Communicating Cohesion Policy in Less Developed Regions: Challenges and Strategies

1. TELLING THE STORY | Communicating Cohesion Policy Together The Challenges of Communicating Cohesion Policyinone of theless developed and most depressed regions in Hungary Barbara KERNER 26–27 November 2007 | Brussels

3. Participation in 64 international organizations (EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO,G-9, IBRD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, WHO etc. etc.

4. The Republic of HUNGARY • Capital: Budapest • Government type: parliamentary democracy • Population: 9,956,108 (July 2007 est.)2% of EU population (13th place in EU rank) • Area: 93,030 Km² | 2.1% of EU area • Currency: Forint (HUF) • Administrative divisions: 19 counties + 23 urban counties + 266 cities + 2856 villages = Total settlements: 3145 • GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 3.4%industry: 31.5% services: 65.1%

5. The Republic of HUNGARY • GDP per capita: 66% of EU average • 0.95% contribution to total EU budget 1.73% expenditure of total EU budget • Unemployment rate: 7.4% • Inflation: 6.4% | 5thplace in EU rank • Minimum wage: approx. 266 EURO • Public dept: 64.9% of GDP • Human Development Index (poverty/GDP per capity; education; health/life expectancy)20th place in EU rank

6. 7 STATISTICAL REGIONS NUTS 2 level 19 COUNTIES NUTS 3 level

7. 2007–2013

8. BARANYA COUNTY Region: South-Transdanubia County seat: Pécs The southern most county of Hungary,it covers a surface of 4,487 square kilometres. Borders: Danube River, Dráva River, Croatia, Somogy & Tolna counties The highest point is Zengő at 682m Population: 402 700 Settlements: 302 Largest number of minorities:Germans 34%, Southern Slavs 32%,Bulgarians, Greeks, Gypsies, Polish, Armenians,Romanians, Ruthenians, Slovaks,Slovenians and Ukrainian

10. South Transdanubia • One of the less developedregions. • Poor accessibility from the foreign and domestic economic centres. The road and railroad network is of low quality and incompletely constructed, 1/3 of the region’s settlements are dead-end settlements. • The crisis in South-eastern Europe and the decline of heavy industryand mining had severe impact on its economy which could not havebeencounterbalanced by the extremely low influx of foreign investments(hardly 2 % of the capital invested in the country came to this region) • The ratio of active SME-s is the lowest here in a national comparisonand there are no big companies around which groups of supplying smallenterprises could develop. • The region has a substantial R&D capacity outstandingof the countryaverage that is, however, limited tothe Pécs University centre. • Decrease of population, increasing migration(unhealthy lifestyle, and bad living conditions, ageing, high level of unemployment that in some places is up • to 30%, average gross salary much under the national average)

11. Outstanding agricultural – ecological potential, but its efficiency ofproduction is low due to the lack of capital and its structure of land ownershipcharacterised by small, segmented plots of land. • The mostcompetitive sector is traditional grape and wine culture.Althoughtourism is rather seasonal based on Lake Balaton, thermal and wine tourism, as well as the World Heritage City of Pécs, plays an important role in the economy of the region. • Peripheral situation both in international and domestic aspects. Its transportation system is characterised by the complete lack of motorways inNorth – South and East – West directions, poor network of railways,inadequate number of bridges and border crossings. The underdevelopednetwork of regional roads weakens internal cohesion. Appropriate roadsconnecting the county capitals are missing and there are too many isolated andinaccessible villages.

12. EU-communication in the Region FOUNDATION & SPONSORSHIP • 12May 2000 in Europe House – Pécs • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IPE network) • Prime Minister’s Office (2004) • The Representation of the European Commission DG Communication • General Assembliesof the three Counties(Baranya, Tolna and Somogy County)

13. Communication Priorities | 2007 •  Treaty of Rome | 50th Anniversary • European Year of Equal Opportunities for All • Growth and Jobs • Constitutional Treaty • Single Market, Consumer Protection, flexicurity •  ERASMUS programme | 20th Anniversary •  Research and Innovation •  Energy for a Changing World • Fight againts terrorism and crime, imporved border controls, Schengen Cohesion and Regional Policy between 2007–2013

14. Communication Priorities | 2007 • II. National Development Plan • Ageing Europe, Ageing World • Further Enlargement of the EU • Settle and work in an other country • The Bologna Process • The EU inthe World • German Presidency • Portugal Presidency • Up-to-date news from EU institutions etc.

15. Target Groups | Steakholders • Youth | elementary schools, high schools, University of Pécs • Decision makers, civil servants, municipalities • Civil society, NGO’s • Teachers | elementary schools, high schools, University of Pécs • Local and regional MEDIA • Pensioners • Farmers • ANYBODY who needs information about the European Union

16. EU-communication | Past … Present … Future • Before the Referendum on EU accesion 1999 – March 2003 • After the Referendum, before EU accession March 2003 – May 2004 • After EU accession since 2004

17. Tools of Communication • General information at local level (customer service office, internet) • Special focus on Call for proposals (launch) • Special focus on Project results • Special focus on Partnership • Events (special focus on hardly accessable target gropus) • Mediacommunication | Press relations • Trainings | lectures • Publications

18. Some important implemented projects, conferences | Event organizing • 2007 • The road that links – Hungarian-Croatian conference on the V/C Transeuropean Corridor • Together in EUrope – past, present and future – conference on the 50th Anniversary • Ecological Region of the Drava River, Interreg IIIA programme – international conference • Integrating Ethnic Minorities, Assembly of European Regions (AER) Committee Social Policy & Public Health” – international conference and workshop • 2006 • PRINCE EU information project – Baranya, the best EU-informed ruralcounty in Hungary (EU road-show in the villages of Baranya County, production of brochure,organization of final conference) • CIVITAS TRENDSETTER project final international conference – The challenges and opportunities of Hungarian large towns focussing on transport development within the framework of the II. National Development Plan • Alps-Adriatic Working Community – II. Youth Researchers’ – international conference and festival

19. 2006 • „Exploration of economic co-operation opportunities in Baranya County and Osijek-Baranja County”, PHARE CBC project – international closing conference • Learning Regions and Cities Promoting Active Citizenship, Committee of the Regions (CoR) Commission for Culture, Education and Research – international seminar • The World Heritage sites of Pécs – utilization of the sites for heritage tourism purposes project (Regional Operative Programme, I. National Development Plan) –television forum • Dialogue for strenghtening European development – conference of the European Parliament and the National Assembly of Hungary • 2005 • CASE - Cities Against Social Exclusion, Interreg III C project – international conference • Croatia’s European Union Accession Process (The Alps-Adriatic Working Community and the Local, Regional Challenges) – international conference • 5th Anniversary of the Info Point Europe of Baranya County – 5-day conference, 1 day dedicated to the regional policy of the EU • Alps-Adriatic Working Community – Working Group „EU-Relations“ • Conference for the equal treatment of the Disabled, Town Twinning Active citizenshipproject – international conference Tools of Communication

20. 2004 | Successful Municipalities of Baranya County in the enlarged EU – conference for the mayors of the 302 settlements about best practices 2003 | The chances and challenges of the Hungarian municipalities in the European Union, 3-day summer university Total budget of the Europe Direct Relay before EU acession36,000 EURO / year Total budget of the Europe Direct Relay after EU acession24,000 EURO / year Budget only for the communication of EU funds in the region48,000 EURO / year Regional Development Agency

21. SWOT Analysis

22. Future must be invented – not discovered Dennis GABOR The Nobel Prize in Physics 1971 Thank you for your kind attention! Barbara KERNER bmeip@dravanet.hu