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Assembly of European Regions

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

8 February, 2023 By Anna Comacchio

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

Inclusion, Creativity & Human Potential: Includ-EU Workshop

7 June, 2022 By Johanna Pacevicius

This workshop is organised in the context of the Includ-EU project co-financed by AMIF programme of the European Union. It will look at labour market inclusion from a skills, creativity and human potential angle.

The opening and roundtable (09:30-11:00) will be streamed, you can register here to get the link to attend online:

 

The objective is to take a holistic approach to labour market inclusion, which takes into account space, skills and the realisation of potential. Participants will share policies and practices which support stakeholders to build on their ideas, motivation, competences and experiences.

Migrant entrepreneurs contribute to economic growth, create jobs and can support the post-COVID-19 recovery. Effective inclusion of migrants and EU citizens with a migration background into the labour market requires the active collaboration of a large variety of actors, including public authorities at local, regional, national and European level, civil society organisations, economic and social partners and employers.

This workshop aims to:

  • Give visibility to inclusion policies and practices shared in the context of the project and which can be of use to stakeholders across wider Europe
  • strengthen the collaboration between partners, support them in mobilising both their local and international networks
  • Facilitate the exchange of policies and practices for inclusion between local and regional stakeholders in Europe
  • Encourage the development of new collaborations between local and regional stakeholders

AGENDA

Lead experience exchange: propose a new working group!

25 November, 2021 By Johanna Pacevicius

An AER working group provides a space for experience and knowledge exchange. The ground for mutual learning is the community the AER creates between member regions that have very diverse contexts and shared objectives. The AER community is one of its main added values when joining projects or developing advocacy activities.

As the mandates of current Working Groups have all come to an end, AER is offering the possibility to all members to propose to lead knowledge and experience exchange on a regional policy area that is important for them.

So… how to start a working group?

Contact the AER Secretariat and tell us what you are looking for!

If you’re not yet sure exactly about the activities or the specific focus of the working group you would like to lead, but you know you want to be engaged and lead a working group, contact us!

We’ll schedule a meeting to specify needs. We’ll help you identify the topic and main objective of the working group you’d like to set up and make sure this will indeed create value for you. We’ll help you to develop a draft proposal on the focus of the Working Group and identify a few potential activities, which you will then be able to share with other AER members.

What kind of topics?

At the AER we like to say that everything is possible!

Topics need to be in line with the Mission and Objectives of the AER, as defined in the AER Statutes

They need to be in line with the basic fundamental principles of the Council of Europe.

Who will be in the working group?

You may already know with which regions you would like to specifically cooperate with, in that case let us know and when needed we can facilitate the connection.

Working groups are open to all AER members. In order to propose a new working group, a core group of 1 leading region and at least 3 supporting regions are needed for the creation of a working group.

If you don’t yet know which regions you’d like to work with, let’s discuss! Together with the AER Secretariat you’ll be able identify peers in other regions who could be interested to work with you.

What kind of activities?

As per the AER Statutes, working groups are responsible for

  • Promoting networking and knowledge exchange between AER members on specific issues related to regional development; (8.3a)
  • Identifying and disseminating good practices. (8.3.b)

In this context, and depending on what you would like to achieve, activities can include activities to raise awareness on a topic and share existing practices, experience sharing, workshops to identify how to address shared challenges and societal changes, information sessions on funding opportunities, project development workshops…

The process to create a working group is detailed on this page.

There are many ways in which the AER offer and synergies with other activities can match your expectations. Contact us!

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

8 July, 2021 By Birgit Sandu

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

The new HORIZON EUROPE: Priorities and structure

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cluster 1 – Health

Actions supported under this cluster will be aimed at:

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

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

  • 4 Calls under Destination 01 – Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 01)
  • 4 Calls under Destination 02 – Living and working in a health-promoting environment (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 02)
  • 7 Calls under Destination 03 – Tacking diseases and reducing diseases burden (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 03)
  • 3 Calls under Destination 04 – Ensuring access to innovative, sustainable, and high quality health care (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 04)
  • 3 Calls under Destination 05 – Unlocking the full potential of new tools, technologies and digital solutions for a healthy society (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 05)
  • 3 Calls under Destination 06 – Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health industry (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 06)

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

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

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

Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society

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

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

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

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

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

Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry and Space

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

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

  • 17 Calls under Destination 01 – Climate neutral, circular and digitalised production (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 01)
  • 21 Calls under Destination 02 – Increased autonomy in key strategic value chains for resilient industry (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 02)
  • 5 Calls under Destination 03 – World leading data and computing technologies (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 03)
  • 17 Calls under Destination 04 – Digital and emerging technologies for competitiveness and fit for the Green Deal (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 04)
  • 24 Calls under Destination 06 – A human-centred and ethical development of digital and industrial technologies (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 06)
  • Calls under Destination 05 – Open Strategic autonomy in developing, deploying and using global space-based infrastructures, services, applications, and data will be launched as of October 2021

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

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

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

Cluster 5 – Climate, Energy and Mobility

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

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

  • 9 Calls under Destination 01 – Climate sciences and responses for the transformation towards climate neutrality (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 01)
  • 16 Calls under Destination 02 – Cross-sectoral solutions for the climate transition (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 02)
  • 19 Calls under Destination 03 – Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 03)
  • 5 Calls under Destination 04 – Efficient sustainable and inclusive energy use (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 04)
  • 17 Calls under Destination 05 – Clean and competitive solutions for all transport modes (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 05)
  • 13 Calls under Destination 06 – Safe, Resilient Transport and Smart Mobility services for passengers and goods (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 06)

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

EU-Missions (deadline 14th September 2021):

  • Supporting national, regional, and local authorities across Europe to prepare for the transition towards climate neutrality within cities
  • Collaborative local governance models to accelerate the emblematic transformation of urban environment and contribute to the New European Bauhaus initiative and the objectives of the European Green deal
  • Better prepared regional and local authorities to adapt to climate change (both Cluster 5 and Cluster 6)
  • Preparation for deployment of lighthouse demonstrators and solution scale ups and cross-cutting citizens and stakeholders involvement (both Cluster 5 and Cluster 6)

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

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

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

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

  • 22 Calls under Destination 01 – Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 01)
  • 19 Calls under Destination 02 – Fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 02)
  • 9 Calls under Destination 03 – Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 03)
  • 10 Calls under Destination 04 – Clean environment and zero pollution (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 04)
  • 10 Calls under Destination 05 – Land, ocean and water for climate action (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 05)
  • 6 Calls under Destination 06 – Resilient, inclusive, healthy and green rural, coastal and urban communities (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 06)
  • 28 Calls under Destination 07 – Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal (link to the recording of the info session on Destination 07)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picture from Unsplash by Christian Lue

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Job Vacancy: Member Relations Coordinator

23 June, 2021 By Anne Henk Bloemhoff

Do you have experience in a member-based organisation? Do you have work experience in a European/international environment, interested in the European regional dimension, ready to travel across the continent? If this sounds like you, you might be our new Member Relations Coordinator. 

We are looking for an experienced colleague who is proactive, diplomatic, collaborative, and organised to help with the management of the network, accompany our member regions in their AER experience and expand our membership base. 

You will be working directly with the Secretary General and will be based in Brussels. 

You must have the right to live and work in Belgium. 

Key Responsibilities

Account Management – 50%

  • Acting as the main point of contact for the regions, and provide assistance to meet their needs
  • Building and maintaining close relations with each of the Single Points of Contact (SPoC), and keep them up-to-date
  • Managing the membership database – keeping it regularly updated 
  • Informing and engaging members about the latest AER activities, campaigns, projects…
  • Striving to help each region find satisfaction in their membership experience
  • Increasing knowledge about each individual region and understand their expectations and needs
  • Proposing new activities and reinforce the relevance of AER towards its members and partners
  • Working closely internally (with projects, programmes, knowledge sharing and advocacy colleagues) to identify needs and services that can be shared to the benefit of members 
  • Assisting in the organisation of statutory meetings in collaboration with other colleagues

Business Development – 25%

  • Developing the membership strategy
  • Identifying and setting up meetings with potential new members and partners
  • Preparing promotional material and marketing campaigns to attract new members
  • Preparing and making sales presentations 
  • Taking part in events to promote the work of AER

Other – 25%

  • Processing and sending of the membership fee invoices 
  • Contributing to the implementation of EU-funded projects as well as, to some extent, to policy monitoring and analysis in selected areas 
  • Preparing briefing documents for high-level politicians in the Executive Board
  • Moderating and taking part in panel discussions and events
  • Being a small team all staff members are asked to perform additional transversal tasks and some secretarial work (e.g. Event Calendar, online user accounts)

In short: manage relations with the AER members and partners, create new links across Europe, step up the experience of our members.

Your Profile

  • At minimum 2-4 years of experience in a similar role with at least 3 years of full-time professional experience
  • Experience in or with member driven organisations
  • University degree (MA or higher; or BA with additional academic qualification) in relevant subjects (e.g. Political Science, European Studies, International Relations, Cultural Studies, Economics, Management, or other courses related to this profile)
  • Experience in business development, client relationship management, or marketing
  • Experience in establishing multi-year partnership agreements and maintaining continuous relationships
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English (with other European languages an added advantage)
  • Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Powerpoint, Word and Excel 
  • Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills with ability to function in a multicultural environment  
  • Familiarity with cloud-based computing, collaborative document editing and working in business communication platforms, such as Slack
  • Experience with using CRM applications

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter (max. one page) along with your CVin English and one reference to [email protected] with “AER Member Relations Coordinator” as the subject line. 

Deadline for application: Sunday 18 July – midnight.
Anticipated interviews (indicative days): 

Round 1: 26-30 July
Round 2: 3-6 August

Desired start date: September/October 2021

Due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

——–

Founded in 1985, the Assembly of European Regions is the political platform of regional governments in wider Europe, with direct membership of public authorities from 30 countries – from Norway to Turkey and from Portugal to Russia. As the largest independent network of its kind, AER promotes the regions as key players in the European project, as well as democracy and good governance. AER has offices in Brussels (BE), Strasbourg (FR), and a Southeast Europe Hub in Alba Iulia (RO).

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is an equal opportunity employer – our membership is diverse and so is our team. In line with our political priorities, we are an organisation committed to fostering inclusion and embracing diversity, including in our recruitment process. We therefore guarantee equal treatment of all applications regardless of sex or gender identity, ethnic, national or social background, political or religious belief, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

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Mobility as a Service: registrations are open!

31 May, 2021 By Johanna Pacevicius

On 17 June 2021 the Chair of the AER Working Group on Transports and Mobility, Martin Tollén, Östergötland (SE) is organising a webinar on Mobility as a Service, also known as MaaS.

MaaS… I beg your pardon?

There is an increasing demand for innovative services supporting seamless mobility combining on-demand transport modes in conjunction with public transport, leading to the Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) concept:

MaaS is a user-centric, intelligent mobility distribution model, in which users’ needs are met via a single platform and are offered by a service provider, the mobility operator.

Source: http://www.maas4eu.eu/project/

This user-centricity shifts the focus from providers to users, which also means re-evaluating the role of the public sector, defining what matters, what stakeholders want to achieve, who needs to be involved and how. This is why the topic is relevant for all European regions: the issue indeed goes much farther than mobility only. It is linked to regional development, innovation, governance, access to services and territorial cohesion, to name a few.

Mobility & the digital transformation

The digital transformation is central in the concept of MaaS, it both pushes the demand and supports the offer. Users generally expect public services to be as easy to access as any service provided by the Five Tech Giants (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft) or Wallmart for instance. Which means the public sector is also re-inventing how it sees its role, and mobility is no exception to this general trend.

The webinar on MaaS organised on 17 June 2021 will strive to address questions such as:

  • What are the lessons learnt and success factors for MaaS?
  • What is the role of public organisations in the development of concepts and in terms of governance?
  • How should private and public stakeholders cooperate? Who should do what?
  • How to apply a city model of MaaS in rural areas?

Transport & the digital transformation at EU-level

For the 2021-2027 programming period, digital transformation is in focus and the European Commission has recently launched the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.

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

For more information on the event and the draft agenda, please check the event webpage

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Digital Transformation & Skills in the Agri-food Sector

9 April, 2021 By Birgit Sandu

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open and Future EU Funding Opportunities and Initiatives

  • Become an AER member
  • Apply to contribute as partner event to the EU Green Week 2021 by 15th April 2021
  • Apply to the AGRIP-SIMPLE-2021 Open Call for proposals for simple programmes 2021: Promotion of agricultural products (topics in internal market and in third countries) by 11th May 2021
  • Apply to the SmartAgriHubs Open Call: Prepare Innovation Experiments for Digital Transformation with Teams in the Agri-Food Economy by 26th May 2021
  • Apply to the SmartAgriHubs Open Call: Restart the European Agri-Food Economy after the COVID-19 Crisis by 26th May 2021
  • Apply to the SmartAgriHubs Open Call: Expand the SmartAgriHubs Community Network by 26th May 2021
  • Apply to the Joint Open Call ERA-NET: Circularity in mixed crops and livestocks farming systems with emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaption by 26th May 2021
  • Apply to the agROBOfood Open Call2: Innovation Experiments by 31st May 2021
  • Apply to the UCPM Open Projects Grant Call: Network Partnership by 1st June 2021
  • Apply to the SOCPL Open Call for Projects: Information and Training Measures for Workers’ Organisations by 9th June 2021
  • Join the CityZen impact workshop: ‘Inclusive Governance to Foster Urban Farming’ on 19-20 April 2021
  • Join the EU Green Week 2021 from 3rd May to 13th June
  • Join the IAMO Forum 2021: Agrifood systems in the bioeconomy from 7th to 9th June 2021
  • Join the FarmFit event for young entrepreneurs in the Agri-food market (end of 2021)
  • Access the Future of the Common Agricultural Policy proposal by the European Commission
  • Access the European Network for Rural Development CAP post-2020 Portal
  • Access the new Horizon Europe Programme
  • Access the new EU Action Plan on Organic Production in the EU
  • Access the new initiatives launched by the European Commission to boost the organic farming sector

Photo by Naseem Buras Unsplash

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

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AER adopts Recommendations on the Conference on the Future of Europe

8 April, 2021 By Gisela Guari Cañada

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) has adopted its Recommendations on the Conference on the Future of Europe.

The Conference on the Future of Europe aims to give citizens the chance to shape the European Union’s priorities. Through a series of open dialogues and debates across EU Member States, the Conference aims to give voice to ‘the silent majority’ of Europeans, and put people back at the centre of policymaking.

At the Assembly of European Regions, we want to make sure that citizens feel their feedback counts. This demands a citizen-led approach starting in Europe’s towns, villages and cities, with a strong role for local and regional authorities as a channel for citizens’ ideas and aspirations. This is why on 1 April 2021, the AER’s Executive Board formally adopted our Recommendations on the Conference on the Future of Europe. AER President, Magnus Berntsson welcomed the timely adoption of the Recommendations, and underlined the need for a strong role for local and regional authorities:

“For the Conference to succeed, politicians have to take the lead from our citizens – starting in our regions. They must have a key role to ensure citizens have a real say in Europe’s future.”

The Conference on the Future of Europe is a unique opportunity for regions to push for institutional reform, and put power back in the hands of our citizens. Given their uniquely close relationship with citizens on the ground, regional and local authorities must be meaningfully involved in the EU’s decision-making process. This requires us to remodel the EU architecture in a way that it truly delivers on the principles of subsidiarity, partnership and multi-level governance. This can be achieved by creating a permanent structure of consultation that will give a stronger voice to regional authorities and our citizens.

The AER will continue working to ensure the perspectives of European regions are an integral part of the Conference’s discussions. In this regard, we make the following recommendations to guarantee an inclusive and participatory Conference on the Future of Europe where regional authorities play a key role. We call for:

  1. Local and Regional Authorities to be viewed as equal partners in the Conference on the Future of Europe;
  2. A citizens-led Conference that reaches all corners of Europe, not only of the Union;
  3. The highest standards of inclusiveness both in participation and facilitation methods to be ensured throughout the process;
  4. Democratic legitimacy to be respected through the establishment of an open mandate for clear proposals, with structured involvement of citizens in discussions at all phases and at all levels – local and regional;
  5. Continuity of the Conference and the establishment of a permanent consultation structure for the EU.

You can view the recommendations below:

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PRESS RELEASE: The Cultural Administration & Sustainability Boosters Curriculum is on its way!

6 April, 2021 By Stanislava Milankov

The CUBES project, co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme, aims to empower all societal sectors to own and administer their heritage and cultural resources in a sustainable way, thus leading to both cultural democracy and sustainability. To this purpose, the project developed a training programme, Cultural Administration & Sustainability Boosters Curriculum, that will be offered on an inclusive, interactive and user-friendly digital platform.

The curriculum is designed by all project partners based on the best practices, funding tools, local challenges, training needs and results identified during the development of the Review Paper on Parameters Mapping. More specifically, the programme is addressed to public bodies and authorities, NGOs and foundations at regional and national level working in the cultural sector for the promotion and governance of cultural resources.

The curriculum will be available in 6 languages (English, Portuguese, Romanian, Greek, Lithuanian, Bosnian) and consists of 4 Subjects:

  • Subject 1: Project Management (Module 1: Project Management Introduction, Module 2: Project Management Methodology & Toolsets, Module 3: Cultural Project Life cycle)
  • Subject 2: Community Involvement & Networking (Module 1: Introduction to Cultural Competence, Module 2: Networking in Cultural Settings, Module 3: Culture as a pillar for Sustainable Development – 2030 Agenda and Cultural Administration)
  • Subject 3: Marketing Cultural Work (Module 1: Introduction to Marketing and Marketing Planning, Module 2: Communications Planning and the use of Digital Tools, Module 3: Strategic Marketing – Branding)
  • Subject 4: Fundraising for culture (Module 1: Basics to Fundraising, Module 2: Strategic Planning for Fundraising, Grant Proposal Writing)

After the release of the curriculum via the CUBES interactive e-platform, AER member regions and other interested parties can undertake the online learning programme on cultural management and sustainability and obtain a certification. Once the learners have successfully completed the programme, they will receive training to act as mentors in local communities, taking up the responsibility of informing, guiding and mentoring other community members in the field of cultural management and sustainability. 

As result, participants will be empowered in their know-how regarding the sustainable administration of tangible and intangible cultural resources and will have the opportunity to network and interact with expert partners in the field.

The curriculum will be published in the coming months via the CUBES interactive e-platform. Stay tuned!

Get in touch with the AER Project Unit in case you wish to be involved in CUBES activities: [email protected]

For a brief overview on the project, check the CUBES flyer.

Photo by Ingrid Vasconcelos on Unsplash

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Advocating for Youth Participation at Regional Level

22 March, 2021 By Gisela Guari Cañada

Do you want to learn more about the European Youth Goals and its Youth Strategy, the opportunities and challenges for youth participation at local and regional level, and how to develop and effective advocacy plan?

Read the Y-FED Training Handbook!

In 2018, as a result of a Structured Dialogue with young people, decision-makers, and other stakeholders, the European Union developed the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027. This youth strategy set out to achieve eleven European Youth Goals. These aim to overcome main challenges that young people face in their daily lives, and present a vision of Europe that empowers young people to reach their full potential. 

Promoting the active participation of young people in decisions and actions at local and regional level is essential if we are to build a more democratic, inclusive and prosperous society. Active citizenship is understood as participating in democratic life with the main purpose of playing an active role in the development of society and contributing to the improvement of the well-being of its citizens. However, it is relevant to bear in mind that participation in democratic life is more than voting, hence, active citizenship is fostered by having the right, the resources, and the opportunity to participate and influence in decision-making processes, as to be engaged in actions that contribute to building a better society.  

In this regard, the project “Y-FED: Europe is what we make of it” co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme aims to bring the EU closer to its young citizens by developing a proposal for an improved institutional framework of the Union in line with the European Youth Goals. It supports their implementation by embedding them in the reformed EU institutional model and transposing them from the European to the local level.

Within the framework of this project, the Assembly of European Regions together with JEF Europe, organised an advocacy training seminar which aimed to empower young people to advocate for meaningful youth participation at local and regional level. Over three days in early March, 24 young activists from Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Spain, Malta and Poland learned the skills needed to advocate for their rights and priorities.

The training seminar kicked-off on Thursday 4 March 2021 with an introduction to the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the European Youth Goals.

Following the European module, the main focus of the second session was on enhancing participants’ understanding of active youth participation in democratic and political life at regional and local level. Trainees got to learn about examples of best practices and non-formal education activities, which facilitated the identification of youth participation challenges as outlined in the European Youth Goals.

The last day of the training seminar aimed to build participants’ advocacy skills and provide them with the right tools to lobby for better youth participation. The trainees were split into 8 groups in which they had to develop an advocacy strategy based on the challenges for youth participation identified during the previous session. They also had to design a timeline of advocacy activities to be implemented at local and regional level to push for change. The challenges were the following:

  • young people’s lack of engagement, and critical thinking in decision-making processes on local and regional level
  • creating more inclusive communities for young people with fewer opportunities
  • instrumentalisation of young people for political goals by decision-makers
  • lacking opportunities for active participation for young people on local and regional level
  • difficulties in accessing organised groups and activities for rural/suburban youth
  • lack of information and networking amongst young people regarding current mechanisms for youth participation
  • lack of transparency in consultation processes with young people
  • financial and educational obstacles to empowering young participation

What’s next?

Following the training seminar, the trainees will implement their advocacy actions in European regions, which will be part of the follow-up activity within the Y-FED project.

Stay tuned to hear how the young activists will overcome the obstacles identified and improve youth participation at regional and local level.

Photo by UX Indonesia on Unsplash

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Job Vacancy: EU Projects & Policy Officer

22 March, 2021 By Anne Henk Bloemhoff

Are you a motivated professional who is passionate about European policy? Do you have experience in the management of EU funded projects? Are you enthusiastic about knowledge sharing activities? If this sounds like you, and you are eager to reinforce an enthusiastic, international team with a wide range of responsibilities, you might be our new Project & Policy Officer. Apply now!

We are looking for a colleague to support our Project and Policy teams in the implementation of EU-funded projects, and the delivery of related activities. We want this to be combined with a knack for supporting our team in mutual learning activities, policy analysis, as well as contributing to our advocacy work.

We offer an initial 6-month, full-time Belgian employment contract, with the possibility of extension if our project activities continue to grow. You must have the right to live and work in Belgium. 

This position is to be based in Brussels. 

Are you our next colleague?

We need someone who is open-minded, a team player, organised, reliable and autonomous, and able to be operative from day one. In this position, you will be expected to ensure the proper implementation of EU projects within the AER portfolio, especially in the fields of education and training, culture, and inclusion. You will design and actively participate in mutual learning and knowledge sharing activities, as well as staying up to date on developments in relevant EU policy areas. You will work in our Project Unit under the guidance of the European Projects Coordinator, and additionally provide support to our Coordinators for Knowledge Transfer and Advocacy.

Key responsibilities

Project management – 40%

  • Implement project activities according to grant agreements, AER’s political priorities, and membership needs
  • Prepare project deliverables, monitor project progress, and evaluation
  • Prepare and process technical and financial reports
  • Cooperate with project partners, stakeholders, and member regions on a daily basis
  • Communicate and disseminate project activities, deliverables and achievements through AER channels
  • Support the AER team in scouting funding opportunities and establishing partnerships for AER member regions
  • Contribute to writing new project proposals within EU funded programmes
  • Participate in project meetings, webinars, workshops, etc
  • Being a small team all staff members are asked to perform additional transversal tasks and some secretarial work

Policy-related tasks: knowledge sharing and advocacy – 60%

  • Both in relation to knowledge sharing and advocacy, monitor policy development and draft briefings in selected thematic areas (examples: culture and inclusion, social cohesion, regional public services, or neighbouring topics). We will discuss with you the details of your thematic portfolio, taking into account your expertise and the topics of other team members.
  • Deliver project activities on knowledge sharing, capacity building and learning events, including conferences, webinars, workshops and training seminars.
  • Ensure the smooth running of these events including the participation of highly relevant speakers and stakeholders.
  • Support advocacy work and influencing activities. 

Your profile

  • At least 2 years of professional experience in the management of EU funded projects
  • University degree (MA or higher; or BA with additional academic qualification) in relevant subjects (e.g. Political Science, European Studies, International Relations, Cultural Studies, Economics, Management, or other courses related to this profile)
  • Fluency in English and another major European language, oral and written
  • Knowledge of EU funding programmes and opportunities
  • Good knowledge of EU policy-making, including regarding regional political challenges
  • Good understanding of several topical EU policy priorities (examples: sustainable economic development, innovation and digitalisation, social and territorial cohesion, public services and good governance, culture and inclusion)
  • Beneficial: experience in associations, non-profit work, or the public sector 
  • Beneficial: experience in partnership development 
  • Self-motivated and a self-starter
  • Strong team spirit and a positive attitude; eager to contribute to common objectives 
  • Autonomous and independent in completing tasks, with good organisational and time-management skills
  • Ability to prioritise and multitask
  • Excellent interpersonal  skills coupled with well-honed verbal and written communication skills
  • Excellent organisational and record-keeping skills
  • Good ICT skills (Microsoft Office Suite, various online tools, e.g. Slack, Google Drive, etc)
  • Readiness to occasionally travel between Strasbourg and Brussels, and AER events elsewhere

How to apply…

If this piques your interest, here’s how you can apply:

Please send a cover letter (max. one page) along with your CV in English to [email protected] with “EU Project & Policy Officer” as the subject line. 

Deadline for application: Friday 9 April – midnight.

Anticipated interviews (indicative days): 

Round 1: 19/20/21/22 April
Round 2: 30 April/early May

Desired starting date: June 2021

Due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

————–

Founded in 1985, the Assembly of European Regions is the political platform of regional governments in wider Europe, with direct membership of public authorities from 30 countries – from Norway to Turkey and from Portugal to Russia. As the largest independent network of its kind, AER promotes the regions as key players in the European project, as well as democracy and good governance. AER has offices in Brussels (BE), Strasbourg (FR), and a Southeast Europe Hub in Alba Iulia (RO).

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is an equal opportunity employer – our membership is diverse and so is our team. In line with our political priorities, we are an organisation committed to fostering inclusion and embracing diversity, including in our recruitment process. We therefore guarantee equal treatment of all applications regardless of sex or gender identity, ethnic, national or social background, political or religious belief, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

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Job Vacancy: EU Finance & Administration Officer

15 March, 2021 By Anne Henk Bloemhoff

Are you a numbers guru, with experience in project management? Are you also a good organiser who is happy to reinforce an enthusiastic, small, international team with a wide range of responsibilities? If so, you may be our new EU Finance & Administration Officer. Apply now!

We are looking for a colleague to support our Project Unit in the financial management of EU-funded projects. We want this to be combined with a knack for supporting the AER team in administrative matters, internal planning, and coordination tasks.

We offer an initial 8-month, full-time French or Belgian employment contract, with the possibility of extension if our project activities continue to grow. You must have the right to live and work in the EU.

This position is to be based in Strasbourg or Brussels.

Are you our next colleague?

We need someone who is responsive, responsible, systematic, and attentive. In this position, you will be expected to constantly refine our EU projects’ finances, as well as recurring workflows of the AER in a proactive manner. You will be working in our Project Unit under the guidance of the European Projects Coordinator (Head of Unit), and additionally provide support to the Secretary General and other team members in related matters of administration.

Key responsibilities

EU finance & administration – 70%

  • Financial planning, budgeting, and reporting; outlining of contracts; processing payments; and monitoring budgetary performance for specific EU co-funded projects run by the AER, in close collaboration with the European Projects Coordinator and the Project Finance Manager.
  • Ensuring a high quality of finance-related workflows within the projects and in relation to our donors, notably the European Commission, as well as compliance with the specific guidelines provided by the European Commission. You will also be required to act as the contact point for the Project Unit and other members of the Secretariat when it comes to the European Commission guidelines for the financial and contractual implementation of projects.
  • Preparing monthly timesheets together with colleagues; collecting and archiving of evidence for projects as well as administrative and legal documentation.
  • Contributing to financial and administrative aspects of new project applications.
  • Organisational support for activities carried out as part of European Project implementation.

Internal administration – 30%

  • Supporting the Project Finance Manager in compiling data and documents for the AER’s overall budgeting under the guidance of the Treasurer and the Secretary General.
  • Processing and archiving of invoices, including in view of external audits.
  • Liaising with our external Social Secretariat to ensure the smooth processing of payslips and holiday rights; and assuming other tasks related to salaries, social security, and taxes.
  • Administrative support to the AER team: Correspondence with internal and external stakeholders; organisation of meetings.
  • Being a small team all staff members are asked to perform some secretarial work.

Your profile

  • At least 2 years of professional experience in financial management and implementation of European projects, as well as in the preparation of financial contributions for project applications
  • Broad experience in workflow management and administration
  • University degree (B.A. or higher) in relevant subjects (e.g. administration, finance, management, European studies, or other courses related to this profile)
  • Fluency in both English and French, oral and written
  • Knowledge of EU funding programmes and opportunities
  • Beneficial: experience in associations, the public sector, or non-profit work
  • Self-motivated and a self-starter
  • Strong team spirit and eager to contribute to common objectives
  • Autonomous and independent in task accomplishment
  • Ability to prioritise and multitask;
  • Excellent interpersonal skills as well as verbal and written communication skills
  • Excellent organisational skills and record-tracking
  • Good ICT skills (Microsoft Office Suite and particularly proficiency with Excel; various online tools e.g. Slack, Google Drive, etc.)
  • Readiness to occasionally travel between Strasbourg and Brussels or to AER events

How to apply…

If this piques your interest, here’s how you can apply:

Please send a motivation letter (max. one page) and your CV in English in one PDF document to [email protected] with “EU Finance & Administration Officer” as the subject line.

Deadline for application: Sunday 4 April – midnight.

Anticipated interviews (indicative days):

Round 1: 12-14 April
Round 2: 19-21 April

Desired starting date: 3 or 17 May

Due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.


Founded in 1985, the Assembly of European Regions is the political platform of regional governments in wider Europe, with direct membership of public authorities from 30 countries – from Norway to Turkey and from Portugal to Russia. As the largest independent network of its kind, AER promotes the regions as key players in the European project, as well as democracy and good governance. AER has offices in Brussels (BE), Strasbourg (FR), and a Southeast Europe Hub in Alba Iulia (RO).

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is an equal opportunity employer – our membership is diverse and so is our team. In line with our political priorities, we are an organisation committed to fostering inclusion and embracing diversity, including in our recruitment process. We therefore guarantee equal treatment of all applications regardless of sex or gender identity, ethnic, national or social background, political or religious belief, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

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How Smart is Your Food?

23 February, 2021 By Johanna Pacevicius

At a time where every aspect of our lives is getting “smarter”, can food get “smart”, too? The answer is yes, as will be demonstrated on 3 March at the AER’s 2021 Innovation Show – How Smart is your Food?, hosted by Gelderland (NL) in collaboration with Th!nk East Netherlands.

Every link in the food value chain is being transformed by digital innovation, and in particular by Economy 4.0. Research on nutrition is bringing fresh insights and innovative ideas that affect every stage from production and processing, right through to consumption.

Working towards nutrition security and sustainable diets, moreover, has been found to positively impact issues as diverse as climate change, health and citizen participation.

Food value chain innovation and the Green Deal 

Innovation at all levels of the food value chain is a topic which can mobilise stakeholders from highly diverse backgrounds, generate new collaboration ecosystems, and make a significant contribution to achieving the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and actions aimed at fighting the economic crisis, it is particularly urgent to ensure that innovation in food and food value chains continues to be adequately supported. As part of the 2021 Innovation Show, regions will share their experiences and elaborate the actions they are taking on this topic. Indeed, the central role of regions in supporting innovation and economic development on the one hand, and in advancing the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs on the other, makes mutual learning all the more important.

The event will also be an opportunity to hear how Europe’s recovery plan will be implemented at regional level, with a focus on smart food and value chain innovation, in order to achieve a resilient, carbon-neutral EU by 2050 as foreseen by the EU Green Deal.

Sharing ideas and shaping the future together

The goal of this event on smart food and value chains is to share ideas and shape the future together. Things do not happen by accident; they happen by design. Major societal challenges, therefore, call for the collaboration between all stakeholders to share ideas and plan the future.

We therefore invite stakeholders from the public and private sector, industry specialists, entrepreneurs, academics, and policymakers to take this opportunity to share their experiences and perspectives at the 2021 Innovation Show. 

During this event, participants will: 

  • Hear what different stakeholders see as opportunities and threats in the field of food innovation
  • Examine the role of regions: are there new roles emerging?
  • Discuss the social and economic impact, as well as needs in terms of policymaking and fields for cooperation
  • Hear about the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on innovation, especially on funding innovation
  • Examine and hear how Europe’s recovery plan will be implemented at regional level, with particular regard to smart food and value chain innovation, in order to achieve a resilient, carbon-neutral EU by 2050 as foreseen by the EU Green Deal

Agenda

10:30Welcome by moderator Simone Balhuizen
10:33Opening
Magnus Berntsson, AER President, Västra Götaland (SE) 
Christianne van der Wal, Regional Minister Innovation, Gelderland, (NL)
10:45The Smart Food & Value Chain Dialogue 
Innovation in food and food value chains presents both new opportunities and new challenges. Sitting at the crossroads between public health, innovation strategies, economic development and climate strategies, smart food and smart food value chains require a multilevel approach.

This Smart Food & Value Chain Dialogue will provide insights on the stakes at different levels of governance in Europe, present examples and give a perspective on future opportunities for regions and the European Union as a whole.

What are the main stakes at European and global level?What are the stakes at regional level?How to innovate for sustainable, climate-resilient, nutrition-dense and diversified food systems?Is it possible to innovate in the midst of a global crisis?

Nelly Kalfs, Mayor of Lingewaard
Representative from DG Agri, tbc
Moderation: Simone Balhuizen
11:00Talkshow: Smart food & Climate/Sustainability
This exchange will bring together different stakeholders to discuss current challenges and sharing examples of smart food and food value chain innovation and their expected impact on mitigating climate change. 

Speakers:
Martin Scholten, Principal Advisor to Executive Board, Wageningen University & Research
Paul Hospers, Project Leader, NEXTGarden
Representative from Murcia (ES), tbc
Moderation: Simone Balhuizen
11:25Talkshow: Smart food & health
Stakeholders will share their experience and how they are contributing to developing smarter food for better health. They will discuss the need for better science for better nutrition, to tackle challenges such as obesity, poor nutrition & poverty or active and healthy ageing. 

Speakers
Maartje Poelman, Associate Professor Consumption and Healthy Lifestyles, Wageningen University & Research
Thea van Kemenade, Director of Health, OnePlanet, (Gelderland, NL) 
Irene Lejegren, Chair of AER Task Force on Food, County Councillor, Örebro, SE
Moderation: Simone Balhuizen
11:50Wrap-up
Christian Spahr, AER Secretary General 
12:00Conclusion
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National Recovery & Resilience Plans – Working Together in Renewed Partnership with Regions

2 February, 2021 By Pol Aixas

Date: 4 March

Time: 16:00 – 17:30 CEST

In response to the impacts and challenges posed by COVID-19, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council agreed on a Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The RRF will offer support for investments and reforms undertaken by Member States to make their economies and societies more sustainable, resilient and better prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by the green and digital transitions.

In order to access the funding, Member States will have to produce and submit National Recovery Plans by April 2021.

Local and regional authorities play a vital role in addressing the short and long-term social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. However, a consultation run by the European Committee of the Regions and Council of European Municipalities and Regions found that the involvement of municipalities, cities and regions in the preparation of the national Recovery and Resilience Plans has been limited and rather unstructured.

Therefore this timely webinar, brought to you in partnership with the Government of Catalonia, will:

  • Reflect on the role of regional authorities in shaping and implementing national investment projects and reforms to deliver a fair and sustainable recovery;
  • Spur debate on how to more effectively involve local and regional authorities in the design and implementation of National Recovery and Resilience Plans, and;

This panel debate will bring together regional authorities and EU representatives, and we are delighted we can already announce we will be joined by

  • Johannes Luebking, Principal Adviser, Recovery and Resilience Task Force, European Commission
  • Dragoș Pîslaru, Member of the European Parliament and Co-Rapporteur on the Recovery and Resilience Facility
  • Rosa D’Amato, Member of the European Parliament
  • Michael Murphy, Chair of the European Committee of the Regions’ Commission for Economic Policy
  • Michiel Rijsberman, Member of the European Committee of the Regions, Regional Minister of the Province of Flevoland
  • Elisabet Nebreda, Secretary for Foreign Action and the EU,  Government of Catalonia
  • Albert Castellanos [moderator], AER Vice President for Sustainability, Government of Catalonia

EXTENDED – Call for Participants: Advocacy Training for Young European Activists

29 January, 2021 By Birgit Sandu

APPLICATION STILL OPEN: The call for participants for the Advocacy Training for Young European Activists organised by the Assembly of European Regions and the Young European Federalists (JEF) has been extended! Submit your application by Friday 26th February 2021 via the online form!

APPLICATION EXTENDED TO YOUTH FROM ALL OVER THE EU: The application has been opened to young citizens that are member of JEF Sections and/or the AER Youth Regional Network and/or representative a Youth Regional Council within the European Union! Priority (not exclusion) is given to applicants belonging to one of the above organisations/networks that are located in one of the country covered by the Y-FED project, namely: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.


The Assembly of European Regions, in partnership with JEF, is organising a training seminar on advocacy that will offer 30 young Europeans the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of the European Institutions and the Youth Strategy, as wells as develop advocacy plans to promote their rights and priorities among local and regional authorities.

The training seminar is being organised as part of the “Y-FED: Europe is what we make of it” project. The Y-FED project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the EU with the aim of empowering youth in the European and regional political dialogues and, in turn, building an Europe that it is closer to its young citizens.


About the Training Seminar

The training seminar will be held from the 4th to the 6th of March 2021 (dates to be confirmed) in an online learning format and will be conducted in English.

It will adopt methodologies from non-formal education to provide young citizens with the necessary competences and resources to boost their active citizenship. It includes sessions on the European Youth Strategy and its Youth Goals leading to the development of regional and local advocacy plans focused on one out of the eleven European Youth Goals, ideally goal 9, Space and Participation for All.

Throughout the training seminar, young citizens will develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to become Youth-Ambassadors in their local and regional contexts. At the same time they will design, organise and implement advocacy actions at a local and regional level. As a result of the training, participants will:

  • Strengthen advocacy skills; 
  • Strengthen advocacy tools;
  • Become acquainted with the European Youth Goals;
  • Develop knowledge on the principles of multi-level governance and subsidiarity;
  • Develop the skills to interact with decision-makers;
  • Develop an advocacy plan.

The training seminar will be composed three modules that will be completed throughout 10 hours:

1. European Module: The European Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the European Youth Goals (Thursday 4th March, 18:00 – 20:00 CET)

The training seminar will start with the introduction to the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the European Youth Goals, which outline the main challenges that young people face in their daily lives and present the vision for a Europe that enables young people to realise their full potential. 

2. Module on Youth and Regions: How can young people be engaged in the political development of their region? (Friday 5th March, 18:00 – 20:00 CET)

This session will focus on enhancing participants’ knowledge on the principles of multi-level governance and subsidiarity and deepening the understanding of active youth participation in the democratic and political life at regional and local level. 

This session will be accompanied by some practice examples on how young people can be engaged in the political life of their regions. The module will analyse and present several examples from across Europe about how local and regional authorities have been involving their young citizens in the development, implementation and evaluation of youth policies, and other policies that are most relevant to them. These good practices will serve as the ground for the development of participants’ advocacy plans.

3. Module on advocacy: Introduction to advocacy and development of an advocacy plan (Saturday 6th March, 10:00 – 16:00 CET)

The objective of this module is to build participants’ competences and provide them with the tools required to advocate for youth participation at local, regional, and European levels. Trainees will work in groups of four and each group will jointly develop an advocacy strategy to advocate for one of the previously presented European Youth Goals and address the action to a regional authority from the following countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.

The developed advocacy strategy will serve the participants as a basis for the implementation of local and regional actions, activity which will follow the training.

Following the conclusion of the training seminar, participants will have the chance to engage with local and regional authorities across Europe by participating at the AER Spring Bureau Meeting and implementing local advocacy actions. Additionally, participants will be invited to submit the developed local advocacy plan and apply for micro-grants to actually implement the advocacy plans among their local and regional authorities with expert mentoring and under the coordination of the AER.


Profile of the Participants

The participants of the training course will be a group of 30 young citizens keen to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to become Youth-Ambassadors in their local and regional contexts and design, organise and implement advocacy actions at a local and regional level. 

In the selection of the participants, priority will be given to members of one of the Young European Federalists’ (JEF) national Sections, and members of the Assembly of European Regions-Youth Regional Network (YRN). The rest of the participants will be young representatives from Regional Youth Councils.

The application is open to young citizens affiliated to and/or representatives of one of the organisations/networks listed above from allover Europe. Priority (not exclusion) is given to young citizens within the country covered by the project, namely: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.

Gender balance will be ensured in the selection process of the participants, as well as the geographical balance. 

Specific requirements for the participants:

  • Be aged between 18 and 30 years old;
  • Be a member of JEF sections and/or member of the AER-YRN and/or representative of a youth regional council in Europe (priority is given to young citizens belonging to one of the above organisations/networks located in one of the countries covered by the Y-FED project);
  • Be able to work and communicate fluently in English;
  • Have some knowledge about the EU institutions;
  • Be passionate about politics;
  • Be willing to engage in the political dialogue at the regional and European level and advocate for youth priorities.

How to participate?

Participation in this training seminar is free of charge and all those who meet the specific requirements of the call shall send their applications online via the link below before the 26th of February!

Apply Here!

If you have any question concerning the training seminar and the application procedure, please contact [email protected] and [email protected] !

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