ESPON at the OPEN DAYS 2015

The Open Days - European Week of Regions and Cities - is the key annual event for regional and local stakeholders. It takes place between 12 and 15 October 2015 in Brussels.

ESPON will contribute to the Open Days with joint workshops and speeches in cooperation with the Committee of the Regions, the European Commission DG REGIO, INTERACT, INTERREG EUROPE and URBACT, Regional Studies Association.

(1) Speech at the Workshop "The role of Territorial Impact Assessments in improving EU policymaking"

When: Tuesday 13 October 2015, 09h00 – 10h45

Venue: Committee of the Regions, Jacques Delors, Room 63, Rue Belliard 99-101, 1040-Brussels

Workshop code: 13C02. Organiser: Committee of the Regions

In recent years, the Committee of the Regions has been actively advocating the territorial dimension in impact assessments. In 2014, the CoR started the pilot phase of its Territorial Impact Assessment (TIA) Strategy, in which different methodologies and approaches were tested.

The territorial aspects of impact assessments have so far failed to be adequately implemented in the EU and national policy-making context, despite the fact that "territorial cohesion" was included in the Lisbon Treaty as explicit objective. Different processes have been used to develop methods and approaches to assess territorial impact by the European Commission and its Joint Research Centre and by the ESPON and other organisations.

In the Better Regulation Package published earlier this year, TIA was included as one element of Impact Assessments, strengthening its importance in comparison with 2009 Impact Assessment guidelines.

(2) Speech at the Workshop "European Territorial Scenarios and Visions for 2050"

When: Wednesday 14 October 2015, 09h000 – 10h45

Venue: Committee of the Regions, Van Maerlant, Room 3 Rue Belliard 99-101, 1040-Brussels

Workshop code: 14A12. Organiser: Ministry for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Luxembourg (LU EU Presidency)

As part of the IT-LV-LU Trio Presidency Programme, this workshop aims to explore the potential for a political debate on European territorial scenarios and visions and to critically assess the available material and approaches. Showcasing the material as well as previous experiences should help to set ambitions and expectations. The workshop will address access points for a constructive debate at the political level on European territorial scenarios and visions. This debate will also highlight the European regions’ development prospects.

(3) Workshop "New urban economies"

When: Wednesday 14 October 2015, 14h30 - 17h00

Venue: KBC (Brussels canal zone), Room Herman Teirlinck, Avenue du Port 2, 1080-Brussels

Workshop code: 14URB04. Organisers: ESPON, INTERACT, INTERREG EUROPE, URBACT

Making Europe is about modernising the economy, ensuring that businesses and individuals thrive and enjoy growth and prosperity, and seeing regions, urban and rural areas develop throughout Europe, providing attractive places and spaces. New urban economies are developing, building on drivers such a digitalisation, health and care, green growth, sharing and collaborative economy, etc.
The experience and knowhow of the four pan-European ETC Programmes, INTERREG EUROPE, INTERACT, URBACT and ESPON will be brought together in the workshop, giving the audience a cross-cutting insight into practical regional and urban projects and good practices, governance issues, trends and the dynamics of fostering new urban economies.

This workshop is followed by a networking session.

(4) Workshop “Trends and perspectives for the European territory and practical use of the ESPON Tool Box for cities and regions”

When: Thursday 15 October 2015, 11h15 – 13h00

Workshop code: 15C05. Organiser: European Commission, DG REGIO

Venue: European Commission, Centre Borschette, Room 0A, Rue Froissart 36, 1040-Bruxelles

The workshop will present the ESPON Atlas “Mapping European Territorial Structures and Dynamics” which shows a synoptic and comprehensive overview of key findings on new facts, evidence and knowledge about European territorial structures, trends and perspectives and policy impacts. Key note speakers will demonstrate the usefulness of the Atlas for policy makers at all administrative levels to understand and define the most efficient investments for regions, cities and/or larger territories and to pursue tailor-made, place-based policies.

The workshop will also feature the latest Tools developed by ESPON, such as ETMS, BSR-TeMo, CityBench, Functional Indicators, Territorial Impact Assessment.

(5) Speech at the Workshop "The added value of an integrated versus sectoral approach to territorial development"

When: Thursday 15 October 2015, 11h15 – 13h00

Venue: European Commission, Charlemagne, Room Mansholt, 1040-Brussels

Workshop code: 15UNIV03. Organisers: European Commission DG REGIO - Regional Studies Association

Territorial cohesion promotes the value of place-based strategies to enhance the implementation of policies whilst acknowledging the differences between regions. An ‘integrated’ approach can potentially increase the efficiency and effectiveness of outcomes in specific territories and also secure greater engagement of partners. However such approaches also have to address the challenges of operational complexity, the limits of governance arrangements, and the limited potential to bend sector policy where only sub-optimal outcomes might be achieved. This theme provides insights into the context of place-based strategies and the practices that have been developed to deliver the potential added-value of this approach.

Registration

Registration is open until 28 September 2015 via the official website of the Open Days. 

Useful links and more information

Official website of the Open Days 2015

Contact Piera PETRUZZI, e-mail: [email protected]