Recent policy strategies, news, and debates at European level have been dominated by three key phrases: cohesion funds, multi-level governance and regions. However, dominant does not necessarily imply intuitive. These leitmotifs soon became the sources of numerous questions varying from inquiries as to what are cohesion funds to delineations regarding what exactly is a cohesive … [Read more...]
This tag is for all posts relating to Spatial Planning.
European Biodiversity: Protecting Primary Forests
In the context of 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. Bringing together elected representatives and civil servants from across the regions of Europe, the breakfast briefing was an opportunity to decide on joint action in Europe for the … [Read more...]
European Biodiversity: Protecting Primary Forests
The AER Working Group on Rural Development is organising a breakfast debate on the protection of primary forests in Europe on 26 September at the AER Autumn Committee Plenaries 2019 in Podčetrtek (SI). Members will discuss in particular why these rather rare forests matter and how AER members can collectively act to protect primary forests in Romania. Why primary forests … [Read more...]
UIA: new call for proposals to be launched soon
More than half of the European population is living in urban areas. Those areas face numerous challenges but are also places of creativity and change. AER is committed to support urban areas who want to tackle issues and has already taken part in actions or events. Aware of the funding opportunities provided by the European Union, AER continues its work of monitoring calls for … [Read more...]
Regionalisation in Montenegro: not regions, but municipalities #RoR2017
An ancient Balkan state, Montenegro came under Ottoman control at the end of the 15th century, but became an independent kingdom from 1910 to 1918. Montenegro then joined the newly formed Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. In 1991, 4 of the 6 Yugoslav republics declared independence, leaving Montenegro and Serbia to form … [Read more...]
Regionalisation in Bulgaria: reducing regional disparities #RoR2017
Bulgaria covered a surface area of 111,000.9 sq. km and has a population of 7,153,784 inhabitants at the end of 2015. Over the years, the administrative and territorial division of the country was subject to multiple changes, reflecting the geopolitical, demographic and territorial dynamics. The principles of local self-government and a three level territorial organisation were … [Read more...]
Regionalisation in The Netherlands: Regional reform discussed, but limited #RoR2017
The current administrative structure of the Netherlands consists of three levels: central government, provinces and municipalities. The administrative set-up of the Dutch nation state has been rather stable since 1830 and changes to the territorial structure of the provinces have been marginal (as opposed to the municipal level where restructuring and merging has been a … [Read more...]
Regionalisation in Denmark: Centralised, for now.
Denmark has been a constitutional monarchy since 1848. By the 19th century, Denmark was a centralised, absolutist kingdom. The present administrative structure was established in 2007 with the administrative reform, which merged the previous 271 municipalities to 98 and the 14 counties into 5 regions. The only direct task of the regions is the organisation of the hospital … [Read more...]
Regionalisation in Latvia: narrow range of competencies, but space for change
After the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia in 1918, two levels of territorial division were introduced: there were 19 districts and more than 500 rural or cities municipalities. Self- governments were abolished after the coup d’état, which established the regime of Kārlis Ulmanis on 15 May 1934. During WWII Latvia was occupied three times: in 1940 by the USSR, in … [Read more...]
Regionalisation in France: developed, but incomplete
French regionalisation, as developed as it may seem, is still incomplete. The phenomenon is surrounded by political controversies and marked by contradictory strategies. Decentralisation reforms, particularly the 2004 laws on regionalisation, were not of such a nature as to rectify the budgetary imbalances, the specialist knowledge, and the resources that cripple the French … [Read more...]
#RoR2017 – This week’s focus: Regions in Finland
The article describes the Finnish regions from a number of different viewpoints. It delineates the overall politico-administrative architecture of Finland in order to place the regional councils in context. Thereafter it follows a delineation of the basic characteristics of the regions, and the tasks of the Finnish regions, emphasising both their formal characteristics as well … [Read more...]
AER at European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2016
Ángel Bonafé Osca, Director of the Valencian Institute for Social Action and María Sorzano Castellón, European Project Manager represented AER on 29 and 30 November at the European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2016 organised by the European Disability Forum and the European Commission in Brussels. UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities: 10 years! The … [Read more...]
E-health: how to find a common language?
Regional governments and their stakeholders, in particular, companies shared experiences on 1 December 2016 at the "E-health: let's find a common language" event hosted by Brussels Capital at the Committee of the Regions. The event aimed at providing participants with information on funding opportunities in the field of healthcare, new connections, tested ideas to improve … [Read more...]
Sustainable mobility: the way forward
The modernisation and democratisation of means of transports have radically changed how we perceive distances and the world in general. At the same time resource scarcity, climate change and geopolitical stakes have obliged us to re-think models of mobility. Sustainable mobility: a brand new world From 7 to 10 November AER members are gathered in Izmir (TR) on the occasion of … [Read more...]
At the intersection of urban policies and the migration issue
On 13 October, as part of the the 14th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) in Brussels, the workshop, “Migration and Cities: Territorial Aspects of Migration” was held. It fell under the Inclusive economic growth theme of EWRC. The workshop focused on the intersection of urban policies and the issues of migration, which tend to be discussed separately … [Read more...]