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Food for Thought – why regional leadership is a key ingredient in Smart Food Innovation

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Technology has brought many improvements to the lives of people across the globe. Life expectancy has been trending upward, and many diseases can now be successfully treated, contained, or even completely cured. A big part of this improvement is due to the advances made in the domain of food production and supply. However, recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have shown us that challenging times lay ahead and that we need to continue improving technology to rise to the challenge. But how can regions lead the way towards more sustainable food systems, while ensuring our citizens are not left behind?

The Innovation Show 2021 – How can we make food our most trusted ally?

On 3 March 2021, the AER and the Province of Gelderland in the Netherlands hosted a unique hybrid event on the opportunities presented by innovation in food value chains, and the key role of regions in driving innovation in the smart food field. ‘How Smart is Your Food?’ brought together local policymakers along with experts from academia and the private sector. Over the course of the morning, our panels discussed synergies between the work of local government and key stakeholders in smart food innovation, and where they can collaborate more closely to meet global goals in health, sustainability and climate. 

After a warm welcome to all the speakers by our host from Gelderland Province, Vivian Stribos, the event kicked-off with an opening statement from AER President, Magnus Berntsson, who underlined the enormous potential smart food innovation has to address global challenges, “a sustainable food value chain has a tremendous effect in terms of fighting and adapting to climate change, as well as in protecting everyone’s health and wellbeing.” Nevertheless, he also stresses it is not feasible to bring about change in such a key aspect of human life without collaboration with regions: “Regions have the power to act upon several levels of the food chain, such as in production, logistics, distribution and waste management. If we want to make our food system future-proof, we cannot do it alone – there must be collaboration.”

The Smart Food & Value Chain Dialogue – why innovation is an urgent matter

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing challenges in food production and supply. The virus has interrupted current practices at these levels of the food value chain due to the high infection rate that has crippled European regions over the last year. We invited Nelly Kalfs, mayor of the city of Lingewaard in the Dutch province of Gelderland, to give her views on how to overcome threats to people’s livelihoods posed by the coronavirus. In her contribution, Ms Kalfs underlined that “now [in the current sanitary crisis] is the right time to invest in food innovation. We have observed that the pandemic has accelerated innovation and that everyone is very energised and motivated to do so.” 

Smart Food and Sustainability – is there an appetite for innovation?

The growing global population has created an ever-growing demand for food, leading to unsustainable supply-chains that put the Earth’s habitats and ecosystems at risk. Moving towards more eco-friendly value chains is vital to protect our planet, but making these changes can be costly, especially for smaller producers.  How can we balance the need for more sustainable value chains, while at the same time protecting people’s livelihoods? Innovation in food systems – starting at local level – offers a way forward. 

During our talkshow on smart food and climate, speakers laid out their thoughts on the complex issue of eco-friendly innovation. Martin Scholten, Principal Advisor to Wageningen University’s Executive Board, stressed that “we all need a high-quality living environment, and we need a food system that is linked to it. Sustainable energy production and farming need to be integrated in this high-quality living environment.” However, he also stressed that a more tailored approach that recognises the needs of Europe’s regions is required, “regions are the living recipients of the transition. If we can go towards regional sourcing and regional marketing for agricultural products, we can set up solutions tailor-made for regions.” He also warned that regions need to be properly supported by the European Commission as they make this shift, “otherwise there will be no Green Deal transition.”

Paul Hospers, Project Leader in Energy Transition at NEXTGarden, was in agreement with Dr Scholten on the urgent need to diversify food value chains, starting at regional level, “Local control and local sourcing have to be prioritised because sometimes big global supply chains are vulnerable and it is good to have multiple sources.”

Victor Serrano, Director of the Institute of Agri-food Research and Development in the Spanish region of Murcia, rounded-up the conversation by stressing a crucial fact yet to be discussed by the other panelists: “a closer relationship between producers and consumers is required to foresee upcoming trends and enable farmers to align their production with the current demand.”

Smart Food Innovation – a cure for Europe’s health woes?

During the Innovation Show’s final panel, speakers discussed the opportunities and challenges of smart food technology in the health field. From monitoring our gut health, to improving food choice, smart food technology has obvious benefits when it comes to helping people lead healthier lives. Indeed, several AER regions are already fostering innovation in this area to help their citizens make better choices when it comes to food. But technology is not a panacea for Europe’s health problems, and brings with it potential risks, especially around costs for individuals and data protection. 

Thea van Kemenade, Director of Health at OnePlanet, believes that technology offers solutions to many problems in health, especially when it comes to making better choices: “we want to concentrate on enhancing food technology, because we strongly believe that consumers need to play a strong role in self-supporting their own health”. Maartje Poelman, Associate Professor of Consumption and Healthy Lifestyles at Wageningen University, stressed that any system change using technology, “cannot just be reserved for the wealthy few, it should be available for all layers of society. Inclusivity is at stake and it needs to be safeguarded.” This “system change” should start at local and regional level in our villages, towns and cities; working in collaboration with citizens “to improve food environments”. 

The value of locally-led innovation was something picked up by our final speaker, Irén Lejegren, Chair of the AER Task Force on Food and Councillor in the Swedish County of Örebro. Ms Lejegren set out how Örebro is a leader in sensory perception and gut health research; which in the long-term will help people make better food choices. She also noted that despite all the opportunities technology can bring, there are also inherent risks, especially when it comes to the use of AI technology and protecting people’s personal data. 

So while technology can certainly help us treat a number of Europe’s health issues, there are several potential side-effects to consider. Policymakers will therefore have to carefully weigh-up the obvious benefits of technology while at the same time ensuring that citizens’ rights are protected. 

Food for thought – a bottom-up approach to smart food innovation 

‘How Smart is Your Food?’ successfully illustrated the complexity but also the necessity of innovation in food value chains to address societal issues, such as unhealthy lifestyle choices and the ecological impact of irresponsible food sourcing and production. 

What is clear is that a bottom-up approach, led by regions as the links between stakeholders is the only way to nurture sustainable, inclusive innovation in the long-run. As AER Secretary General, Christian Spahr put it in his closing remarks, “a single size does not fit all. Regions are different both in terms of production and consumption. We need to form alliances between governments, private stakeholders and researchers to work together towards a common goal: a healthier and more sustainable future for all.” 

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Regions and other stakeholders can find more information and learn about more opportunities by contacting or visiting the websites of:

Did you ask a question during our Q&A we didn’t get around to? Check out some more responses below!

  • How to support farmers in switching from growing tobacco?

This question is related to different strategies and policies aimed at reducing the consumption and production of tobacco, changing the incentives for farmers, protecting biodiversity and improving soil health
Detailed information related to producers and production of EU tobacco, legal bases and relevant committees is available here:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/plants-and-plant-products/plant-products/tobacco_en
Information on Sustainable agriculture in the CAP and the links with the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, the biodiversity strategy:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/sustainability/sustainable-cap_en
Information on the Mission area: Soil health and food:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/horizon-europe/missions-horizon-europe/soil-health-and-food_en

  • What are the actions and measures in place to reduce the use of penicillin?

The below resources provide reports, examples of projects and policies related to the reduction of the use of antibiotics
Report by European Medicine Agency on reduction of antibiotics in animals:
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/european-countries-increase-commitment-responsible-antibiotic-use-animals
The EIP AGRI Focus Groups have been working on a variety of topics including the use of antibiotics. The results of the EIP-AGRI Focus groups are published in this update: https://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/sites/default/files/focus_groups_state_of_play_november_2020_update.pdf
Disseminating Innovative Solutions for Antibiotic Resistance Management: https://disarmproject.eu/ 

  • How can the use of nitrogen fixing trees help to fertilize the soil in Spain?

This topic is related to permaculture and practices that enable the interaction between ecosystems or different layers of the same ecosystem
Reduction of nitrogen fertilisation in the Region of Murcia through the application of native microorganisms that fix environmental nitrogen:
https://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/en/find-connect/projects/reducci%C3%B3n-de-fertilizaci%C3%B3n-nitrogenada-en-la
Innovations for self-sustaining production systems: permaculture, bio-intensive vegetable garden and forest food (Agriculture self-sufficient):
https://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/en/find-connect/projects/innovazioni-finalizzate-alla-creazione-di-sistemi
GO SETOS – Multifunctional borders for sustainable landscape and agriculture
An EIP-AGRI Operational Group working together to increase the implementation of multifunctional hedgerows that offer environmental benefits as well as climate mitigation and adaptation: https://enrd.ec.europa.eu/projects-practice/go-setos-multifunctional-borders-sustainable-landscape-and-agriculture_en

  • Can you give more information about Reko rings in Europe?

REKO is model for selling and buying local food directly from producers to consumers. Products are sold based on pre-orders made through closed Facebook rings:
https://www.interregeurope.eu/policylearning/good-practices/item/1355/reko-rings-local-food-groups/
Reko rings in Italy are GAS (Gruppi d’acquisto solidale): https://www.portalgas.it/cos-e-un-g-a-s-gruppo-d-acquisto-solidale

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Regionalisation in Lithuania: an ongoing debate on regional reforms #RoR2017

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Essentially, the definition “region” in Lithuania is associated with three types of territorial units: administrative units of the state territory of higher level – counties (apskritys); ethnocultural regions; territorial units where Lithuania’s national regional policy and the European Union’s cohesion/neighbourhood policy are implemented.

Counties

After the re-establishment of independence in 1990, the country inherited the system of administrative-territorial units from the Soviet period. Established in 1960, this system was adjusted to suit the centralised government’s needs, but it was no longer suitable for a democracy. According to official documents, the administrative-territorial system in 1990- 1995 consisted of administrative-territorial units, which fell into two levels and five categories: cities of national importance (higher level), rajonai (districts) (higher level), towns of regional importance (lower level), urban-type settlements (lower level), and apylinkės (rural territories) (lower level). Administrative-territorial units of both the higher and lower levels were mostly small in terms of population. For instance, the units of the higher level with the population of 30 000 to 50 000 accounted for 42 % of the units of the higher level. It is assumed that during that period (1990 – 1995) there were no administrative-territorial units in Lithuania that could be called regions.

Since 1995 the system of administrative-territorial units in Lithuania has undergone essential changes. In 1995, 10 new administrative-territorial units of higher level, named apskritys (counties) which corresponded to the NUTS III level units, were established for the performance of state administrative functions, the implementation of national regional policy, and the absorption of support from the European Union Structural Funds and other financial instruments. Although, compared to the analogous entities in other European countries, those 10 new administrative- territorial units of the higher level were and still are relatively small; they, in particular, are called regions in Lithuania. According to the scientific classification of regions, the said regions are attributed to the group of administrative regions.

New administrative-territorial units of higher level (counties) were formed with the aim of implementing the provision of paragraph 1 of Article 123 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania stating that: ‘At higher level administrative units, the governance shall be organised by the central government according to the procedure established by law’. Thus it was decided that such government had to be implemented mainly by state officials who were appointed by the central government for a term of four years and were responsible for it, that is to say by county governors and their subordinate state budgetary institutions (county governor’s administration). The said state officials were appointed and the said institutions were established in the spring of 1995 and operated until 1 July 2010.

County governors and their subordinate institutions were constantly criticized by state politicians and municipalities. However, the latter greatly contributed to unpopular actions and required ‘harder decisions’ in the spheres of land reform, privatization of state property, and restoration of the ownership right to the existing real property to its former owners. After 15 years of work the positions of the said state officials and their subordinate institutions were abolished as presumably having completed their mission and duplicating the activities of other public administration entities. The functions performed by them were granted to municipalities and other state administration entities (e.g. the National Land Service under the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Education and Science, etc.) or these functions were withdrawn.

County governors and their subordinate institutions as well as administrative-territorial units of higher level (counties) ‘were seen’ as the inseparable elements (i.e. counties were identified with county governors and the institutions subordinate to them). Therefore, in 2010 after the abolishment of the positions of those state officials and their subordinate institutions, it seemed to many that the administrative-territorial units of higher level (counties) were also abolished. However, even after the county reform in 2010 the counties as the administrative-territorial units of higher level continued to function.

Ethnocultural (ethnographic) regions.

Lithuania is quite homogeneous according to its ethnic composition: 85% of the population are Lithuanians (according to their nationality). However, the Lithuanian nation evolved from certain tribes and ethnic formations, which had specific cultural features: language and songs, traditions and customs, clothes, architecture, recipes, traditional way of life, etc. All this is respected in Lithuania, which tries to preserve its cultural features for future generations. Therefore, with the aim of fostering this historical cultural heritage, Lithuania is divided into five ethno-cultural regions since 1999: regions of Highland (Aukštaitija), Dainava (Dzūkija), Lithuania Minor (Mažoji Lietuva), Samogitia (Žemaitija), and Sudovia (Suvalkija). These regions’ legal conditions were created in these regions for the functioning of regional councils in order to protect the ethnic culture of the activities which are directed, coordinated and funded by the Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture under the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter: ‘the Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture’).

Territorial units

Regions – Territorial units where the national regional policy of Lithuania is implemented. As already mentioned, the year 1995 saw the establishment of administrative-territorial units- counties (apskritys) at the NUTS III level, where not only the execution of state administration functions was planned, but also the implementation of the national regional policy (from 2000). This included targeted activities of public and other competent bodies with the aim of reducing, by applying differentiated measures, the territorial socio-economic differences between and within regions.

The Law on Regional Development adopted on 20 July 2000 clearly defines the concept of the region intended for the implementation of the national regional policy. The Law on Regional Development, which entered into force in 2002, and the part of the provisions that was amended because of the County Reform enforced on 1 July 2010, defines that the regional development council shall carry out its activities in each region – county. (It was stated that a regional development council consisted of the mayors of the region’s municipalities, delegate members of municipal councils and a person appointed by the central government or an institution authorized by it.) The regional development council does not have the status of legal person; meaning there is separate financing for carrying out its activities and the administration subordinate to it. The regional development councils are aided in performing their functions set out by the Law on Regional Development by the ten territorial branches of the Regional Development Department under the Ministry of the Interior, with 3-5 staff members each and financed with state budget appropriations.

In order to enlarge the role of the regional development councils and to increase the efficiency of their activities a new revised version of the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Regional Development has been drafted and submitted to the Seimas for consideration in June 2014. The Seimas adopted this law in September 2014.

Impact of EU Neighbourhood policy and territorial cooperation programmes. Lithuanian regions (counties) classified at NUTS III level are greatly influenced by EU territorial cooperation programmes and the European Neighbourhood Policy. Lithuanian regions (counties) participate in three territorial cooperation programmes and two neighbourhood programmes.

Perspectives

Since 2008, discussions had been held in Lithuania concerning the possibility of abolishing 10 counties (apskritys) and establishing 3-5 regions intended to perform the functions related to state administration, national regional policy implementation and administration of the European Union support. The actual, practical steps were taken by the 15th Central Government (Cabinet of Ministers) in 2010 when it fulfilled the reform of the counties (apskritys). Unfortunately, the only result of that reform was the liquidation of part of the state institutions operating in the counties (apskritys). The fulfillment of the ideas to establish ‘basic regions’ (NUTS 2 level) with regional councils functioning in them (to be set up by way of delegation) and intended for administrating EU support was postponed.

However, the following features are still a matter of ongoing debate:

  1. a ‘small scale’ of administrative-territorial units of higher level – counties;
  2. the limited autonomy of regional (county) development councils functioning in the counties (the power to decide is limited, lack of a legal person status and administrations subordinate to them as well as lack of financial resources, which are administrated independently);
  3. by the year 2015 Lithuania, as a basic region classified at NUTS 2, reached a 75 percent of the GDP per capita value of the EU indicator (and therefore the procedure for calculating the amount of EU support granted to Lithuania may change);
  4. the orientation towards 3-5 administrative areas when setting up territorial entities of public administration;
  5. the good practice of other countries (e.g. Denmark and others) when establishing ‘major’ regions with the principles of democratic governance designed for the implementation of the new generation of regional policy, etc.

In 2014 during the spring session, the Committee on State Administration and Local Authorities of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania proposed to the government to prepare a conception of a revised version of the Law on Regional Development by 1 June 2015 and to submit the draft of a revised version of the Law on Regional Development and other necessary draft laws (maybe even providing for an amendment of Article 123 of the Constitution), considering the introduction of regional self-governance (in the field of regional development). However, the government rejected this proposal.

On 6 January 2016, by government resolution two additional statistical regions (corresponding to NUTS level 2) were formed: Capital region (consisting of Vilnius County) and Central-Western region (consisting of the remaining 9 counties). In January 2016, a proposal for amendments to the NUTS Regulation was presented to the European Commission. As for the determination of the investment principles in the entire territory of Lithuania and two separate NUTS level 2 statistical regions scenarios (and corresponding administrative structures), forecasts on appropriate development needs for Lithuania and investment priorities for the period after 2020 are still to be carried out.

by Algirdas ASTRAUSKAS

The Report on the state of Regionalisation in Europe.

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

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

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

Strong European regions are a pathway to a stronger Europe.

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Are you interested to join a project within the Asylum, Migration & Integration Fund ?

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A foundation of the Region of Murcia (Spain) – Fundación CEPAIM – is looking for partners to develop a project under the call of proposals in the area of Integration of Third-Country Nationals (2017). Priority 2: Community building at local level for integration including through volunteering activities (AMIF-2017-AG-INTE).

The objective of this project is to promote processes of integration and social cohesion through democratic participation and coexistence of the local population and the newcomers of third countries in neighbourhoods of high diversity.

The expected result is to achieve an improvement of the knowledge of, and the relationships between the local citizens and the ones of third countries in the neighbourhoods and to reinforce a structure of intercultural participation through networking, that assures the sustainability through the whole process.

Partners sought are: 

. Local public entities of cities with neighbourhoods of high cultural diversity: town halls or other public entities with a local character.

. Private non-profit entities: associations, foundations, groups or entities that work in neighbourhoods or cities with a high population of cultural diversity and that develop projects of community development and actions with an intercultural character.

In case you are interested to join this project, please get in touch with us by 7th February.

Contact

European Projects

Agnese Pantaloni

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

Articles by Agnese


  • EU funding
  • Calls for projects and tenders
  • Partner search

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1st Call of Urban Innovative Actions is open!

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AER would like to raise the awareness of member regions and partners on the launch of the 1st call for proposals of the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative, which is open from 15 December 2015 to 31 March 2016 at 02:00pm CET.

Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) is an Initiative of the European Commission that provides urban areas throughout Europe with resources to test new and unproven solutions to address urban challenges and see how these work in practice and respond to the complexity of real life.

Approximately 359 million people – 72% of the total EU population – live in cities, towns and suburbs. Urban areas face multiple and interconnected challenges related to employment, migration, demography, water and soil pollution. But, they are also engines of new ideas and solutions, dynamic places where changes happen on a larger scale and at a fast pace.

To answer the increasingly complex challenges they face, urban authorities need to go beyond traditional policies and services, they need to be innovative. UIA offers them with the possibility to take a risk and experiment creative solutions, involving also all the key stakeholders that can bring expertise and knowledge on the specific policy issue to be addressed.

UIA can provide you with two levels of support:

  1. providing funding for projects (it co-finances 80% of project’s activities, up to EUR 5 million ERDF)
  2. capturing and sharing the knowledge generate by projects, to see how potential solutions work in practice

The main objective of the 1st Call for Proposals is to select projects testing bold and unproven ideas on the following topics:

UIA funds projects that are innovative, of good quality, participative, measurable and transferable.

The Application Pack as well as more information on the 1st  UIA Call for Proposals are available here.

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Commissioner Hahn at Western Balkan conference

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At the Western Balkans Summit Business Breakfast in Vienna, Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement, shared his views on the future development of the Western Balkans.

Across the region we see an increasing re-engagement in the reform process. Despite persisting risks and high uncertainties, growth prospects seem now to be much better than in the past years. This means that the economic environment for the Western Balkans is more conducive to growth and reforms than ever since the start of the crisis. It is now time to accelerate the reforms to progress in the economic transformations in your countries.

Do you share his view? Feel free to comment below.Follow AER!

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“30 Years, 30 Stories” Campaign: Interview with Johannes Hahn

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Brussels (BE), 23 March 2015 



For its 30th Anniversary, AER launched the “30 Years, 30 Stories” campaign in partnership with New Europe in order to celebrate the achievements of regions since 1985.

Our first guest was Mr Johannes Hahn, former EU Commissioner for Regional Policy who was nominated by Commission president-elect Mr Jean-Claude Juncker as Commissioner responsible for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations in September 2014.

On Friday 20 March 2015, Mr. Hahn faced the cameras in the New Europe Studios as he shared his view on the role of AER and the relevance of its mission. Mr Hahn sees the Assembly of European Regions as the equivalent of “the Council of Europe” for regions, as it covers territories outside of the EU. He underlined that our Assembly is not only “an excellent opportunity and a platform for exchanging and sharing experiences but also for shaping opinions concerning the EU, the whole process and the regions”.

The Commissioner also spoke of the Ukrainian crisis and how the EU’s financial crisis is influencing relations with its neighbours and the accession countries.

 Although Mr Hahn confirmed Mr Junker’s statement that the EU will not proceed with any further enlargement before the end of the 2019 mandate, he underlined that the negotiations are still underway.“The process is just as important as the result; we have to accompany the candidate countries in their societal and economic development to bring them closer to the EU,” says Mr Hahn, “sustainable implementation and change take time and, therefore, it is justified to speak about the process” he concluded.

For more information: [email protected] AER!

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Turkey-EU talks: How AER can contribute

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The question of Turkey’s accession to the European Union has been causing numerous discussions and controversies within and around the Union. Turkey applied to accede to the European Economic Community (EEC), EU’s predecessor, as early as 1987. Notably, Turkey serves for the future of Europe being a founding member of the Council of Europe (CoE) since 1949, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since 1961 and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) since 1973. Moreover, by 1995 Turkey became a part of the Customs Union, which allowed it to trade with EU member states without the customs duties normally implemented on trade with non-EU countries. Although Turkey has been officially recognised as a candidate for full membership at the Helsinki European Council in 1999, accession negotiations which began as early as 2005 continue till today.

Irrespective of these negotiations remaining unresolved in addition to ongoing questions as to whether Turkey will succeed in achieving full member status, the regions of Turkey have already started cooperating with the EU, since 2006, through the Assembly of European Regions (AER). This interregional cooperation has not always been a routine in Europe; it has undoubtedly come a long way since the AER’s creation. Established in 1985, AER has, for 30 years, been instrumental in unifying the development and cooperation of regions in Europe by gradually developing cross-border programmes.

As the president of AER since 2013, I am convinced, now more than ever, that the regional level is key to reinforcing and promoting the values of the EU and creating a strong Europe. AER held the Autumn

Bureau meeting in Ankara, Turkey, on 16-17 December 2014, taking this as an opportunity, with the support of the Turkish EU Ministry, to organise a gathering of all Turkish cities and metropolitan municipalities. During this meeting it was made evident that the Turkish local actors are admittedly interested in what AER has to offer, with specific reference to:

• Increasing the regions’ political influence within the EU institutions
• influencing national decision makers
• Promoting regional opportunities and increasing regions’ visibility
• Facilitating interregional communication.

Regretfully, the Turkish partners did express their underlying doubts and fears as to the true value and benefits that would come from the EU. They also resented the haste in which Turkey is regularly condemned by EU representatives being ineligible for EU membership.

Being a Turkish native, as well as holding a position as a politician running a European political organisation, places me in a symbolic and privileged position to be able to pursue and direct the continued development of Turkey and EU relations, the development of which looks to be promising. We already represent over 200 regions and 35 countries, 40% of which are outside the EU. AER offers its utter support and expertise in order to make regional authorities a target when promoting Europe. The meeting with the Turkish local actors in Ankara compounded once again that a bottom-up approach is extremely important, and hence targeting regional politicians when pursuing the activities mentioned above.

Given that some member states may call for referendums to decide upon the accession of Turkey to the EU, the role of regional politicians becomes much more important in informing individual citizens.Follow AER!

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AER backs the giant steps in EU-Georgia relationship

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AER President and acting Secretary General went to Tbilisi (GE) in October. This visit came a few months after the regional elections in Georgia and the historical signature, in June, of an association agreement between EU and Georgia, which deepens political and economic ties in the framework of the Eastern partnership.

The timing was perfect to discuss the state of decentralisation and the role regions will play in the future. The delegation met with Alex Petriashvili, State Minister for European integration, who stressed the importance of the government decentralisation agenda and the role AER could play in helping both the State and the regions deliver more subsidiarity.

AER met Aleksandre Iosebashvili, deputy governor of the Imereti region, keen to be among the first new regions to join AER. Building on the positive experience of the Adjara region, an active AER member, and on the State commitment, the follow up is now being done to welcome new Georgian regions.

This trip was also the occasion to greet Innovator, member of the AER Business Community.Follow AER!

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5th Black Sea Summit – Using existing bridges to rise above new walls

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Bucharest (RO), 3 October 2014

Bearing in mind the challenging political context that affects this area, the Assembly of European Regions (AER), at the kind invitation of the National Union of County Councils from Romania (UNCJR), held today its 5th annual Black Sea Summit in Bucharest, Romania. The 100 high level participants present during the Summit adopted the ‘Bucharest Declaration’, a political statement that focuses on the place of the Black Sea Synergy within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).

This year’s edition of the Summit took the opportunity to welcome the Association agreements between the EU, Ukraine, Georgia and the republic of Moldova signed in July. This new step for these Black Sea regions recognises the importance of the involvement of the EU to promote a sound and fruitful cooperation within the area, but also highlights the work still needed to be done.

“We consider as urgent that a true Black Sea Strategy be put in place by the European Union, which would offer the ground for a much needed integrated approach of the area. A real synergy among the European policies must be ensured, in particular with regard to the Eastern Partnership and Danube cooperation programme, but also beyond, to keep important contacts with the Russian Federation.” stated Hande Özsan Bozatli, AER President.

“Indeed, the political and security issues in Eastern Europe have led the Black Sea Basin and its regions to undergo a test period, particularly suspending numerous projects with Ukrainian regions. The UNCJR is prepared to further develop links with Ukraine using all the means provided by the Black Sea cooperation. I call all fellow neighbouring regions to do the same”, declared Marian Oprisan, President of UNCJR and President of the Vrancea County.

Although the strategy for the Black Sea Basin Programme adopted by the participating countries in July represents a step in the right direction, AER is concerned that the areas for cooperation identified under each objective – whilst defined on the basis of an open consulting process and SWOT analysis – be very restrictive and too specific to encourage true cooperation. Therefore, AER through the Bucharest declaration, insists that support to cooperation and “people-to-people actions” through key fields such as Youth, education, social inclusion or health, would bring a strong contribution to the objectives of the programme, granting more equal opportunities directly to its citizens.

“Central governments still have too much power which could be passed down to a more local level, in order to boost efficiency, dialogue and stability for the citizens that they represent,” mentioned Romanian Prime Minister Victor-Viorel Ponta. “The principle of subsidiarity, which is the foundation of the European Union (EU), as well as the role of regional local authorities need to be enforced to better forge a strong, inclusive and flexible cooperation”.

Finally, President of the Committee of the Regions Michel Lebrun reminded the participants of the Summit that regions of the Black Sea Basin already have the tools and necessary bridges to overcome the new obstacles, which they are currently facing. A pursued integrated approach and strengthened partnership between Black Sea regions will continue to foster cross-border cooperation.

Download the AER Black Sea Declaration

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AER welcomes the Juncker Commission

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Brussels (BE), 10 September 2014

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) happily welcomes the new Juncker Commission, to be approved by the European Parliament in October and to take office on 1 November. The new college of European Commissioners will shape European policy making for the next 5 years.

Corina CRETU, new Commissioner for Regional Policy

“On behalf of the Assembly, I would like to welcome Mrs Cretu, the new Commissioner for Regional Policy. We look forward to continue and strengthen our cooperation with this new team. AER is ready to meet with Mrs Cretu to launch a hopefully fruitful collaboration”, stated DR Hande Özsan Bozatli, AER President.

Mrs Cretu was born in Bucharest on 24 June 1967. She graduated from the Academy of Economic Studies’ Faculty of Cybernetics (1989), and worked as an economist for factories in Blaj and Bucharest until 1990. She then worked as a commentator for several Romanian newspapers. President Iliescu chose her as his advisor and Spokesperson during two separate mandates (1992-1996 and 2000-2004). She was also Head of the Public Communication Department before being nominated in 2002 for the Board of the Romanian Television Company.

She became a Member of the European Parliament in 2007, following the accession of Romania to the EU. She was also an OSCE observer to the parliamentary election of 2005 in Moldova and to the general election of 2006 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“AER members also express their deepest gratitude to Johannes Hahn, outgoing Commissioner for Regional Policy, who has always paid attention to the needs of the regions and was open to discussion with our network”, underlined AER President.

Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement

Moreover, AER is thrilled that the new portfolio for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations will be allocated to Johannes Hahn, who has proven in his previous responsibilities to have a sound understanding of the regional cause, within and beyond EU borders.

AER grasps this opportunity to invite the two future Commissioners to follow our 5th annual Black Sea Summit taking place 3rd October in Bucharest, Romania. Bearing in mind the challenging political context that affects this area, our Summit will look into the place of the Black Sea Synergy in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP):

• What is the impact of the European Union Association Agreements with Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on ENP?
• Are the strategies and programmes of ENP adapted to the current challenges from the Eastern Neighbourhood?
• What place for the future Black Sea Strategy in all this?

For more information: [email protected] AER!

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Interview of Pascal Goergen – New Europe

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“Pascal Goergen, a Belgian politcal scientist and secretary general of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) is visiting Ukraine, a country profoundly divided and where some regions are member of the AER.

On the eve of his visit there, New Europe asked Pascal Goergen about the functioning of this independent network of regional authorities in Europe…”

Read more

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AER 4th Black Sea Summit:

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“The global environment of the European Union (EU) is moving very fast. To keep up with its role as a global player, the EU must be able to react rapidly, whilst adopting a longer term attractive strategy to reinforce its partnership with Southern and Eastern neighbours. The important region of the Black Sea plays a strategic role in implementing these goals”, stated Hande Özsan Bozatli, at the AER 4th Black Sea Summit in Rize, last 4 October.

For three years AER has undertaken the task of gathering all the regions around the Black Sea. Three summits later, the interest in these conferences continues to grow. Indeed, with 150 elected officials, experts and representatives of the civil society present in Rize (TR), the AER Summit has become the main European platform for an effective interregional cooperation around the Black Sea. “These meetings allow us to monitor the economic, energy and transport policies of our neighbours in order to protect our common wealth which is the Black Sea”, announced Nurullah Cakir, Governor of Rize. As an illustration of this cooperation, the Turkish Minister for Trade and Customs, Hayati Yazici, presented the new Silk Road project that will crisscross through the Black Sea and which is aimed at increasing trade between the regions of Europe and Asia.

The discussions were particularly focused on the Cross Border Cooperation (CBC) program and the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

“The Black Sea Basin’s Operational Program 2007-2013 success has been demonstrated by the additional 11 million euros inscribed in the dedicated budget of the European Commission since 2008”, says Laura Bobarnac, representative of the Ministry of Development and regional public administration of Romania.

However, Liliana Pavlova, former Minister of Regional Development of Bulgaria expressed however her concern on the planned reductions of the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI) for the next programming period 2014-2020 : “a lowered budget would jeopardize the crucial role of the Black Sea, a natural bridge between Europe and the Middle East”.

This concern was echoed in the final declaration adopted by the Summit’s participants. AER therefore urges the EU institutions to rapidly reach an agreement on the MFF and the regulatory framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in order to enable the quick start of the program.

Finally, the participants unanimously agreed that AER should become a key actor of the Eastern Partnership and, like the Black Sea, grow into a platform for exchange. As a bridge builder on political, economical, social and human levels, AER requests to become a regional ENP partner so as to ensure better visibility of the regional authorities of the Black Sea to the EU. This will allow them to benefit from a one-stop-shop exchange of good practices.

“It is only by ensuring an adequate budget and a more inclusive governance that we can support the prosperity of the Black Sea Region and ensure a fruitful dialogue”, concluded the AER President.

+Presentations of the Black Sea Summit

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Rize Declaration on the European Neighborhood Policy

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The EU, as a global actor, has a crucial role to play in ensuring conditions for peace, stability and sustainable democracies throughout the whole European continent. The launch of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in 2004 was a decisive step in that direction. The new response towards a changing EU neighbourhood adopted in May 2011 took stock on the changes taking place in Southern Europe and provided new ground for closer association and deeper economic integration with EU Eastern Neighbours. In their joint communication of 20 March 2013, the European Commission and the High representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy call for a ‘stronger partnership’ in the frame of European Neighbourhood Policy. Careful assessment of the progress reports show, however, that the results of ENP can be considered as limited so far. In that context, and with regards to the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, regional representatives from EU member states, and from EU neighbouring countries, gathered in Rize, on 4th October, adopted the following resolution.

(Use Pop Out button to Download/Open)

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AER 4th Black Sea Summit – AER is fighting for the Black Sea region not to be forgotten in the future European Neighbourhood Policy

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Rize (TR), 4 October 2013

“The global environment of the European Union (EU) is moving very fast. To keep up with its role as a global player, the EU must be able to react rapidly, whilst adopting a longer term attractive strategy to reinforce its partnership with Southern and Eastern neighbours. The important region of the Black Sea plays a strategic role in implementing these goals”, stated Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli, Assembly of European Regions (AER) President.
For three years AER has undertaken the task of gathering all the regions around the Black Sea. Three summits later, the interest in these conferences continues to grow. Indeed, with 150 elected officials, experts and representatives of the civil society present in Rize (TR), the AER Summit has become the main European platform for an effective interregional cooperation around the Black Sea. “These meetings allow us to monitor the economic, energy and transport policies of our neighbours in order to protect our common wealth which is the Black Sea”, announced Nurullah Cakir, Governor of Rize. As an illustration of this cooperation, the Turkish Minister for Trade and Customs, Hayati Yazici, presented the new Silk Road project that will crisscross through the Black Sea and which is aimed at increasing trade between the regions of Europe and Asia.
The discussions were particularly focused on the Cross Border Cooperation (CBC) program and the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

“The Black Sea Basin’s Operational Program 2007-2013 success has been demonstrated by the additional 11 million euros inscribed in the dedicated budget of the European Commission since 2008”, says Laura Bobarnac, representative of the Ministry of Development and regional public administration of Romania.

However, ß, former Minister of Regional Development of Bulgaria expressed her concern on the planned reductions of the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI) for the next programming period 2014-2020 : “a lowered budget would jeopardize the crucial role of the Black Sea, a natural bridge between Europe and the Middle East”.

This concern was echoed in the final declaration adopted by the Summit’s participants. AER therefore urges the EU institutions to rapidly reach an agreement on the MFF and the regulatory framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in order to enable the quick start of the program.

Finally, the participants unanimously agreed that AER should become a key actor of the Eastern Partnership and, like the Black Sea, grow into a platform for exchange. As a bridge builder on political, economical, social and human levels, AER requests to become a regional ENP partner so as to ensure better visibility of the regional authorities of the Black Sea to the EU. This will allow them to benefit from a one-stop-shop exchange of good practices.

“It is only by ensuring an adequate budget and a more inclusive governance that we can support the prosperity of the Black Sea Region and ensure a fruitful dialogue”, concluded the AER President.

Download the Rize Declaration

For more information: [email protected] AER!

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Black Sea: How to finance interregional cooperation projects?

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This question was at the heart of the Training Academy, which took place on 3 October in Rize (TR), on the eve of the 4th AER Black Sea Regions Summit. The training focused on the EU programme for the Black Sea but also on other funding sources, such as the Black Sea Trust for regional cooperation.

Thanks to the input of the joint Managing Authority and through the advice of an experienced project partner, participants were able to get a good overview of the current programme and the key factors for the selection and success of projects. The training also enabled them to get further information about the future programme, in particular with regards to the new framework which will allow Turkish partners to act as main beneficiaries. The Training Academy was organised by the AER Academic and Training Centre.

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