1 EU Funds for Improvement of Servcies Provided by the Municipalities Future scope of co-operation with EU Structural Funds Thomas Wobben Representation of Saxony-Anhalt to the European Union Boulevard Saint Michel 80 B-1040 Brussels Tel.: Fax:

2 Joint Challenges Demografic change Reform of local administration Growth and employment Socio-economic transformation Energy Public service

3 Joint framework EU Structural Funds –European Regional Development Fund –European Social Fund EU Regulations –Environmental legislation –Energy and climate regulations –Services of general economic interst

4 Joint solutions Exchange of experience –Identifying best practices –Getting partners involved –Developing joint strategies Developing co-operation –Developing joint co-operation projects –Using the INTERREG IV B and C programmes –Using other EU programmes

5 Local actors Co-operation at Agency Level Cooperation at Ministry level State Chancellory Of Saxony-Anhalt Ministry for Regional Affairs Co-operation Agreement IB-Regional Dev. Bank VRAA Co-operation Agreement Saxony-AnhaltLatvia ?

6 Example for Co-operation: The Interregional Partnership Platform -Approach

7 Overall aim of INTERREG IV C The INTERREG IVC programme supports projects that aim, through interregional cooperation, to improve regional policies

8 Aims of the IPP application Therefore this interregional partnership platform is aiming at: Setting up a joint framework to improve the participation rate of the regions and in particular SME and local authorities in EU programmes and interregional co-operation, Develop a monitoring tool to regularly assess the internationalisation policies of the participating regions including SMEs, local and regional authorities, support agencies Develop initiatives to improve participation rate of these regions and regional actors in EU programmes and actions in the field of SME policies, innovation, environment and energy, Develop and implement a joint IT tool to improve participation rate in the participating regions Using the results of the co-operation in improving the structural funds mainstream programmes in the participating regions

9 Experiences with the IPP approach project idea is based on a similar approach used in the RFO Perspective potential of the approach: reaching out to institutions which haven‘t been able to join interregional co-operation synergy effects between interregional co-operation and othe EU programmes can be achieved shortcoming in the current project: too limited resources to achieve project objectives in each partner region need for a more strategic approach to be based on active regional partnerships

10 Regional Partnerships The IPP-Partnership Model Regional Partnerships Regional Partnerships Regional Partnerships Interregional Partnership Platform

11 Key elements of IPP II: Therefore it is suggested to develop a new INTERREG IV C application for the 2nd call on one of these topics including the following elements: exchanging experiences on access strategies of local and regional actors/intermediaries in the participating regions with particular focus on: –Partnership models for improving access in interregional co-operation at local and regional level –Specific SME services for improving accelerated SMEs participation into European/international co-operation identifying and selecting a limited number best practices in improving access in interregional co-operation of local and regional actors/intermediaries as part of the regional innovation strategies of the participating partners by –carrying out joint study visits to those regions which provide the best practices –producing an best practices inventory on access models and strategies –carrying out a joint seminar to present, discuss and select the access strategies transferring of best practices (Partnership Model and Specific SME service) into other partner regions by –involving the local and regional actors/intermediaries through setting up regional partnerships –developing an interregional implementation plan to transfer the practices into the partner regions –supporting the implementation by staff exchanges and an interregional training seminar –developing an outlook report on the lessons learned from the exchanges and its potential role for the future

12 Key elements of IPP II: development of a benchmark model on permanently measuring access rate of the participating partners and regularly monitoring access rates in the participating regions by –defining the benchmark criteria for the measuring access rates in a joint seminar –producing a benchmark model –carrying out regular monitoring reports on the access rate developing an IT mainstreaming these practices in the ongoing regional innovation strategies and the Structural Funds Programmes by –regularly presenting the results of the co-operation project to the SF Monitoring Committee or other relevant policy groups at local and regional level –agreement for a joint policy meeting of high level representatives of the regional governments in the participating regions with the adoption of a joint mainstreaming-Action Plan communicating and disseminating the results of the exchanges and transfers in the participating regions by –carrying out three Dissemination Conferences over the project life cycle: –1. Start Up Conference: Innovation through international collaboration – chance and challenge for SMEs and local and regional intermediaries –2. Transfer Conference: New Initiatives for international collaboration in accessing innovation –3. Outlook Conference: Interregional Access to innovation as a central part of regional innovation policy –Setting up a web-site and publishing a regular newsletter –Regularly issue press releases and specific reports (Monitoring Report; Good practice Inventory; Mobile Exhibition of successful practices)

13 Project Partner Consortium The I-P-P II application will include the following project partners: –Ministry for Business and Employment of Saxony-Anhalt/D (Lead Partner) –Fundacion Valenciana Region Europea/E –Regional Development Agency of North Great Plains/HU –State Regional Development Agency of Latvia/LV

14 Many thanks for your attention!