Message from the ESPON Coordination Unit

 Two important events during May 2011 have recognized the importance of having continuous evidence support to policy development in the field of territorial development and cohesion.

The discussion at the ESPON High Level Conference on 11 May 2011 underlined the need and usefulness of the comparable information and evidence provided by ESPON. The conference also underlined future needs for evidence in support of an effective implementation of EU Cohesion Policy post 2013.

Following the adoption of the Territorial Agenda 2020 at the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Territorial Cohesion on 19 May 2011, the conclusions of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU recognized the ability of ESPON to create useful pan-European territorial knowledge, and encouraged the continuation of ESPON post-2013.

Evidently these events represent positive milestones for ESPON in its role as provider of territorialised facts and evidence facilitating policy development, design and implementation in regions, cities and larger territories. Multi-thematic, comparable information and evidence bringing in the European context and the variety of conditions for shaping development, is increasingly becoming a must for defining policy and efficient actions.

At the coming ESPON Open Seminar in Gödöllő (Budapest) on 21 and 22 June 2011, organised in cooperation with the Hungarian EU Presidency, ESPON will continue the efforts of targeting policy demand. The seminar is supposed to bring keynote speeches on knowledge needs and use of results, feedbacks from research in relation to current policy orientations, and new inspiration on how ESPON can feed the Territorial Agenda 2020 and future EU Cohesion Policy.

I am looking forward to meeting you at the seminar in Budapest or in one of the forthcoming ESPON events.

Peter Mehlbye
Director ESPON Coordination Unit

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