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#EURegionsWeek – Eurodyssey35: Regions on the move

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The Assembly of European Regions is pleased to announce one more contribution to the European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC). For the first time, the Eurodyssey programme will be featured in the #EURegionsWeek through our virtual participatory lab, Eurodyssey35: Regions on the move, which will take place on 14 October at 9:30 AM.

In this session, policy-makers, regional officials and young activists will engage one another in an open dialogue on what is at stake for youth development, and the instrumental role of youth mobility in fostering territorial cohesion and a sense of European identity. 

Mobility is at the core of European integration. For over 25 years the EU has actively promoted the mobility of students, researchers and citizens to deliver in strategic policy areas: employment, education and inclusion. Since 1985, the AER has put regions at the forefront of fair mobility for young people through our Eurodyssey programme. Regional and local authorities have a key part to play in driving youth development and tackling barriers to short-term mobility and longer-term cohesion.

Through parallel discussions, the audience will not only take a deep-dive into the ins and outs of youth mobility but will also challenge the invited storytellers to reflect upon the linkages between fair mobility, quality employment, social inclusion and active European citizenship.

 

DEADLINE EXTENDED!

Closing date: 7 October 2020

Speakers:

  • Mr Hrvoje Kovač, Chair of AER Subcommittee on Youth, Assembly of European Regions (AER).
  • Ms Jovana Majstorovic, Board Member, European Youth Forum.
  • Ms Floor Van Houdt, Head of Unit for Youth policy and Volunteer Solidarity, European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture.

How COVID-19 is affecting tourism in our Member Regions

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Due to the recent global pandemic, the tourism and hospitality sector has faced some difficulties. Europe is the world’s leading tourist destination. The tourism sector in the EU represents 9.5% of the European Union’s gross domestic product (GDP), accounts for 11.2% of jobs in the European Union and is made up of nearly three million companies, 90% of which are SMEs. There are over 22.6 million people working in tourism in the European Union.

Travel restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic have been a challenge to the tourism industry. Indeed, as a result of the various measures put in place to limit the spread of the virus, revenues are expected to fall by 50% for hotels and restaurants, 70% for travel agencies and 90% for cruise lines and airlines.

The situation is particularly difficult for European countries whose economies depend heavily on tourism, such as Spain (14,6% of the GDP), Italy (13% of the GDP), France (9,5% of the GDP) and Greece (18 % of the GDP). 

On 13 May the European Commission presented a package of guidelines and recommendations to help the Member States gradually lift travel restrictions and allow tourism businesses to reopen, after months of lockdown, while respecting necessary health precautions. The package also aims to help the EU tourism sector recover from the pandemic, by supporting businesses and ensuring that Europe continues to be the number one destination for visitors.While the EU and States are doing many things to combat and mitigate the damage from this pandemic, it is important to note that many regions and local authorities, those on the frontline of the fight also have implemented measures. Take a look at what some of our regions are doing!

Relaunching tourism in Covasna countyDownload
Relaunching tourism in Basel (Switzerland)Download
Measures to face the economic crisis caused by coronavirus on tourism and hospitality in Abruzzo-RegionDownload

If you are interested in sharing your regions experiences please contact Tina Wu : [email protected]

source of the picture : unsplash https://unsplash.com/photos/WksmEy5wV1s

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Localising Agenda 2030: how regions can help meet the SDGs

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Last week, on 24 June, the online conference ‘Localising Agenda 2030: how regions can help meet the SDGs’ took place from 14:30 until 16:00 pm.  This event, the first of a series of events focusing on SDGs leading up to our final conference taking place in Strasbourg in June 2021, aimed to emphasise the importance of local actions in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The event gathered 64 attendees via the Zoom platform and 50 others followed the live web-stream.

With the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, citizens have seen quick responses and actions from both regions and cities. The crisis has exposed inequalities and the role of regions for sustainable recovery and action for a more fair and resilient society can no longer be postponed. Together with national authorities, regions now have a moral responsibility to advance the achievements of the SDGs, namely by focusing on health and wellbeing and financial recovery through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Through this webinar, we had the opportunity to hear our speakers tell us more about the importance of regions. The webinar was moderated by Dharmendra Kanani, Director of Insights at Friends of Europe. The panel debate included five speakers.

The first speaker, who opened the discussion, was Magnus Bertnsson, President of the Assembly of European Regions (AER). He started the discussion by stating that yes, progress in achieving the SDGs had been made in Europe, but with COVID-19 appearing, there is a higher need for action and efforts to reduce inequalities must be accelerated. Local and regional authorities are among the main actors to achieve a more fair and resilient society which stresses the importance of a multilevel and a multilateral approach. Europe, post COVID-19, has the opportunity to create something new and to rethink what kind of society people want to live in. 

The second speaker, Aziza Akhmouch, Head of the OECD Division for Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development, shared a more analytical and factual approach to the importance of regional development policy. She stated that 65% of the SDGs could not be achieved without local and regional governments. While national governments are ultimately accountable in their performance to the UN, this does not mean that regions cannot be held liable. 80% of the regions from OECD countries, about 600 regions, are far from having reached the targets which shows why it is equally important to attribute an agenda to both national and local governments. The localisation of the SDGs is crucial.

The next speaker, Raffaele Cattaneo, Minister for Environment and Climate of Lombardy (IT); member of the Regions 4 Steering Committee, reflected on the need for a transformation in today’s economy. As a result of the public health crisis, economic recovery, alongside jobs and public health have become the top priority where a few months ago, climate used to be at the top of the agenda. Indeed, a lot of resources are now moving from green deal to health care systems. There is a need for a discussion between citizens and EU institutions to reset our priorities and transform our economy which will require clear political decisions as well as responsible production and consumption.

Wallis Goelen, Senior Expert at the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, emphasised the efforts of the EU Commission in order to respond to the needs of regions and cities as a result of COVID-19. She stated that the current cohesion policy measures respond to 11 SDGs out of the 17 existing while fostering regional development. However, she also stressed the importance of capacity-building and the use of place-based strategies which will now be at the forefront in the Commission’s new priorities.

The last speaker of this webinar, Damià Calvet, Minister of Territory and sustainability of the Government of Catalonia, representative of UCLG-Global Taskforce, explains the importance of regions in liaising national and European interests on SDGs and other topics. Regions have the capacity to empower a wider network of actors to bring change and achieve sustainable development together. According to him, sustainable development cannot be achieved without greater input from regions. Moreover, the contribution of the Global Taskforce Regions has a great importance in bringing regional and local authorities in order to unify forces and reach Agenda2030. 

It is key to reiterate the need to give a more relevant role to regions. Whereas local governments are doing a great process in developing sustainable strategies and are very vocal about it, regions seem to be more silent. The COVID-19 crisis has opened the “pandora’s box” and has shown how many processes and involvement are needed from regional governments in order to achieve a sustainable and equally developed global society. AER as a regional network has assumed the role to raise awareness and to call into action its member regions to engage in achieving a global society that leaves no one and no territory behind.

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Second Csongrád County Mayor’s Professional Forum

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You may remember the highly successful first Professional Forum held in December 2019. Here comes the second! On 30 June 2020, the County Government of Csongrád-Csanád will hold the second Csongrád County Mayor’s Professional Forum.

Together4Cohesion is approaching its final stop on the route to raise awareness of European cohesion policy and its benefits for the regions through the “European cohesion calendar”! Indeed, the 2nd Professional Forum will take place on 30 June in Szeged, at the Tisza River Restaurant and Event Boat, and this will be the last local event of our communication campaign!

Event PageHere
RegistrationHere before 25 June 2020

Programme

9.00: Registration
9.30: Welcome speech by Mr László Gémes, President of the General Assembly of Csongrád County
Topic: “Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite” project, and Area and Settlement Development Operational Program
9.40: Alpár Gyopáros, Government Commissioner for the Development of Modern Settlements
Topic: Information about the Hungarian Village program
10.20: Gábor Oláh, Deputy State Secretary for Regional Development Programs
Topic: Current news on the Area and Settlement Development Operational Program

Coffee break

11.30: Dr Tünde Juhász, Government Commissioner, Csongrád-Csanád County Government Office
Topic: Information on the tasks arising from the name change of Csongrád-Csanád county
12.20: Dr Miklós Dukai, Deputy State Secretary of the Municipality
Topic: Current situation affecting local governments and future development opportunities
13.00: Lunch

What’s next?

In the coming days, we will share the outcomes of the two local events that were held this week:

Despite the fact that our journey is coming to its end, we want to continue to be a hub for the dialogue on and promotion of the benefits of cohesion policy!

Hence, we invite you to check out our Cohesion Calendar that will continue to be updated with other upcoming events organized (virtually and physically) all-over Europe by projects, organizations, and regional and European authorities!

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

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AER Regions taking part in Regiostars Awards 2020

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Did you know that some of AER’s member regions are taking part in the Regiostars Awards this year? These awards go to EU-funded projects which demonstrate excellence and new approaches in regional development. These projects are made to inspire other regions and project managers across Europe. 

Five categories are on the list for the competition and a public choice award are up for grab every year :  

  • Industrial transition for a smart Europe, 
  • Circular economy for a green Europe, 
  • Skills & education for a digital Europe,
  • Citizen Engagement for cohesive European cities, 
  • Youth empowerment for cooperation across borders (through 30 years of Interreg)

Check out some of the projects that AER members have submitted below!  (If we have missed your project, please contact Tina Wu with the name and the category)

You can vote for these projects on the competition platform by giving them a heart. The independent jury will choose up to 5 finalists per category, to be announced on 9 July.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

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Smart specialisation & rural areas: the case of Covasna

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“Smart specialisation strategies in rural areas, inclusion & wellbeing” was the topic of a debate which was foreseen to take place during the 2020 Spring plenaries. In order to harness the knowledge and expertise of our membership, AER is sharing content from speakers online instead.

In the following article Dr. Marta Tatar, Chief cardiologist at the Dr. Benedek Géza Cardiovascular Recovery Hospital, Covasna, RO, and former Chair of the AER Focus Group on prevention & child healthcare, shares the experience of Covasna on using natural assets in a rural area for regional development and wellbeing.

Social wellbeing and psychical wellbeing are more and more studied. There is a lot of academic research in this field. In different studies, the role and impact of different determinates are researched. It is widely accepted that health is an important factor.

In this context, the role of natural cure factors is increasing. Natural cure-factors can be used to maintain and improve health status, to prevent some diseases, and in the rehabilitation of patients.

Mineral waters: a well-known asset

Covasna County is very rich in natural mineral water springs and mofettas: there are hundreds of mineral water springs in the region. These natural cure factors have been used on an empirical basis for centuries by local people for the treatment of different affections. Mineral waters are used both, as an internal cure or, as mineral water baths.

Carbon dioxide for cardiovascular health benefits

The word “mofetta” is derived from the Latin word ”mephithis” meaning “stinky exhalation”. The term “mofetta” describes a postvolcanic phenomenon that is manifested by gas emanations at relatively low temperatures. The primary gas of mofetta is carbon dioxide. This gas is heavier than air so in sediment in pits and can be used as a “dry bath” (standing with normal clothing in the pit). Carbon dioxide can penetrate through the skin and has important cardiovascular effects.

The hospital: a key player in research and innovation

The Cardiological Hospital in Covasna was founded in 1960. The founder of the hospital was Dr. Géza Benedek. From the beginning of its activities, the hospital started clinical research work in collaboration with the Medical University from Tirgu-Mures and the Institute of Balneology from Bucharest to study the cardiovascular effect of CO2.

As a result, a unique complex cardiovascular rehabilitation model was elaborated. The model combines the general elements of cardiac rehabilitation with the use of mofetta and CO2 mineral water bath.

We are treating yearly 14.000-15.000 patients. The results of the hospital triggered the development of a rich spa activity outside the hospital, offering access to mineral water benefits to a larger public.

Sitting on a gold mine

Spa tourism is a part of the smart specialisation strategy in Covasna. The wealth of mineral springs and natural cure factors in Covasna county is an opportunity to further develop health tourism with an important impact on the economic development of the county and the wellbeing of the people. Compared to regions with similar assets the natural healing resources of Covasna are yet under-exploited.

While the city of Covasna, a recreational city with many hotels and pension houses for health tourism, the surrounding offers more curing possibilities: mineral waters and bath for external and internal cure, walking and hiking path, winter and summer sport facilities. In recent years considerable efforts have been deployed to enhance the hotel offer which created new jobs. At the moment the reputation of Covasna allows it to benefit from a substantial demand on the internal market. Huge potential lies in further opening up to the external market.

In parallel to the wellness hotels that use the natural cure factors in Covasna, there are a lot of small traditional mofettas and mineral water baths which have been used by the locals for a century some of which were renovated with EU funding.

Come and visit us!

The location for the AER meetings, which had to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, would have given participants the opportunity to try mofettas and visit the “Dr. Benedek Géza Cardiological Hospital”.
I regret that our meeting was canceled but I hope I will see You soon in Covasna and answer your questions about natural health resources, our mineral waters and mofettas!

More information about the Covasna mofettas can be found in the leaflet “Covasna, Land of mineral water” produced in the context of the EU funded project Off to Spas

Photo credit: Janos Boldizsar KOCSIS

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Webinar in Varaždin on communication and cohesion policy

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We know how to implement EU-funded projects, but do we know how to communicate about them? Effective communication strategies for how to make EU projects more appealing to the wider public were shared at the webinar held in Varaždin on 29 May 2020. Read on to learn more!

The webinar was organised by Varaždin County, a flagship region of the project “Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!”, and the Alpheus agency from Zagreb. The workshop was designed to share insights on “How to communicate about the projects financed by instruments of Cohesion Policy”. Representatives of local and regional governments and other public institutions, as well as private entrepreneurs from Varaždin County virtually gathered to listen to:

  • Larisa Križan Breljak, Deputy Head of Varaždin County Department in charge of Regional Development and European Affairs;
  • Sofija Babić, Senior Consultant from the Alpheus agency;
  • Ivana Ipša, Director of VOP digital marketing agency; and
  • Marina Klačmer Čalopa, PhD, Vice Dean for Management and Human Resources at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics.

The speakers explained the importance of communication and presented the means of communication, especially online, during the implementation of EU funded projects – particularly within Cohesion policy. The discussion focused on the following:

Objectives and importance of the communication about the Cohesion Policy (by Larisa Križan Breljak)
“A key fact to emphasise is that citizens are the final beneficiaries of the Cohesion Policy. Communication on Cohesion Policy funded projects seems sometimes too complicated and focused on numbers instead of feelings and stories about how the lives are improved thanks to the Cohesion Policy. Together4Cohesion is based on the bottom-up approach, where local stakeholders share their experiences and lessons learned to other potential beneficiaries in several European regions.”
Projects and campaigns communication by using social media (by Ivana Ipša)
“No one can deny the importance of digital marketing and social media in contemporary communication and the importance of good content in order to attract followers and supporters of a certain brand or the initiative. When it comes to communicating European funded projects on social media, it is needed to share quality, clear and simple messages that can easily reach the targeted audience and evoke the feelings that people can relate to.”
The projects run by the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaždin and their impacts (by Ms Marina Klačmer Čalopa)
“Projects run by the Faculty and funded by the Cohesion Policy were presented as well as their impact on the education in the region, new studying programmes developed by the Faculty and the exchange of knowledge and experience between the students. The Faculty has been promoting their projects via different means like visual identity, web pages, newsletter conference presentation and word of mouth by project beneficiaries. The conclusion of the presentation was that if a project is not disseminated, it is non-existent.”

What’s next?

In the coming weeks, various activities will be organised by the regions involved in the project. We invite you to visit Together4Cohesion.eu to know more about it, including stories like this one, and check out our Cohesion Calendar to be updated on upcoming events!

We also invite you to join our webinar to discuss with EU Commission Official about the perspective of cohesion policy and to learn how to effectively communicate cohesion policy activities through the inputs from communication experts and regional practitioners. Do not miss this final event on 16 June 2020 – visit the event page and register!

First photo by Miguel A. Amutio on Unsplash; Second photo by Varaždin County.

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Rural-urban relations in times of COVID-19

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The AER conference “Territorial Approaches to Regional Development” focusing on the ways in which regions address differences between urban and rural areas had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to harness the knowledge of experts invited at this event, AER is sharing content online instead.

One of the objectives of the AER conference in Covasna was to look at findings from the ROBUST project, which researches the interactions and dependencies between rural, peri-urban and urban areas via 11 Living Labs and five Communities of Practice. The below article draws on the experience of partners and goes beyond the initial focus of the conference, by providing unique insights on the impact of the pandemic on rural-urban relations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the foundation of our societies. It has also triggered changes in rural-urban relations. Throughout the crisis rural areas have been widely perceived as offering a safe haven from the virus, motivating some urbanites to seek shelter in the countryside. As restrictions ease, we might anticipate an increase in urban to rural travel.

Lack of mutual awareness a barrier to sense of shared responsibilities

However, it remains the case that most rural areas are extremely vulnerable to public health crises. It also remains that many of people are not fully not aware of the risks they carry with them in their own search for security, leisure, or space.  Research has shown that urbanisation has led to lack of mutual awareness, understanding and affinity, as well as a difference in affluence, status, and recognition of interests between rural and urban areas.

It cannot be denied that the pandemic is reshaping and will likely continue to reshape these relations in multiple and complex ways.  Given this, there is a need to avoid measures that would negatively impact rural residents, or over the long term. Pandemic–related trends (e.g. migration for employment from urban to rural areas) should be carefully monitored to avoid unintentional long-term threats to rural communities.

The rural as a partner, not a refuge

Regions and local actors can play a key role in taking rural-urban into account when developing and implementing new policies. This can include developing integrated strategies that clearly communicates that the rural is not a refuge – but a partner.

The demand for local food and the resilience of local markets have been highlighted. There is an important opportunity for all decision-makers to take up a city-regional approach, particularly around food planning.

A time for decision

Current times call for solidarity, and there is plenty evidence of that solidarity – also across rural-urban boundaries. The outcomes of this crisis on rural-urban relations will depend heavily on the decisions and actions taken now.

This article was written by Bettina Bock and Jessica Duncan, Rural Sociology Group, Wageningen University a longer post is available here.

Photo by Sven Fischer on Unsplash

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Cohesion and partnership must be the driving force for European recovery

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The #Cohesion Alliance – an EU-wide alliance of 12,000 signatories calling for a stronger cohesion policy after 2020 – welcomes the European Commission’s revised 2021–2027 EU budget and Recovery Plan proposals including the extension of the current cohesion programmes with increased flexibility and additional funding.  However, the Alliance urges the European Commission and Member States to ensure the involvement of cities, municipalities and regions and maintain a strong focus on cohesion in all recovery measures, aimed at rebuilding the economy, fostering sustainability and strengthening the territorial and social fabric of our Union, including in the European Semester process.  

The EU’s Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) and Recovery Plan must focus on cohesion as a fundamental value of the European Union, to pursue major challenges such as the European Green Deal, the Sustainable Development Goals, the European Pillar of Social Rights as well as the digital transformation. In the current crisis, cities, municipalities and regions need the direct support of a strong cohesion policy more than ever to prevent widening territorial disparities and an asymmetric recovery as Member States have different financial means to address the current economic and social challenges.

The #CohesionAlliance welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to ensure the role of Cohesion policy as a strong EU long-term investment policy, as well as the investment of 55 bn EUR (2018 prices) through REACT-EU to provide an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its social and economic consequences. The extension of the current Operational Programmes will allow for a quick implementation of crucial investment. In addition, the increased flexibility for transferring resources between funds and the widening of scope to support the health services, tourism and culture sectors as well as to provide working capital to SMEs will help local and regional governments invest money where it is most needed, provided that it fully respects the cohesion core principles.

The Alliance is nevertheless concerned that without consideration for the diverse needs of regions, cities and municipalities as well as strong involvement of local actors, the Recovery and Resilient Facility – which is the most powerful investment tool of the EU recovery plans – is at risk of failure. For now, most measures are only directed to Member States without clarifying how much say local and regional authorities would have in revising programmes and in spending resources. The strong link of the Facility to the European Semester and to country specific recommendations can lead to a further centralisation of the recovery plans. The Alliance urges all EU and national institutions – and in particular EU Reforms and Cohesion Commissioner Elisa Ferreira – to take the needed steps to ensure that the national plans for recovery and resilience comply with the Partnership Principle, respond to the real needs of citizens and businesses and allow for stronger and more structured involvement of local and regional authorities.

The #CohesionAlliance partner organisations have put forward their priorities in a new draft declaration affirming cohesion as a fundamental value of the European Union and a key objective for all its policies and investment. The partners of the Cohesion Alliance 2.0 will launch the new declaration during their next meeting in early June.

 Contact the #CohesionAlliance secretariat:

[email protected]

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AER Response to MFF & Recovery Fund Proposals

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On 27 May, the European Commission published its proposals for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 and COVID-19 recovery plan. 

The next long-term budget of the European Union will be of crucial importance to the European project. Not only will it be delivered in exceptionally challenging times after the COVID-19, but it is also the Union’s first spending plan since the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

AER has produced a ‘Statement on the European Commission Proposal  for the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework‘ that outlines 10 key points that the European institutions & national governments should take on board.

Among these, AER welcomes the allocation of additional funding to form part of the Recovery Fund to help regions across the EU who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 virus. This package will help to reboot regional economies, safeguarding jobs and livelihoods for EU citizens.

AER underlines the important role played by Cohesion Policy, and welcomes the new REACT-EU initiative.

“Cohesion policy has been instrumental in responding to the pandemic. Its major role of reducing economic, social and territorial disparities in the EU has never been more needed to address the longer-term impacts of the crisis and the challenges that lie ahead, driving the necessary transition towards a green, digital and fair Europe, consistent with the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.”

In reflecting on the future of cohesion policy within the new MFF, AER stresses the need for principles of partnership, multilevel governance and place-based approach.

As an advocate for more than 150 regions in Europe, AER calls for the meaningful involvement of local and regional authorities in the design and implementation of future EU investment programmes. A fair and inclusive recovery to the crisis, as well as a prosperous Union of future, can only be built with the active participation of all levels of government, acting on behalf of all EU citizens.

Read the Statement in full below:

Photo by bruno neurath-wilson on Unsplash

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AER takes part in WSED 2020

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The World Sustainable Energy Days (WSED) is an annual conference that takes place in Wels, Austria (Upper Austria). This year’s edition took place from 4-6 March. The WSED is a large event attracting at least 700 participants from 60 countries as well as a trade show that attracts over 100,000 people. AER and its delegates took part in the European Energy Efficiency Conference, taking part in the conferences in the Energy Efficiency Policy Conference, Green Financing Workshop and the Smart E-Mobility Conference.

AER invites you to fill out this EU-wide survey on Energy Efficiency. This survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete.

Energy Efficiency Policy Conference

During the conference, regional, institutional and industrial representatives provided their input on the topic of the EU Green Deal and how this would be done. For example, AER member region Upper Austria, which is an industrial region accounting for about 25% of all Austrian industrial exports (e.g. iron, steel, chemical industry) has a regional energy agency, OÖ Energiesparverband, that actively works to promote energy efficiency & renewable energy. Although the ambition of the European Green Deal is to reach a climate neutral EU wide by 2050, Austria’s ambition is to reach this climate neutrality by 2040. One of the main ways that this will be achieve in Upper Austria is through an increase of photovoltaic cells (solar power).

The European Commission were present during these conferences. Mr Rados Horacek from DG Energy gave a presentation on the European Green Deal.  This was a very timely presentation as the Commission had proposed the new EU Climate Law on 4 March. The law sets out a binding objective of climate neutrality by 2050, however in order to achieve this, the 2030 target also needs to be amended to 50-55% emission reduction. Additionally, there would be an assessment of national measures every 5 years by September 2023.

Mr Horacek stressed, in his presentation, the importance of  decarbonising of the energy sector as well as that buildings need to be more energy efficient. In order to achieve a climate neutral EU, there needs to be a larger share of renewables in final energy consumption. Additionally, it was found that buildings consume 40% of energy and 75% are energy inefficient. In conclusion, in order to achieve the EU climate objectives by 2050 (and 2030), decarbonisation of the energy systems is crucial. 

Green Finance Workshop

The Green Financing Workshop was held in the context of the PROSPECT project – a Horizon 2020 project aimed to encourage the exchange of knowledge and experience on innovative financing schedules used to implement sustainable energy and climate plans. During this workshop, different regional and local authorities showcased their lessons and experiences in how they were financing sustainable energy schemes. There were several presentations showcasing what they do. 

The energy agency of Upper Austria and the host of the Conference presented how the agency has a facilitation tool for scaling up of green finance. This facilitation tools helps identify the most promising projects and then to provide advice on technical and financial aspects, support in audits and guidance on procurement rules and contractual issues. 

The Province of Girona located in Catalonia worked with BeEnergi and brought technical support to municipalities and bundled sustainable energy investments. BeEnergi, for example, offers a SME to MESCO training course. A MESCO is a micro energy service company that specialises in maintaining public lighting and municipal buildings and in supplying renewable energies. They also provided technical assistance in qualified work. 

REScoop presented that some Belgian municipalities have a growing number of cooperatives where citizens are at the forefront in making the energy efficient projects happen. Rescoop which is short for renewable energy cooperative refers to a model where citizens jointly own and participate in renewable energy or energy efficiency projects. Members can share projects and given opportunities to buy the electricity at a fair price. 

The presentation by Litomerice in the Czech Republic showcased that the use of revolving funds to finance their projects. The idea is to reinvest the financial savings acquired through energy efficiency projects into new energy saving measures. It rewards departments for energy savings efforts by allocating a portion of the saved money to them. It was estimated between 2014-2017, 300.000 EUR had been saved due to this revolving energy savings fund. 

The last project was presented by SEM Energies Hauts-de-France, which showcased that the financing  through regional co-investment. The organisation is a regional development tool in the promotion of renewable energies. All renewable energy production projects except wind farm are eligible for financial support with typical financial volume available between EUR 100,000 and 1 mill. 

Smart E-Mobility Conference

On the final day of the conference, the topic switched to e-mobility including topics such as batteries, charging points and the EU Green Deal. Dr Gerhard Dell from the Regional Energy Agency of Upper Austria provided the Austrian context. In their region, for every 10 new parking spaces, there is also an obligation to foresee a charging infrastructure. There are both national and regional subsidies. The regional funding is for fast-charging stations in municipalities and intelligent charging stations in multi-family buildings.

Saki Gerassis from DG MOVE presented the strategies and policies for the development of sustainable mobility and transport. In his presentation, he noted that in order to achieve the climate neutrality goal, a 90% reduction in transport emissions is needed by 2050. In order to achieve and accommodate the increasing number of zero and low emission vehicles expected on the roads, 1 million public recharging and refueling stations are needed by 2025. 

However, a multimodal strategy and approach is needed. For example, the railway system is already electrified to a large extent and could aim at climate neutrality in 10-15 years. There is a push for biogas and -egas in maritime transport as well as electricity and low-carbon hydrogen in inland waterways and short-sea shipping. For the aviation industry, advanced biofuels and e-fuels are the only realistic option for decarbonisation. 

A very important point that was made by Jayson Dong from AVERE (European Association for Electromobility) was that not only is there a need for increase recharging and refueling stations but also fast charging stations. 

Conclusion

A very well attended conference with representatives from public, private and industrial sectors. All measures were taken in accordance in the prevention and spread of COVID-19. AER is very happy to take part and looking forward to next year’s edition which will take place from 24-26 February 2021. The call for papers have been opened with a deadline of 12 October 2020.

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Webinar for SMEs tackling Covid-19 in Catalonia.

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Do you work for an SME that needs help to tackle the financial impact of COVID-19 crisis? Check out the next event organised in Catalonia, Spain.

After several successful events organised in the frame of Together for Cohesion, such as the workshop in Csongrad County, the International Conference on Entrepreneurship Education in Varaždin and the Training Session on Communication in Trentino, the Generalitat de Catalunya is organising a webinar.

When? The 27th of May 2020 from 9.25 to 10.30 AM
Where? Online, on the Zoom platform
The event will be held in Catalan.

This event will be a one-hour webinar comprising a panel of experts to discuss the subject: ICF Eurocredit. This loan from European Funds helps SME with cash issues caused by COVID 19 crisis. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, such funding can provide relief to ailing SMEs all over Europe and help rebuild local economies. Among others, speakers will include Pere Cots, Director of the Strategic Consulting and Financing Department of PIMEC, Anna Àlvarez, General Manager of Credit Investments at the ICF (Catalan Institute of Finance) and Pere Aragonès, Vice President and Minister of Economy and Finance in the Government of Catalonia. This event will be an opportunity to learn more about the EU opportunities, especially the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for SMEs.

Programme

09.25 AM: Opening of the channel assigned to the platform so that registered people can connect to it using the link provided to them.

09.30 AM: Start of the seminar and presentation

  • By Lluís Juncà, General Director of Economic Promotion, Competition and Regulation, Government of Catalonia.

Institutional welcome

  • Albert Castellanos, Secretary-General of the Department of the Vice-Presidency and Economy and Finance.
  • Josep-Ramon Sanromà, CEO of the Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF).

09.40 AM: Interventions

  • Pere Cots, director of the Strategic Consulting and Financing Department of PIMEC.
  • Anna Àlvarez, General Manager of Credit Investments at the ICF.

10.00 AM: Opening for a round of questions

10.20 AM: Closing of the seminar

  • By Pere Aragonès, Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economy and Finance, Government of Catalonia.

Visit Together4Cohesion to know more about the project and check out our Cohesion Calendar to be updated on upcoming events!

Photo by Ankush Minda on Unsplash

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Agenda 2030: Now More Than Ever

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The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN in 2015 has always been of great importance. From Poverty to Education through Health and Climate Action, and many more areas, the SDGs offer a broad range of activities needed to improve societal and environmental issues. 

However, recently, life has taken an unusual turn and the achievement of the SDG goals has gained significance. With the appearance of COVID-19, many areas have been affected or have shown to be needing improvement. Whether it is on a national or a local level, the crisis showed us that improvements have to be made in acting long-term and in a sustainable way. The health sector is not the only one that took a hit during this crisis but so did the economic sector, affecting many other areas such as employment, poverty, education, etc..

This crisis revealed the weaknesses in our systems and now gives us the opportunity to rethink and rebuild stronger bases for the future. Therefore, Now More Than Ever, it is time to act together on sustainable solutions which include each and every stakeholder and sector.  During this crisis, we have seen that in extreme situations, extreme measures could be taken and citizens were willing to implement them to make a change. There are lessons to be learned from the past months and behavioural changes that can be made towards common objectives. 

The relevance of the SDGs continues to increase as time passes by. However, there will be new challenges to face on the road to their achievement. There needs to be an active approach towards them and the different stakeholders involved will have to coordinate in order to be as efficient as possible. The emphasis needs to be put on finding long-term sustainable solutions rather than short-term fixes that will only result in later issues in the future. The danger we are facing now is that governments turn to short-term solutions in order to quickly fix what the crisis has caused. Instead, now is the best time to review our approach to SDGs.

The crisis will give opportunities to work on the tactics and the means to the final goals. Local and regional involvement more specifically will be increasingly required, hoping for inclusive multi-level governance. Acting at the level closest to citizens means acting faster. The 10-year window that is left is our opportunity to act. All stakeholders involved need make an effort to achieve SDGs, not one-by-one, but as a whole. Because they are interconnected, the issues connected to one another should be worked on simultaneously. 

AER strongly believes that the achievement of these goals is necessary and urgent which is why the SDGs form the basis of its work, not only in the Bureau Taskforce, but throughout our work in policy, programmes and projects. The upcoming webinar on 24 June is the first event of a one-year-long action plan to stimulate action around SDGs. The action plan will end with a two-day conference in June 2021. In doing so, AER is partnering up with other organisations and institutions to unite our actions and reach as many stakeholders as possible.

Now More Than Ever is the time to act, to rethink and to rebuild together.

→ link to event page

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Connectivity & Infrastructure in Europe

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Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Spring Committee Plenaries of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in Covasna were cancelled. 

The Committee Plenaries provide an opportunity for our member regions to come together, exchange ideas and best experiences and promote further interregional cooperation. Committee 1, headed by Kenneth Backgard (Norrbotten, SE) focusses on Economy & Regional Development and allows AER members to share experiences and improve regional policymaking. One of the key topics covered in this committee is transport & mobility.

During the plenaries, Martin Tollen, Head of the Working Group on Transport & Mobility, was to organise a workshop on ‘Connectivity & Infrastructure in Europe’ with MEP Iuliu Winkler and Arne Engholm, County Councillor from Vasternorrland (SE). Although it did not go forward, AER has conducted interviews with the speakers of this workshop.

INTERVIEWS

MEP Iuliu Winkler (Hunedoara, RO) discussed infrastructural and soft connectivity, the challenges in Romania and the challenges faced when considering the EU Green Deal.

Martin Tollen (Ostergotland, SE), chair of the Working Group on Transport and Mobility, advised that while connectivity in his region, to other regions and to other countries is very good, the challenge to build an interconnected region has both a local and European dimension.

Arne Engholm (Vasternorrland, SE) advised of the importance of transforming the current single track train line to a double track. This has not only implications in Sweden and in his region but also to other parts of Europe.

Connectivity and infrastructure is a topic that is very important to many of our member regions. Through internet connectivity, these interviews were able to happen!

If you would like to share your experience, know more about strategies in other regions or initiate a joint project with regions in Europe, contact the AER Secretariat!

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How to communicate about projects in the online space: online workshop in Csongrad County

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As a part of the “Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite”, a series of workshops are being organised throughout its six flagship regions to provide citizens and stakeholders with useful advice on how to communicate about projects. Read this article to know more about the webinar organised in Csongrad County!

One of these workshops was held on the 28 April 2020. Eighteen stakeholders of EU cohesion, either beneficiaries of EU funding or companies interested in receiving EU funding, based in Csongrad County (Hungary) took part in this webinar. The theme of the workshop was how to communicate about projects in the online space.

The rapporteur, György Dreisziger, gave a presentation on branding the use of social media, and how organisations working with cohesion funding in the region can improve their branding and social media communication. After a quick introduction, the Cohesion Fund was explained. A lecture on online marketing opportunities and channels was given as well as some marketing tips for the duration of the epidemic. A Questions & Answers session at the end of the workshop enabled the participants to interact with the tutor and bring the conversation further.

Despite the Covid-19 situation, the event was a real success and shows that we can connect in times of social distancing and use technology to promote regional economic development.

If you want to be part in this project, have a look at this Call for Third Parties.

Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash

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