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AER takes part in WSED 2020

27 May, 2020 By Anne Henk Bloemhoff

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.

26 May, 2020 By Mathilde Perrier

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 27^th 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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Spring Digest: Funding opportunities for EU and non-EU member regions

14 May, 2020 By Mathilde Perrier

Looking for funding for your projects? Here are some opportunities you could be interested in!

The AER Project Unit has prepared a selection of calls for proposals on the following subjects: Cohesion Policy, energy, climate action, civil society, citizen’s rights, youth and social economy.

If you require any further information, are looking for partners, or planning to apply to these calls, don’t hesitate to contact the AER project unit.

* Update *

Due to the Covid-19 crisis, some deadlines for funding application have been postponed. The Horizon 2020 call titled Boost Rural Economies through Cross-Sector Digital Service Platforms, previously shared in this article have been updated. The submission deadline for this topic has been extended from 22 April to 17 June 2020.

Cohesion Policy

Support for citizen engagement in the implementation of cohesion policy (DG REGIO)
Deadline: 1 June 2020
Eligibility: EU Member States
DG Regio has launched an open call for proposals, which the main action is the implementation of innovative actions or tools to engage citizens in cohesion policy, co-financed by the EU. This call has been mentioned in this article previously.

Energy

Mitigating household energy poverty (Horizon 2020)
Deadline: 10 September 2020
Eligibility: EU and non-EU Member States (check the list of eligible countries here)
This call focuses on alleviating energy poverty and developing a better understanding of the types and needs of energy-poor households and how to identify them. The proposed action should help to facilitate behavioural change and financial or non-financial support schemes and to disseminate innovative schemes for energy efficiency.

Supporting public authorities in driving the energy transition (Horizon 2020)
Deadline: 10 September 2020
Eligibility: EU and non-EU Member States (check the list of eligible countries here)
The focus of the call is on decentralisation of energy governance, with the main goal of enhancing political commitment at a local level through a shift of responsibility in implementation and monitoring of energy efficiency solutions. The proposed action should be a support to local and regional public authorities and respectively support into transposing the Energy Efficiency Directive.

Climate Action & Environment

National roundtables to implement the Smart Finance for Smart Buildings initiative (Horizon 2020)
Deadline: 10 September 2020
Eligibility: EU and non-EU Member States (check the list of eligible countries here)
This call aims to facilitate the creation/set-up of national roundtables focused on energy efficiency investment. The roundtables should gather the relevant stakeholders in permanent multilateral discussion forums. The focus must stress the exciting private and public buildings, industry and SME’s. The roundtables should analyse the possibility to upscale existing best practices from the national and European level, develop strategies, roadmaps and action plans, propose improvements in the national policy frameworks and measures, and follow their implementation, develop jointly template documents and contracts leading to better functioning of the market.

LIFE Calls for proposals
You can find several calls for proposals from the program LIFE under the Environment and Climate action sub-programs. Those calls are detailed in this article previously published.

Civil Society

Civil Society Projects (Europe for Citizens)
Deadline: 1 September 2020
Eligibility: EU Member States, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo
The project should consist of stimulating and organising reflection, debates or other activities related to the multiannual priority themes of the Programme. The proposed actions should also propose practical solutions that can be found through cooperation or coordination at the European level. Projects should actively involve many citizens in the implementation and aim at setting the basis or develop long-lasting networking between many organisations active in the field.

Citizen’s Rights

Call for proposals to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities (Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme)
Deadline: 02 June 2020
Eligibility: EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Serbia
The first objective of this call is to promote the collection, exchange and dissemination of innovative effective practice for the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. The proposed actions should also promote their active inclusion and participation in the society taking into account socio-economic trends such as the ageing of the population and digitalisation. The second objective is to fill in data gaps related to the situation of persons with disabilities.

Youth

European Youth Together 2020 (Erasmus +)
Deadline: 28 July 2020
Eligibility: EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey
This call aims to create networks promoting regional partnerships, to be run in close cooperation with young people from across Europe. The networks should organise exchanges, promote training and allow young people themselves to set up joint projects, all of which could be done through both physical and online activities. Projects should particularly address challenges related to inclusive participation for all young people, regardless of their background. This call was launched to give a needed immediate response to help mitigate the socio-economic impacts in the youth sector that emerged against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Social Economy

Social Economy Mission (COSME)
Deadline: 9 June 2020
Eligibility: EU Member States and countries participating in the COSME programme
The call for proposals will support consortia in developing inter-regional learning and collaboration, and creating opportunities and incentives for future inter-regional partnerships in the field of priorities of “Social economy missions”. Project proposals must aim to enhance interaction and improving collaboration and boost inter-regional learning between a social economy network and stakeholders. It must also aim to contribute to the gradual building of a Social Economy community. You can find more information about this call in this article.

Photo by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash

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Call for Proposals: Social Economy Missions

11 May, 2020 By Erik Hayes

“Social economy missions” aim to accelerate the development and awareness of social economy potential within the European Union, in particular at local and regional level. Often the commitment towards this mission is insufficient with a lack of active collaboration.

The European Commission, through the “COSME programme”, launched a call for proposals tailored to engage a network of regional and local authorities established in the EU and COSME participating countries to constitute a space for inter-regional learning and collaboration.

Sharing of good practices and mutual learning

The call will support consortia in sharing and replicating best practices, creating opportunities for future inter-regional partnerships on priorities related to “social economy missions”.

The expected result is to support the development of the European social economy community by encouraging interaction between different partners, both at public and private level.

Boosting social innovation at inter-regional level is fundamental to shift towards a more sustainable and green economy. The Social Economy has the potential to support the green transition within the new European Green Deal.

The call requires applicants to clearly identify a topic and specify the objectives to be achieved by the mission. Listed below are the main topics. Nevertheless, consortium partners can propose any other topic with relevance to the development of the social economy.

Building resilient regional and/or local ecosystems;
Socially responsible public procurement;
Building Clusters of Social and Ecological Innovation or participation in traditional clusters;
Support to social economy business development;
Support to local and regional initiatives in the area of green and digital transition;
Local or regional measures tackling unemployment;
Sustainable agriculture and rural development;
Education and training to develop the social economy ecosystem;
The development of horizontal policies to support social economy at local or regional level;
Social economy initiatives to integrate migrants;
Other (identified by the applicants).

Who is eligible ?

Participants must be legal entities forming a consortium established in EU member states or COSME countries.
The coordinator must be a regional or local public administration
The consortium partners must be regional or local public administration
At least 3 regional or local public administration from 3 different countries
The participation of the same regional or local public administration in more than one proposal is not permitted

What are the activities ?

Kick off meeting with the EASME and the European Commission in Brussel
Online or offline session with invited representatives of the consortia, organised by European Commission to release guidance on participatory methods for planning and organising workshops
Organize three compulsory workshops in the field of priority of “social economy mission” (read the call for the details)
Optionally, other additional learning activities such as workshops, webinars, peer-to-peer learnings, etc. can be organised

All the proposals have to be submitted through the Funding and tenders portal before the 9 of June 2020 at 17.00 (Brussels time). Applications must be sent in one of the official EU languages.

The total budget is estimated at EUR 1 900 000, the maximum grant per project is EUR 100.000 and in total EASME is expecting to fund 19 proposals.

Before submitting the proposal read carefully the call text and the guide for applicants released by the European Commission. If you have additional questions you can address them to [email protected] . All the collected questions receive an answer in the FAQ’s document regularly published and accessible to everyone in the COSME webpage.

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash

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Stakeholder engagement: the essence of “Together4Cohesion” communication campaign

8 May, 2020 By Mathilde Perrier

Together for Cohesion makes the stakeholders’ voice louder! We have defined a detailed plan identifying targeted stakeholders that have benefitted from cohesion policy in each flagship region. Now, we are ready for them to embark on our communication campaign!

Stakeholders are key actors in the development and implementation of European cohesion policy and projects. As such, they can play a major role in the communication of the outputs and real-life benefits of the policy. This is the reason why stakeholders are the essence of the project and “Together4Cohesion” communication campaign. The involvement of pertinent stakeholders is the key to the action, and therefore a strategy has been carried out.

Stakeholders at the core of “Together4Cohesion” communication campaign

“Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!” aims to raise awareness of the importance of cohesion policy among citizens and stakeholders and turn them in active players within the regional, national, and European dialogue on cohesion policy.

To this aim, our communication campaign “Together4Cohesion” is based on a strong synergy of the actions and voices of the main beneficiaries of the policy: Regions, citizens, and other stakeholders.

To obtain the most significant outcomes, we established an elaborate communication strategy. Essential steps have been undertaken in order to identify stakeholders’ outcomes, as: Target the right public, deliver the most impactful messages, and implement the most effective approach. However, an effective strategy must consider also variables, such as conscientiousness of challenges, public’s stance and relational impacts that each initiative has with critical stakeholders.

For the communication campaign to produce a significant impact, it is crucial to follow a defined plan in order to propose and obtain approvals, feedback and assessment. Together for Cohesion has adopted the so-called “management by objectives”. In a nutshell, before, during and after the communication campaign, four steps are realised. Each of them can be broken down into measurable objectives in order to inform and shape the plan framework. Those steps are the following: analysing the issue, developing strategy, implement the strategy, and monitoring and evaluation. Adopting this strategy enables to identify the key stakeholders for the communications. That is what the stakeholder engagement plan is all about.

Engaging relevant stakeholders in the communication campaign

The stakeholder engagement plan aims to identify targeted key stakeholders for policy areas that are covered by Cohesion Funds for each region participating in the project. The purpose is to collaborate with onboard stakeholders with past-experience in cohesion policy-related activities.

As Together For Cohesion is a campaign linked to the Cohesion Policy, it is necessary to identify the key stakeholders according to the five main policy areas of interest, that is to say: Tourism, Youth Involvement, Gender Equality and Pay Parity, Handicraft and Agricultural Development. Moreover, the five most common categories of stakeholders have been considered: Public Authorities, Enterprises, Academia, NGOs/CSOs, Media and Communication Outlets. In collaboration with the regions taking part in the project, key stakeholders have been listed for each of them according to the policy areas and their level of engagement in different stages of the campaign. Their involvement has been clarified in accordance with the steps of the communication strategy.

Once the stakeholders are identified, the following stage begins, and the various stakeholders will become active players in our communication campaign. Among other activities, they will take part in events and training, act as Ambassadors of cohesion, share their success stories and contents linked to the Cohesion Policy.

What’s next?

Stories from our stakeholders and their involvement in the activities of the project will be shared soon on Together for Cohesion website. Visit the project website to make sure that you don’t miss anything!

Beyond our targeted stakeholders, we want to hear your voice and share your stories too! Together for Cohesion has launched a call for third parties! Check out the call and contact us by May 20, 2020!

Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash

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Territorial approaches: the governance of Abruzzo for rural areas

6 May, 2020 By Editor

To facilitate continuous knowledge flow between regions a series of articles and interviews is being published on the topic which was to be discussed in Covasna: “Territorial approaches to regional development”, with a particular focus on urban-rural divides. Indeed, 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 experiences and initiate joint projects.

Nicola Campitelli, Regional Minister for Urban Planning, Abruzzo (IT), and AER Committee 1 Vice President for Rural development, Energy and shares here the experience from his region. Rural development has never been more current and the post-COVID-19 economic recovery will require ambitious territorial approaches.

Breath-taking landscapes and huge protected areas

The territory of the Abruzzo region, according to the National Institute of Statistics altimetric classification, is 62.8% mountain, 14.8% internal hill and 22.3% coastal hill. Almost all of the territory belongs to rural areas, while only 0.9% is urban and peri-urban areas. The percentage of agroforestry area in rural areas is 76.3% and the forest area is 438.590 ha, that is 40.6% of the regional surface. The extension of the regional protected areas, 58 sites under the Habitats EU Directive, is 36.3% of the regional territory, first place at national level, thus highlighting the importance of the Region in safeguarding biodiversity.

One metropolitan area and many small towns

Abruzzo has 1,312,507 inhabitants, half of which (54.4%) reside in intermediate rural areas, about a quarter in areas with development problems (26.8%), 12.9% in urban and peri-urban areas and 5.9% in rural areas with intensive and specialized agriculture. The population ,with the exception of the Pescara metropolitan area, is distributed heterogeneously among the many small towns that characterize the Abruzzo region (which counts 305 Municipalities).

Territorial approaches for sustainability & inclusion

This situation requires territorial planning and involves natural, demographic and cultural resources, thus representing a priority component of an effective local development strategy.

The following priorities are at the core of the entire 2021-2027 planning of the Abruzzo Region:

quality work
territory and natural resources for future generations
homogeneity and quality of services for citizens
culture as vehicle of economic and social connection.

The focus of the regional planning, therefore, is a sustainable and intelligent growth of the entire territory.

Post-COVID-19 economic recovery should be anchored in sustainable development principles

The newly allocated funds for the restart following the lockdown for Covid-19 has to suit the criteria and guidelines of sustainable development, the circular economy and climate change, to set up a possibly lasting development strategy. Therefore, the 2030 and 2050 planning has to be maintained in all Europe: reduction of energy costs, energy self-supply and sustainable development; this will allow economic security and stable economy recovery.

It is therefore necessary to confirm the use of financial sources for interventions in energy savings and in reducing pollution emissions, in line with the 2030 objective, supporting companies that are already structured and able or, enabled, to develop virtuous activities. Otherwise, there is a high risk of not being able to be competitive and exit the market. Agriculture itself must be developed according to sustainable production systems: techniques that reduce the consumption of raw materials and increase the sequestration of CO2.

Furthermore, the restart has to take place by activating local businesses, e.g. energy efficiency intervention on public and private buildings. This way many local companies and professionals will be activated and the management costs of the buildings and the related services will be reduced, promoting the immediate pollution reduction that, according to new researches, also could be a carrie of viruses . This action is the sole credible strategy, adopted today across Europe: the 2030 strategy. It is therefore essential to finance virtuous enterprises and immediate intervention programs.

A strategy focused on sustainable and inclusive smart growth

In relation to the activities already running in the Abruzzo Region, the Rural Development Program (PSR) represents one of the tools to support the growth of agriculture, forestry, rural areas and is concentrated, as all regional planning, on sustainable and inclusive smart growth. The Plan is implemented in coordination with the National Rural Network, through which Italy joins the European Rural Network (REE), which integrates all activities related to the rural areas development for the 2014- 2020 period.

Participation the essential element for success

The Abruzzo rural development program proposes interventions aimed at encouraging different local actors and at strengthening the bottom-up approach of local communities, in order to create a development based on the resources of the territory, in response to the specific needs of local areas and aimed at stimulating the aggregation of different skills and professionals.

The PSR has been developed also through the participatory process, promoting the participation of stakeholders, local authorities, associations, and agri-food, forestry and environmental operators. In the 2014-20 period, specific policies have been addressed to the less developed rural areas, by integrated planning tools and services to the population, also in connection with the national strategy for internal areas. To achieve the inner areas strategies goal, measures have been promoted to create and develop short supply chains ( even for sustainable use of biomass in food and industrial production) and local markets and to support promotional activities.

The bottom-up approach is also the basis of all regional planning of strategies and interventions for the Climate Change and sustainable development governance, which promotes the coordination of all regional planning and actions. All the municipalities of Abruzzo, and therefore also the municipalities of the rural areas, are coordinated by the Region in the processing of SECAP (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan) according to a district logic, that are also homogeneous climatic areas. All 305 municipalities have joined the Covenant of Mayors and are monitoring their Energy Action Plans (SEAP) to upgrade SEAPs into SECAPs. In particular, as part of the JOINT_SECAP (Interreg Italy-Croatia) project, two pilot areas have been identified, one of which is represented by 4 municipalities in the internal area (Penne, Elice, Castilenti and Castiglione Mr. Raimondo) . These municipalities under the coordination of the Region and the involvement of experts, have carried out a territorial analysis of the risks and vulnerabilities with the goal of a joint SECAP, identifying pilot actions to be implemented to make territory more resilient and to guarantee sustainable development.

Protection and sustainable management of natural resources

The regional Sustainable Development Strategy, moreover, being implemented with other Italian regions, identifies parks and protected areas as key players in the implementation of sustainable development policies; a specific agreement is foreseen, aimed at implementing the ecological network, supporting the rebuilding processes in the internal areas and implementing the ministerial guidelines on VIncA (Environmental Impact Assessment).

Many municipalities in the rural areas have also committed to a voluntary strategic and planning tool that pursues the protection, the correct management of water resources and the enhancement of river territories, together with the protection from hydraulic risk, contributing to local development: the River Contracts.
These contracts provide the implementation of open and inclusive participatory processes, which allow the sharing of purposes, duties and responsibilities and define a shared Action Program. River Contracts suite and even improve basin plans and programs. 20 river contracts are running in the region. Among these, the Feltrino river contract was included by the Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea (MATTM) in the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PNACC) as a “pilot project / good practices / noteworthy initiative”.

Powering effective local collaborations

A further initiative promoted under the Rural Development Plan are the GALs (Local Action Groups), made up of several municipalities, that could get Regional dedicated fund to develop renewable energy supply chain, supply chain innovation, social inclusion and sustainable tourism actions. Cooperation between Municipalities is also carried out through the initiative BORGHI In RETE – ABRUZZO, the union of several Community Cooperatives, under the regional law n.25 /15. They are local businesses set up by the inhabitants of villages and are developed, in particular, in the internal areas and in the most fragile economies at risk of depopulation, with the aim of developing economies with human and environmental value.

Multimodal connectivity

Among the sustainable mobility initiative carried out in the Abruzzo region, the municipalities of the Rocche highlands, in line with the energy and climate objectives of the European Union are activating an interesting project related to the multimodal access to the Ovindoli and Campo Felice ski facilities by energy vehicles (hydrogen powered) with zero environmental impact, thus contributing to the green and economic development of inner areas.

What about you?

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!

Pictures: courtesy of Luigi Filice https://www.luigifilice.com for Regione Abruzzo

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Meeting with Commissioner Ferreira

28 April, 2020 By Erica Lee

AER President Magnus Berntsson met with European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms this afternoon to discuss the forthcoming EU Budget – the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021 – 2027. The discussion centred around the future of European cohesion funding, the new Recovery Fund to deal with the knock-on implications of COVID-19 as well as the future of the Just Transition Fund as part of the EU Green Deal.

The AER President reiterated the concerns of the Cohesion Alliance, following the release of a common press release on 27 April, and stated that the Assembly of European Regions welcomes the recovery plan approved on 23 April 2020 by the European Council. He also took the occasion to ask for a stronger and fairer cohesion policy budget within the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027.

The full statement by the AER President may be read below:

The Statement may also be downloaded as a PDF here.

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Cohesion Alliance: Press Release – 27 April 2020

27 April, 2020 By Erica Lee

Deal on EU budget and Recovery Fund is needed by June or delay will put citizens’ safety and cohesion in Europe at risk

Following the video conference of the members of the European Council on 23 April the Cohesion Alliance – an EU-wide alliance calling for a stronger cohesion policy after 2020 – calls for cohesion policy to remain a priority amid talks about the Covid-19 recovery strategy taking regions and cities needs and experience on board.

The fight against the COVID19 pandemic and the relaunch of Europe’s economy are a race against time. Any further delay in securing an adequate EU recovery plan, based on a bold EU budget, will undermine our capacity to protect citizens’ health and social rights, preserve Europe’s productive capacity help businesses survive the emergency and invest in a sustainable future.

We need Member States to take a crucial step ahead for Europe by:

securing the continuity of emergency measures backed by cohesion policy in the worse hit countries and territories, with adequate funding and special rules.
strengthening the planned investment for cohesion policy 2021-2027 to speed up the recovery and deliver a resilient, more just and sustainable Europe in the longer term.
make sure that extraordinary financial initiatives contribute to social, territorial and economic cohesion by addressing local tax losses and revenues and supporting local and regional authorities – and related public-owned companies – in running local services for citizens in the pandemic and post-pandemic scenario.
bringing the negotiations on the future cohesion policy to a successful end to allow for the timely start of the funding period in 2021 and ensure that cohesion policy can be carried forward in the following years.
bringing together all levels of government to invest on improved health services across the Union both by increasing the funding for health under cohesion policy and establishing a specialised Health Mechanism. acknowledging the good examples of cross-border and transnational cooperation during the current crisis and actively involving EGTCs, Euroregions and all EU’s border regions in fighting against the virus, as well as in the future economic recovery.

We demand that both the “core” EU budget and the extraordinary financial investment initiatives rely on the experience and knowledge developed by local actors dealing with the pandemic and its consequences. EU investment must benefit from flexibility and simplification but any over-centralisation would seriously undermine its effectiveness.-Cohesion Policy is EU’s best tool to structurally strengthen regions’ and cities’ social and economic development (including health and climate action). It must be strengthened and fully mobilised to enhance the resilience of all local and regional authorities in the long term to ensure they are sufficiently prepared for the economic consequences of the current crisis as well as any future crises and thus complement existing and future emergency reaction instruments.

With regards to the potential reinforcement of the Reform Support Programme, a real involvement of regions and cities in the needs’ assessment and in the shaping of interventions, in close coordination with cohesion policy plans, will be decisive to ensure that no place is left behind and the territorial asymmetric impact of reforms is effectively managed. Furthermore, regions and cities should participate in the debate on how to strengthen the resilience of European societies in dealing with the pandemic crisis and its economic and social effects from a territorial point of view.

It is vital now that EU institutions go ahead in a spirit of solidarity and responsibility. The final outcome of the negotiations cannot be a set of over-centralised funds and uncertain financial instruments, relying only on private markets’ reactiveness. We must provide Europe with an effective mix of tools, where grants and loans are properly balanced, and the partnership principle is fully implemented to better respond to EU citizens’ needs.

Only by finding the courage and the mutual confidence to act together can we lead Europe out of this emergency.

Contact the Cohesion Alliance Secretariat

The #CohesionAlliance is a coalition of those who believe that EU cohesion policy must continue to be a pillar of the EU’s future.

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Committee 1 progress Report Spring 2020

25 February, 2020 By Shubhaangi Srivastava

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

On the occasion of the Spring 2019 Committees’ plenaries in Örebro, AER members identified joint actions they wanted to implement with fellow regions. A year later it is time to evaluate progress, celebrate achievements and share experiences!

Evaluating progress

During the elaboration of the work programme in Örebro, planned activities were organized in 3 categories:
Projects
Good practice sharing
Lobbying

The below progress report was compiled for the spring 2020 plenary meeting in Covasna. It gives an overview of the situation, a year after the adoption of the work programme.

Projects

Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite! ongoing

“Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite!” is a project submitted under a call launched by DG REGIO. This project raises awareness on the importance of programmes, projects, and services funded by the cohesion policy funds. It also encourages the participation of citizens and stakeholders to become active players in the dialogue on cohesion policy. AER coordinates the project and has 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 are 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 Varazdin (HR), the annual Gala Ball of Varaždin County on 24 January 2020 was an opportunity to promote the project.

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 will also inform the discussions at the conference “Territorial Approaches to Regional Development” in Covasna on 11 March 2020.

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. AER will also organise 5 webinars on these topics, to share experiences regarding practical aspects such as housing, health services or the integration of services especially regarding the access to the labour market. These activities will be open to AER members, especially regions in the Intercultural Regions Network (see below “Lobbying”)

E-health in rural areas: planned

Members discussed the possibility to develop a pan-AER regional e-health rural project based on innovation and digitalization.

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 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

Breakfast seminar “Sustainable Development Goals and regional growth”: finished

On 15 May 2019, a breakfast seminar was organized by Oppland (NO) on how to integrate the SDGs in regional planning. This event which gathered speakers from the region and from the OECD revolved around the question of whether it is possible to reach the SDGs and have economic regional development, or if they are mutually exclusive? The Powerpoint presentations and videos are available on the AER event page.

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: ongoing

The main focus of the AER 2020 Spring Committee Plenaries in Covasna County (RO) between 10-12 March will be territorial approaches. Urban-rural divides within regions will 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 will take 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 will, in particular, discuss the state of play of smart specialization strategies in Europe, health innovation and wellbeing, as well as brain drain vs brain gain.

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: canceled

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 in the House of Dutch Provinces in Brussels.

Lowering emissions in transport: planned

AER member region Norrboten (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.

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

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.

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

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.

All member regions and partners interested in attending the next iteration of SCEWC 2020 as speakers can submit an application here

Small hydropower plants: planned

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.

Regions interested in developing an activity on this topic 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

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 will specifically look at territorial approaches and the ways in which regions address challenges linked to regional development, innovation and rurality.

Regions interested in developing an activity on this topic 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

Effective legislative frameworks: planned

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.

Regions interested in developing an activity on this topic 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

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.

Regions interested in developing an activity on this topic 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

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 is foreseen on 16 March. This meeting will be followed by a public presentation of the Network, and a training on tactics and strategies for effective intercultural messaging by Nigel Smith, media and communication expert at the Council of Europe. Regions interested to participate in the public meeting and the training should contact Gisela Guari Cañada

European Week of Regions and Cities: ongoing

The European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) is an annual four-day event during which cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy, and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance. It took place from 7-10 October 2019 in Brussels.

As part of the European Week of Regions and Cities, AER hosted an event entitled “REGIONerating Europe” on the 8th of October 2019, focusing on the role regions can play in regenerating the European Project as well as how citizens in the regions of Europe benefit from EU membership through Cohesion Policy, structural and development funds.
AER is preparing for the next European Week of Regions and Cities 2020.

The call is now open for regions to apply to become a partner at the European Week of Regions & Cities 2020, that will take place from 12-15th October 2020 in Brussels

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: ongoing

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 the existing legal framework and identify relevant actions and target institutions. The AER Secretariat will also organize Breakfast Briefings to help regions organize their advocacy activities.

Cohesion meeting with members of the European Parliament: finished

An AER delegation led by President Magnus Berntsson met a large number of Members of the European Parliament, including the Chair of the REGI Committee, to discuss the future of Cohesion Policy and the upcoming EU Budget for 2021-2027.

AER Bureau Task Forces

The 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 programs 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 programs. The Committees’ work programs are developed in spring each year.

The AER action plan is the consolidation of the three Committees’ work programs 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 programs and the AER action plan.

Photo by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash

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Committee 2 Progress Report Spring 2020

25 February, 2020 By Shubhaangi Srivastava

Twice a year the members of the AER Committee on Social Policy and Public Health gather in plenary meetings. This is the opportunity to set goals for cooperation through the elaboration of a joint work programme and to evaluate progress every six months.

Evaluating progress

During the elaboration of the work programme in Örebro, planned activities were organized in 3 categories:

Projects
Good practice sharing
Lobbying

The below progress report was compiled for the spring 2020 plenary meeting in Covasna. It gives an overview of the situation, 1 year after the adoption of the work programme.

Projects

SCIROCCO Exchange project – Personalised knowledge transfer and access to tailored evidence-based assets on integrated care: ongoing

The SCIROCCO Exchange project, under the EU Health Programme, is based on the SCIROCCO project, which resulted in the development of an online self-assessment tool for integrated care. The project runs from January 2019 to August 2021. It supports regions, mainly health and social care authorities for the adoption and the scaling-up of integrated care. The Maturity Model, at the core of the project, offers a tool for regions to better deliver integrated care for their citizens while at the same time empowering citizens. With this tool, regions can assess their current status, revealing areas of strength and also gaps in their capability managing the many activities needed in order to deliver integrated care.

The lead partner is the Scottish Government, a recent AER member. The consortium is composed of 14 organizations.

AER is leading the Working Package on knowledge transfer, helping the regions in preparing the local environment for implementation and scaling-up integrated care.

The Institute of Social and Behavioural Medicine of Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice in Slovakia, one of SCIROCCO Exchange consortium partners, organized a local conference “Integrated care for people with chronic diseases” on 15 May 2019. The conference was organized as part of the European Public Health Week “Care4Care”. The objective of the conference was to raise awareness about the importance of integrated health and social care for people suffering from multiple chronic conditions. The conference was particularly useful to review the current progress with the adoption of integrated and long-term care in Slovakia and highlight the existing challenges such as change of culture, stakeholder engagement or political commitment

The project was presented at the Smart City Expo, which was held between 19 to 21st November 2019.
The project was also represented in the European Parliament at a debate, “EU 2019-2024: Health Champions Wanted”, held on 9 October 2019.

Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite! ongoing

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

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.

In Varazdin (HR), the annual Gala Ball of Varaždin County on 24 January 2020 was an opportunity to promote the project.

AMiD project for the inclusion of migrants with disabilities: finished

This project was led by the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities and aimed to improve the access to services for migrants with disabilities. AER was a partner and Valencia, Timis and Värmland were all members of the Advisory Board. The AMiD project provided opportunities for experience sharing and capacity building in this area for all AER members.

During the 2019 Summer Academy in Novi Sad, Vojvodina (RS), a workshop on AMiD was organized. Participants were invited to reflect on the challenges that migrants with disabilities face on a daily basis.

The final conference of the AMiD project was held on 5th November 2019 in Brussels. After a wave of presentations and questions, participants split into three groups to discuss and agree on recommendations. They concluded:

Improving capacity for CSOs – Civil Society Organisations working in the sector.
To set and spread the multi-stakeholder approach to inclusion.
Engagement to raise the topic of migrants with disabilities in the next Disability Strategy 2020-2030