Thomas Wobben Representation of Saxony-Anhalt to the European Union Boulevard Saint Michel 80

1. EU Funds for Improvement of Servcies Provided by the MunicipalitiesFuture 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.: 00.32.2.741 09 31 Fax: 00.32.2.741 09 39 E-mail: thomas.wobben@lv-bruessel.stk.sachsen-anhalt.de

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

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

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!