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Assembly of European Regions

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This tag is for all posts relating to R20.

AER President takes part in panel discussion at the R20 Austrian World Summit

29 May, 2019 By Anne Henk Bloemhoff

“We are in a crisis – a climate crisis”. During the R20 Austrian World Summit, Greta Thunberg, the 16 year old activist from Sweden delivered a moving speech calling on the world leaders to influence, to make an impact and to start protecting our world. Indeed, the Summit saw world leaders joining together calling for nations to reaffirm their commitment to the Paris Agreement. Leaders such as Alexander van der Bellen, Federal President of Austria; the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres; and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chair of the R20 and former governor of California delivered key note interventions calling on us to act now. Antonio Guterres delivered a strong message that we needed to “end fossil fuel subsidies and to stop using taxpayers’ money to destroy the world”. At the current rate of action, the world would warm by 3C not the 1.5C envisioned. The main message of the Summit was to reaffirm the need for climate action, goal 13 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As such, during this Summit there have been discussions on many different topics related to the SDGs. Today, the AER and R20 President, Magnus Berntsson participated in a panel on Sustainable Cities (goal 11) and specifically carbon-neutral housing & mobility. He shared the stage with Arnout Smit from the Arnhem Nijmegen City Region, Rana Adib, Executive Director of REN21 and Claire Roumet, Executive Director of Energy Cities. During his intervention, Mr Berntsson stressed the importance of partnerships and cooperation with one another. Furthermore, the need to share and spread the example to other regions and the world.

  • Meeting with Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann of Baden-Württemburg to discuss electrification and future collaborations between their regions.
  • Meeting with ICLEI President/Mayor of Bonn Ashok Sridharan

Mr Berntsson also provided examples regarding the topic of mobility and the how the move to electrification is moving much quicker than what was originally planned. This means that there is much more planning that needs to be done in order to pass this benefit to the citizens. Additionally, he advised that in his region of Västra Götaland, they showcased how the electrification of buses has other effects such as lowering greenhouse gases in urban environment as well as the decrese in sound changing how city can plan their city. This was demonstrated by having a bus stop in a library.

Following Mr Berntsson’s intervention, Fran Pavley, former California State Senator provided concrete examples of what is being done in California to combat climate change. Many of her examples showcased how climate action comes from the cities, exemplifying the importance of regions, cities and local governments play in being the change to reach the Paris Agreement.

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AER to attend the R20 Austrian World Summit in Vienna

23 May, 2019 By Anne Henk Bloemhoff

Next week, the R20 Austrian World Summit will again be taking place in Vienna. This long-term initiative to create a network platform to help regions, states and cities implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals and meet the global climate protection targets outlined in the Paris agreement stems from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s R20 Regions of Climate Action and is now in its 3rd edition.

The effects of climate change can be felt globally via the increase of heatwaves, floods, droughts, melting glaciers and rising sea-levels. An estimated 9 million deaths are attributed to pollution every year. Additionally, a recent study found that the melting Artic permafrost could add nearly 70 trillion to the global cost of climate change if the planet warms by 3C by 2100. Even if action is taken to limit this increase to 1.5C, it would still add 25 trillion to overall climate costs.

Following the increased call for climate action and strikes for the climate worldwide, the United Kingdom and Ireland have declared a national climate emergency. Indeed, one of the goals of the R20 Austrian World Summit is to amplify the call on nations to act and to step up their ambition under the Paris Agreement by publishing new commitments before 2020 and cut emissions on a science-based trajectory that limits this warming. During the Summit, innovative solutions, policies, best practice projects, examples of cooperation and role models from different countries, cities, regions and sectors that are dealing with pollution and championing a future of renewable energy will be showcased. 

AER delegates will be attending the R20 Austrian World Summit, which will include almost 1500 participants from over 50 countries. The AER President and R20 President, Magnus Berntsson, will be in attendance, and will be contributing in a panel session on Sustainable Cities: Carbon-Neutral Housing & Mobility on 29 May. Additionally, delegates from Västra Götaland (SE), Värmland (SE), Kosice Self-Governing Region (Slovakia), West Slovenia Cohesion Region, Lower Austria, Upper Austria and the AER Secretariat will be attending the R20 World Summit.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

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Committee 1 Annual Report June 2018 – May 2019

17 May, 2019 By Johanna Pacevicius

The General Assembly is the highest authority of AER and convenes representatives of all its full members at least once a year. The General Assembly adopts among other things, the annual reports of the Thematic Committees.

This report is the compilation of actions developped and implemented within Committee 1 between the 2018 General Assembly in Lillehammer, Oppland (NO) and the 2019 General in Larnaka (CY).

Activities are organised in 3 categories:

  • Projects
  • Good practice sharing
  • Advocacy/ Lobbying

The AER Action plan, which brings together all the activities carried out within AER, is constantly updated.

Projects

Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite! project: ongoing

This project is funded by DG REGIO. It will:

  • raise awareness on the importance of programmes, projects and services funded by Cohesion Policy funds
  • encourage the participation of citizens and stakeholders to ensure they are active players in the dialogue on cohesion policy.

The project officially started on 1st of April 2019 and will last for 12 months. The following regions, which have sent a letter of support for this project will be involved in different actions funded by the project to engage citizens and communicate about Cohesion Policy in their territories:
Trento (IT), Alba (RO), Timis (RO), Catalonia (ES), Varazdin (HR) and potentially Csongrad (HU).
All AER members are invited to share examples of communication campaigns on Cohesion Policy and to participate in the launching event of the project on 5 June 2019 in Larnaka on the occasion of the AER General Assembly.

Silver Economy Awards (SEED): finished

The Silver Economy Awards aimed to catalyse a sustainable European digital Silver Economy movement by promoting and rewarding innovative solutions to improve the quality of life for over 50s. The Awards were an opportunity to raise awareness around the lesser-known notion of the Silver Economy. They illustrate the breadth of the consumer markets and the public spending involved and the size of the opportunities available for entrepreneurs, investors, public authorities and civil society. Last year the Silver Economy Awards replaced the traditional AER Regional Innovation Award. The first Awards Ceremony took place on May 2018 in Brussels. SEED was a two-year project: 10/2016 to 09/2018

ARLEM project – Capacity building for an integrated and sustainable urban development: canceled

This is a joint project of the Committee of the Regions regional and local authorities focused on the Mediterranean. In this context, AER answered to the call of ARLEM – Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly in order to provide technical expertise and political support. AER expressed its interest to focus piloting actions in Turkey, Tunisia, and Morocco. This project aims to reinforce the capacities of local and regional authorities from the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean both in terms of urban management and integrated urban development. AER will contribute in the capacity building activities as well as the organisation of regional conferences. It is funded by the Finnish Development Agency and activities are planned for 2 years and six months.

REFIT Project – New regulative frameworks to foster innovation in the transport sector: not accepted

The REFIT project, under the Horizon 2020 Programme, will improve the regulatory framework to make it consistent with the development of new forms of mobility, including shared used mobility, having in mind to safeguard the interest of the users and to attend societal goals. The main result will be the creation of a user-friendly governance tool facilitating regulatory processes to support the deployment of innovative transport technologies and services in the EU.

Event: EU funding for Croatian & Albanian regions: finished

The event on EU funding for Croatian regions, hosted by Varaždin (HR) and Committee 3 President Radimir Čačić, and the event on EU funding for Albanian regions, hosted by Korcë (AL) and MEG member Ana Verushi brought together about 70 participants, both members and non members of AER to:
-hear about AER’s activities
-learn more on AER services for projects and services
-obtain information on the areas of cooperation with EU
-get a relevant update on the current and forthcoming EU funding opportunities
-become aware of the successful experiences of project applicants

Good Practice Sharing

Breakfast seminar “The Sustainable Development Goals and regional growth – Is it possible?” finished

On 15 May 2019, AER and Oppland (NO) co-organised a seminar entitled “The Sustainable Development Goals and regional growth – Is it possible?“ in Brussels on integrated regional policymaking with the OECD and regional examples.

The Sustainable Development Goals as a policy framework: ongoing

  1. The Working Group on Energy and Climate Change organised a workshop on using the Sustainable Development Goals as a policy framework on September 26th in Novi Sad, Vojvodina (RS). Many regions are very active in this space. Oppland (NO), Värmland (SE) and the UNDP in Belgrade provided case studies.
  2. On the occasion of the Joint Plenary session in Örebro (SE), the the role of regions with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals were discussed by Ida Texell, Member of the Swedish delegation Agenda 2030
  3. The Working Group on Energy and Climate Change organised a workshop on ambitious regional planning with views to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals on March 27th in Örebro (SE)

Using the SDGs to communicate AER activities: ongoing

Oppland suggested that as many of the AER activities are contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, AER should promote the 2030 Agenda, raising visibility of how AER and its member regions are contributing to reach goals. AER is further developing its collaboration with UCLG and other networks and organisations around this topic and will organise a major event on this topic in 2020 in Grand Est (FR)

Supporting members to use the TAIEX-Environmental Implementation Review: ongoing

  • The AER Secretariat disseminated information about the TAIEX-EIR peer to peer learning programme and supporting members to use this programme to gain or provide knowledge on environmental policies on topics as diverse as air quality, waste management, water management, the circular economy. This programme which is relatively easy and quick to access is a good complement to activities carried out within AER and an opportunity to access support from the Commission to carry out exchanges with other regions.
  • The TAIEX-EIR programme was presented at the Autumn plenaries in the workshop of the AER Working group on rural development.
  • The AER Project Unit will also organise a webinar in May or June 2019 to help members use the programme.
  • The region of Gelderland is organising a TAIEX-EIR workshop on ecosystem services, which is open (and financed by the European Commission) on 4 – 5 July 2019

Workshop on Life Cycle Approaches to Regional Sustainable Development: finished

Following the September 2017 workshop on life cycle approaches for renewable energy, circular economy and regional development, members of the working group on energy and climate change were invited to participate in a workshop in Bordeaux, France in 4 and 5 March 2019.
This workshop was intended as a consultative forum to gather advice, experience and further case studies to facilitate this move. It will help to develop an outreach programme on Life Cycle approaches to sustainable regional development.

Study visit on the energy transition: finished

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

-observed Gelders’ Energy agreement working process
-met with Gelders’ Energy agreement regional partners
-carried out visits to observe regional results
-participated in a serious game on energy and the diverging interests of stakeholders to exchange about challenges.

Open data and blockchain in transports, Working group meeting: finished

The AER working group on Transports and Mobility, which is chaired by Martin Tollén, member of the Transport and Urban Planning Committee of Östergötland (SE), met on 28 March 2019, on the occasion of the Spring Committee Plenaries in Örebro.
Members discussed the following topics:

  • The use of Open Data in public transport
  • Blockchain in logistics

New mobility services: ongoing

Good practice exchange on electric cars (production of batteries) and infrastructure. Participation of the working group in the REFIT H2020 project on policies to support New Mobility Services. Exchnages around the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities.

Seminar “Food for thought action”: finished

AER organised a seminar on the topic of food and innovation on the occasion of the Örebro Spring Plenaries on 27 March 2019. Speakers shared examples from the regions and showed how central food and innovation is to regional development.

Food: short supply chains & quality food: ongoing

The Working Group on rural development organised a side event on the occasion of Smart City Expo World Congress on the topic of food. Findings of this side event aim to feed the work of the Bureau Task Force on food.

Study visit on food production: canceled

The idea was to focus the study visit on the approach to food production in order to see how microfirm became large company, which was implemented in the Norrbotten region. The initiative could potentially have been linked with the TAIEX EIR peer learning opportunity of the European Commission. This idea was not implemented.

Youth entrepeneurship: ongoing

Members expressed the wish to develop youth entrepreneurship actions in link with Committee 3. EMAX, a Swedish organisation, which organises innovation camps presented their work on the occasion of the Autumn Committee 3 plenary meeting. They also organise a Breakfast Debate on youth entrepreneurship on the occasion of the Spring 2019 plenary meetings in Örebro (SE).

International Migrants Day: Promoting Diversity in Regions: finished

The three AER committees and the AER Task Force on Migration worked closely together to develop messaging ahead of the International Migrants Day: Promoting Diversity in Regions event in Barcelona on Tuesday 18 December 2018.
Participants shared their experiences and good practices in diversity management at regional level, including examples of policies, programmes and was implemented inclusion, participation in civic, economic and political life, positive intercultural interaction and the sense of belonging.

Meeting of the Working Group for Equal Opportunities: finished

The AER Group on Equal opportunities has regular phone meetings and met as well in Novi Sad to discuss the development of a Code of Conduct for AER.

Spring Plenary meeting Committee for Economy and Regional Development: finished

Committee 1 gathered on the occasion of the Spring Committee Plenaries in Örebro (SE) to assess progress, define their 2019-2020 work programme and elect new representatives. The results of the elections are the following:

  • Committee President: Kenneth Backgård, Norrbotten (SE)
  • Vice-President for Economic Development and Mobility: Michiel Scheffer, Gelderland (NL)
  • Chair of the Working Group on Investment, Business & SMEs: Maricel Popa, Iași (RO)

Autumn Plenary meeting Committee for Economy and Regional Development: finished

The 2018 Autumn Committee Plenaries were hosted by Vojvodina in Serbia from 25 – 27 September 2018. A detailed recap of all the meetings that took place is available here. The Committee on Economy and Regional Development members decided that the Task Force on Cohesion Policy, which for historic reasons was under the responsibility of this Committee, should be transferred to the Bureau for coherence purposes, as it is the Bureau which is in charge of the identification of policy messages and advocacy activities.

Sustainable Urban Mobility, Working group meeting: finished

The Working Group on Transports and Mobility decided in Spring 2018 to work on sustainable urban mobility. At the Autumn Committees Plenary meetings, Miroslav Tadic, UNDP Climate Change Portfolio Manager shared the experience of UNDP in Serbia.

Waste management in rural areas, Working Group on Rural development meeting: finished

The Working Group on rural development organised a workshop on waste management in rural areas on September 27th in Novi Sad, Vojvodina (RS). Svetlana Marusic presented the situation in Vojvodina (RS) and Olimpia Neagoe, Chair of the Working Group, presented a project which is being implemented in Dolj (RO) and which is substantially supported by EU funding. Sustainable Waste Management involves both considerable investments in infrastructure and a lot of work on behavioural changes.

Webinar on New Mobilities: canceled

The Working Group on Transports & Mobility will organise a webinar on New Mobilities for all AER members. Date & topic tbc.

International event on Biomass: canceled

Organisation of an international event on Biomass in Vojvodina (RS) in collaboration with AER members. It was replaced by an International Business Summit on the occasion of the 2018 Autumn Committee plenaries in Vojvodina.

International Business Summit: finished

The Regional Business Forum co-organised by AER and Vojvodina gathered in one place Regional chambers of commerce and Regional agencies in charge of investments, support for SME and promotion of business and commerce from wider Europe. It wass an opportunity for regions to promote their business potentials and achievements through both dialogue and bilateral meetings. The programme included a one-day conference, a high-level panel debate on Open Data for startups together with all the policymakers from AER member regions, B2B meetings and different study visits.

Panel discussion on Open data for regional development: finished

On the occasion of the Autumn plenaries in Vojvodina, the panel discussion “Open data for regional development: governance, start-ups and innovation” took place.

The discussion focused on how public institutions collect and generate enormous quantities of data in areas as varied as unemployment, air pollution, hospital consultations etc and how this data can best be re-used to create or improve both public and private services. There is a need to change the political perception of Open Data and instead view it as opportunity for policy-making.

Mutual learning event on the Sharing Economy: finished

Each year Brussels Capital proposes a mutual learning event on a current and transversal topic. On December 4th 2018, Brussels Capital organised a mutual learning event on the sharing Economy together with Catalonia, in Brussels, Brussels Capital Region (BE). This event organised upon the invitation of Committee 1 President Jean Luc Vanraes, aimed to gather experiences from all three AER Committees and regions were welcome to share inputs and regional examples.

The event brought together policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics and representatives of the third sector for vivid exchanges. A follow up article with updates on what happened in Brussels was published.

Explore collaboration opportunities on European certification initiative for SMEs

An innovative European certification initiative for regional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could represent leverage for growth and improved cross-border economic relations.

It is in this context that Mr Vanraes, met with with a delegation from CAC en mouvement. CAC en mouvement is a think tank representing around 70% of the French statutory auditors. It has initiated a deep reflexion on how to modernise the profession to make it more useful to local businesses in France and around Europe. One possibility which was mentioned during the meeting was to potentially invite CAC en mouvement to present its European platform of certified regional SMEs to the Committee for Economy and Regional development during its autumn working session. The ultimate goal is to develop synergies with the interested in the project. This will be further discussed with the new Committee 1 Presidium after the AER General Assembly in Larnaka.

Advocacy/ Lobbying

Mobility: engagement in the EIP-SCC: ongoing

The AER Working Group on Transports and Mobility is involved in the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities. It shares regular updates on the work of the EIP-SCC with members

Cohesion Policy Activities: ongoing

Members agreed in September 2018 that the Task Force on Cohesion will now be under the responsibility of the Bureau, which is also in charge of the other Task Forces. Joint actions include:
– Convene joint advocacy: Bureau Members adopted an updated position on the European Commission legislative proposals for the future EU cohesion policy, setting out the specific changes European regions propose to make to the new framework.
– Advocate towards the European Union and Member States
– Work in alliance with other relevant stakeholders and European associations
Flevoland (NL) is coordinating the implementation of the action and the cohesion policy task force help implement the action.

Financing climate action: ongoing

AER works alongside R20, Blue Orchard and Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation to set up a 350 million $ Subnational Climate Fund to finance climate projects in European regions. In August AER met the European Investment Bank to pursue negotiations.

AER was present at this year’s UN climate meeting, which took place in Katowice, Poland. The highlight of AER’s involvement was when AER President Magnus Berntsson spoke at the high-level segment 12 December on behalf of all the regions and municipalities of the world.

AER at the OECD Roundtable on Cities and Regions for the SDGs: finished

Eva Hallström from Värmland, chairing the AER working group on energy and climate change, represented AER while speaking at the 1st OECD Roundtable on Cities and Regions for the SDGs, which took place at the OECD Headquarters in Paris.

The Roundtable brought together cities, regions, national governments, international organisations, private sector and other key stakeholders to identify trends and challenges in the localisation of the SDGs, including the experiences and key findings from the pilots of the programme “A Territorial Approach to the SDGs”.

Joint initiatives for advocacy

Member regions can decide to initiate joint actions and find partners among AER members. Regions can get support from the Secretariat to connect with other regions, get an overview of existing legal framework and identify relevant actions, target institutions. The AER Secretariat will also organise Breakfast Briefings to help regions organise their advocacy activities.

AER Bureau Task Forces

The 2018 Spring Bureau established the creation of Task Forces on dedicated topics. These Task Forces will gather examples, identify and formulate policy messages which will be brought together in position papers which will then be used for advocacy. Members who would like to contribute to one of the below Task Forces should contact AER Coordinator for Advocacy & Institutional Relations Vania Freitas

  • Task Force on Food
  • Task force on Digitalisation
  • Task Force on Migration
  • Task Force on Social Innovation
  • Task Force on Cohesion

The Committees’ work programmes and the AER action Plan

The development of the Action Plan is a collective process to enable all participants to specify needs and decide to initiate activities which add value for their region. The principle is the following: as long as an action fits with the AER values, is in line with the AER priorities and has support from other regions, it can be included in the Committees‘ work programmes. The work programmes are developed in Spring each year.

The AER action plan is the consolidation of the three Committees’ work programmes with all other activities led by the Bureau and the Executive Board. It is adopted at the General Assembly.

Members can propose new joint initiatives at any time during the year, these are then approved by the Executive Board and included in the AER Action Plan

Committee 1 Coordination & implementation of the work programme

The new Presidium of the AER Committee on Economy and Regional Development met on 3 May 2019 in Brussels, to discuss the implementation of the Committee’s work programme for 2019-2020. They agreed on a series of actions to support the actions proposed by members on the occasion of the Spring Plenaries. This work is coordinated by Per Erik Andersson, the seconded officer supporting Committee 1 President Kenneth Backgård, Norrbotten (SE).

Photo by Christian Fregnan on Unsplash

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New financial and networking opportunities for environment: LIFE Calls!

18 April, 2019 By Editor

AER has a long tradition of knowledge sharing and initiatives on “green” topics. As President of AER, Mr Magnus Berntsson, is also President of R20 – Regions for Climate Action. In order to promote an integrated approach on this matter, AER regularly attended the UN climate Conference of Parties (COP), shared the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and organised ad-hoc activities for members as the study visits in the Province of Gelderland (NL) on energy transition and climate change.

In terms of EU funding and projects, we would like to share with you the opportunities now available for 2019 within the LIFE Programme, the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate actions.

LIFE Programme & Calls

The EU LIFE Programme provides funding opportunities for the support of Environment, Nature Conservation and Climate Action projects throughout the EU.

LIFE calls for 2019 are now open and planned as follows:

1.Environment sub-programme

  • Environment and resource efficiency traditional projects – deadline concept note 17 June 2019
  • Nature and biodiversity traditional projects – deadline concept note 19 June 2019
  • Environmental governance and information traditional projects – deadline concept note 19 June 2019
  • Integrated projects – deadline concept note 5 September 2019
  • Technical assistance projects – deadline 12 June 2019
  • Preparatory projects – date to be announced

2.Climate action sub-programme

  • Climate change mitigation traditional projects ​​​​​- deadline full proposal 12 September 2019
  • Climate change adaptation traditional projects​ – deadline full proposal 12 September 2019
  • Climate governance and information traditional projects – deadline full proposal 12 September 2019
  • Integrated projects – deadline concept note 5 September 2019
  • Technical assistance projects – deadline 12 June 2019

3.Operating grants for NGOs

  • Operating grants to support non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in view of concluding framework partnership agreements (FPAs) and specific grant agreements (SGAs) – deadline 3 June 2019

LIFE calls are opened to…anyone!

  • Public body operating under a national government’s authority, e.g. local authority, national administration etc.
  • Private commercial organisation
  • Private non-commercial organisation (NGOs etc.)

In contrast to other funding programmes LIFE projects are very flexible in terms of how they are set up. You can run a project on your own as well as with partners from your own or another country.

Anyone registered in the EU can make a proposal for LIFE traditional, integrated, preparatory, and technical assistance projects under the sub-programmes for environment and climate action. Specific conditions apply only to capacity building projects.

LIFE Information & Networking Day

The European Commission is organising an Information & Networking Day on the 2019 LIFE call for project proposals that will take place in Brussels on 30th of April. With this occasion you will be able to acknowledge the significant changes of the programme compared to previous years, you will have the chance to meet the representatives of the LIFE Programme from the European Commission and get to know potential partners for your project.

Therefore, don’t miss this opportunity and join it! The registration is open until 25th of April 2019, so no time to wait! In case you cannot come to Brussels, you can watch the event by streaming.

Useful tips!

  • In each EU country there is a national and sometimes several regional contact points to help you with your application
  • The Research and Innovation Participant Portal allows you to find partners for your project ideas among the organisations registered in the portal Beneficiary Register.

The AER Secretariat is also eager to connect our member regions and partners ready to apply for this Programme.

We advise you to read carefully all relevant documentation listed by the EASME (Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) before applying.

Photo by pixabay

European Projects

Agnese Pantaloni

Phone: +32 2 400 10 52 E-mail: a.pantaloni(at)aer.eu Skype ID: agnesepanta Languages: it, en, pt Articles by Agnese
  • EU funding
  • Calls for projects and tenders
  • Partner search

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Democracy Alive is just around the Corner!

1 April, 2019 By Erica Lee

Spring has sprung, April has arrived and DEMOCRACY ALIVE is no joke!

For three days, from 11 to 13 April 2019, everybody who’s anybody (in European affairs) will be on the beautiful Dutch island of Texel for a true celebration of European democracy.

Inspired by the Nordic tradition of democracy festivals, DEMOCRACY ALIVE will encourage civic engagement and increase interest in European democracy. Bridging the gap between us citizens and our representatives, and reinforcing trust and optimism in the European project, the festival will create a space where citizens, stakeholders and our elected representatives can come together and engage in dialogue on prosperity, the environment, opportunities for the young, employment, human rights and the rule of law.

AER is delighted to be a co-organiser and to have a pavillion at the festival where we will host a number of exciting events. Read on below to find out more!

“Why I chose Europe”

A Campfire Conversation

#IChooseEurope is a campaign run by the Assembly of European Regions and the Young European Federalists in the run up to the European Parliament elections. It is part of the wider Road to the Future project which kicked off in late 2018. Between March and May 2019, the #IchooseEurope campaign will be on the road around Europe hosting a number of local campaign events encouraging young Europeans to get out and vote!

This campfire conversation will feature two prominent European politicians and activists who will share their experience about how the European context was fundamental to their careers and how working together at European level can really bring about change. The speakers are Magnus Berntsson, President of AER, the R20 group and President of the Regional Council of Västra Götaland, Sweden and Christopher Glück, President of JEF Europe. The event will be moderated by Michael Bruton, Election Officer for the 2019 European Elections at the European Parliament.

“Mind the Gap”

Are all Europeans created equally?

An informal discussion looking at the issue of equality in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? Ever heard of cohesion policy? How can we close the gender gap? Does your degree from one European university mean the same as another? Are fish fingers in Belgium better than those in Bulgaria? How can we truly create a “level playing field” for Europeans?

Four organisations working hard on these issues, the European Women’s Lobby, AEGEE – The European Students Forum, the European Trade Union Confederation and the Assembly of European Regions will discuss. The speakers will look at where the EU has made strides in this area, before turning their attention to their views for the future and where there is still room for improvement in the areas of cohesion, equality, and social inclusion.

“Low-Level Discussion”

A Democratic Open Mic Session

Are you an average Joe, Jeanne or Juan, sick of all the high-level discussions, roundtables, and speakers going on in Brussels? Maybe you’re ‘just’ an intern looking to share some worst practices on a low-level panel? We’ve got the event for you! If you’ve got something to say on the future of Europe we want to hear it! Democracy is all about making your voice heard, so why not come along to our open mic session to have your say? Whether it’s in the form of spoken-word, comedy, or even music, we want to hear your voices!

A sign-up sheet will be available at the AER pavilion all day Thursday and on Friday morning, drop by, sign up and then come along and bring your friends for an afternoon of democratic banter. A great way to brush up on your public speaking skills in a casual way, there will be some prizes at the end of the night for the crowd’s favourite performers! The first 10 acts to sign up will also be given a voucher for unlimited ‘Mocktails’ during and after their stint on the stage! (Spitzenkandidaten also welcome!)

Eurodyssey – Your European Adventure

Regions at the forefront of youth mobility in Europe

Have you taken part in a youth mobility programme yourself? #DidYouKnow that the AER Eurodyssey programme, set up in 1985, was pioneer in promoting youth mobility in Europe even before Erasmus was founded? If you are looking for some different professional experience abroad or you represent a region looking to join a dynamic youth mobility programme, then you have an unmissable appointment with us on Friday afternoon to discover what Eurodyssey has to offer you!

This interactive info-session organised by AER in partnership with the Catalan Public Service of Employment will allow you to find out more about the benefits of Eurodyssey but also to take a tour around other european mobility schemes. Furthermore, we invite you to an open-mic session to tell your success stories transitioning into the job market, to exchange views on the opportunities and constraints for mobility to thrive and, ultimately, to convey a message standing up together for Fair Mobility!

2019 European Youth Capital: Novi Sad

Host region of AER Summer Academy

Novi Sad (Serbia) is the 2019 European Youth Capital – THE place to be for young Europeans this year. This is a very special recognition awarded by the European Youth Forum to Europe’s most youth-friendly cities. Come along to the AER pavilion to meet the team behind the successful European Youth Capital campaign, OPENS, and to learn more about what’s going on in Novi Sad, how you can get involved in the EYC2019 or how you can start your own campaign to make your hometown a European Youth Capital in the future.

This year, the AER Summer Academy “Youth is future, youth is Europe” in the wake of the 2019 Elections to the European Parliament, will take place in Novi Sad, in cooperation with our member region Vojvodina, to mark the European Youth Capital. During this info session and workshop you can find out more about the AER Summer Academy and how you can get involved!

With over 100 events in total over three days, local food trucks, live music, comedy, and hopefully not too many April Showers, this is an event not to be missed!

Find out more at democracyalive.eu

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Jam-packed EU Regions & Cities Summit in Bucharest

19 March, 2019 By Erica Lee

The 8th European Summit of Regions and Cities, held in Bucharest on 14-15 March, gathered almost 1,000  EU, national, local and regional leaders from across Europe to discuss the future of the European Union and how to involve the citizens more effectively in the European project through local and regional authorities.

The summit was co-organised by the European Committee of the Regions, the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the Romanian delegation at the CoR.

One of the major outcomes of the event was a declaration (link) by local and regional leaders on the future of Europe will be adopted in order to share their voice ahead of the European elections and ​the next term of office of the EU institutions.

AER played an active role throughout the Summit, with our President, Magnus Berntsson, taking centre stage for a thematic debate on the role of regions and cities in building a sustainable future.

A Sustainable Europe of Regions & Cities

Creating a truly sustainable Europe largely depends on its regions and cities, which are responsible for areas such as air quality, transport, biodiversity, renewable energy, energy efficiency and waste management. The debate highlighted how regions and cities are unlocking investment, driving innovation and showing ambition in the area of mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Magnus’ expertise came to the fore in discussing examples of how regions can make small changes that have a big impact. one of the key messages of the debate and Mr Berntsson intervention was the need for regions and cities to cooperate and share their examples. The regions of Europe and the world are doing amazing work in combating climate change but the know-how is often not shared. However, through platforms such as AER, we can spread best-practice and make a wider impact. Magnus also spoke about the work he is doing as President of the R20 Group of Regions for climate action.

A Common Goal

The debate on sustainability tied in well with a press release published by the CoR on Thursday afternoon stating that local leaders have actively backed the “Global Strike for Future” and are calling for a carbon-neutral EU by 2050. Magnus is quoted in this widely-distributed PR as saying;

“Regional and local governments of Europe and around the world fully endorse the Paris Agreement and call for ambitious climate actions. We’re part of the solution. In our local communities, we understand our citizens’ needs and join forces with local businesses and academia to create green growth and jobs to replace what’s lost in the transition. By working together and sharing good examples we will prevail. This is also what the younger generation demand of us.”

Meeting with Commissioner Cretu

On the sidelines of the Summit itself, the AER team had the pleasure of organising a number of meetings with member regions and other partners. A particular highlight was finding time to meet with European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, from Romania, who was involved in bringing the #EUlocal Summit to Bucharest.

The Commissioner and AER President had a productive discussion on the ongoing negotiations on EU cohesion policy after 2020. They also reflected on  how to collaborate in moving forward the AER campaign “Together for Cohesion let’s rEUnite!“, funded by DG REGIO. The AER secretariat will follow up with the Commissioner’s Cabinet on collaboration for this campaign.

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Committee 1 Progress Report Spring 2019

8 March, 2019 By Editor

Twice a year the members of the AER Committee on Regional Development and Economy gather in plenary meeting. This is the opportunity to set goals for cooperation through the elaboration of a joint work programme and to evaluate progress every six months.

On the occasion of the Committees’ plenaries in Arad, AER members identified joint actions they wanted to implement with fellow regions. Sa years later it is time to evaluate progress, celebrate achievements and share experiences!

Evaluating progress

During the elaboration of the work programme in Arad, planned activities were organised in 3 categories:

Projects
Good practice sharing
Lobbying

The below progress report was compiled for the spring 2019 plenary meeting in Örebro. It gives an overview of the situation, a year after the adoption of the work programme.

Projects

Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite! project: ongoing

“Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite!” is a project submitted under a call launched by DG REGIO. On the one hand, this project aims at raising awareness on the importance of programmes, projects and services funded by the cohesion policy funds. On the second hand, the project will encourage the participation of citizens and stakeholders to turn them in active players in the dialogue on cohesion policy.

Silver Economy Awards (SEED): finished

The Silver Economy Awards aim to catalyse a sustainable European digital Silver Economy movement by promoting and rewarding innovative solutions to improve the quality of life for over 50s. The Awards are an opportunity to raise awareness around the lesser-known notion of the Silver Economy. They illustrate the breadth of the consumer markets and the public spending involved and the size of the opportunities available for entrepreneurs, investors, public authorities and civil society.

Last year the Silver Economy Awards replaced the traditional AER Regional Innovation Award. The first Awards Ceremony took place on May 2018 in Brussels.

SEED was a two-year project: 10/2016 to 09/2018
After two years of dedicated work, the SEED project has met its objectives.

ARLEM project – Capacity building for an integrated and sustainable urban development: canceled

This is a joint project of the Committee of the Regions regional and local authorities focused on the Mediterranean. In this context, AER answered to the call of ARLEM – Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly in order to provide technical expertise and political support. AER expressed its interest to focus piloting actions in Turkey, Tunisia and Morocco having already implemented several actions in these geographical areas.

This project aims to reinforce the capacities of local and regional authorities from the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean both in terms of urban management and integrated urban development. AER will contribute in the capacity building activities as well as the organisation of regional conferences.

It is funded by the Finnish Development Agency and activities are planned for 2 years and six months.

REFIT Project – New regulative frameworks to foster innovation in the transport sector: not accepted

The REFIT project, under the Horizon 2020 Programme, will improve the regulative framework to make it consistent with the development of new forms of mobility, including shared used mobility, having in mind to safeguard the interest of the users and to attend societal goals.

The main result will be the creation of a user-friendly governance tool facilitating regulatory processes to support the deployment of innovative transport technologies and services in the EU.

Event: EU funding for Croatian & Albanian regions: finished

The event on EU funding for Croatian regions, hosted by Varaždin (HR) and Committee 3 President Radimir Čačić, and the event on EU funding for Albanian regions, hosted by Korcë (AL) and MEG member Ana Verushi brought together about 70 participants, both members and non members of AER to:
-hear about AER’s activities
-learn more on AER services for projects and services
-obtain information on the areas of cooperation with EU
-get a relevant update on the current and forthcoming EU funding opportunities
-become aware of the successful experiences of project applicants

Good Practice Sharing

Open data and blockchain in transports, Working group meeting: ongoing

The AER working group on Transports and Mobility, which is chaired by Martin Tollén, member of the Transport and Urban Planning Committee of Östergötland (SE), will meet on March 28th, on the occasion of the 2019 Spring Committee Plenaries in Örebro.
The content will be the following:

  • The use of Open Data in public transport
  • Blockchain in logistics

The Sustainable Development Goals as policy framework: ongoing

The Working Group on Energy and Climate Change planned to organise a workshop on using the Sustainable Development Goals as a policy framework on September 26th in Novi Sad, Vojvodina (RS).

New mobility services: ongoing

Good practice exchange on electric cars (production of batteries) and infrastructure. Participation of the working group in the REFIT H2020 project on policies to support New Mobility Services.

Supporting members to use the TAIEX-Environmental Implementation Review: ongoing

The AER Secretariat disseminated information about the TAIEX-EIR peer to peer learning programme and supporting members to use this programme to gain or provide knowledge on environmental policies on topics as diverse as air quality, waste management, water management, the circular economy. This programme which is relatively easy and quick to access is a good complement to activities carried out within AER and an opportunity to access support from the Commission to carry out exchnages with other regions.

The TAIEX-EIR programme was presented at the Autumn plenaries in the workshop of the AER Working group on rural development.

The AER Project Unit will also organise a webinar in May or June 2019 to help members use the programme.

Food: short supply chains & quality food: ongoing

The Working Group on rural development organised a side event on the occasion of Smart City Expo World Congress on the topic of food. Findings of this side event will feed the work of the Bureau Task Force on food.

Youth entrepeneurship: ongoing

Members expressed the wish to develop youth entrepreneurship actions in link with Committee 3. EMAX, a Swedish organisation, which organises innovation camps presented their work on the occasion of the Autumn Committee 3 plenary meeting. They will also organise a Breakfast Debate on youth entrepreneurship on the occasion of the Spring 2019 plenary meetings in Örebro (SE).

Mutual learning event on the Sharing Economy: finished

Each year Brussels Capital proposes a mutual learning event on a current and transversal topic. On December 4th 2018, Brussels Capital organised a mutual learning event on the sharing Economy together with Catalonia, in Brussels, Brussels Capital Region (BE). This event organised upon the invitation of Committee 1 President Jean Luc Vanraes, aimed to gather experiences from all three AER Committees and regions were welcome to share inputs and regional examples.

The event brought together policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics and representatives of the third sector for vivid exchanges. A follow up article with updates on what happened in Brussels was published.

International Migrants Day: Promoting Diversity in Regions: finished

The three AER committees and the AER Task Force on Migration worked closely together to develop messaging ahead of the International Migrants Day: Promoting Diversity in Regions event in Barcelona on Tuesday 18 December 2018.
Participants shared their experiences and good practices in diversity management at regional level, including examples of policies, programmes and projects promoting inclusion, participation in civic, economic and political life, positive intercultural interaction and the sense of belonging.

Workshop on Life Cycle Approaches to Regional Sustainable Development: finished

Following the September 2017 workshop on life cycle approaches for renewable energy, circular economy and regional development, members of the working group on energy and climate change were invited to participate in a workshop in Bordeaux, France in 4 and 5 March 2019.
This workshop was intended as a consultative forum to gather advice, experience and further case studies to facilitate this move. It will help to develop an outreach programme on Life Cycle approaches to sustainable regional development.

Autumn Plenary, Vojvodina: finished

The 2018 Autumn Committee Plenaries were hosted by the region of Vojvodina in Serbia from 25 – 27 September 2018. A detailed recap of all the meetings that took place is available here.

Plenary meeting: Committee for Economy and Regional Development: finished

On the occasion of the 2018 Autumn the Committees Plenary meetings in Vojvodina, the Committee on Economy and Regional Development members decided that the Task Force on Cohesion Policy, which for historic reasons was under the responsibility of this Committee, should be transferred to the Bureau for coherence purposes, as it is the Bureau which is in charge of the identification of policy messages and advocacy activities.

Panel discussion at the Vojvodina plenaries on Open data for regional development: finished

On the occasion of the Autumn plenaries in Vojvodina, the panel discussion “Open data for regional development: governance, start-ups and innovation” took place.

The discussion focused on how public institutions collect and generate enormous quantities of data in areas as varied as unemployment, air pollution, hospital consultations etc and how this data can best be re-used to create or improve both public and private services. There is a need to change the political perception of Open Data and instead view it as opportunity for policy-making.

Sustainable Urban Mobility, Working group meeting: finished

The Working Group on Transports and Mobility decided in Spring 2018 to work on sustainable urban mobility. At the Autumn Committees Plenary meetings, Miroslav Tadic, UNDP Climate Change Portfolio Manager shared the experience of UNDP in Serbia.

Meeting of the Working group on Energy and Climate Change: finished

The Working Group on Energy and Climate Change met in September 2018 on the occasion of Autumn the Committees Plenary meetings. On this occasion, the workshop “The SDGs as a policy framework” took place. Many regions are very active in this space. Oppland, Norway and Varmland, Sweden provided case studies.

Meeting of the Working group on Rural development: finished

The Working Group on Rural Development met in September 2018 on the occasion of Autumn the Committees Plenary meetings. On this occasion, the workshop “Waste management in rural areas” took place. Svetlana Marusic presented the situation in Vojvodina (RS) and Olimpia Neagoe, Chair of the Working Group, presented a project which is being implemented in Dolj (RO) and which is substantially supported by EU funding. Sustainable Waste Management involves both considerable investments in infrastructure and a lot of work on behavioural changes.

Webinar on New Mobilities: canceled

The Working Group on Transports & Mobility will organise a webinar on New Mobilities for all AER members. Date & topic tbc.

International event on Biomass in Vojvodina: canceled

Organisation of an international event on Biomass in Vojvodina (RS) in collaboration with AER members. It was replaced by an International Business Summit

Using the SDGs to communicate AER activities: planned

Oppland suggested that as many of the AER activities are contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, AER should promote the 2030 Agenda, raising visibility of how AER and its member regions are contributing to reach goals.

Study visit on the energy transition: finished

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

Participants shared good practice and experience and in particular:

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

Waste management in rural areas: finished

The Working Group on rural development organised a workshop on waste management in rural areas on September 27th in Novi Sad, Vojvodina (RS).

Study visit on food production: cancelled

The idea was to focus the study visit on the approach to food production in order to see how microfirm became large company, which was implemented in the Norrbotten region. The initiative could potentially have been linked with the TAIEX EIR peer learning opportunity of the European Commission. This idea was not implemented.

Advocacy/ Lobbying

Mobility: engagement in the EIP-SCC: ongoing

The AER Working Group on Transports and Mobility is involved in the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities. It shares regular updates on the work of the EIP-SCC with members

Cohesion Policy Activities: ongoing

Members agreed in September 2018 that the Task Force on Cohesion will now be under the responsibility of the Bureau, which is also in charge of the other Task Forces. Joint actions include:
– Convene joint advocacy: Bureau Members adopted an updated position on the European Commission legislative proposals for the future EU cohesion policy, setting out the specific changes European regions propose to make to the new framework.
– Advocate towards the European Union and Member States
– Work in alliance with other relevant stakeholders and European associations
Flevoland (NL) is coordinating the implementation of the action and the cohesion policy task force help implement the action.

Financing climate action: ongoing

AER works alongside R20, Blue Orchard and Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation to set up a 350 million $ Subnational Climate Fund to finance climate projects in European regions. In August AER met the European Investment Bank to pursue negotiations.

AER was present at this year’s UN climate meeting, which took place in Katowice, Poland. The highlight of AER’s involvement was when AER President Magnus Berntsson spoke at the high-level segment 12 December on behalf of all the regions and municipalities of the world.

AER at the OECD Roundtable on Cities and Regions for the SDGs: finished

Eva Hallström from Värmland, chairing the AER working group on energy and climate change, represented AER while speaking at the 1st OECD Roundtable on Cities and Regions for the SDGs, which took place at the OECD Headquarters in Paris.

The Roundtable brought together cities, regions, national governments, international organisations, private sector and other key stakeholders to identify trends and challenges in the localisation of the SDGs, including the experiences and key findings from the pilots of the programme “A Territorial Approach to the SDGs”.

Joint initiatives for advocacy

Member regions can decide to initiate joint actions and find partners among AER members. Regions can get support from the Secretariat to connect with other regions, get an overview of existing legal framework and identify relevant actions, target institutions. The AER Secretariat will also organise Breakfast Briefings to help regions organise their advocacy activities.

AER Bureau Task Forces

The 2018 Spring Bureau established the creation of Task Forces on dedicated topics. These Task Forces will gather examples, identify and formulate policy messages which will be brought together in position papers which will then be used for advocacy. Members who would like to contribute to one of the below Task Forces should contact AER Coordinator for Advocacy & Institutional Relations Vania Freitas

-Task Force on Food

-Task force on Digitalisation

-Task Force on Migration

-Task Force on Social Innovation

-Task Force on Cohesion

The Committees’ work programmes and the AER action Plan

The developement of the Action Plan is a collective process to enable all participants to specify needs and decide to initiate activities which add value for their region. The principle is the following: as long as an action fits with the AER values, is in line with the AER priorities and has support from other regions, it can be included in the Committees work programmes. The work programmes are developped in Spring each year.

The AER action plan is the consolidation of the three Committees’ work programmes with all other activities led by the Bureau and the Executive Board. It is adopted at the General Assembly.

Members can propose new joint initiatives at any time during the year, these are then approved by the Executive Board and included in the AER Action Plan.

Photo by Ryan Yao on Unsplash

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The Committees’ work programme development explained

4 March, 2019 By Johanna Pacevicius

Spring is work programme definition season at AER! On the occasion of the Spring Plenary meetings in Örebro, members of the three thematic Committees will decide what they would like to do together and how they will leverage regional initiatives via the network. The below elements will help you make the most of this opportunity.

Just do it!

Many things change, but the n°1 rule doesn’t: everything is possible!

The main idea is the following: if you want to carry something out within the network, just do it! Any idea is welcome!
The actions members can implement via the committees are diverse: project development, organisation of a workshop, seminar, international conference, study visit, brokerage event, breakfast briefing, webinar, collection of good practices, elaboration of a political report based on the experience of regions etc.
To have it included in the work programme, members should:

  1. Share their idea in the relevant Committee plenary meeting. This will be done in workshop style (see below). Members should explain what they would like to do and how they would like to implement their action.
  2. Explain how other regions will benefit: visibility? contacts? new collaborations? benefits for other regional stakeholders…
  3. Explicit what support they would need from other regions: speakers? Ideas? Partners for a project? Contacts to a specific stakeholder? Support for an advocacy action? Advice…
  4. Agree with other members on upcoming steps and be specific!

Picking a topic has never been so easy

As long as an action fits with the AER values, is in line with the AER priorities and has support from other regions, it can be included in the Committees work programmes.

The three AER Committees work on:

  1. Economy and regional development
  2. Social policy and public health
  3. Culture, education and youth

Because the topics addressed by the Committees are rather broad, many policy areas can be addressed within the different Committees. Recent activities give an idea of what is possible but shouldn’t be considered as a limit.

Committee 1 works on issues covering innovation, economic development and SMEs, transport and mobility, renewable energies and rural development. Food and sustainable food systems are a topic of particular interest in this context. For the past year, there has been a strong focus on supporting the collaboration of regional innovation stakeholders. Members, in particular, discussed the implications of the development of the sharing economy on regional policymaking and new emerging roles.

Committee 2 supports members in implementing e-Health services and exploring the potential of integrated care. It aims at building leadership on change management and innovation in the public sector. Inclusion is a key topic. In this context, members discussed welcoming unaccompanied migrant children and catering for the needs of youth on the move in general. They also worked on how to welcome migrants with disabilities in a more integrated way.

Committee 3 focuses on culture, education and youth policies. The Committee published a handbook with good practices on culture for inclusion. Youth entrepreneurship was also discussed at meetings. Another main topic has been cultural heritage. Committee 3 is developping an exchnage programme for civil servants and is also collaborating closely with the European College of Cluny for the development of a post-master degree.

How this will be done

As with the Arad Spring Plenaries, participants will be seated around round tables, where each table will work around one topic (or set of related topics). They will share their own ideas & jointly develop actions on the different topics the Committees are working on.
The 3 plenary meetings will be held separately and consecutively so that members are able to participate in all meetings, allowing for synergies & cooperation between Committees.
Members of the AER Youth Regional Network, the Summer Academy and the Eurodyssey programmes are invited to join the process as well so that they can provide ideas on how their work could integrate and feed the work of the committees.
At the end of the session the different actions will be brought together on a flip-chart and organised according to the 3 main categories:

  • Advocacy/ Lobbying
  • Projects
  • Good practice Exchange

Actions will be discussed together after which the work programme will be adopted

How to prepare

In order to get involved AER members can

  • identify the needs they have in their region which could be addressed via the AER network
  • liaise with their colleagues from other regional departments to identify needs
  • define an activity they would like to carry out in the Committees
  • think about how other members could contribute and benefit from this activity
  • Join the AER Committees online community in order to already share and test ideas with other members
  • think how they can support other members who have suggested joint actions

What is a Committee?

The AER Committees are the backbone of the network’s activity. They are the place where knowledge and experience exchange happen and where new collaborations are shaped. To this end Committee members meet at least twice a year on the occasion of their Spring and Autumn plenaries. Workshops are organised along with the statutory meetings in order to dig deeper in specific topics and identify areas for policy innovation. Through experience sharing, including both good and bad practices, AER members engage in mutual learning. Whenever a need arises for focused cooperation on a topic, specific projects are set-up, to ensure the experience exchange will be sustainable and co-funded.

Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash

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AER President speaks at the UN climate conference on behalf of the world’s regions and municipalities

19 December, 2018 By Editor

AER was present at this year’s UN climate meeting, which took place in Katowice, Poland. The highlight of AER’s involvement was when AER President Magnus Berntsson spoke at the high-level segment 12 December on behalf of all the regions and municipalities of the world. 

Setting the scene

AER has been building a strong voice on how regional climate action can advance global climate goals, convening the engagement of its member regions with the international development policy processes, notably the climate change agenda and its Conferences held in the frame of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Stretching from the 3 of December to 12 of December, this year’s Conference of Parties (COP) is expected to have gathered around 30 000 participants, among them environment and climate ministers from around 196 countries. COP24 Katowice is viewed as one of the most important COPs since COP21 in Paris, 2015, when the Paris agreement was adopted. On the agenda for this meeting was an attempt to adopt a rulebook for the Paris agreement.

A week of many meetings

During these weeks there are many meetings taking place, both in connection to the negotiations but also as side-events. As one of the largest independent regional networks in Europe AER was invited to speak at many venues.

The highlight of AER’s involvement at COP being AER President, Magnus Berntsson’s, speech at the high-level segment of COP24. In his speech emphasised that regions play an important role in implementing the climate goals, arguing that it is on the local and regional level that the practical work on climate action is taking place. By cooperating with other regions, through networks such as AER, the voice of subnational actors become stronger and national and international levels must listen.

Besides speaking at the high-level segment Magnus Berntsson had week full of meetings and conferences. On 10 December he participated at the ICLEI Local and Regional Leaders meeting, named “Accelerating transitions to delivery of the Paris Agreement through multilevel Climate Action.”

Magnus Berntsson speaking at the UfM-event (left), Magnus Berntsson at COP24 (right)

On 11 December Magnus Berntsson held the key note speech at the Union for Mediterranean on “The involvement of sub-national Euro-Mediterranean governments”. During his key note speech Magnus talked about the importance of creating partnerships with actors from both the public and the private sector as well as the civil society. He exemplified with Region Västra Götaland climate strategy developed in broad cooperation with stakeholders from all over the region.

Followed by participating in a panel on the World Climate Summit- The investment COP ‘Creating the Right Policy Environment for Deployment of Innovations & Business-Driven Solutions’. During this session Magnus Berntsson highlighted that the public sector plays an important role in providing the right policy framework that will enable society’s transition to a low carbon economy.

He also paid a visit to the Austrian pavilion on the 13 of December, where he spoke on mitigation and adaption of climate change as well as the work of R20 – Regions of Climate Action.

The President of AER was not the only representative from AER present at COP24, Eva Hallström from Värmland, Sweden, chairing the AER working group on energy and climate change was also in Katowice, Poland sharing good practices and attending negotiations.

The work goes on

With COP24 concluding last week, the delegates finally reached an agreement on how to implement the Paris Climate accord, walking away from Katowice with a rulebook that will ensure the world’s countries are doing what they claim to be doing when it comes to climate action.

However, this does not mean that we are done working. AER will remain an active partner in climate work and we invite all our member regions to cooperate with us on this important societal challenge. Closing this article with the words of AER president at COP24:

“No country, no region, is immune to effects of climate change and we must cooperate across borders, be it geographical and sectorial, in order to deliver and follow through on the commitments of the Paris agreement.”

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Committee 1 Progress report Autumn 2018

13 September, 2018 By Johanna Pacevicius

Twice a year the members of the AER Committee on Regional Development and Economy gather in plenary meeting. This is the opportunity to set goals for cooperation through the elaboration of a joint work programme and to evaluate progress every six months.

On the occasion of the Committees’ plenaries in Arad, AER members identified joint actions they wanted to implement with fellow regions. Six months later it is time to evaluate progress, celebrate achievements and share experiences!

Evaluating progress

During the elaboration of the work programme in Arad, planned activities were organised in 3 categories:

Projects
Good practice sharing
Lobbying

The below progress report was compiled for the autumn 2018 plenary meeting in Novi Sad. It gives an overview of the situation, 6 months after the adoption of the work programme.

Projects

  • Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite! project

“Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite!” is a project submitted under a call launched by DG REGIO. On the one hand, this project aims at raising awareness on the importance of programmes, projects and services funded by the cohesion policy funds. On the second hand, the project will encourage the participation of citizens and stakeholders to turn them in active players in the dialogue on cohesion policy.

  •  Silver Economy Awards (SEED): ongoing

The Silver Economy Awards aim to catalyse a sustainable European digital Silver Economy movement by promoting and rewarding innovative solutions to improve the quality of life for over 50s. The Awards are an opportunity to raise awareness around the lesser-known notion of the Silver Economy. They illustrate the breadth of the consumer markets and the public spending involved and the size of the opportunities available for entrepreneurs, investors, public authorities and civil society.

This year the Silver Economy Awards replaced the traditional AER Regional Innovation Award. The first Awards Ceremony took place on May 2018 in Brussels.

SEED is a two-year project: 10/2016 to 09/2018

  • ARLEM project – Capacity building for an integrated and sustainable urban development: planned

This is a joint project of the Committee of the Regions regional and local authorities focused on the Mediterranean. In this context, AER answered to the call of ARLEM – Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly in order to provide technical expertise and political support. AER expressed its interest to focus piloting actions in Turkey, Tunisia and Morocco having already implemented several actions in these geographical areas.

This project aims to reinforce the capacities of local and regional authorities from the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean both in terms of urban management and integrated urban development. AER will contribute in the capacity building activities as well as the organisation of regional conferences.

It is funded by the Finnish Development Agency and activities are planned for 2 years and six months

  • REFIT Project – New regulative frameworks to foster innovation in the transport sector: not accepted

The REFIT project, under the Horizon 2020 Programme, will improve the regulative framework to make it consistent with the development of new forms of mobility, including shared used mobility, having in mind to safeguard the interest of the users and to attend societal goals.

The main result will be the creation of a user-friendly governance tool facilitating regulatory processes to support the deployment of innovative transport technologies and services in the EU.

  • Event: EU funding for Croatian & Albanian regions

The event on EU funding for Croatian regions, hosted by Varaždin (HR) and Committee 3 President Radimir Čačić, and the event on EU funding for Albanian regions, hosted by Korcë (AL) and MEG member Ana Verushi brought together about 70 participants, both members and non members of AER to:

-hear about AER’s activities
-learn more on AER services for projects and services
-obtain information on the areas of cooperation with EU
-get a relevant update on the current and forthcoming EU funding opportunities
-become aware of the successful experiences of project applicants

 

Good Practice Sharing

  • Mutual learning event on the Sharing Economy (ongoing)

Each year Brussels Capital proposes a mutual learning event on a current and transversal topic. On December 4th 2018, Brussels Capital will organise a mutual learning event on the sharing Economy together with Catalonia, in Brussels, Brussels Capital Region (BE)

  • New mobility services (planned)

Good practice exchange on electric cars (production of batteries) and infrastructure

Participation of the working group in the REFIT H2020 project on policies to support New Mobility Services

  • Meeting of the Working Group on Transports and Mobility (ongoing)

The Working Group on Transports and Mobility plans to meet in Autumn 2018 and Spring 2019 on the occasion of the Committees Plenary meetings

  • Webinar on New Mobilities (planned)

The Working Group on Transports & Mobility will organise a webinar on New Mobilities for all AER members. Date & topic tbc

  • International event on Biomass in Vojvodina (tbc)

Organisation of an international event on Biomass in Vojvodina (RS) in collaboration with AER members

  • The Sustainable Development Goals as policy framework (ongoing)

The Working Group on Energy and Climate Change is organising a workshop on using the Sustainable Development Goals as a policy framework on September 26th in Novi Sad, Vojvodina (RS)

  • Using the SDGs to communicate AER activities (planned)

Oppland suggested that as many of the AER activities are contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, AER should promote the 2030 Agenda, raising visibility of how AER and its member regions are contributing to reach goals.

  • Study visit on the energy transition (finished)

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

Participants shared good practice and experience and in particular:

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

  • Supporting members to use the TAIEX-Environmental Implementation Review : ongoing

The AER Secretariat is disseminating information about the TAIEX-EIR peer to peer learning programme and supporting members to use this programme to gain or provide knowledge on environmental policies on topics as diverse as air quality, waste management, water management, the circular economy. This programme which is relatively easy and quick to access is a good complement to activities carried out within AER and an opportunity to access support from the Commission to carry out exchnages with other regions.

The TAIEX-EIR programme will be presented at the Autumn plenaries in the workshop of the AER Working group on rural development.

The AER Project Unit will also organise a webinar to help members use the programme.

  • Food: short supply chains & quality food (ongoing)

The Working Group on rural development is organising a side event on the occasion of Smart City Expo World Congress on the topic of food. Findings of this side event will feed the work of the Bureau Task Force on food.

  • Waste management in rural areas (ongoing)

The Working Group on rural development is organising a workshop on waste management in rural areas on September 27th in Novi Sad, Vojvodina (RS)

 

Advocacy/ Lobbying

  • Mobility: engagement in the EIP-SCC (ongoing)

The AER Working Group on Transports and Mobility will organise a workshop or a seminar to share the work of the EIP-SCC with other AER members.

Related activity: Mapping exercise what is going on the field of new mobility services and test locations in general transports.

  • Cohesion Policy Activities: ongoing

Building on AER’s role in advocating for a strong cohesion policy, and following the adoption of a position paper on the future of cohesion policy post 2020 at the Bureau meeting in Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria (AT) on 1 June 2017, AER will continue to convene and deliver joint policy influencing work for the future cohesion policy by:

  • Holding regular debates on cohesion policy among members and between members and relevant stakeholders, such as the “Cohesion Policy: are you getting anything out of it?” debate during the AER Committees’ Autumn Plenary Meeting in Nancy on 12 September.
  • Gathering facts and figures on cohesion investments results and impact for a evidence-based advocacy.
  • Disseminating the AER position on future cohesion policy to key stakeholders and decision-makers in-country (in coordination with member regions) and in Brussels.
  • Working together with other European associations of regions, municipalities and cities and the Committee of the Regions to generate broader support for regions interests and policy proposals, including #CohesionAlliance created to demand that the EU budget after 2020 makes cohesion policy stronger, more effective, visible and available for every region in the European Union.

The Task Force on Cohesion Policy post 2020 will continue to support the work of AER in this field, providing strategic direction and oversight.

These actions aim to ensure European regions engage in the future cohesion policy discussions at regional, national and European level, and meaningfully contribute to the design and implementation of a stronger and more effective reformed policy.

  • Financing climate action: ongoing

AER works alongside R20, Blue Orchard and Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation to set up a 350 million $ Subnational Climate Fund to finance climate projects in European regions. In August AER met the European Investment Bank to pursue negociations.

  • AER Bureau Task Forces

The 2018 Spring Bureau established the creation of Task Forces on dedicated topics. These Task Forces will gather examples, identify and formulate policy messages which will be brought together in position papers which will then be used for advocacy. Members who would like to contribute to one of the below Task Forces should contact AER Coordinator for Advocacy & Institutionnal Relations Vania Freitas

-Task Force on Food

-Task force on Digitalisation

-Task Force on Migration

-Task Force on Social Innovation

The Committees’ work programmes and the AER action Plan

The developement of the Action Plan is a collective process to enable all participants to specify needs and decide to initiate activities which add value for their region. The principle is the following: as long as an action fits with the AER values, is in line with the AER priorities and has support from other regions, it can be included in the Committees work programmes. The work programmes are developped in Spring each year.

The AER action plan is the consolidation of the three Committees’ work programmes with all other activities led by the Bureau and the Executive Board. It is adopted at the General Assembly.

Members can propose new joint initiatives at any time during the year, these are then approved by the Executive Board and included in the Committees work programmes and the AER action plan.

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Committee 1 Annual Report June 2017 – May 2018

7 May, 2018 By Johanna Pacevicius

The General Assembly is the highest authority of AER and convenes representatives of all its full members at least once a year. The General Assembly adopts among other things, the annual reports of the Thematic Committees.

This report is the compilation of actions developped and implemented within Committee 1 between the 2017 General Assembly in Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria (AT) and the 2018 General Assembly in Lillehammer, Oppland (NO).

Activities are organised in 3 categories:

  • Projects
  • Good practice sharing
  • Advocacy/ Lobbying

The AER Action plan, which brings together all the activities carried out within AER, is constantly updated.

  • Silver Economy Awards (SEED): ongoing

The Silver Economy Awards aim to catalyse a sustainable European digital Silver Economy movement by promoting and rewarding innovative solutions to improve the quality of life for over 50s. The Awards are an opportunity to raise awareness around the lesser-known notion of the Silver Economy. They illustrate the breadth of the consumer markets and the public spending involved and the size of the opportunities available for entrepreneurs, investors, public authorities and civil society.

This year the Silver Economy Awards replace the traditional AER Regional Innovation Award. The first Awards Ceremony took place on May 2018 in Brussels under the moral patronage from Commissioner Mariya Gabriel.

SEED is a two-year project: 10/2016 to 09/2018

  • ARLEM project – Capacity building for an integrated and sustainable urban development: planned

This is a joint project of the Committee of the Regions regional and local authorities focused on the Mediterranean. In this context, AER answered to the call of ARLEM – Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly in order to provide technical expertise and political support. AER expressed its interest to focus piloting actions in Turkey, Tunisia and Morocco having already implemented several actions in these geographical areas.

This project aims to reinforce the capacities of local and regional authorities from the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean both in terms of urban management and integrated urban development. AER will contribute in the capacity building activities as well as the organisation of regional conferences.

It is funded by the Finnish Development Agency and activities are planned for 2 years and six months

  • Citizens for Cohesion. 351 times closer to Europe: cancelled

Building on the work previously done by AER on cohesion policy, the regions of Catalonia (ES), South Ostrobothnia (FI), Trentino (IT) and West Slovenia, together with AER Cohesion Policy Task Force lead on a project on awareness raising. While the project received a very good evaluation it was not accepted.

  • Brokerage event in Partnership with ERRIN on health innovation: finished

After the success of the brokerage event on the green economy and innovation early 2017, we collaborated with ERRIN to stimulate project development. This resulted in the organisation of the Horizon 2020 Project Development Week.

  • Development of an environment project based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): in progress

YRN representatives met with AER Coordinator for European Projects & Private Partnerships Agnese Pantaloni to learn about project development steps and potential funding opportunities. The YRN will work on the definition of an EU project. The AER Secretariat Project Unit will explore calls for projects if there is still interest in developping such a project.

  • MULTIPLE, MULTI-layer Governance PoLicy-making for the Environment: cancelled

MULTIPLE aimed to build an ecosystem of policy-support tools and methods for a more effective, efficient policy making in the field of environmental policies. Its aim was to support the entire policy cycle from issue identification to policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation by the use of open data systems. The project was not accepted.

  • Migrant Entrepreneur Support Scheme Against Gap of Economic System: cancelled

This project proposal aimed to share approaches and lessons learnt for migrant entrepreneurship support schemes. Migrant entrepreneurship had been raised in specific during the 2016 Spring plenary meetings in Timis. The proposal brought together public administrations, business support organizations, non-profit organisations and NGOs, educational institutions and other organisations active in the field across cities, regions and countries. The project was not accepted.

  • From local to global: Connecting the Dots in the EU’s 2030 energy transition: cancelled

The theme of this project proposal was to contribute to a coherent energy transition across the EU and support progress towards a low-carbon economy in light of the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets and policy framework. The consortium was led by EURACTIV.

The AER Secretariat collected letters of support from member regions: Abruzzo (IT), Catalonia (SP), Gelderland (NL), Trentino (IT). The aim was to highlight, compare and contrast Member States’ initiatives to achieve the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets, supporting the energy transition as well as the transition towards a competitive and low-carbon economy, by sharing information on best practice at the local level (regions, cities, towns) and the connection with global agreements. The project was submitted under the LIFE+ programme but was not accepted.

  • RAINBOW project – Raising Awareness INitiative for a Beautiful Open World: cancelled

RAINBOW aimed to transform the 2030 Agendas into policies and to launch concrete actions at local level, in order to improve the management of the territories, whilst continuing innovating and learning from one another. It focused on interdependencies between developing countries and the European Union, with focus on the neighbouring areas. ALDA was the initiator of the project. The project was not accepted

 

  • Committees Autumn Plenaries in Nancy: finished

This Autumn’s committees’ plenary took place in Nancy (FR) from the 12th to the 14th of September. The events featured a debate on culture in the digital age, a workshop on the value of data, a workshop on transport & mobility, a workshop on life-cycle approaches and the Committees Plenary meetings.

A discussion on Cohesion Policy and its advantages also took place in Nancy.

  • Committees Spring Plenaries in Arad: finished

The 2018 Spring Committees’ Plenaries took place in Arad (RO) on 20-22 March. The events featured a debate on innovation ecosystems, a workshop on integrated care systems, a lounge meeting on equal opportunities, a meeting of the working group on transports, a Breakfast Briefing on implementing democracy in regional policy making, a presentation of the social inclusion policies in Arad, a meeting of the Summer Academy Organising Committee and the Committees Plenary meetings.

The Committees’ Plenaries were an opportunity to develop the Committees’ work programmes.

  • INTERREG Europe Policy Learning Platform (IEPLP): finished

AER was a partner of the Policy Learning Platform (PLP) which is the second action of the Interreg Europe programme established to boost EU-wide policy learning and capitalisation of practices from investments on growth and jobs. The Platform aims to be a space for continuous learning where regional actors in Europe can tap into the know-how of experts and peers. The PLP was present at the European Week of Regions and Cities (formerly Open Days).

  • Study visit on the Energy transition: finished

The main focus of the study visit, which took place from 17-19 April, was the Gelders’ Energy agreement (GEA). This collaboration between local and regional industries, governments and NGOs’ in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands, has pledged for the province to become energy-neutral by 2050. It facilitates a co-creative process where initiatives, actors, and energy are integrated into society. See the event page.

  • Event on a current transversal topic: finished

Jean-Luc Vanraes, President of the AER Committee on Regional Development and Economy invited AER members to contribute to the organisation of a mtual learning event on artificial intelligence held in Brussels, on November 30th 2017. A debate at the Committee 1 Plenary meeting paved the way for this event. This event, “Artificial Intelligence: are regions up to the challenge” was organised on the same format as the event “E-health let’s find a common language” which took place in December 2016 with the contribution of very diverse stakeholders. At the event, group discussions adressed the following topics:

  1. Supporting innovation, attracting innovators
  2. The Health Revolution
  3. Culture In a Digital World
  4. Skills and Competences: racing with machines
  5. AI: Towards a Soulless World?

The event lead also to the publication of a series of articles on artificial intelligence and its implications for different policy areas.

  • Follow up on photonics: finished

On the occasion of the Timis Spring Plenaries Professor Hugo Thienpont presented the ACTPHAST programme on photonics innovation for SMEs. The information and opportunities regarding this European programme were further disseminated via the AER website. The ACTPHAST programme for photonics. See the results as at September 2017.

  • Conference on biomass: finished

In London AER members agreed to collaborate for the organisation of a conference on Biomass in Vojvodina. The objective was to share practices and expert lectures to show the practical possibilities of production and usage of biomass in Europe, with a preview insight in the production in Vojvodina. The event also aimed to awaken the interest of individual agricultural farms, agricultural cooperatives and clusters and regional and local governments.

Partners this year were the OECD Mission in Serbia and the Central European Initiative, with expert lectures from representatives from World Bioenergy Association, State Ministries in Serbia, University in Novi Sad, the Environment Agency Austria, GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and KfW (German government-owned development bank, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau).

  • Cooperation with the World Sustainable Energy Day: finished

On the occasion of the AER Committees plenary meetings in London, members highlighted their interest in participating to the World Sustainable Energy Days in a meaningful way. A delegation of AER representatives from across Europe was able to attend the World Sustainable Energy days for free on behalf of AER.

  • Workshop on Public procurement for green innovation: finished

This workshop was advertised in the AER network by Oppland and was organised in the framework of the INTERREG Sweden-Norway the Bioeconomy Region project involving 4 AER members: Hedmark, Värmland, Østfold and Oppland. It aimed to address the following questions:
• How can innovative public procurement accelerate take-up of green technologies and stimulate innovation?
• How is innovative public procurement adopted in regional and local authorities to implement bioeconomy?
• How are public authorities cooperating with clusters, SMEs, industry and companies?
• What are the greatest challenges to implementing large scale innovative public procurement?
The AER Secretariat provided support with the identification of potential speakers and connected them with the organisers.

  • Supporting members to use the TAIEX-Environmental Implementation Review : ongoing

The AER Secretariat is disseminating information about the TAIEX-EIR peer to peer learning programme and supporting members to use this programme to gain or provide knowledge on environmental policies on topics as diverse as air quality, waste management, water management, the circular economy. This programme which is relatively easy and quick to access is a good complement to activities carried out within AER and an opportunity to access support from the Commission to carry out exchanges with other regions.

  • Awareness raising on sustainable mobility: ongoing

AER is continuing to highlight regional good practices on sustainable mobility. In this context an AER article was published in the Autumn 2017 edition of Revolve Magazine.

AER Chair of the working group Martin Tollen contributed to the Smart Airports event in Germany

  • Meeting of the AER working group on transports and mobility in Nancy: finished

Good practices from the host region were  presented on smart mobility and policies aimed at supporting green innovation in the field of transports. Discussion about regulatory framework, challenges for regions and opportunities for cooperation

  • Digitalisation of transports: ongoing

Promote the digitalisation of transports networks both in urban and rural areas (see below as well)

  • Promotion of knowledge about innovative technologies in transports: ongoing

The sharing of knowledge is being carried out via:

–Workshop on the digitalisation of transports & information about the European Strategy on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS), a milestone on the path towards cooperative, connected and automated mobility (COM(2016) 766)
–cooperation with Revolve Media to highlight regional good practices in the field of transport and provide visibility to active AER members
–contribution on new mobilities & artificial intelligence at the AER event on Nov 30th “Artificial Intelligence: are regions up to the challenge?”
–New Mobility Services of the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities & Communities: involvement in the European Innovation Partnership on Sustainable Cities and Communities: within the the Action Cluster Sustainable Urban Mobility, AER is involved in the New Mobility Services initiative. AER Chairman of the Working Group on Transports and Mobility, Martin Tollén attended the first meeting of this Action Cluster.

The New Mobility Services initiative is a cooperation between private and public partners (quadruple helix type of cooperation, brings together companies, NGOs, research centers & universities, and policy makers). The purpose is to establish strategic partnerships between industry and European cities & regions to develop the urban systems and infrastructures of tomorrow. It is mainly focused on urban mobility. It is open for all European regions and cities to join or to send their stakeholders

AER AT THE EUROPEAN WEEK OF CITIES AND REGIONS

  • Workshop on climate and energy transition: finished

Led by the region of Abruzzo, AER co-organised a climate side-event during the European Week of Regions and Cities 2017.

  • Workshop on the Silver Economy: finished

Led by the SEED consortium. This workshop took participants through four inspiring examples of how a Silver Economy can help regions and cities to better match the needs of their ageing population while supporting local businesses and solution providers. It was the opportunity to discuss the complementarity between these examples and the initiatives at EU level. The networking session that followed brought together potential partners around issues related to the Silver Economy.

  • Workshop of the INTERREG Europe Policy Learning Platform: finished

The workshop aimed at helping regions learn from the project outputs from their peers in Europe.

 

  • Cohesion Policy Activities: ongoing

Building on AER’s role in advocating for a strong cohesion policy, and following the adoption of a position paper on the future of cohesion policy post 2020 at the Bureau meeting in Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria (AT) on 1 June 2017, AER will continue to convene and deliver joint policy influencing work for the future cohesion policy by:

  • Holding regular debates on cohesion policy among members and between members and relevant stakeholders, such as the “Cohesion Policy: are you getting anything out of it?” debate during the AER Committees’ Autumn Plenary Meeting in Nancy on 12 September.
  • Gathering facts and figures on cohesion investments results and impact for a evidence-based advocacy.
  • Disseminating the AER position on future cohesion policy to key stakeholders and decision-makers in-country (in coordination with member regions) and in Brussels.
  • Working together with other European associations of regions, municipalities and cities and the Committee of the Regions to generate broader support for regions interests and policy proposals, including #CohesionAlliance created to demand that the EU budget after 2020 makes cohesion policy stronger, more effective, visible and available for every region in the European Union.

The Task Force on Cohesion Policy post 2020 will continue to support the work of AER in this field, providing strategic direction and oversight.

These actions aim to ensure European regions engage in the future cohesion policy discussions at regional, national and European level, and meaningfully contribute to the design and implementation of a stronger and more effective reformed policy.

Following the publication of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework on May 2nd, AER’s reaction can be found here

  • AER Report on Regionalisation: ongoing

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

  • COP23 Local and Regional governments Leaders´ Summit: finished

AER was a partner to the Climate Summit of Local and Regional Leadersat the UN climate change conference (COP23) held from 6 to 17 November in Bonn, Germany, under the Presidency of Fiji. The event gathered more than 330 political leaders and 1000 delegates. At the Summit, local and regional leaders adopted the Bonn-Fiji Commitment to Deliver the Paris Agreement at All Levels, a pledge that signals their commitment to bring forward a critical shift in global development.

AER also contributed to a number of other events, including:
-8th Annual Sustainable Innovation Forum, organised by UNEP and Climate Action.
-World Climate Summit 2017, organised by R20 and BlueOrchard, in collaboration with World Climate.
-Side Event
 “Mountains in motion: Climate Action in the Alps, the Carpathians and the Pyrenees”, co-organised by the Region of Abruzzo.

  • R20 Summit: finished

In presence of AER and R20 President, Magnus Berntsson, R20 founding chair, Arnold Schwarzenegger and all key people playing a part in climate change (private partners, NGOs, officials). R20 is a winning alliance for AER, but where do we stand?

  • Financing climate action: ongoing

AER works alongside R20, Blue Orchard and Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation to set up a 350 million $ Subnational Climate Fund to finance climate projects in European regions. In August AER met the European Investment Bank to pursue negociations. AER is now providing members with privileged access to a training on the SOURCE system which allows stakeholders to access funding for their climate action.

  • 33rd Session of the Congress Local and Regional Authorities: finished

AER has a partnership status with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. It sends high-level representatives to the meetings of the Congress and sits in the Chamber of Regions Bureau. On 19 October, the AER President, Magnus Berntsson, took part in the 33rd Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and addressed the Chamber of Regions during the debate on “Regional Co-operation and democracy in Europe: the role of European regional associations and organisations”. At the Session, the AER and the Congress expanded their existing collaboration by signing a Joint Action Plan for 2018-2020. The document reiterates the commitment to work together on various issues of mutual interest, notably regional democracy, youth participation and cultural diversity.

  • ERDF Funding for Regional Airports & State Aid for regional airports: ongoing

AER members get regular updates from the Working Group on transports and mobility’s Regional Airports expert Roger Estefors at meetings of the group. The Nancy meeting featured an update on the topic too.

  • Sustainable biofuels: finished

AER member regions have been exchanging experiences on the topic of sustainable energy for many years and developped different projects on the topic, such as for instance the MORE4NRG and R4GG projects or the global engagement with the R20

The region of Oppland is very active in AER on the topics of energy and the circular economy. In 2016 the YRN Spring Plenary was hosted by Oppland and delegates visited a recycling plant which produces biogas was also featured in the Autumn 2017 edition of Revolve Magazine as an outstanding regional good practice.
Description of the action. The region of Oppland proposed to exchange experiences on the topic of 2nd generation sustainable biofuels, for example from waste and forest resources.

  • Legislation on biogas: finished

The AER secretariat connected regions which were interested in initiating a lobbying action. Regions had diverging priorities, the connection therefore did not result in a joint action.

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Regionalisation in Switzerland: connecting direct “four-fifth” democracy and flexible federalism #RoR2017

23 April, 2018 By Editor

Swiss federalism is the result of a long historical process that different actors, institutions and interests have shaped for centuries. One can identify three major factors: the presence of territorial units differing in terms of culture, language, religion, and democratic perception but forced to cooperate for economic and political reasons; a constitution establishing the general principles of democracy and, through a bottom-up approach, dividing powers between the different levels of government; and the extensive use of direct democratic tools (i.e., popular vote-based) as a way of conveying legitimacy to the constitutional and institutional expression of federal principles.

It is also important to stress that Switzerland must constantly seek the right equilibrium between its federalist commitment and the functional requirements of a modern state. One cannot fix this equilibrium finally but, rather, it must be the result of political disputes.

Swiss flexible federalism & democracy

A full understanding of federalism must therefore take into account how federal principles are put into practice and how they are lived every day. From time to time, such principles have to be adapted or even changed. In Switzerland, the main works in progress are the allocation of tasks between the Confederation and the inter-cantonal and trans-border cooperation; and, in some cantons, the drafting of new constitutions.

Will Switzerland be able to cope with globalization? Is Switzerland able to change? Federalism is a political formula that is flexible and consequently, always changing and adapting. Thanks to the system of direct democracy and flexible federalism, Switzerland’s capacity for adaptation is greater than many would expect. Direct democracy prevents extreme solutions, provides a high degree of legitimacy for changes, and guarantees that legal provisions will be implemented. Nevertheless, there are important democratic deficits. Switzerland can only claim to have a three fourth democracy, which excludes the participation of more than two million foreigners. If the challenge of European integration does not question these basic principles, which I do not think it will, then Switzerland should be able to adapt its system without losing its identity.

Finally, there is the unsolved problem of modern migration. Today, more than 22 percent of the people living in Switzerland are foreigners who do not have the right to participate in the democratic process. Can we still claim to be a democracy if we exclude one- fifth of the population? Given our concepts of diversity and democracy, what are our options for becoming more inclusive? Up until now, no acceptable answers have been found.

Switzerland of diversity

When Switzerland was founded, the integration of religious, historical, cultural and linguistic diversity within one country was a major challenge. The founding fathers of the Swiss Constitution succeeded in this task mainly because they developed and pragmatically adapted the concept of the classical liberal nation state, accommodating the special needs of Swiss diversity. The Swiss nation is based neither on an atomized society composed of a-cultural equal citizens as individuals, nor on a homogeneous ethno-national community.

The Swiss conception of nationhood is that of a composed nation building on its diversities and united by both its federal and democratic values enabling each community to recognise the federal state as its homeland. Switzerland considers minorities not as second-class people nor as a burden. Instead, it considers the various communities as equal partners, which live peacefully side by side together. Diversities are a foundational value of the Swiss polity. Equality, including the right to be different and power sharing among diverse political, cultural and religious communities is part of a political culture considering compromise not as a weakness but as both a political strength and a prerequisite for peaceful coexistence.

Switzerland does not conceive democracy as a tool to produce efficient majorities but rather as a collective right emphasizing self-determination of the municipalities, the cantons and the confederation. It enables each citizen to approve or reject laws that may affect him or her as a member of the municipal, cantonal or federal polity. This vision of democracy reflects the composite nature of the Swiss nation and the conviction that decisions need to be taken as closely to the citizens as possible. From the Swiss point of view, democracy and federalism are thus complementary and not competing principles.

The tolerance and respect for traditional diversity contrasts strongly with the attitude towards new diversity caused by modern immigration. The Swiss have to face up to the challenge to integrate immigrants, need to, and develop an effective strategy to this effect. As Switzerland found its own answer to accommodating diversity in the 19th century, it may succeed in devising its own solution as regards third country nationals in building on its democratic tradition and its culture of compromise and self-restraint. In doing so, Switzerland would again become a full democracy instead of a four fifth democracy, which excludes 20 % of its residents from effective political and social participation.

by Thomas FLEINER

The Report on the state of Regionalisation in Europe.

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

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

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

Strong European regions are a pathway to a stronger Europe.

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Regionalisation in Russia: persistent asymmetric federalism #RoR2017

16 April, 2018 By Editor

Little history of Regional Russia

Russia is a country covering a large part of eastern Europe and northern Asia. It became an independent country in December 1991, after the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR, commonly known as the Soviet Union). The sate-centred hierarchical approach has always been part of the Russian national historical tradition. During the Soviet period, the political system was highly centralised: it prevented regions to establish international agreements and to develop inter-regional networks. During the post-Soviet era, the Russian decentralisation process has been quite complex. The key objective for state survival has been how to balance centripetal and centrifugal forces, territorial and ethno-territorial principles of federalism.

After the collapse of the USSR, Russia was ruled by President Yeltsin. The federal centre was very weak and did not have a clear plan on how to federalise Russia. A Constitution was adopted in 1993, describing Russia as a federal state with different types of constituent units, without mentioning, however, the powers of the regions. By contrast, it outlined the powers of the federal authorities (Art. 71) and the joint jurisdiction of the Federation and the regions (Art. 72). The constitution gives equal power to each of the country’s administrative divisions in the Federal Assembly, (Article 72, Clause 2). Both the legislative and executive branch of each region send a member to the Federation Council, the Upper House of the Russian Federal Assembly.

A strong central government

According to the Russian Constitution, the central government maintains significant authority, even though regional and local governments have been given several powers. The administrative divisions of Russia are: oblasti (regions), minority republics, okruga (autonomous districts), kraya (territories), federal cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sevastopol), and one autonomous oblast . Only republics are recognised as ‘states’ by the Constitution (Art. 5), which has been described as an “asymmetry of the different constituent units”. Local and regional governments exercise authority over municipal property and policing, and can impose regional taxes as well. In the initial years after the passage of the 1993 constitution, they retained considerable powers. The lack of clarity on the centre-regions division of powers and competences triggered a strong resistance from the national republics, which started to adopt their own laws, that often contradicted the federal legislation on several issues.

Regional governments’ tax revenue is not always sufficient to finance their services; for instance, in several cases they have barely been able to cover wages for teachers and police. Large portions of the regional governments’ budgets are needed to cover pensions. Different administrative divisions adopted constitutions that devolved power to local jurisdictions, whose powers vary considerably. Several local authorities, especially in urban centres, exercise significant power and are responsible for taxation and the licensing of businesses. Moscow and St. Petersburg have particularly strong local governments: they both present a tax base and a government structure considerably higher than the country’s other regions.

New reforms once again strengthen centralism:  the creation of federal districts

In order to deal with the emerged asymmetric federalism, as well as with the tendencies of disintegration and separatism, the government of President Putin enacted a number of reforms (such as the bringing into line of the regional legislation with the federal one), aimed at strengthening the ‘power vertical’ and creating a more centralised state system. However, the mechanism of centre-regions relations was not significantly modified by these reforms.

Among Putin’s reforms, the creation of seven federal districts (Central, Northwest, Southern, Far East, Siberia, Urals, and Volga) in 2000, which has reduced the powers of local and regional governments. The new federal districts began to replace the 11 traditional economic regions, especially for statistical purposes. Each district is ruled by a presidential envoy, who has the power to implement federal law and to coordinate communications between the president and the regional governors. Through his envoys, the president can enforce his authority over the regional governments. The regional governors were elected until 2004, when new legislation has established that the president has the power to appoint them. According to President Putin, and following the implementation of the Law 131 (On the General Principles of Organising Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation) of 2005, the development of social infrastructure should increase the opportunities and the responsibilities of local authorities. He highlighted that most of this work depends on the presidential plenipotentiary envoys in the federal regions.

The Central district comprises the city of Moscow and all administrative divisions within the Central and Central Black Earth economic regions. The Northwest district encompasses the city of St. Petersburg, as well as all areas in the North and Northwest regions, including Kaliningrad oblast. The Southern district includes portions of the Volga and North Caucasus economic regions, whereas the North Caucasus district comprehends the remaining units of the latter economic region. The Volga district is made up of units of the Volga, Volga-Vyatka and Ural economic regions. The Urals district includes the remaining administrative divisions of the Ural economic region and others from the West Siberia economic region. The Siberia district unites the rest of the West Siberia economic region and the whole East Siberia. Finally, the Far East district overlaps with the Far East economic region.

Russia currently presents nine federal districts. In 2010, North Caucasus, the eighth federal district, was created from the south-eastern part of the Southern district. In 2014, Russia annexed the Ukrainian autonomous republic of Crimea, and established the ninth federal district there. Ukraine and a large part of the international community did not recognise such territorial claim; in practice, however, Russia exercises a de facto control of the region. The Crimean district includes the federal city of Sevastopol.

by Gianmartino CONTU

The Report on the state of Regionalisation in Europe.

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

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

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

Strong European regions are a pathway to a stronger Europe.

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Regionalisation in Spain: a “nation of nations”? #RoR2017

9 April, 2018 By Editor

Original publishing date – early 2017

Spain is a country of 504,645 square kilometres that shows important variation across regions in terms of economy, socio-political structure, language, culture and traditions. The Constitution of 1978, according to its redaction, was a compromise: it balanced the centralist institutions from the former regime (under Franco) and the federalist view of the country, which considers Spain as a “nation of nations”. At the same time, it was an agreement between those in favour of a symmetric process of decentralization and those favourable to an asymmetric process of devolution focused on the “historical nationalities” (mainly Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia). It is in fact the basic framework that explains the evolution of the decentralization process in Spain since the restoration of democracy onwards.

Regional governance

Spain has two tiers of regional government: 50 provincias, which date from 1833, and 17 Comunidades Autónomas (19 ACs since 1995 when the autonomous cities of Melilla and Ceuta where considered as such) since the transition to democracy and the 1978 Spanish Constitution. Nine Comunidades Autónomas are single provinces (Asturias, Baleares, Cantabria, Ceuta, Melilla, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre and La Rioja) so they have a single regional government.

According to the article 2 of the constitution, the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation is assumed but, at the same time, it recognises and guarantees the right of self-government of all the nationalities and regions that compose Spain and the solidarity among them. The Constitution does not specify the difference between the regions and the nationalities or which territories are nationalities or regions. Therefore, the creation of Comunidades Autónomas is a dispositive principle, which means that their creation is not compulsory but part of an open- ended process of decentralization (Pérez Royo, 1999).

The provinces, in any case, are protected by the Constitution (art. 141) and are the fundamental building blocks of any devolution process. Therefore, a Comunidad Autónoma can only be constituted if two or more provinces shared a common cultural, historical or economic link, if they are insular territories (such as Baleares or Canarias), or if it is a single province with historical identity. However, the criteria are quite general since according to the constitution, the Spanish Parliament can enforce devolution under other situations that are necessary according to “national interests”.

The fundamental law that recognises the Comunidades Autónomas is the Statute of Autonomy, which is included in Article 147 of the Constitution. The Statute of Autonomy is approved by a parliamentary assembly representing the region with different majorities depending of the AC (2/3 or 3/5). Then, it has to be passed as an “Organic Bill” in the Spanish Parliament with a favourable vote of the absolute majority of the national deputies.

Reforms in sight?

Several commissions have been created in recent years to study their possible reform. One line is about reducing the number of members in parliament in regional parliaments. This goes in line with showing commitment to the austerity of all institutions. It justified the disappearance as well of the regional ombudsman in some regions (such as Castilla La Mancha or La Rioja) or different consultant bodies.

Apart from assembly size, there are three ACs where electoral reforms are under review in different parliamentary commissions. One example is Catalonia. This region is the only one in Spain that does not have its own electoral law and applies the LOREG in replacement. The expert report proposed, among other elements, the replacement of the four provinces by seven new districts (called veguerias, a traditional administrative division of Catalonia) and weak preferential voting. At this moment in time the draft is under discussion. The resolution of 9 September 2013, supported by all parties, has stressed the commitment of the Parliament to present a final draft of the law.

by Santiago LAGO-PEÑAS & Pablo SIMÓN COSANO

The Report on the state of Regionalisation in Europe.

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

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

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

Strong European regions are a pathway to a stronger Europe.

Follow AER!

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AER at the 2018 World Sustainable Energy Days

6 April, 2018 By Elin Berglie

AER was represented at the World Sustainable Energy Days 2018, by a delegation from Gelderland.

The World Sustainable Energy Days (WSED), one of Europe’s largest annual events in this field, took place from 28 February – 2 March in Wels/Austria. The event was a great success – over 600 experts from 66 countries attended and took part in the specialised conferences, site visits poster presentation and tradeshow.

The WSED 2018 focussed on energy efficiency and renewable energy as key elements for boosting economic competitiveness and on the potential of using the clean energy transition to the benefit of all citizens.

The Energy Transition is also high up on the agenda for our member region Gelderland, so we had a fruitful discussion  with the host and AER member region Upper Austria during the event.

Fore more information on the upcoming WSED in 2019 event please read here.

Sustainable Energy and Climate Change are important for the AER member regions, and AER will be represented at the R20 Austrian World Summit which is an annual event organised by the R20 (Regions of Climate Action organisation). AER President Magnus Berntsson is also the President of the R20.

 

 

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