EUROPEAN UNION

Committee of the Regions

FORUM OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Brussels, 10 May 2012

Regions and cities for integrated territorial development

A Common Strategic Framework for cohesion policy, rural development and fisheries funds for the period 2014-2020

More information: www.cor.europa.eu/CSF

The Common Strategic Framework (CSF) plays a key role in the context of the proposals made by the European Commission for cohesion policy, rural development and fisheries funds post-2013. It will be the guiding document translating the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth into the key actions of the five ’CSF funds’: the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. In line with the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty, the CSF aims at making an integrated territorial approach a reality. Regional and local stakeholders will be of major importance for the implementation of the CSF funds and for effective coordination between different policies with territorial impact.

With its Forum on 10 May 2012, the Committee of the Regions aims to bring together key representatives of the EU institutions, member states and regions in order to take stock of the current debate and to discuss in particular three topics:

• Multilevel governance of CSF funds post-2013;

• the Europe 2020 strategy and the challenge of an integrated territorial approach;

• Delivering results: ensuring coherent approaches.

The Forum will address representatives of the EU institutions as well as national and regional officials and experts involved in the management of structural, rural development and fisheries funds. It follows the adoption of the main opinions of the Committee of the Regions on the legislative package on the CSF funds and joins forces with the European Parliament rapporteurs before the adoption of their respective reports.

The event can be followed live on the internet between 11:00 and 17:00 CET at. www.cor.europa.eu

ProgrammeThursday 10 May 2012 | 11:00-17:00 | Committee of the Regions, Rue Belliard/Belliardstraat 101, Brussels

10:00 – 11:00 Registration and welcome coffee

12:30 – 14:00: Networking lunch

Atrium 5 - 5th floor

Workshop 1:Multilevel governance of CSF funds post-2013

• How to ensure coherent approaches to partnership arrangements?

• Which role for regions in the preparation of Partnership Contracts?

• How to involve cities, rural and fisheries regions?

Chair: Michel Delebarre, Mayor of Dunkirk, France, Chairman of the CoR Commission on Territorial Cohesion Policy (COTER) (PES) and rapporteur for the EGTC regulation

Keynote speech: László Andor, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Panel:Catiuscia Marini, President of the Umbria Region, Italy, Member of the Committee of the Regions (PES), and rapporteur for the Common Provisions Regulation

Jan Olbrycht, Member of the European Parliament (EPP), Poland, and rapporteur for the ERDF regulation

Riikka Manner, Member of the European Parliament (ALDE), Finland, and rapporteur for the European Territorial Cooperation regulation

Luc Van den Brande, Member of the Committee of the Regions (EPP), Belgium, Chairman of the Commission Citizenship, Governance, Institutional Affairs and External Relations (CIVEX)

Academic comment: John Bachtler, European Policies Research Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom

14:00 – 15:30: Parallel workshops

11:00 – 12:30 Opening sessionRoom JDE 52 and hearing rooms JDE 51 and 53,

interpretation will be provided from/into English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Polish

Keynote speeches

• Mercedes Bresso, President of the Committee of the Regions

• Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy

• Preben Gregersen, Director for Regional Policy, Danish Business Authority, on behalf of the EU Presidency

Debate with the audience

Moderator: Mark Rogerson, Consilia Ltd.

Room JDE 52, interpretation will be provided from/into English, French,

German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Finnish and Polish

Atrium 5 - 5th floor

Workshop 2: The Europe 2020 strategy and the challenge of an integrated territorial approach

• How to coordinate CSF funds, the Europe 2020 strategy and National Reform Programmes at EU level?

• How to guarantee cooperation across policies and different government levels?

• How to ensure coherence between the Cohesion Fund, the ERDF and the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’?

Chair: Danuta Hübner, Member of the European Parliament (EPP), Poland, and Chair of the Committee on Regional Development (REGI)

Keynote speech:Dacian Cioloş, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development

Panel:Constanze Krehl, Member of the European Parliament (S&D), Germany, and rapporteur for the Common Provisions Regulation (together with Mr van Nistelrooij)

René Souchon, President of Auvergne Regional Council, France, Member of the Committee of the Regions (PES) and rapporteur for the EAFRD regulation

Konstantinos Simitsis, Mayor of Kavala, Greece, Member of the Committee of the Regions (PES) and rapporteur for the ESF regulation

Academic comment:Philip McCann, Endowed Chair of Economic Geography, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Workshop 3: Delivering results: Ensuring coherent approaches

• How to establish links between CSF funds and their contribution to national and regional Europe 2020 targets?

• How to coordinate result orientation of objectives, programmes and key actions across CSF funds?

• Too complicated to be delivered: How can absorption of structural funds be increased?

• Member states and regions in crisis: Challenges for cohesion policy

• Conditionality and incentives: How to ensure EU-wide coherence?

Chair: Marek Woźniak, Marshal of the Wielkopolska Region, Poland, Member of the Committee of the Regions (EPP) and rapporteur for the CSF

Keynote speech:Lowri Evans, European Commission, Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

Panel:Victor Boştinaru, Member of the European Parliament (S&D), Romania, and rapporteur for the Cohesion Fund

Pierre Maille, President of the Finistère General Council, France, Member of the Committee of the Regions (PES) and rapporteur for the EMFF

Petr Osvald, Councillor of Plzeň, Czech Republic, Member of the Committee of the Regions (PES) and rapporteur for the European Territorial Cooperation regulation

Harald Noack, Member of the European Court of Auditors

Academic comment: Gerhard Untiedt, Institute for Financial and Regional Analyses, Münster, Germany

Room JDE 51, interpretation will be provided from/into English, French,

German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish and Polish

Room JDE 70, interpretation will be provided from/into English, French,

German, Polish, Czech and Romanian

Exhibition 'Colourful cities'

On the occasion of the Forum, participants are invited to visit the Committee of the Regions' exhibition 'Beautiful, green, smart and inclusive: colourful cities', which showcases good practice projects from 28 European cities in the fields of urban planning, sustainable development, innovation and social inclusion.

May 2012

Edited by the Directorate for Communication, Press and Events of the Committee of the Regions

Rue Belliard/Belliardstraat, 101 _ 1040 Bruxelles/BrusselBELGIQUE/BELGIË

Tel. +32 22822211 _ Fax +32 22822325www.cor.europa.eu

Moderator: Mark Rogerson, Consilia Ltd.

Keynote speeches:Monika Kirbiš Rojs, Secretary of State, Ministry for Economic Development and Technology, Slovenia

Birgitta Wolff, Minister for Science and Economic Affairs, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment

Panel:Michel Delebarre, Mayor of Dunkirk, France, Chairman of the CoR Commission on Territorial Cohesion Policy (COTER) (PES) and rapporteur for the EGTC regulation

Danuta Hübner, Member of the European Parliament (EPP), Poland, and Chair of the Committee on Regional Development (REGI)

Marek Woźniak, Marshal of the Wielkopolska Region, Poland, Member of the Committee of the Regions (EPP) and rapporteur on the CSF

Final conclusions:Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, President of the Autonomous Community of Murcia, Spain, 1st Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions (EPP)

15.30-15.45: Coffee break

15.45-17.00: Closing session

Room JDE 52 and hearing rooms JDE 51 and 53,interpretation will be provided from/into English, French,

German, Italian, Spanish, Polish and Slovenian