Panorama. No. 67, Winter 2018.
Date: 2019-02-15
Institutions: Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy
Subjects: Castile-La Mancha, Cohesion Fund, Rhineland-Palatinate, economic and social cohesion, regional cooperation, regional development, regional policy, regions of Poland, serial publication

PANORAMA

Focusing on European Regional and Urban Policy

WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Linking urban 
challenges with 
solutions

Cultural  
heritage:  
widening  
horizons

Rhineland-Palatinate:  
cross-border support

RegioStars  
tops the bill

Regional and 
Urban Policy

WINTER 2018 / No. 67

PANORAMA

In this issue … 

The winter issue of Panorama magazine, which is now avail-
able to download, covers a wide range of topics from urban 
issues to culture and industrial transition.

We open with a report from the Austrian Presidency on how their 
team has prepared negotiations in the Council on the legislative 
package 2021-2027. Our interview is a joint exchange with both 
Minister-President Malu Dreyer and Economics Minister Dr Volker 
Wissing from the Rhineland-Palatinate. We also explore what EU 
funds have done for the European Year of Cultural Heritage, how 
they are helping regions undergoing industrial transition, and 
profile some of the projects supported through the Urban Inno-
vative Actions programme.

In our ‘In Your Own Words’ section we hear from Castilla- 
La-Mancha, Finland and South Poland, and from younger 

people via their experiences with the Interreg Volunteer Youth 
programme and the Youth4Regions media programme.

We chat to this year’s RegioStars winners, look back at some 
images from the 2018 European Week of Regions and Cities, 
and feature some highlights from the recently published 
Eurostat 2018 Regional Yearbook. The projects section visits 
Poland, Denmark, Slovakia, Italy and Greece.

Happy reading!

AGNÈS MONFRET
Head of Communication Unit, Directorate-General 
for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission

12

14

24

38

EDITORIAL ...................................................................................................... 03

NEWS IN BRIEF ........................................................................................... 35

AUSTRIAN PRESIDENCY: GETTING THE JOB DONE ............ 04

MAPS: MEASURING GENDER EQUALITY .................................... 36

COMMITTING TO THE OUTERMOST REGIONS ........................ 07

TERRITORIAL COOPERATION ON CULTURE HERITAGE ..... 38

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR URBAN CHALLENGES ....... 08

INTERVIEW: MALU DREYER AND VOLKER WISSING  

FROM RHINELAND-PALATINATE  .................................................... 12

HELPING COAL-PRODUCING REGIONS IN TRANSITION .........14

FOCUS ON TERRITORIES WITH GEOGRAPHICAL 

SPECIFICITIES .............................................................................................. 18

CAPTURED ON CAMERA: EWRC ....................................................... 20

EU FUNDING CRUCIAL FOR POLAND’S PROGRESS ............ 42

COHESION POLICY: FINLAND REFLECTS ....................................43

CASTILLA-LA MANCHA WANTS MORE  

AND BETTER COHESION ....................................................................... 44

INTERREG EUROPE CYBER PROJECT .............................................45

EUROPE’S REGIONS IN STATISTICS............................................... 46

TOP OF THE EWRC MASTER CLASS .............................................. 22

FIGHTING FUNDING FRAUD AND CORRUPTION ................... 50

SPOTLIGHT ON REGIOSTARS WINNERS ......................................24

DATA POINT: FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS ................................... 52

YOUNG JOURNALISTS HAVE THEIR SAY .................................... 28

DANUBE STURGEON STRATEGY ...................................................... 54

INTERREG VOLUNTEER YOUTH ........................................................ 32

PROJECTS FROM DENMARK, ITALY/GREECE,  

PITCHING IN FOR EUSALP ................................................................... 34

SLOVAKIA AND POLAND ...................................................................... 55

22

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

E D I T O R I A L

Two months ago, in the previous issue of Panorama, I encour-
aged you to take the opportunity of the European Week of 
Regions and Cities to contribute to the current reflection that 
is laying the foundations for Cohesion Policy in the next dec-
ade. What we did not know at the time is that this Week would 
turn out to be the largest-ever gathering of Cohesion Policy 
practitioners. Over 7 000 partners came together at the 
Square in Brussels to participate in the event which was 
opened by President Juncker.

This great success is not only a good omen for the 
future of our policy. It is also proof of its vitality 
and ability to deliver a better, fairer and 
stronger Europe, thanks to the involve-
ment of thousands of committed people 
throughout the Union. With the Euro-
pean elections just a few months away, 
it is crucial that we are vocal about all 
that we have achieved together for the 
regions and for the citizens.   

First, by striving to ensure that no region and 
nobody is left behind, Cohesion Policy has stayed 
true to its roots. Examples such as the Catching-Up 
Regions initiative, or the work done to facilitate the integration 
of migrants, are certainly key milestones in this regard. Not to 
mention the tremendous support from the EU Solidarity Fund 
to regions hit by natural disasters, or our continued efforts to 
overcome obstacles to cross-border life and work.

Moreover, we have intensified our support for EU regions in 
industrial transition, identifying their competitive advantages, 
and supporting SMEs on their way towards a carbon-free 
economy. For instance, our recent initiative for coal regions 

in transition has helped over 40 regions in 12 different Mem-
ber States find new growth opportunities. By supporting 
economic diversification, and championing close to 120 smart 
specialisation strategies on the ground, Cohesion Policy has 
become a decisive catalyst for resilience, competitiveness 
and greater socio-economic convergence between regions. 

Finally, we have engaged like never before in a continuous 
effort to do better and in a simpler way, in line with my com-
mitment when taking office. We have worked hard to meas-
ure and increase the impact of our policy, notably 
through the launch of a comprehensive Open 
Data platform, or by joining forces with the 
Juncker Investment Plan. We have also 
empowered the High-level Group on Sim-
plification to table meaningful simplify-
ing  proposals,  which  fed  into  the 
Omnibus regulation and our reflection 
on the future of Cohesion Policy. 

We can only be proud of all these achieve-
ments! Thanks to your ongoing support, I am 
confident that there will be many more and that 
our actions will continue to embody the very essence of 
Cohesion Policy: improving the daily life of European citizens.   

Corina Creţu 
European Commissioner for Regional Policy

33

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67‘Less is more!’

An interview with the Austrian 
EU Presidency team on the state 
of negotiations in the Council, 
on their approach to 
simplification – and on four-
legged support 

On 31 December, the Austrian 

Presidency of the Council of the 
EU will come to an end. With 
the Commission proposals for Cohesion 
Policy  post-2020  published  only  a 
month before the start of the Presi-
dency, Austria and its negotiators played 
a central role in setting the scene for 
discussions in the Council. Panorama 
talked to their Brussels-based team, 
Johannes Rossbacher, Alexander Ferstl 
and Christoph Klemencic.

General Affairs Council (Cohesion) meeting, 30th November 2018

Where do you stand with the 
legislative package for 2021-2027?

And did you succeed?

Johannes Rossbacher: We are very 
well on track, I must say. We are close 
to reaching an agreement on key chap-
ters of the common provisions regula-
tion. And the ERDF regulation is nearly 
finished on the Council’s side. With five 
legislative proposals on the table, our 
Council working party did its best to 
make fast and far-reaching progress.

What was your approach for the 
negotiations?

Alexander Ferstl: To start with, we 
were convinced that the Commission 
proposals are reasonable and a real 
step forward in terms of simplification. 
With  this  in  mind,  we  tried  to  limit 
changes to the proposed legal text. We 
believe that not everything needs to be 
regulated – and in that sense, less 
is more!

Christoph Klemencic: Yes, I think so. 
We kept the simplification elements 
which the Commission proposed – and 
went even further. Let’s take the ex ample 
of the partnership agreement. Why should 
a Member State with a small budgetary 
allocation or only one multi-funds pro-
gramme need to go the extra mile to write 
such a document? Our proposal to skip 
this extra step in certain cases was also 
agreed by ministers at the Council on 
30  November. 

Is there an agreement on the budget?

JR: Discussions on the multiannual 
financial framework will be concluded 
at the highest level. We worked – and 
are working – on getting the imple-
mentation modalities right. We prior-
i t i s e d   t h o s e   e l e m e n t s   i n   t h e 
regulations  which  our  programme 
authorities in the regions need for 

4

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

 Our role as 

Presidency was to be 
an independent 
broker and to build 

bridges. 

their future programmes. So, once the 
decision on the finances has been 
taken, we can easily create links.

So, what are these elements?

AF: Everything concerning audit and 
control, programming and planning, as 
well as conditionalities and perform-
ance. I know this doesn’t sound too 
sexy, but managing authorities need to 
know what to expect – and to start set-
ting up their implementation structures 
for future programmes. With this strat-

egy, we hope to gain precious time and 
ensure  a  rapid  star t  for  the  pro-
grammes. Things should start moving 
in 2021, not in 2022 or 2023.

when everybody around the table is 
a bit happy and a bit unhappy at the 
same time.

Looking back over the past six 
months, what were the key challenges 
in the negotiations?

CK: I would say that we had to find com-
promises between all sorts of fractions: 
the net-payers and the net-receivers, the 
different approaches in the west, east, 
south and north – and sometimes very 
different opinions regardless of these 
two aspects. Our role as the Presidency 
was to be an independent broker and to 
build bridges. Then again, this didn’t 
mean that we always made everybody 
happy at all times. 

What’s next in the negotiations?

AF: In January, our colleagues from 
Romania will take over and continue 
with the high pace we set. With one to 
two working party meetings per week 
and a pretty similar approach, you can 
expect further, fast progress in the 
coming months. After an agreement in 
the Council, the trialogue phase will 
start. I am convinced that the Council, 
Commission and Parliament are not 
that far apart in their views.

On a more personal note, how was the 
Presidency work?

JR: Striking a compromise is never 
easy. You probably know that you have 
a good compromise on your hands 

JR: This was my third Austrian Presi-
dency, so I knew what to expect: long 
hours, meetings on Sundays and very 

Joint forces for Cohesion Policy: informal meeting of the Council working party for Structural 
Measures in Austria (Burgenland), September 2018 

5



 We kept the simplification elements which the Commission proposed – 

and went even further. 

Paul Unglaub, Johannes Rossbacher, Alexander Ferstl (with Elvira), Christoph Klemencic

JR: Funnily enough, I was afraid of dogs 
before, but this has changed things com-
pletely. I will even miss Elvira’s ‘support’ 
– a full team member!

You seem to have had fun!

CK: Oh, absolutely! My highlight: on one 
occasion, a Council colleague didn’t under-
stand our chair’s name well – and then 
called him ‘your highness’ instead of 
‘Jo-hannes’. Very presidential, I must say.

AF: Not forgetting our Croatian col-
leagues who got into yodelling! We 
organised a short training session during 
our opening reception – and they still 
know how to do it! Pretty impressive…

JR: Fun certainly helps with a mam-
moth task like an EU Presidency, that’s 

for sure! 

intense teamwork. And honestly, we 
could not have managed without won-
derful support from Vienna, great col-
leagues in the Council secretariat, our 
‘all-rounder’ Paul – and additional help 
from Alexander’s dog! 

A Presidency dog?

AF: Yes, my dog was with us most of 
the time. Elvira – that’s her name – kept 
up spirits and always managed to take 
our minds off the regulations for a few 
moments. This clearly helped during 
such a challenging period.

6

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Pictured at the Conference of Presidents of the EU’s Outermost Regions 2018. Front row, left to right: 
Ramón Luis Valcárcel, Ignacio Sánchez Amor, Fernando Clavijo, King Felipe VI, Corina Creţu, Ana Paula Zacarias, Daniel Gibbs; back row, left to right: 
Claude Plenet, Marie-Luce Plenchard, Alfred Marie-Jeanne, Vasco Cordeiro, Miguel Machado de Albuquerque, Yolaine Costes, Mohammed Sidi

Concrete commitment  
to the outermost regions

On the occasion of the annual conference of the 
outermost regions, one year after the launch of the 
new EU strategy dedicated to them, Commissioner 
for Regional Policy Corina Creţu shows how the EU 
has held its commitments to support these regions. 

There are no less than 21 proposals under the next EU 

budget which take into account the specificities of outer-
most regions – the translation into concrete opportun-
ities of the special attention paid by the Juncker Commission 
to these regions. For instance, it has been proposed that the 
regions continue to benefit from specific additional funding 
and from the highest rate of European co-financing. In add-
ition, given their unique geographical situation, it is proposed 
that they can invest EU funds in airports; and a specific Inter-
reg strand has been created for these regions, with a dedicated 
budget, to encourage cooperation between neighbours.

New rules have just been adopted on state aid to help fisher-
men in the outermost regions buy new vessels, with a higher 
level of aid for small vessels, and under some conditions, to 
ensure sustainable fisheries. 

New avenues for growth have also been opened by supporting 
research and innovation. For example, the Commission has 
launched the FORWARD project with EUR 4.3 million from Horizon 
2020 through which 24 partners from the nine regions will ana-
lyse their innovation systems and mobilise local actors, including 
industry, around strategies based on their specific strengths. 
They will also ensure closer links between their regions and Euro-
pean or international innovation networks to increase their par-
ticipation in the future Horizon Europe research programme.

The Commission is also working together with outermost regions 
and their Member States to devise tailor-made solutions for 
their specific challenges. After a first successful experience on 
the Island of Reunion on energy transition, the Commission has 
launched a second task force to improve waste management 
and promote the circular economy in the Canary Islands. All 
parties concerned will work together to take up this major chal-
lenge to improve the quality of life in the archipelago.

The place of the outermost regions in future programmes as well 
as these initiatives complements the direct and constant dialogue 
between the Juncker Commission and these nine regions. They 
are the symbol of an ever-closer partnership at all levels.  

7

U R B A N S TO R I E S

Urban Innovative Actions: testing 
innovative solutions and measuring results

Urban Innovative Actions provide EU cities with 
resources to finance innovative projects, with 
a total envelope of EUR 372 million from the 
European Regional Development Fund for the 
period 2014-2020. The aim is to identify, test 
and disseminate concrete solutions to common 
urban challenges.

To date, 55 projects from across the EU have been 

selected during three calls launched in 2015, 2016, 
and 2017; a fourth call is ongoing. Cities can apply 
online until the end of January 2019 (see details below). 
A fifth and final call will be launched by the end of 2019. 
https://www.uia-initiative.eu/en/call-proposals

Each project has three years to implement their innovative 
solutions and measure the results. The fourth year is dedi-
cated to disseminating the lessons learnt. Important lessons 
can also come from failure. In fact, these projects aim to test 
innovative solutions which means they carry a risk of not 
achieving the expected results.

The calls concern the societal challenges identified in the 
Urban Agenda for the EU (see article in Panorama 66). They 
cover social issues like the integration of migrants, and 
poverty, as well as environmental issues like the circular 
economy, climate change, and economic issues such as 
employment and digitalisation. 

Within a topic, project promoters often build an innovative 
solution combining socio-economic and environmental com-
ponents in an integrated approach, which is characteristic 
of UIA projects together with a bottom-up approach. In the 
end, solutions are the result of co-designing with local 
stakeholders.

k  1st call launched in 2015: 17 projects selected

k 2nd call launched in 2016: 16 projects selected

k 3rd call launched in 2017: 22 projects selected

k 4th call open online until end of January 2019

k 5th call will be launched in September 2019

For the next programming period 2021-2027, the Com-
mission would like to foster the link between urban chal-
lenges, innovation and the know-how gap among local 
actors. It then proposes to set up the European Urban 
Initiative which will integrate and develop new activities 
on the basis of existing initiatives, such as UIA, Urbact and 

the Urban Agenda for the EU. 

FIND OUT MORE
https://www.uia-initiative.eu/en 

8

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PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

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Milan

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Portici

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© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
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© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries

Urban Innovative Actions: Approved projects
Urban Innovative Actions: approved projects
!a Adaption to climate change
Urban Innovative Actions: Approved projects
Urban Innovative Actions: Approved projects
!a Adaption to climate change
!a Adaption to climate change
!b Air quality
Adaptation to climate change
!b Air quality
!b Air quality
Air quality
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!c Circular economy
!c Circular economy
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!f Housing
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!h Integration of migrants and refugees
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!i Jobs and skills in the local economy
Integration of migrants and refugees
!i Jobs and skills in the local economy
!i Jobs and skills in the local economy
Jobs and skills in the local economy
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!k Urban mobility
!k Urban mobility
Urban mobility
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!l Urban poverty
!l Urban poverty
Urban poverty

9

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Turin (IT), Urban poverty

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Bilbao (ES), Jobs and skills 
in the local economy

“Co-City is an extraordinary opportun ity 
to support new forms of active participa-
tion of citizens in the regeneration of the 
city. I hope that new enterprises will be 
created around this new model of rela-
tionship between the public and private 
sectors, generating new employment 
opportunities and jobs in Turin.”

!a
Urban Innovative Actions: Approved projects

“With this initiative, we want to ensure 
that young refugees have the oppor-
tunity to rebuild their lives in Antwerp. 
Our first priority is the integration 
of  these  youngsters  who,  like  all 
youngsters, deserve that extra helping 
hand. CURANT combines human com-
passion  and  social  responsibility. 
We hope Antwerp can be a leading 
example for other cities.” 

!a

!c

!a

!b Air quality

!c Circular economy

!e Energy transition

!f Housing

Urban Innovative Actions: Approved projects

Fons Duchateau, Chairman, Social 
Welfare Department, Antwerp

“We believe that investing in know-
ledge is investing in the future, and 
t hat  entrepreneur s  are  called  to 
be the builders of the economy of 
tomorrow. UIA–AS-Fabrik musters all 
of our strengths and represents the 
spearhead  of  the  future  economy 
of Bilbao.” 

!a Adaption to climate change
!b Air quality
!c Circular economy
!e Energy transition
!f Housing
!a Adaption to climate change
!b Air quality
!c Circular economy
!e Energy transition
!f Housing

!h Integration of migrants and refugees
!h Integration of migrants and refugees
!i Jobs and skills in the local economy
!i Jobs and skills in the local economy
!k Urban mobility
!k Urban mobility
!l Urban poverty
!l Urban poverty

MORE INFORMATION: 
https://www.uia-initiative.eu/en/
uia-cities/antwerp

MORE INFORMATION: 
https://www.uia-initiative.eu/en/
uia-cities/bilbao

!a Adaption to climate change

PROJECT DURATION:  
02/2017 – 10/2019

PROJECT DURATION:  
08/2017 – 07/2020

PROJECT DURATION:  
03/2017 – 02/2020

MORE INFORMATION: 
https://bit.ly/2Ry5dyE

EU INVESTMENT:  
EUR 4 646 000

EU INVESTMENT:  
EUR 4 126 000

EU INVESTMENT:  
EUR 4 894 000

Urban Innovative Actions: Approved projects

Chiara Appendino, Mayor of Turin

Juan Mari Aburto, Mayor of Bilbao

!c

!h Integration of migrants and refugees
!i Jobs and skills in the local economy
!k Urban mobility
!l Urban poverty

!h

!c

REGIOgis

!h

!c

REGIOgis

REGIOgis

0

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Canarias

Guadeloupe 

Martinique

Guyane

Canarias

Guadeloupe 

Martinique

Mayotte Réunion

Guyane

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Guadeloupe 

Martinique

Guyane

Açores

Madeira

!c

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Mayotte Réunion

Mayotte Réunion

Açores

Madeira

!e

!k

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PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

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Madeira

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!c

REGIOgis

!h Integration of migrants and refugees

!i Jobs and skills in the local economy

!k Urban mobility

!l Urban poverty

0

500 km

!h

!c

REGIOgis

!a
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Lahti (FI), Urban mobility

!f
!l
!e
!a

!a

”Sustainable urban mobility is a key 
focus area of Lahti for the next years. 
Our aim is to find the most inspiring 
ways to attract more people to walk, 
cycle and use public transportation. 
Through CitiCAP, we will build a com-
pletely new public incentive, the personal 
carbon trade (PCT), that may revolution-
ise the participation of citizens in climate 
change mitigation.”

!a

!c

Gothenburg (SE),  
Energy transition

!f

!k

!i
!b
!l

!h

!c

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!a

Maribor (SI),  
Circular economy

!c

“Only tight cooperation between public 
companies, citizens, industry and local 
government  can  lead  to  successful 
mutually connected system, which opti-
mises resources and economic, environ-
mental  and  social  results.  This  is 
a long-term project of transformation to 
a different society, which ensures devel-
opmentally focused management of 
resources in local and regional areas.”

!a Adaption to climate change
!b Air quality
!c Circular economy
!e Energy transition
!f Housing

Andrej Fištravec, Mayor of Maribor

Urban Innovative Actions: Approved projects

Urban Innovative Actions: Approved projects

Urban Innovative Actions: Approved projects

Jyrki Myllyvirta, Mayor of Lahti

!h Integration of migrants and refugees
!i Jobs and skills in the local economy
!k Urban mobility
!l Urban poverty

“The FED project confirms Gothenburg 
as a frontrunner in developing the 
energy solutions of a fossil-free soci-
ety. The idea is to reduce energy con-
sumption  by  establishing  a  local 
market place for electricity, heating 
and cooling. Hopefully, this model will 
prove capable of speeding up energy 
transition across Europe.”

PROJECT DURATION:  
01/2018 – 12/2020

Ann-Sofie Hermansson,  
Mayor of Gothenburg

!a Adaption to climate change
!h Integration of migrants and refugees
!b Air quality
!i Jobs and skills in the local economy
!c Circular economy
!k Urban mobility
!e Energy transition
!l Urban poverty
!f Housing

PROJECT DURATION:  
11/2016 – 10/2020

EU INVESTMENT:  
EUR 4 655 000

EU INVESTMENT:  
EUR 3 800 000

!a Adaption to climate change
!b Air quality
!c Circular economy
!e Energy transition
!f Housing

PROJECT DURATION:  
12/2017 – 11/2020

EU INVESTMENT:  
EUR 3 000 000

MORE INFORMATION: 
https://bit.ly/2RDqpn6

MORE INFORMATION: 
https://bit.ly/2AS48uC

MORE INFORMATION: 
https://bit.ly/2Ud7ssQ

© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries

0

500 km

11

0

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© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries

© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries

Investing in Cohesion Policy:
a priority for Rhineland-Palatinate 

Minister-President Malu Dreyer and Economics Minister Dr Volker Wissing of the Rhineland-
Palatinate give their views on current and future Cohesion Policy support in their region.

Mainz, Germany

How do you respond to the perception 
that comparatively well-off regions 
from net contributor Member States 
do not need Cohesion Policy support?

Minister-President Malu Dreyer: Of 
course, Rhineland-Palatinate is currently 
one of the EU’s more developed regions. 
The  European  objectives  cannot  be 
achieved without strong regions, but even 
strong regions need structural support. 
Funding also helps to convey the positive 
impact of the EU on the ground, beyond 
the purely financial aspects. 

The current regional programme 
aims to strengthen innovation, 
enhance SMEs’ competitiveness 
and support the shift towards a low-
carbon economy. How far have 
these goals been achieved?

Malu Dreyer
Minister-President of the 
Rhineland-Palatinate

Dr Volker Wissing
Economics Minister for the 
Rhineland-Palatinate

EU funds systematically and consistently 
strengthen the innovation capacity of 
companies and thus the economy of the 
region. In addition, the efficiency of 
research institutions and universities will 
be significantly increased. 

a significant contribution to bolstering 
the competitiveness of enterprises and 
to maintaining and creating jobs in less 
developed parts of the country.

The ERDF also supports measures to 
achieve policy objectives in the area of 
climate protection and the objective of 
sustainable growth, in line with the EU 
2020 Strategy, including through the 

Dr Wissing: With 40 % of ERDF funding 
allocated,  we  are  giving  priority  to 
research and development within the 
Rhineland-Palatinate ERDF programme. 

By helping SMEs – e.g. by supporting 
the modernisation or expansion of busi-
ness premises – the ERDF is making 

12

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

 EU funds systematically and consistently strengthen the innovation 
capacity of companies and thus the economy of the region. 

of Rhineland-Palatinate in the con-
struction of new buildings, extensions 
and modernisation. We are carrying 
out a successful, diversified promo-
tion programme for SMEs which we 
want to pursue further. We hope that 
the draft regulations submitted so far 
will  be  amended  to  take  this  into 
consideration.

We are pursuing the goal of a low-
carbon Europe and, through our ERGU 
programme, we can increase energy 
and resource efficiency in commercial 
companies. Companies that save CO2, 
consume  less  energy  or  materials, 
or reduce their waste can receive financial 
support through the pro gramme.

However,  we  are  concerned  about 
negotiations on the EU’s new Multi-
annual Financial Framework (MFF). 
The  Commission  proposal  of  May 
2018 already foresees a significant 
reduction in the ERDF envelope. The 
Council and Parliament should reach 
a   r e s p o n s i b l e   c o m p r o m is e   t h a t 
will take account of the real needs 
of Eur o p ea n  r e gio ns  in  or d er  t o 
strengthen  local  competitiveness 
and, above all, rural development. 
European Cohesion Policy is a model 
of success worldwide which should be 

reflected in the next MFF. 

newly launched support programme 
for increasing energy and resource 
efficiency in enterprises (ERGU). Every 
subsidised investment in a company 
leads to an increase in energy and 
resource efficiency.

Interreg is a key pillar of Cohesion 
Policy. What contacts do you have 
with other European regions and 
how do you benefit from them?

Minister-President Malu Dreyer: 
Rhineland-Palatinate is the German state 
with the largest number of European 
neighbouring states. With France, Lux-
embourg, Belgium and the Netherlands, 
the Interreg A programmes ‘Greater 
Region’, ‘Upper Rhine’ and ‘Meuse-Rhine 
Euroregion’ have enabled us to have 
a close and trusting relationship since the 
first funding period. In addition, there is 
the Interreg B programme ‘Northwest 
Europe’ which currently extends from 
Ireland to the centre of Germany. 

Through countless projects, institutions 
in Rhineland-Palatinate have cooperated 
with partners in neighbouring regions, 
set investments in motion, conducted 
research, and experienced a borderless 
Europe.  Particularly  in  the  Greater 
Region, where Rhineland-Palatinate 
cooperates with Saarland, Lorraine, 
Luxembourg and East Belgium, it is 
essential to have close European coop-
eration, especially for the labour market 
and mobility: our region has the largest 
commuter flows in the EU.

That is why we have great hopes for 
future Interreg programmes to bring 
citizens in the border regions closer 

together and to find potential solutions 
for mobility, protection of the environ-
ment and the sustainable, innovative 
and digital economy. I therefore hope 
that adequate funding will be made 
available for Interreg programmes so 
that we can continue to tackle these 
challenges. 

An innovative approach to the ESIF 
has involved the use of revolving 
funds and other financial 
engineering instruments.  
How do you use such instruments?

Dr Wissing: We have developed the 
Rhineland-Palatinate Innovation Fund 
as a financial instrument, to name one 
example. The fund, which is co-financed 
by the ERDF, provides up-and-coming 
technology-oriented companies with ven-
ture capital, in the form of open or silent 
participations under attractive conditions, 
which can be used to develop and launch 
innovative products, production processes 
and services. This improves the equity 
base of these companies and creates the 
financial prerequisites for the successful 
launch of technology companies. 

Looking at ESIF 2021-2027, how 
do you see Cohesion Policy priorities 
evolving?

Dr Wissing: As regards the Commis-
sion’s  political  goals  for  the  next 
funding period, we can continue to 
support companies, especially in tech-
nological development and implemen-
tation of innovation, while improving 
research  infrastructure.  It is  also 
important that we support companies 
in economically underdeveloped areas 

13

Support for coal regions 
in transition to sustainable 
economies

As mines close down across Europe’s remaining 
coal-producing regions, the EU is providing 
support to help their economies make the 
transition as smooth as possible to more 
sustainable, greener businesses – providing new 
opportunities for growth and jobs.

Coal used to be one of Europe’s main fuels. However, as 

the EU makes the transition to a climate neutral economy, 
as set out in the recent Commission Communication on 
A Clean Planet for all – A European strategic long-term vision 
for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral econ-
omy, coal production and consumption are declining. 

That transition is already well under way. In 1990, coal provided 
for almost 41 % of the gross energy consumption in the current 
28 EU countries, while in 2015 this had dropped to 16 %. Despite 
the gradual decline in its use since the 1990s, coal remains 
important in particular for many of the countries that joined the 
EU in 2004 and 2007. Currently, around 185 000 Europeans 
are directly employed in the remaining active coal-mining oper-
ations in 41 regions in 12 EU countries. Another 53 000 work in 
coal-fired power plants (see ‘Coal in the EU – a snapshot’).

Experience has demonstrated that without long-term planning 
and supporting measures, the transition can be painful. Former 
coal-mining regions can suffer from decades of structural 
unemployment, with significant social impacts on people, their 
communities and public finances.

14

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Smart specialisation strategies are at the core of much 
of the work done through the initiative on coal and carbon- 
intensive regions in transition. These strategies help regions 
to diversify their economies and make structural transform-
ation that supports a sustainable post-coal economy.

Through these measures, Cohesion Policy is making a key 
contribution to the initiative on coal and carbon-intensive 
regions in transition, both to the country teams established 
to help specific pilot regions and to the multi-stakeholder 
platform providing further tailored support.

‘The EU is committed to ensuring that nobody and no region 
is left behind in the shift towards a low-carbon economy,’ 
says Corina Creţu, the Commissioner for Regional Policy. 
‘The EU Cohesion Policy significantly invests to foster 
growth and jobs in coal regions by helping them identify, 
develop and invest in new areas of competitive strength – 
what we call smart specialisation.’

Country teams – tailor-made  
to a region’s needs

Under the first strand of the initiative, operational country 
teams provide expertise and advice on funding tailored to 
each region’s particular situation, stage of development and 
growth strategy. In 2017 and 2018, the European Commission 
launched a series of such teams, on request, to support pilot 
coal regions in their transition efforts.

EU’s coal regions in transition

Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt (DE)

Silesia (PO)

Trencin (SK)

Karlovy Vary, Usti and Moravia Silesia (SK)

Jiu Valley (RO)

Western Macedonia (GR)

In response, the European Commission has launched an initiative 
to provide tailored support for coal and carbon-intensive regions.

In parallel, it has also launched a pilot action on regions in 
industrial transition with 12 selected regions. This pilot will help 
to test new approaches to industrial transition and provide the 
European Commission with evidence to underpin post-2020 
policies and programmes.

These complementary initiatives open up new ways to address 
the challenges regions face in managing the transition to 
smarter, greener, climate neutral economies, with a particular 
focus on their smart specialisation strategies.

They also contribute to the EU’s vision of modernising Europe’s 
economy through digitalisation, technological and social innov-
ation, decarbonisation and the circular economy.

A more detailed article on the pilot action on industrial transition 
will be published in a future issue of Panorama. This article 
focuses on the initiative for coal and carbon-intensive regions 
in transition.

No region left behind

The EU is committed to ensuring that no region is left behind 
in the ongoing shift to a sustainable society and the move 
away from an economy driven by fossil fuels. In particular, 
Cohesion Policy supports structural and long-term responses 
to the challenges regions face when making the transition 
to a climate neutral economy. Cohesion 
Policy with its integrated, place-based 
approach and smart specialisation is the 
main EU policy instrument to address 
structural changes, not least in the con-
text of clean energy transition. It works 
in partnership with actors on the ground 
in a holistic approach.

The aim is to help regions become more 
resilient and adapt to the economic, social 
and territorial impacts resulting from the 
transition. For example, the measures 
support SMEs, business incubators, innov-
ation, cooperation between industry and 
researchers, capacity-building skills, sus-
tainable transport, social inclusion and the 
shift to a low-carbon economy. 

Asturias, Castilla-y-León  
and Aragón (ES)

15



Today, the initiative delivers tailor-made assistance to 13 pilot 
regions in seven EU countries: Silesia (Poland), Trencin (Slo-
vakia), Western Macedonia (Greece), Jiu Valley (Romania), 
Karlovy Vary, Usti and Moravia Silesia (Czechia), Brandenburg, 
Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt (Germany) and Asturias, Castilla-y-León 
and Aragón (Spain).

The teams interact closely with regional and national 
authorities and other relevant actors to develop pragmatic 
solutions to the challenges posed by structural transform-
ation. The country teams support the development of strat-
egies and projects to accelerate the process of economic 
diversification and technological transition. The teams also 
guide the regions on the best way to access available fund-
ing, leverage their smart specialisation strategies, drive 
innovative businesses, and implement decarbonisation 
strategies.

European Commission experts help with support and tools, 
such as peer-to-peer exchanges or technical assistance to 
facilitate the preparation of a coherent transition strategy.

They have found that EU countries and the coal regions in 
transition are very motivated to develop strategies and take 
concrete actions. The benefits for participants could include 
assistance with refining strategies and project ideas with a 
potential to kick-start the transition process, including feedback 
on relevant EU policies, programmes, funds and financing in 
focused discussions with the Commission and external experts.

Two working groups form part of the expertise provided for 
those participating in the platform. These groups facilitate 
dialogue on good practices, project ideas and regional strat-
egies. They also hold project-focused labs involving Commis-
sion and external experts. 

These strategies can include diversifying to use clean energy 
sources as part of the transition, for example. Project initia-
tives may include building geothermal energy plants in former 
coal mines, investing in e-mobility, digitalisation and data 
centres, creating innovation parks, forming local energy com-
munities, and developing tourism and agricultural activities. 
They may be eligible for existing EU funding. 

The Post Coal Economy and Structural Transformation work-
ing group covers strategies and projects focusing on the 
economic diversification of coal regions. The Energy System 
Transformation and Clean Air working group focuses on strat-
egies and projects on improving air quality and coal-based 
technologies that are compatible with the EU’s long-term 
vision for a climate neutral economy.

This also includes Cohesion Policy funding which provides a 
stable, long-term investment framework and already address 
many of the challenges in these regions but at the same time 
is also flexible (via reprogramming) when new needs or unex-
pected events arise.

Other measures are also ongoing via the initiative on coal 
and carbon-intensive regions in transition. The Commission 
is working to attract international investors to provide financ-
ing for projects in the targeted coal regions. For example, it 
has launched one such partnership with US investor Michael 
Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The pilot regions then share the experiences from this work 
through the Coal Regions in Transition Platform.

Sharing expertise

European Commission Vice-President for the Energy Union 
Maroš Šefčovič says the aim is to position the EU as an 
international hub of expertise for the regional transition and 
to foster multilateral cooperation.

The platform, launched at the end of 2017, brings together 
regional and national representatives, social partners, 
industry and civil society to share best practices and learn 
from each other. It provides access to technical support, 
capacity building and sharing experience with other parts 
of Europe. 

‘Climate action starts in our regions,’ says Commissioner 
Šefčovič. ‘That is why we have launched a structural support 
for coal and carbon-intensive regions – to support the mod-
ernisation of their economies and address the social impacts 
of the low-carbon transition. It is about people's health, their 
jobs as well as about opportunities for the future.’ 

16

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

The Coal Regions in Transition Platform is led by the Euro-
pean Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy in close 
cooper ation with the Directorates-General for Regional and 
Urban Policy and Research and Innovation, which co-chair 
the working groups.

Funding for the coal and carbon-intensive regions in transition 
is available, for instance, through the Cohesion Policy, Horizon 
2020, the LIFE programme and the European Globalisation 

Adjustment Fund.  

A dedicated secretariat for the initiative will be established 
in early 2019 and will provide toolkits, guidance as well as 
technical assistance to all coal and carbon-intensive regions 
across the EU for the development and implementation of 
their transition strategies and related projects.

FIND OUT MORE
https://bit.ly/2pZbfyV

Coal in the EU –  
a snapshot

ENERGY CONSUMPTION

1990 
41 % coal

2015 
16 % coal

207 coal-fired 
power plants
in 21 EU countries

6 countries rely on coal for 
at least 20 % of their energy  
(Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Greece, 
Poland and Slovakia)

H

128 coal mines  
in 12 EU countries  
41 regions

185 000 Europeans  
directly employed in coal mining

53 000 employed  
in coal-fired power plants

215 000 indirect jobs 
dependent on coal activities

Source: EU coal regions: opportunities  
and challenges ahead, Joint Research Centre

17

Cohesion Policy support for 
mountains, islands and sparsely 
populated areas

Cohesion Policy pays particular 
attention to regions which suffer 
from severe and permanent 
natural or demographic 
handicaps, such as mountains, 
islands and sparsely populated 
areas (Article 174 TFEU). 

T he ESIF regulatory framework 

for 2014-2020 lays down pro-
visions, such as the derogation 
to thematic concentration or adjust-
ment of the co-financing rate, and 
offers several possibilities to better 
address the needs of these areas and 
support their potential.

In 2014-2020, 15 Member States high-
lighted in their programming documents 
(Partnership Agreements) the challenges 
they face due to their insular, mountain-
ous or sparsely populated characteris-
tics. DG REGIO commissioned an expert 

analysis to gain an in-depth knowledge 
on how these Member States are using 
the possibilities for supporting and 
strengthening  the  development  of 
islands, mountains and sparsely popu-
lated areas through EU Cohesion Policy 
in the 2014-2020 programming period.

territories with geographical specificities: 
dedicated Operational Programmes (OP) 
(e.g. the South Aegean Islands’ regional 
programme in Greece or the Balearic 
Islands OP in Spain) or part of a broader 
programme area (e.g. the Lorraine and 
Vosges Massif OP in France).

Gilda Carbone, author of ‘ Expert Anal-
ysis on Geographical Specificities Moun-
tains, Islands and Sparsely Populated 
Areas Cohesion Policy 2014-2020’, talks 
about the main findings of her research, 
presented at the European Week of 
Regions and Cities, Brussels 2018.

What approach did Member States 
take to deal with territories with 
geographical specificities?

We did a survey with the relevant man-
aging authorities in the different Mem-
b er  St at e s  a n d  fo u n d  d if fer e n t 
approaches and perceptions among 
them. Each country dealt differently with 

Although not always expressly men-
tioned in the dedicated section of the 
Partnership Agreements and OP, the 
specific needs of these territories have 
g e n e r a l l y   b e e n   c o n s i d e r e d   a n d 
addressed in the programming docu-
ments and, in some cases, integrated 
territorial tools have been used. 

What main challenges have been 
identified in relation to mountains, 
islands and sparsely populated areas?

Preservation and protection of the en-
vironment is generally a key priority for 
areas with geographical specificities. 
One of the main challenges is to find 

18

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

territories with geographical specificities. 
There are multiple ways to serve the 
needs of these areas (integrated territor-
ial investments, community local led 
development,  financial  engineering 
instruments, attributing additional points 
to projects in areas with geographical 
specificities in the selection phase, etc.). 
Where there is a need there is a way!

Based on your long experience in 
regional policy issues, what do you 
consider are the essential issues to 
help the potential of these areas? 

The integrated approach is essential, 
especially in territories with geographical 
specificities; interventions may have 
a greater impact if they focus on different 
but interlinked sectors.

The exchange of good practices and 
knowledge among countries and regions 
facing similar challenges (i.e. insular or 
mountainous, etc.) could facilitate and 
increase the setting up of targeted inte-
grated territorial strategies and financial 
instruments. Learning from peers is 
essential.

Furthermore, the European Territorial 
Cooperation programmes and Macro-
Regional Strategies play an important 
role because many of these territories 
are right on the borders of EU countries 
which means a coordinated approach 
could definitely bring value added.  

a good balance between environmental 
and resource efficiency, on the one hand, 
and socio-economic factors for growth 
and development, on the other hand.

Is there continuity and consistency 
between programming and 
implementation in the current 
programming period?

Other important sectors of interven-
tions are connectivity, both physical and 
digital, better access to public services, 
and renewable energies.

How have Member States used the 
possibilities offered by the 2014-2020 
regulatory framework for 
Cohesion Policy?

There was a low take-up of the possibil-
ities offered by the 2014-2020 ESIF 
regulations (i.e. derogation to thematic 
concentration, adjustments to co-financ-
ing rate, etc.). These provisions were 
used  to  a  very  limited  extent  and 
seemed unnecessary (i.e. increased 
co-financing rates lead to smaller overall 
national public investment). 

The attention to territories with geo-
graphical specificities was somewhat 
assured in the implementation phase 
through other means, such as attribut-
ing additional points to projects target-
ing these areas in the selection phase 
(i.e. Italy, OP Friuli Venezia Giulia). We 
also identified some good examples of 
setting up dedicated financial instru-
ments (e.g. a national FI set up for 
Bornholm Island in Denmark or an FI 
managed by Almi Invest in Sweden) and 
designing integrated local strategies 
targeting specific issues also connected 
to the insular, mountainous or sparsely 
populated character of territories (e.g. 
Provere strategy in Portugal or the Inner 
Areas strategy in Italy). 

There is sufficient continuity and con-
sistency from planning in the Partner-
ship Agreement with programming in 
the OP, but there is scope for improve-
ment, especially when it comes to con-
crete implementation and launching 
dedicated calls for targeted projects for 
these areas.

The expert analysis also identified good 
practice projects for each category of 
territories  (mountains,  islands  and 
sparsely populated areas), selected 
from all the very valid projects reported 
by the Managing Authorities of the 
selected OPs. 

What are the key messages for 
a Cohesion Policy 2021-2027 close 
to territories with geographical 
specificities?

Cohesion Policy should continue to play 
an important role in supporting moun-
tains, islands and sparsely populated 
areas. Territories with geographical spe-
cificities are not one single block. Thus 
the place-based approach definitely 
contributes to the territorial cohesion 
of territories with geographical speci-
ficities  as  it  is  based  on  local  and 
regional needs, builds on the specific 
strengths of these territories and aims 
to disclose the related potential. 

Future regulations should provide a flex-
ible, simple and enabling environment to 
address the needs and challenges of 

FIND OUT MORE
https://europa.eu/!Ch43CB

19

CAPTURED 
ON CAMERA

The Square conference centre at Mont des Arts  
in Brussels was the main venue  
for this year’s event

Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič  and 
Commissioner Corina Creţu at the high-level 
event: Energy Union in motion – Cohesion Policy 
supporting coal regions in transition

EUROPEAN WEEK OF REGIONS 
AND CITIES 2018

Thanks to over 6 000 participants 
and 300 partners representing 
more than 140 regions and cities 
from across Europe, this year’s 
European Week of Regions and 
Cities proved to be one of the 
most successful yet. Here is a 
snapshot of the numerous events, 
workshops, exhibitions and pres-
entations which contributed to 
the debate on the role of a strong 
Cohesion Policy in tackling future 
challenges in the EU.

FIND OUT MORE
https://europa.eu/regions-and-cities/_en

The dates of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2019 are now confirmed : 7 – 10 October 2019

2019

For the 17th edition of the #EURegionsWeek partners are invited to submit their proposals for sessions (workshops, Regio 
talks, participatory labs or presentations followed by Q&A) and/or exhibitions and possible tastings at the Agora Village. 
Applications can be made from 30/01 to 29/03/2019

For the 12th edition of the Regiostars Awards,  up to 5 entries will be possible by programme, irrespective of the category. 
Commissioner Creţu will launch the competition on 19th February with Commissioner Andriukaitis. Deadline for applications: 9 May.

The 3rd edition of the #Youth4Regions programme will be launched on 8 April for journalism students or recent graduates. 
Deadline application mid-July.

Subscribe to your newsletter to receive the latest information: https://europa.eu/regions-and-cities/home_en

20

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Taking a short break from the workshop  
on ‘The future of Health in Europe’

Participants share ideas in the ‘Social Economy 
and Entrepreneurship for EU Regions’ workshop

Younger contributors speak up in the debate  
on ‘The power of youth participation  
in medium-sized cities’

All eyes on the #EUandME campaign featuring 
five short films showing how EU rights and 
benefits improve our daily lives

Centre stage for winners of the Urban Innovative 
Actions initiative which gives cities resources  
to finance innovative projects

Commissioner Creţu and the 2018 jury 
members applaud this year’s  
RegioStars winners

Smiles all round for the Portuguese Business  
and Shared Services Centre, winners  
of the RegioStars 2018 ‘Supporting smart 
industrial transition’ category

During a visit to Greenbizz, participants learn 
more about the facilities and services available  
to support sustainable economy projects

Seeing for yourself: first-hand experience  
of the Territorial Development exhibits

URBACT in the Urban Centre which features  
a virtual reality space, a meet & game corner  
and an open theatre

Kenneth from Ireland and Susann from  
Estonia relate their Road Trip  
Project adventures  

Anthony Gardner, former US Ambassador  
to the EU closes a very successful  
EWRC on a high  note

When Cohesion Policymakers 
meet young researchers

Wolfgang Petzold and Madeleine Nygrund report 
on the 6th Master Class on EU Cohesion Policy at 
the 2018 European Week of Regions and Cities, held 
in Brussels from 8-11 October.

‘T he high value of the Master Class is getting an idea 

of the institutions and their work, getting to know 
the representatives of the EU institutions and learn-
ing what issues they deal with and how. This is quite a unique 
opportunity in the multiplicity of PhD courses out there.’ This 
quote, which comes from one of the 30 PhD students and 
early career researchers who attended the recent Master 
Class on EU Cohesion Policy, summarises very well the objec-
tive of this unique format which has been a feature of the  
#EURegionsWeek for six years now.

Measuring the impact of EU Cohesion Policy has been a principle 
of its design ever since. It is therefore no surprise that about 
800 of the 6 000 participants attending the European Week of 
Regions and Cities every year are working in research. This makes 
the week one of the biggest annual gatherings of academics in 
the field of urban and regional policy worldwide. Giving the most 
promising of them access to the makers of EU Cohesion Policy 
in Brussels was the idea behind the Master Class concept. 

The concept was established in 2013, when the European 
Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban 
Policy and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) 
joined forces with the Regional Studies Association (RSA). 
Since 2015, the European Regional Science Association 
(ERSA), the Association of European Schools of Planning 
(AESOP) and the European Parliamentary Research Service 
(EPRS) have joined the consortium of organisers.

A great opportunity

By early May every year, between 80 and 120 applicants 
compete to participate in the five-day format. They must 
either be a PhD student or an assistant professor and must 
send a paper proposal, the final version of which they present 
for debate during the Master Class. Since 2013, 180 partici-
pants have been involved and a survey among them con-
firmed that the opportunity to better understand the EU 
institutions and the possibility to become part of an inter-
national research community is most appreciated. Former 
Master Class students have published articles and books 
together and continued their careers as assistant professors 
or researchers in international projects.

22

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Wolfgang Petzold 
Deputy Director, European Committee of the Regions

Madeleine Nygrund 
Administrator, Directorate for Communication,  
European Committee of the Regions

The 30 PhD students and early career researchers attending 
the 2018 Class came from 13 EU Member States and two 
non-EU countries (Albania and the United States). Their papers, 
summarised in a (non-public) 334-page ‘book’, focused on 
three themes: (1) reshaping governance and institutional rela-
tions; (2) territorial cohesion and cooperation; and (3) policy 
effectiveness in response to development challenges for Euro-
pean regions. They received feedback from 12 discussants 
from the European Commission, the European Parliament and 
the CoR during sessions at the beginning of the week.

Comprehensive agenda

Subsequent sessions, panel debates, world café meetings and 
informal talks provided an opportunity to meet 30 EU policy-
makers, officials and renowned academics. One of the high-
lights was the panel debate on the future of EU Cohesion 
Policy, with Iskra Mihaylova, Member of the European Parlia-
ment and Chair of the Committee on Regional Development, 
Marc Lemaître, Director-General of DG REGIO, and Johannes 
Rossbacher, current chair of the Structural Measures Working 
Party of the Council of the EU. Moderated by Professor John 
Bachtler, Director of the European Policies Research Centre in 
Glasgow and Delft, the debate covered the dynamics of the 

23

negotiations on the 2021-2027 regulations and the role of evi-
dence and research in this context. In other sessions, the par-
ticipants were able to discuss the work of the European 
Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) and the challenges of 
international research projects. Half of each session is usually 
dedicated to debate and interaction to avoid any extensive 
one-way communications.

In evaluating the Master Class, participants were very positive 
in their assessment of the programme, the organisation and 
the relevance of the course for their future careers. They 
particularly appreciated meeting representatives from the 
EU institutions and learning more about the linkages between 
research, including their own, and policymaking. 

To conclude, the Master Class represents a unique format bring-
ing together highly motivated young researchers and an inter-
institutional community of interested policymakers, officials and 
academics. It is a long-term investment which contributes to 

the quality of research on EU Cohesion Policy.  

FIND OUT MORE
https://bit.ly/2DQi1fQ

RegioStars 2018

Once again, the European Commission’s RegioStars 
Awards have put some of the most innovative pro-
jects by Europe’s regions in a glittering spotlight. 
Winners were announced by Commissioner Creţu 
at a spectacular ceremony in Brussels on 9 October 
as part of the 2018 EU Week of Regions and Cities. 
Awards were in five categories: industrial transition, 
low-carbon economy, access to public services, 
migration challenges, and cultural heritage. To add 
to the excitement, a sixth winner was revealed, chosen 
from the 21 finalists by a public vote.     

Rural economy goes high tech, 
Fundào, Portugal

The  small  rural  city  of  Fundão  is  attracting  investment, 
creating  job  opportunities  and  promoting  innovation 
thanks to the Business and Shared Services Centre (CNSP) 
project. It developed a business centre, skills training and 
enterprise  support  focused  on  IT  for  education  (TICE). 
The  high-tech  gamble  paid  off.  The  centre  has  attracted 
14 specialist companies, creating 500 highly skilled jobs, 
and  generated  68  start-ups  and  200  private  investments 
projects in diverse sectors, old and new.

Rags to riches, via recycling, Helsinki-
Uusimaa, Finland

A process demonstration system developed in the TeKiDe project 
recycles cotton-based textile waste into new fibres. In trials, this 
demonstration platform turned old cotton textiles into vis-
cose-like fibres. The fibres were of high enough quality to be 
used in a dress for a national gala. In future, the demonstration 
platform will help to accelerate the development of sustainable 
processes to regenerate cellulose fibres and to solve issues 
related to recycling and processing waste textiles.

24

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

City pilot for social housing,  
Ostrava, Czechia

One-stop shop for refugee integration,  
Murcia, Spain

The city of Ostrava has piloted a social housing system 
for people unable to access private housing, as Czechia 
has no national social housing law. It has created proced-
ures to apply for social housing and that evaluate housing 
shortage, in cooperation with city districts. Tenants also 
receive support from social services, if needed. So far, the 
project has housed families in 105 flats – 5 emergency 
flats and 100 social flats – with feedback from tenants 
to optimise the system.

The Murcia Regional Employment and Training Service has 
set up a protocol to work with four NGOs to help refugees 
integrate. The protocol coordinates employment services, 
social services and the NGOs for more efficient, complete 
support for refugees to become independent members of 
local communities. Refugees receive personalised advice, 
training and language lessons to help them to look for work 
and establish new lives in a process that aims to minimise 
stress and maximise chances of success.

Increased access to Welsh heritage, 
Nant Gwrtheyrn, Wales

Restoring Ílhavo’s porcelain past,  
Ílhavo, Portugal

A renovation project has modernised a Welsh language centre 
in  the  abandoned  19 th  century  quarry  village  of  Nant 
Gwrtheyrn to create a popular Welsh-heritage and tourism 
centre. A new access road, language teaching rooms, an edu-
cation centre, a café and dining room and renovated tourist 
accommodation welcome guests to the picturesque coastal 
site throughout the year. Nant Gwrtheyrn now employs over 
30 staff and receives over 50 000 visitors annually, with 
a turnover of more than EUR 1.7 million in 2018. 

Porcelain is an important part of Ílhavo’s industrial heritage, 
with the Fábrica da Vista Alegre porcelain factory on-site since 
1842. This project has restored and expanded the Vista Alegre 
Museum to better showcase its industrial history and a unique 
collection of over 30 000 pieces of 19 th and 
20th century porcelain. The museum is now almost 
20 times its original size while a nearby chapel and 
theatre have been renovated to host cultural and 
private events, boosting tourism 
in the region.

25



KEYS TO SUCCESS
The winners were sustainable, integrated projects designed with community or stakeholder participation. As a result, many 
were so successful that initiatives are being integrated into national public policy or strengthening the reputation of their 
regions. In projects aiming to reverse negative trends, innovation was also important – whether to develop new reasons why 
someone would visit a cultural site, or to find solutions to technical problems.

Take risks and find solutions.

TeKiDe, Finland

Community participation …  
has contributed significantly  
to our success.

Business and Shared Services Centre,  
Fundão, Portugal

TAKEAWAYS FROM THE AWARDS

Above all, projects saw how European funds have had an impact on communities and address diverse issues. The Awards 
were also an opportunity to gain new knowledge about other regions and to discover solutions to other problems. Winners 
enjoyed the evening’s creative atmosphere, where they shared ideas, experience and a willingness to build new things. They 
left the ceremony with strengthened networks from the wide range of participants and encouraged to continue in their work.

It was exciting to meet people  
from across the EU who faced 
similar challenges.

Nant Gwrtheyrn, Wales, UK

26

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

[We] saw how European funds 
have turned into real things  
with a positive impact.

City of Ostrava, Czechia

WHAT NEXT?
The support for their projects and the international recognition from the Awards was welcomed by all projects. On a more 
personal level, many felt honoured by this sign that the European Commission values their work. Visibility from this distinction 
will make it easier to demonstrate solutions, promote activities and lead to new opportunities, including new partners, 
according to the winners. They look forward to continued growth in their activities for a sustainable, prosperous future.

The Award gives relevance to 
[our] efforts to face the challenge  
of migration.

Murcia Regional Employment and Training Service, Spain

Winning the People’s Choice 
Award … will motivate more  
people to visit Ílhavo.

Municipality of Ílhavo, Portugal

27

YOUTH4REGIONS MEDIA PROGRAMME

The Youth4Regions media programme supports 
the development of the next generation of journalists 
specialised in regional policy. It encourages these young 
Europeans to communicate on EU-funded projects. 

Anina Vontavon's article is the second of four winning texts in the Youth4Regions media 
programme blogging competition for young journalists.

A creative spirit of innovation 
among small businesses

A farm is looking for a new processing method for its 

home-grown apples. This innovation process, which is 
typical for companies, usually takes place behind closed 

doors and is generally associated with considerable costs. 

With globalisation and the opening up of markets, small com-
panies in particular often experience difficulties in remaining 
competitive. This can be particularly problematic for regions 
such as South Tyrol: looking at the prevailing economic climate 
there, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a par-
ticularly significant role. There are almost 44 000 companies 
in South Tyrol, 99.3 % of which are SMEs. They employ over 
three-quarters of South Tyrolean workers in the private sector 
and, in 2014, generated a turnover of EUR 23.1 billion. 

It was for this reason that, in 2012, South Tyrol’s largest 
trade association, ‘lvh - Wirtschaftsverband für Hand-
werker’ started the Open Innovation South Tyrol project 
together with the Munich innovation agency Hyve AG. 
As part of the project, SMEs can publish their ideas and 

Although currently 
finishing her Mas-
t er ’s   d e g r e e   i n 
European Studies at 
the Ruhr University 
of Bochum in Germany, Anina keeps ties close to 
home. The 25-year-old journalist writes for the 
local newspaper in Brizen, her hometown in the 
north of Italy. In the future, she hopes to focus her 
reporting on European issues. 

28

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

 With comparatively minimal expenditure  
on the part of the companies, a maximum number  

of ideas can be put forward. 

been submitted and 18 competitions for ideas have been 
held. What has hitherto only been achieved in large innov-
ation centres in the USA, now also works at the regional 
level – a small community of idea-seekers and creative 
minds was formed to work together on projects. 

Open Innovation South Tyrol’s concept works in a similar way 
to most social media portals: you can register on the platform 
and take part in competitions to showcase your own ideas. 
With comparatively minimal expenditure on the part of the 
companies, a maximum number of ideas can be put forward. 
In addition to the project being implemented, the winners 
also receive another prize, usually in the form of a weekend 
stay at a South Tyrolean wellness hotel or a non-cash prize. 

The project is financed by the public sector. Open Inno v ation 
South Tyrol is part of the Operational Programme ‘Regional 
Competitiveness  and  Employment’,  and  thus  par t  of 
the European Regional Development Fund. During the 
2007-2013 funding period, EUR 70 million was used to 
support projects, with EUR 136 million planned for the 

2014-2020 period.  

related issues on an internet platform to find solutions with 
the help of people outside the company. The goal is to 
support the companies during every phase of the innov-
ation process, whether it is brainstorming, implementation, 
or the search for a new area of application for an already 
completed project. 

At the regional level, the intention is to try and create the 
same economic conditions for small businesses as for large 
companies, to eliminate any imbalance. It has been a suc-
cess. The platform already has over 2 700 registered mem-
bers: more than 1 600 ideas and over 4 000 comments have 

29

As part of the Youth4Regions media programme, future journalists attend training 
sessions and work during the EU Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels. This is how two 
young journalists, Aurore Dessaigne and Iskra Tsankova, experienced the programme.

Being a part of the ‘EU bubble’
They say that if you love your profession you will never 

have to work a day in your life. The European Week of 
Regions and Cities made me realise how dynamic, 
interesting and pleasing journalism can be when you are part 
of a community of passionate people with similar interests. 
I enjoyed every second of it to the fullest. 

Thus, I realised the importance of uniting around ideas 
that make a positive change and spreading the word about 
them. 

Coming to Brussels for the European Week of Regions and 
Cities I had no idea what to expect apart from the fact that I 
was going to cover an event with more than 
6 000 participants as a young journalist. 
However, it turned out to be much more 
than that. I learnt a lot about the European 
Union as an organisation and about Cohe-
sion Policy and regional development in a 
simple way, thanks to the amazing speakers 
and participants at the event. It was aston-
ishing to me how by engaging in conversa-
tions with both our mentors and other 
young journalists you start thinking outside 
the box and look at things from a different 
perspective. 

Iskra Tsankova
Bulgaria

What stood out for me during the European Week of Regions 
and Cities was the whole concept of the Youth4Regions media 
programme competition which aimed to promote understand-
ing of Cohesion Policy and regional development, but most of 
all, aimed to gather young journalists around the same idea. 
Visiting the EurActive team and meeting 
all the people behind such a global news 
platform pushed me towards wanting to 
perfect my knowledge of both foreign 
affairs and journalism principles. Being at 
the office and hearing about what it means 
to be a journalist from their point of view 
made me feel I was part of something big, 
a community of people from different 
parts of Europe who all had the same goal 
– to guide society towards understanding 
what is happening around the world and to 
produce quality news without censorship. 

Having been born in Bulgaria and living 
there, I can definitely see the results of the projects 
co-financed by the European Commission since 2007 when 
Bulgaria joined the Union. From the simplest things, such 
as financing the construction of a small road between two 
villages to building a third metro line, it can easily be said 
that the policy for EU regional development has changed 
lives. When I was in Brussels, I was able to observe how 
this policy functions from the inside. Moreover, attending 
the RegioStars awards, I became aware of initiatives 
across Europe which have also made a great local impact. 

In conclusion, the best way I can describe 
my attendance at the European Week of Regions and Cities 
is being in the ‘EU bubble’ and experiencing the numerous 
events through the eyes of a soon-to-be professional jour-
nalist. Brussels is an amazing city but without visiting the 
European institutions and getting to know how they work 
from the inside, the concept of the city just isn’t complete. 
And being at the European Week of Regions and Cities I can 
definitely say that I got the whole idea of Brussels. And 

I loved it.  

30

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Never forget the reason for our work
I went to the EU Week of Regions and Cities with a lot of 

Looking back to see the future

thoughts. We are in a period of doubt, fear and disillusion – 
not only in the European system, but also in the journalistic 
world. On the European side, politicians in Brussels did not do 
enough to convince the citizens and they underestimated the 
need to communicate with them. On the journalistic side, polem-
ics became more important than the public interest. Conse-
quently, European politicians as well as the journalists lost the 
citizens. And nationalists and populists have only had to say 
what people wanted to hear. This shows us how it is important 
never to forget the reason for our work: the citizens.

The future, obviously, is the 2019 European elections. At every 
conference I have been to there has always been a word about 
this. Even among journalists, we are already speaking about 
this main step towards Europe’s future. And most of us are not 
really optimistic. But honestly, when we look back at Europe’s 
history, the EU has already faced a lot of problems. Even its 
construction is based on the most horrific war in history. 

Obviously, we won’t wait for another war to act. It begins now. 
And journalists are a part of this challenge. It’s something 
that I also realised during this EU Week. Journalists should 
be more pedagogic with citizens. This means that we always 
need to show all the faces of a problem, 
not only the most popular one. We need to 
create a debate and not just among intel-
lectuals, but among everyone. 

Working for and with the 
next generation

Aurore Dessaigne
France

Young people: the last point but not the 
least. I think the new generation has a dif-
ferent point of view. Because this gener-
ation was born with Erasmus, with new 
technologies which erase distances, with 
cheaper  transpor t  …  it ’s  easier  now 
to travel across Europe. So maybe this new generation can 
better understand European values, and what it is possible 
to do thanks to the EU. 

Therefore, with the Youth4Regions media programme, 
young people have the opportunity to enter EU institutions. 
And I think the EU should continue to inject the power of 
change in young people. Because whatever happens, what-
ever the results of the 2019 European elections, Europe’s 

future is those young people.  

28 countries, 28 perspectives 

I think the main thing we need to under-
stand is that we can get out of this period 
of fear but only all together – not divided. 
And that’s why I think this EU Week of 
Regions and Cities and the Youth4Regions 
media programme were very significant, 
because journalists from all over Europe 
and  European  professionals  worked 
together. Obviously, journalists need to 
keep their independence, but that doesn’t 
mean that they can’t share their thoughts 
and concerns with politicians.  

First of all, meeting journalists from other 
countries opens our minds to what we need to change or 
improve. It shows us more solutions. We can imagine how we 
need to work together and how we can help each other. I met 
journalists from Spain, Ireland, Bulgaria, Poland, Italy and 
Germany. For example, in Ireland, the main concern is Brexit; 
in Italy, it’s Matteo Salvini; in Poland, it’s the 7th Article; in 
France, it’s Marine Le Pen … All the European countries are 
facing a lot of problems. And, as journalists, if we want to 
explain those problems to our citizens, primarily we must talk 
amongst ourselves. And, of course, to understand what is 
going on in Europe in general, not only in our own country, 
because everything is linked.  

31

 “Interreg Volunteer Youth”   
Its achievements and future plans

Through Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY), more 
than 200 young EU citizens have already seized 
the opportunity to volunteer for 
Interreg programmes and projects.  

Interreg Volunteer Youth has 
been running for over 18 
months now. What are the 
main achievements and what 
makes IVY so special? 

IVY is promoted by the European 
Commission’s Directorate-General 
for Regional and Urban Policy, in 
collaboration with the European 
Solidarity Corps, and is managed by 
the Association of European Border 
Regions (AEBR). It is all about 
experiencing cooperation, showing 
solidarity, and communicating 
Cohesion Policy. Martín Guillermo 
Ramírez, Secretary General of AEBR, 
reflects on the initiative’s 
achievements, its benefits and 
future projects in the making.

The key to strengthening soli-
darity within the EU is to make 
its citizens aware of its bene-
fits and achievements – and 
this is where the IVY initiative is playing a special role. 
Since its launch in March 2017, more than 200 volunteers 
(IVYs) have been involved in cross-border, transnational 
and interregional Interreg programmes and related pro-
jects – and the numbers keep on growing. To date, 34 
Interreg programmes and over 80 projects have welcomed 
volunteers to help them reach their goals and give Interreg 
more visibility. 

Informal feedback from hosting programmes and projects 
shows greater visibility and awareness of Interreg, territorial 
cooperation and also for the EU, due to its contribution to 
European integration from the bottom up.

32

 “Interreg Volunteer Youth”   

Its achievements and future plans

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

IVY aims to make Cohesion Policy’s 
advantages more visible for local com-
munities and better known among the 
beneficiaries. This target has been met 
and can be seen from the success of the 
social media account @InterregYouth.

Why should young people and host 
organisations alike join IVY? What is 
the added value for both?

Such an experience enhances volunteers’ 
sense of European solidarity, citizenship 
and civic engagement. When deployed in 
another European country – or at home, 
but exchanging with international part-
ners – IVY volunteers learn from new 
environments, experience the diversity of 
Europe, and strengthen their foreign lan-
guage and communication skills. They 
start to feel involved in building Europe, 
especially when they assist in cross-border 
interventions aimed at reducing obstacles 
and building trust, or when they report on 
the progress of such actions.

Younger generations bring new and fresh 
ideas, approaches and perspectives to 
organisations. For example, the skilful use 

of social media is crucial today to reach 
a broad audience and make people aware 
of how their communities benefit from 
EU funding. Those of us of a certain age 
know very well that younger citizens 
might be better at helping with a social 
media strategy, as these are their main 
communication channels and they are 
better able to manage this new ‘code’.

Interact to compile Interreg ‘stories’ based 
on particularly meaningful projects. They 
will be published under the title ‘Stories 
of European cooperation’. The main 
object ive is to keep on raising awareness 
of Interreg, stressing the upside of the EU 
(Cohesion Policy), thanks to interviews, an 
eye-catching design and effective, fresh 
communication. 

More ideas are currently being explored 
by AEBR and the Commission to involve 
volunteers more closely in other commu-
nication activities, too. Volunteers are 
contributing enormously to raising aware-
ness of Cohesion Policy, so we must not 

miss such an opportunity. 

FIND OUT MORE
https://www.interregyouth.com/

Looking to the future, what’s next in 
the IVY world? 

Because of its success, the European 
Commission has decided to extend IVY 
until December 2019. We aspire to make 
IVY a permanent feature, linked to the 
European Solidarity Corps and integrated 
within the core of all European territorial 
cooperation programmes. 

The team working in the management of 
IVY is designing new activities linked to 
this initiative, focusing on its main pur-
pose: promoting the social dimension of 
European territorial cooperation/Interreg 
and ‘spreading the word’ about its bene-
fits. Among other tasks, IVY volunteers 
will cooperate with the ERDF-funded 

When I started working as a trainee for three months at the Deputy State Secretariat for 
Cohesion Policy Communications in Hungary, I had rarely heard anything about regional 
policies, but they needed someone in communication so it seemed like a good opportunity. 
The second time I got closer to Cohesion Policy was during my European Solidarity Corps 
experience with Interreg Central Europe. I thought it was a sign. To be honest, most of the time it is hard to see what 
is really happening in the Brussels bubble, but I realised that Cohesion Policy and territorial cooperation are part of 
policymaking when you can see relatively quickly the outcome of the work you have done. Anyone who works in politics 
or government will know this feeling, because we tend to focus on the big picture, so it is amazing to see that we can 
make a real difference to people’s lives through our daily job. In addition, I see cooperation as a key to a smooth 
European future together and Interreg projects are the best examples of that. I would also mention the knowledge 
that they gain through pilot projects, because I see information sharing as a main point for development.

Diana Zsoldos
IVY reporter with the Interreg Central Europe Joint Secretariat

33

EUSALP ‘Pitch your project  
for the EU’ contest

At this year’s EUSALP forum in Innsbruck, Austria, young people (16-25 years old) were given the 
opportunity to ‘pitch’ innovative project ideas to the audience of over 700 EU, national, regional and local 
stakeholders. Of the 17 project applications submitted, the jury selected 5 projects for the pitch session.  
The top three proposals won prizes worth EUR 5 000, 3 000 and 2 000.

1. ‘Alpine Ticket Network Meeting’

3. ‘Magical Alps’

The members of the Cipra Youth Council won the first prize 
with their proposal focusing on a main topic of the Tyrolean 
Presidency: mobility. Their aim is to develop a joint solution 
for public transport in the Alpine Region that will enable 
cross-border travel with a single affordable ticket, thereby 
aiming to change people’s travel habits. Convening a network 
meeting to bring together the main stakeholders will be the 
first step. 

This project from a group of 16-year-old Austrian students 
invites us to explore the legends and myths of the Alpine 
Region, in the framework of the European Year of Cultural 
Heritage. The collection of narratives will be accessible via a 
website and various other media. This will serve as an 
exchange tool with other schools and residents, and guide 

people interested in visiting these mystical places. 

2. ‘Beehave’

The ‘Beehave’ project, led by two young Italians, aims to 
combine economic effectiveness and bee protection, as bees 
are now particularly endangered in the Alpine Region. Sensors 
on the beehives will measure their temperature and humidity, 
allowing beekeepers to monitor the environmental quality 
and bees’ health, and to react quicker. 

FIND OUT MORE
https://bit.ly/2SwxCp3

34

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

N E W S  [ I N   B R I E F ]

99 THINGS TO DO IN EUROPE – 
AN ALTERNATIVE TOUR GUIDE 

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN 
MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

Great places to visit, new people to meet, hidden gems, fun 
facts, amazing food and smart travel tips are what the new 
online guide to Europe is all about. 

Since climate change sits high on the EU’s agenda, at the end 
of 2016, DG REGIO commissioned a study on mapping the 
information available on climate change adaptation in the 
28 Member States at project level.

Based on the experiences of the Road Trip Project travellers, 
‘99 things to do in Europe’ is an opportunity to create your 
own route and discover the continent for yourself. On the 
roadtriproject.eu website, you can now choose your desti-
nation, your favourite type of travel, and create your own 
journey!

During spring and summer 2018, four pairs of travellers 
embarked on a journey across the continent to explore a 
variety of projects and initiatives supported by the EU. Luisa 
and Louis, Yldau and Fabian, Susann and Kenneth and Luna 
and Achilleas visited 24 European countries along four suc-
cessive routes: the Mediterranean (the route of the roots), 
the Atlantic, (the route of great explorers), the Danube, (the 
route of great nature and shared resources), and the Baltic 
(a route through time and space).

The second edition of the Road Trip Project will be launched 
in early spring 2019. Follow our social media channels for 

more information. 

The study presents a stocktake of 
available resources to assist the 
development of climate resilient 
infrastructures following seven 
study criteria (data availability; 
guidance; methodologies; tools; 
design standards; system and 
legal framework; institutional 
capacity)  and  covering  the 
transport, broadband, urban 
development, energy, water and 
waste sectors.

The identified resources are non-exhaustive but present a 
snapshot of the readily available and accessible material 
during 2017. The study's final report is structured in two main 
parts: one general and one on country reports which also 
include project examples. The study shows a large number 
of resources related to climate change adaptation are avail-
able to infrastructure project developers while, at the same 
time, there are several areas where further resources could 

be made more accessible. 

FIND OUT MORE
www.roadtriproject.eu
Facebook: Europe in my region
Instagram: euinmyregion

FIND OUT MORE
https://europa.eu/!Fv86WC 

35

                                  Climate change adaptation of major infrastructure projects   A stock-taking of available resources to assist the development of climate resilient infrastructure                                      Canarias

Guadeloupe 

Martinique

Guyane

Mayotte Réunion

Açores

Madeira

A novel monitoring tool to measure 
gender equality in European regions
G ender equality is one of the EU’s fundamental 

values and measuring its progress is an integral 
part of effective policymaking. While there are 
several tools to monitor this at the country level, there is 
no such instrument for capturing regional differences 
across Europe.

In the current regional monitoring tool, due composite indices 
have been developed to complement and support this multi-
faceted phenomenon: the Female Disadvantage Index (FemDI) 
and the Female Achievement Index (FemAI). The first assesses 
female disadvantage by measuring regional differences where 
females are doing worse than males. 

Female Disadvantage Index
Female Disadvantage Index
Index, 0-1
Index, 0-1

0 - 0.15

0.15 - 0.20

0.20 - 0.25

0.25 - 0.30

> 0.30

no data

REGIOgis

Canarias
Canarias

(where 0 indicates the best score)
Source: JRC

Guadeloupe 
Guadeloupe 
Martinique
Martinique

Guyane
Guyane

0

Réunion
Mayotte
Mayotte Réunion
500 km

© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries

Açores
Açores

Madeira
Madeira

Source: JRC

REGIOgis

Female Disadvantage Index

Index, 0-1

36

0 - 0.15

0.15 - 0.20

0.20 - 0.25

0.25 - 0.30

> 0.30

no data

(where 0 indicates the best score)

Source: JRC

0

500 km

© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries

Canarias

Guadeloupe 

Martinique

Guyane

Mayotte Réunion

Açores

Madeira

The second measures the level female achievement compared 
to the best female regional performance in Europe. Combining 
the two indices helps us to understand gender equality across 
different regions and between the Member States. 

The European regional monitoring tool builds on seven domains 
relevant to EU policy: Work & Money, Knowledge, Time, Power, 
Health, Safety & Security, and Life quality. The domains organise 
and aggregate over 30 individual indicators into the summary 
measures of gender equality. The indices measure female dis-
advantage and achievement in almost all NUTS-2 level regions 

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

(270 regions). The latest available data for the indicators have 
been retrieved from the European Union Statistics on Income 
and Living Conditions (EU SILC) microdata, European Union 
Labour Force Survey (EU LFS), Structure of Earnings Survey 
(EU SES), EIGE Gender Statistics Database and the Gallup World 

Poll microdata. Most data points derive from 2017. 

FIND OUT MORE
https://composite-indicators.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

Female Achievement Index
Female Achievement Index

Index, 0-100
Index, 0-100

0 - 40

40 - 50

50 - 60

60 - 65

65 - 70

> 70

no data

(where 100 indicates the best score)
Source: JRC

REGIOgis

Canarias
Canarias

Guadeloupe 
Guadeloupe 
Martinique
Martinique

Guyane
Guyane

0

Mayotte Réunion
Mayotte Réunion
500 km

© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries

Açores
Açores

Madeira
Madeira

Source: JRC

REGIOgis

Female Achievement Index

37

Index, 0-100

0 - 40

40 - 50

50 - 60

60 - 65

65 - 70

> 70

no data

(where 100 indicates the best score)

Source: JRC

0

500 km

© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries

European territorial cooperation 
for cultural heritage

To date, European territorial cooperation (ETC) has proved to be the ‘natural environment’ of successful 
cultural investments. Cooperation on Culture is not only the way to smooth synergies and linkages across 
borders and among countries, or to facilitate industrial transition and smart specialisation processes, but 
is also a tool for successfully promoting Europe as a destination towards world markets.

Cooperation on culture, creative industries and arts can 

be effective as it sets a solid foundation for countries 
and regions to work together in an efficient and sus-
tainable way. It is interesting to note that in the current pro-
gramming period, cultural heritage and arts is the 
second most popular topic in Interreg programmes. At 
present, and for the 2014-2020 timeline, more than 9 % of 
the overall Interreg budget has already been invested in cul-
tural projects with a further increase expected before the 
end of this programming period. 

In the previous programming period, 2007-2013, Interreg 
investments in cultural heritage and arts received 10 % of 
the overall Interreg budget (EUR 1.2 B)1.

Interreg programmes are successful incubators for good cul-
tural heritage projects which promote growth and create jobs 
in a sustainable way. The programmes are launched on a 
local intervention logic that reflects the specific needs of the 
participating regions, such as, for example, applying innovative 
solutions and ICT in less-favoured and peripheral regions. This 
could be further exploited through the industrial transition 
process in relation to creative industries.

In fact, Interreg is a bottom-up instrument which successfully 
combines the specificities of various localities, regions and coun-
tries around common projects. Testimonies from the many 
Interreg partners show that joint projects and actions reinforce 
the sense of belonging in a common European space. 

Hence, the beginning of the 2018 EU Year of Cultural 
Heritage (EYCH) created an opportunity for both Interreg 
managing authorities and beneficiaries of Interreg pro-
grammes to become part of EYCH by participating in cultural 
initiatives and events across Europe. Subsequently, the 
Interreg managing authorities have mobilised more than 
100 projects to apply for and secure the EYCH labelling.

1)  The data come from the Keep.eu website (https://www.keep.eu/keep/): Keep is the only source of aggregated data for projects and beneficiaries of EU 

cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation programmes among Member States and between Member States and neighbouring countries. 

38

Among these projects, cooperation is key when it comes to 
making the EU visible and bringing citizens closer to it. This is 
why the European Commission encouraged the creation of the 
e-book ‘Connecting cultures, connected citizens’, sponsored by 
the 2014-2020 Interact ERDF inter-regional programme, 
to enable all European citizens to access Interreg cultural 
projects in their regions. It is important to show that Euro-
pean cooperation acts everywhere, by funding projects 
inside and outside Europe. 

The e-book highlights cross-border, transitional and inter-
regional projects co-funded by the European Regional 
Development Fund (ERDF).

‘Industrial Heritage’ financed  
by the 2014-2020 Interreg A CBC  
Estonia-Latvia programme

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

‘Living Archives’ financed by the 2014-2020 
IPA cross border cooperation (CBC)  
Hungary-Serbia programme

Working along the EU’s external borders, the project is bring-
ing together Hungary and Serbia to cooperate on the pre-
servation of relics. Co-funded with EUR 0.17 million from the 
ERDF, it promotes synergies among researchers, archivists, 
ethnographers and anthropologists of both nationalities, 
protecting European heritage. 

‘BLUEMED’ funded by the 2014-2020  
INTERREG VB Mediterranean programme

With EU funding of EUR 0.98 million, this project at the 
Es tonia and Latvia border aims to showcase the industrial 
heritage of both countries by developing tourist routes 
through various old mills, hydroelectric power stations, fac-
tories, railways, lighthouses and even water towers. Industrial 
heritage as a source of tourism is not the norm in Latvia and 
Estonia. However, developing a common network of industrial 
heritage sites in both countries will diversify current tourism 
and attract more visitors to both regions. 

With EUR 2.38 million from the ERDF, this project aims to plan, 
test and coordinate underwater museums, diving parks and 
knowledge-awareness centres to support sustainable and 
responsible tourism development and promote Blue growth in 
the coastal areas and islands of the Mediterranean. 

39



within the framework of the EU-funded Routes 4 U project5, 
which aims at creating similar projects for all macro-regions 
and to promote them as European destinations for the 
long-haul tourism markets. Its scope is mainly to boost 
sustainable tourism SMEs, and smart entrepreneurship. 

EYCH 2018 and after ... 

There is no doubt that the initiatives within the EYCH taken by 
the European Commission, notably DG REGIO and DG for Edu-
cation, Youth, Sport and Culture (EAC), are meant to be inten-
sified and continued in the coming years. In the post-2020 
proposal for the European Structural and Investment Funds, 
cultural policy is open to investments, especially under Policy 
Objective 5: “Europe closer to citizens by sustainable and 
integrated development of urban, rural and coastal 
areas and local initiatives”. However, investments in crea-
tive industries can come under PO 1: “A smarter Europe by 
promoting innovative and smart economic transforma-
tions”, and PO 3: “A more connected Europe by enhancing 
mobility and regional ICT connectivity”.

MRS definitely support and facilitate cooperation among coun-
tries and regions in cultural and creative sectors. This reflects 
the strategic objectives of the New European Agenda for 
Culture6, published by the European Commission on 22 May 
2018: a) harnessing the power of culture for social cohesion and 
well-being; b) Supporting culture-based creativity in education 
and innovation, and for jobs and growth; and c) strengthening 
international cultural relations.

DG REGIO is currently working with DG EAC on the upcoming 
European Action Plan for Cultural Heritage, and with DG for 
Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs 
(GROW) on innovative solutions relevant to the creative 

industries. 

FIND OUT MORE
https://bit.ly/2A1MLbx

Macro-regional strategies (MRS) 
for cultural cooperation

The four MRS: EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), 
Danube Region (EUSDR), Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), 
and the Alpine Region (EUSALP) support investments in culture 
via the relevant platforms. As a priority, they are already set-
ting a political framework not only for Interreg programmes 
but also for national, regional and sectoral programmes as 
well as EU direct and private investments.

Because of their holistic approach, the MRS  acknowledge 
a clear European dimension for cultural heritage which they 
address through different EU policies, such as regional and 
urban development, tourism, education and employment, 
maritime affairs, research and innovation. 

In addition, their scope is being enlarged when it comes to 
cooperating with non-EU countries. This is the case for 
EUSAIR and EUSDR which have already developed projects 
with the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova. Furthermore, 
EUSBR and EUSALP have created synergies with the European 
Economic Area countries. 

MRS activate existing structures, such as creative networks 
and cultural heritage platforms, to work together to develop 
processes, projects, exchange of best practices and peer-to-
peer learning. For example, the EUSDR has facilitated the 
exchange of knowledge in the field of the ‘adaptive reuse of 
heritage buildings’ via the Danube Culture Platform – Creative 
Spaces of the 21st Century project2. The EUSBSR has set up 
a network to facilitate youth dialogue: Baltic Sea Youth Dialogue3. 
Furthermore, a platform for Start-ups and Technology Transfer 
in Innovation Ecosystems4 was launched in the Alpine Region.

MRS also recognise the direct and indirect social and eco-
nomic potential that cultural heritage can imply for EU 
regions, by financing the creative sectors and supporting small 
and medium-sized enterprises associated with sustainable and 
responsible tourism businesses. For example, the appointed 
officials from ministries of culture in the EUSAIR countries 
have identified the EUSAIR olive trees route as a best pro-
ject relevant to the development of their region. This cultural 
route will be developed and accredited by the Council of Europe 

2) https://bit.ly/2UbMJph
3) http://www.cbss.org/regional-identity/baltic-sea-youth-dialogue/ 
4) https://bit.ly/2riEzys
5) https://www.coe.int/en/web/cultural-routes/eu-jp-2017-20
6) https://bit.ly/2SttJBd

40

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Within the framework of the 2018 European Week of Regions and Cities, the Coop Cult 
and Succeed – EYCH 2018 workshop emphasised the synergies among the EU’s cultural, 
tourism, industrial and regional policies.

MICHEL MAGNIER

SLAWOMIR 
TOKARSKI

LENA ANDERSSON 
PENCH

Director for Innovation 
and Advanced 
Manufacturing  
(DG GROW)  

KAI HUOTARI

Managing Director 
of Kaapelitehdas 
creative international 
hub, Finland’s largest 
cultural operator 

Director for Culture 
and Creativity  
(DG EAC)  
in charge of the  
EYCH 2018 

“ 2 018   h a s   se t   a   g o o d 
momentum for culture at the 
EU level and worldwide. The 
New European Agenda for 
Culture was launched in May 
2018, followed by the Euro-
pean Action Plan for Cultural 
Heritage. In the first half of 
2018, almost 6 500 events 
were  labelled  EYCH  2018 
across Europe and beyond, 
reaching almost 5 million 
participants.”

Slawomir Tokarski analysed 
the  impact  of  industrial 
transformation in the field of 
culture and creative indus-
tries. “Culture links people 
and  helps  them  to  share 
common values. Successful 
EU value chains and cluster 
con nec tions  can  create 
opportunities for cultural 
and creative sectors and, at 
the same time, foster the 
industrial  transformation 
process.”

Director for 
European Territorial 
Cooperation, Macro-
regions, Interreg 
and Programmes 
Implementation  
(DG REGIO) 

Lena Anderson Pench empha-
sised her point: “Interreg and 
the MRS promote culture and 
creativity with the view to cre-
ating jobs and growth.” 

At  Kaapeli,  our  mission 
statement is ‘culture makes 
life better’. Creative Lenses, 
our major cultural project, 
has taught us that crossing 
borders makes us stronger 
as cultural organisations.”

41

I N YOU R OW N WO R DS

PANORAMA 
welcomes your 
contributions!

In Your Own Words is the section in Panorama 
where stakeholders at local, regional, national 
and European level outline their achievements 
for the 2014-2020 period and share their 
views on the ongoing and crucial discussions 

on  Cohesion  Policy  post-2020. Panorama   welcomes 
contributions in your own language, which we may feature in 
future editions. Please contact us at regio-panorama@
ec.europa .eu  for  further  information  on  guidelines 
and deadlines.

Cohesion Policy is vital 
for Poland’s regions

Polish regions’ experience in 
European funds management 
is wide and unique in Europe. 
As part of two EU financial 
perspectives (2007-2013 and 
2014-2020), Polish regions 
manage EUR 53 billion within 
the framework of regional 
operation programmes.

T ha n k s  t o  St r u c t ur al  Fu n ds, 

Poland has made an impressive 
progress  during  this  period, 
namely as regards GDP growth, higher 
employment rates and lower levels of 
social exclusion. Regions are aware 
that they owe their successful growth 
to the Cohesion Policy. Investing on 
the basis of long-term development 
has yet to be finished, which means 
t h at  c o n t i n u i n g  a n d  r ei n for c i n g 
a strong Cohesion Policy after 2021 
is vital for Polish regions.

character of this policy, it has pro-
posed a significant reduction in the 
policy’s financial dimension. 

Representatives of all Polish regions 
met with the Director-General of DG 
REGIO, Marc Lemaître, in June 2018. They 
presented their feedback on the legisla-
tive package for Cohesion Policy after 
2020. According to the Polish regions, the 
EC’s proposal on this matter includes 
numerous positive elements, namely: 
1. Focusing on promoting five key policy 
objectives, which makes the policy easier 
than it was in the financial prospective 
for 2014-2020; 2. Keeping a seven-year 
time horizon for the programming period; 
3. Refraining from the process of desig-
nating institutions involved in project 
implementation; 4. Bringing flexibility 
into  the  transfer  of  appropriations 
between priorities in a given programme 
without the need for the EC’s formal 
approval; and 5. A strong focus on support 
for territorial growth instruments.

We have noted that the new proposal 
regarding the EU Multiannual Finan-
cial Framework seems somewhat dis-
appointing, namely as far as Cohesion 
Policy is concerned. Although the EC 
h a s   m u c h   p r o o f,   a n a l y s e s   a n d 
research confirming the pro-growth, 
pro-unanimous and counter-cyclical 

However, there are certain drawbacks 
in the EC’s proposal, including: 1. The 
unjustified proposal of reducing Cohesion 
Policy resources, which are responsible 
for key infrastructural projects in Europe 
and contribute widely to the acceleration 
of convergence of the weakest EU eco n-
omies; 2. Cutting the scale of resources 

42

Tomasz Hanzel
Deputy Head of the Department 
for Coordination of Operational 
Programs, Opolskie Region, The South 
Poland House in Brussels

managed at the EC level, which is contrary 
to the idea of implementing Cohesion  
Policy closer to the citizens; 3. Failing to 
include the European Agricultural Fund 
for Rural Development in the proposal 
for a general regulation, which will ham-
per coordinating the intervention of the 
ERDF, ESF, CF and EAFRD in rural areas; 
4. Weakening the coordination between 
the ERDF and ESF (creation of the new 
European Social Fund, i.e. ESF+, and its 
exemption from certain provisions in the 
general regulation); and 5. A proposal 
to reduce the EU co-financing rate to 
70 %  (for the least-developed regions), 
which in turn will hamper project imple-
mentation mainly by NGOs and local 

authorities.  

SOUTH 
POLAND 
HOUSE  
IN BRUSSELS 

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Finnish municipalities and regions 
reflect on Cohesion Policy

The long-term objective 
of Cohesion Policy is to reduce 
territorial disparities, create sus-
tainable growth and strengthen 
social inclusion. Cohesion Policy 
instruments have stimulated 
growth and increased employ-
ment and social cohesion both 
locally and regionally. Local 
and regional players play a key 
role in making the EU objectives 
tangible for citizens.

F or Finland, the most important 

f i n a n c i a l   i n s t r u m e n t s   f o r 
a c h i e v i n g   C o h e s i o n   P o l i c y 
objectives have been the European 
Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 
and the European Social Fund (ESF). 
The latter is being reformed as ESF+ 
to merge a number of existing funds 
for the next programming period. In 
the future, local and regional levels 
should  be given  a  bigger  role  in 
national implementation. The rules 
and implementation must be at the 
right level, respecting subsidiarity.

From the perspective of Finnish local 
and regional authorities, the program-
ming work needs to be simpler and 
more flexible. It should be possible to 
review the focus and content of the 
programmes  as  the  programming 
period progresses. 

ESF+ should be implemented primarily 
under shared management, because 
that would give the Member States 
authority to choose the actions to be 

funded. Finnish local authorities play 
a key role in advancing many of the 
actions funded under ESF+.

The link between the ERDF and the ESF 
– the two important funds for Finnish 
municipalities and regions – should be 
reinforced further and their central role 
in  Cohesion  Policy  implementation 
maintained. Rural development and the 
European Agricultural Fund for Rural 
Development must not be forgotten in 
the national programme preparation, 
but should be closely coordinated with 
Structural Funds programming.

Regions and municipalities differ in many 
ways. It is good that the Commission 
will continue to offer a range of devel-
opment tools in response to differing 
needs in the next programming period. 
The geographical themes central to Finn-
ish municipalities and regions are the 
special circumstances of sparsely pop-
ulated areas in the north, the potential 
of the Arctic, cooperation in the Baltic 
Sea Region, and cross-border coopera-
tion with Russia. 

To respond to the handicaps caused by 
the challenging circumstances, new solu-
tions are constantly sought in areas such 
as cold climate know-how, technology, 
energy and clean technology. Smart spe-
cialisation strategies will also play a key 
role in promoting regional growth and 
innovation across Finland in the future.

In Finland’s view, it is important to take 
advantage of the synergies between the 
programmes and to combine different 
types of funding. In the new program-
ming period, more efforts should be 

43

Ulla Karvo
Director Brussels Office, 
Association of Finnish Local  
and Regional Authorities (AFLRA)

focused  on  strengthening  the  link 
between the Structural Funds and EU 
research and innovation programmes.

Cross-border and transnational coopera-
tion is important on both the internal 
and external borders. Finland’s munici-
palities and regions need the maritime 
cross-border programmes in their current 
form because these Interreg programmes 
are  strongly  built  around  local  and 
regional needs and networks. Maintaining 
cross-border cooperation with Russia is 
important for Finnish border municipalities 
and regions.

Even though Finland’s receipts from 
Cohesion Funding are modest, they 
contribute substantially to the devel-
opment resources for supporting local 

and regional vitality. 

Castilla-La Mancha considers the 
proposed Cohesion Policy reform

It is in this context that some of the 
proposals from Castilla-La Mancha, 
reiterated in the heart of the European 
Committee of the Regions, are framing 
the inclusion of depopulation – as well 
as GDP per capita – as allocation cri-
teria; the disregard for the co-financ-
ing  of  t he  Member  St ates  in  t he 
Structural Funds as a deficit; or greater 
coordination of this policy with sec-
toral policies (industry, environment, 
energy, etc.). 

Reform of the Cohesion Policy presents 
an excellent opportunity to demonstrate 
its capacity as a strategic element for 
correcting territorial imbalances, serv-
ing as a brake to stop exclusionary 
populism, and for the EU to be held up 
as a workable model for globalisation. 
We need a policy with more cohesion 
and better cohesion, a policy that is 
strengthened  and  adapted  to  the 
needs and potential of the territories 

in question. 

the exchange of experiences in the 
design and implementation of stra-
tegic  policies,  suc h  a s  resear c h, 
development and innovation, rural 
d e v e l o p  m e n t ,   t h e   e n v ir o n m e n t , 
energy and many others.

The question we should be asking is 
whether the new budgetary scenario 
and  the  reforms  proposed  by  the 
Commission adequately respond to 
the  new  challenges  posed  by  less 
developed regions, such as Castilla-La 
Mancha? I  am sorry to say that the 
answer is ‘No’; at least, not to the 
e x tent  needed  in  disad va nt aged 
regions  t o  br ing  a bou t  dra mat ic 
change and take advantage of the 
momentum of recovery. 

We are facing reform that is chiaroscuro 
in nature. There are positive elements, 
suc h  a s  t he  commit ment  to  t he 
strength ening of territorial cooperation, 
the focus on objectives, and the backing 
given to the Integrated Territorial Invest-
ments  (ITI)  strategy.  However,  the 
reforms have a darker side, too, such as 
the 6 % cut in the budget allocation – 
a cut that is even more significant if we 
bear in mind the proposed 5 % cut in the 
Common Agricultural Policy – or indeed 
the reduction in co-financing rates.

Cohesion Policy has served to counter-
balance the austerity and divisive po l-
icies over the last decade. A considerable 
number  of  citizens  have  identified 
the EU as a friendly face of cohesion. 
Let us not take risks. Take only the 
resources and make only the changes 
that are strictly necessary. 

44

Emiliano García-Page Sánchez 
President of Castilla-La Mancha

As the president of 
Castilla-La Mancha, I would 
like to thank Panorama for 
giving us the opportunity 
to share our views on the 
reform of the EU’s Cohesion 
Policy and the forthcoming 
Multiannual Financial 
Framework 2021-2027. 

On the one hand, Cohesion Policy har-
monises the fundamental values of the 
EU  and  our  regional  government : 
namely, solidarity and the fight against 
inequality. On the other hand, however, 
we  have  grave  concerns  about  the 
future of this policy, which has contrib-
uted so significantly to the growth of 
Castilla-La Mancha and the well-being 
of its citizens. 

If I may say so, the substantial financial 
resources that have been received are 
just as important as the contribution 
the policy has made as a platform for 

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Creating synergies among  
Europe’s cybersecurity valleys 

Regions are uniquely positioned to raise the global level of cybersecurity thanks to a privileged 
connection with their local environments. Hence, they play a fundamental role in structuring the still 
‘young’ European cybersecurity ecosystem. The EU already has many regions, or so-called ‘cyber valleys’, 
hosting mature regional ecosystems that foster innovation and deliver cutting-edge technologies.

T he  European  Regional  Development  Fund  has 

invested EUR 1.53 million in a five-year interregional 
cooperation programme entitled Interreg Europe 
CYBER. It aims to boost the competitiveness of EU cyber-
security SMEs by creating synergies among European 
cybersecurity valleys. 

Three major barriers have been identified that are hinder-
ing interregional cooperation among EU regional cyber-
security ecosystems: a lack of coordination  between 
relevant actors, a cybersecurity skills gap, and market 
fragmentation. CYBER aims to improve the sharing of good 
practices and public policies, while strengthening local 
cybersecurity ecosystems.

The Bretagne Development Innovation agency is the leading 
partner in CYBER. The project involves seven European 
regional partners, including the Institute for Business Com-
petitiveness of Castilla y León (Spain), Tuscan Region (Italy), 
Digital Wallonia (Belgium), Brittany Region (France), Kosice 
IT Valley (Slovakia), Chamber of Commerce and Industry of 
Slovenia  (Slovenia)  and  Estonian  Information  System 
Authority (Estonia). 

As  an  advisory  partner,  the  European  Cyber  Security 
Organisation (ECSO) brings to the project its expertise on 
regional cybersecurity industrial policies, acquired in its 
Working Group 4 focusing on ‘support to SMEs and regional 
cooperation’.

45
45

Enhancing public policies for SMEs

Interreg Europe CYBER methodology includes a common and 
market-driven taxonomy to develop a structured mapping of 
regional cyber innovative ecosystems. It comprises cybersecurity 
providers, end-users, support structures, training organisations 
and research institutes. 

The project also aims to understand the inclusion of local 
players in the design and implementation of local cybersecurity 
strategies. To identify good practices and policy needs, project 
partners exchange information through tailored questionnaires 
and a high-level strategic planning model (SWOT analysis). 

While already contributing to the development of the EU’s digital 
single market, CYBER’s long-term goal is to significantly reduce 
cybersecurity market fragmentation in Europe by increasing 
interregional cooperation across European cyber valleys.  

FIND OUT MORE
https://www.interregeurope.eu/cyber/

How is your region doing 
statistically?

To answer this question knowledgeably, you 
simply need to take a look at the latest version 
of the Eurostat regional yearbook. It hit the stands 
this autumn and features over 200 pages 
of statistics on Europe's regions presented in 
a clear and colourful layout.

Each chapter opens with key findings and infographic rankings 
of the regions. 

The infographic below shows that while the EU’s employment 
rate stands at 72 % – the highest ever recorded – the region 
of Åland in Finland, an archipelago province in the Baltic Sea, 
is top of the class with an employment rate of 88 %.

T h e  ye a r b o o k 

addresses the 
ever-increas-
ing  need  to  under-
s t a n d   t h e   l i f e   o f 
European  citizens. 
With three different 
levels of breakdown 
based on population 
criteria (Nomencla-
t ur e  of  Ter ritorial 
Units – NUTS 1, 2, 
3),  it  en ables  t he 
reader to make a meaningful comparison of 
the political, economic and social situations of all the 
EU and, where possible, EFTA and candidate countries at 
the subnational level.

It is a reference for the perennially curious. The yearbook 
looks at Europe's regions in terms of population, health, 
education and training, labour market, economy, business 
statistics, research and innovation, digital economy, tourism, 
transport and agriculture. 

The 2018 edition goes one step further with a chapter 
on Europe’s cities as well as one on the different types of 
geographical classifications developed over the years.

46

TOP 5 REGIONS IN THE EU
EMPLOYMENT RATE, 2017 
(% share of population aged 20-64)

Politics and planning

Regional data are not just available to satisfy the reader’s 
curiosity or to gain an advantage in the local pub quiz. 
National and European policymaking depends on much of 
these data. 

The EU’s Cohesion Policy aims to reduce the disparities 
between EU regions. For example, if GDP per inhabitant 
is lower than 75 % of the EU average, that region will be eligible 
for Cohesion Funding. This is where the breakdown into 
NUTS 2 regions becomes politically important.

EMPLOYMENT RATE, 2017(% share of population aged 20-64) TOP 5 REGIONS IN THE EU 80788284868890ÅlandStockholmOberbayernTübingenBerkshire, Buckinghamshireand Oxfordshire88.285.284.283.883.272.1EU28EMPLOYMENT RATE, 2017(% share of population aged 20-64) TOP 5 REGIONS IN THE EU 80788284868890ÅlandStockholmOberbayernTübingenBerkshire, Buckinghamshireand Oxfordshire88.285.284.283.883.272.1EU28Crude rate of total population change, by NUTS 3 regions, 2016
(per 1 000 inhabitants)

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Crude rate* of total population change

Crude rate of total population change, by NUTS 3 regions, 2016
(per 1 000 inhabitants)

Crude rate of total population change, by NUTS 3 regions, 2016
(per 1 000 inhabitants)

Canarias (ES)

Guadeloupe (FR)

0

15

0 50

Canarias (ES)

Canarias (ES)

Guadeloupe (FR)
Guadeloupe (FR)

Canarias (ES)

Guadeloupe (FR)

0 100

0

25

Martinique (FR)

Guyane (FR)

0 100

0 100
Martinique (FR)
Martinique (FR)

0

25

25
Guyane (FR)

Guyane (FR)

0

Martinique (FR)

Guyane (FR)

0

20

0 100

Réunion (FR)

Mayotte (FR)

0 100

0 100

0

20

20
Réunion (FR)

Réunion (FR)

0

Réunion (FR)

Mayotte (FR)

Mayotte (FR)

Mayotte (FR)
20
0

Malta

Açores (PT)

20

0

15

0

15

0

20

Malta

0
Malta

Malta

Açores (PT)

Açores (PT)

Açores (PT)
10
0

0

10

0

10
Madeira (PT)

Madeira (PT)

Madeira (PT)

Madeira (PT)

Liechtenstein

0 50

0 50

Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein

0 20

0

5

0 20

0 20

0

5

0

5

Administrative boundaries: © EuroGeographics © UN-FAO © INSTAT 
© Turkstat
Cartography: Eurostat — GISCO, 04/2018

Administrative boundaries: © EuroGeographics © UN-FAO © INSTAT 
© Turkstat
Cartography: Eurostat — GISCO, 04/2018

Administrative boundaries: © EuroGeographics © UN-FAO © INSTAT 
© Turkstat
Cartography: Eurostat — GISCO, 04/2018

200 400 600 800 km

0

0

200 400 600 800 km

200 400 600 800 km

0

NUTS-3 regions, 2016

(per 1 000 inhabitants)

(per 1 000 inhabitants)

(per 1 000 inhabitants)

EU-28 = 2.4
< -6

EU-28 = 2.4
EU-28 = 2.4
< -6
< -6

-6 - < 0

-6 - < 0

0 - < 6

0 - < 6

6 - < 12

6 - < 12

≥ 12

≥ 12

-6 - < 0

0 - < 6

6 - < 12

≥ 12

Data not available
Data not available

Data not available

Data not available

*  Crude rate of population change is the ratio of the total population change during the year to the average population  

of the area in question in that year. The value is expressed per 1 000 inhabitants.

Note: Serbia, national data. EU-28 and United Kingdom: estimates. France: provisional.
Source: Eurostat (online data codes: demo_r_gind3 and demo_gind)

Note: Serbia, national data. EU-28 and United Kingdom: estimates. France: provisional.
Source: Eurostat (online data codes: demo_r_gind3 and demo_gind)

Note: Serbia, national data. EU-28 and United Kingdom: estimates. France: provisional.
Source: Eurostat (online data codes: demo_r_gind3 and demo_gind)

47



Change of gross domestic product (GDP) per inhabitant, by NUTS 2 regions, 2007-2016
(percentage points difference for 2016 minus 2007; based on data in purchasing power standards (PPS)  
in relation to the EU-28 average, EU-28 = 100)

Change in gross domestic product

Change of gross domestic product (GDP) per inhabitant, by NUTS 2 regions, 2007-2016
(percentage points difference for 2016 minus 2007; based on data in purchasing power standards (PPS)  
in relation to the EU-28 average, EU-28 = 100)

Change of gross domestic product (GDP) per inhabitant, by NUTS 2 regions, 2007-2016
(percentage points difference for 2016 minus 2007; based on data in purchasing power standards (PPS)  
in relation to the EU-28 average, EU-28 = 100)

Canarias (ES)

Guadeloupe (FR)

GDP per inhabitant – NUTS-2 regions, 2007-2016

Canarias (ES)

Canarias (ES)

Canarias (ES)

Guadeloupe (FR)
Guadeloupe (FR)

Guadeloupe (FR)

0 100

0

25

Martinique (FR)

Guyane (FR)

0 100

0 100

0

25

0

25

Martinique (FR)

Martinique (FR)

Martinique (FR)

Guyane (FR)

Guyane (FR)

Guyane (FR)

0

20

0 100

Réunion (FR)

Mayotte (FR)

0

0
20

20

0 100

0 100

Réunion (FR)

Réunion (FR)

Réunion (FR)

0

20

0

20

Malta

Malta
Malta

Mayotte (FR)

Mayotte (FR)

Mayotte (FR)

0

20

Malta

0

15

Açores (PT)

0

0
15

15

Açores (PT)

Açores (PT)

Açores (PT)

0

10

0 50

Madeira (PT)

Liechtenstein

0

10

0

10

0 50

0 50

Madeira (PT)

Madeira (PT)

Madeira (PT)

Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein

0 20

0

5

0 20

0 20

0

5

0

5

(percentage points difference for 2016 minus 2007;  
based on data in purchasing power standards (PPS) in  
relation to the EU-28 average, EU-28 = 100)
EU-28 = 0

Administrative boundaries: © EuroGeographics © UN-FAO © INSTAT 
© Turkstat
Cartography: Eurostat — GISCO, 04/2018

(percentage points difference for 2016 minus 2007;  
(percentage points difference for 2016 minus 2007;  
0
Administrative boundaries: © EuroGeographics © UN-FAO © INSTAT 
(percentage points difference for 2016 minus 2007; based on data in purchasing power standards (PPS)  
© Turkstat
based on data in purchasing power standards (PPS) in  
based on data in purchasing power standards (PPS) in  
Cartography: Eurostat — GISCO, 04/2018
in relation to the EU-28 average, EU-28=100) EU-28 = 0
relation to the EU-28 average, EU-28 = 100)
relation to the EU-28 average, EU-28 = 100)
-5 - < 0
EU-28 = 0
EU-28 = 0
< -10

Administrative boundaries: © EuroGeographics © UN-FAO © INSTAT 
© Turkstat
Cartography: Eurostat — GISCO, 04/2018

200 400 600 800 km

-10 - < -5

0 - < 5

0
200 400 600 800 km

200 400 600 800 km

< -10

0

< -10

5 - < 10

≥ 10

Data not available
Data not available

-10 - < -5

-10 - < -5

-5 - < 0

-5 - < 0

0 - < 5

0 - < 5

5 - < 10

5 - < 10

≥ 10

≥ 10

Data not available

Data not available

Note: Albania, 2008-2014. Norway, Switzerland and Serbia: national data. Switzerland: provisional. Bulgaria, Germany and Romania: break in  
series.
Source: Eurostat (online data codes: nama_10r_2gdp, nama_10_gdp, nama_10r_3popgdp and nama_10_pe)

Note: Albania, 2008-2014. Norway, Switzerland and Serbia: national data. Switzerland: provisional. Bulgaria, Germany and Romania: break in  
series.
Source: Eurostat (online data codes: nama_10r_2gdp, nama_10_gdp, nama_10r_3popgdp and nama_10_pe)

Note: Albania, 2008-2014. Norway, Switzerland and Serbia: national data. Switzerland: provisional. Bulgaria, Germany and Romania: break in  
series.
Source: Eurostat (online data codes: nama_10r_2gdp, nama_10_gdp, nama_10r_3popgdp and nama_10_pe)

48

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

The data are also used in policies related to urban and rural 
development. The urban dimension is at the heart of Cohesion 
Policy and a special part of the budget is dedicated to pro-
moting sustainable urban development in European cities. 
The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development helps 
development in rural areas by encouraging innovation while 
also protecting biodiversity and the natural environment. 

Finally, local government decision-makers are also heavy 
users of data for NUTS-3 regions, which is a more detailed 
geographical level. 

TOP 5 CITIES IN THE EU
TERTIARY STUDENTS, 2016 (per 100 inhabitants)

More information about the use of regional data for policy-
making can be found in the yearbook.

EU-wide teamwork 

Eurostat does not produce such a comprehensive publication 
alone. It depends on many players across Europe.  

Initially, discussions take place with Eurostat’s statistical pro-
duction units to gauge the ‘hot topics’ that should be treated 
in the yearbook. The Directorate-General for Regional and 
Urban Policy is consulted on the first chapter concerning the 
policy background. This year, it has also contributed to the 
last chapter, ‘Focus on regional typologies’. Choosing the 
indicators to be included is daunting given the breadth and 
depth of the data available.

However, the yearbook would not be possible without the 
delivery of quality, timely data by the national statistical 
offices. The yearbook’s editors wait until the very latest data 
are available before making the data extractions. All data 
are extracted as final on the same day. 

The  data  and  chapter  texts  are  then  uploaded  into 
‘Eurostat’s wikipedia’ – Statistics Explained. This application 
is used as the content holder for most of Eurostat’s publications, 
including the yearbook.

Fast forward to around four months later when the online 
and  paper  versions  of  the  yearbook  are  published  in 
mid-September, a few weeks before the annual European 
Week of Regions and Cities. Simultaneously, the online version 
is published in Statistics Explained, including ready-made 
tweets for the reader to use. The yearbook contains around 
60  maps  and  is  interspersed  with  many  graphs  and 
infographics. 

49

Other tools have evolved from the publication. Take a look at 
Eurostat’s interactive statistical atlas. Based on the same 
maps as in the yearbook, it covers a wealth of information. 
All maps can be extracted and reused free of charge. 

Another source of in-depth information concerns the inter-
active maps and associated graphs in Regions and Cities 
Illustrated. This tool is based on live data feeds – as new data 
comes in, they are automatically used by the application. The 
tool they a also has an automated time-lapse function, show-
ing how the situation has changed over the past 10 years. 

Together with these tools, the Eurostat regional yearbook provides 
information for policymakers, citizens and businesses alike.   

FIND OUT MORE
Print copies can be ordered from the EU Bookshop:  
https://bit.ly/2zFSPWw
Eurostat: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat

TERTIARY STUDENTS, 2016(per 100 inhabitants) TOP 5 CITIES IN THE EU404550556065Cerdanyola del VallèsLeuvenMilton KeynesPisaGießen59.555.650.849.247.73.8EU28TERTIARY STUDENTS, 2016(per 100 inhabitants) TOP 5 CITIES IN THE EU404550556065Cerdanyola del VallèsLeuvenMilton KeynesPisaGießen59.555.650.849.247.73.8EU28TERTIARY STUDENTS, 2016(per 100 inhabitants) TOP 5 CITIES IN THE EU404550556065Cerdanyola del VallèsLeuvenMilton KeynesPisaGießen59.555.650.849.247.73.8EU28Fighting Fraud & Corruption in 
EU-funded Projects – Lessons and 
Examples from the Member States

A new report from DG Regional and Urban 
Policy analyses the way the Member States 
and regions fight fraud and corruption in 
the spending of EU funds. It confirms that 
the new requirements have led to important 
improvements. The coordination and 
involvement of all relevant actors, as well 
as sharing information and good practice, 
are key elements for stepping up efforts to 
protect EU taxpayers’ money and ensuring 
good results for EU investment.  

In 2014-2020, under the European Structural and Invest-

ment (ESI) Funds, more than EUR 460 billion in EU invest-
ments are helping Member States and regions to grow 

and to provide better living conditions for their citizens. 

They play a key role in supporting business start-ups and 
helping people to secure better qualifications and new jobs. 
They help regions to innovate and plan growth and employ-
ment for the future. They foster the clean and efficient use 
of natural resources. They increase access to broadband and 
better mobility, especially in the less developed parts of the 
EU. For many Member States, these funds represent their 
main source of public investment.

This is why it is so vital that every eurocent is spent for 
the benefit of EU citizens, as an act of responsibility 
towards European taxpayers. Although for the period 
2007-2013, based on Member State reporting, suspicions 
of fraud are estimated at 0.42 % of Cohesion Policy pay-
ments, the Commission shows zero tolerance and is fully 
committed to the fight against fraud and corruption 
involving EU funding. 

Level of fraud risks across risk categories

0 %

10 %

20 %

30 %

40 %

50 %

60 %

70%

80%

90%

100%

Conflict of interest

18 %, 7 OPs  

45 %, 18 OPs  

38 %, 15 OPs

Manipulation of project costs

23 %, 9 OPs  

41 %, 16 OPs  

36 %, 14 OPs

Manipulation of public procurement

24 %, 10 OPs  

41 %, 17 OPs  

34 %, 14 OPs

Double funding

39 %, 15 OPs  

34 %, 13 OPs  

26 %, 10 OPs

Lack of skills

  44 %, 17 OPs  

38 %, 15 OPs  

18 %, 7 OPs

Collusive bidding

45 %, 15 OPs  

27 %, 9 OPs  

27 %, 9 OPs

Low risk

Medium risk

High risk

(Source: PwC)

50

It achieves this by ensuring that cases are investigated 
promptly and effectively and amounts of money unduly spent 
are clawed back. It is clear that this fight cannot be won 
without the cooperation of the Member States and their 
administrations, especially since responsibility for managing 
the funding is shared. 

Combating fraud and corruption effectively requires not only 
corrective but also preventive actions. Important novelties in 
this regard were introduced in the legislative framework for 
ESI Funds 2014-2020. These included strengthening the audit 
trail of funds’ operations and Member State accountability, 
and activities aimed at curbing fraud and corruption. In par-
ticular, Article 125(4)(c) of the Common Provisions Regulation 
requires that Managing Authorities put in place effective and 
proportionate anti-fraud measures, taking into account the 
risk identified. 

A measure of success

A recent report published by the Commission provides a use-
ful overview of what has been done so far, identifies some 
existing practice examples and formulates a series of rec-
ommendations for both the Commission services and the 
national and regional authorities.  

The stocktaking study covers all 28 Member States and is 
based on both document analysis and face-to-face inter-
views. Additional in-depth data were collected and digested 
for a selection of 50 Operational Programmes, representing 
a wide range of sectors and thematic objectives, covering 
transport infrastructure, environment, maritime and fisheries, 
education, competitiveness, and regional development.

One of the report’s main findings is that the new legal provi-
sions and measures have had a positive impact in terms of 
increasing awareness and more targeted actions. The require-
ments have led to a more formalised and more systematic 
approach to addressing the issue at national and regional level. 
An important example is the fraud-risk assessment process 
which has helped to put more focus on fraud and corruption 
risks, while creating clear links between identified risks and 
specific mitigating measures. Thanks to this, new controls have 
been introduced and the existing ones reinforced.  

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

Joining forces

At the same time, the report stresses further need for improve-
ment when it comes to consistency, objectivity and proportion-
ality of the assessment. In fact, authorities in Member States 
with moderate and low fraud-risk indicators tend to assess their 
risks as higher than countries with high risk indicators. Among 
the six categories of risk, collusive bidding and double funding 
require more proportional mitigating measures. 

The involvement of various authorities, from those managing 
the EU funds to law-enforcement bodies, leads to enhanced 
coordination of anti-fraud activities and reduces fraud risks. 
All actors involved should make more and better use of the 
available tools and information, specific guidance, training 
and good practice examples. 

The stocktaking study also prepared a compendium of prac-
tices identified by the consultants. It features samples of 
anti-fraud practices involving relevant measures developed 
at the regional, national and EU level. The compendium tar-
gets ESI Funds practitioners and policymakers who are 
exploring ways to improve their national management and 
control system or elements of it.

The fight against fraud and corruption is more than ever 
a common endeavour. The examples presented in the report 
show clearly that efforts should involve all levels and actors 
and must be well coordinated. Actions should be thoroughly 
planned, designed and implemented, taking into account 
careful and forward-looking analysis of the risks. This will 
become increasingly relevant in the future when, according 
to the Commission’s legislative proposals for 2021-2027, 
the control will rely even more on national and regional 
authorities. These provisions will help to achieve the common 
objective of the most efficient and effective use of the funds 

for the benefit of citizens. 

FIND OUT MORE
https://bit.ly/2G10fsY

51

DATA P O I N T
Financial instruments to support 
Cohesion Policy objectives 

In December 2018, the Commission published its 
latest annual summary of data highlighting 
progress in implementing financial instruments 
(FIs) under the 2014-2020 programmes. Did you 
know that this was supported by an updated 
ESIF Open Data dataset?

T he latest reporting on the so-called ‘FIs’ shows good 

progress in the period 2014-2020. By the end of 
2017,  total  contributions  committed  to  FIs  had 
reached nearly EUR 18.8 billion, involving 24 Member 
States and including EUR 14.2 billion of ESI Funds. This is 
a significant increase on the EUR 13.3 billion reported at 
the end of 2016. 

By the end of 2017, the total volume of resources delivered 
through FIs had already exceeded that for the entire 2007-
2013 period. In addition, EUR 5.5 billion had already been paid 
to FIs, 35 % of which had been distributed to final recipients.

The largest allocations to FIs are provided under the Euro-
pean Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the Euro-
pean Social Fund (ESF), European Agricultural Fund for 
Rural Development (EAFRD), Cohesion Fund (CF) and Euro-
pean Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) also using this 
type of financing. 

1. Who will be interested in the dataset?

The dataset will be of interest to a range of Cohesion Policy 
stakeholders and researchers. By the end of November 2018, 
nearly 900 users had viewed the dataset and 150 research-
ers and students had downloaded it.

The largest share of funding has been assigned to support small 
and medium-sized enterprises (56 %), followed by investments 
in the low-carbon economy (16 % – mainly in energy efficiency), 
research, development and innovation (16 %), and employment, 
labour mobility and social inclusion (5 %). 

This data facilitates monitoring the use of EU and national 
financial resources allocated to FIs fund by fund. While the 
overall outlook is positive, there are significant differences 
across Member States in delivering these instruments. Some 
EU countries have yet to select financial intermediaries, while 
some FIs are already demonstrating concrete results in terms 
of leveraging resources returned for further investments, 
with the most advance already moving on to a second round 
of investments.

ESIF amount committed to FinanciaI  
Instruments (mEUR)

52

ERDFESFEAFRDCF1 %94 %2 %3 %PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

2. How was the data compiled?

In May/June each year, the programmes report to the Com-
mission on each financial instrument. The Commission 
extracts the annual cumulative data and presents it in 
a harmonised form to enable comparison of implementa-
tion progress over the period. The Commission is working 
continuously with the programmes to improve the quality 
of the data reported. The dataset is updated regularly to 
reflect corrections or modifications. 

EXPLORE THE DATA ON THE ESIF  
OPEN DATA PLATFORM: 

https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/d/dcsc-7x87 

ESIF  2014-2020 -  EU amount committed and paid to Financial Instruments - end 2017

53

Do you have an issue you would like discussed in future Panorama DATA POINT features?Is there a dataset you would like us to put on the ESIF Open Data Platform?If so, please e-mail: REGIO-EVAL@ec.europa.euFollow the discussion on TWITTER #ESIFOpendata or subscribe to our newsletter: http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/index.cfm?service_id=788 ERDFESFEAFRDCF 2     3     15     31     113     134     144     165     251     253     260     269     448     479     516     620     628     723     760     978     1.065     1.179     2.301     2.841     0     3     15     6     31     45     34     56     87     63     89     25     95     110     193     350     159     215     190     831     398     460     223     767     500     1 000     1 500     2 000     2 500     3 000    FI AT MT NL BE SE LV EE FR SI HR RO PT CZ BG LT SK UK GR ES DE IT HU PL Saving the Danube sturgeon: 
the ICPDR Sturgeon Strategy

Sturgeons are a unique species of fish whose origins can be traced back over 200 million years. Having 
undergone considerably little morphological change in that time, they are a remarkable evolutionary success 
story. Today, sturgeons are one of the most endangered species in the world as a result of human activities. 

According to the International Union for Conservation 

of Nature, over 85 % of sturgeon species are classified 
as being at risk of extinction, making them one of the 
most critically endangered group of species worldwide. The 
most serious threats to their survival include over-exploit-
ation, poaching, dams blocking their natural migration routes, 
loss or degradation of habitats and pollution. 

Sturgeons are valuable indicators of a healthy river envir-
onment. The International Commission for the Protection 
of the River Danube (ICPDR) has long recognised their 
importance and has adopted sturgeons native to the Dan-
ube as its flagship species. It has developed a strategy to 
raise awareness of the sturgeon’s plight; promote existing 
and future projects, initiatives and EU Directives to enhance 
environmental conditions for the sturgeon; and develop 
specific solutions to the specific problems sturgeons face.

strategy’s objectives by promoting the ‘Sturgeon 2020’ pro-
gramme. The ICPDR has just signed a grant agreement with 
DG REGIO to implement a feasibility study on fish migration 
options at the Iron Gate Dam between Romania and Serbia, 
a major obstacle on their route upstream.

Other key measures in Sturgeon 2020 include setting up 
a pilot ex-situ facility for migratory species and in-situ moni-
toring of habitats and population behaviour along the Danube 
and its major tributaries. Cooperation with contracting fish 
farms will facilitate the creation of an inventory of captive 

sturgeons.  

In 2012, the Danube Sturgeon Task force was developed by 
the ICPDR and a network of national and international public 
entities, NGOs and academic institutions with these objectives 
in mind. It has since been striving to achieve the current 

FIND OUT MORE
https://www.icpdr.org/main/activities-projects/
sturgeons-danube-basin

54

P R O J E C T S

DANISH SMES SERVED  
UP SOME FOOD FOR 
THOUGHT

TOTAL INVESTMENT  
EUR 3 900 000 

EU CONTRIBUTION  
EUR 2 000 000

In an effort to help Denmark’s food industry 
small and medium-sized enterprises overcome 
barriers to their growth and development, 
an EU-funded project has come up with 
an appetising strategy.

The ‘Thriving culinary experiences’ project is being 

organised and run by the Business Development Cen-
tre in Southern Denmark, a region with no common 
cuisine but home to a wide variety of culinary backgrounds 
and specialities. 

The ongoing four-year project is targeting four main areas for 
improvements in the food business: quality, internationalisation, 
sustainability and productivity.

The first task has been looking into how SMEs can be sure that 
the ingredients they source and the products they develop are 
of high quality. The internationalisation aspect is encouraging 
businesses to export their goods to countries around Europe, 
while the focus on sustainability aims to encourage a greater 
emphasis on organic foods to promote a better ecological 
footstep and a more sustainable environment.

A better strategy for improving productivity is covered by the 
fourth project goal, which includes finding more efficient and 
smarter solutions for the companies to do business effect-
ively and maximise their sales. Initiatives such as linking local 
food with storytelling and asking restaurant owners to pro-
vide customers with value-added information about their 
meal are intended to give consumers a more unique and 
authentic eating experience.

55

Recipe for success

The non-profit Centre organises workshops and learning 
retreats, where participants can discuss the common chal-
lenges they face in the region. It has also devised a screening 
process to identify suitable businesses to participate in the 
project: of the 160 SMEs considered, 70 were selected. 

The Centre’s consultants have been assigned to the companies 
selected and have allocated subsidies for their specialised busi-
ness plans, ranging from 15 % to 50 % of their costs depending 
on the size of the SME and the proposed strategy. It is hoped 
that the success of the participating SMEs will inspire other 
small companies to focus on developing their own business 
strategy which, in turn, will boost growth across the region.

Thanks to a contribution from the European Regional Devel-
opment Fund, the project is currently working with 31 SMEs. 
In the long term, it is expected to help 70 small businesses 
generate EUR 20 million in revenue and to create 99 jobs.  

FIND OUT MORE
https://bit.ly/2RuxDtj

P R O J E C T S

GREECE AND ITALY JOIN 
FORCES TO PREVENT 
WILDFIRES 

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

TOTAL INVESTMENT  
EUR 1 300 000

EU CONTRIBUTION  
EUR 975 000

The OFIDIA project, a collaboration between 
Italy’s Apulia region and the Epirus region in 
north-west Greece, built a cross-border fire 
prevention infrastructure based on computer-
generated forecasting models.

The cross-border area of Italy and Greece is ecologi-

cally diverse, with mountains, coastline and dense 
hardwood forests. As a result of hot temperatures, 
drought, negligence and arson, the area is ravaged by wild-
fires every year. Such blazes spread fast and are difficult 
to contain. 

According to OFIDIA researchers, the keys to successfully 
containing a forest fire are early detection, accurately pre-
dicting weather conditions, coordinating ground and aerial 
firefighting operations and conducting forensic analysis of 
the causes and damage done. However, this is not always 
easy, especially in remote forests of Italy and Greece where 
fire watchtowers and firefighting crews remain unstaffed 
due to budget constraints. 

Furthermore, firefighters in the field need easy access to 
detailed weather forecasts, along with live visual data from 
the operational area. Yet, also because of budget con-
straints, the control room of the Ioannina Regional Fire 
Corps Unit only has a wireless voice link to the team and 
lacks any visual or digital data about the area.    

Turning towards technology

OFIDIA researchers used technology to fill this resource gap. 
To provide early detection, the system installed automated 
visual and thermal camera equipment throughout the forested 
area. This equipment wirelessly transmits information to one 
of five state-of-the-art central control rooms that the project 
established in Lecce, Brindisi, Bari and Ioannina, which then 
use it to coordinate their individual firefighting operations. 

The project also developed an ICT infrastructure that provides 
online geographical maps with advanced weather forecasts, 
fire danger indices, and historical information about weather 
sensors, forecast data, and forest fire incidents. This informa-
tion allows stakeholders to prepare their operational activities 
more effectively, ultimately resulting in a reduction in the num-
ber of annual wildfires and a subsequent rehabilitation of the 
natural habitat.  

The OFIDIA system not only helps protect the region’s for-
ests from wildfires, it also helps create a sustainable quality 
of life and economic prosperity in the cross-border region. 

For example, the detailed weather forecasts generated by the 
system are made available to the public and can be used to 
better plan activities and protect against extreme weather con-
ditions. The project has also encouraged closer collaboration 
between Italian and Greek civil protection authorities, along with 
more effective scientific cooperation between the area’s research 
institutions – all to the benefit of the general population.   

FIND OUT MORE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVvF9IC-Z2c

56

P R O J E C T S

INNOVATIVE RECYCLING 
PUTS END-OF-LIFE 
FABRICS BACK ON TRACK

TOTAL INVESTMENT  
EUR 4 480 000 

EU CONTRIBUTION  
EUR 1 905 000

Making urban spaces greener

The water-retention and sound-suppression properties also 
make STERED products suitable for new tramway tracks. 
Sections of green track absorb then slowly release rainwater 
through evaporation, which cools and humidifies the air, 
reducing noise and dust for local residents and improving 
the urban environment overall. Similarly, the blocks are now 
being used in the construction of noise barriers for road and 
rail infrastructure.

The plant went into operation in 2012, and by 2017 had pro-
cessed more than 1 780 tonnes of automotive textiles. With 
demand growing, it is expected to recycle 700 tonnes of material 
this year, increasing to 1 750 tonnes in 2019. 

In 2018, the EU’s Cohesion Fund has contributed towards the 
employment of 41 people in PR Krajnė, with the potential for 

a further 25 jobs in the coming year.  

Thanks to a contribution from the EU Cohesion 
Fund, a recycling facility in Krajnė, western 
Slovakia is turning waste textiles into innovative 
green products for use in the construction and 
transport sectors.

Following the expansion and modification of its production 

facilities, the company PR Krajnė has de veloped a unique 
technology for processing waste synthetic textiles to 

create greener, environmentally friendly products.

The company is using STERED, its proprietary patented tech-
nique, to recycle carpets and upholstery from end-of-life 
vehicles, offcuts from new car production and pulp from re-
cycled tyres. The process benefits from the moisture- and 
wear-resistant and low-flammability characteristics of the syn-
thetic fabrics used in the automotive industry which, because 
of their durability, also makes them difficult to dispose of.

The end product is the STERED building block that boasts 
acoustic and thermal insulating properties and water-retention 
capabilities. Their ability to retain water and withstand weather 
conditions in all seasons makes the blocks ideal as a base for 
green roofs, which also allow for the growth of grass and other 
plants. 

Besides providing excellent insulation and helping to reduce 
energy bills, the product is now being used with photovoltaic 
panels to promote renewable energy, in line with European 
standards for energy efficiency.

FIND OUT MORE
http://www.stered.sk/?lang=en

57

P R O J E C T S

HEALTHY OUTLOOK FOR 
PHARMACEUTICAL 
PRODUCTION IN POLAND

TOTAL INVESTMENT  
EUR 2 300 000 

EU CONTRIBUTION  
EUR 855 000

Keeping tight control

All the equipment is fully computerised, enabling the lab 
workers to closely monitor the production process and to 
save energy compared to the non-automated manufacturing 
of similar medicines.

In order to meet the demanding EU standards, the two 
new lines of over-the-counter generic drugs produced by 
the LGO must be certified by Poland’s Main Pharmaceutical 
Inspectorate. To achieve this, the laboratory maintains an 
inspection system across all the stages of manufacturing, 
from raw materials to production and packaging.

Previously installed hygiene measures ensure that the drugs 
are kept free of germs. The workers must wear protective 
clothing and enter the production area through gas-tight 
sluices, and the air in the production area and for the 
machines is constantly filtered.

To date, the innovative automated lines have created 20 new 
jobs for workers who also receive full training from laboratory 

staff to operate in the LGO’s production area.  

FIND OUT MORE
http://bip2.warmia.mazury.pl

An innovative production process has helped 
a drug manufacturer in Poland’s Warmińsko-
Mazurskie region to develop new products 
and become more competitive in the country’s 
pharmaceutical sector.

In what is a first for drug manufacturers in this Polish region, 

the fully automated production machinery is producing and 
packaging affordable versions of popular generic painkiller 
tablets and gels. Thanks in part to funding from the Regional 
European Development Fund, the Laboratory Galena Olsztyn 
(LGO) collaborated with the University of Warmia and Mazury 
in the region’s capital, Olsztyn, to develop and provide the 
machinery for the automated production lines.

The equipment used to produce the tablets includes a docking 
station for loading ingredients, a powder mixer, a tablet press 
and coater, and automatic blister packaging and boxing 
machines. The line currently produces the LOG’s own 500 mg 
paracetamol and 400 and 200 mg ibuprofen painkillers which 
have proved popular with local consumers as they are available 
without prescription and are cheaper than the original brands.

A second production line – which incorporates mixing, 
tube-filling and boxing machines – produces skin-applied 
ketoprofen and diclofenac anti-inflammatory gels to relieve 
internal pain. All the medicines are based on existing formu-
lations for which the patents had expired. Consequently, the 
LGO has been able to avoid research costs while increasing 
its income by around 30 %.

58

PANORAMA / WINTER 2018 / No. 67

AGENDA

7 MARCH  
Brussels (BE) 
High-level event: Women in Public 
Administration 

22-23 MAY
Bucharest (RO)
Interreg Annual Conference

20-21 JUNE  
Bucharest (RO)
‘Investing in our Shared Future: the 8th 
Conference for the Evaluation of EU Cohesion 
Policy’

7-10 OCTOBER
Brussels (BE)
European Week of Regions and Cities 

LEGAL NOTICE

Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on 
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might be made of the following information. 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2018

Print: ISSN 1608-389X    KN-LR-18-067-EN-C  

PDF: ISSN 1725-8308     KN-LR-18-067-EN-N

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