Assembly of European Regions

Connecting regions, inspiring Europe since 1985

You are here: Home / Archives for Good practices

This is the tag for all posts relating to Good practices.

Regionalisation and democracy

By

On 10 October AER has organised, in cooperation with the Congress of the Council of Europe and the Alsace Region, a Conference on “Regionalisation and Democracy.” Nearly 200 people attended the debate, which was held during the 1st World Forum on Democracy. The AER was represented by its President, Michèle Sabban, while the President of Commission 3, Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli, accompanied her by testifying from the experiences of Turkey. Among the guests of honour there was Kim JAE Hyo, Secretary General of the Association of Regional Governments of North-East Asia (NEAR) and Jameleddine Gharbi, Tunisian Minister of Regional Development and Planning. The debate was an opportunity to compare and exchange ideas thus leading to the common conclusion that regionalisation, by bringing the decision-making processes closer to individuals and by taking into account specific features, becomes a key factor in political stability and a pillar for a vibrant democracy.

Opening Speech of AER President (available in French only)
Press Release from the event

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

New Report on EU Funding

By

At a time when the European Union is going through a period of economic instability, European funds play a particular role in the development and restarting of regional economies. The Assembly of European Regions (AER) has therefore published a report that aims at enabling European regions to improve access to European programmes, whether sectoral or structural. This policy report entitled ‘Information and Access to European Funding’ contains facts and findings, examples of best practices and makes practical recommendations that will allow more regions to improve access to EU funds.

The report is provided by the Alsace Region (F) and its First Vice-President André REICHARDT, also Vice-President of AER: “This report is based on a diagnosis made on initiatives already implemented in Alsace. Other regions in Europe have identified the same facts as we did, so we have to pool our ideas and efforts together – herein lies the key role of AER on the topic in question. We indeed hope that a maximum number of regional actors could have a better knowledge, understanding and benefit from these opportunities”.

In line with the recommendations of the Reichardt Report, the European Centre for Public Administration (PEAP) in Strasbourg* decided to launch an educational initiative with expertise in training in regional management of European funds.
The training is aligned with the dual outlook of the next programming and management transfer to regions of Structural Funds, in France.

* The European Centre for Public Administration reunites the National School for Administration, the National Institute for Field Studies, the University of Strasbourg, the The Institute for Political Studies in Strasbourg, the Kehl Euro-Institute, the Government, the Regional Council of Alsace, the City Hall and the Urban Community of Strasbourg.

 

Partners – the Reichardt Report has been completed thanks to the contributions of the following regions: Alsace (F), Champagne-Ardenne (F), Krapina-Zagorjie (HR), Madeira (P) Picardie (F), Sisak-Moslavina (HR) and Wallonie (B).

Please, read the report: EN-Reichardt_Report

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Future Cohesion Policy & Health

By

AER is informing member regions about the opportunities for investing in health under the future EU Cohesion Policy. Health as such is not an explicit priority of the future Cohesion Policy, but there are numerous opportunities to invest in health, by investing in innovation, ICT, training health staff or improving access to services. The AER information campaign “Future Cohesion Policy & Health” educates regional politicians and officers on how to think outside the box, develop project ideas that are labelled innovation and in fact benefit health and, most importantly, start putting forward their ideas for projects. EU Cohesion Policy 2014+ is still being debated at EU level, but in the regions the work of setting priorities has already started so regions needs to act now.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

ERRIN-AER Policy Debate “Horizon 2020”

By

On 18th September AER has co-organized with ERRIN (The research and innovation network for regions), a policy debate on Horizon 2020 and its regional dimension.

Invited speakers were Keith SEQUIERA (Member of Cabinet of Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn in charge of Research, Innovation, Science) and Mikel LANDABASO (DG REGIO). In an informal setting with around 15 regional representatives, the discussion focused on budgetary constraints, programme implementation specifities, the complementarity between FP7 funding and Structural funds money and the future role of Regions of Knowledge. Both speakers emphasized the importance of innovation for regions. “Innovation is a key issue not just to face the current crisis, but to face globalisation in general,” said Mr. LANDABASO. This will have an impact on what is financed in the future. The European Commission is aware of the duplication and fragmentation of European funding in this area and trying to do its best to overcome these hurdles.

ERRIN and AER representatives stressed the fact that the Regions of Knowledge programme should be maintained, asked for strong support mechanisms for regional cluster activities and challenged the European Commission to provide funding support to deal with societal challenges.

ERRIN and AER also signed a partnership agreement in 2012 indicating their wish to collaborate more effectively around European research and innovation agenda.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Conference on “Combating School drop-out”

By

Sundsvall, Västernorrland (S)

Sundsvall, Västernorrland (S)

For their Autumn plenary meeting, Committee 3 members are invited to focus on two main issues : a conference on school drop-outs and discussions on our new work programme for 2013/2014.

Conference on combating school drop-out in Europe

One of the main educational goals of the EU 2020 strategy is to reduce school drop-out rates below 10% within the European Union. The average level of early school leaving ranges from 14 and 15% within the EU and the rate varies within the Union from 5% to an alarming 37%. This means that each year more than six million young people aged 18 to 24, leave education and training with only lower education or less. A majority only complete primary school education.

The consequences of early school leaving are very serious both on an individual and a global level.
The conference wants to draw attention to this increasing threat for our future by sharing knowledge and experience in this field and most importantly exchange best practice about combating school drop-out in Europe.

Committee 3 Work Programme 2013/2014

The Autumn plenary meeting will be the opportunity to discuss in depth what you want to see as priorities for our Committee for the next couple of years. Exchange is the key word for our meeting and we designed the format of our meeting to facilitate discussions.

We look forward to seeing you in Sundsvall!

Committee 3 Team

Presentations of the Conference on School drop-out:
European Social Fund (ESF) in Sweden and drop-outs, by Nardin Crisbi, Swedish national coordinator, European Social Fund – ESF_School_DropOut-Nardin_Crisbi
Plug In – A Swedish Project for early school leavers & drop-outs, by Leif Klingensjö and Birger Eriksson, Senior Advisors, Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions – Plug_In_Project_-_LKlingensjö_BEriksson
Adult drop-outs: Back on Track, by Gerd Leonora Forseng, Leader and supervisor at the Karrieresenter Mo i Rana (N) – AdultsBack_on_Track-GerdLeonoraForseng
Lost opportunities, wasted resources and a suffering society – Austrian experiences in combating early school leaving & school drop-out, by Herbert Seher, Vocational Education Coordinator at the European Office of the Vienna Board of Education (A) – EarlySchoolLeaving-DropOut-HerbertSeher
Targeting young people not in employment, education or training (Neet) in Hampshire, by Jude Robinson, Area Manager, Hampshire County Council (UK) – Neet_Hampshire_-_JudeRobinson
Programme & Agenda
General programme – Conference & Plenary meeting
Programme_C3_Sundsvall-EN
Programme C3 Sundsvall-FR
Final Agenda (Conference & Committee 3 meetings)
Agenda_Com3_Sundsvall-EN_fin
Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

AER Summer Schools 2012 : be smart during the crisis !

By

Ponta Delgada (P), 24th August 2012

Within this cloud of pessimism that hangs over Europe, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) decided to be bold and propose a topic that some might underestimate : Culture and creative industries. More than 120 politicians, regional officers, experts and members of the Youth Regional Network from across Europe gathered in the Azores to discuss this topic during the 17th Summer School and 11th Youth Summer School.

“Being smart during a crisis means, of course, taking advantage of the crisis to become more intelligent. It is turning the crisis into an opportunity to invent, or rediscover, a lifelong project that we can hope to share with one another and within our territories” stated Michèle Sabban, AER President. “It is a call to put our know-how to work and define what we have yet to learn, to make our potential and our traditions flourish” she concluded.

AER welcomes the European Commission’s new programme “Creative Europe”

AER welcomes this EC initiative: putting culture and the cultural and creative sectors high on the European agenda is a step in the right direction. Indeed, the “Creative Europe” programme proposes a budget of € 1,8 billion for 7 years, which represents a 37% increase compared to current spending levels. In addition, the will to have a simpler and more streamlined architecture in this policy field through the merging of the old Culture programme 2007-2013 with the Media and Media Mundus programmes has to be highlighted.

“I am glad to see that the EC, like us, see culture as an opportunity rather than a burden. I am all in favour of supporting cultural stakeholders and artists who are driven by a passion that they want to share with an audience, whether it’s a few people in a village hall, thousands in a famous museum or millions in movie theatres” underlined Hande Özsan Bozatli, President of Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and International Cooperation

Meanwhile, AER has produced its position paper on “Creative Europe”: ”Our position paper will be put for adoption at the next Committee 3 plenary meeting in 3 weeks’ time in Sundsvall and then presented to our October General Assembly. This week’s exchanges gave us even more arguments for our discussions with the Commission and the European Parliament about defending the role of creative and cultural industries and of culture generally as an economic and social strength of our continent” explained Pascal Goergen, AER Secretary General.

AER recommendations on Creative Europe: AER stresses the need for a separate chapter for the youth policies; AER fights against the gap between the mobility opportunities for higher education students and vocational students; AER calls for allowing regions and organizations such as AER to manage directly EU mobility funds.

The outcomes of the Summer Schools discussions 

All presentations are available on AER Summer Schools website. Plus, you can also check some interviews on AERegions channel.

The engagement of the Azores in AER

“We are very glad to hold for the first time the AER Summer Schools in the Azores! For us, it is also the recognition of our work on youth issues namely Eurodyssey and lately the PYE – Promoting Youth Employment – project” stated Rodrigo Oliveira, Under Secretary for European Affairs and External Cooperation of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (P).

The region of Sörmland (Sweden) will host the next AER Summer Schools 2013.

Members of the Summer Schools Organizing Committee: Azores (P), Bruxelles-Capitale (B), Flevoland (NL), Friuli Venezia Giulia (I), Jönköping (S), Maramures (RO), Olomouc (CZ), Østfold (N), Thurgau (CH), Västerbotten (S), Västra Götaland (S), Wallonie (B), Wien (A), Zürich (CH), and Sörmland (S).

The Assembly of European Regions (AER – aer.eu) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe. Bringing together more than 250 regions from 35 countries and 16 interregional organisations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation.

 For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Culture: be smart during the crisis!

By

Azored Portugal, participants Summer School 2012
Azored Portugal, participants Summer School 2012

For the 2012 edition of the joint AER and Youth Summer Schools, we propose a topic that some might underestimate in times of crisis. While everyone is looking at ways of getting out of the crisis, we want to be bold and suggest culture, and more specifically culture and creative industries, as one tool to help us get back on our feet.

Investing in culture and cultural industries is not a waste of public money but, as many economists recognise, a way to promote an innovative and profitable sector.

Experts and practitioners and youth engaged in their communities from across Europe will tell us, among other things, about the economic potential of culture, and the role of regions to promote it with some focus on rural and ultra peripheral regions.

We hope to see many of you in the Azores!

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

AER makes concrete proposals to fight youth unemployment

By

Brussels (B), 27 June 2012

One hundred participants, including members from the Assembly of European Regions (AER), MEPs, and representatives from the European Commission and the United Nations as well as young people themselves met yesterday at the premises of the European Parliament in Brussels to learn “Why are Regions the best candidates to tackle youth unemployment?”

The conference marks the end of AER’s yearlong “Promoting Youth Employment” (PYE) project, run in partnership with four of its member regions: Vojvodina (SRB), the Azores (P), Krapina-Zagorje (HR) and Hampshire (UK). The series of 4 Peer Reviews organised over the last 12 months comprised 200 interviews with local, regional and national stakeholders in view of helping PYE partner regions to produce their Youth Employment Action Plans setting out policy recommendations to improve young people’s prospects in the job market.

In her opening speech, Danuta Hübner, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Regional Development Committee, encouraged young people to be proactive both in looking for jobs in upcoming sectors and in jump-starting their own activity, and not to fear being entrepreneurs.

The European Commission’s Director for “Europe 2020: Employment policies”, Jean Louis De Brouwer: “In September the European Commission will start an informal dialogue with the EU Member States to discuss the upcoming 2014-2020 programming period. Regional authorities are encouraged to take part in those discussions, which will include proposals on youth employment.”

To stress the importance of acknowledging and disseminating the project’s conclusions, Pascal Goergen, AER Secretary General, launched an appeal to politicians from AER member regions to draft a Report on youth unemployment in Southern Europe, an area harshly affected by this problem.

Some of the policy recommendations include (excerpts from “A Summary of project conclusions and policy recommendations for European Regions”):

o Better inclusion: One major lesson from the reviews is that policies promoting not only economic growth, but also broad social and economic inclusion, are required. There is a need for a joint approach amongst various regional departments and ministries, including those dealing with labour, education, industry, social welfare, and specifically youth affairs.

o Higher decentralisation: The regions demonstrate a high capacity for teaching and training. However, a lack of regional presence in these policy fields may significantly slow down adaptability to rapidly changing job market needs.

o Essential information: Regional job market information systems must be strong enough to provide policymakers and practitioners with adequate information in order to reduce mismatches between young people’s aspirations, skills and work experience and employers’ needs.

o Nothing for us without our input: It is important to formulate regional policies and strategies that are focused specifically on youth issues and involve young people themselves in dialogue, especially in times when high and prolonged youth unemployment rates lead to social alienation and a culture of low aspirations and feelings of hopelessness.

          

The Assembly of European Regions (AER – aer.eu) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe. Bringing together more than 250 regions from 35 countries and 16 interregional organisations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation.

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Taking stock of e-health deployment in the regions “Houston, we have a problem? Norrbotten, we’ve got a solution!”

By

Luleå, Norrbotten (S), 20 June 2012

At the invitation of Norrbotten County Council and the Assembly of European Regions (AER), 200 stakeholders in e-health (regional decision-makers, health professionals, patients, companies) came together in Luleå-Norrbotten (S) for the 2012 Arctic Light E-health Conference (ALEC 2012). This was an occasion to evaluate the regions’ progress in implementing e-health since the last ALEC in 2010 and to identify future orientations for regional e-health policies.

The context for implementing e-health remains the same, in terms of the impact of demographic ageing on health and social systems. Compared to 2010, decision-makers have an increasing body of evidence at their disposal that demonstrates the cost-efficiency and overall added-value of innovative e-health policies and tools. E-health is no longer strictly technology-driven; innovation is now increasingly led by what the end users, and in particular the patients, actually need. It is partly as a result of this shift that acceptance of e-health among health professionals and patients has grown.

The impact of the current economic crisis is being felt of course. Limited resources are an additional incentive for regions to implement new and innovative models for care delivery. ALEC 2012 has shown that regions are creative: telemedicine, new organisational models, integrating health and social care are only a few examples of the new ideas that are out there. The challenge now lies in deploying these innovative ideas on a wide-scale and phasing out old solutions that no longer respond to today’s realities.



“Political leadership is the key to rolling out e-health. We need open-minded people in the regions who can take an innovative idea, incorporate it into a regional strategic framework and implement change,” said Agneta Granström, Chairperson of the AER [email protected] network and County Commissioner of Norrbotten. “The AER [email protected] network is prepared to implement a leadership programme for regional politicians and demands the EU’s support. If regional decision-makers do not fully grasp the potential offered by e-health, then the EU risks missing the targets and opportunities set out in Europe 2020, the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing and the future Cohesion Policy.”

The Assembly of European Regions (AER – aer.eu) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe. Bringing together more than 250 regions from 35 countries and 16 interregional organisations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation.

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Equality for all is everybody’s business

By

Vienna (A), 9 May 2012

9 May is Europe Day. It is on the 9th of May 1950 that Robert Schuman proposed to create a democratic and peaceful Europe, paving the way to European integration. But no integration, no peaceful relations would be possible without ensuring that equal opportunities for all are in place.

62 years later, we can only regret that equality has not fully come into reality. Despite some progress, the list of potential discrimination is unfortunately still long, from people with disabilities, to integration of minorities or gender equality. This is the reason why the Assembly of European Regions (AER) organised, in the City of Vienna, known for having high anti-discrimination standards, a conference on ‘Equality for all’. Hande Özsan Bozatli, President of AER’s Committee ‘Culture, Education, Youth and International cooperation’, Monica Carlsson, President of AER’s standing Committee ‘Equal opportunities’ and Olov Oskarsson, President of AER’s Youth Regional Network welcomed 80 politicians, experts and young people to share their experience on inequalities and discriminations.

After a session dedicated to sharing good practices introduced by the City of Vienna (A), the Regions of Dolnoslaskie (PL), Jönköping (S), Norrbotten (S) and Wallonie (B), participants came to the conclusion that their duty is twofold. On one hand, they ask for progressive legislation to be introduced throughout Europe and first and foremost to find an agreement on the European directive on anti-discrimination. On the other hand, they recognize that legislation is not enough: indeed, even if a number of charters and laws already exist, they mean nothing without citizens’ buy-in. AER members are therefore determined to fight those two battles back home, and to keep everyone’s minds open.

Mrs Özsan Bozatli took the opportunity to have a meeting with the Austrian Secretary of State for Integration, Mr Sebastian Kurz. “I was particularly interested by the fact that Austrian immigration action plan aims at associating regions and cities in its integration policy. The examples of good practices we heard during our meeting and the Austrian policy confirm that if we want to bring social inclusion into reality, we have to make it everyone’s business.” she stated.

The Assembly of European Regions (AER – aer.eu) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe. Bringing together more than 250 regions from 35 countries and 16 interregional organisations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation.

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

AER position on “Erasmus for all”

By

AER has been at the forefront of Education, Training and Youth policies. Its founding President, Edgar Faure, inscribed youth issues in the DNA of our Assembly by establishing, in 1985, the Eurodyssey programme. This programme has given until today the opportunity to thousands of Europeans to get a first professional experience abroad, while discovering a new culture and learning a new language. AER is proud to have been managing the oldest European professional mobility programme for all these years.
AER has also set up a Youth Regional Network, a platform of regional-level youth organisations, councils and parliaments from across wider Europe. The Youth Regional Network works as a forum where young people can influence regional and European policy while exchanging experiences and good practices.
For all these reasons we are glad to make our voice heard on this crucial new programme, Erasmus for All.

(Use Pop out button to Download/Open)

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

AER Promoting Youth Employment in Hampshire

By

Final Peer Review to promote quality education and jobs for youth

Hampshire (UK), 02 April 2012 

Hampshire County Council (UK) was the fourth and the last partner to host an AER Peer Review within the framework of the Promoting Youth Employment (PYE) project last week, finishing an intensive cycle of four peer reviews held across Europe since September 2011. During the three-day fact-finding peer review, delegates from Vojvodina (SRB), the Azores (P) and Krapina-Zagorje (HR) visited post-16 education providers to experience first hand some of the initiatives available in Hampshire to prepare youth for the world of work. There was a particular focus on support for vulnerable young people who may face additional barriers to gaining employment.

Commenting on the visit Councillor Roy Perry, Hampshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Lead member for Children’s Services: “This visit by the European delegation is timely and important for the UK as we move towards ensuring all young people are participating in education or employment with training up to the age of 18 by 2015. We all have something to learn from each other and sharing experiences and information about projects and initiatives to help young people access employment can only be helpful. The County Council recognises that in these challenging times young people are finding it especially hard to secure their first job and in particular young care leavers often require higher levels of support. We aim to build on our current work and we are committed to doing all we can to help young people, especially vulnerable groups take the first steps into employment.” 

Some of the good practice examples include:

The Internship Plus scheme for vulnerable care leavers launched in Summer 2011 offering employment placements with the County Council with support from the University of Winchester’s lifelong learning team and training providers Catch 22, a charity working with young people and their families within England and Wales.
The Work Trial programme, which offers young people aged 16-18 who are not in education, employment or training, a three to six months work placement with a daily training allowance. Working with local employers the Council pays the first £250 of the £10 daily training allowance. As part of the project young people get workplace support and training which meet both their needs and those of the employer.

Good practices from Hampshire and other PYE partner regions will be presented during the PYE Closing Conference “Why regions are best positioned to tackle youth unemployment?” held on 26 June in Brussels. More information about the event will be available shortly.

This press release is supported by the Community Programme
for Employment and Social Solidarity – PROGRESS (2007-2013).

 

The Assembly of European Regions (AER – aer.eu) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe. Bringing together more than 250 regions from 35 countries and 16 interregional organisations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation. 

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Innovative jobs and Green growth AER partners with two new INTERREG IVC projects

By

Strasbourg (F), 16 February 2012

The Assembly of European Regions is pleased to announce the kick-off of two new INTERREG IVC projects recently approved by the European Union. In cooperation with Flevoland (NL), who is leading both projects, AER will prepare, support and monitor the implementation of peer reviews on regional innovation strategies (SMART EUROPE) and energy policy (REGIONS4GREEN GROWTH).

SMART EUROPE
The project aims at fostering the creation of innovation-based jobs. The partners will develop smart regional strategies on innovation-based employment opportunities. Each region will develop an implementation plan for the customized package of policy instruments and measures devised during the project period. Exchanging, sharing and transferring policy experiences, knowledge and good practices will be at the heart of the project.

Partners: Province of Flevoland (NL), Assembly of European Regions, NW England (UK), Veneto Region (I), Veneto Innovazione (I), Provincia di Bologna (I), Észak-Alföld Regional Development Agency (H), Maramures County (RO), ALMI Mid Sweden (S), Patras Science Park (GR), Swietokrzyskie Region (PL), Baltic Institute of Finland (FIN), Avila County (E).

The project kicked-off in Bologna, on 26 January 2012.

REGIONS4GREENGROWTH
The project aims at improving access to finance and speed-up investments in sustainable energy projects, linked to renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. To this end, the partners will analyse the specific challenges related to financing the sustainable energy projects in each partner region and will present a tailored package of instruments and actions to help regions to achieve their sustainable energy targets. AER will provide its expertise in the field of energy and peer reviews.

Partners: Province of Flevoland (NL), Assembly of European Regions, Norrbotten County (S), Abruzzo Region (I), Lazio Region (I), Észak-Alföld Regional Development Agency (H), Maramures County (RO), Patras Science Park (GR), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Agency Prahova (RO), Västernorrland County (S), Valencia Energy Agency (E), Centre for Sustainable Regional Development, Gabrovo (BG), Province of Noord-Brabant (NL), Oldham Council (UK), Energy Technological Institute, Valencia (E).

The project kicked-off in Valencia, on 9 February 2012.

Both projects are running from 1st January 2012 until 31st December 2014.

 

The Assembly of European Regions (AER – aer.eu) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe. Bringing together more than 250 regions from 35 countries and 16 interregional organisations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation.

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

AER will compile for ARLEM a report on sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean

By

Strasbourg (F), 1 February 2012

During its plenary session, the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) officially appointed Michèle Sabban, President of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), to prepare a report on sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean. The report will be submitted by AER at the next general assembly of ARLEM.

Launched in 2010, ARLEM is a joint project of the Committee of the Regions, regional and local authorities around the three shores of the Mediterranean, as well as European and international associations representing regional and local authorities working on the ground, among them AER. It answers the request to put the role of regional and local authorities in the Euro‑Mediterranean Partnership on an institutional footing. ARLEM is composed of 84 members from the European Union and its 16 Mediterranean partners.

Alongside this event, Michèle Sabban met with Nichi Vendola, the President of the Italian region of Puglia. They shared the common belief that global engagement of regional authorities in the fight against climate change, where states have failed, is essential. They discussed Puglia and AER members’ expertise on sustainable development, energy savings and water management, which are all good practices to also deal with the crisis.

The Assembly of European Regions (AER – aer.eu) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe. Bringing together more than 250 regions from 35 countries and 16 interregional organisations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation.

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

AER Is Pleased to Present Its 2011 Winners in the Fields of Innovation and Youth Policy

By


Ponta Delgada, Açores (P), 25 November 2011

The best Regional Innovation Project
This year’s winner is the Polish Region of Wielkopolska for its project “Promoter of Innovation”. Launched in January 2009, in cooperation with the Poznan Academy for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship, this project aims at providing capital, legal advice, technical know-how and other services to facilitate the development of knowledge-based SMEs. These invaluable services are offered to students, recent graduates and the Poznan University of Technology staff members aged between 18 and 35.

So far the project has supported 21 companies and 45 business ideas out of which ¾ could not have survived without the legal and corporate consulting services provided by the Promoter. In the years to come this ingenious youth business and entrepreneurship initiative will continue to make Wielkopolska a highly competitive and innovative region in Europe.“Promoter of Innovation is an outstanding regional project to support entrepreneurship and new business concepts. The Pre-incubator takes full charge of the pre-incubated person’s clients during their operations in the early seed phase when the entrepreneur needs to concentrate on their business. That is truly an innovative approach, and it obviously works!” underlined Mr. Joachim Hafkesbrink, member of the jury.

AER Most Youth Friendly European Region (MYFER) 2011
The theme of this year’s MYFER competition, “Social Inclusion of Youth with Disabilities” was chosen by the AER Youth Regional Network members to acknowledge the important work undertaken by European regions to facilitate better inclusion of young people with disabilities. The regions were invited to present their policies and projects in this area in three main fields: education, employment and civic engagement.

The jury was particularly convinced by the projects presented by the Spanish Region of Catalunya, which has developed a coordinated and comprehensive policy designed to support the 38 997 young Catalans with disabilities. A coordinated approach between a number of regional departments, ranging from Catalunya’s Department of Social Welfare and Family to various ministries (education, employment), and together with a wide range of stakeholders, the policy includes different thematic projects targeting a better social integration of young people with disabilities: ”Assistance to independent living at home”, “Zoom Culture” (“Apropa Cultura”), or “University and Disability in Catalunya”.

The jury also awarded Dolnoslaskie (PL) with the 2011 MYFER Special Prize in recognition of the political will of the region to help youth with disabilities get into formal education systems, and the inscription of this aim in the “Development Strategy of the Lower Silesia Region by 2020”. Thanks to several projects and activities implemented since September 2007, like “Integration from kindergarten”, “the Social Scholarships of the Marshall of Lower Silesia”, or “Together fully able-bodied”, young people with disabilities are now receiving support during their studies, while teachers and lecturers are trained on how to work better with youth with disabilities.

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Library

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

Join AER!

Become a Member

Job Opportunities

Sign up for our Newsletter

Website map