RECOMMEND Regions using ECO-ManageMENt for eco-innovation Development Agate Zaķe Ascoli Piceno December 20, 2012

General Information - RECOMMEND RECOMMEND is an INTERREG IVC project running from 1st January 2012 until 31st December 2014 The total project budget is € ,80. It is co- financed by the European Union's Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

The Interregional Cooperation Programme INTERREG IVC helps Regions of Europe to work together to share experience and good practice in the areas of innovation, knowledge economy, environment and risk prevention The main objective of the INTERREG IVC Programme is to support sustainable regional development General Information – INTERREG IVC

One of the EU´s priorities is to foster efficient, greener and sustainable use of resources. Based on that vision RECOMMEND provides enterprises and public authorities information on instruments and funding schemes for new ecological measures in the business sector Improving eco-management and eco-innovation at a regional level will help to meet the current environmental and economic challenges at a European level General Information - RECOMMEND

RECOMMEND Objective The main objective of RECOMMEND is to improve regional policies with regard to environmental sustainability in their economic policy Concrete regional adopted recommendations and approved instruments, such as funding schemes, will be developed during the lifetime of the project

New and improved approaches and methodologies will help to reach the following sub goals Shaping regions of vital eco-management commitment that will raise eco-efficiency at the level of individual stakeholders by developing attractive supporting instruments and funding schemes These tools will lead the project's target groups (regional enterprises, public authorities) to an efficient use of eco- management systems as an instrument for corporate eco- innovation Creating and interlinking regional frameworks of eco-management and eco-innovation Increasing awareness of sustainable challenges within regional economies Increasing the visibility of the contributions of regional economies for the solution of ecological challenges at the European level

MAIN OUTPUT The main output of the RECOMMEND project will be 8 Regional Implementation Plans (RIP) Each RIP will describe a ready to implement policy instrument for the fostering of eco-management and/or eco-innovation in the respective regions. Each RIP will also include the political commitment of the relevant regional and national stakeholder for the implementation of the described policy instrument The RECOMMEND partnership will formulate and disseminate policy recommendations for the successful support of eco- management and eco-innovation in European regions

Project partners The RECOMMEND project consortium consists of 10 partners from 8 Member States 5 partners are public authorities with responsibilities in business and the environment. The other partners have direct influence on the regional policies in order to raise eco-efficiency via eco-management The partners represent a good mixture of regions with different levels of regional support for eco- management and eco-innovation

and eco-innovation. Lower Austrian Regional Government (AT) Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship (PL) Ekoport (CZ) Local Energy Agency Spodnje Podravje (SI) Tartu Regional Energy Agency (EE) Province of Ascoli Piceno (IT) UK Centre for Economic & Environmental Development (UK) Opportunity Peterborough (UK) Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (BG) External partners: ConPlusUltra Ltd. (AT)

PECOMMEND Phases The RECOMMEND partnership decided to use an action oriented methodology which enables all partners to go beyond mere practice exchange The target is to develop approaches tailored to the needs of the participating regions New and improved policies and ready-for-action implementation plans will be developed in 5 interrelated project phases

PHASE 1 Analysis of eco-management and eco-innovation model regions Project partners did conduct an international screening of model regions and discussed with experts about specific targets for establishing "eco-management and eco-innovation frameworks" within regional policy

PHASE 2 Identification of good practice methodologies Based on the results from Phase 1, regional and national stakeholders shared and developed concrete project ideas for regional implementation

PHASE 3 Design of new instruments (ONGOING) Divided into several thematic working groups, with inputs from external experts, RECOMMEND will develop new instruments for promotion of eco- management as a lever for enhanced eco-innovation

PHASE 4 Pilot Actions Three pilot actions will be designed and implemented to test the new methodologies developed Their main focus will be on establishing regional frameworks to promote eco-innovation Field missions will activate learning processes for all project partners

PHASE 5 Preparation of Regional Implementation Plans - RIP The Regional Implementation Plans will summarise and adapt the pilot action experience to the specific requirements of the partner regions. All project partners are already committed for the sustainable implementation of these plans in their regional economies The preparation process will also serve as a regional awareness raising campaign and will be finalised by officially signing off the Regional Implementation Plans

Working Summits RECOMMEND Kick Off Event, St. Pölten, Austria, RECOMMEND 1st working summit, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, RECOMMEND 2nd working summit, Peterborough, United Kingdom, NEXT RECOMMEND 3rd working summit, Tartu, Estonia,

The last results – Good practices (GREENOVATE) 9 good practices from project partners and 6 good practices from other European regions - Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, UK (Wales) 2 Cluster initiatives 8 Funding schemes (4 grants, 4 vouchers) 3 Accreditation/certification 1 Regional Operational Programme 1 Long Term Agreements

Thematic Talks , Ascoli Piceno Michele Santucci, TecnoMarche - Science and Technology Park of Marche Region Massimo Aliberti (PhD, Fulbright Fellow), project for start-up businesses “Clear 2 engage” Roberto Simonetti, CLF Ascoli Piceno – Local Centre for Industrial Training Giuseppe Antonini, COPAGRI Ascoli-Fermo - Confederation of Agricultural Producers of Ascoli-Fermo Local businesses: Giovanni Pasquali, TROIANI & CIARROCCHI S.r.l. (specialises in Renewable Energy and Environment) Baroni Romolo, CaldoPiù S.r.l. (operates in the field of energy saving; manufactures and sells thermal reflective panels) Representatives from Technical institute for Agricultural Studies "Celso Ulpiani„ Representatives of C.C.I.A.A. Ascoli Piceno - Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Handicraft and Agriculture of Ascoli Piceno

Face-to-face meeting , Ascoli Piceno: Giovanni Cimini: Member of the Camber of Commerce of Ascoli Piceno Responsible of Energy Section of the Industrial Confederation of AP One of the founders of the Energy District of Ascoli Piceno (Distretto dell’Energie), the project is still on progress General manager of “Western Co” electronic equipment – solar systems Marco Sotte, Polytechnic University of Marche Representatives of the Province of Ascoli Piceno (European Office, department of the Environment protection etc.) Face-to-face meeting , Ancona: Marche region - The Department for Territory Environment and Energy:  Piergiorgio Carrescia, responsible of Green economy, waste cycle, environmental reclamation, areas at high risk of environmental crisis and major-accidents hazard factories)  Raffaela Fontana, responsible of the energy sector

The Main Conclusions Creation of new section “Showcase” under website – to inform about the eco-innovation services and products that come from PPs territories Interest to share unique and important experience with other project partners - creation of the “Energy District” and other good practices from the territory (e.g. “Clear 2 engage”) Interest in good practices is very high, especially, those that avoid long bureaucratic path - Eco-Management Vouchers (Austria), also to the idea of Cluster High interested in learning from other PPs the mechanism - how to organize public competition avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy – the preparation of simpler forms, fast evaluation, verification etc. Offer to use PEAP- Provincial Energy and Environment Plan as a base for RIP

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