State of the art of the discussion on future cohesion policy

by Pascal Goergen, Representative of the

Brussels-Capital Region to the EU

AER Committee 1

Brussels – 07 July 2009

Content

1. The Swedish Presidency Work Programme (1 July – 31 December 2009)

2. Future of the cohesion policy

3. Initiatives of the EU Presidencies (2008-11)

4. 6th Progress Report on Social and Economic Cohesion

PG

1. The Swedish Presidency Work Programme (1 July - 31 December)

PG

• Financial and economic crisis

• Climate change – COP 15

• Institutional changes : EP, Commission, Lisbon Treaty

• Stockholm program (JHA)

• Baltic Sea Strategy (regional dimension)

Taking on the challenge

PG

Open an transparent Presidency

• Public access to documents

• All meetings, and agendas, found on the Presidency website

• Background information to the media

Cohesion Policy

PG

• Discussions on the future of Cohesion policy

• Territorial cohesion• Simplification• Baltic Sea Strategy

PG

Structural Measures Working Party

• Negotiations of changes in the Structural Fund Regulation(s)

• Reports/communications:

-CoA Waste water treatment

-6th Progress report, incl. synthesis of the Green Book consultation

- Baltic Sea Strategy

- Additionality report

Structural Actions Working Party

Indicative meeting dates:• July: 1, 10, 20• September: 1, 9, 21• October: 1, 13, 27• November: 12• December: 1, 16

PG

• High-level conference 10-11 December

• Strategically located in Kiruna

• Workshops in the mine 500 meters below surface of the ground and at the Icehotel

PG

A High level Conference on Cohesion Policy and Territorial Development : “Make use

of the Territorial Potential”

Kiruna

Gothenburg

Stockholm

Arctic circle

2. Future of the cohesion policy

1. Three challenges• Demography• Industrial patterns and restructuring• Climate change

PG

Challenge 1: Challenge 1: demographydemography

85 regions (mainly in the new Member States) are already experiencing absolute population decline, and another 76 regions maintain population growth only thanks to migration

PG

Challenge 1: Challenge 1: demographydemography

In large parts of Spain, Italy, and Greece there are only 2 people in employment for every person above retirement age compared to an average for the Union of around 3 people

PG

Challenge 2: Challenge 2: industrial industrial

patterns and patterns and restructuringrestructuring39 regions have more than 3% of their total employment concentrated in the clothing, textile and leather industry (twice the average of the Union), reaching 13% in the Norte region of Portugal

PG

Challenge Challenge 3: 3: climateclimate

changechange7% of the EU population live in areas at high risk of flooding (red and orange colour)

In 45 provinces (NUTS III), over 20% of the population is at risk

PG

2. Green paper on territorial cohesion

‘Turning territorial diversity into strength’

• Was launched in October 2008 (now closed)

• Aim is to come to a better and shared understanding of territorial cohesion and its implications for policy

• Debate on definition, scale and scope of territorial action, better cooperation and coordination, new territorial partnerships and the understanding of territorial cohesion

• Results will be available in June 2009 PG

A. Official Position of the Brussels Capital Region

• Climate change has to be taken more into account in the Cohesion Policy: it has to be adapted to the consequences of climate change, but also providing a good distribution of efforts

• There’s not enough attention to the social component: apart from the importance of the social economy, the social role of each company has to be underlined

• Urban dimension: a particular approach should be developed towards cities, from a economical, territorial and social point of view

• Attention needs to be paid to the inter-regional or inter-urban differences

• There is a need to include strategic and territorial planification: this might be a tool achieve the objectives

PG

B. Participation of Brussels Capital Region to the contribution on the green paper in different European

networks

The Capital Cities & Regions

Network

PG

C. First results of the consultation (official results available in June 2009 in the 6th Progress Report)

• Territorial diversity and functional economic areas need to be taken into account

• EU policies have to be better coordinated

• The understanding of territorial processes should be improved

• A more strategic and flexible cooperation has to be developed

PG

3. Regional Policy and EU Presidencies 2008-2011

• French presidency

• Czech presidency

• Swedish presidency

• Trio: Spain – Belgium – Hungary

PG

The French presidency

A renewed ambition for the cohesion policy• Debate on the policy of cohesion• Follow up the territorial agenda of the Leipzig

Charter on sustainable European cities• Continue the discussions initiated on the basis of

the communication on the ‘Strategy for the Outermost Regions: Achievements and Future Prospects’

• Discussions on future relations with the Overseas Countries and Territories

PG

The Czech presidency

3 priorities

1. Principles and simplification of cohesion policy implementation: discussion of the cohesion policy after 2013

• fulfill requirements for modern 21st century policies • How can cohesion policy contribute to the

objectives of Lisbon and Gothenburg strategies• How to respond to new challenges• Impact of further EU enlargement

PG

2. Territorial cohesion and spatial planning• Discussion on the territorial cohesion

concept• Focus on the strengthening of a

comprehensive and integrated approach to development of the entire territories of the regions, including the development of the urban-rural partnership

3. EU territorial agenda and urban development

• Continue implementing the commitments arising from the territorial agenda of the EU and the Leipzich charter

• Focus on developing issue of the urban-rural relationship to a greater level of detail

PG

The Swedish presidency

• Continue the work of the previous presidencies– Economic relaunch plan– Reinforcing competitiveness – Accent on technological innovation

• Two events announced– conference on cooperation in the Baltic Sea region on

September 17-18 in Stockholm– Conference on cohesion policy in Kiruna on 10-11

December

PG

Trio-presidency: SP-BE-HU

• Continue the debate on the future of cohesion policy• Examine the integration of the new challenges (climate

change included)• Strengthening the interrelations between CP and post

2010 Lisbon Strategy• Fifth cohesion rapport (outline the shape of the next

period)• Consider the integration of the concept of territorial

cohesion in the general framework of the CP (basis: Green Book on Territorial Cohesion)

• Encourage a better implementation of the Action Plan 1

PG

The Belgian presidency(July - December 2010)

1. Link between the cohesion policy and the Lisbon strategy

– Mid-term evaluation of 2007-2013 programm regarding this issue

– How do the different actors see this strategy and how do they translate it in their projects

2. Integrate the problem of climate change– How to integrate climate change in the post 2013

programm of the cohesion policy– Opportunities for economical and technological

development linked to this (green industries)

PG

4. Sixth Progress Reporton Social and Economic

Cohesion

The debate on Territorial Cohesion

&

Regional Creativity and Innovation

Source : DG Regio

GDP per head continues to converge

Source : DG Regio

Regional creativity and innovation

Generating a new and useful idea and putting it into practice

Source : DG Regio

Territorial cohesion

Synthesis of the debate

Source : DG Regio

Territorial Cohesion: the debate

• Support for the three Cs (concentration, connections and cooperation)

• Functional approaches are endorsed

• Local development is highlighted

• Some raise the geographic specificities but little support for separate policies of funds for each specificity

Source : DG Regio

Cooperation

• Territorial cooperation is an excellent example of European value added and should be reinforced

• Cross-border cooperation: one budget? More eligible actions?

• European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation

• Transnational cooperation: Baltic Sea, Danube…

• Interregional cooperationSource : DG Regio

Impacts and measurements

• European policies with a strong territorial impact should be better coordinated by fine-tuning existing instruments

• The understanding and measurement of territorial trends and dynamics should be enhanced (ESPON, Urban Audit, …)

Source : DG Regio

Thank you !Thank you !

Questions?Questions?

Contact :

Pascal Goergen

Email : pgoergen@europ.irisnet.be