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macro-regional strategies •
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november 2014
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current issue:
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Foreword
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text: marek sowa, marshal of malopolska region articles:
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From euroregions to macroregions: a reasonable step? An appraisal from Western Mediterranean
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text: thomas perrin
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What is uesalp?
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The strategy for the Adriatic & Ionian Region
• contact
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text: directorate-general for regional and urban policy
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text: henriette bastrup-birk Malopolska Region Brussels Office Rue du Luxembourg 3 1000 Brussels, Belgium
↪ bruxelles@umwm.pl ☎ tel: 0032 2 513 79 98
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• design Parastudio*
↪ www.parastudio.pl
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Carpathian Euroregion rushes for gold!
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text: dawid lasek
Małopolska is conquering Brussels
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text: renata jasiołek
Questio Iuris
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• Foreword
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› What are macro-regional strategies ? According to the European Commission, “they are important innovation in territorial cooperation and cohesion”. In its Report concerning the added value of macro-regional strategies, the European Commission precisely defines the goals of such strategies, among which, in first place, the achievement of “benefits from strengthened cooperation for economic, social and territorial cohesion”.
› As you may know, this topic is also on the agenda in Małopolska, since in January 2014 the Council of Ministers adopted the Development Strategy of Southern Poland until 2020. This is of course a different scale of project but mutatis mutandis, it pursues the same goals.
There are currently three macro-regional strategies in the European Union: the Baltic, the AdriaticIonian and the Danube one. The fourth and probably last macro-regional strategy, concerning the Alps, will be finalized soon.
Enjoy our latest issue of the e-magazine,
How does the Baltic strategy differ from the Alpine one, why doesn’t a Carpathian strategy emerge, what are the strengths and weaknesses of macro-regional strategies. These are questions to which you will get answers in this edition of Closer to Brussels.
Marszałek Województwa Małoposkiego Marek Sowa
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• From euroregions to macroregions: a reasonable step?
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They raise the question of how they can efficiently interact with the organisations?
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An appraisal from Western Mediterranean
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thomas perrin
Introduction › Macro-regional strategies of the European Union are conceived as new
(1) Stefanie Dühr, Mer Baltique, Danube et stratégies macro régionales: un modèle de coopération transnationale dans l’UE ?, „Notre Europe Études & Recherches”, n°86, 2011. (2) Richard Florida, Tim Gulden,
Charlotta Mellander, The rise of the mega-region, „Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society”, Volume 1 Issue 3, November 2008, p. 459–476
(3) Francesc Morata, Euroregions i integració europea, Documents d’Anàlisi Geogràfica. Vol. 56, n°1, 2010, p. 41–56
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instruments for territorial cooperation. They must integrate all the available and existing resources and schemes within the same transnational geographical area: eu structural funds and territorial cooperation programmes; other national, local and transnational planning schemes; public and private initiatives, etc. These strategies are expected to articulate functional and political complexity and to improve policy efficiency through cooperative and flexible approaches, without creating new institution or funding(1). This territorial approach evokes the concept of “mega-region”, i.e. a “meso-scale” transnational territorial unit, located inside a supranational “region”, such as for instance the European Union, North America, Mercosur, East Asia(2). Moreover, macro-regional scale was already at stake in the transnational areas designed from the mid-1990’s in the strand b of eu territorial cooperation programmes, or in cooperative organisations like the Benelux, the Visegrad Group, the Nordic Councils or the EuroMediterranean partnership. While these macro-regional strategies are expected to foster European territorial cooperation, they raise the question of how they can efficiently interact with the organisations that are considered to be the most successful schemes of territorial cooperation so far: the cross-border cooperative organisations commonly known as ‘euroregions’(3). Whereas around thirty euroregions existed at the beginning of the 1990s, there are currently about a hundred organisations of this type. Poland for instance is a country (cross)
bordered by around 15 euroregions and in this context an association of Polish euroregions was founded. In the framework of the Western Mediterranean macro-region, we can wonder for instance whether two existing euroregions in this area – Euroregion Pyrénées-Méditerranée and Euroregion Alpes-Méditerranée – can be milestones in the constitution of a macro-regional strategy for this area. The case of cultural cooperation is an interesting example to address this question. Indeed, among the various policies that are developed within euroregions, culture appears to be a frequent domain of cooperation. A recent study shows that culture and tourism are the favoured themes of cross-border cooperation(4).
Cultural cooperation: a vector for macro-regionalisation? › Euroregion Pyrénées-Méditerranée was constituted in 2004 between the French regions of Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées and the Spanish autonomous communities of Aragon, Catalonia and Balearic Islands. Culture has been a mainstream domain of cooperation, through a specific agenda that includes a culture portal online, specific calls for projects, annual cultural forums. Culture was also one of the first attributions of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (egtc) that was launched in 2010 to reinforce the structure and governance of the euroregion(5). Euroregion Alpes-Méditerranée was launched in 2007 and gathers the
(4) (epson) European Observation Network for Territorial Development & Cohesion, epson Evidence Brief. Territorial Cooperation, May 2013
• www.epson.eu
(5) This legal status was created in 2006 within eu law to
facilitate the management and implementation of cross border cooperation. Cf. Regulation (ec) n° 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (egtc).
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obszar należący do kilku sąsiadujących regionów
image 1. Euroregions in Poland / source: • www.euroregion-silesia.pl
(6) Thomas Perrin, Culture et Eurorégions. La coopération culturelle entre régions européennes, Éditions de l’Université de Bruxelles, 2013 (7) Hugues de Jouvenel, Maria-Àngels Roque (dir.), Catalogne à l’horizon 2010, Barcelone/Paris: Institut catala d'estudis mediterranis/ Economica, 1994, p. VI.
(8) Guy Baudelle, Jean Ollivro Catherine Guy, Les scénarios de l’espace européen, in Baudelle & Castagnède (dir.), Le Polycentrisme en Europe. Une vision de l’aménagement du territoire européen, Editions de l’Aube/datar, 2002, p. 130.
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French regions Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur with the Italian regions Piemonte, Liguria and Val d’Aoste. The partners established a cultural agenda based on networking in the field of visual arts and on organising cultural events to promote the euroregion. In this context, different elements suggest that the interaction between both euroregions can help to implement a macro-regional strategy in this area, specifically starting with cultural cooperation(6): ʫʫ they encompass focal key areas of the Western Mediterranean, with the Barcelona-Marseilles-Genoa Arc and the metropolitan regions of Toulouse, Lyon, Torino; thus constituting a potentially homogenous territorial entity like “North of Southern Europe(7)” or “Golden Mediterranean Belt(8)”. ʫʫ There already exist cooperation schemes that can be integrated within a macro-regional strategy: eu cooperation programme med,
image 2. Actual and potential macro-regional strategy areas
source: bbsr Research News 2/2010, p. 3. • www.bbsr.bund.de
cooperation Rhône-Alpes/Catalonia in the framework of the association “Four Motors for Europe”, Union for the Mediterranean. ʫʫ These two euroregions show potential geo-cultural interactions: transnational historical and identity links, common fields of “creative excellence” that are already mobilised in the euroregional cultural policies, like for instance audiovisual and image industries. ʫʫ The two euroregions showed first step of cooperation with a joint participation to the Open Days in Brussels within the grouping “Euroregions for territorial integration” in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
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thomas perrin ›
image 3. Euroregion Alpes-Méditerranée / source: Marie-Laure Malaval, Université de Toulouse-Jean-Jaurès
The realpolitik limits
(9) François Alfonsi, The evolution of EU macroregional strategies: present practice and future prospects, especially in the Mediterranean, European Parliament, Committee of Regional Developement, 2012, p. 25. (10) Luiza Bialasiewicz, et al., “Re-scaling ‘eu’rope: eu macro-regional fantasies in the Mediterranean”, European Urban and Regional Studies January, vol. 20, n° 1, 2013, p. 59-76.
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› Even though the macro-regional interaction between euroregions Pyrénées-Méditerranée and Alpes-Méditerranée can prove to be an option for the constitution of a Western Mediterranean macro-regional strategy, several points(9) show a certain gap between the theoreticalideal level and the practical one. First, some observers question the very relevance of a macroregional strategy for this area: can this really help reinforcing cooperation, does it have a real added value and does it respond to the specificities of the Mediterranean territorial cooperation context(10)? Secondly, the evolution of both euroregional partnerships shows that they remain uncertain schemes in several aspects. In Euroregion AlpesMéditerranée the whole cooperation project slowed down following the change of political majority in the Italian regions. The president of Piedmont, who was elected in 2010 with the support of the extremeright party Lega Nord, declared that the euroregional cooperation was not a priority anymore and most of the projects are in stand by. In Pyrénées-Méditerranée, recent financial cuts and changes in the
image 4. Euroregion Pyrénées-Méditerranée / source: • www.medalp.eu
The interaction between both euroregions can help to implement a macro-regional strategy in this area, specifically starting with cultural cooperation
• political majorities could start to impact the initial ambition and objectives of the euroregion. Developing new territorial cooperation instruments at transnational scale can allow a step further in the territorial construction of the European Union. This achievement can be based on the previously developed cooperation schemes, especially at cross-border scale and in the cultural sector. Nevertheless, real political will and commitment are crucial guarantees of efficiency for these instruments. In this way, planning experts and political leaders could work together to find the balance between giving a response to citizens’ expectations, while giving an impulse to meta-geographical projections.
Thomas Perrin is a lecturer in Planning and European Studies at Université Lille 1, research centre tves. Previously, he worked for the French Ministry of Culture and cultural institutes abroad (Morocco, Chad) and was a research assistant at Toulouse University. Thomas holds a PhD in Political Science from Institut d’Études Politiques, University of Grenoble, with a thesis that deals with cultural policy and cooperation within euroregions. In 2011, he was a post-doctoral fellow at the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona. He is expert for the Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe and member of ecures: European Association of Cultural Researchers. His research and teaching deal with cultural policy and cultural relations on the one hand, and with the issues and dynamics of regionalism and territorial cooperation on the other hand. His works have been published in several books and journals. In 2011, he was awarded the Mark Schuster Prize on comparative cultural policy and a Merit Prize in the Committee of the Regions’ Doctoral Thesis Competition. In 2012, Toulouse City Council gave him the award of “chercheur novélisé” during the Novela, Toulouse festival of science and knowledge.
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What is eusalp?
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The Strategy will seek to unlock the potential of the Alpine Region, by encouraging participants to overcome barriers to think more strategically and imaginatively about the opportunities available
text:
directorate-general for regional and urban policy
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Context › Even before the European Council invited the Commission, in cooperation with Member States, to develop a eu Macro-regional Strategy for the Alpine Region last December 2013, in the last three years, different projects had (already) been initiated to look into the possibility and feasibility of a Macro-Regional Strategy (mrs) in the Alps(1). Two conclusions can be drawn from these initiatives: ʫʫ the drive for greater cooperation, was (being) led by regions, not Member States; ʫʫ the Alpine Strategy can be properly considered as a continuation of existing cooperation rather than a new departure. However, to draft the eu Macro-regional Strategy for the Alpine Region (eusalp), Member States will “cooperate” with the Commission. For the first time, the European Council uses such an explicit formula to describe the process to develop an eu Strategy. This will finally concern 5 Member States (Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia), 2 non-eu countries (Liechtenstein and Switzerland) and 48 regions.
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(1) These exercises were the following: • That of the so-called “Steering group of the regions”, emphasizing regional pre-eminence; • That of the Alpine Convention, which insisted on its international nature as a basis for its “legitimacy” and representation; • That of the Alpine Space Programme, conceived as a platform for discussion, where the other stakeholders are invited A synthesis of the views expressed in the referred initiatives was reflected in the “Intervention document for the implementation of an European Union Strategy for the Alpine Region”, as well as in the “Political declaration towards an European Union Strategy for the Alpine Region”, signed in Grenoble last 18 October 2013.
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Principles › This Strategy will seek to unlock the potential of the Alpine Region, by encouraging participants to overcome barriers to think more strategically and imaginatively about the opportunities available. To achieve this goal, in this new phase of the Alpine long-lasting cooperation process, actions should follow certain criteria, which are summarised in the table below:
Selective approach (no exhaustive approach) Relevance of making choices
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The Strategy aims to tackle the economic, social and territorial imbalances existing in the Alpine Region, stimulating an innovative and sustainable model of development, able to conciliate the promotion of growth and jobs, and the preservation of natural and cultural assets in the area
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Limited number of priorities and/or Focus on eusalp selected themes Focus on challenges and potentials: no exclusive focus on problems Focus on issues of relevance for the whole/large part of the region Particular emphasis on European dimension issues Multi-level and integrated territorial approach Functional relations between core alpine areas and surrounding regions/cities Reflect the Interdependence and common benefits New issues or innovative approach: No repetition No duplication of existing work No pure labelling exercise
nectivity also embraces communication infrastructures and services (including tourism). (3) To make the Alpine Region´s environmentally sustainable and attractive. Natural resources (in particular, clean and abundant water, minerals, a variety of landscapes and great biodiversity), and strong and diverse cultural life are major assets of this region. However, use of natural resources, and exploitation of their potential need to be carried out in an environmentally friendly way, to which this Strategy can remarkably contribute.
Synergies (can be both: structural and substantial) with other processes (like e.g. by etc asp Alpine Convention, etc.) Concrete short/medium-term targets
Implementation methods
Ownership appropriate resources and political momentum
› Implementation of the eu Strategy for the Alpine Region will need an
Visibility
integrated approach, requiring coordination among selected initiatives.
Contents › The Strategy aims to tackle the economic, social and territorial imbalances existing in the Alpine Region, stimulating an innovative and sustainable model of development, able to conciliate the promotion of growth and jobs, and the preservation of natural and cultural assets in the area. The Strategy, therefore, will build upon three general action-oriented pillars aiming: (1) To improve the competitiveness, prosperity and cohesion of the Alpine Region. This will imply supporting innovative economic development in the Alpine Region, as well as strengthening the sustainability of the Region, not disregarding the specificities of all Alpine territories. (2) To ensure accessibility and connectivity for all the inhabitants of the Alpine Region. Besides transport systems, the notion of con-
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Therefore, it will imply: ʫʫ Coordinated Policy design ʫʫ Alignment and coordination of funds ʫʫ Better cooperation ʪʪ cooperation between the national and the regional or local level (vertical cooperation); ʪʪ cooperation between Member States, as well as between Member States and non-eu countries (horizontal cooperation).
The mission of the European Commission's Directorate General (dg) for Regional and Urban Policy is to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing disparities between the levels of development of regions and countries of the European Union. In this way the policy contributes positively to the overall economic performance of the eu. This article was written by Directorate for Competence Centre Macroregions and European Territorial Cooperation, d1 Transnational and Interregional cooperation.
Calendar › An extensive stakeholder public consultation was held between 16 July and 15 October. At the beginning of December 2014, a stakeholders conference, organised under the Italian Presidency 2014, will close the consultation process. The European Commission will then draft a Communication and Action Plan for the Strategy, to be adopted in June 2015 and endorsed by the Council during the 2nd semester of 2015.
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• The strategy for the Adriatic & Ionian Region
› Capacity building, including communica-
text:
henriette bastrup-birk
The Strategy is expected to advance integration of the Western Balkans into the EU as well as reconciliation
• › On June 17, 2014, the Commission launched an eu Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (eusair). The third of its kind, this is the first macro-regional strategy with equal participation of eu members (Croatia, Greece, Italy and Slovenia) and non-eu countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia). The 70 million inhabitants of the Region are expected to benefit greatly from enhanced cooperation to promote blue growth, completion of missing transport and energy links, healthy marine and terrestrial ecosystems and diversified and sustainable tourism. Apart from playing a crucial role in advancing smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the Region, the Strategy is expected to advance integration of the Western Balkans into the eu, as well as reconciliation in a Region that witnessed a serious conflict less than two decades ago. The participating countries will be able to draw on valuable lessons from the Baltic Sea and Danube Strategies, notably the importance of strong political leadership and good governance, as well as of focus on a limited number of prior-
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ity areas – or pillars – for securing clear results and genuine impact. In addition to the four pillars of Blue Growth, Connecting the Region (transport and energy networks), Environmental Quality and Sustainable Tourism, retained after extensive consultation of stakeholders in all eight countries, including the private sector and civil society, topics were identified under each pillar as particularly promising for cooperation at a macro-regional or transnational scale, namely: ʫʫ Blue technologies, fisheries and aquaculture, maritime and marine governance and services under Blue Growth; ʫʫ Maritime transport, intermodal connections to the hinterland and energy networks under Connecting the Region; ʫʫ Threats to coastal and marine biodiversity, pollution of the sea and transnational terrestrial habitats and biodiversity under Environmental Quality; ʫʫ Diversified tourism offer (products and services) and sustainable and responsible tourism management (innovation and quality) under Sustainable Tourism.
tion, research and innovation, primarily for the benefit of small and medium-sized companies, management of natural and man-made risks and mitigation of and adaptation to climate change effects were identified as cutting across all four pillars. Building the necessary institutional and administrative capacity is a prerequisite for counterparts to be able to coordinate efforts across jurisdictional levels, thematic issues and national boundaries. Communication is key for raising awareness of the potential of macro-regional strategies for improving living conditions but also for getting feedback from various types of stakeholders. Research and innovation are pre-requisites for ensuring smart specialisation at all scales, including at the scale of the macro-region as a whole with respect to all four pillars. Finally, management of man-made risks and mitigation of and adaptation to climate change effects are pre-requisites for attracting external investors, as well as optimising the safety of the Region's population. Like the other two macro-regional strategies, eusair will not come with extra eu funding, but will allow better use of existing resources by mobilising and aligning existing eu and national funding instruments. In particular, the European Structural and Investment Funds (esif), as well as the Instrument for Pre-accession for non-eu countries (ipa) will be used to support the strategy.
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Enhanced cooperation to promote blue growth, completion of missing transport and energy links, healthy marine and terrestrial ecosystems and diversified and sustainable tourism
• October 23–24, 2014, first to prioritise, next to approve the actions to be formally included in the action plan accompanying the Strategy. In its present form the action plan limits itself to presenting, by way of examples, actions and projects possibly qualifying for support.
These actions and projects all appear to meet the central criteria of: (a) addressing well substantiated needs; (b) enjoying support by a wide array of stakeholders in the targeted segments of the eusair territory; (c) being transnational in scope; (d) being realistic and credible; (e) building on existing (successful) initiatives; (f) paying attention to the cross-cutting aspects and (g) being mutually consistent and supportive.
Examples of indicative projects It will be up to the various bodies, which will form part of the governance architecture put in place subsequent to the European Council's endorsement of eusair when meeting on
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EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen
Bolzano
Provincia Autonoma di Trento
Trento
Lombardia
Friuli- Zahodna Venezia Slovenija Giulia
Milano
Ljubljana Zagreb
Kontinentalna Hrvatska
Trieste
Veneto
Building the necessary institutional and administrative capacity is a prerequisite for counterparts to be able to coordinate efforts across jurisdictional levels, thematic issues and national boundaries
Vzhodna Slovenija
Beograd
Venezia
Emilia-Romagna
Srbija
Bosna I Hercegovina Sarajevo
Bologna
Jadranska Hrvatska
Ancona
Marche
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Crna Gora
Perugia
Podgorica
Umbria L'Aquila
Abruzzo Roma
Tirana
Molise
Campobasso
Bari
Puglia
Kentriki Makedonia
Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki
henriette bastrup-birk
Thessaloniki
Shqipëria
Potenza
Dytiki Kozani Makedonia
Basilicata Ioannina Kerkyra
Ipeiros
Voreio Aigaio Sterea Ellada
Calabria
Athínai
Dytiki Ellada Patrai Tripolis
Palermo
Attiki
Ermoupoli
NUTS2 capitals
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Examples for Blue Growth include regular stock assessments for sustainable fisheries management, as well as development of a joint approach to maritime spatial planning in the Adriatic and Ionian sea basin building on the •Adriatic Ionian maritime spatial Planing (adriplan).
Notio Aigaio
Peloponnisos
National capitals
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Mitilini
Larisa
Thessalia Lamia
Catanzaro
Komotini
Sicilia
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300 Km Kriti Irakleio
© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
image 1. EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region / source: Marie-Laure Malaval, Université de Toulouse-Jean-Jaurès
For Connecting the Region, upgrading of the Adriatic Traffic Reporting System (adrirep), improving the accessibility of the neighbouring coastal areas and islands, and removing barriers for cross-border investments in energy networks.
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For Environmental Quality, exchanging best practices among managing authorities of marine protected areas, building on the • Adriatic Protected Areas Network – adriapan and further developing cost-effective management measures and policy options to keep the two seas clean, on the •CleanSea project.
Master's in political science and international relations and a doctoral degree in educational sciences from ku Leuven (Belgium). Her career at the European Commission spans education and vocational training, nature conservation, spatial planning and macro-regional strategies. Henriette is currently a member of the team in charge of preparing implementation of the Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, the third of its kind after the strategies for the Baltic Sea Region and the Danube Region. In her previous roles Henriette was instrumental to drafting the eu Habitats Directive. She also contributed to drafting the European Spatial Planning Perspective, covering in particular environmental and agricultural aspects. She was also involved in setting up the first interreg programme for the Baltic Sea Region.
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For Sustainable Tourism, supporting development of all-year thematic tourism, establishing synergies between macro-regional routes and local communities, and facilitating access to finance tourism start-ups.
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Strengthen the very foundations of the Euroregion, through the introduction of new solutions in the field of coordination of all national partners’ operations and through new principles of cooperation, as well as via an expansion of the territorial structures of the Euroregion on the Polish side, beyond its historical boundaries
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dawid lasek ›
text:
dawid lasek vice president of the association of the carpathian euroregion poland member of the executive committee of the association of european border regions
› The first half of 2014 was marked by several important events for the “Carpathian case.” What’s more, it promised that everything that will happen during this year will not be without significance for the development of initiatives related to this geographical area. Let’s start though with the date which is, from the point of view of the Carpathian Euroregion (ce), the most important one. On February 14th 2014, 21st anniversary of the creation of the Carpathian Euroregion in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, after several years of domination by Viktor Orban’s compatriots, a new Chairman of the Council of the Carpathian Euroregion was elected. Józef Jodłowski, already governor of Rzeszów poviat and also President of •The Association of the Carpathian Euroregion Poland was appointed. The term of office of the Chairman lasts two years and his most important prerogative is to head this authority which is, in the sight of the provisions of the Euroregion’s Statute, the highest international body. It is done on the basis of a precisely prepared plan. What are its main objectives? First of all, to strengthen the very foundations of the Euroregion, through the introduction of new solutions in the field of coordination of all national partners’ opera-
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tions and through new principles of cooperation, as well as via an expansion of the territorial structures of the Euroregion on the Polish side, beyond its historical boundaries. Our ambition is to complete the institutional reform of the Union, so to “equalize organizational – operating levels” between partners. This means to us promoting and carrying out federalisation of national associations that are part of the ce, on the basis of the Polish model. We remain convinced that only a properly functioning international organizational structure providing a broad representation of governing and socio-economic partners of the Carpathians is able to implement and support a development policy. To achieve coordination capacity in a challenging political and institutional environment facing difficulties to cooperate, such an approach must be a condition “sine qua non.” All other purposes of the Presidency are therefore secondary despite their great importance. I can mention as examples the cooperation with the •Carpathian Convention, supporting the idea of • “Via Carpathia” corridor, and actions to promote the creation of a macro-regional strategy of the Carpathian. Above all, we would like to use our Presidency of the Council of the Carpathian Euroregion
to promote the Carpathian Brand’s Strategy. Every new day of the year 2014 confirms our belief that the Carpathian brand carpathia is an absolute priority for the current and future activities of our organization and its partners. Focusing on the entrepreneurial nature of this project is also a great therapy while waiting for calls for proposals under the next (or current) financial perspective. The addictive power of grants seizes minds and awakens lust of the majority of Carpathian cooperation stakeholders, but it also significantly reduces the willingness to seek alternative solutions. And the Carpathian brand “carpathia” precisely constitutes such an alternative, a bold project, a kind of "gold for heroes” hidden in the Carpathians, even though the new EU financial perspective is also part of our plan. We still painfully feel the absence of a Carpathian Programme and the awareness of the ineffectiveness of our almost 10-year efforts for its creation does not have a positive impact on the mood of the group. In spite of this context, good initiatives arise too. For these reasons, we are going to work in between the Baltic and the Danube Strategy, listening carefully to the discussion on the strategy for the Carpathian. The driving force behind our work will be the
Alumnus of the Management and Social Communication Department of the Jagiellonian University. Between 2001 and 2005, Head of the Polish Office of the Carpathian Euroregion. Between 2005 and 2006, he was the Director of the Territorial Cooperation Department by the Ministry of Regional Development. Since 2006, he has been the Secretary General and Vicepresident of the the Association of the Carpathian Euroregion Poland, based in Rzeszów. Since 2012, he has also been member of the Executive Council of European Border Regions in Gronau. Author and coordinator of international programmes and territorial projects, as well as regional development initiatives. Coordinator of the Alpine-Carpathian Cooperation Forum.
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idea, already announced by our organization, to create a Virtual Carpathian Programme under the name of “Carpathian Horizon 2020.” In the absence of an official Carpathian Strategy, there is no etc operational program for the Carpathians, so that the only thing we can do, using the Euroregion’s contacts and network of institutions, is to work on the inclusion of a package of project proposals (streams) relating to the Strategy “Carpathian Horizon 2020” in new operational programs for etc and enpi. Such a task requires a good methodological preparation backed by an effective coordination, and even if it does not guarantee full success (projects will compete in contests), it is worth trying, for the sake of these committed and motivated people, communities and institutions, left on their own but acting for the common good of the Carpathians. Therefore we invite all the stakeholders to cooperate. From May 2014, a contact point for the Carpathian Horizon responsible for the coordination of
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activities will be put in place in the Euroregion’s office. However, the issue of partnership and cooperation still remains the most important topic. This is why it is extremely gratifying that the Carpathian Euroregion, acting through the •Local Tourist Organization “Green Beskid” from Gorlice, was so well received by representatives of the governments from the Malopolska Region. In the second half of August, we held 18 meetings with voits, governors and town mayors from Malopolska. Impressions and conclusions of these discussions were very optimistic – they confirmed the willingness of Malopolska partners to cooperate for the Carpathian case. While looking for development opportunities, we need to forget about the administrative boundaries at district, county, provincial and national level. Carpathians know no borders, except those built by the lack of imagination of people, who are not ready yet to work together for this great and ambitious project.
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The Carpathian brand “carpathia” precisely constitutes such an alternative, a bold project, a kind of “gold for heroes” hidden in the Carpathians
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• Małopolska is conquering Brussels text:
renata jasiołek
Małopolska joins forces with Silesia and Opolskie: the inauguration of the South Poland House in Brussels
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› On November 7th 2014, Marek Sowa, Marshal of the Małopolska Region, together with Mirosław Sekuła, Marshal of the Silesia Region, inaugurated the South Poland House in Brussels in the presence of many guests among which H.E. Ambassador Marek Prawda, Members of European Parliament, Marshals and Councillors from Polish regions. The creation of the South Poland House in Brussels aims at establishing South Poland as a strong European macro-region within European Institutions, fully taking advantage of the strengths and opportunities of development in the regions of Małopolska, Silesia and Opolskie. Together they unite their investment potential, improve their use of European funds, strive for common interests toward the European Union and prevent possible common threats. The inauguration of the South Poland House was marked by an exhibition on the architectural designs built or renovated in South Poland in the last decade. The presented designs have a special value in the public spaces of Małopolska, Silesia and Opolskie and some of them were awarded
in national and international competitions. As underlined by B. Lisowski, President of the Cracow branch of the Association of Polish Architects (sarp), who took part in the realization of the exhibition, the authors found themselves in great difficulties given the high number of renovated architectural designs. The exhibition, displayed on the Solidarity Esplanade in front of the European Parliament until October 17th, was part of the agenda of the European Week of Regions and Cities “open days” and was put in place in collaboration with Bank Pekao s.a.
The Friends of Malopolska Club meet Silesia Friends Club The next action of South Poland House consisted in connecting meetings of the Friends of Małopolska Club and the Silesia Friends Club on November 4th 2014, which was dedicated to the Strategy for Development of Southern Poland until 2020. Experts from both regions as well as representatives of the Department of Transregional Programs of the Ministry of
Infrastructure and Development participated to this event, which was held under the auspice of H. E. Artur Harazim, Polish Ambassador in Kingdom of Belgium. The Strategy for Development of Southern Poland until 2020 sets the actions which have to be taken for Małopolska and Silesia to become stronger and more competitive areas, both in the country, and in Europe. The document specifies the priority areas, among which the interaction between metropolis, the improvement of economic competitiveness, the development of human capital and the promotion of South Poland. The achievement of these goals will result, amongst others, in an improvement of access to transportation for both regions, a better protection of the natural environment and against the effects of natural disasters, a wider development of transportation systems, a genuine specialization of South Poland’s economy, as well as in development of trans-regional enterprise cooperation networks.
• photo: B. Lisowski
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#16 / november 2014
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• photo: K. Malinowski
The creation of the South Poland House in Brussels aims at establishing South Poland as a strong European macro-region within European Institutions
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• photo: K. Malinowski • photo: M. Kulińska
e–magazine of the małopolska region brussels office
małopolska is conquering brussels
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#16 / november 2014
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Questio Iuris
The macro-regional strategies need a better balance between the leadership provided by the countries and regions involved and the role of the Commission
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
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concerning the governance of macro-regional strategies
1. Introduction
(1) Communication concerning the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, 23 March 2012 com (2012)128 final; Report on the implementation of the eu Strategy for the Danube Region, 8 April 2013 com (2013) 181 Final. Report concerning the added value of macro-regional strategies, 27 June 2013 com (2013) 468 Final; Conclusions of the General Affairs Council, 22 October 2013.
(2) Conclusions of the General Affairs Council, 22 October 2013. (3) ibid. footnote 2. (4) ibid. footnote 2.
especially required in the following fields: › Macro-regional strategies represent a new ʫʫ Stronger political leadership and decision making opportunity for comprehensive development of a larger region, addressing common chal- ʫʫ Greater clarity in the organisation of work lenges and potential. Their integrated approach allows important overall policy objectives, such To be clear, better governance of macro-regional as mainstreaming of climate action, as well as strategies is not about new funds or new institutions. Instead, it should aim for smarter use support for a low-carbon economy and climate of existing resources(4). Furthermore, one size resilient society, to be incorporated in regional development work. cannot fit all. The different strengths of the Good practice examples of successful macro- macro regions and participating countries must regional actions already exist in the eu Strategy be understood and taken into account. for the Baltic Sea Region and the eu Strategy for the Danube Region. However, experience(1) has also revealed obstacles to implementation. 3. Political leadership, and ownership This Report responds to the Council invita- › A high-level and structured political dimention to facilitate discussions to improve govern- sion, providing overall direction, setting prioriance of macro-regional strategies, and to report ties and taking key decisions, is crucial for effecby end-2014(2). tive macro-regional strategies. Over-dependence on the Commission as the principle driving force is not desirable. To succeed, the macro-regional 2. The needs strategies need a better balance between the › Based on analysis and experience of existing leadership provided by the countries and regions Strategies(3), it appears that improvements are involved and the role of the Commission.
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3.1. Options and recommendations Countries and regions involved should take general strategic leadership at ministerial level. Ministers hosting the National Contact Point should be the ultimate decision makers, and together, constitute a regular decision making formation. They should be responsible for evaluating progress, guiding implementation, and seeking breakthroughs when stalemates occur. Other options to ensure strategic leadership could include: ʫʫ a rotating chair for each Strategy for a given period, with an agreed rotation principle(5); ʫʫ the nomination of a special representative for a Strategy, approved by the countries concerned.
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Sectoral ministers should drive progress in their thematic areas. In each area of work, leadership at ministerial level should be assumed first and foremost by the country leading the priority area in question.
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The Commission should continue to offer strategic support. It will facilitate the evaluation of progress, identify shortcomings that need to be addressed at political level, as well suggest resolution of implementation stalemates. It should ensure coherence with eu policies and positions, especially the integration of the macro-regional approach into eu policies.
4. Coordination › A strong and operational macro-regional strategy needs professional management and coordination, both at national and macro-regional level. To date, the Commission has been extensively involved in co-ordination activities. However, day-to-day technical support has diverted resources from its core tasks where it can add most value, such as ensuring coherence with eu objectives, and providing expert eu thematic and policy support(6).
(5) As currently in the eu Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the rotation principle for the chair of a Strategy could take into account eu Presidencies in the Council, presidencies in other macro-regional institutions, or be on a voluntary basis. (6) A good example of Commission guidance linking the Strategy to the policy level discussions is the Commission Staff working document on “A Sustainable Blue Growth Agenda for the Baltic”.
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4.1. Recommendations
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National Contact Points should have the lead in coordination and operational leadership. The Commission should continue playing a key role, where there is a clear added value for its involvement.
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The High Level Group should be the forum where the approaches and practices in each Region are compared, with a view to maximising leverage and impact.
5. Implementation › The implementation of the Strategies includes tasks such as facilitating generation and implementation of initiatives and projects, setting of indicators and targets, reinforcing bridges to the relevant funding programmes and participation in programme committees. 5.1. Recommendations
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Thematic experts and Steering Groups should be the expert drivers of day-to-day implementation. Steering Groups, with members from all involved countries, should be established for all areas. The Commission should provide equivalent thematic expertise.
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Integration of non eu countries and regions participating in the Strategies should be facilitated.
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Cooperation with existing institutions, avoiding duplication or overlapping of activities is a must.
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Transnational cooperation programmes, while retaining current objectives, should also be used effectively to support coordination and implementation of the Strategies.
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The Commission invites other institutions, and countries and regions involved, to endorse the proposed recommendations, and work with the Commission to improve the governance of the Strategies to maximise results and impact, taking into account the different macro-regional contexts.
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