March 2009, Bratislava: "Urban Dimension" Conference This conference is part of a series of events that QeC ERAN is holding on the theme of "urban dimension in EU cohesion policy" in different member states. The objective is to feed the outcomes of these events into the EU mid-term review of the new EU Cohesion Policy programming arrangements that will take place in 2009 and 2010. More information will be made available soon.
On 7 October 2008 QeC ERAN organised "OPEN DAYS OFF - Caféstyle debates and NON-VIP reception". The event ran parallel to OPEN DAYS, an annual event hosted by the European Commission and EU Committee of the Regions. The aim of OPEN DAYS OFF was to break away from the institutionally determined debates of OPEN DAYS and to better harness its potential by creating a more interactive and informal way for participants to engage and discuss. OPEN DAYS OFF was held in the Brussels Arts Center, Beursschouwburg, which provided a relaxed atmosphere were participants actively engaged in a series of rolling debates on issues high on the EU agenda.
One of the first debates was on the issue of climate change. It is now commonly recognised that climate change is indeed happening and that it represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet. In response to this threat, the European Union is working towards a global agreement to control climate change, and claims to be leading the way and taking ambitious action of its own. Eivind Hoff from the Environmental Foundation Bellona, an international non-governmental organisation founded in 1986, initiated the first debate and argued that EU policy on climate change was ineffective.
Running parallel to the climate change debate, MEP Jan Olbrycht discussed with participants whether the European Parliament was indeed a representative body. This discussion was held in connection with next year's election to the European Parliament (4 to 7 June 2009) in the 27 member states of the European Union. A survey carried out by Eurobarometer noted that one out of five European citizens was not aware at all that there are European elections and only around 30% of citizens responded that they will definitely vote in the upcoming elections.
Other debates looked at whether the Lisbon Strategy was creating greater exclusion and poverty with Professor Harris Beider from the Institute of Community Cohesion, UK, leading the debate. Jan Olbrycht, MEP, Peter Ramsden, Urbact expert, and Elvira Sweet, Mayor of South East Amsterdam initiated the discussion on whether the mainstreaming of cohesion policy had weakened the "urban dimension" and what needed to be done in order to strengthen the urban dimension in the next programming period.
The final debate was on the Irish no vote to the draft Lisbon treat in June this year which threw the EU into a political crisis. Anthony Coughlan from the Irish National Platform, argued that the Irish were right to say NO. Fergal O Regan, from the Institute of International and European Affairs, put forward arguments why the Irish should have voted in favour of the EU treaty. For more information about the speakers please click here for the speakers' profiles>>
During the event participants were asked to give their opinions on these debates. We have sampled a selection of these opinions which have been published below>>.
The debates were followed by a party were participants carried on the debates in smaller circles, networked and generally had fun. The event attracted over 200 participants from representational offices, EU institutions, journalists, NGOs and other organisations working in Brussels.
For more information about QeC-ERAN please visit our website or get in contact with Isabella Haaf, Communication and Information Manager.
During the event participants were asked to give their opinions on these debates. We have sampled a selection of these opinions. Please play the video clip below to listen to participants' comments.
2-3 April 2008, Madrid:"Monitoring the Urban Dimension in EU Cohesion Policy: Spanish and Portuguese perspectives"
This year's first QeC ERAN network workshop took place at the European Parliament offices in Madrid, Spain on 2 and 3 April 2007.
With the mainstreaming of EU Cohesion Policy, the EC has sought to ensure that the best practice developed through the URBAN programme can be sustained through the Community Strategic Guidelines. Member States have now produced National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Plans for the new programming period. This marks an appropriate time to see if the goals of mainstreaming are being translated into Local/regional Plans.
Qec ERAN was organising this event in partnership with CIREM, a Spanish network working on Urban Regeneration issues. The event will focus on Spain and Spanish city case studies in order to review how the new arrangements are working. Alongside this, the conference will also present an opportunity to view how Spanish Urban Development reflects the typology of city development reflected in the "State of the Cities" Report produced by ECOTEC for DG REGIO.
4 October, Brussels: "Integrated Urban Development: Methodologies and Resources"
On 4th October the QeC ERAN workshop on "Integrated Urban Development: Methodologies and Resources" took place at the Lazio Region EU offices in Brussels.
With the mainstreaming of EU Cohesion Policy, the EC has sought to ensure that the best practice developed through the URBAN programme can be sustained through the Community Strategic Guidelines. Member States have now produced National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Plans for the new programming period. This workshop sought to support the development of integrated urban development by presenting Masterplanning as a methodology and also highlighting the resources that are available for integrated urban development through the Jessica financial tool established by the EC and the EIB.
19 September 2007, Antwerp: The Urban Dimension in EU Cohesion Policy QeC ERAN organised a half day workshop targeted at Dutch and Belgium (Flanders) cities highlighting the challenges and changes which EU policy seeks to address. In particular, the goal of the workshop was to examine the Dutch and Belgium National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Plans in relation to the Urban Dimension. In addition the workshop provided a summary of the recently released report on "The State of European Cities".
QeC ERAN organised a workshop on "Skills for Sustainable and Competitive Urban Development".The experience emerging from 16 years of Urban Regeneration practice through the EU URBAN and UPPs programmes have highlighted the need for developing the skills of actors from a variety of sectors and levels in relation to sustainable placemaking. The workshop will bring together a number of initiatives being undertaken across the EU to address this skills gap. Speakers from the Council of Europe, OECD, Academy for Sustainable Communities(UK), and Scottish Centre for Regeneration-Communities Scotland will be making contributions. QeC-ERAN will also launch the results of a unique skills and training audit undertaken of over 200 actors involved in Urban Regeneration.
© 2004 - European Regeneration Areas Network - Quartiers en Crise
With the mainstreaming of EU Cohesion Policy, the EC has sought to ensure that the best practice developed through the URBAN programme can be sustained through the Community Strategic Guidelines. Member States have now produced National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Plans for the new programming period. This marks an appropriate time to see if the goals of mainstreaming are being translated into Local/regional Plans.