will work in parallel with SDGs to find sustainable solutions to come out of this crisis. The focus will be on the green and circular economy, the creation of employment, digitalisation, local economy and so on. In the end, every actor (citizens, NGO’s, regions, national governments, EU institutions, etc.) will have a role to play in the recovery process and will need to collaborate with others – so that nobody is  left behind.

Photo by Margarida Afonso on Unsplash

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A Regional Approach to Reduce Brain Drain

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AER Committee Plenaries in Covasna were cancelled. Committee 3, which focusses on youth, education and culture, had planned a debate on brain drain vs brain gain. We are very happy to present the article drafted by Mr Radimir Čačić, President of Committee 3 as well as a video by Mr Hrvoje Kovac, Chair of the Sub-Committee on Youth.

Many regions of Europe, and especially rural regions, are facing the problem of brain drain. Brain drain is the loss suffered by a region as a result of the emigration of a (highly) qualified person.  In Croatia, the number of inhabitants has decreased by 16% since the 1990s. Although most emigrants have only completed secondary education, 10% are doctors, IT experts, engineers, and other highly-skilled workers, which has led to a huge negative consequence on the national economy. 

How to keep highly educated people in their home region is a question that I as the AER President of Committee 3 on Youth, Education and Culture would like to pose to all regions who are facing a similar situation. As Prefect, I have implemented and introduced ways to prevent/diminish brain drain and emigration. Varaždin County is the only region in Croatia that has not registered mass emigration. 

Like many other European countries, Croatia faces a loss of doctors and nurses. This is why Varaždin County has recognized this problem and has introduced subvention of housing bank loans, and financing of education and training of doctors (PhD doctorates) and other encouraging measures, in order to motivate them to stay in the country. Encouraging measures and a structured system are crucial for keeping people and enabling their return, regardless of their educational background. And for that, we need a vision.  

Video from Deputy Mayor of Lepoglava, Hrvoje Kovac (Varazdin, HR) on the Positive and Negative Effects of Brain Drain as well as Brain Gain

Role of regions

Regions and local authorities, as the level closest to its citizens, have a crucial role to play in the diminishment of brain drain. The responses taken by Varaždin County to reduce this emigration has focussed on improving education and healthcare.  Some of these initiatives include: 

  • Rural areas face a challenge of depopulation, not only to other countries but to larger cities within the country. During my first mandate in 2005, I ensured equal opportunities for all students and pupils
  • 32 schools were built or renovated with the help of the public-private partnership model, which also enabled schooling in one shift. This has led to 94% of pupils to attend school in one shift, providing more free time for extracurricular activities
  • Free transport, textbooks, meals, student loans and scholarships were introduced for pupils at risk of poverty 
  • Establishing 10 centres of excellence to concentrate on the quality of programmes and work with highly motivated pupils in subjects such as mathematics, physics, entrepreneurship, etc. These centres provided an environment allowing pupils to achieve great results. These centres were accepted as part of the European Talent Centre Network in 2019. This title provided by the European Council for High Ability was founded in 1988 to develop a network and support for those included in the work with youngsters with high abilities (teachers, researchers, psychologists, parents, highly motivated pupils, etc.). Varaždin County is the only regional government which is considered a European Talent Centre. 

These are all examples of how regional governments can intervene, in the scope of their competences. Of course, a positive investor-friendly atmosphere should be created.

Finally, I would like to emphasize the importance of Cohesion Policy in reducing territorial disparities leading to a diminishment of brain drain. As the negotiations of the Multiannual Financial Framework continue, it is necessary to reiterate that Cohesion Policy is the best instrument in the promotion of economic convergence, to fight inequality and for the future of Europe.

Regions and local authorities, as the level closest to its citizens, should launch initiatives to address and mitigate brain drain and turn it into brain gain, brain regain or brain circulation. We would like to inspire the debate and learn from one another. How are you tackling brain drain in your region? What are the initiatives that have been working?

To download the full paper on brain drain vs brain gain, see here.

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

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AER’s contribution to EYCA Seminar – Maximising Impact

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The Assembly of European Regions (AER) participated in a Panel Debate entitled ‘Social inclusion and youth mobility: challenges and opportunities at municipal and regional level’ in the context of the Annual Seminar “Maximising Impact” of European Youth Card Association (EYCA) which took place in Brussels on 3-4 March 2020. This two-day discussion focused on empowerment policies for young people.

The panel debate on the 3rd of March, moderated by Manel Sánchez (EYCA Director), brought together Andrés Muñoz Rojo (AER), Patricia Couti (Eurocities) and Babis Papaioannou (EYCA member organisation in Greece).

Beyond Mobility

The discussion kicked off with Patricia Couti’s presentation who emphasised the key role played by cities for on-the-ground implementation of social inclusion policies due to their proximity to citizens. She pointed out that integration and building inclusive societies are a two-step process which firstly requires awareness-raising actions and secondly the adoption of participatory approaches to effectively include young people in the decision-making process.

Indeed, Eurocities works closely with municipalities to involve young people in the design of local policies and strategies. However, active employment policies should be complemented by holistic strategies that address the multiple problematics affecting young people.

Inclusive Mobility

Andrés Muñoz Rojo, AER Programmes’ coordinator, had the opportunity to introduce the work AER is doing to promote youth inclusion at the regional level through the AER’s flagship programmes – Eurodyssey, Youth Regional Network (YRN), and the Summer Academy. In his view, mobility is generally perceived as a soft policy or an economic burden rather than a long-term investment which could eventually contribute to regional development. Furthermore, mobility can have many different positive “side effects” such as developing the sense of European identity, educating on democratic values, promoting tolerance, fighting discrimination or preventing radicalisation among young people. 

Babis Papaioannou, EYCA member organisation in Greece, also stressed that mobility programmes have to be more inclusive, particularly towards vulnerable and socio-economically disadvantaged young people so no-one is left behind. A multi-level and multi-actor approach is needed for the sake of better coordinating the actions and strategies upholding equal opportunities with the support of the existing tools from the EU Institutions. 

The words that emerged most during the debates – fair mobility, inclusion, participatory decision-making–  proved the convergence of opinions regarding the important role of the municipal and regional authorities to tackle the challenges surrounding fair mobility.  

AER is pleased to have been part of the EYCA Seminar and looks forward to new cooperation opportunities in the near future!

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Intercultural Regions Network set for launch!

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European regions have agreed to establish an Intercultural Regions Network to better work together to develop comprehensive intercultural strategies to manage diversity and migration. 

The initiative was presented by the Assembly of European Regions and the Government of Catalonia on 5 November at a meeting held at the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to the EU in Brussels, to a gathering of network partners including representatives from European regions, the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions. 

Europe is becoming more diverse. The key to fostering inclusion is adopting an intercultural approach based on strong coordination among all levels of government and other relevant stakeholders. 

Inspired by the Intercultural Cities Programme (ICC) of the Council of Europe, the Intercultural Regions Network aims to provide a platform for regions to share knowledge, resources and experiences to promote intercultural integration at regional level.

The Network will provide support for regions to design, implement and evaluate diversity and inclusion strategies based on the principles of equal opportunities, recognition of diversity and positive interaction between people from different origins.

Andrew Gibson, Vice-President for Equity and Diversity of the Assembly of European Regions said: “the initiative hits the heart of the problem. At some point, the EU will understand that immigration is a major threat unless is confronted with tools as inclusion and becomes an opportunity”.

Oriol Amorós, the Secretary of Equity, Migrations and Citizenship of the Government of Catalonia, said that “our proposal is to build a new network to exchange practices, to learn from each other, and to collaborate with institutions by incorporating the intercultural perspective”. 

A group photo from the launch. Taken by @Catalonia_EU

For more information, please contact Gisela Guari at [email protected]

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