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AER working groups: it’s simple

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The long-awaited guide for members willing to set up a new working group is finally there!

Working groups are for all AER members

All AER members can participate in working groups. Any AER member can submit a proposal for setting up a working group on a new topic.

It is possible to contribute to the work by:

  1. Sharing needs and topics your region would be interested to work on
  2. Offering expertise, flagging good practices you would like to share with AER members, proposing speakers
  3. Participating in events organised by the Chairs of the Working Groups
  4. Representing AER at thematic events: all AER members can be AER ambassadors!

To do this, contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius with ideas, proposals, requests.

How to propose a new Working Group

1. Identifying partner regions

Any AER member can submit a proposal for setting up a Working Group. A region, which would like to set up a working group should test the idea with other members and find supporting regions, in order to ensure there is a core group of regions that will be interested in dedicating time to exchange on the topic, and to be able to define activities that will be relevant to more than one region

Any AER member wishing to set up a Working Group should therefore find at least three supporting regions, which will contribute to shaping the activities, participate and contribute to the work. Either the AER member is already in contact with regions that could join the new Working Group, or they request the help of the AER Secretariat to contact regions that may be interested.

2. Submitting a proposal to the Executive Board

The region, which would like to set up a working group should develop a draft proposal for the focus of the Working Group and list a few potential activities to be presented to the EB together with supporting regions. The Draft Proposal for setting up the new Working Group, should:

  • mention the topic of the Working Group
  • clarify the focus of the exchange and dissemination of best practices
  • indicate the lead region and the supporting regions
  • propose a few activities which they would like to implement within the first two-years mandate
  • define an objective for the work of the Working Group (what will the activities help to achieve?)

3. The EB establishes the creation of the new Working Group

Once the proposal for setting up a new Working Group has been approved by the EB, an article is published about the new Working Group including information on:

  • the proposed focus
  • objective
  • lead region and supporting regions
  • envisioned activities

Regions interested to join the new Working Group and shape activities are invited to provide inputs by email.

4. Appointing a Chair

A first meeting of the working group will be organised in person or online, to appoint a Chair and agree on joint activities. The meeting will be announced beforehand on the AER website. The meeting will be open to all AER members. During this first meeting, Working Group members will agree on implementation details and responsibilities. Each Working Group decides on its own working structure

Role of the Chair of a Working Group

The Chair is responsible for the leadership of the Working Group and liaising with the Vice-President in charge of the Working Group policy area.

Each Working Group Chair’s region is charged to appoint a seconded officer to act as working group secretariat in liaison with the AER secretariat. The seconded officer is responsible for:

  • Co-organising events and projects in collaboration with the secretariat;
  • Managing the content of the meetings;
  • Drafting speeches and policy contributions;
  • The Chair will take the responsibility for the planning of the Working Group’s activities;

The Chair of the Working Group will inform the Vice-President in charge of the related policy area about the activities organised by the Working Group.
The Vice-President in charge of the related policy area will inform the Chair of the Working Group about upcoming events or EU policy developments, which may be of interest to the Chair and where the findings of the Working Group could be shared
When the Vice-President in charge of the related policy area is invited to external events, they will mention the activities of the working group

Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash

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Proposal for a Working Group on Bioeconomy adopted

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The Executive Board which took place on 23 March 2022 adopted the proposal for the creation of an AER working group on the Bioeconomy.

The proposal is led by Innlandet (NO) and is supported by Lower Austria (AU), Gelderland (NL), Värmland (SE).

Skills & knowledge at the heart of the development of the Bioeconomy

It is estimated that the bioeconomy contributes to almost 9% of the EU-27 labour force and 4.7% of the EU-27 GDP1. As a concrete operationalisation of the bioeconomy, more than 2,300 bio-based plants have been mapped by the Joint Research Centre across Europe.

To fully reap the economic, social and environmental benefits of the bioeconomy, dedicated bioeconomy strategies, investments and innovation are required at all levels in the EU. That is why the updated European Bioeconomy Strategy of 2018 states the need for the development of national and regional bioeconomy strategies.

However, this needs heavy investment in knowledge, competency, and know-how and collaboration with vocational education and the industry. There is a need to recruit, train, retain skills, in particular in rural areas, where the industries are located.

Proposed activities

The main goal of the working group is to share knowledge, experience, and best practises. Other activities may be included, such as:

  • Arrange events in Europe through AER, on the topic of the bioeconomy, with a “glocal” focus
  • Develop policy briefs, best practices, and research/insight.
  • Develop small scale projects and large-scale projects such as CoVE

The Working Group is open to all AER members

If you are interested in collaborating with this working group, please fill in this short questionnaire so we know you better and can contact you. Working groups are exclusively for AER members. If you have any questions, you can contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Exchange Johanna Pacevicius.

Next steps

A first meeting will soon be convened and announced on the AER website, to get to know each other, specify interests, identify joint activities, agree on collaboration, and chose a Chair for the working group.

The proposal, which was adopted by the AER Executive Board can be found here.

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Partner Search: New Project on Cultural Planning & Rural Development

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The region of Örebro County and the Coompanion Mälardalen in Sweden are looking for partners for a new project they are preparing within the Creative Europe programme, call for proposals CREA-CULT-2021-COOP-2 “European Cooperation projects (medium scale)”.

The project will focus on cultural planning and rural development. Cultural planning is a broad, interdisciplinary approach that weaves cultural perspectives into community planning. It is a geographical rather than sectoral concept that includes both tangible and intangible cultural resources, and is becoming increasingly important in sustainably society planning.

Cultural planning will form the starting point of this project. It takes the view that culture should not be treated solely as a sectoral theme, but as a cross-cutting/transversal dimension of all high-level EU policy initiatives, and indeed of cohesion policy more broadly. Therefore, culture needs to be recognised and incentivised as part of a place-based approach to the regional development of EU territories.

The purpose of this project then, will be to test and develop methods of cultural planning in rural development, and show how cultural planning can have a better impact in different national planning contexts. This will be based on international knowledge-gathering and exchange of experiences using cultural planning models.

The consortium is currently composed of partners from different countries in Europe representing both the public sector and social economy entities. In order to complete it, the Lead Partner is searching for a public sector partner from Eastern or Central Europe primarily (but also other countries) with an interest and experience in the cultural and creative sectors.

If you are interested in joining this project, please send your expression of interest by 15 July h 12:00 pm CEST and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us in case you would need additional information.

Contact:

Agnese Pantaloni, European Projects Coordinator ([email protected])

Photo by MUILLU on Unsplash

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Skillnet Training Session – Making the Most of Cohesion & Rural Development Funds

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MFF, ERDF, ESF, EFRD, EAGF…navigating the sea of acronyms in the EU funding lexicon can be a daunting task for would-be applicants. Yet, unlocking these funds will be crucial for regions if they are to bounce back from the pandemic. What can be done to help regions access the crucial funding they need to support their recovery?

The AER recognises these challenges members face when it comes to accessing EU funding. That’s why on 26 May, as part of our Skillnet Project on European funding opportunities, the AER held a training session for regions and their stakeholders looking to make the best of new EU funding opportunities.

Featuring presentations and an extended Q & A with experts from the European Commission, the first webinar in our “Unboxing the MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework)” series took attendees through Cohesion & Rural Development funds, and the EU’s Next Generation EU Recovery Package.

Cohesion Policy and Next Generation EU – What’s New?

Our first speaker, Ms Tereza Krausová from DG REGIO gave an overview of the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy and Next Generation EU packages, and provided insights on how regions can benefit under the new frameworks. She noted that while NextGenEU is “at its core” a crisis-repair instrument, the Commission wants it to compliment the EU’s climate goals and facilitate the digital transition – important aspect to bear in mind.

Also of note are the substantial sums allocated to bolster programmes of key interest to regions. There is EUR 47.5 billion allocated to Cohesion programmes 2014-2020, like the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund (ESF+), and cross-border programmes like the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD). (Note – AER members are invited to request more information on these and all instruments discussed from the AER Secretariat).

Ms Krausová also set out the features of these shared management funds, which have a strong territorial dimension. While the partnership agreements for programmes under these funds are set up nationally with the Commission, local and regional authorities are strongly encouraged to engage themselves fully in the process by meeting with and setting out their priorities to their national authorities. Most notably, Policy Objective 5: ‘Territorial Tools’, underlines that all investments have to be based on local strategies. These should empower cities and local communities “to identify their own priorities and projects in a participatory way.” Possible tools available include integrated territorial investments (ITIs), community-led local development (CLLD) and other territorial tools designed by member states.

In terms of priority themes, as mentioned, under the ERDF there is a “thematic concentration” on improvement of the economy and meeting the EU’s climate reduction targets. Of particular interest to regions will be the thematic concentration on sustainable urban development. 8% of the ERDF is allocated towards integrated urban development delivered through local development partnerships. There are also new funding streams available for interregional innovation, and Ms Krausová again emphasised that these local development strategies must have true “local ownership”. Within the INTERREG programme, there is a bigger emphasis on cross-border programmes – including a new European cross-border Mechanism, a specific component for outermost regions, and the incorporation of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) and the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), which supports co-operation outside the EU.

Ms Krausová also touched on the EU’s Just Transition Fund (JTF), which provides over EUR 19 billion in tailored support to territories to help them achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This money aims to galvanize green investment in areas like waste reduction, resource efficiency, recycling, etc, as well as encourage SME growth in the green economy. Coal and peat intensive regions in transition will be key beneficiaries of this fund.

European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) – driving a Fair Recovery

Our second speaker, Ms Louise Reid from DG EMPL gave insights on the new European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). The ESF+ supports employment, education and social inclusion through EUR 99.3 billion of investments in different programmes.

As with other funds, there are specific “thematic concentrations requirements” for member states relating to tackling youth unemployment, eradicating child poverty, and capacity building of social partners and civil society. Of note is that there is EUR 531 million and EUR 197 million available to support Outermost Regions and Transnational cooperation respectively under shared management. With regard to REACT-EU funds distributed under ESF+, Ms Reid said these will be directed towards short-term work schemes and youth employment, as well as ensuring equal access to health services. Echoing Ms Krausová, she underlined that “regions should now take the opportunity to be involved” in the national planning processes, and contact their local management authority for more information on accessing REACT-EU funding.

The Common Agricultural Policy – the importance of Partnership

Our final speaker, Mr Stefan Jensen from DG AGRI updated attendees on the reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and how regions can make the most of the EU instruments available to support rural development. While still under negotiation, from 2023 the National CAP Strategic Plans will integrate “direct payments and market funds” – the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), with the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). Between 2021-22 there will be a transition period where the current framework will be extended, and there is an additional EUR 8 billion earmarked from the Next Generation EU recovery programme to support rural development. As with the other funds under discussion, there is “a strong focus on Green Deal ambitions”, with 30% of the EAFRD concentrated on helping rural areas meet climate and environmental objectives.

Mr Jensen underlined the essential role that regional stakeholders will have in the administration of the new CAP. Members should note that regions are very much embedded in the design of these instruments, and are expected to be involved in the design and implementation of the National Strategic plans. More concretely, the Commission expects these plans to be able to identify regional specificities and needs, and it is therefore vital that all levels of government are involved in elaborating these strategies.

The Commission equally recognises the need for local approaches to fulfill broader Green ambitions. To this end, Mr Jensen encouraged local organisations to “take ownership” to ensure that “the green transition takes place on the ground.” He also advised regions “to look across different EU funds that will help you on the ground,” noting provisions in the Common Provisions Regulations (CPR) that can help regions identify funding opportunities.

There were several noteworthy takeaways for the 100+ participants who took part in this training session. Firstly, for regions to make sure they can access the funding they need, it is essential that they reach out to their member states and involve themselves in the process of designing the National Strategic Plans. Having an awareness of which streams in each instrument have a strong territorial focus (some noted above) can help regions guide such discussions, as will keeping in mind the wider political focus at EU level on delivering the Green and Digital Transitions.

Still not sure where to start? Want a more detailed briefing on this Training Session and other funding opportunities? The AER is on-hand to give one-to-one guidance on how to make the most of EU Funding opportunities. For more information, please contact our European Projects Coordinator, Ms Agnese Pantaloni via email at [email protected]

In the meantime, you can find our speakers’ slides at this link. Make sure to keep an eye on our website to find out when the next webinar in our “Unboxing the MFF” series is announced!

***

This training session was organised as part of the Skillnet Project, which is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission. Skillnet aims to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships. To learn more about funding opportunities within the Skillnet Project, visit our dedicated Partnerships in Focus Hub.

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Why Innovative Skills are the Catalyst for Rural Areas

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On 25 March, the Assembly of European Regions hosted the “Ambitious Skills and Innovation Strategies: A Territorial Approach” webinar. The event was part of the series of webinars on EU funding opportunities organised within the Skillnet project (co-founded by the Erasmus+ Programme) to bring together experts in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and to establish collaborations for future EU project proposals.

We are now living in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where machines and artificial intelligence play a significant role in enhancing productivity and wealth. These changes have given rise to new skills requirements and a growing skills shortage among businesses and especially SMEs, which often struggle to find the talent they require. The new skills requirements are not only limited to high-tech and manufacturing competences but also cover interpersonal skills, as well as competences related to sales, human resources, care, and education.

In the context of regional innovation strategies, rural areas should play an essential role, not just as a source of raw material and places to locate space-intensive activities, but as genuine partners and drivers of innovation. Additionally, increasing attention should be addressed to the many interdependencies between regional development policies and the skills required to sustain innovation strategies.

Interreg EU Policy Learning Platform – Support for regions in delivering better place-based policies

Existing networks and platforms offer increasing support to regional authorities across Europe to develop and deliver better policies through a territorial approach. Among these, Elena Ferrario, Thematic Manager of the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform (PLP), presented the services of the PLP as online learning, events, and personalised policy advice through a free on-demand peer review service. The latter is a service offered to local, regional, and national policy makers who seek advice on a specific policy framework through the design of a two-day knowledge-exchange experience with experts and peers. The cooperative approach within the Interreg community allows to identify the thematic experts who will set the to-do-list of actions within two working days (online or onsite), and after 12 to 18 months they will follow-up with the implementation results.

The application for the peer review service is open permanently and is an easy process. Interested regions can access the Terms of References and/or contact Elena Ferrario [[email protected]] to apply.

Additionally, the PLP outlines policy briefs, concise and to-the-point documents outlining recommendations and best practices for regional and local authorities and policymakers. In this context, Katharina Krell, Thematic Expert of the Interreg Europe PLP, highlighted the Skills for Innovation and Skills for Energy Transition briefs, which feature policy recommendations that draw on Interreg Europe’s experience with projects on the development of skills for innovation, and which aim to show regions a path towards better regional innovation policymaking.

Good practice from the Donegal County – Education and training for high tech skills

The ICT FinTech and engineering industries are key sectors within the Donegal County, contributing to regional development and boosting place-based innovation. To this aim, Mr. Vinny McGroary, Area Training Manager at the Donegal Education & Training Board (ETB), stated that the County encourages the continuous development of new skills through Donegal ETB. The latter provides second-level education programmes and Further Education Training which include a partnership of collaborations within the community, voluntary and private sectors, as well as with businesses.

The national strategy is focused on promoting growth through the improvement of working skills from the beginning of apprenticeships right up to the professional level. Additionally, Donegal ETB provides a number of full-time and part-time programmes for the development of skills tailored to the industry’s needs, and many of these courses are industry certified and endorsed by employers. Among these, the Skills to Advance and Skills for Work programmes are tailored to upskill people with a lower skill set and who need more opportunities to make progress in their professional careers. The Apprenticeship programme enables close collaboration with industries through a combination of learning in the workplace and education in the training centre.

The provision of these trainings focusing particularly on the ICT, FinTech, and Engineering sectors has been of core relevance to address the high rates of school drop-out. Additionally, it contributed to boost solid partnerships between people, businesses, and local organisations.

Funding incentives for territorial development

As presented by Agnese Pantaloni, EU Projects Coordinator at the Assembly of European Regions, the EU has deployed several means to support territorial development in rural areas. Among these we find:

  • The Common Agricultural Policy 2021-2027 (CAP) will be supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development which is designed to reduce economic, environmental, and social constraints in urban areas and outermost regions, fostering knowledge transfer and innovation while promoting social inclusion, and economic development.
  • Additionally, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supports Technical Vocational Education and Training systems through investment on skills development for smart specialisation, employability, and adaptation to labour market changes.
  • The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) brings together the existing European Social Fund with the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and the Fund for Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD). Initiatives supported through this newly established fund will likely focus on the acquisition of digital skills through schooling and education, support measures to improve the recruitment, and promote the socio-economic integration of newcomers from third countries.
  • Interreg Programmes aim at fostering a more competitive, smarter, greener, resilient and connected Europe. Interreg Programmes include cross-border, transnational, and interregional.
  • With a budget of over €28 billion, the ERASMUS+ Programme supports mobility and learning for all across the European Union and beyond. It provides opportunities for study periods abroad, traineeships, apprenticeships, and staff exchanges in all fields of education, training, youth and sport.
  • Horizon Europe finances research and innovation projects in thematic areas such as climate change, transport, health, food, agriculture, rural development, energy efficiency. Participating in Horizon Europe is open to all types of organisations based in the EU and all over the world, both public and private sector organisations, working on individual and collaborative based projects.

Where to find resources & support?

LEADER/ CLLD: European initiative that supports development projects to revitalise rural areas through bottom-up approaches.
European Network for Rural Development: Hub for sharing ideas & experiences on how rural development policies work in practice, facilitating knowledge sharing and networking among all rural stakeholders in the EU.
Smart Specialisation Platform: The platform that provides guidance and good practice examples, tools to facilitate strategy formation & mutual learning of the smart specialisation strategy (S3).
EIP-AGRI: European Innovation Partnerships that build bridges between science and practice, collecting knowledge and best practices for farmers, foresters, advisers, and others.
Policy Learning Platform: The second action of Interreg Europe programme that provides a space for continuous learning, where a network of policy makers can benefit from personalised expert advice, updated news and examples of peer-reviewed good practices.

Open and Future EU Funding Opportunities and Initiatives

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

Photo from Unsplash @jeshoots

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

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Digital Transformation & Skills in the Agri-food Sector

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open and Future EU Funding Opportunities and Initiatives

Photo by Naseem Buras Unsplash

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

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Building a better future: Generating enthusiasm for Vocational Education and Training (VET)

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On January 27th,  the Assembly of European Regions in cooperation with Skillman Alliance hosted the “New enthusiasm for Vocational Education & Training, Boosting self-confidence in young people” webinar. This was the ninth webinar on EU funding opportunities that are being co-organized by AER within the Skillnet project framework (co-founded by the Erasmus+ Programme) in order to bring together experts in different fields linked to vocational education and training (VET) and establish relevant groups of collaboration for future EU project proposals.

Generating enthusiasm for Technical and Vocational Education and Training

This webinar offered the opportunity to learn and exchange about regional policies and practices aimed at making young people more aware of the opportunities related to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). One of the main challenges in TVET is that it is often associated with negative representations such as the difficulty to follow general education or attend university. It is therefore crucial to inform the general public about the opportunities TVET offer and showcase it as a path for success.

Kjerstin Torpmann-Hagen, Policy Officer at the European Commission DG Employment, gave a detailed overview of financial support available to support VET across Europe. In her presentation (available on the event webpage) she emphasised the importance following EU programmes:

  • European Social Fund (ESF+)
  • The European Regional and Development Fund (ERDF)
  • Recovery and Resilience Faculty (RRF)
  • Erasmus+
  • Technical Support instruments (TSI)
  • InvestEU

Regional experiences on showcasing TVET as a pathway for success

Two examples from regions were presented during the webinar, which shed light on how regions are generating enthusiasm for Vocational Education and Training and boosting self-confidence in youth.

Miquel Carrión Molina, Deputy Director at Youth Employment and Professional Qualification, Catalonia (ES) said to boost enthusiasm for vocational education and training, policies must put young people’s needs “at the centre”, for example, by allowing for a longer training process accounting for trainees leaving and returning to training. He also stressed the importance of personal guidance and support to young people and in relation to VET, the possibility for youth to choose among different programmes and training.  

Gabriela Rus, Policy officer at Economic and Rural Development department, Alba County Council (RO) presented a project “Dual and vocational education – a new beginning” and explained how Alba region created a local working group of key VET stakeholders “to harmonise education offerings with the labour market” and increase engagement with vocational training among young people. The activities included: 

  • organisation of the parents’ meetings in schools in urban and rural areas to provide additional information to the students and their parents regarding the opportunities of a professional career in a technical field 
  • development of skills and professional interest questionnaire for professional counselling to students and parents 

For a better future!

To conclude, the moderator, Hrvoje Kovač, Chair of the AER subcommittee on Youth, Varaždin (HR) highlighted that actions at the local and regional levels are vital for generating enthusiasm for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Building a better future for the youth means replicating experiences from other regions and transferring knowledge.

Open and Future EU funding opportunities and initiatives:

To know more, rewatch the webinar and engage in the discussions through the Peer Learning Clubs!

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Territorial approaches to innovation: spotlight on rural areas

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We are pleased to invite you to two webinars that will look at the need for territorial approaches to innovation, based on strong rural-urban links and ambitious and forward-looking skills strategies

 

What are the main challenges and opportunities for European regions and rural areas in particular when it comes to fostering innovation? These two events will provide an opportunity to share regional experiences and hear about support initiatives at EU level.

The events are part of the Skillnet webinar series AER is organising, which provides an opportunity for mutual learning around topics identified by AER members.

 

Ambitious Skills and Innovation Strategies: A territorial Approach

In the context of regional innovation strategies, rural areas should play an essential role, not just as a source of raw material and places to locate space-intensive activities, but as genuine partners. Place-based approaches call for cooperation at all levels and in particular between rural and urban territories or between disconnected territories.

The first webinar, which will take place on 25 March 2021 at 10:00 CET, will offer the opportunity to learn and exchange about regional policies and practices for ambitious skills and innovation strategies through territorial approaches.

This webinar will look at:

  • why innovation strategies aimed at developing Advanced manufacturing need to be based on territorial approaches and why it is so important to consider and involve rural areas from the start
  • strategies to attract innovation and skills in rural areas 
  • the role of TVET to achieve more cohesive regional development

Agenda

Ambitious Skills and Innovation Strategies:
A territorial Approach

25 March 2021 at 10:00 CET

  • 10.00-10.05 – Housekeeping rules, quick presentation on Skillnet, Valentina De Vico, Communication Manager, Skillman Team
  • 10:05-10:10 – Opening remarks and introduction to the webinar, Johanna Pacevicius, Policy and Knowledge Transfer Coordinator, Assembly of European Regions
  • 10.10-10.20 –  Available EU funding and incentives, Agnese Pantaloni, EU Projects Coordinator, Assembly of European Regions
  • 10:20-10:35 – Peer reviews and knowledge exchanges to boost innovation, Elena Ferrario, Thematic Manager, and Katharina Krell, Thematic Expert, Policy Learning Platform Interreg Europe
  • 10.35-10.45 – Regional practice from Donegal County, Vinny McGroary, Area Training Manager, Donegal ETB
  • 10.45-10.55 – Panel discussion and Q&A session
  • 10.55-11.00 – Closing remarks 

 

Innovation and farming: Applications of Advanced Manufacturing in the food value chain

As is the case in other industries, agriculture is currently making extensive use of data mobility, industry 4.0, and new technologies that unlock productivity and cost savings. High-tech solutions are available to both local farming families and major agricultural corporations.

The second webinar, which will take place on 26 March at 10:00 CET, will highlight the existing use of advanced manufacturing in the agro-food sector and focus on skills strategies for this particular sector.

 

Agenda

Innovation and farming: Applications of Advanced Manufacturing in the food value chain

26 March at 10:00 CET

  • 10.00-10.05 – Housekeeping rules, quick presentation on Skillnet, Valentina De Vico, Communication Manager, Skillman Team
  • 10.05-10.10 – Opening remarks and introduction to the webinar, Cornelia Carmen Madaras, Advisor at the Foreign Affairs Office of the Alba County Council
  • 10.10-10.20 – Applications of digital technologies in the agriculture sector, Miguel de Porras, Director at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FIBL 
  • 10.20-10.30 – Building innovation in the agri-food sector through EU projects, George Beers, Horticultural Engineer, Wageningen University and Research
  • 10.30-10.40, Regional practice from Vojvodina, Mladen Petres, Assistant Provincial Secretary of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry, Province of Vojvodina
  • 10.40-10.55 – Panel discussion and Q&A session
  • 10.55-11.00 – Closing remarks 

How to join the webinars

Click on the above “register here” buttons (one registration per event)

or go to the Skillnet events page and chose:

  • E 419 – Ambitious skills and innovation strategies: a territorial approach; 25/03/2021 10:00 CET
  • E 420 – Innovation and farming: application of Advanced Manufacturing in the food value chain; 26/03/2021 10:00 CET

Save the date!

The events will take place on 25 and 26 March 2021 at 10:00 CET!

Watch back!

 Ambitious skills & innovation strategies: A territorial approach 

Innovation & Farming: Application of Advanced Manufacturing in the food value chain
Handouts

EU opportunities & resources

Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform 

Experience from Donegal ETB

Application of digital technologies in the organic agriculture sector

Building Innovation in the agri-food sector through EU projects 

Experience from Vojvodina

Contacts

[email protected]

[email protected]

This webinar is organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission aiming to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships.

 

 

The commitment of regions to Sustainable Food Policies in the EU

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Following the first European Green Deal webinar, which covered challenges and opportunities for regions in the time of Covid-19, the AER brought the second in our series: Farm to Fork – The Commitment of Regions to Sustainable Food Policy in the EU, in collaboration with the Advisory Council for Sustainable Development of the Catalan Government (CADS).

The panel debate moderated by Arnau Queralt, Director of the Advisory Council for Sustainable Development of Catalonia, brought together regional authorities as well as EU and global representatives. During this online session, it was discussed the key role that the new comprehensive approach to food sustainability has to play in the European Union and the commitment from European regions towards developing and implementing food policies that contribute to a more resilient and sustainable food system. 

The webinar kicked off with the introductory remarks by AER Vice President for Sustainability, Albert Castellanos, and the video message from the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food from the Government of Catalonia, Teresa Jordà i Roura. Both Catalan representatives highlighted that the Farm to Fork Strategy lays at the core of the European Green Deal, and provides a new comprehensive approach to food sustainability in the European Union, thus aiming at achieving sustainable and resilient food systems around Europe. 

Ricard Ramon i Sumoy, Deputy Head of Unit from DG AGRI at the European Commission, introduced the European Green Deal as the new EU growth strategy launched by the European Commission with the objective of transforming the European Union into a fair and sustainable society with a competitive and green economy where there are net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050. This initiative is an integral part of the European Commission’s strategy to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, which aims at putting sustainability and the well-being of citizens at the centre of the economic policy while at the same time places the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the heart of the EU’s policy-making.

 

The Director of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), Nicholas Jacobs, claimed that the EU’s new comprehensive approach to food sustainability arrives in a critical moment that has reinforced the urgency for resilience. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the current food framework, raising awareness of its lack of proficiency and sustainability. Not only the COVID-19 crisis, but also climate change,  have made us aware of the need to develop new food policies and put into action the Farm to Fork strategy in order to have a resilient and sustainable food system which will not be threatened by future crises, and that is capable of ensuring access to a sufficient supply of affordable food for citizens. 

In this regard, the European Commission recognizes that the transition to food sustainability will change the economic fabric of many EU regions and their patterns of interactions, therefore, it has already allocated technical and financial assistance from existing EU instruments, such as cohesion funds and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. 

Irén Lejegren, Chair of the AER Taskforce on Food Security and regional representative from Örebro (Sweden), introduced the AER position paper on Food Security and highlighted that regional authorities have the power to act at different levels in the food system, be it at the level of production, transformation, logistics and transport or distribution and waste management.

The regional representative from Västra Götaland in Sweden, Aida Karimli, reminded that a holistic and a vertical approach from local, regional, national and international levels is needed in order to promote a more efficient bio-economy in Europe through multi-level governance. 

The regional good practices concluded with Anna Castellví presenting the recently approved Catalan Strategic Plan for Food Sustainability and explained how it remains connected to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Rewatch the webinar!

Further food for thought!

The Assembly of European Regions presented the online consultation launched in partnership with the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and other partners, and encourage regional authorities to participate in order to contribute to identifying the challenges and opportunities in the successful implementation of the EU Green Deal and to provide policymakers with concrete advice to help achieve climate neutrality at the European continent.

To begin the survey, please, click below.

Survey
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Partner Search: new project proposal to support the Farm-to-Fork Strategy

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Are you interested in joining projects within Horizon 2020 European Green Deal Call? Sibiu County Council, local public administration in Romania and member region of AER, is looking for partners to join their new project on the Farm-to-Fork Strategy.

About the European Green Deal Call

Green Deal Call, worth €1 billion, has been launched on the 18th of September. It is the last call of the Horizon 2020 Programme and just ahead of the launch of Horizon Europe, the next research and innovation programme kicking-off in 2021.

The Green Deal Call is all about impact, with the Commission looking for projects that will deliver fast and visible results. This call is yielding tangible results that will bring changes by 2030. 

The structure of the call is mirroring the European Green Deal. One of the ten thematic areas is Testing and demonstrating systemic innovations in support of the Farm-to-Fork Strategy within which proposals should focus on systemic innovations that enhance the resilience of food systems to various shock and maximize synergies and minimize trade-offs to deliver co-benefits on the environmental, economic, and social dimensions.

About the Sibiu County Council’s project proposal

Sibiu County Council is currently developing a project proposal in support of the Farm-to-Fork Strategy within the Horizon 2020 call LC-GD-6-1-2020 “Testing and demonstrating systemic innovations in support of the Farm-to-Fork-Strategy”.

Taking into account that many current production practices and consumption patterns still result in food waste, air, water, and soil pollution and contribute to climate change, the general objectives of the project proposal are decreasing the carbon footprint, shortening the food chain from Farm to Fork and enhancing sustainable rural development.

In view of the current COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, the project proposal also aims to ensure an easy and secure connection between producers and consumers by transforming weekly supported local markets using digital solutions. In that way, the project would contribute to developing the local economy, stopping food waste, and transitioning to digitalization.

If you are interested in joining this project proposal and contributing to its further development, don’t hesitate to contact AER team by 27 November 2020. We would be happy to liaise you with Sibiu County Council!

Contact: Agnese Pantaloni, European Projects Coordinator

E-mail: [email protected]

Photo by Megan Thomas on Unsplash

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Webinar: EU Green Deal – Farm to Fork – The Commitment of Regions to Sustainable Food Policy in the EU

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Date: 16 December

Time: 16:00-17:30 CEST

Registration: Here

Following the success of our first European Green Deal webinar, which covered challenges and opportunities for regions in the time of Covid-19, the AER is delighted to bring you the second in our series: Farm to Fork – The Commitment of Regions to Sustainable Food Policy in the EU, in collaboration with the Advisory Council for Sustainable Development of the Catalan Government (CADS).

During this online session, it will be discussed the key role that the new comprehensive approach to food sustainability has to play in the European Union and the commitment from European regions towards developing and implementing food policies that contribute to a more resilient and sustainable food system. 

This panel debate will bring together regional authorities as well as EU and global representatives and will be followed by a more open questions and answers session to provide further food for thought.

                                                         See the overview detailed programme here

16:00-16:10 Welcome & Introduction
16:10-16:30 Experts Panel –

Farm to Fork: Achieving Food Sustainability in the European Union
16:30-16:50 Good practice examples–

European Regions as frontrunners towards sustainable food policies
16:50-17:30 Questions & Answers with regions

Regional representatives from the panel and among the audience will have the opportunity to address their questions to the experts.

Committee 1 Annual Report June 2019 – November 2020

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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 developed and implemented within Committee 1 between the 2019 General Assembly in Larnaka (CY) and the 2020 online General Assembly.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic the AER Executive Board decided to prolong the validity of the AER Action Plan in order to allow the continuation of knowledge sharing between regions in a structured way.

AER had to define ways to maintain planned activities and offer new opportunities for mutual learning in a radically different and uncertain context, where face-to-face meetings are not possible and all regional stakeholders are focused on fighting the pandemic.

Activities are organised in 3 categories:

  • Projects
  • Good practice sharing
  • Advocacy/ Lobbying

Projects

In terms of knowledge sharing, the idea with projects is to provide a framework, where regions can go deeper in mutual learning and good practices exchange, while being co-financed by the EU. AER always negotiates its implication in projects in a way that will benefit all AER members. In the current situation where face to face events are cancelled, projects offer unparalleled opportunities for online knowledge and experience exchange.

SKILLNET

SKILLNET is a project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme aimed at improving Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems.

AER joined the SKILLNET project this Spring while most of Europe was in lockdown, specifically because of the opportunities the project is offering for online activities relevant to both Committee 1 and Committee 3. Indeed the project is organising a high number of webinars and offering online platforms for the exchange of knowledge. In order to make sure project activities provide value to members, the topics of SKILLNET webinars are chosen based on the AER Action Plan and further specified together with members which have expressed needs in the process of the definition of workprogrammes at Committee meetings

SKILLNET has launched a series of 18 webinars on EU funding opportunities. Each webinar is open to all interested parties and focuses on different areas of intervention upon which relevant partnerships can be launched.

As a follow-up of each SKILLNET webinar, a Partnerships in Focus bulletin is circulated and stored in the Partnerships in Focus hub on the AER website.

Additionally, the project offers the opportunity for regional stakeholders working on Vocational Education and Training to connect via the Peer Learning Clubs. Stakeholders learn from each other, and get access to relevant information and experts to be applied to develop future partnerships within EU calls.

  • AER members interested in sharing their experience in a webinar should contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius

Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite! finished

“Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite!” is a project submitted under a call launched by DG REGIO. This project raised awareness on the importance of programmes, projects, and services funded by the cohesion policy funds. It also encouraged the participation of citizens and stakeholders to become active players in the dialogue on cohesion policy. AER coordinated the project and collected experiences on cohesion policy together with regions.

This project was officially launched during the 2019 General Assembly in Larnaca (CY). Six AER member regions were partners in this project: Varazdin (HR), Csongrád (HU), Trentino (IT), Timis and Alba (RO), and Catalonia (ES). The project also had an information stall dedicated to the Together for Cohesion project at 2019 Autumn Committee Plenaries.

Partner regions have organized several local events to raise awareness on Cohesion policy among EU citizens:

The first event of Together for Cohesion held, the “Apulum Agraria” Fair in Alba (RO) held from 20-22nd September 2019, promoting agriculture, the economy of Alba and local farmers and members of professional associations.

The project was also represented at the 37th session of the Local and Regional Authorities Congress, led by the Council of Europe between the 28-31st October 2019.

The project contributed to the organisation of a Career management fair in Alba (RO), which raised awareness on the use and benefits of the EU cohesion policy and funds – with a special focus on how to find employment opportunities and how to receive the appropriate career guidance.

The Forum for Mayors, on the 11th of December, in Szeged, Hungary, by the General Assembly of Csongrand County was an opportunity to learn more about why cohesion policy and funds are crucial for the social and economic development of the cities and towns led by the Mayors taking part in the Csongrad Forum

Regions have also prepared several trainings focused on developing communication skills and understanding of European cohesion policies. The first training, on Together4Cohesion: how to use social media to better communicate the EU cohesion policy took place on the 23rd of January, in Trentino, Italy.

In Varaždin (HR), the annual Gala Ball of Varaždin County on 24 January 2020 was an opportunity to promote the project. On 13 February 2020, Varaždin also hosted an event in the context of the Together4Cohesion Project called “ESI Funds beyond 2020”. On 5 March a third event will be organised, with a contribution by South Ostrobothnia on entrepreneurship education. It is connected with Cohesion Policy since schools will also present how they develop new curricula with the help of EU funds. The recommendations will be sent to AER and be at disposal for all interested members

More events organised in the context of the project can be found on the Together4Cohesion website

CUBES: Cultural Administration Boosting with the Engagement of Sustainability for Local Communities ongoing

The CUBES project was developed to create a bridge between cultural heritage, administrative bodies, and digitalization. The project will:

  • raise awareness
  • emphasizing the importance of culture
  • increase competitiveness and economic growth.

Target: local communities, public authorities, NGOs and CSOs. The kick-off of the CUBES project took place on the 25th of October 2019 in Lisbon, the project will end in April 2020

The experience of the CUBES project on grassroots approaches for sustainable regional development was supposed to inform the discussions at the conference “Territorial Approaches to Regional Development” in Covasna on 11 March 2020. As the plenaries were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an article was written on Culture, a pillar of sustainable regional development by the Lead partner of the CUBES project.

As the project is progressing, the Secretariat is exploring how to use the knowledge and outputs created in the project to benefit members in Committee 3.

Includ-EU: Regional and local expertise, exchange and engagement for enhanced social cohesion in Europe ongoing

AER and the International Organisation for Migration, together with several regional and local authorities have joined forces in the Includ-EU project. This project will improve transnational knowledge and experience sharing, cooperation and partnerships to build a more inclusive and cohesive Europe.

AER will organise 5 workshops to facilitate knowledge and experience sharing as well as to support the implementation of pilot activities around the 5 key priorities of the EU action plan: post-arrival support, education, labour market integration, access to services, citizen participation & inclusion.

In the context of the pandemic, AER anticipated the organisation of the webinars, which were normally planned for later. A first webinar was organised in collaboration with the Intercultural Regions Network, The Council of Europe and the International Organisation for Migration, to share experiences on access to services, especially health services.

The second webinar will take place on 10 November and will be focused on Labour Market Inclusion, with good practices from Greece and the Netherlands and a presentation by the European Commission on upcoming changes in funding for activities on integration.

E-health in rural areas: finished

Members discussed the possibility to develop a pan-AER regional e-health rural project based on innovation and digitalisation. This idea was not followed up by the development of a project.

As the topic is still relevant for many AER members, members were invited to participate in a webinar on integrated care in remote and rural areas, an activity organised in the context of the SCIROCCO Exchange project (see above)

Project development on farming, rural planning, and infrastructure: planned

Members of the AER working group on rural development would like to develop a project to compare and incorporate good practices in farming (cattle, dairy) and infrastructure.

  • Regions interested in developing such a project should share their idea during the development of the 2020-2021 work programme on 12 March in order to find regions who want to cooperate on this and start developing this initiative.

Project on rural development: planned

Members of the AER working group on rural development would like to develop a project on how to invest and develop basic infrastructure in rural areas. For example, water, waste, gas, roads, education, health care.

  • Regions interested in developing such a project should share their idea during the development of the 2020-2021 work programme on 12 March in order to find regions who want to cooperate on this and start developing this initiative.

Good Practice Exchange

2019 AER Autumn Committee Plenaries – Podčetrtek (SI): finished

The annual Autumn Committee Plenaries of the Assembly of European Regions took place on September 24-26 2019, in Podčetrtek, Slovenia.

The topic of the thematic event of the plenaries was Cohesion & Contrasted Regional Realities. The thematic event consisted of discussions with perspectives from all of Europe, with a special focus on Ireland and Slovenia. Despite the varying experiences and realities in the regions represented, it was agreed that a holistic approach to regional development is necessary

The aim was to share experiences, especially from regions with considerable disparities within their territories to learn about different strategies and practices as well as enablers and barriers to more cohesive regional development.

2020 AER Spring Committee Plenaries – Covasna: cancelled

The main focus of the AER 2020 Spring Committee Plenaries in Covasna County (RO) between 10-12 March was to be territorial approaches. Urban-rural divides within regions were going to be in the spotlight.

While the Autumn 2019 plenaries “Territorial cohesion and Contrasted Realities” looked at how regions address territorial differences, this spring’s plenary should have been about taking stock of the situation in Europe. How to bridge the gap between theories on place-based policies and the actual implementation of effective and participative policies?

Members should have in particular, discussed the state of play of smart specialization strategies in Europe, health innovation and wellbeing, as well as brain drain vs brain gain.

In the context of the cancellation of face to face activities, AER tried to ensure that the content, which would normally have been shared at the plenaries, was still shared via the AER website. A series of articles was therefore published, featuring the speakers on the programme of the Covasna events, both from AER regions and from external experts with examples challenges and good practices: https://aer.eu/tag/event-2020-spring-plenaries/

While reading articles about a region don’t replace actually visiting it, special visibility was given to Covasna and the good practices to be presented on the spot on the AER website.

Committee 1 Vice President for Rural development, Energy and Environment, Nicola Campitelli, Abruzzo (IT) shared the Abruzzo governance for rural areas and their vision for the post-COVID-19 recovery

The topic of smart specialisation for inclusion and wellbeing will be further developed in the context of the webinar of the Digital Health network on 18 November 2020

Organisation of the Regional Business Forum

The Regional Business Forum (RBF) is an annual international forum to exchange on support for SMEs, promote business and commerce, incentive the possibility to collaborate and share best practices between regions. The event is organised by AER Vice-President for Regional Economic Developmen Damir Zobenica.

This 3rd edition will be a hybrid-event hosted in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina on 10 November. Following the success of last year’s forum, this year’s Regional Business Forum will focus on three main sectors: Agriculture & Food; the Construction Industry; ICT and Creative industries.

Through B2B (business-to-business) meetings, participants will get the chance to find partners according to their own interests and objectives

Interested candidates can register online for the B2B matchmaking, facilitated by the European Enterprise Network matchmaking tool.

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

The AER Secretariat disseminated information about the TAIEX-EIR peer to peer learning program and is supporting members to use this program to gain or provide knowledge on environmental policies on topics as diverse as air quality, waste management, water management, the circular economy. This program 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.

Gelderland (NL) and the European Commission organized a TAIEX-EIR workshop on “Maintaining and Enhancing Ecosystem Services in Urban Regions” on 4 and 5 July 2019.

In the context of the joint action to protect Romanian forests, the AER Secretariat has been in touch with DG Environment, to identify ways to use the TAIEX-EIR program. This should help improve legislation and practices for the protection of primary forests and biodiversity in Romania.

Mutual learning event on economy 4.0: Finished

On 4 December 2019, AER, the Brussels Capital Region and the Government of Catalonia organized a mutual learning event on economy 4.0. Economy 4.0 describes a new era of productive, industrial and economic development characterized by the implementation of big-scale automatization, artificial intelligence (AI) robotic instruments, computational big data analytics software, and high tech infrastructure. It aims to gather experiences from all three AER Committees and regions who are welcomed to share inputs and regional examples.
The report on the event can be found here.

Workshop ” connectivity vs sustainability?”: finished

On the occasion of the Autumn plenary meeting in Podčetrtek (SI), the working group on transports & mobility chaired by Martin Tollén organised a workshop on connectivity and sustainability. Speakers featured Matej Gojčič from the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region and Sergi Alegre, President of the Airport Regions Conference.

New mobility services: ongoing

Good practices exchange on electric cars and infrastructure both at AER meetings and in events of the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC), where Östergötland (SE) is representing AER.

Workshop on sustainable transport and mobility: cancelled

AER member regions Gelderland (NL) and Östergötland (SE) planned a workshop on sustainable transport and mobility during the European Sustainability Energy Week on Clean Energy from 18-20 June 2019 in the House of Dutch Provinces in Brussels.

Lowering emissions in transport: cancelled

AER member region Norrbotten (SE) would like to organize good practice exchange on identifying how to lower emissions in transports within the Working group on Energy and Climate Change.

Waste collection in rural areas: planned

Within the working group on rural development, members would like to have an exchange of good practices on how to raise awareness of recycling and waste collection in rural areas.
This topic could be addressed either in the context of a meeting of the working group on rural development or in separate events, such as Breakfast seminars in Brussels.

Webinar on agricultural cooperatives for more sustainable and resilient supply chains: cancelled

In the context of the changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of face to face meetings, the Chair of the Working Group on rural development Olimpia Neagoe, Dolj (RO) initiated the organisation of a webinar on this topic made highly relevant in the context of lockdowns in Europe. However due to regional elections in Romania, this activity was cancelled.

AER Delegation at Smart City Expo World Congress: finished

AER took part in SCEWC19. The 3-day conference confirmed its role as the world’s greatest meeting point for cities and companies sharing the same goals as regards the future of cities. Different stakeholders gathered together in Barcelona and explored new innovative ways to make cities inclusive, efficient and sustainable.

Small hydropower plants: cancelled

Exchange of good practice on noise reduction with (small) hydro powerplants (finding a suitable location also from an environmental point of view). Lobbying and advocacy with NGOs and governments about the environmental point of view, partnership, and exchange of good practice. National stimulations for developing projects on national tourism strategy on a local and regional level. Members didn’t express interest about this topic anymore.

Creation of a working group on how to attract more workforce: planned

Several regions in AER have expressed the need to exchange experiences on how to attract more workforce to regions that are largely rural.
This action could be developed within the context of the working group on business and SMEs.

The 2020 Spring plenaries in Covasna would have specifically look at territorial approaches and the ways in which regions address challenges linked to regional development, innovation and rurality. Instead content was shared via the AER website and the article by Committee 3 President on a Regional Approach to reduce Brain Drain provides a number of proposals in that respect. Hrvoje Kovač, Chair of the Subcommittee on Youth also prepared a very clear video on the topic.

Effective legislative frameworks: cancelled

Tulcea would like to collaborate with other regions to elaborate good legislative frameworks for tourism, business, industry, research. The goal would be a simplification of administration and the reduction of red tape. No activity was developed on this topic, however, the topic of cutting red tape is the kind of topics which will be addressed by the AER civil servants exchange programme as the programme will aim at facilitating experience exchange on efficient public administrations.

Energy efficiency: planned

Good practice sharing on stimulating energy efficiency, for instance, competition between organizations and OECD. Indicators on energy efficiency and EC energy efficiency directive.

Advocacy/Lobbying

Building a Network of Intercultural Regions: ongoing

The Bureau Task Force on migration organized a Breakfast debate on the occasion of the General Assembly in Larnaca to examine the possibility of creating an intercultural regions programme, similar to the existing Council of Europe Intercultural Cities Programme. The network will support regions for the design and implementation of diversity and inclusion strategies. The Intercultural Regions Network was launched on 5th November 2019. The process to develop this network requires intense dialogue with institutions.

AER and the Council of Europe are now planning activities for the coming months, a first meeting was organised in 16 March. The Intercultural Regions Network is closely involved in activities carried out in the context of the Includ-EU project (see above)

Mobility: engagement in the EIP-SCC: ongoing

AER is involved in the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC). This framework is an opportunity for strategic intelligence, state of the art information, partnership building and influence.

Protection of Romanian forests: finished

Primary forests are rare in Europe and the ones in Romania are threatened by excessive logging. AER members, therefore, agreed at the Committee 1 Spring plenary meeting in Örebro, to support Romanian regions to protect this invaluable natural heritage.
At the AER Autumn Committee Plenaries on 26 September, the AER Working Group on Rural Development hosted a Breakfast Debate on European Biodiversity: Protecting Primary Forests. AER was pleased to be joined by some external experts on this topic, among them, Shiroma Sathyapala, Forestry Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

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.

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 Security

-Task Force on Cohesion Policy

-Task Force on Digitalisation

-Task Force on Migration

-Task Force on Sustainable Development Goals

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 that add value to 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 Committee’s work programmes. The work programmes are developed in spring each year and the 2019/2020 work programme is available here.

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 Committee’s work programmes and the AER action plan. The action plan for 2019/2020 is available here.

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Webinar: integrated care in remote and rural areas

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The AER Digital Health Network is pleased to invite you to a webinar organised on 8 September 2020 14:00-15:00 CET in the context of the Scirocco Exchange project Delivering integrated care in remote and rural areas: Sharing the experience

Acknowledging differences between regions

The significance of integrated care as a means for improving health outcomes, effectiveness and sustainability of health and care systems is widely acknowledged. It is a central element in many on-going or planned healthcare system reforms, however, it is important to recognise that the regions and countries in Europe are experiencing different progress and levels of maturity for integration. This is particularly the case of delivering integrated health and care services in remote and rural areas.

Sharing experiences: Slovenia & the Basque Country

The objective of this webinar is to learn and exchange experience of two European regions Basque country and Slovenia in delivering integrated care services in remote and rural areas. It will be a practical opportunity to discuss what innovative actions and activities should be prioritised in these regions in order to improve their capacities for delivering the integrated care services in these areas. 

A tool to assess the situation in any territory

In addition, the webinar will feature how SCIROCCO Exchange tool* for integrated care as one of the capacity-building tools can help to facilitate learning and understanding of organisational maturity and readiness for integration. The Tool helps users to identify the maturity and local context enabling the adoption of integrated care. The Tool has been validate through EU Health Programme funded project SCIROCCO (www.scirocco-project.eu) and further refined and improved in SCIROCCO Exchange project (www.sciroccoexchange.com). 

The outcomes of this webinar will inform us about the existing opportunities and tools supporting the capacity of health and social care authorities for integrated care.  

* To access SCIROCCO Exchange tool for integrated care: https://scirocco-exchange-tool.inf.ed.ac.uk/en_gb/

Preliminary agenda

14.00 Welcome and Introduction Nessa Barry, Scottish Government
14.05xxxxxxxxxMaturity assessment for integrated care Dr Andrea Pavlickova, Scottish Government
14.15Delivering integrated health and care services in remote and rural areas in the Basque Country Jon Txarramendieta, Kronikgune, Basque Country
14.30Delivering integrated health and care services in remote and rural areas in Slovenia Andreja Rafaelič, Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (IRSSV)
14.45Facilitated discussion Nessa Barry, Scottish Government
14.55Conclusive remarks Nessa Barry, Scottish Government Dr Andrea Pavlickova, Scottish Government

Registration

The webinar is open to all and free of charge, please register here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/sciroccoexchange/411924

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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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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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