European week of regions and cities, Brussels, 9-12 October 2006 : investors' café.
Date: 2006-12-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU regional policy, European cultural event, investment, regional and local authorities

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DG Regional Policy

E u r o p e ’s   r e g i o n s   a n d

The Investors’ Café is the new concept at the heart of the 2006 OPEN DAYS
European Week of Regions and Cities, the biggest event in the European 
Union regional calendar, co-organised by the Committee of the Regions
and the European Commission’s Regional Policy Directorate-General.

From encouraging beginnings four years ago, the OPEN DAYS has grown
exponentially, but it has also remained true to its roots, with a focus on 
sharing ideas that have been tested at the local level and that promise to
deliver results throughout the EU.

The theme of this year’s event, with a record 135 regions and cities taking
centre-stage, is ‘Investing in Europe’s Regions and Cities – Public and Private
Partners for Growth and Jobs’. For the first time, the programme will feature
very strong involvement from the private sector.

The Investors’ Café provides a state-of-the-art meeting place and 
networking opportunity for business investors and decision-makers from 
local and regional authorities.

Getting connected

There are three distinct aspects
to the Investors’ Café.

• Firstly, it will be a real café, located in the
Committee of the Regions’ headquarters at 99-
101 Rue Belliard, Brussels. The café will be open
for business from the evening of 9 October and it
will remain open during extended working hours
until the afternoon of 12 October. Experts from
the business and banking sector will have the
opportunity to meet representatives from local
and regional government informally over coffee
or tea to discuss ideas and further bilateral
contacts. Private meeting rooms will also be
available close at hand.

• Second, it will be the focal point of a major
exhibition village linked to the public and
private partnership theme of the OPEN DAYS
European Week of Regions and Cities. The
partner regions and cities will showcase regional
innovation, know-how and investment potential.
At the same time, private companies, banking
and financial institutions will have an
opportunity to introduce themselves and set out
the investment services that they can offer to the
EU’s regions and cities.

Trade organisations, employers’ associations and
NGOs will also have exhibition stands in the
Investors’ Café area.

2 | OPEN DAYS 2006

c i t i e s   m e a n   b u s i n e s s

• The third aspect of the Investors’ Café project
is a programme of 32 seminars and workshops,
focused on the scope for investment in Europe’s
regions and cities. Each of these events will
provide a snap-shot of stakeholders’ experiences
in delivering the growth and jobs targets at the
core of the EU’s competitiveness strategy (also
known as the Lisbon Agenda).

Experts from the European Commission will be
on hand to explain how the new cohesion policy
rules for 2007-2013 will work, how different
European policies contribute to delivering the
Lisbon Agenda, and how regions and cities can
make the most of the programmes and policies
on offer.

The Investors’ Café seminars will seek to provide
concrete answers to questions such as: How can
Europe’s regions and cities make themselves
more attractive for business, investment in
innovation and job creation? How can they
develop successful public-private partnerships?
How can they foster interregional cooperation?
What is the best way to invest in sustainable,
environment-friendly technologies?

The seminars are aimed at a wide range of
stakeholders, including the business and finance
sectors, the offices of regions and cities, and
representatives of the EU institutions.

Media centre

A media centre will be situated close to the
Investors’ Café and exhibition area. It will enable
representatives from the public and private
sector organisations involved to raise their profile
with local and regional media, as well as
members of the Brussels press corps. Around 300
journalists from across Europe are expected to
cover the OPEN DAYS and the event will also
provide the backdrop for the annual briefing by
EU Commissioners and senior officials for
broadcasters from the association of regional
public TV stations (Circom).

The Investors’ Café and OPEN DAYS European
Week of Regions and Cities are supported by the
following media partners: Financial Times, Circom,
The Parliament Regional Review, European Agenda
and European Voice.

Organisation

The Investors’ Café and OPEN DAYS European
Week of Regions and Cities is organised by the
Committee of the Regions and European
Commission’s Regional Policy Directorate-
General. It has the support of the European
Parliament, the Finnish EU Presidency, the
European Investment Bank, the European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development, the
European Banking Federation, the European
Association of Public Banks, the European
Economic and Social Committee, Eurochambres
and some of the world’s leading blue-chip
companies (see list on page 5).

INVESTORS’ CAFÉ 2006 | 3

W h e r e t o   i n v e s t ?

The 135 official partner regions and cities 
involved in the Investors’ Café project and OPEN
DAYS European Week of Regions and Cities
were selected following a call for applications in
December 2005.

They are divided into 14 conglomerates. Each
has a brand name reflecting the nature of their
partnership or main focus. The partners
represent 20 EU Member States, along with EU
applicant countries Romania (RO) and Croatia
(HR), and non-EU members Switzerland (CH)
and Norway (NO). The most represented
countries are Germany (17 partners), followed
by Italy (14), United Kingdom (13), Spain (12),
Netherlands and Poland (10), France, Finland
and Hungary (7), Czech Republic (6), Romania
and Sweden (5).

The list in full:
Baltic Sea Group
Schleswig-Holstein (DE), Copenhagen (DK), Hamburg (DE),
Malmö (SE), Oslo Region (NO),Tallinn (EE),Vilnius (LT),West
Pomerania (PL),West Sweden (SE).

Capital Cities/Regions & Cities for Cohesion
London (UK), Province of Barcelona (ES), Berlin (DE), Brussels-
Capital Region (BE), Budapest (HU), G-4: Amsterdam,
Rotterdam,The Hague, Utrecht (NL), Ile de France (FR), Lodz
City (PL), Madrid (ES), Merseyside (UK), Prague (CZ).

Competitiveness and Innovation in Northen
Europe
Turku-Southwest Finland (FI), Aarhus (DK), Liguria (IT), North
Lapland-Oulu (FI), North Norway (NO), South Finland (FI),
Tampere Central Region (FI), City of Tartu (EE),West Finland
(FI),West Norway (NO).

Dynamic regions for Sustainable Development
Auvergne-Centre-Limousin (FR), Andalucia (ES), Irish Regions
(IE), Pardubice Region (CZ), Banska Bystrica Region (SK),
Trencin Region (SK), Saarland (DE), South West UK (UK).

Green Motors for Growth
Rhône-Alpes (FR), Baden-Württemberg (DE), Catalonia (ES),
Lombardia (IT), Malopolska (PL), Piemonte (IT), Swiss
Cantons (CH),Vallée d’Aoste (IT).

Innovative Solutions for Regional
Competitiveness
Galicia (ES), Bretagne, Pays de la Loire, Poitou-Charentes (FR),
Cantabria (ES), Extremadura (ES), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (PL),

Lodz Region (PL), North East of England (UK),
Steiermark (AT),West Pannonia (HU).

Interregional Network Summit
Saxony-Anhal (DE), Kosice Region (SK),Thuringia (DE),
Saxony (DE), Basque Country (ES), Murcia (ES), Cheshire
(UK), North Great Plain (HU), Donegal (IE), Presov
Region (SK).

Investments in Regional Partnerships
Rhineland-Palatinate (DE), Central Bohemia (CZ), Grand
Est-Bourgogne (FR), Grand Est-Franche-Comte (FR),
Liberec Region (CZ), Opolskie (PL), Mid-Transdanubian
Region (HU), North Hungary (HU), South Great Plain
(HU), South Transdanubian Region (HU).

Lisbon Regions Network
Valencian region (ES), Emilia-Romagna (IT), Regio
Randstad (NL), Stuttgart Region (DE), Stockholm
Region (SE), Helsinki & Uusimaa Region (FI), Riga City &
Region (LV),West Midlands (UK).

METREX
Glasgow & Clyde Valley (UK), Athens (GR), Region
Frankfurt Rhein-Main (DE), Nürnberg (DE), Oradea
(RO), Rhein-Neckar (DE),Thessaloniki (GR).

Regional Innovation for a Better Europe
Alpeuregio South Tyrol (IT),Trentino (IT),Tyrol (AT),
Carinthia (AT), Central Moravia (CZ), Friuli Venezia
Giulia (IT), Istria (HR), Navarra (ES),Timis County (RO),
Veneto (IT).

Regions of Rond Point Schuman
Scotland (UK), Central Italy Regions: Abruzzo, Lazio,
Marche,Tuscany, Umbria (IT), Pomorskie (PL), Wales
(UK).

Sustainable Energy Regions
Mid Sweden (SE), East Finland (FI), East of England
(UK), Estonian Cities (EE), Mid-Norway (NO), North
Sweden (SE), Northern Ireland Executive (UK),
Northwest England (UK), Ilfov (RO), Neamat (RO),
Vrencea (RO),Western Greece (GR).

Ten for Competitiveness and Sustainability
Niedersachsen (DE), Bremen (DE), East-Netherlands
Provinces (NL), Flevoland (NL), Lower Silesia (PL),
Lubelskie Region (PL), North-Netherlands Provinces
(NL), North-Netherlands Provinces (NL), Haute
Normandie (FR), Wielkopolska (PL),Yorkshire &
Humberside (UK).

4 | OPEN DAYS 2006

H o w t o   i n v e s t ?

The Investors' Cafe will bring together representatives of leading companies - including at least
six chief executives - with experts from the banking and financial sector, European institutions,
chambers of commerce and NGOs to discuss the crucial question of 'how to invest?'

The European Commission and Committee of the Regions have been active in promoting new and
innovative partnership-based investment vehicles such as JEREMIE (Joint European Resources for
Micro to Medium Enterprises), JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City
Areas) and JASPERS (Joint Assistance in Preparing Projects in European Regions). Experts will be on
hand to explain the potential of these instruments, which are designed to complement established
EU funding programmes.

The private sector, with a large presence from hi-tech companies guaranteed, can provide the
benefit of their hands-on experience in dealing with public administrations on questions such as
business location, joint financing possibilities and skills requirements.

The aim is to bring all this expertise under one roof and, in the words of Committee of the Regions
President Michel Delebarre, "to provide a setting where all sides concerned can talk freely and, if
possible, cut a deal or two".

Private sector
• Alcatel
• BT
• Cisco Systems
• Deutsche Telekom
• Ericsson 
• Ernst & Young
• France Télecom 
• Hewlett-Packard
• Intel 
• Microsoft 
• Philips
• SAP
• Siemens 
• Sodexho
• Telecom Italia
• Telefónica

Banks
• European Investment Bank
• European Bank for Reconstruction and 
Development
• European Investment Fund
• Council of Europe Development Bank

Chambers of Commerce
• Eurochambres
• National or regional chambers of commerce

Foundation
• Europe+ Foundation/World Investment 
Conference, La Baule 

EU institutions
• Committee of the Regions
• European Commission:

• Regional Policy DG
• Employment, Social Affairs and Equal
Opportunities DG
• Information Society and Media DG
• Agriculture DG
• Communication DG
• Transport and Energy DG
• Enterprise and Industry DG
• Research DG (Cordis)
• Fisheries and Maritime Affairs DG

• Finnish Presidency of the EU
• European Parliament
• European Economic and Social Committee

Associations and networks
• European Association of Craft, Small and 
Medium-sized Enterprises
• European Association of Development Agencies 
• European Business Network
• European Centre of Enterprises with Public 
Participation
• European Software Association
• European Spatial Observatory Network
• European Trade Union Confederation

NGO
• The European Citizens Action Service

INVESTORS’ CAFÉ 2006 | 5

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Tuesday 10 October

11.30-13.30

9.00-11.00

European cohesion policy and its financing (10D02)
Making Europe a more attractive place to invest and
work.

Michel DELEBARRE,
President of the
Committee of the Regions

Chair: Ronald HALL, European Commission, Regional
Policy DG
Speakers: George KOLIVAS, European Commission,
Regional Policy DG; Tom BARRETT, Kim KREILGAARD
and Tilman SEIBERT, European Investment Bank.

Danuta HÜBNER, EU
Commissioner for Regional
Development

Putting partnership in context (10E01)
Connecting ‘third-sector’ organisations (institutions
such as local community and voluntary groups,
charities, social enterprises and co-operatives which
occupy the space between the State and private
sector) in the context of the new regulatory framework
for 2007-2013.

Chair: Hywel JONES, Director, Network of European
Foundations
Speakers: Graham MEADOWS, European Commission,
Director General, Regional Policy DG; Jerome VIGNON,
Director, Employment, Social Affairs and Equal
Opportunities DG; Anna KOZIEL, Forum of Non-Profit
Initiatives (FIP), Poland; Floriana NAPPINI, European
Citizen Action Service (ECAS); Ray PHILLIPS, chair of the
European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Task Force on the
Structural Funds; Brian HARVEY, Independent
Researcher, Ireland.

The new European Social Fund 2007-2013 (10E08)
Introduction to the new ESF regulations.

Chair: Marie DONNELLY, Employment, Social Affairs and
Equal Opportunities DG
Speaker: Pertti TOIVONEN, ESF Head of Mission,
Ministry of Labour, Finland

Francisco CAMPS ORTIZ,
President of Valencia region,
Spain

6 | OPEN DAYS 2006

Creating lead markets: pre-commercial
procurement of Innovation - introductory session
and panel debate, Part I  (10B04)
Examining the use of public procurement at the pre-
commercial and commercial stage as a means for
regional and local authorities to create markets in key
growth areas.

Chair: Viviane REDING, EU Commissioner for
Information Society and Media.
Scheduled key speakers: Esko AHO, former Prime
Minister of Finland; Jo CORNU, board member, Alcatel,
KBC, Agfa Gevaert and Barco; Harry DIJKSMA, chairman
of the Committee of the Regions’ Commission for
Economic and Social Policy (ECOS).

JASPERS: Supporting infrastructure project
development in European regions (10D03)
JASPERS (Joint Assistance for Preparing Projects in
European Regions) is a policy promoted by the
European Commission, European Investment Bank and
European Bank of Reconstruction and Development to
help prepare projects eligible for support from EU
structural and cohesion funds.The seminar will examine
how to pool the expertise and resources of regions in
the implementation of the scheme.

Chair: Ronald HALL, Regional Policy DG
Speakers: Brendan SMYTH, Regional Policy DG; Pat
WALSH, European Investment Bank.

Creating models of best practice in partnerships
(workshop C1) (10E02)
NGOs highlight the added value of the partnership
principle for local community development and its
contribution to cohesion policy.

Speakers: Oto POTLUKA, Director, IREAS Institute for
Structural Policy, Czech Republic; Irma MEZNARIC,
Ministry for Public Administrations, Slovenia; Rosalia
GUNTIN, State Consortium of Entities for Comprehensive
Interaction with Migrants/Consorcio De Intidades Para
La Acción Integral Con Migrantes (CEPAIM), Spain; Istvan
DANDE, Advisor, South-Transdanubian Regional
Resource Centre, Hungary; Steff SEIDEL, Department of
Participation, CEPAIM, Spain.

Coalition building among third sector organisations
(workshop C2) (10E03)
Examining specific examples of best practice, the scope
for extending them and coalition building.

w o r k s h o p s

Chair: Tony VENABLES, Director, European Citizen
Action Service
Speakers: Anna KOZIEL, Forum of Non-Profit Initiatives
(FIP), Poland; José Manuel FRESNO, Fundación Luis
Vives, Spain; Brian HARVEY, Independent Researcher,
Ireland; Nuria MOLINA, European Anti-Poverty Network
(EAPN), Belgium.

Creating partnerships between third sector
organisations and national/regional authorities
(workshop C3) (10E04)
Examining the involvement of third-sector
organisations in structural fund operations and lessons
that can be learned from programmes such as EQUAL,
the EU initiative aimed at combating discrimination
and inequalities in the labour market.

Chair: Milena MAREGA, Regional Environmental Centre,
Slovenia
Speakers: Lorraine DE BOUCHONY, Welcome Europe,
France; Sue WEBB, Community Development
Foundation, UK; Petra FRANCOVÁ, Foundation for Civil
Society Development (NROS), Czech Republic.

Co-financing partnership strategies (workshop C4)
(10E05)
Exploring partnership possibilities between financial
institutions, donors and investors and third-sector
organisations in the context of the structural funds and
local development projects.

Chair: Gerry SALOLE, Chief Executive, European
Foundation Centre.
Speakers: Stephen PITTAM, Rowntree Charitable Trust;
Pawel KRZECZUNOWICZ, Financial Mechanism Office,
European Free Trade Association (EFTA); a
representative from a foundation; a representative
from the banking sector.

14:00-16:00

Stimulating the creation of lead markets in ICT
through public procurement. Exploring
opportunities for ICT solutions in strategic public
sectors, Part II (10B05)
A follow-up workshop to the earlier session on the
same theme, exploring opportunities for public
procurement as a driving force to create markets in ICT
solutions for health, transport, government operations,
environment and energy.

Chair: Representative of the European Commission, DG
Information Society and Media.
Speakers: Ulf DAHLSTEN, Information Society and Media
DG; Dr Jan J.H. van den BIESEN, Vice President, Philips
Research; Harry DIJKSMA, chairman of the Committee of
the Regions’ Commission for Economic and Social Policy
(ECOS).

JEREMIE: Helping European SMEs to innovate and
grow (10D04)
Exploring the potential of JEREMIE (Joint European
Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises), an initiative
by the European Commission, European Investment Bank
and the European Investment Fund to promote access to
finance for the development of micro, small and medium-
sized enterprises.

Chair: Ronald HALL, Regional Policy DG
Speakers: George KOLIVAS, Regional Policy DG, Marc
SCHUBLIN, European Investment Fund.

EIB financing in EU municipalities (10D05)
Examining initiatives by the European Investment Bank to
supplement structural funds and assist cities and local
communities to achieve sustainable urban development.

Chair and speakers: Krzysztof SZYSZKO, European
Investment Bank.

Towards a model or compact for partnership in a
more citizen-friendly EU Cohesion policy (10E06)
Analysis of Commissioner Siim Kallas’ transparency
initiative. Reports from workshops C1-C4.

Claudio MARTINI,
President of Tuscany
region, Italy 

Viviane REDING, EU
Commissioner for Information
Society and Media

Chair: Tony VENABLES, Director, European Citizen Action
Service.
Speaker: Siim KALLAS, EU Commission Vice-President,
responsible for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-
Fraud.

Ben VERWAAYEN,
Chief Executive, BT

INVESTORS’ CAFÉ 2006 | 7

I n v e s t o r s ’ C a f é : P r o g r a m m e   o f   s e m i n a r s   a n d

16.30-18.30

Wednesday 11 October

Sustainable investments in municipalities and
regions: how best to fulfil citizens’ needs? (10D09)
Discussing and evaluating the role of municipalities
and regions as promoters of employment and
development in a communication forum comprising
representatives of regional and local authorities, local
enterprises and business.

JESSICA: Sustainable investment in European
cities (10D06)
Exploring the potential of JESSICA (Joint European
Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas), an
initiative by the European Commission, European
Investment Bank and Council of Europe Development
Bank to promote sustainable investment and growth
and jobs in urban areas.

Chair: Ronald HALL, Regional Policy DG
Speakers: George KOLIVAS, Regional Policy DG; Mateo
TURRÓ, European Investment Bank.

Philippe MAYSTADT,
President of the European
Investment Bank

Gottfried H. DUTINÉ, Vice-
President, Royal Philips
Electronics

Serge TCHURUK, Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer,
Alcatel

The 32 seminars and workshops featured in this
brochure form part of a wider programme for
the OPEN DAYS European Week of Regions and
Cities. They are organised in conjunction with
the Investors' Café and take place in the
headquarters of the Committee of the Regions.
Details of the complete OPEN DAYS agenda,
comprising 111 events in total, are listed in the
official programme. Participation at all
workshops and seminars is free of charge and
registration is only possible online through
www.opendays.europa.eu

8 | OPEN DAYS 2006

9.00-11.00

Investing in competitive enterprises and high
quality jobs (11A10)
Examining different approaches to sustainable
growth and improving the financial environment for
business and training in Europe’s regions.
Speakers: Representatives from Northamptonshire
Enterprise, UK, Eurochambres and the Finnish EU
Presidency.

14.00-16.00

eHealth: opportunities and challenges for regions
(11B21)
A discussion on best practices and common
approaches towards eHealth in Europe.

Chair: Viviane REDING, EU Commissioner for
Information Society and Media
Speakers: Serge TCHURUK, CEO, Alcatel; Ben
VERWAAYEN, CEO, BT Group; Lothar PAULY, member of
the Board of Deutsche Telekom and CEO, T-Systems;
Didier LOMBARD, Chairman and CEO, France Telecom
Group; Gottfried DUTINE, Executive Vice-President
and member of the Board of Management, Royal
Philips Electronics; Dr. Volker WETEKAM, President
Global Solutions, Siemens AG Medical Solutions;
Marco TRONCHETTI PROVERA, Executive Chairman,
Telecom Italia.

Understanding global players’ needs for making
European regions more attractive (11D12)
Examining investors needs, new regional strategies
and best practice for attracting investments.
Chair: Sir Francis MACKAY, President of Europe+
Foundation; Patrice LEFEU, CEO of Europe+
Foundation
Speakers: Francis MACKAY, former Chairman,
Kingfisher Compass; Edward KRUBASIK, Executive Vice
President, Siemens AG; François BARRAULT, President,
BT International; Jean-Marc NICOLLE, Vice President,
PSA Peugeot Citröen; Ferdinando Beccalli, President,
GE International.

w o r k s h o p s

The new European Social Fund 2007-2013 (11E16)
An introduction to the new ESF regulation for 2007-
2013.

Chair: Marie DONNELLY, Employment, Social Affairs
and Equal Opportunities DG
Speakers: ESF managers from selected European
countries.

Working in partnerships to foster employment
and social inclusion (11E19)
Bringing together lessons and good practice from
Member States and regions in programming and
implementing the new ESF programmes by
incorporating the partnership principle at
programme and project level.

Chair: Mike VAN GRAMBEREN, Head of Cabinet for the
Flemish Minister for Labour, Education and Training
Speakers: Louis VERVLOET, ESF Agentschap, Belgium;
Ana VALE, Gabinete de Gestão EQUAL, Portugal;
Carlos RIBEIRO, National Association of Development
and Education Project Offices, Portugal; Jana
MACHACOVA, Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) Local
Economic and Employment Development Forum,
Austria; Dirk MAIER, Centre for Social Innovation,
Austria.

16.30-18.30

The contribution of software companies to local
and regional development (11B22)
Focusing on best practice from across Europe by local
and regional and authorities in building the right
business environment for IT and software companies,
especially SMEs.

Chair: Jeremy ROCHE, CEO, CODA Group (financial
intelligence) and chairman of the European Software
Association
Speakers: Representatives of the European Software
Association and national software associations.

Is your region connected to the Information
Society? (11B23)
Sharing experiences on the implementation of the
EU’s Lisbon Strategy at regional level by the ICT
industry.

Chair: Graham MEADOWS, Director-General, Regional
Policy DG, European Commission
Speakers: Danuta HÜBNER, EU Commissioner for
Regional Policy; Marcin SZPAK, Deputy Mayor of
Gdansk, Poland; Kaan TERZIOGLU, Vice-President
Central and Eastern Europe, Cisco Systems; Bernard
MERIC, Senior Vice-President External Affairs, Hewlett-
Packard; Christian MORALES, Senior Vice-President
EMEA, Intel; Jan MUEHLFEIT, Vice-President, Public
Sector EMEA, Microsoft.

Networking between executives and regional
officials (11D13) 
Five in-parallel sectoral seminars aimed at examining
key factors for regional investment and specific
investors' needs.

Speakers: Francis MACKAY, former Chairman,
Kingfisher Compass; Edward KRUBASIK, Executive Vice
President, Siemens AG; François BARRAULT, President,
BT International; Jean-Marc NICOLLE, Vice President,
PSA Peugeot Citröen; Ferdinando BECCALLI,
President, GE International.

Didier LOMBARD,
Chairman and CEO, France
Telecom Group

Organiser: Europe+ Foundation, La Baule World
Investment Conference, Ernst & Young, European
Business Network, Eurada.

Marco TRONCHETTI
PROVERA, Executive
Chairman, Telecom Italia

Transport and Regional Policy 2007-2013 (11E23)
A presentation on the recently adopted White Paper
on Transport and a look at how Trans-European
Transport Networks and urban transport tie in with
regional policy and structural and cohesion funds.

Chair: Representatives of European Commission
Regional Policy DG and Energy and Transport DG
Speakers: Zoltan KAZASTAY, Vincent Luque CABA,
Edgar THIELMANN and Eleni KOPANEZOU, Energy and
Transport DG; representative of Regional Policy DG.

Pavel BÉM, Mayor of
Prague, Czech Republic

INVESTORS’ CAFÉ 2006 | 9

Craig BARRETT,
Chairman of the board,
Intel Corporation

Thursday 12 October

9.00-13.30

9.00-11.00

Maritime policy and regional development
(12A20)
A look at how Community funds are distributed
among maritime projects.

Chair: John RICHARDSON, Fisheries and Maritime
Affairs DG
Speakers: Birgit SNOEREN, Environment DG; Patrick
BERNARD-BRUNET, Regional Policy DG; Serafeim
TZOKAS, Representative of the region of Crete,
Greece.

The diversity of opportunities in regions and cities
(12A21)
A presentation of the latest findings by the European
Spatial Planning Observatory Network (EPSON),
which reviews the impact of the structural funds in
urban areas and forecasts development trends. The
seminar will focus on the potential of regions in
contributing to the Lisbon Agenda goals.

Chair: Partick SALEZ, Regional Policy DG; Thiemo W.
ESER, ESPON Managing Authority, Ministry of the
Interior and Spatial Development, Luxembourg.
Speakers: Dr. Kai BÖHME, ESPON Coordination Unit,
Luxembourg; Peter SCHÖN, Federal Office for Building
and Regional Research (BBR), Germany; Jacques
ROBERT, Director, Agence Européenne Territoires et
Synergies (TERSYN), France.

A new policy and new rules: Cohesion Policy 2007-
2013 – strategy and regulations Overview (12E26)
Introduction to the new cohesion policy’s strategic
approach and its rules of implementation for the
2007-2013 period.

Speakers: Graham MEADOWS, Jean-Charles LEYGUES,
Ronald HALL, Vittoria ALLIATA-FLOYD, European
Commission, Regional Policy DG; Nikolaus VAN DER
PAS, European Commission, Employment, Social
Affairs and Equal Opportunities DG.

Financing regional development: the role of
regions and chambers (12D16)
Roundtable on the role of finance to support
innovation and research and development in the 7th
Framework Programme and on the role of
infrastructure networks on regional development.

Speakers: Representatives of the Italian Union of
Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and
Agriculture (Unioncamere) and the Conference of
Italian Regions and Autonomous Provinces.

11.30-13.30

The role of universities in the creation of a
knowledge-based economy (12D17)
Discussion on how a knowledge society can
empower EU citizens and create prosperity.

Speakers: Craig BARRETT, chairman of board, Intel
Corporation; Ján FIGEL, EU Commissioner for
Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism;
professors from European universities.

Savings banks – partners for Europe's regions
(12D19)
Analysing the specific contribution of savings banks
to the current regional and local economy.

Chair: Chris DE NOOSE, Chairman of the World
Savings Banks Institute/ European Savings Banks
Group Management Committee
Speakers: High level representatives from various
European savings banks.

The new European Regional Development Fund
and the new Cohesion Fund (12E27)
Presenting the new approaches for 2007-2013.

Chair: Michele PASCA-RAYMONDO European
Commission, Regional Policy DG
Speakers: Vittoria ALLIATA-FLOYD, Nicola DE MICHELIS,
European Commission, Regional Policy DG.

10 | OPEN DAYS 2006

O f f i c i a l m e d i a   p a r t n e r s

The  Financial  Times  is  firmly  established  as  one  of  the  world's  leading  business  information  brands,  internationally  recognised  for  its
authoritative,  accurate,  and  incisive  news,  comment  and  analysis.  In  print  and  online,  the  Financial  Times  is  essential  reading  for  the
global business community and consistently tops the readership surveys as the best read business publication in Europe. 

The FT newspaper is printed in twenty three cities across the world. With a daily circulation of over 445,000, the FT has a readership of
more than one million people and is available in 140 countries. FT.com (www.FT.com) reflects the values and authority of the Financial
Times newspaper, with the immediacy and interactivity of the internet. The site is the definitive home for business intelligence on the
web, providing an essential source of news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community. 

FT.com's  5.5  million  unique  monthly  users  generate  over  41  million  monthly  page  views,  delivering  a  premium
audience  to  advertisers.  The  website  combines  agenda-setting  editorial  content  with  comment  and  analysis,
financial data, discussion groups, and a range of tools to search the web. At the core of the site is authoritative
news  and  analysis,  updated  throughout  the  business  day  by  journalists  in  the  Financial  Times'  integrated
newsroom and by the FT's large network of correspondents around the world.

Europe’s  regions  are  the  motors  of  our  economy  as  well  as  the  guardians  of  our  culture.  Europe’s  public  regional  television  stations,
members of Circom regional, exist to serve the people of Europe’s regions.

Our Circom Briefing will again be organised on the occasion of the European Week of Regions and Cities. We will look ahead at some
of the opportunities and challenges emanating from the new structural funds regulations for the period 2007-2013, including for our
member broadcasters, and continue engaging with the European institutions as regards their need to establish a better dialogue with
Europe’s citizens.

I thank the hosts of our Circom Briefing, the Committee of the Regions, for their warm hospitality.

Published five times a year The Parliament Regional Review magazine is written by-and-for the people from EU, national, regional, city
and local institutions. Articles, interviews and contributions come from across the diverse world of Europe’s regional story – from those
at the heart of EU policy to the best practice on the ground in 25 member states.
Contributors  include  European  commissioners,  commission  officials,  ministers,  mayors,  CoR  representatives,  MEPs  and  regional  policy
practitioners. As well as politics and policy, The Regional Review explores and showcases local knowledge, presenting a forum where
people and projects can share information across borders and feed best practice directly to EU policy makers.
Our  presence  at  OPEN  DAYS  will  give  us  a  welcome  opportunity  to  meet  regional  and  city  representatives  from  across  Europe. 
We look forward to it.

European Voice is the Brussels based newspaper that brings you the most up-to-date information on policy-making, politics and business
at  the  heart  of  Europe.  Launched  by  The  Economist  Group  in  1995,  European  Voice  has  established  a  reputation  for  providing
authoritative, independent and balanced coverage of EU news and analysis. Every week European Voice provides readers with the latest
developments  within  the  European  Commission,  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  of  Ministers  and  explains  the  European
implications behind the world news.

European Agenda is your essential guide to the latest trends in EU Public Affairs and all the current events and latest personnel changes within
the Brussels political community. It provides a platform for all stakeholders in the EU political process (EU institutions, national and regional
representations, associations, companies, think tanks, NGOs), featuring their events and activities. Trying to put a face on political Brussels,
European  Agenda  not  only  tells  you  who  has  recently  changed  position  or  started  a  new  job  in  the  EU  sector.  Each  issue  of  the  monthly
magazine is also accompanied by an Agenda Booklet that lists all the stakeholders of a specific sector with their contact details and pictures.

In addition, European Agenda offers a unique service package that allows you to optimise your networking and lobbying activities. Helios
Politics Europe combines the advantages of the print magazine with two comprehensive online platforms, the event database www.european-
agenda.com and the contact database www.agenda-profile.com; indispensible tools for anyone who needs to be up-to-date with what is going
on in Brussels and to have first-hand and current information on who are the right people to know in the capital of Europe.

INVESTORS’ CAFÉ 2006 | 11

W h e r e t o   v i s i t   t h e   I nve s t o r s’ C a f é ?

The Investors’ Café, together with seminars, workshops and an exhibition, takes
place at the Committee of the Regions, Rue Belliard 99-101, 1040 Brussels.

Participation at the 32 Investors’ Café seminars and all other OPEN DAYS workshops

is free of charge. Registration is only possible online through the website:

www.opendays.europa.eu

The site includes a search engine and details of all the seminars and workshops.

Investors’ Café
Published August 2006

Produced by:

Communication, Press and Protocol Unit

Committee of the Regions

Rue Belliard 101

1040 Brussels

Tel: +32/2 282 21 55

Fax: +32/2 282 2085

Email: info@cor.europa.eu

Regional Policy Directorate General

Information Unit

Rue de la Loi 200

1040 Brussels

Tel: +32/2 296 60 03

Fax: +32/2 296 0634

Email: regio-info@ec.europa.eu

For further information about the Investors’ Café and the OPEN DAYS European Week of Regions and Cities, click on www.opendays.europa.eu

Catalogue N° QG-02-23-006-EN-N
ISBN 978-92-895-1289-3
doi 10.2863/443161