Climate change is a major issue that is already producing numerous impacts on society and the environment in Europe today. But how is this situation impacting the competitiveness and cohesion of European regions and of Europe as a whole? Read our storymap with recent evidence from the update of our ESPON CLIMATE project - the results of the project will be also presented on 16 November 2022 during the COP27.

Different regions of Europe have been affected by the pandemic at different times and to different degrees. During the first three waves of the pandemic, a spatial shift from the European centres to the peripheries took place. 

While diverse administrative, economic and political events throughout history have had an influence on the movement of people around the world, none of them had a bigger impact on the number of people crossing the European Union’s (EU) eastern border than the current COVID-19 pandemic. But how has this actually fared on tourism, the labour market and student flows?

Large lake regions are confronted with a challenging situation: while the lake and surrounding areas would benefit from integrated management, they are often shared between regions or countries. Stakeholders from large lake regions have therefore developed a great variety of governance arrangements and initiatives to overcome challenges arising from fragmentation.

Disconnected from the mainland, urban-maritime regions that are island face different challenges than regions situated on the mainland. This also goes for Malta and Crete, two of the stakeholder regions that were part of the ERMES project. This article discusses the downsides and benefits of insular regions in relation to eco-cluster development.

Research conducted for ESPON has identified four global trends that will significantly change the way European seaports operate in 10 years from now. These trends will not only influence the seaports themselves but will also provide opportunities and challenges for the urban-maritime region where they are located.

The ESPON seminar aims at discussing “Quality of Life for territorial and citizen-centric policies” bringing together the latest research on the topic and policy challenges.

The ESPON seminar aims at discussing “Quality of Life for territorial and citizen-centric policies” bringing together the latest research on the topic and policy challenges.

The ESPON seminar aims at discussing “Quality of Life for territorial and citizen-centric policies” bringing together the latest research on the topic and policy challenges.

The ESPON seminar aims at discussing “Quality of Life for territorial and citizen-centric policies” bringing together the latest research on the topic and policy challenges.