Association of European Regions (AER)

Bruxelles, 24 June 2008

The ESPON 2013 Programme• The Operational Programme and its Priorities

• Progress on implementation • ESPON evidence on territorial structures, trends,

challenges and scenarios

The ESPON 2013 Programme and its Priorities

ESPON 2013 Programme

• Mission:– Support policy development in relation to territorial

cohesion and a harmonious territorial development– Provide comparable information, evidence, analyses

and scenarios on territorial structures and dynamics – Reveal territorial capital and potentials in support of

the competitiveness of regions and larger territories

• Key principles: – Policy demand defines applied research themes– Use of results by stakeholders important– Improve the European knowledge base on territorial

development and cohesion, including data, indicators, typologies, models and maps

– Support European-wide understanding and involvement by communicating new comparable information for policy development

5 Priorities

• Priority 1: Applied research on territorial development, competitiveness and cohesion

• Priority 2: Targeted analysis based on user demands/European perspective to different types of territories

• Priority 3: Scientific platform and tools/ Territorial indicators, data, analytical tools

and scientific support

• Priority 4: Capitalisation, ownership and participation/ Capacity building, dialogue and networking

• Priority 5: Technical assistance, analytical support and communication plan

Priority 1: Applied research on territorial development, competitiveness and cohesion

• Objective– New evidence on European trends, perspectives and

policy impacts• Main types of actions

– Cross-thematic and thematic analysis (defining territorial potentials and challenges), including studies of territorial trends and prospective studies

– Territorial impact of EU policies– Knowledge Support System (pool of experts)

• Thematic orientations– Themes decided based on strategic advice

• Expected output– More than 30-40 actions during 2007-2013– Equal number of project Sounding Boards

Themes for the first round of applied research

• Cities and urban agglomerations: their functionality and potentials for European competitiveness and cohesion

• Development opportunities in different types of rural areas

• Climate change and territorial effects on regional and local economies

• Effects of energy price increases on regional competitiveness

• Demographic and migratory flows affecting European regions and cities

• Territorial Impact Assessment of policies

Priority 2: Targeted analysis based on user demands/ European perspective to different types of territories

• Objective– Use of existing ESPON results in processes at European,

transnational, national, cross-border and regional/local level

• Main type of actions– Integrated studies and thematic analysis– Experimental and innovative actions – Joint actions related to Structural Fund Programmes

• Stakeholder partnership and involvement • Ideas admissible from EU and Member State authorities,

SF-Programmes and groups of regions and cities (3 MS)• Process: Call for Interest followed by Call for Proposal • Award criteria: European dimension and transferability

Expected output: 20-40 targeted analysis

Priority 3: Scientific platform and tools/ Territorial indicators, data, analytical tools and scientific support

• Objective– Development and continuously update of scientific

platform for applied territorial research• Main types of actions

– ESPON Database and data development, including data validation and improvement

– Territorial indicators/indices and tools– Territorial Monitoring System and Reports– Targeted actions for updating indicators and maps

• Expected outputs– Updated and enlarged ESPON 2013 Database – New territorial indicators/indices – 2-3 Territorial Monitoring Reports – New/updated indicators, maps, mapping facilities,

models, methodologies, etc. through 5-10 actions

Priority 4: Capitalisation, ownership and participation/ Capacity building, dialogue and networking

• Objective– Spread of European evidence on territorial trends,

perspectives and policy impacts• Main type of actions

– Capitalisation strategy – Media and Publications– European seminars and workshops– Transnational networking activities (ESPON Contact Points)

• Involvement and integration of policy makers, practitioners and scientists

• Expected outputs– 10-12 ESPON synthesis reports and publications (smaller

and larger, eventually leaflets in all languages) – 14-20 actions with and without other organisations– 14 transnational ECP actions

Priority 5: Technical assistance, analytical support and communication plan

• Objective– Ensure implementation of the ESPON 2013 Programme

and information of potential beneficiaries

• Main types of action– Technical assistance: Technical and financial

administration and control of the programme and support activities to the projects

– Analytical support: Content related guidance for projects and analytical activities related to synthesis reports and documents (including urgent demands)

– Communication Plan: Programme management related communication towards potential beneficiaries

ESPON 2013 Programme budget

 TOTAL €45,378 mill.

(ERDF 34,033 mill.)Priority 1: Applied research €19,241 mill.

Priority 2: Targeted analysis €6,536 mill.

Priority 3: Scientific platform €6,148 mill.

Priority 4: Capitalisation €5,514 mill.

Priority 5: Technical Assistance, Analytical Support and Communication

€7.938 mill.

• Additional contribution from Partner States: €1,800 mill. (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein)

Progress in implementation

Launch of actions

• Operational Programme was adopted by the European Commission on 7 November 2007

• The ESPON 2013 Programme and the first calls for action were launched on 21 January 2008 in Bruxelles

• The following calls were opened:

• Call for Proposals on applied research (6 projects)• Call for Interest form stakeholders in targeted analysis

based on ESPON results• Call for Proposals on a project on the ESPON 2013

Database • Call for Interest on the Knowledge Support System

(pool of experts involved in project sounding boards)

Proposals and Expressions of Interest received

• By the deadline 22 March 2008, in total 106 applications were submitted:

– Proposals under Priority 1 and 3: 21

– Expressions of Interest for Priority 2: 31

– Expression of Interest for expert pool: 54

• Eligibility check and Evaluation of Proposals and Expressions of Interest

• Monitoring Committee decision on eligibility and discussion of applications on 29-30 April 2008

• Monitoring Committee decisions expected during June 2008

Indicative timing 2008

• June-July 2008: Questionaire on Applied research themes

• July- August 2008: Call for Tenders on tools development and update of data and maps, capitalisation strategy etc.

• 1 July 2008: Pre-announcement of next Calls for Proposals

• 20 August 2008: Launch of Calls for

– Proposals for Targeted Analysis

– Proposal on Climate Change (re-launch)

– Proposals on Territorial Indicators/Indices

• 15 October 2008: Deadline for submission

• 8-9 December 2008: MC decision

• 10-11 December 2008: ESPON seminar in Grenoble (tbc)

Existing ESPON evidence onterritorial structures and trendsfrom a European perspective

Demographic change

• Population decline (natural population change and migration)• Highly fragmented pattern with both declining and increasing regions

•Competition between regions for human resources•Major urban areas and pleasant retirement areas in good position

Functional Urban Areas in Europe

Classification according to - Population- Transport - Education- Headquarters- Administration- Industry

Main European metropolitan areas

•Metropolitan areas important economic drivers in the European/ global context•Pentagon (14-32-46)•High GDP growth in areas with relatively lower GDP level (% 1995-2002)•Increasing importance of Metropolitan regions in proximity of and outside the core

Urban specialisation and economic development

Potential accessibility multimodal, 2001

A centre-periphery pattern at European scale: • Strong for road and rail• More polycentric for air

Absolute change of potential accessibility by road between 2001 and 2006

• Areas in the vicinity of the Pentagon are improving in potential accessibility by road• Eastern fringe of the Pentagon is gaining the most

Economic Lisbon indicators

7 out of 14 Lisbon indicators:

(1) GDP/capita, (2) GDP/employed person, (3) Employment rate, (4) Employment rate of older

workers, (5) Gross domestic expenditure on

R&D (6) Dispersion of regional

(un)employment rates (7) Long-term unemployment rate.

Cultural and creative professions/GDP per capita

Aggregated natural and technological hazards

Flood recurrence

Forest fires

Winter & tropical storms

Precipitation deficit

Natural Hazards

Southern Europe: Forest fires and drought hazards

Western and Northern Europe: Winter storms, storm surges and floods

Climate: Affects frequency, intensity and coverage

Territorial challenges and spatial scenarios

• Demography: -Ageing and migration processes, shrinking labour markets, areas of depopulation, socio-cultural evolution in larger cities.

• Economy: -Accelerating globalisation, increasing global pressure to restructure and modernise, new emerging markets & technological development

• Climate change: -New hazard patterns, new potentials, preventing and/or repairing

• Energy supply and efficiency: -Increasing energy prices, new energy paradigm, other impacts

• Transport and accessibility/mobility: -Saturation of euro-corridors and larger urban agglomerations, energy price impacts, technology innovations

• Geography: -Territorial concentration and dualisation of economic activities, further EU enlargements (later)

Main territorial challenges

Population ageing towards 2030

Comparing territorial effects of scenarios 2030

Further information

Thank you for your attention

Please visitwww.espon.eu

Participate in survey on applied research themes

You can for free access all ESPON material, including The ESPON database, maps and tools

All synthesis documents and project results Calls for Proposals and Expression of Interest