A two-day ESPON Programme seminar entitled ‘Territorial Challenges and Cooperation in a Wider Europe’ opened in Portorož today. At the seminar, EU Member States and neighbouring countries will discuss the dynamics of European territorial development and the possibilities of implementing cohesion policy and policy on balanced and sustainable development. The seminar is jointly organised by the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia and the ESPON Programme Coordination Unit.
Europe is confronted with huge challenges that affect its territory, regions and cities in a variety of ways.The challenges include: globalisation, climate change, rising energy prices and the ageing of the population.One of the objectives of the new ESPON 2013 Programme is to promote the use of knowledge and experience with a view to understanding the dynamics of change in the European context and, by establishing networks, to ensure cooperation between stakeholders in the process of shaping development policy. The seminar will contribute to better understanding of the trends, challenges and perspectives facing the EU and the neighbouring countries and will stimulate the use of project results in development decision making.
The seminar will enable new contacts and synergies to be established and thus enhance inclusion and networking in the area of territorial development and cohesion.The representatives of bodies responsible for monitoring and supervising land planning development in EU neighbouring countries are especially invited to participate and take an active role. The seminar is open to all interested participants, including policy makers, scientists and practitioners at EU, national, regional and local level.
The ESPON 2013 Programme is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, EU Member States and the partner countries Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.It supports policy development in relation to the aim of territorial cohesion and harmonious development of European territory,and supports the development of cohesion policy by providing comparable information, evidence, analyses and scenarios on framework conditions for the development of regions, cities and larger territories covering all of Europe. It thus facilitates the mobilisation of territorial capital and development opportunities and contributes to improving European competitiveness, extending and intensifying European territorial cooperation and to sustainable and balanced development.
Detailed information on the ESPON 2013 Programme is available at: www.espon.eu.
