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Mathieu SIMONIle-de-France Europe

Brussels – 11 May 2009PeriUrban Regions Platform -

Europe

The PURPLE network

The Region of Zealand as a peri-urban region

Zealand Forum for Globalization

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Now a network of 14 regions

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Peri-urban regions – some issues

• Proximity to large cities and their populations (…opportunities, but pressures and challenges too)

• Multi-functional areas, often with large populations in their own right (not typically ‘rural’)

• Pressures on open space and quality of life

• High quality landscapes (how to manage and maintain these?)

• Agricultural and horticultural production (maintaining viability and responding to new markets)

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PURPLE planet – a vision

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There has been a lack of recognition in European institutions of the need for specific policies or support for peri-urban regions…

….yet they constitute the interface between the 75% of EU citizens living in Europe’s urban areas and the adjacent countryside, which is increasingly valued for its local produce and resources, its diverse landscapes, rich cultural heritage and quality of life.

A network of EU regions : Why?

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General objectives of PURPLE

• Influence European regional and rural policy making

• Develop a distinctive role as the primary interlocutor with Brussels-based institutions, and with politicians and stakeholders across the EU, on issues of special relevance to Europe’s peri-urban regions

• Act as a platform for peri-urban regions to share knowledge and good practice, allowing connections and productive cross-fertilisation between existing projects, as well as promoting new trans-European initiatives in the field.

• Promote successful socio-economic transition in peri-urban rural areas and their agricultural sector

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PURPLE’s development – some landmarks

• 2000-2004: SOS I & II (Sustainable Open Space) Interreg NOE Projects

• Oct 2004: The European Conference on City and Countryside - Randstad (The Hague)

• April 2005: First PURPLE General Assembly - Ile-de-France (Paris)

• November 2006: Fourth PURPLE General Assembly; creation of working budget - Catalunya (Barcelona)

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PURPLE’s development – some landmarks

• May 2007: Stockholm: protocol with Terres en Villes and Arc Latin

• May 2008: Event in Brussels on peri-urban response to CAP Health Check attended by EU Agriculture Commissioner

• Nov 2008: Frankfurt General Assembly : PURPLE becomes 14 regions

• April 2009: Peri-urban Lille – General Assembly in Nord-Pas de Calais

• November 2009: Brussels conference (New MEPs + new Commissioners)

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Key note speech of Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.

– “If peri-urban areas are in a sense both green and grey, a good way of avoiding a false distinction is to call them purple”

– “On the edge of so many European towns and cities, or even inside them, there are valuable areas of land where wheat grows or where cows graze happily in full view of office blocks. These must not be allowed to fall off the policy map”

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How is PURPLE organised?

• An Executive Board currently of 6 political representatives chosen from the member regions (with elections every two years) proposes policy and actions

• A General Assembly consisting of political representatives from all member regions manages the network. It meets twice a year during a large scale PURPLE conference held in one of the member regions

• Officer-led Working Group, Lobby and Communications Group and Project Development Group meet regularly (usually in Brussels)

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PURPLE worksPolicy:

regional, rural, agricultural, environmental, spatial

Eg. - CAP, Territorial Cohesion, Urban/Rural linkages

How? Speeches, comparative analysis, political statements, consultation responses, meetings and events.

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A successful lobbying : the European Parliament resolution on the CAP Health Check

The European Parliament:• Considers that any future system must focus more

strongly on aspects of the social, economic and territorial coherence and integrated development of rural and also periurban areas, reinforcing key agricultural sectors, rewarding effort and compensating for extra burdens, and risk management;

• Takes the view that European agriculture can provide environmentally-friendly solutions to the most pressing problems facing our urbanised society in peri-urban regions as well.

• Draws attention to the particular role played by farmers in peri-urban areas; peri-urban farmers and land managers can promote solutions that meet both Lisbon (knowledge, research, innovation) and Goteborg (sustainability) objectives.

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PURPLE works…

Projects: testing, sharing and transferring experience, profile-raising…and funding (PURER, PLUREL, PULL…)

Alliances: working with other networks

Communication: website, brochures, press releases

www.purple-eu.org

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The PURPLE film :

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Contacts :

Hilary Lowson (PURPLE secretariat): hilary.lowson@googlemail.com

Hilde Donker (Beleidsadviseur Europese Zaken

Noord-Holland): donkerh@noord-holland.nl

Thank you for your attention