25 – 26 January 2007

Regional policy responses to demographic challenges

EN

Regions for economic change

Conference Proceedings

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Table of contents

Introduction 3

Session 1 : Managing and benefi ting from demographic change 6 Workshop 1A Active ageing strategies : planning and adaptation of infrastructures to demographic change 6

Workshop 1B Supporting new markets : the creation of specifi c goods and services for elderly people 8

Workshop 1C Attracting and retaining people at work : adapting regional and local labour markets 10

Session 2 : Diverse territories, diverse problems? 12 Workshop 2A Developing rural and sparsely populated and ultra-peripheral areas : strategies and actions 12

Workshop 2B Urban areas and densely populated areas 14

Workshop 2C Potential of e-inclusion to strengthen territorial cohesion 16

Session 3 : Regions learning from each other 18 Workshop 3A Mobilising the full potential of people; regions, cities

and densely populated areas adapting labour markets 18

Workshop 3B Regions and partnerships working together to seize the opportunities presented by demographic challenges 20

Workshop 3C Regions working together through inter-regional co-operation 22

Annex : Sound bites 24

Cover pictures from the following projects :

• SPEAK, providing teaching aids for teachers, Feldkirch, Austria

• BIO-Trainingzentrum Gars Hotel, Gars am Kamp, Austria

• IT house in Hallabro, Sweden

• PRISMA, children speech therapist at work, Egg, Austria

• Training for young people, Cagliari, Italy ©CEC : DG REGIO / Mike St Maur Sheil

Editor : Thierry Daman, European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional Policy.

This brochure is printed on recycled paper.

The text of this publication is not legally binding.

Contacts

European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional Policy

Unit 01 – Information and Communication

Thierry Daman

41, avenue de Tervuren, B-1040 Brussels

Fax : +32-(0)2 296 60 03

regio-info@ec.europa.eu

http ://ec.europa.eu/comm/dgs/regional_policy/index_en.htm

© European Communities, 2007

Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged.

3

BackgroundThis was the second conference in a series of three launching

the Commission’s “Regions for economic change” initiative.

The initiative is concerned with identifying, recognising,

disseminating, promoting and mainstreaming good practices in

EU funded regional programmes. The particular background to

this conference is that the Commission has worked in recent years

to facilitate a European-wide debate on demographic change on

the one hand and to reinforce the contribution of Cohesion policy

to achieving the growth and jobs agenda on the other. Also,

during the fi rst European Demographic Forum in November 2006

the regional dimensions of demographic change were raised.

In designing eff ective policy responses to demographic change

at local, regional or national level, the important underlying

medium and long term demographic trends must fi rst be well

understood. EU or national averages are not necessarily a solid

basis for action at these levels. The brochure produced for the

conference presents background articles and 10 practical case-

studies, presenting responses in diff erent regional policy fi elds to

some of the challenges.

The conference was structured around three workshop sessions,

with three parallel workshops per session. The nine workshops

showcased examples of good practice which had been selected

following an open call for proposals. The workshops were

organised according to policy fi elds or under Cohesion Policy

strands to better explore the experiences with the challenge of

changing population structure.

Conference programmeThe Conference was opened by Mr Dirk Ahner the newly

appointed Director General of DG Regional Policy. The keynote

address was delivered by Commissioner Danuta Hübner who

outlined the background to the conference and the importance

of the subject for regional and local authorities. She recalled

briefl y the main drivers of the demographic changes facing

Europe - the trend toward longer and healthier lives; lower

fertility; the importance of migration; and the continuing pattern

of urbanization and rural depopulation. Mrs Hübner emphasized

the regional aspects of these trends. She stressed the broad range

of policy fi elds touched by these demographic trends – public

fi nance, labour market and training, the role and integration of

migrants, and the need to innovate and raise productivity. The

Commissioner stressed her view that EU Cohesion Policy allows

regions to respond to many aspects of population change

through a mix of policies which are tailored to their specifi c needs

supported with a solid fi nancial framework.

President Michel Delebarre, Committee of the Regions, stressed

the long term nature of the challenge posed and the importance

of the role of local and regional authorities. He said that a wide

range of public policies must be adapted, preceded by a robust

diagnosis. He emphasised the need to act early and promptly in

order to avoid unnecessary tensions. He urged local and regional

authorities to start taking practical steps and promised the support

of the Committee of the Regions in the European debate.

Minister Karl-Heinze Daehre from Saxony-Anhalt presented

his Land and spoke about the daily challenge already being

faced across all policy area by some public authorities. In Saxony-

Anhalt there has been a dramatic drop in fertility rates, and net

westward migration leading to a population reduction of nearly

15% in the period 1990-2005. The projections are that the 50+ age

group will make up more than 50% of the population in 2025.

The region is actively seeking opportunities and is learning from

the experience in other regions while implementing policies to

achieve sustainable population development across many policy

fi elds. He emphasised that it was not only a question of money but

also of the quality of the policies. His authorities are exploiting the

deconstruction of vacant apartments to design more attractive

cities that meet citizens’ demands.

Regions for Economic Change

Conference ‘Regional responses to demographic challenges’

Brussels, 25-26 January 2007

Introduction

Mr G

iam

paol

o La

nzei

ri

4

In the plenary session at the end of Day 1 Eurostat announced

new regional population projections. Mr Giampaolo Lanzeiri,

Senior Statistician at Eurostat, lucidly explained the latest regional

population projections up to 2031 , covering 197 regions of

Europe. According to these projections all regions examined shall

experience an ageing of the population, whereas just over 50%

of regions could suff er population reduction, while two thirds

of regions will start a declining trend. Migration will be the main

driver of regional population growth. The projections, based on

current trends, do not take into account changes in policy that

might impact on demographic developments.

Mr Gerd Harm, member of the Committee of the Regions,

stressed that the development of the policy response at regional

level needs further attention. A growth based model predominates

in our thinking and this needs to be supplemented in the light

of the projections for shrinking regional populations. Territorial

cohesion strategies will be challenged as will our policies on the

orderly treatment and integration of migrants. He encouraged

the Commission’s initiative to facilitate opportunities for regions

to work together on these areas.

A European “An age proofi ng toolkit” was presented adapted

from the UK toolkit (presented to the Demographic Forum in

2006). This work was sponsored by the Committee of the Regions

and is to be made available in 8 languages. Mr Richard Baker

of Age Concern explained that the toolkit takes the form of an

annotated questionnaire designed to assist policymakers and

other partners in examining strategies or policy proposals. It

can assist in recognising the cross-cutting impact of ageing and

bring consistency to the response to ageing by authorities across

Europe. Ms Anne-Sophie Parent presented the position of

civil society underlining that the theme of ageing was relevant

for all. She argued for non-discrimination and a need to change

expectations and attitudes, particularly in the labour market, if the

EU is to meet its demographic challenge. She expressed the hope

that the toolkit would build a bridge between public authorities

and representative citizens’ groups.

Commissioner Vladimír Špidla, opening Day 2 of the

conference, stressed the regional variations and the important

youth migration trends. In relation to policy responses he

highlighted the possibilities under the European Social Fund

to fi nance relevant measure in reconciling work and family life,

active ageing, training and integrating migrants. He encouraged

regional initiatives and exchanges as an important contribution

to the EU response.

President Dimitris Dimitriadis of the European Economic

and Social Committee stressed the regional and local levels as

the backbone of the European Union. He discussed the role of

intra-EU and international migration and its contribution to the

challenges of sustainable development in an ageing context.

He concluded by stressing that the phenomenon of population

change was economic and social.

Mr Lambert Van Nistelroij, MEP and member of the REGI

committee, emphasised his satisfaction that demographic change

was being addressed at EU level with an emphasis on the need

for local and regional responses. He proposed that “Regions for

economic change” must also recognise the need for regions to be

“regions for all ages”.

In concluding the Conference Commissioner Hübner

reviewed the conference in the light of her initial objectives of

awareness raising, highlighting good practices and clarifying

policy approaches and the role of Cohesion Policy. She said that

the demographic challenge must be mainstreamed. She gave

various examples of how sustainable regional development must

be based on policies that take it fully into account saying “our

infrastructure policies must be adapted to the changing patterns of

demand that will result from evolving age profi les; we must help all

our citizens to equip themselves for full participation in the labour

force and for longer productive lives; we must ensure that our policies

on innovation and entrepreneurship are tailored to meet the needs of

an increasingly diverse and older population.”

She emphasised that responding to the demographic challenges

ahead will require a coherent, long term eff ort involving the

commitment of a wide partnership of policy makers and those

who deliver policy on the ground. In the context of translating

IntroductionM

r Ric

hard

Bak

er

5

the general messages from this conference into practical action,

she recalled that the Commission has identifi ed the theme of

“responding to the demographic challenges” as a priority under

the future inter-regional co-operation networking programmes.

She expressed the hope that demography relevant networks

would be proposed under those programmes to be adopted in

mid-2007.

ConclusionsIn total, more than 520 representatives of national, regional

and local administrations, institutes, networks, civil society

organisations and representatives of universities attended and

expressed high levels of satisfaction with the event. The conference

raised awareness of the scope of the unprecedented demographic

changes at regional level and the importance of these changes as a

driver of socio-economic change. The diversity of regional patterns,

the subtle diff erence between regions and the cross-cutting

nature of the impact of changing population were repeatedly

emphasised as was the need for a medium and long-term strategic

response. Speakers examined the many diff erent policies touched

by demographic trends, many speakers emphasising that it was a

challenge for all groups of the population not just the aged.

The potential of European regional policy and its instruments to

enable European regions to respond to the challenges and make

the most of the opportunities presented by demographic change

was highlighted. The practitioners and experts shared their

insights and experience and emphasised the need to articulate

and develop coherent strategies that involve the relevant partners

and decision-makers in a timely way. In all policy initiatives,

including EU-funded programmes, demographic developments

need to be taken into account more fully in developing, adapting

and implementing development strategies.

Introduction

6

ACTIVE AGEING STRATEGIES : PLANNING AND ADAPTATION OF INFRASTRUCTURES TO DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE

Chair : Mr José Palma Andrés, Director, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Expert : Prof. Charlotte Höhn, Director, Federal Institute for Population Research, Germany

Speakers : Mrs Vivienne Gee, European Policy Manager, North West Development Agency, United KingdomMr Hans-Ulrich Oel, Head of Unit for Demographic Change, State Chancellery Land Brandenburg, Germany Mr Jean-Paul Boré, Vice-president of Languedoc Roussillon Region/Member of the Committee of the Regions, France

Rapporteur : Mr Diego Villalba de Miguel, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Session 1 Managing and benefi ting from demographic changeW

orks

hop

1A

IntroductionThis workshop focused on the role of public action in coping with

the needs and expectations of an ageing society, with particular

regard to both the planning and adaptation of infrastructures.

Demographic studies show that age profi le in the European Union

will change dramatically in the coming years, leading to a society

where elderly people will play an increasing role. Governments are

expected to foresee these changes and adapt their policies to the

new context. Public infrastructure policy should be a key fi eld.

DebateMr José Palma Andrés, Director for ‘Interventions in Austria,

Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden and the

United Kingdom’ at the Directorate-General for Regional Policy,

outlined briefl y the main challenges concerning public action

as regards demographic change, and introduced the expert

and speakers. During their presentations the invited speakers

gave their views on the basic demographic analysis, the impact

on planning, the required changes in objectives and the various

priority areas of intervention.

Various speakers explained the current situation and trends in

both EU and their regions. Dr Höhn highlighted, on the one

hand, the process of ageing, which is due to both the decrease in

birth rate and life expectancy increase; and, on the other hand, the

growing part played by immigrant population. This new reality

has led regions to face problems like, for instance, high weight

of handicapped population (Languedoc-Roussillon), new spatial

distribution of population (Brandenburg), or low activity rate of

those over 50 years old (North-West of England).

This new context requires public bodies to further develop their

activities in this respect. The speakers agreed that planning

priorities and actions should be adapted in order to take account

of the new challenges, in particular by adopting a cross-cutting

and forward-looking approach. Such an approach would allow

them to better manage the adaptation of policies and equipment

to new needs and situations.

In terms of the basic objective, Ms Gee pointed out that policy

should prioritise active ageing, i.e. “enabling elderly people to play

an active role in society, while having good quality of life”. This

would mainly concern fully involving elderly people in decision-

making processes, but also adapting society’s requirements to

what this group of the population can off er.

The speakers suggested the following areas as being the best

adapted to support ageing-population-oriented public/private

action :

• Setting up infrastructures for all ages. This would primarily

concern transport (i.e. accessibility), but also infrastructures

for goods and services such as health, education, tourism,

leisure, etc. Mr Oel made a particular point on infrastructure

deconstruction processes in Brandenburg, as a means of

adapting social capital to new needs.

• Fostering employment for elderly people. It would be advisable

to develop training, homeworking, entrepreneurship actions,

as this would lead to the enhancement of employment

possibilities for senior workers.

Mrs

Viv

ienn

e G

ee a

nd M

r Jos

é Pa

lma

And

rés

7

Session 1 Managing and benefi ting from demographic change

• Putting in place robust and reliable information,

communication and data collection systems. Indeed, the

success of the new policies would depend on the policy-

makers’ capacity to fi ne-tune actions according to public

needs and demands.

• Modernising and adapting public institutions to new

challenges, including public-private partnerships, fi nancial

management, e-government, territorial and sector-based

networking, and cross-cutting initiatives.

In terms of success factors and potential diffi culties, the speakers

underlined the importance of good governance to ensure success

in these new policies. Good governance should comprise putting

demography at the core of the political priorities, as well as on

rethinking the decision-making processes themselves, in order to

adapt them to the pace of demographic change. In other words,

it would imply thinking in terms of generations instead of election

periods. On the other hand, Mr Boré emphasised that this good

governance should rely on proper respect of both equality of

rights and opportunity and the widest possible partnership and

dialogue. In terms of the challenges, the speakers sounded an alert

that the diffi culties in understanding deconstruction initiatives,

in mastering long-term planning and the reluctance to change

existing institutions, etc., could put these policies into question.

The open debate in the workshop started by focusing on

challenges in the transport sector, and then moved on a winner/

loser discussion : participants argued that whatever the public

action, there would inevitably be losers in the “restructuring”

processes. The consensus was nevertheless reached on the point

that public policies should ensure equality among benefi ciaries, as

far as the resources would allow for that (what some participants

call “the reality test”). Two good practice examples were quoted

here : Belgian inter-county buses ensuring transport from rural

areas to major shopping centres, and multi-service cards for

elderly people in Scandinavia.

The discussion then moved on to individual questions, addressing

issues such as demographic change as a chance to reduce

unemployment, the need for specifi c policies for regions with

special needs (in particular rural and mountain areas – West of

Scotland, French Massif Central), EU solidarity among regions,

contrast between depopulation of wide rural areas and increasing

concentration of population in high-priced real-estate urban areas

(80% in Languedoc-Roussillon).

Finally, two examples of public-private partnership were quoted.

In the North-West of England, diff erent stakeholders have agreed

to provide joint support in innovative areas of intervention. In the

Massif Central in France, public-private chambers of commerce

have decided to prioritise the maintenance of basic private services

in rural areas, such as butchers, fi shmongers and bakeries.

ConclusionsEU regions appear to have understood the challenges raised by

on-going demographic changes and their likely consequences

on public needs and demands. Accordingly, they have started to

adapt their strategies and have introduced new tools, in particular

in the fi elds of infrastructures and provision of public goods and

services. Nevertheless, it seems necessary to fully involve partners

of all ages and ensure equality of duties and rights in order to

rally social legitimacy to the necessary changes and avoid the

possibility of resistance or reluctance, which could weaken their

success.

Prof

. Cha

rlot

te H

öhn

8

SUPPORTING NEW MARKETS : THE CREATION OF SPECIFIC GOODS AND SERVICES FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE

Chair : Mr Andrzej Jan Ryś, Director, European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection DG

Expert : Prof. Tony Warnes, Sheffi eld University, United Kingdom

Speakers : Mr Philip Plischke, Schiff GmbH, GermanyMrs Paula Poikela, Project Manager, Rovaniemi University of Applied Science, FinlandDr Magnus Lindwall, University of Halmstad, Sweden

Rapporteur : Mr Reiner Kneifel-Haverkamp, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Session 1 Managing and benefi ting from demographic changeW

orks

hop

1B

IntroductionHealthy ageing has to be seen as an important determinant

for economic prosperity. This workshop focused mainly on the

economic potential which comes with this issue, both in terms of

market and of regional development.

DebateProf. Tony Warnes of Sheffi eld University set the tone by

describing the Advanced Care Technology project. This R&D and

knowledge transfer project brings together Sheffi eld University,

the clinical engineering medical physics branch of the regional

hospital, and private enterprises (including a leading manufacturer

and provider of home tele-care solutions and response-centre

systems, small software companies and home care providers) as

well as NGOs such as the British Association for Service to the

Elderly. The project is aimed at nurturing innovative networking

partnerships between enterprises and other stakeholders in order

to develop new and improved assistive and tele-care technologies

and to investigate their most eff ective applications to the care and

support of frail older people. The regional development agency

has identifi ed a “healthcare technology cluster” as a priority

investment area for the region of Yorkshire and Humber where

medical device manufacturing accounted for a 28.9% growth in

the years 1998-2004.

The short discussion focused on the underlying ethical questions

of smart life-style monitoring and reassurance techniques with

their surveillance implications and the substitution of the ‘human

touch’ by machines.

Philip Plischke of Schiff GmbH, Kiel, Germany, is responsible for a

project aiming at bringing together tourism services and geriatric

care while, at the same time, providing new jobs for both younger

and older unemployed. Developing this type of service is seen as

a main factor for the future development of a “silver economy” in

the Land of Schleswig-Holstein with its beautiful seaside locations

particularly attractive to elderly holidaymakers and relocating

residents.

With the help of several short videos, Paula Poikela from Rovaniemi

University of Applied Science in Northern Finland introduced

the participants to the secrets of ENVI, a virtual environment for

learning emergency and hospital care. Designed to overcome

the disadvantages of an area covering a large area but with few

inhabitants, this includes an interactive multimedia accident-

scene environment, a virtual ambulance and a virtual hospital. It is

planned to expand this project in a second phase over the entire

Barents Sea Region, including Sweden, Norway and Russia.

Magnus Lindwall, of Halmstad University in Sweden, in his

presentation of a societally motivated research platform stressed the

importance of long-term commitment to co-operation between

key shareholders from academia and practitioners including

politicians. On this platform, together with public stakeholders

researchers transform societal problems into research questions

and participate in their resolution. Conversely, public stakeholders

contribute to disseminating and using the research results in

practice. Similar to the new “social platforms” under the Seventh

Research Framework Programme, such platforms represent a way

forward for European societies to overcome societal challenges

by setting strategic knowledge-based research agendas and by

learning from each other and together.

Mrs

Pau

la P

oike

la

9

Session 1 Managing and benefi ting from demographic change

Conclusions The chairman, Andrzej Ryś, Director at the European

Commission’s Health and Consumer Protection DG stressed

healthy ageing as a keystone for a sustainable European society.

Within this framework, it would be essential to take forward

investment focusing on new leading markets where services

and products for elderly people occupy a major place. Therefore,

to respond to the demographic trends and ageing population,

Europe needs to take steps to help narrow the major diff erences

in health status and contribute to improving access to healthcare

within and between the Member States, e.g. by improving

healthcare facilities for elderly people. Links were identifi ed

between the workshop topic and the existing and planned

health policies on the local, regional, national and European

level. In particular, EU health policy can play an important role in

supporting active ageing through some key initiatives such as the

current proposal for a Community framework for safe high-quality

and effi cient health services. This would reinforce co-operation

between Member States and provide clarity and certainty over the

application of Community law to health services and healthcare.

An overarching health strategy, pulling together EU work on

health with a view to setting objectives for the future, would also

be adopted later this year.

With regard to the regional development and Lisbon Agenda

implications, Mr Ryś highlighted the increasingly important

market which an ageing population represents. Elderly people

have diverse and special needs with regard to products and

services. This should be an important incentive for a large range

of innovations in products and services. Enterprises (and regions)

which seize the resulting opportunities quickly will have a

competitive edge over their competitors.

Dr M

agnu

s Li

ndw

all

Mr A

ndrz

ej Ja

n R

yś

10

ATTRACTING AND RETAINING PEOPLE AT WORK : ADAPTING REGIONAL AND LOCAL LABOUR MARKETS

Chair : Mr Xavier Prats Monné, Director, European Commission, Employment, Social Aff airs and Equal Opportunities DG

Expert : Dr Elizabeth Mestheneos, 50+Hellas, Vice-President European Age-Platform, Greece

Speakers : Dr Norbert Mager, Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport, Urban & Regional Development, GermanyMrs Patricia Dantas de Caires, Madeira Business Innovation Centre/BIC, PortugalMr Paolo Nanni, President, Provincia di Livorno Sviluppo srl, Italy

Rapporteur : Ms Barbara Piotrowska, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Session 1 Managing and benefi ting from demographic changeW

orks

hop

1C

IntroductionWorkshop 1C focused on various practices of attracting and

retaining people at work.

Almost 200 participants were welcomed by Mr Xavier Prats

Monné, Director responsible for Employment, Lisbon Strategy and

International Aff airs at the Directorate-General for Employment,

Social Aff airs and Equal Opportunities, who chaired the workshop.

He opened the workshop by saying that there were two important

reasons for discussing this topic : public fi nance which is not

sustainable as well as unacceptable waste of human resources in

contributing to work and society.

Debate Dr Elizabeth Mestheneos gave her presentation on the

question of achieving higher employment amongst older workers.

She began by commenting that people need to have reasons

and incentives to stay in the labour market. The 50+ group are

very diff erent and cannot be considered as one category. What is

very important is to keep a balance and capitalise on the various

experiences of older and younger people.

She suggested some actions for employers and regional policy-

makers. They need to develop regional demographic plans and

involve local politicians. They should also try to raise awareness

among employers that when hiring they should focus on skills,

and potential, and not age. The training of older workers cannot

be neglected. Investment in health promotion and disease

prevention should be considered as a company responsibility.

Smaller companies could be helped by the public sector. Flexible

working time is also a solution, which should go in parallel with tax

and social insurance incentives. Dr Mestheneos recommended the

website of European Foundation for the Improvement of Living

and Working Conditions in Dublin, which presents a database of

over 150 case study initiatives on good practices improving the

employment of older people (http ://www.eurofound.europa.eu/

areas/populationandsociety/ageingworkforce.htm).

Dr Norbert Mager presented diff erent approaches from the

State of Hessen to adapting labour and qualifi cation conditions to

demographic changes. The projects developed focus on women,

older employees and the creation of favourable conditions under

which qualifi ed people can have more children.

The Educational Institution of the Hessian Employers’ Federation

carried out a dialogue with companies in 2003-2005 in order

to inform them and develop company-related measures to

face the demographic challenges. About 10% of all companies

advised are using specially developed IT which analyses current

and future age structures of the companies. In 2006, a ten-year

campaign was launched to introduce family-oriented measures

to increase local birth rates. In the town of Frankenberg, a project

is being developed which involves improving working conditions

including childcare facilities and fl exible working hours. The rural

town of Buedingen is intending to shift jobs from the centre of

the Rhine-Main agglomeration area to its outskirts by off ering

incentives to companies to relocate. The motto of the operation

is : “Work is coming home”. Mr Mager stressed the importance of

co-operation between various partners to achieve the intended

objectives.

Dr E

lizab

eth

Mes

then

eos

11

Session 1 Managing and benefi ting from demographic change

Ms Patricia Dantas de Caires spoke about mobilising the

entrepreneurship potential of the population. She explained

that the BIC’s core business is to promote entrepreneurship and

innovation in the Madeira Archipelago.

This innovative concept of the BIC works through human

behaviour thus considerably reducing barriers between students,

citizens and the business world and triggering key skills to start

up a business venture. It provides the technical support to the

theoretical knowledge. The method of learning by doing, unique

in the Portuguese educational system, is an attractive way in

which students, teachers and school managers participate.

Everybody becomes an “entrepreneur for one day”. The biggest

challenge faced is to create a strong and participative partnership,

involve everyone and let everybody understand how the project

is supposed to work. Also, well-prepared teachers and the

involvement of a critical mass are very important. There are no

short-term results, but they will come in fi ve to ten years. The

project promoters do not want young people to start up their

businesses immediately, but to continue their education. So far,

1,600 students and 60 teachers have been involved. A similar

concept could also be used in a social perspective, for example

with less favoured people associations.

Mr Paolo Nanni spoke about Livorno as a knowledge province

for seniors at work – local strategies for active ageing based on

continuous training and lifelong learning for the over 50s. The

Province of Livorno has set up its own company : Provincia di

Livorno Sviluppo srl, in order to plan and implement actions better

at a local level. The Local Employment Action Strategy developed

is based on shared governance and involves all local players. It has

optimised access to European funding and highlighted the need

to intervene with precise actions for four target groups : the young,

women, workers with atypical contracts, and senior workers.

One of the projects developed is ‘Livorno : a knowledge province

for seniors at work’. This two-year project aims to promote a labour

market based on knowledge, fi ghting the dropping out of senior

workers from the production sector, and supporting the return of

the 50+ to work. The project has involved the private and public

sectors as well as partners from Belgium, Ireland and Denmark.

It works through personalised and fl exible vocational training

courses, establishment of a helpdesk to give career advice and

support to the over 50s, encouragement for apprenticeships, and

fi nancing for business start-ups. Particular attention is given to

gender issues and the diff erent needs of men and women.

DiscussionSeveral questions and remarks from the audience mentioned that

demographic aspects cannot be seen in isolation. An intelligent

strategy at regional level is needed, while implementation of

a strategic approach is essential. In addition, it is necessary to

ask companies about the profi les of the workers being sought.

Specifi c tools and strategy need to be developed here.

In their closing remarks the speakers mentioned several points.

Dr Mestheneos stressed the importance of attitude changing

and starting the changes from one’s own playground. Ms Dantas

de Caires said that the key to success is to involve all the actors

and explain the planned process. Mr Mager emphasised the

importance of a tailor-made approach in developing tools for cities

and companies. Paolo Nanni remarked that a strategic approach is

important, integrating various strands of policies.

Mr Xavier Prats Monné thanked the speakers for their useful

presentations. He concluded by saying that nowadays we live

much longer than in the time of Bismarck, when pensions were

invented. Since then, the world has changed and we need to

adapt, too.

Mr X

avie

r Pra

ts M

onné

Mr P

aolo

Nan

ni

12

DEVELOPING RURAL AND SPARSELY POPULATED AND ULTRAPERIPHERAL AREAS : STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS

Chair : Mr Antonis Constantinou, Director, European Commission, Agriculture and Rural Development DG

Expert : Mr Géry Coomans, Director, GeoLabour, Belgium

Speakers : Mrs Kadri Uustal, Councillor, Ministry of Finance, EstoniaMr Antonio Arrufat Gascón, Vice-president of the Provincial Government of Teruel, FEMP (Spanish Federation of Municipalities & Provinces), SpainMr Keijo Mutanen, Managing Director, Joensuu Regional Development, Finland

Rapporteur : Mr Wladyslaw Piskorz, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Session 2 Diverse territories, diverse problems?W

orks

hop

2A

IntroductionWorkshop 2A focused on the strategies and actions for the

development of rural and sparsely populated and ultra-peripheral

areas. Mr Antonis Constantinou set out the policy framework for

the ensuing presentations.

Europe’s rural areas are very diverse with remote, sparsely

populated areas where the rate of depopulation is high, and

areas nearer to urban centres where population growth rates

are often higher then in the cities. Rural areas are predominantly

faced with a common set of structural defi cits : income per person

employed hardly reaches 50% of that in the cities; possibilities to

become economically active are scarce, especially for women and

adolescents; the level of vocational training is low; and access to

internet and basic services is far from satisfactory.

Demography-related problems are aggravated in rural areas : older

people often make up a high proportion of the population, and

the balance between age groups is shifting faster than in other

areas; out-migration may still be very substantial and the danger

of depopulation sometimes acute.

DebateMr Géry Coomans focused on educational supply and

employment prospects. He argued that more education on a

personal level brings more fl exibility, more job security and –

thanks to higher wages – improved living conditions. On a global

scale, it means higher level of labour supply, higher productivity

growth, higher added value strategies, better state funding,

and better governance. He observed that improvement in the

educational level is partially compensating for the impact of

demographic change. The employment rates are higher for those

with higher education. Education brings more people on to the

labour market. Demand for labour concentrates mainly on the

better (tertiary) educated. The number of jobs off ered to those of

a low education standard is and will continue to decline.

Mr Coomans stated that the employment rate of women has

increased signifi cantly in the EU in recent years. The target set by

the Lisbon Strategy for 2010 (60% female employment rate) will

be achieved. Also, the old relationship between more education

and lower fertility is being progressively reversed in a majority of

Member States.

He argued that increased immigration may not be the best strategy

to compensate for shortage of labour following demographic

decline. In the EU, labour quality is no less important than quantity.

We no longer rely on a permanent infl ow of young people. With

reduced numbers of quality knowledge workers we would have to

work longer. There are many examples of successful adaptation to

demographic changes – including reinforcing vocational training

on the local level and investment in lifelong learning. Regions

would benefi t from focusing on improving the education of the

labour force.

Mrs Kadri Uustal presented the positive impact of integrated

development strategy on the prosperity of Southern Estonia.

This is a region characterised by out-migration to the capital,

a high share in the primary sector, lack of qualifi ed labour, and

fragmented regional public administration.

Mr G

éry

Coom

ans

13

Session 2 Diverse territories, diverse problems?

South Estonia was successfully utilising EU fi nancial support.

Several funding possibilities existed to address diff erent kinds of

problems faced by the region.

Mr Antonio Arrufat Gascón shared the Spanish experience of

developing and implementing strategies for developing rural

and sparsely populated and ultra-peripheral areas. He argued

that there might be several severe negative consequences of

the territorial population imbalance in Europe. It could lead to

loss in quality of life, underutilisation of existing infrastructure,

loss of natural, cultural and architectural heritage, a slowdown

in economic growth, loss in competitiveness and increase in

dependency levels.

Keijo Mutanen presented the successful transition from

depression to strong growth in the Joensuu region. This remote

region suff ered a loss of export markets following disruption of

the Soviet Union and depopulation. It was possible to reverse the

trend by focusing on long-term investments in selected business

sectors, development of education and innovation systems in

close co-operation with industry, establishment of a regional

development company and systematic networking strategy,

regional business development programme with challenging

targets, and good use of EU Structural Funds.

Participants at the workshop indicated that rural areas are particularly

aff ected by demographic change. Views were expressed that it is

necessary at the local level to adopt and implement the strategies

to slow down depopulation and population shrinkage, and to

diminish its negative impacts. The needs of remote and sparsely

populated areas have to be addressed in a more targeted way.

Mr Constantinou stressed the need to ensure that the underlying

demographic trends are factored in depth into rural development

policies in order to adapt them to respective local needs and to

exploit the opportunities that may occur.

EU funds can play an important role in providing suffi cient incentives

for the development. EU Cohesion Policy and rural development

policy are already applying an integrated approach. In the framework

of these policies, support is being provided for job creation,

development of micro-enterprises, diversifi cation of economic

activities in rural areas, development of rural tourism, capacity

building, skills acquisition, utilisation of local resources, cultivation of

rural heritage, and development of local action groups.

Conclusions On the basis of the presentations and debate, the workshop

concluded that remote rural areas face serious challenges

which need to be addressed. These include lower levels of

income, unfavourable demographic development and slower

development of the service sector.

The continued restructuring of agriculture creates additional

problems. Trade-off s and issues of coherence will arise. For

instance, under EU R&D programmes, early retirement can be

supported at a time when we are increasingly trying to extend

working age. Legitimate questions arise about whether early

retirement justifi es EU support. The main reason for this measure

is to free land in order to enable other farms to grow. To address

those problems it is necessary to bring economic life to those areas

by diversifying the economy and investing in entrepreneurship.

In rural areas we need young people (with “a spark in the eye”)

and demographic renewal. Apart from the usual approach in

this respect – i.e. reconciliation of family and work life, incentives

for bigger families, and child care facilities – rural areas must

be attractive for young people. There should be basic services

(including cultural and educational) at the very least.

Mrs

Kad

ri U

usta

l

14

URBAN AREAS AND DENSELY POPULATED AREAS

Chair : Ms Natalija Kazlauskiene, Director, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Expert : Mr Jan Maarten De Vet, ECORYS Research & Consulting, Belgium

Speakers : Mr Kevin Richardson, Senior Cooperate Policy Manager, Newcastle City Council, United KingdomDr Wolfgang Schuster, Mayor of the City of Stuttgart, Germany

Rapporteur : Mr Jonathan Denness, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Session 2 Diverse territories, diverse problems?W

orks

hop

2B

IntroductionThis workshop considered the very specifi c problems faced by

urban areas in a time of demographic change. In her introductory

remarks, Ms Natalija Kazlauskiene identifi ed three key challenges in

urban areas : an ageing population, signifi cant infl ows of migrants,

and the need to ensure the integration of the disadvantaged

members of society. These challenges led to problems in a number

of distinct policy areas : spatial planning, housing, development of

local and regional labour markets, social support networks and

community development.

DebateIn his presentation, Jan Maarten de Vet provided some data on

the Urban Audit. The audit covers 258 cities in all 27 EU Member

States. It covers demography, social conditions, economic

aspects, education, civic involvement, environment, transport and

culture. The audit results suggest that there are some interesting

correlations between various demographic factors in cities. The

Nordic countries and cities in southern Europe show urban

growth, whilst the central and eastern European conurbations

generally show a loss of population. Western European countries

have cities which are both growing and shrinking. The faster a city

grows the less the share of population of that city is accounted

for by elderly people. Migration is particularly important for larger

cities as they attract migrants from greater distances than smaller

towns. Above all, the trend towards one-person households is

pervasive right across European cities – either for young migrant

workers or single elderly people. All of these trends present

signifi cant demographic challenges for cities and regions.

Mr Kevin Richardson explained why urban cores are necessary

for a positive approach to managed migration. He presented the

situation in the United Kingdom, where migrants from central

and eastern European countries numbered over 500,000. Most

of the migrants were young and were employed in all economic

sectors. The greatest numbers are in administration and general

business sectors. In parallel, the number of economically active

people has risen slightly but remains well below the national

average. There is growing evidence of skills shortages over a

wide range of sectors.

Mr Richardson presented a stark picture of the possible

population changes without international migration. The

population of Newcastle currently stood at around 270,000 and

without any change in the current situation it would grow to

over 280,000 by 2021. However, if international migration were to

cease, the population would fall to below 240,000, partly because

of internal migration to other parts of the UK, especially London.

Of the current migrant population, he stated that over 97% were

in employment and were well educated and motivated, although

not primarily by money. They were sought after by employers

but were often underemployed in relation to their abilities. They

tended to live in private rented accommodation in the city centre

and wanted to integrate – they did not form groups with their

compatriots.

Mr Richardson put forward the idea that as cities would depend

on migrant workers to address skills shortages and other

demographic issues, they would have to build attractive brand

names, quality and awareness. Both labour and housing market

Ms

Nat

alija

Kaz

laus

kien

e an

d M

r Kev

in R

icha

rdso

n

15

Session 2 Diverse territories, diverse problems?

issues would need to be addressed carefully, avoiding artifi cial

divisions based on administrative boundaries. Overall actions

should be integrated so that cities are attractive to migrants and

existing residents are also supported – with various measures

ranging from helping the unemployed get into the job market

through to the retention of graduates in these areas. This meant

that cities and city regions would be competing across the EU

and beyond to attract inward migrants and avoid losing their

skilled workers. He concluded by asking how Structural Funds

could be eff ectively used to address these issues.

Dr Wolfgang Schuster, Mayor of the City of Stuttgart, presented

the Stuttgart Pact of Generations. This is a response to four major

challenges : demographic change, globalisation, technological

development and a change in common shared values. The pact has

15 objectives covering policies and objectives for children, families,

the elderly and migrants who have a diff erent mother tongue.

The city authorities were doing much to achieve these objectives,

not least by decentralising the provision of services to citizens,

using the schools to promote lifelong learning rather than just

education for the young, and avoiding generational clashes for

scarce resources by seeking fair allocations of expenditure of the

city budget whilst consistently reducing debts.

Other actors were also integrated to help implement the pact.

Businesses were encouraged to become involved, through

providing family-friendly employment practices to allow women

to combine having a family with a career. Companies were also

encouraged to avoid the premature dismissal or retirement of

older employees so that their skills and experience could be better

used for economic development.

The voluntary sector also played its part. Multi-generational

houses were created which, together with other community

organisations, were used to create a variety of “contact bourses”

where the diff erent generations could meet and promote personal

friendships.

Following the presentation, there was a debate about the merit

of encouraging women to have more children, the importance

of voluntary work and of urban-rural links when dealing with

demographic issues. It was pointed out that policies with a specifi c

demographic objective, whether through increased number

of children or migration could have long-term and sometimes

perverse eff ects, therefore they need to be treated with caution.

Voluntary work was a useful tool to address the consequences

of these demographic issues, but in general people of working

age now had less time to spare. The recently retired population

was identifi ed as a source of voluntary workers. As to urban-rural

links, it was pointed out that migration could have very negative

eff ects in rural areas, especially if one community felt swamped by

a relatively large number of migrants.

ConclusionsMs Kazlauskiene concluded the workshop by recalling the

three key challenges in her opening remarks. She pointed out

that these issues could be addressed through the new Structural

Funds framework, which provided the fl exibility to deal with those

demographic issues cutting across all aspects of the programmes.

In addition, the fi nancial engineering instrument JESSICA for

urban areas and the Regions for Economic Change exchange

of experience provided additional useful tools to put in place

measures to address demographic change.

Dr W

olfg

ang

Schu

ster

16

POTENTIAL OF EINCLUSION TO STRENGTHEN TERRITORIAL COHESION

Chair : Mr Frans de Bruïne, Director, European Commission, Information Society DG

Expert : Mr Erik Gløersen, the Nordic Centre for Spatial Development, Sweden

Speakers : Mr Charlie Wallin, Association of Local Authorities in the region of Västernorrland, SwedenMr Eric Koch, EU Industry Manager, Intel Corporation, Belgium

Rapporteur : Ms Rachel Lancry, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Session 2 Diverse territories, diverse problems?W

orks

hop

2C

IntroductionICT solutions such as e-government, e-business, e-learning

and e-health, can be a pivotal tool for territorial cohesion. This

workshop examined how Cohesion Policy can be used to support

the development and application of these possibilities with the

objectives of increasing accessibility to public services, to jobs and

business opportunities and improved health, thereby increasing

the number of healthy years of work.

DebateMr De Bruïne opened the workshop and set out the

Commission’s view that it is vital to maximise the potential of ICT

to help address societal challenges, including health, government,

inclusion and energy effi ciency, and to enable all actors to

contribute to the growth and jobs agenda.

E-inclusion entails using ICT to overcome factors of exclusion

and ensuring that ICT itself does not constitute a barrier to

participation. Achieving a more inclusive Information Society

may be a challenge (currently 30-50% of the population does not

actively participate in the Information Society) but its potential

benefi ts to regions cannot be underestimated : opportunities

provided by the “silver economy”, the export of EU solutions and

for keeping people socially and economically active for longer.

Mr Gløersen presented the challenges and potentials of

broadband strategies in sparse and depopulating areas. He

illustrated how the demographic situation can be viewed from

many diff erent perspectives, depending on the scale used, and

suggested that maximum commuting distance is the most

relevant scale for determining which areas are considered

‘sparsely-populated’. Policies on e-inclusion also need to take into

account that there are large divergences across Europe as regards

the digital divide.

He then gave an overview of the Nordic experience, which is

characterised by the fact that full broadband coverage is envisaged

before 2010 in Finland, Sweden and Norway, despite sparse and

wide-spread population. Lessons which can be drawn from this

experience include :

• Scope for increased private-sector involvement : the Swedish

experience was that provision of broadband was initially led

by the public sector but there was subsequently scope for

more private-sector involvement.

• Is 100% broadband coverage really necessary? What is its

purpose : primarily social inclusion or economic development?

• Long-term sustainability : once the broadband is in place

who is responsible for its running costs?

• Importance of having an overall strategy which takes into

account local/regional diversity : the most appropriate

solutions can only be found at local/regional level but too

many diff erent local solutions can lead to technical problems,

such as network overload.

Mr Wallin recounted how the roll-out of ICT to businesses and

households in Västernorrland, Sweden, has been used to help

boost regional development and address demographic challenge

in a predominantly rural region with a population of 244,000

(density of 11.2 inhabitants/km2, population in decline since the

1960s).

A total of €41m (Structural Funds, government, municipalities and

private funding) has been invested, resulting in between 71-95%

broadband coverage in municipalities. However, providing the

infrastructure is not enough : market failure to stimulate use led to

Mr E

rik

Glø

erse

n

17

Session 2 Diverse territories, diverse problems?

measures such as a scheme to increase household use whereby

employees can rent (tax-deductible) a PC for three years. The public

sector can also set a good example by off ering modern ways of

working or encouraging its suppliers to use electronic invoices.

Mr Koch described Intel’s e-inclusion initiatives. Its programme

‘Intel World Ahead’ has a stated objective of connecting 1 billion

people, through measures to enhance accessibility, connectivity,

education and content. Intel works with government programmes

to target specifi c groups, including seniors through the ‘50+

initiative’, focusing both on older workers (people who are

employable but whose potential might be underused as a result of

not having ICT skills) and the elderly/very elderly (digital inclusion

to reduce homecare costs by securing ambient assisted living).

Specifi c examples were given of the implementation of the 50+

initiative in diff erent Member States. Challenges include ensuring

that the diff ering needs of seniors are taken into account,

addressing the ‘fear’ of technology and underestimation of the

benefi ts, cost barriers and varying degrees of intensity of countries’

elderly strategy.

Three main issues were raised during the subsequent discussion :

1) How best to reach and persuade potential users, with a particular

focus on senior users : there should be broad consultation with

groups representing seniors, and account should be taken of

disparities between seniors. Stereotyping, generalisations and

obliging seniors to use ICT should be avoided. There is scope

for persuading them to use ICTs through peer group pressure

and ‘senior ambassadors’ and by focusing on the benefi ts of

their use. For example, grandparents can have more regularly

communication with their grandchildren, and there would be

shorter queues for government services as more people could

access them on-line.

2) Need for consideration of costs : in particular, costs to the

environment through the increased use of power a wider

use of ICT could entail, and the costs not just of acquisition

but of ownership and continued use of ICT connection. Mr

Koch outlined Intel’s plans to improve energy effi ciency in the

new generation of products, while the Commission informed

participants that Commissioner Reding is planning to issue a

Communication on ICT and energy effi ciency in 2007.

3) Key role for employers : employers can help to keep people in

employment and therefore active for longer through various

measures – by encouraging phased retirement and revised

job descriptions. ICTs can also play a role here by enabling

teleworking both as part of a regular job or through remote

access for consultancy provision.

ConclusionsSix main conclusions were drawn from the workshop :

• It is important to determine the relevant scale for assessing

demographic challenges : for most people, this is their direct

environment, often less than 80km;

• The infrastructure is either already there or is being developed :

the main issue now is rather what use will be made of it. Care

must be taken to ensure that the focus is on enabling use of

ICT rather than obliging people to use it;

• Many successful projects are based on healthy private-public

partnerships which maximise the potential benefi ts of both

public- and private-sector contributions;

• Employers have a key role to play in encouraging workers to

keep active (and therefore healthy) for longer;

• Regions and municipalities have a key role to play in driving

these issues forward, including through judicious use of

Cohesion Policy and rural development funding;

• The workshop proceedings provide food for thought for

participants and the wider partnership. It is now up to

partners to test out these ideas on the ground.

Further information/contactsFurther information on the Commission’s work on e-inclusion/ICT

and ageing can be found at :

http ://ec.europa.eu\information_society\einclusion

Mr Werner Korte (werner.korte@empirica.com) issued an open

call for interest to workshop participants : this network is interested

in developing ideas within/between regions for ICT projects

related to culture and ageing and healthy ageing.

Mr C

harl

ie W

allin

18

MOBILISING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF PEOPLE; REGIONS, CITIES AND DENSELY POPULATED AREAS ADAPTING LABOUR MARKETS

Chair : Mr Ronald Hall, Director, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Expert : Dr Lucie Vidovičová, Masaryk University, Institute for Research on Social Reproduction & Integration, Czech Republic

Speakers : Mr Paweł Żuromski, President of the Board, Łódź Regional Development Agency, PolandMr Laurie South, Director, PRIME – the Prince’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise, United Kingdom

Rapporteur : Mr Lewis Dijkstra, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Session 3 Regions learning from each otherW

orks

hop

3A

IntroductionUnderstanding regional variations in demographic trends is a

key issue to prepare European society to face the demographic

challenge. In spite of improvements there is still room to

further improve information on demographic processes, their

employment consequences and the aspects infl uencing them.

Exploring these aspects may provide inputs for developing policy

tools bringing us closer to a situation where the socio-economic

eff ects of ageing are no longer something only to be lamented.

DebateDr Lucie Vidovičová delivered an interesting summary of the

factors infl uencing retirement preferences. She set the scene

by presenting a slightly modifi ed dependency scenario : the

“adjusted” economic dependency rate (number of employed

(15-64) compared to the number of unemployed (15-64), inactive

(15-64), children and older (65+)). This indicates that we were

already experiencing the predicted “two feeding three” scenario

(2050) in 2005. The most important element in this dependency

relation is the high rate of economically inactive people of active

age. As a consequence, there is need for more insight into the

reasons and motivations of early exit from the labour market. With

this in mind, Ms Vidovičová introduced some country variations

and factors (i.e. salary-pension diff erences, feeling of usefulness,

overall job satisfaction) eff ecting early retirement in these

countries.

A more detailed preference model followed based on a 2006

survey among those aged 55-65 in the Czech Republic. Factors

of retirement preference were investigated according to sub-

groups (work-oriented 20% – adaptive 60% – retirement-oriented

20%). These groups – distributed normally in society – showed

that retirement plans (strong predictors of actual behaviour)

are individually shaped by value-based lifestyle choices. Further

insights into the characteristics of sub-groups were given with the

“work-oriented”, such as feeling healthier, being more optimistic

and considering retirement as an unpleasant formality. Age and

sex had no infl uence and education only a minor one. Sensitivity of

the preferences was also tested according to changing conditions

(i.e. new IT requirements, children with fi nancial needs).

The good news from Ms Vidovičová`s presentation was that

retirement preferences are not primarily based on fi nancial

aspects, although the smiles from the conference attendees were

cancelled by the fi nal conclusion that the signifi cant role played

by values, life strategies and satisfaction are mainly out of the

reach of policy measures.

The second presentation demonstrated the diversity of the

workshop theme as it addressed mainly the other end of the age-

related employment spectrum : unemployment among young

people and the experience related to enterprise start-up support

in the Polish Łódź region during the 2004–06 programming period.

Having introduced his region, Mr Paweł Żuromski portrayed the

main features and fi rst results of the ongoing entrepreneurship

promotion measure of the Integrated Regional Operative

Programme co-fi nanced by the European Social Fund. In a region

with above average unemployment rate and a vulnerable sectoral

structure (traditionally high share of the textile and agriculture

sector) new businesses, increasing self-employment in non-

traditional sectors is a great achievement. More than half of the

fi nal benefi ciaries were unregistered unemployed before the

Mr R

onal

d H

all

19

Session 3 Regions learning from each other

programme, 61% of the participants started their own business

after the programme (most of whom could not start a business

independently), 27% of these in the IT sector. The interest in the

programme (especially among the young and unemployed)

exceeded the available places by almost three times. However

some shortages, especially the over-regulated, complicated

and frequently changed procedures and documents were also

emphasised.

The workshop was then confronted by the labour market ‘niche’ of

those over 50 in a passionate presentation by Mr Laurie South.

In the UK, 2.7 million people between the ages of 50 and pension

age are inactive, while business start-up support is concentrating

on the younger generations where “targets are easier to set and to

achieve”. Against this background, PRIME took up the challenge of

reaching this 50+ segment with a proactive “in the fi eld” approach.

PRIME delivers essential and targeted services, such as mentoring,

post-start-up support, personal development, exit support as well

as research into 50+ self-employment and enterprise. Of those

contacting PRIME (3000/year), 43% start a business. However,

funding is diffi cult to secure because of, among other reasons,

impatience regarding results.

Taking up the fi nal point made by Mr South on funding, Mr Hall

emphasised the Commission’s commitment to increase the role

of non-grant type repayable fi nances and to persuade Member

States to make use of JEREMIE-type solutions where fi nancial

engineering is provided through holding funds. Furthermore, he

emphasised the need to understand the diff erent institutional

frameworks in the Member States and explore ways to overcome

barriers of better microfi nance. Apart from funding, the issue of

increased and, in particular, better targeted mentoring capacity

was also addressed.

During the discussion, Dr Mestheneos of the Greek Age Platform

stressed the importance of concentrating on existing possibilities

and setting realistic aims. Along with the need for better mentoring,

she raised the issue of a common European training curriculum

in the context of the JEREMIE initiative. In his response, Mr Hall

stressed the fi nancial intermediary nature of JEREMIE, although he

acknowledged the possibility of getting more out of it as regards

mentoring. Based on his experience, Mr South praised the Belgian

start-up curriculum, but as regards general European models he

emphasised the need for contextualising.

The representative of Yorkshire Forward raised the issue of a

gender divide in entrepreneurship. Speakers in their responses

stressed their eff orts to ensure higher female participation in

programmes. Mr South, in particular, referred to a successful

special course for 50+ women organised in partnership with a

London-based university.

ConclusionsWhile a full synthesis was hard to provide after the diverse

presentations, some important lessons emerged, which were also

relevant outside urban areas :

1. Population groups with the same or similar ages may have

very diff erent, characteristic labour market attitudes with varying

possibilities to infl uence through policy. Policy responses on ageing

should therefore be targeted according to these specifi cities.

2. Over-regulation and unnecessary red tape is leading to delays

in payments. National authorities should try to avoid extensive

additional rules complementing EU-level regulations.

3. The system of micro-fi nancing needs to be further developed

and the ‘one size fi ts all’ kind of thinking should be replaced in

entrepreneurship support especially as regards age groups (50+).

Age group targeting is probably one approach that may help us

to face the employment challenges of ageing.

Dr L

ucie

Vid

ovič

ová

Mr L

auri

e So

uth

20

REGIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS WORKING TOGETHER TO SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED BY DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES

Chair : Mr Jerome Vignon, Director, European Commission, Employment, Social Aff airs and Equal Opportunities DG

Expert : Dr Martin Ferry, European Policies Research Centre, United Kingdom

Speakers : Mr Rauli Sorvari, Programme Manager, Regional Council of Central Finland, FinlandMr Eilert Carlson, International Director, County Administrative Board of Västerbotten, SwedenMr Doede Sijtsma, Province of Gelderland, Silver Economy - SEN@ER partner region, The Netherlands

Rapporteur : Ms Lucie Zackova, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Session 3 Regions learning from each otherW

orks

hop

3B

IntroductionOpening the workshop, Mr Vignon referred to the overall decline in

population and ageing of the post-war baby boomers combined

with the increased fragmentation of the labour marked based on

gender, age and level of education. This challenge, and others

posed by demographic change, can only be tackled if regions

work together. The aim of this workshop was to discuss how

regions can co-operate in order to combat diffi culties associated

with the demographic challenges of today’s Europe. The

workshop combined theoretical presentation based on results of

a study related to this subject, with three practical examples from

diff erent European regions.

DebateDr Martin Ferry initially presented the results of a study that

the European Policies Research Centre carried out in six diff erent

European regions, focusing on their strategies towards population

ageing. He described fi ve types of policy intervention that are used

in diff erent combinations for designing and delivering strategies

to tackle demographic challenges : fi rst, the presence of a specifi c

institutional framework in the regions to “champion” the ageing

agenda; secondly, specifi c regional ageing strategies; third, the

mainstreaming of the response to ageing into existing strategies;

fourth, existence of regional action plans providing incentives for

regional and local actors to participate in age-related programmes

and projects; and last, awareness-raising as an important aspect

accompanying design and implementation of ageing strategies.

Mr Rauli Sorvari presented a practical example of an intra-

regional partnership using the know-how potential of the elderly

population in developing a regional innovation cluster based

around the education cluster. This example showed how existing

structures based on the three Cs (co-operation, competition and

competence) combined with human capital can be mobilised to

tackle demographic problems. The EduCluster in Central Finland

emphasises interaction between educational organisations,

between the learning and working environment, and between

the entrepreneurship potential of younger generation and the

elderly with know-how. Together they develop the “learning

region” concept based on better management of change,

knowledge sharing and support of entrepreneurship across all

levels of education and ages with the aim of creating conditions

for better economic growth and innovation.

The strategy for future development of the Barents region, a

regional transnational partnership, was presented by Mr Eilert

Carlson. Behind the overall goal to generate economic growth

and social development by a knowledge-driven and sustainable

exploitation of the region’s natural resources is the need to make

the region more attractive and to overcome depopulation of the

area. The specifi city of the Barents region is that it is the largest

region for inter-regional co-operation in Europe, where about 6

million inhabitants in four countries come together with diff erent

institutional and cultural backgrounds. Whereas to overcome the

diversity within the Barents region is a challenge, this example

shows how regional potential can be promoted through

developing long-term strategies and programmes.

The last example was that of an inter-regional partnership

presented by Mr Doede Sijtsma from the Dutch province of

Gelderland. The Silver Economy Network of European Regions –

Dr M

arti

n Fe

rry

21

Session 3 Regions learning from each other

SEN@ER – involves 15 European regions promoting demographic

change not as a threat but as an opportunity for society as a

whole. The elderly people of today expect more quality products

and better services which can benefi t the whole economy in

terms of new jobs and more growth. Mr Sijtsma presented “golden

rules” for eff ective functioning networking, highlighting the need

to link the network within the overall European context and the

necessity for suffi cient fi nancial and human resources to make the

network work.

The debate focused on two issues. First, the problem of integration

of the elderly into society, a fact we will face increasingly in the

coming years as a result of the overall increase in the elderly

population. The EduCluster case showed how successful

integration of older people can be achieved using their hidden

knowledge in developing regional competencies. Another

example, a type of cluster at micro level, was given by Mr Jerome

Vignon. He mentioned a government scheme developed in

Slovenia to tackle exclusion of the older population while, at the

same time, solving the problem of lack of suitable housing for

young families. The scheme enables elderly people who live alone

to rent part of their house to young families. The programme

promotes mutual understanding between generations and helps

the working population to successfully combine their private and

professional life.

The second issue discussed was the problem of depopulation that

many regions in Europe are witnessing today. Participants stressed

the need for strategies supported by a good educational system

that can make regions more attractive for the younger generation.

Understanding the needs of youth can help preserve their future

in their regions.

ConclusionsThis workshop provided useful tips for the design and delivery

of regional ageing strategies and gave practical examples of

networking between and within regions designed to combat

demographic challenges. Despite diff erent examples presented

in the workshop, on the one hand international networks (Barents

region, Sen@er), and on the other hand intra-regional network

(EduCluster in Central Finland), some common features can be

found across all the regions :

• Development of partnerships between regions is a

challenging task because of the diff erent institutional,

cultural and political backgrounds;

• Whereas an institutional framework at national level is

necessary, it is the willingness and drive of the local or

regional players that can make inter-regional co-operation

and partnerships work;

• There is no ‘one size fi ts all’ approach to tackle demographic

challenges;

• Existence of a regional strategy and its incorporation into

a regional action plan is the key for tackling demographic

challenges;

• Mobilisation of regional and local actors is essential for

delivery of the strategy;

• Using the potential of all population groups is crucial to

tackling demographic problems. The existence of institutional

structures enabling exploitation of entrepreneurship of the

younger population, combined with the elderly’s knowledge

and experience, optimises a region’s innovation potential

and thus increases its competitiveness in the longer term;

• In developing partnerships, a pragmatic approach is the

best way to achieve results; focus should be on what can be

achieved instead of what could be achieved.

Mr E

ilert

Car

lson

22

REGIONS WORKING TOGETHER THROUGH INTERREGIONAL COOPERATION

Chair : Ms Elisabeth Helander, Director, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Speakers : Mrs Apolónia Rodrigues, Evora Tourism Region, PortugalMrs Marianne Pedersen, Head of Development Unit, City of Lulea, SwedenDr Stefanie Dühr, Radboud University Nijmegen, The NetherlandsMr Richard Baker, Director of Age Concern England and English Regions Network, UK

Rapporteur : Ms Fausta Corda, European Commission, Regional Policy DG

Session 3 Regions learning from each otherW

orks

hop

3C

IntroductionThe question was whether and how the regional policy

could help in resolving demographic problems through the

European Territorial Co-operation objective. It was suggested

that, in particular, inter-regional co-operation might provide an

appropriate platform to look at practical solutions for confronting

demographic challenges. The workshop aimed at presenting

good practice examples on how co-operation and networking

could be relevant tools to encompass the challenges related to

demographic change.

DebateDr Elisabeth Helander introduced the debate explaining that

the demographic issue was generally seen as a problem. However,

she emphasised that demographic challenge could also represent

an opportunity, mentioning migration as an example which is

contributing to economic growth and also helping to solve the

problem of depopulation in many areas of Europe. She indicated

that the future Interregional and URBACT programmes for the period

2007-2013 off ered new possibilities to take these issues forward. She

expected that the panel in this workshop could pave the way to

generate constructive ideas to feed into this important debate.

Ms Apolónia Rodrigues presented the ‘Genuineland’ project

which is a European Network of Village Tourism, fi nanced within

inter-regional co-operation (INTERREG IIIC). The project aimed

at promoting sustainable development by using tourism as

a catalyst for integration and sustainability. Developing the

concept of ‘village tourism’ had successfully motivated the active

participation of local actors, because it represented an important

element for local and regional dynamics. The ultimate goal was

to maintain population in rural areas, in particular the younger

generation. Therefore, the project focused on ways to create new

employment opportunities, to keep existing jobs, to improve the

quality of life, and to invite young and old people to work together

and to learn from each other. She emphasised the importance of

the substantial involvement of stakeholders at local, regional and

national level. The result was a growing interest by entrepreneurs

in investing in these regions. She concluded by underlining the

added value of the project acknowledged in the fi ve regions

involved, thanks to networking, as a future instrument for tourism

development in these regions.

The second case, presented by Ms Marianne Pedersen, was

‘Our life as elderly’ undertaken within the ‘Northern Periphery’

transnational programme. It aimed at developing elderly care

for the future, based on citizens’ needs, demands and wishes.

Six partners from fi ve diff erent countries took part in the project.

Europe has reached the position where people stay healthier

and live longer. A major concern, in spite of positive progress, is

the economic responsibility for the well-being of the increasing

number of elderly. This is a common challenge for EU countries.

Ms

Apo

lóni

a Ro

drig

ues

23

Session 3 Regions learning from each other

The objective of the project was to develop new and more

eff ective ideas and working models for service, recruiting of staff ,

housing, and quality of care, as well as wider societal interaction and

cross-generation involvement that will meet future requirements.

The methods used to check the needs were based on interviews

among the population, on dialogue and on questionnaires.

Ms Pedersen stressed that the added value of the project was

illustrated by the important involvement of citizens, signifi cant

media attention, the numerous exchanges of best practice, and

the continual visits by partners to all participating countries.

Dr Stefanie Dühr presented the territorial implications of

demographic change in the North Sea Region. She raised the

question on how spatial planning/territorial co-operation at

transnational level could help the response to challenges arising

from the changing demographic context. The demographic

pattern in the North Sea Region is diverse and complex. She

underlined the shared problems of the area : the polarisation

tendencies and depopulation of rural areas, the falling and

ageing population, in particular the fall in the working-age

population leading to rising dependency ratios, the challenge

facing the regions over economic competitiveness, and the rising

international immigration. She concluded by insisting that the

multidisciplinary nature of the demographic issue was a crucial

component for housing, transport, tourism, and that it is an

important aspect in new transnational territorial co-operation

programmes. In particular, she felt that there is a need for better

cross-sectoral coordination, for more and coordinated analysis

into the spatial development eff ects from demographic change,

and that emphasis should be put on anticipating the eff ects.

Mr Richard Baker presented the last case study in this workshop :

‘Regions for all ages’. He highlighted the importance of ageing to

regional policy, understanding the impact of demographic ageing

and the necessity to develop a strategic response. In his analysis, he

initially took into consideration the general trends which enhance

longevity and lower fertility; secondly, the regionally specifi c

issues highlighted by relative prosperity and poverty, general

migration and internal population movements, demography of

minorities, sub-regional eff ects; thirdly, the regional demographies

that are diff erent and divergent; and fi nally the regions that

require detailed assessment and response. He proposed putting

a strong emphasis on this issue at regional level, mainstreaming

ageing issues into regional strategies (economic, social, spatial),

and mainstreaming the regional dimension into national policies

and structures (government, NGO), insisting on functioning

coordination structures (between regions within regions),

developing research products and tool kits, and taking advantage

of European activities. He concluded that possible future actions

could include supporting eff ective coordination at regional level,

facilitating information exchange, and co-operating at national

and European levels, analysing development, information and

practice, focusing on specifi c themes (economic, health, equality),

and also continuing to develop projects.

ConclusionsOn the basis of the presentations made and following the

subsequent debate, it was stressed that within the framework of

the Cohesion Policy, territorial co-operation, in particular inter-

regional co-operation and networking, could make an important

contribution towards solving demographic issues. The workshop

concluded that inter-regional co-operation can indeed help

European regions to develop or improve their policies and strategies

in many related sectors. This European instrument could support

appropriate economic development, social regeneration, regional

governance, housing and infrastructure, health care and other

services, urban policies and also an exchange of experience about

how to implement successful concrete projects in those areas.

Ms

Faus

ta C

orda

24

Annex Sound bites

25

Annex Sound bites

Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy“Addressing the demographic challenge should not be seen

as a separate priority dealt with only in specifi c parts of our

programmes. We must factor the demographic element more

deeply into our strategic planning in general :

“The consequence of the regional variations in population change

... is that uniform policy responses are impossible. To be eff ective,

our policies must be based on an understanding of the diff ering

challenges. Regional and local authorities, who play an essential

role in implementing policies and in providing services, must be

involved from the outset in policy formulation.

“The Union’s Cohesion Policy ... ensures that all relevant partners

are involved in a partnership to design and implement policies,

through medium-term strategic plans within a stable fi nancial

framework.”

Michel Delebarre, President of the Committee of the Regions“A new mindset will be required on the concept of territorial cohesion,

to take account of the changing demographic profi le of Europe’s

regions and cities. While some would succeed in attracting younger

workers, others would be a magnet for the retired. Some areas are

likely to suff er signifi cant depopulation and the EU would have to

respond to these new realities and respect diversity.”

Dr Karl-Heinze Dähre, Länder Minister for Regional Development and Transport, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany“Demographic change is already a daily challenge in Saxony Anhalt.”

“The Union’s Cohesion Policy is an important bridge between the

general strategy debate at EU level and concrete implementation at

local and regional level.”

Dan

uta

Hüb

ner

Mic

hel D

eleb

arre

Dr K

arl-H

einz

e D

ähre

26

Annex Sound bites

Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Aff airs and Equal Opportunities“The impact of ageing is very important as regards the functioning

of our regional economies and labour markets and as regards

local governance. The European Union must lend its support

to all the players ... particularly at the regional and local levels.

Enhancing the adaptability of workers and companies is the fi rst

priority under the new rules of the Social Fund, which specifi cally

mentions the need to invest more in strategies to achieve better

access to training, particularly for older workers.”

“I remain convinced that demographic change off ers each and

every European the chance to be a driving force in the process

of change rather than passively endure it, through action taken as

close as possible to their daily lives by regional and local leaders,

and through the networks of exchanges that the latter create in

order to move forward in this area.”

Dimitris Dimitriadis, President of the European Economic and Social Committee“In all cases, whether we want it or not, the implementation

of national policies is made at a regional and local level, which

sometimes is greatly diversifi ed from one country to another.

Consequently, the demographic challenge of ageing, and

moreover its solution, must be diversifi ed too ... the challenge of

demographic ageing must absolutely be seen through a regional

scope.”

Gerd Harms, State secretary of the Länd of Brandenburg and Member of the Committee of the Regions“The Committee of the Regions notes that the general

demographic trends at European level display highly diff erentiated

regional eff ects ... Our analysis of these far reaching processes is

well advanced. However, we are still only taking baby steps in

terms of the initiating the appropriate political reactions on all

levels.

“Current development concepts are based on growing societies.

In the light of demographic change it is necessary to supplement

the growth paradigm with a paradigm of acceptable shrinking.

For this we need diff erentiated instruments, which need to be

further developed in the framework of European networks. The

regions expect the ongoing support of the Commission during

this process.”

Dim

itri

s D

imit

riad

is

Vla

dim

ír Š

pidl

aG

erd

Har

ms

27

Annex Sound bites

Anne-Sophie Parent, Director of AGE-European Older People’s Platform“If the EU is to meet its demographic challenge, it needs to get the

support of everyone, both young and old. It needs to ensure equal

opportunities for all, young and old. Reforms are needed, regional

and local authorities have to review their policies constantly to

ensure that they continue to meet the needs of their population.”

“We hope that the [Age proofi ng] toolkit will help build the bridge

between public authorities and representative citizens’ groups, so

that the demographic future of Europe is not only discussed in

Brussels once in a while in big conferences..., but that it becomes

a shared goal for everyone in the EU.”

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP, Member of the REGI Committee, European Parliament“The added value of the European Union is in the combination of

RTD, innovation and the Lisbon Agenda of social, economic and

environmental aspects.”

“I am glad that demographic change is now in the core of regions

for economic change. (...) The level of the regions is the level to

integrate policy responses.”

Dirk Ahner, Director-General, DG Regional Policy“Following the agreement in 2006 on the legislative package

for Cohesion Policy in the period 2007-2013, the Commission

continues to promote ways of improving the quality and relevance

of actions under this policy.”

“I am impressed with the number and variety of partners that

we have gathered here from nearly 30 countries. Your presence

encourages us in the work of spreading good practice.”

Ann

e-So

phie

Par

ent

Lam

bert

van

Nis

telr

ooij

Dir

k A

hner

28

European Commission

Regions for economic change – Conference Proceedings – Regional policy responses to demographic challenges

Luxembourg : Offi ce for Offi cial Publications of the European Communities

2006 – 28 pp. – 21.0 x 29.7 cm

ISBN 92-79-03746-3

Annex Sound bites

InforegioConsult the Inforegio website for an overview of EU Regional Policy :

http ://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/regio-info@ec.europa.eu

KN-X

1-06-224-EN-N