European Union News - Regional Policy

Technological advances are making it possible to derive energy from greener sources, but wind turbines, solar panels, biofuels, biomass plants or carbon capture and storage (CSS) are not free of controversy. How to gain public acceptance of these new technologies? That was the debate at the workshop “Public acceptance of new energy technologies. Not in my backyard?” held at the Open Days on 5 October.

Experts meeting in this Open Days workshop "Building synergies from research and development to deployment" on 5 October examined how different EU policy and funding instruments such as the 7th Research Framework Programme, the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) and European cohesion policy can be used for deployment. Finding the missing link between ideas and market is a process which has to be boosted and managed in order to create benefits for all stakeholders at all levels.

The European Commission has put forward its proposal for continued financial support to the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy for the period between 2011 and 2013. The proposal is designed to enable the Commission, Member States and maritime stakeholders to keep up the good work in favour of a sustainable use of oceans, seas and coasts.

The Open Days, the event which each year brings together representatives and experts from all regions of Europe to discuss issues that affect them most directly, will be held in Brussels between 4 and 7 October. Once more, a series of seminars, workshops and debates will be held this year under the theme "Europe 2020: Competition, cooperation and cohesion for all regions."

The networking session on Governmental Linked Data held on 28 September at the “ICT 2010: Digitally Driven” event in Brussels, gathered around 150 European experts from administrations, industry, academia and civil society organizations in order to discuss how public access to government data can be improved, as a key issue for an open and transparent society.

The European Parliament has called for a strategy adapted to the special needs of islands and mountainous regions in Europe, in order to meet the Lisbon Treaty mandate and help them to overcome their inherent disadvantages and exploit their resources better. Although sparsely populated these regions represent around 10% of the population of the European Union.

The European Commission has been tackling the urbanisatios issue head-on. It recently published the 'World and European Sustainable Cities' report, which highlights European research activities designed to reconcile urbanisation with the need for sustainable and inclusive growth.

The fight against prejudice and hostile attitudes towards the Roma is at the heart of a draft Committee of the Regions (CoR) opinion proposing practical measures to improve the integration of the Roma population. Supporting the Commission's position on this matter, the EU's Assembly of Regional and Local Representatives calls on Member States, regions and local authorities to apply with vigour the fundamental rights enshrined in the European treaties and to combat all forms of discrimination directed against the Roma people.

Between 16 and 22 September 2010 hundreds of cities in Europe and outside celebrate European Mobility Week. This year, under the theme 'Travel Smarter, Live Better', the campaign recognises the detrimental effects that current urban transport trends have on citizens' health, and encourages local authorities to take action for sustainable urban transport.

Following the debate on the forthcoming EU budget review at the Committee of the Region's external Bureau meeting in Antwerp, the Committee's President Mercedes Bresso warned that the forthcoming review of the EU budget must not lead to less money for local and regional authorities to invest in sustainable, green and socially fair growth.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for Local and Regional Policy Makers report shows local policy makers how to improve their understanding of the value and services provided by natural capital like woodlands, parks and waterways, and to reap benefits in local policy areas such as urban management, spatial planning and protected areas management.