Assembly of European Regions

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Monitoring regionalisation has always been one of AER's main missions and objectives. Keeping track of the developments in all European countries, in terms of decentralisation, subsidiarity, regional democracy and key to understanding where European regionalisation comes from, and where we are heading.

The section below brings together articles, interviews, publications from members and experts across Europe to keep track of the State of the Regions in Europe.

AER selected for the European Youth Event 2020! Apply now!

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We are eager to announce that the European Parliament has granted AER to participate in the European Youth Event 2020 in Strasbourg! (Keep reading to join us in this exciting adventure…)

What is EYE2020?

From 29 to 30 May 2020, the European Youth Event will bring thousands of young people coming from all over Europe to Strasbourg (FR). The event is aimed to make young people active agents of change in the European democratic life rather than passive beneficiaries, by engaging in debates, workshops, hearings and digital activities on a very diversified range of topics. All the activities are co-created with partners, youth organisations and the participants.

The EYE2020 is the perfect opportunity for youth to share their thoughts, concerns, hopes and meet and inspire each other. And on top of that, some participants will also be able to present the most impactful ideas directly to the Members of the European Parliament.

If you want to find out more, take a look at the tentative programme or just visit the webpage of the EYE2020!

What are the selection criteria?

  • Be aged between 16 and 30 years old representing a regional or local youth entity.
  • Hold EU citizenship and residency. Citizens and residents from candidate countries are also eligible for sponsorship.
  • A clear explanation of your motivation and how you plan to employ the soft skills gained and the takeaways.
  • Proof of experience in youth work or related-initiatives you have carried out.
  • Proof of a mandate or person of reference supporting your application from the organisation/region you stand for.
  • young people with disabilities, from rural or remote areas and from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds will be prioritised.

AER and YRN members, particularly those coming from remote areas in Europe, have priority.

And the financial conditions?

The financial contribution is calculated on the basis of the following 2 elements per sponsored participant:

1. An amount depending on the distance calculated as follows: €0.045/km considering the most direct road return journey between the common point of departure of the group (town/city) and Strasbourg. If there is no common point of departure, it will be calculated based on the average travel distance.

2. Thanks to the sponsorship provided by the European Parliament, the selected youth delegates will benefit from free half-board (breakfast & dinner) accommodation in shared rooms from 28-31 May 2020. Lunch is not included and will be at the expense of the participants.

N.b.: Participants from non-EU territories, EEA or neighbourhood countries canNOT be part of the sponsored group.

Apply now!

If you are a young activist aged between 16 and 30 years old representing a regional or local youth entity and meet the aforementioned criteria, you then cannot afford to miss the fantastic opportunity of taking an active part in the EYE2020 in the name of AER!

Submission deadline:
22 January 2020

Only the 20 best candidates will be confirmed to form the AER’s delegation to the EYE2020 following the submission deadline.

Contact us!

For any questions related to AER’s participation to the EYE2020, please do not hesitate to contact Andrés Muñoz at the AER Secretariat:
e: [email protected] / t: +32 (0) 2 400 10 54

Photo credits: @European Parliament

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Looking back at the 2019 AER Summer Academy in Vojvodina!

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The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (RS) hosted the 2019 AER Summer Academy, engaging almost 100 participants from all over Europe. Youth participation, equality, migration, environment and unemployment were some of the topics addressed during all the plenaries and parallel workshops. For all these reasons it was a great opportunity to discuss not only the problems that young Europeans are facing in Europe today but also the solutions and alternatives that can ensure a prosperous future.

Valuable insights and unforgettable experiences

Thanks to both the effort of the hosting region of AP Vojvodina and the proactivity of the participants, the Summer Academy 2019 became a great forum not to just discuss ideas and policies but also of informal knowledge-sharing. Some activities within the program encouraged the young participants to get to know each other and to create bonds among them.

A Tour around Novi Sad followed by a “Graffiti party” in the city beach “Strand”, the international dinner that took place on the next day, the several concerts during all the week in the Liberty Square and the Exit festival on Thursday night made the delights of the regional delegates and young participants. 

Besides that, it contributed to bringing up the importance of a dynamic and sustainable urban life in order to face the challenges ahead of us. These challenges were also discussed within the different workshops and plenary sessions. Youth participation was the main subject during the first day of sessions. The County of Jönköping (SE) and the Canton of Zürich (CH) inspired the audience through two different workshops about the importance of taking part in the public arena in order to defend the interests and rights of youth people all around Europe.

The second and the third day, sectoral concerns such as migration, equality, environment or the labour market were covered. In addition to the regions of Maramureș (RO), Østfold (NO) and Brussels-Capital (BE), participants had the chance to rely on the presence of experts from the AMiD- Access to services for Migrants with Disabilities project or Smart Coop, who provided a wider perspective than the institutional one to the debates.

Written by: Juan Antonio Gallardo Roca, Eurodyssey Trainee at Brussels International (BI) – Brussels Capital Region (BE)

Acknowledgements

The Assembly of European Regions would like to thank the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the representatives, experts and volunteers of the region whose joint endeavour ensured the Summer Academy success.

A big thank you also to the Summer Academy Organizing Committee (SAOC) members, whose compromise is crucial to uphold every year’s program.

And last but not least, thank you to all the participants, you are the reason why the Summer Academy continues creating unforgettable memories year after year!

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Apply now for the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe’s 20th University on Youth and Development!

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AER – Youth Regional Network (YRN) is very proud to announce its partnership with the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe 20th University on Youth and Development which will take place in Mollina, Málaga (Spain) in September 2019. This will be also the occasion to celebrate the YRN Autumn Committee Plenaries themed around the UYD’S 2019 annual focus “Youth & Justice” in line with the UN SDG 16 – “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions”.

25 YRN members and youth representatives from all AER member regions can apply to be part of this reference platform for youth participation in Europe!

What is the NSC of the CoE University on Youth and Development?

The University on Youth and Development (UYD) is a partnership between the Spanish Government (INJUVE), the European Youth Forum (YFJ), the Spanish Youth Council (CJE) and other international youth-led organisations and youth-serving organisations aiming to:

  • Foster democratic participation and global citizenship among young people.
  • Uphold the universal principles, values and standards of the Council of Europe.
  • Implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Network –facilitated and coordinated by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe– provides a unique space for youth empowerment, offers non-formal education capacity building activities and endorses policies, mechanisms and tools for youth development, in order to increase the recognition of youth as agents for positive change.

Focus 2019: Youth & Justice

In many countries, unequal access to justice and discrimination in the judicial sector create barriers to civic and political participation, especially for traditionally marginalised populations such as young people, women and migrants. Therefore, this year’s focus on “Youth and Justice” provides a unique opportunity to reflect on young people’s access to justice as an integral element for more fair and sustainable development. In fact, to provide youth with legal empowerment is fundamental, not only to meet their basic needs but also an essential step for inclusive growth, enabling young people to tackle social inequalities and hold authorities accountable. 

Within this context, the SDG 16 is particularly relevant: accountable and transparent institutions, fair and accessible juridical systems and a society free from violence and discrimination are among the main elements that could guarantee a greater contribution from youth in translating policies into action towards the achievement of the UN SDGs. 

To that end, it is important that governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities work together with youth organisations and with other sectors of civil society, ensuring more efficient mechanisms of youth participation and more inclusive decision-making processes, following a bottom-up approach.

Come to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UYD!

Over 200 young activists, youth workers, experts from the field and decision-makers responsible for youth-related policies from all over Europe will meet in Mollina (Málaga) to exchange views and organise activities under the umbrella theme of “the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16: peace, justice and strong institutions”. The 20th edition of the UYD will take place at the Centro Eurolatinoamericano de Juventud (CEULAJ), a venue awarded with the Council of Europe’s Quality Label for Youth Centres.

From 15 – 19 September, the AER and YRN will participate and contribute to the programme with their own activities (training, workshop, seminars, etc.) within a common pedagogical framework: the Joint Programme. The joint programme of the University explores and develops the annual focus (Youth and Justice), giving the opportunity to all the partner organisations and their participants to reflect and interact around this topic, in view of a joint advocacy effort.

How to apply?

Applications are welcomed from members of the YRN and youth delegates from all AER member regions until the 12th of August. In order to prepare your application, you can check HERE the concept note of the 20th UYD and the call for activities for further information regarding the programme and practicalities.

A screening process will take place and selected candidates will be contacted no later than the end of August to confirm their participation in the UYD. The selected youth delegates will benefit from free meals and accommodation in single, double and triple rooms from 15-19 September. Additionally, the transfers from Málaga Airport and Antequera Railway Station to the venue will be facilitated by the organisation.

Apply Now!

Have a look at UYD 2018!

Photo credits: @Council of Europe

Video credits: @UYD – NSC-Council of Europe

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What will the future of local and regional news look like? CIRCOM Regional has the answer!

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Headway/Unsplash

The 37th CIRCOM Regional Annual Conference will take place in Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia, on May 30th and 31st, 2019. Placing regional broadcasting at the centre, the annual event gathers experts, thinkers and observers of the media world.

This year’s theme, The Future of Regional Media (FoRM), reflects the numerous challenges and recent developments of the news industry. As advanced technologies are the driving force in media, striving for attractive content and excellent quality becomes more important than ever before. Particularly challenging for the industry are changing workflows due to the digitalisation of news consumption nowadays. Across Europe, local and regional news outlets see their business models coming under pressure: When social media and newsfeeds become more popular than the local newspaper, ensuring the future of regional journalism becomes a key priority.

In response to the challenges, investments in a technology-driven future of news are increasing. Robot reporter-machines, automated posting and Artificial Intelligence (AI) – these technologies represent a change for newsrooms. As such, real-time analytics detect trending topics and content consumption to better know what a certain regional audience is interested in. Introducing innovative approaches to targeting audiences and bringing big data on board aims to provide content with impact for people in the regions. This is related to maintaining and regaining trust in quality journalism which remains the key issue against the background of fake news. But are digital technologies really beneficial to creating meaningful content and better bonds with locals?

How are digital technologies affecting the future of regional news? Image: Hal Gatewood/Unsplash

To discuss the aforementioned questions between news outlets, stakeholders and decision-makers, AER welcomes CIRCOM’s Annual Conference on The Future of Regional Media. Interested professionals can now register on the website.

Since 1983, CIRCOM Regional has held yearly Annual Conferences in various regions across Europe. The aim is to share ideas between colleagues  – everyone should leave the conference with at least two good ideas which they can adapt in their respective local news outlet. Centring around strategic issues such as content, technology, audience, online production and other broadcasting topics, each conference focuses on a theme being topical for the regional host.

The 37th Annual Conference coincides with another special occasion: The 2019 European Youth Capital Novi Sad (OPENS). The hosting organisation is RTV – Radio Television of Vojvodina and is based in the capital of AER member region Vojvodina. Novi Sad is situated on the banks of the Danube River and home to 350.000 inhabitants while being the political, administrative, economic, cultural and educational centre of the autonomous province. AER welcomes the choice of location and hosting organization, not least because the AER Summer Academy will also take place in Novi Sad this July.

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Fresh news from last AER Bureau Meeting in Oppland!

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

Welcome words and introduction

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

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

Position on new EU cohesion policy budget

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

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

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

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

New political horizons for the Bureau meeting!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Social innovation is now on the Bureau Agenda!

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

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

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

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

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Regionalisation in Norway: is the future of regions difficult to predict? #RoR2017

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Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a written constitution and a parliamentary system where the Government (Regjering) is responsible to the parliament (Storting). The Norwegian unitary state is based upon a three-level model. The authority of the local and regional bodies is allocated from the national state according to the Local Government Act. Today Norway has 19 counties, where the capital Oslo is both a county municipality and a municipality.

County Councils

The representatives to the county council are directly elected and the elections are held every fourth year. The county councils’ tasks are mainly to exercise authority for such areas as public transport, cultural monuments and heritage, and planning, or more specifically, regional planning. They also maintain public services such as public transport and county roads, upper-secondary school, cultural activities, county libraries, and funding for cultural and sporting activities.

The county council is also required to act as ombudsman, especially for the hospitals in health services, and, not least, to be the key regional actor in politics and planning. The main sources of income of the local and county municipalities are taxes, the distribution of public national revenue, and several types of fees for public services.

Regional governance

Even though the formal structure of government is divided into a three-tier system, regional governance is complex because of what is called the new fragmentation of public bodies into several types of arm’s-length bodies from the political government. As a response to the increased fragmentation and complexity, there has been an increased emphasis on the overarching ambition to achieve comprehensive, holistic, and coordinated regional planning through deliberation with many actors from different tiers.

The county-municipalities are expected to assume an important responsibility in developing regionally differentiated policy, including targeting business development and innovation in order to reach district and regional political goals, but their funding for this purpose is limited.

Norway Regions and the EU

The EEA Agreement does not cover EU regional policy. However, Norway has, since 1996, gradually attached itself more closely with the ‘softer’ part of the EU’s regional policy, primarily through the Interreg programmes. The overall objective is to promote innovation, external and internal accessibility, sustainability, and attractive cities and regions.

Since 1996 more than 1000 projects have involved Norwegian partners. Interreg has become an integral part of the counties’ regional political work, and most Norwegian regions have established offices in Brussels.

Further regional development

Of the Scandinavian countries, it now seems to be Norway’s turn to alter the geographical structure at the local and regional levels through the merging of municipalities into larger units and the assignment of additional tasks to these new units – at least if Norway’s central government fulfills its ambitions.

Therefore, issues such as the tasks the local and regional tiers should be entrusted with, the degree of autonomy from central state control, and the geographical size of the new regions are on the agenda. The schedule for the reform is set for 2017. Thus, the regional tier is currently influx and the future for a democratically elected regional tier is difficult to predict.

by Ulla HIGDEM & Aksel HAGEN

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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Explore the opportunities of the Town Twinning Action Between Turkey and EU Grant Scheme

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Following AER’s focus on Turkish member regions and the work addressed to them in terms of EU funding and relations, we would like to focus again on an initiative aimed at strengthening sustainable structures between local administrations/authorities in Turkey and EU Member States: the Town Twinning Action Between Turkey and the EU Grant Scheme.

Within this initiative, which has been already shared with member regions, an information meeting for representatives of local authorities in the EU Member States, Unions and networks representing the local administrations in EU as well as all related parties will take place in Brussels on 8th February 2018.

If you are interested in joining this meeting, please register here by 1st February.

We would like to stress the importance of this meeting having in mind the deadline for submission of proposals on 23rd of March 2018 at 17:00 hrs (local time). With a total budget of 2.6M euros, the grant scheme will provide support for projects aiming at developing town twinning relationships between local administrations/authorities in Turkey and EU Member State and strengthening their role in the EU accession process.

 

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Council of Europe Development Bank: a trusted partner for regions

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Investing in regions reduces social and economic disparities and promotes inclusive growth, one of the priority areas of operation for the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB). In recent years, the Bank has stepped up its cooperation with regions and municipalities in its member countries in order to lend its full support to their social investments.

The  scale  of  needs  in local infrastructure  across  the continent is  particularly  large,  given  demographic pressures and climate  change adaptation. Local governments are responsible for a quarter of all public expenditure and almost half of all public investment; however, slow and uneven recovery in public investments since 2009 has been a concern.

CEB’s recent investments in regions across Europe include revitalisation and modernisation of urban and rural infrastructure in Trnava, Slovakia; expanding education facilities in Malmö, Sweden; and improving municipal services in Tampere, Finland.

Flexible financing for local investments

With its range of flexible financial instruments, the CEB is an attractive partner for regions looking to diversify sources of funding for their public investments. The CEB is an important source of long-term financing for social investment at local level – one quarter of CEB loans are provided directly to regional and local authorities.

In addition to project and programme loans, the CEB offers the following instruments particularly suitable to regions.

  • EU Co-financing Facility (ECF)

ECF loans allow for co-financing and/or ex-ante financing of EU-funded investment activities. They are developed in conjunction with different EU financing instruments directly supporting current EU objectives and facilitate better absorption of EU Funds in the CEB’s priority sectors.

  • Cross-sectoral loan (CSL)

The CSL provides flexibility in the use of funds for all purposes, which can be a significant advantage. This type of loan is a great match for urban renewal projects with many interdependent components that are not easily boxed into neatly defined sectors.

  • Public Sector Financing Facility (PFF)

The PFF is a financing instrument for maintaining the viability and sustainability of social investment programmes faced with a lack of funding over time.  PFF loans cover temporary financing gaps in the public sector and facilitate the continuation of investments and reform programmes, particularly in the areas of high social relevance.

How to apply for CEB financing

A loan application should include the following preliminary information:

  • Brief description of the project and its sustainability
  • Project’s financial aspects (loan amount, estimated project cost, financing plan) and implementation schedule
  • Borrower’s profile and general information

Potential borrowers include governments, local/regional authorities, public/private financial institutions or any other public/private legal entity approved by a CEB member state.

For more information on applying for a loan contact [email protected] AER!

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Debate: “Europe: the way forward. What future for regions?”

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What are the main challenges of the European project? Is the EU still fit for purpose? What is the future of regions in a reformed Union? Here are some highlights of the “Europe: the way forward. What future for regions?” debate held in the City of Maastricht on 29 November as part of the AER Autumn Bureau meeting.

The future of Europe has been part of many conversations among AER member regions. Not surprising, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty and the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties, and the European Union steps up to set out a vision for the future of the Union at 27.

The debate, convened by AER and the City of Maastricht in the frame of the “Europe Calling” initiative, offered a truly engaging and insightful conversation on what the future Europe should be and the role regions should play in it.

Professor Ellen Vos focused on the topic of flexible and differentiated integration. Paying particular reference to the book Between Flexibility and Disintegration (De Witte et al. Eds., 2017), the co-director of the Centre for European Law of the Maastricht University argued that flexibility and differentiation are a tool that can further promote the European integration.

Moray Gilland, Head of Unit for Policy Development at the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, expanded on the role of cohesion policy in the wider discussions on the future of Europe. Stating that a strong cohesion policy is critically important to a strong Europe, Moray Gilland noted that cohesion policy should remain as the main investment instrument in the EU, covering all Member States and EU regions. However, he cautioned that business as usual is not an option and radical, genuine simplifications will be needed if we want to make it more effective.

The debate continued with Luc Van Den Brande, Member of the Committee of the Regions and Special Adviser of the President Jean-Claude Juncker for the outreach towards Citizens. Mr Van Den Brande emphasised the importance of building an European decision making process based on a multi-level governance and citizens-centred approach. A Europe with regions, where the subsidiarity principle is applied vertically and horizontally across different levels of action and actors, as he concluded.

The perspective from “generation Maastricht” – the younger generation of Europeans – was brought into the debate by Christopher Glück. The President of the Young European Federalists stated that while there is room for young people to engage in EU policy, they do not always have a real influence over decisions. Young people should be meaningfully involved in decision-making at all levels in an inclusive way, if Europe wants to successfully address the challenges facing today and its impact on current and future generations, he said.

During the ongoing political reflection on the future of Europe, AER will continue to stress the importance of European Regions’ voice being an integral part of the discussion. The debate underlined the crucial role played by regions in the European integration process and AER will reiterate the absolute necessity of taking into account the regional and local levels of governance in the future political and institutional reform, with a strong cohesion policy at its heart.Follow AER!

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Bureau Members adopt AER’s political priorities for 2018-2019

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During the AER Autumn Bureau Meeting, that took place on the 29th of November in Maastricht, Bureau members voted on the 2018-2019 political priorities for AER.

It was an interesting process, as the priorities were drafted and voted on, in the same day. The discussions leading up to this were therefore very dynamic and fruitful.

Setting the overarching political goal

Members and guests sat in 5 groups of 12 to 15 and each group was asked to develop a sentence made of 10 words, outlining the global political priority.

After this session was complete, Bureau members were invited to vote for the one they thought fit the most with AER’s ambitions.

Defining the political priorities for 2018-2019

Once the political goal was voted on, the next step in the process began.

Groups were once again created and asked to develop 4 points each based on the above-mentioned priority. With 5 varied, engaged and dynamic groups, this process ran very smoothly and the priorities quickly appeared from the various gatherings of regional politicians.

The rapporteurs from each groups were then asked to gather all the suggestions and merge them in a one-pager outlining the AER political priorities for 2018-2019.

See the political priorities here.

The vote

Once the one-pager was ready, member reconvened and constructively amended the document, making it ready to be voted on.

The vote was unanimous, as all members voted to adopt these political priorities for the 2018 – 2019 period.

What next?

Now that the political priorities have been adopted by the AER bureau, they must be ratified by the General Assembly, that will gather in Oppland in May 2018.

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Study visit on the energy transition

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On the occasion of the London Committee 1 plenary meeting, members agreed to organise a study visit on the energy transition in Gelderland (NL) to share and learn from each other’s experiences.

The Province of Gelderland invites all AER members to take part in a study-visit to get to know this unique multi-stakeholder collaboration for an energy-neutral Province.

See the programme here

Registration Closed

Deadline (30 March)

Study visit

The main focus of the study visit, which will be organised in cooperation with other interregional networks, will be the bottom-up approach for the energy transition, which was implemented in the region. This multi-stakeholder cooperation was materialised by the Gelders’ Energy agreement (GEA). The shared goal is to make the province energy-neutral by 2050. Local and regional industries, governments and NGOs’ in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands, have pledged for the province to become energy-neutral by 2050. It facilitates a co-creative process where initiatives, actors, and energy are integrated into society.

To this aim local and regional industries, governments and NGOs’ in the province of Gelderland have set ambitious goals for themselves. The energy agreement facilitates a co-creative process where initiatives, actors, and energy are integrated into society.

Good practice sharing:

Participants will share good practice and experience, they will in particular:

  • observe GEA’s working process
  • meet with GEA’s regional partners
  • carry out visits to observe regional results
  • participate in a serious game on energy and the diverging interests of stakeholders to exchange about challenges.

Who can participate?

  • Regions
  • Regional businesses
  • Knowledge institutes

Study visit presentations

CleantechRegion.ppt
CoopWindpowerNijmegen.pdf
NijmegenGreenCapital.pptx
TinyHouseMinistekCleantech.pdf

Practical Information

Hotels in Arnhem

Transport from Schipol 

  • The train to Arnhem city is under the hall of the airport shops
  • From the airport the train goes every 30 minutes from 06:58 to 20:58. After 20:58 it goes every 30 minutes with a switch to Utrecht

Transport from Düsseldorf 

 

Related Articles

Study visit on the Energy transition: you’re invited!

 

World Sustainable Energy Days 2018

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This year again, the World Sustainable Energy Days 2018 will take place in Wels, Austria. From 28 February to 2 March Upper Austria will be the capital of energy efficiency, biomass and smart building. As a longstanding partner to the WSED, AER is proud to invite its members to attend one of Europe’s largest annual conference on Energy!

What’s in for regions?

Experts from all over Europe will come to Upper Austria to share good practice and experience on policies, technology innovation and market development for clean energy. Exchanges with delegates from the public as well as the private sector and the research community are bound to be fruitful.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy are key to boost the economic competitiveness of Europe, its regions and businesses. The conference will discuss how clean energy can foster economic competitiveness. Another key theme of the programme will be how to make the clean energy transition work for businesses, the planet and people.

The programme features interactive events, workshops, technical site visits and a tradeshow.

Call for contributions: Young Researchers

The World Sustainable Energy Days are organising a Young Energy Researchers Conference and Young Energy Researchers Award. Dedicated to the next generation of professionals and experts, two conference tracks present the work and achievements of young researchers in the fields of biomass and energy efficiency. As a region, you want to make sure young researchers in your region get visibility and recognition. This is their opportunity to shine!

  • Call for papers – deadline: 10 October 2017
    Young researchers (born after 1982) are invited to submit contributions by 10 October 2017 at www.wsed.at/call. Submissions are welcome from all scientific fields. A high-level scientific committee selects papers for oral and poster presentation. Visit our website for detailed information.
  • Awards “Best Young Energy Efficiency Researcher ” and “Best Young Biomass Researcher”
    The best contributions will be honoured with the awards “Best Young Biomass Researcher” and “Best Young Energy Efficiency Researcher”. The researchers will each receive 1,000 Euro as prize money. The winners will be selected from the oral presenters.

The organiser covers the costs of accommodation, meals, participation and local transport for up to 60 selected young researchers. Further information: www.young-researchers.eu

AER political delegation

On the occasion of the AER Committees plenary meetings in London, members highlighted their interest in participating to the World Sustainable Energy Days in a meaningful way. The participation of an AER delegation to this event was therefore included in the Committee 1 Work Programme. In the context of the current colaboration with the WSED organisers AER is very happy to announce that 4 politicians from across Europe will be able to attend the World Sustainable Energy days for free on behalf of AER. This delegation will have an active representation role and is expected to participate in meetings on the spot too. Regional politicians who would like to be AER ambassadors at the WSED 2018, should contact AER Coordinator for Policy and Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius

Here you can read about Upper Austria’s achievements in the energy transition.Follow AER!

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AER presents its new branding, for a stronger Europe

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On Tuesday 20 June, AER launched its new visual identity. This new branding symbolises AER’s political priority: “A Stronger Europe”.

This transition to a renewed AER could not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of AER during the last four years, under the presidency of Dr. Hande Ozsan Bozatli.

Let us now work all together – local, regional, national and European levels – to address the challenges ahead and bring cooperation and solidarity to the forefront of our priorities to deliver the policies our citizens truly deserve.
Dr. Hande Ozsan Bozatli, AER Honorary President.

On 31 May, during AER’s General Assembly in Sankt Pölten (AT), Magnus Berntsson (Västra Götaland – SE) was voted in as the new President of the Assembly of European Regions.

As we now look to the successful future of AER, let us not forget the efforts of the last few years that enabled us to transition into an organisation that is a voice, a network and a partner for its member regions. I am excited about this new branding and the modernised website, and see them as an opportunity to further cement our commitment to a stronger Europe.
Magnus Berntsson, AER President

On the 1 June 2017, AER’s bureau meeting took place. AER’s position of cohesion policy was adopted, under the chairing of Flevoland Minister, and AER Cohesion Rapporteur Michiel Rijsberman.

The position calls for a strong renewed cohesion policy for all regions. Emphasising the added value of Europe’s largest investment policy, it notes that an effective cohesion policy will be essential if the EU is to successfully address the challenges confronting Europe today and deliver the results for a greater economic, social and territorial cohesion beyond 2020.

With a new, bold look, and a modernised website, AER stands for a stronger Europe.

We are a voice. AER represents its member regions, and stands for stronger cohesion between regions.

We are a network. AER aims to bring together regions, and to provide an environment for best practice exchange.

We are a partner. AER will continue to act as a dissemination partner for EU projects, providing a space for its members to grow and learn in a dynamic way.Follow AER!

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AER & R20: where do we stand?

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This week (19 June 2017) AER President Magnus Berntsson was elected R20 (regions of climate action) President by the R20 Governing Board and General Assembly.

AER and R20 have enjoyed a close relationship over the last years, leading to a smooth and almost expected result.

But where do we stand in our alliance with the R20 to help regions fund their green transition ?

Lately, AER has been a contributor to the R20 campaign « 100 climate solutions projects campaign » with 36 projects from AER members proposed for financing. This important step was crucial to show doubtful investors that regions had well planned projects ready for investments. Thank you again to all AER members who participated in this call and whose projects will be further considered when the venture succeeds.

(for further information on the campaign see here)

With investors reassured, it is now a second phase that opens in front of us: securing a wide range of funds from different actors in order to actually help finance these regional projects.

To that end, R20 is working on an important dedicated impact investment fund with a worldwide recognised and UN founded impact investment fund manager : Blue Orchard. This new fund, named Subnational Climate Fund aims at reaching 350 million USD to finance regional projects all across the globe. This will allow access to first loss equity parts (20% to 30%) of CAPEX of the green infrastructure projects. Such investments will then allow for securing debt from subnational and national governments as well as development banks.

In parallel, the Leonardo di Caprio Foundation is developing a 1 billion USD Planet Pledge Fund, which will allow complementary equity investment in the same portfolio of projects.

This evolution makes R20 a leading alliance of sub-national governments, private companies and finance institutions enabling the shift to the green economy.

The fight to get public and development banks as well as institutional support is underway. AER has been an instrumental driving force in helping the R20 and Blue Orchard to have access to the right people in the European Union and at the European Investment Bank. Very active in this process, AER has not been communicating much about this activity as discretion is key in this phase of the work.

Our joint AER/R20 aim is to become, more than a lobbying or exchange of best practice platform on green issues, an actual concrete action and finance nexus at regional level.

The fight continues and we count on your support in the months to come.Follow AER!

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Cohesion policy’s challenges and the voice of AER

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Challenges posed to the EU cohesion policy, according to EPRS

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

AER’s work on cohesion policy

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

How to get involved with AER on cohesion policy?

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

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

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