MINISTRY FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Brussels, 3.12.2008

2. Activities of the Czech Presidency in the field of the cohesion policy, territorial agenda and urban development MINISTRY FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Brussels, 3.12.2008

3. Ministry for Regional Developmnmet Brussels / 3.12.2008 Programme • Welcome note by the Mrs. Milena Vicenová, Czech Ambassador to the EU • Introduction by Mr. Emil Horčička, Section Director, European Affairs Division • Presentation by Mr. Daniel Braun – Future of Cohesion Policy / Simplification • Presentation by Mr. Jan Fluxa - Structural Actions Working Party • Presentation by Mr. Josef Postránecký – Urban issues • Presentation by Mrs. Daniela Grabmüllerová – Activities of the CZ PRES • Glass of wine

4. Milena Vicenová CZECH AMBASSADOR TO THE EU

5. Emil Horčička SECTION DIRECTOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS DIVISION

6. Daniel Braun NSFR MANAGEMENT AND CO-ORDINATION Dpt. EUROPEAN AFFAIRS DIVISION

7. Future of Cohesion Policy / Simplification SIMPLIFICATION

8. EU funds? Beneficiaries Managing Authorities Auditors

9. General Principles • European Commission initiative • CZ PRES in close contact with EC and FR PRES • Will be reflected in various platforms, where partners will share experience • Will be reflected in Council formations (if needed)

10. Simplification now and later… • Current Council (EP) Regulations • Commission Regulation and practices • Future of Cohesion Policy 2014+

11. 1. Current Council (EP) Regulations • ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE • CZ PRES will organise SAWP according to needs • January / February meetings

12. 2. Simplifying the system • 2007-13 PERIOD • Window of opportunity with time limits • Achieving consensus is therefore crucial • Initiatives of MS responding to the EC request • European Commission internal working group • Outcomes presented in COCOF/SAWP

13. 3. Cohesion Policy 2014+ “The questions have been the same, or similar, for a long time, butanswers have been different…“ (Albert Einstein)

14. 4. Delivery System in 2014+ • 2014+ PERIOD • Reflection started • CZ PRES will continue and provide platform for discussion • Connected to the discussions on the future of Cohesion Policy

15. Thank you for your attention.bradan@mmr.czwww.mmr.cz

16. Jan Fluxa LEGISLATIVE AND LEGAL AFFAIRS Dpt.

17. Structural ActionsWorking Party ACTION PLAN OF THE CZECH PRESIDENCY

18. SAWP – scheduled meetings • 13 January 2009 • 30 January 2009 • 13 February (possible) • 2 April 2009 (possible)

19. Actual agenda (FR PRES) • GREEN PAPER ON TERRITORIAL COHESION • Discussions about the concept of territorial cohesion • CZ PRES will shift the discussion on informal level • Conferences, workshops and expert meetings • RECOVERY PACKAGE • Legislative proposals submitted by the Commission • Close cooperation with FR PRES • Takeover of agenda at the end of 2008

20. SAWP 13 January 2009 • RECOVERY PACKAGE • Set of measures reflecting the financial crisis • General Regulation 1083/2006 (assentprocedure) • ESFRegulation 1081/2006 (co-decision procedure) • ERDF Regulation 1080/2006 (co-decision procedure) • Continual discussion – has started during FR PRES • Closing of discussion – depends on progress and the agreement among member states

21. SAWP 30 January 2009(whole day) • RECOVERY PACKAGE • Set of measures reflecting the financial crisis • Definitive conclusion of discussions on working party level • Parallel negotiations with European Parliament (REGI) • SIMPLIFICATION • Possibilities for the 2007 – 2013 programming period • Invitation to the European Commission – presentation of conclusions of the “expert group“ and exchange of views

22. Other SAWP meetings • 13 February • Simplification (2007-2013) • 2 April • Any possible agenda

23. SAWP – additional information • Agenda will be consulted with France and Sweden • If necessary (legislative measures) – other meetings will be organized ad hoc (February ?) • Very close cooperation with the Commission and the Parliament (co-decision procedure)

24. Thank you for your attentionjan.fluxa@mmr.czwww.mmr.cz

25. Josef Postránecký REGIONAL POLICY STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT Dpt. DIRECTOR

26. Priorities of the Czech Republic during its Presidency of the Council of EU URBAN ISSUES

27. Emphasize the urban dimension in Cohesion policy - Main Issues to be solved • Based on the Leipzig Charter - Focusing on integrated approach in urban development • monitoring its implementation • Based on the 1. Action Programme of the TA of the EU • Urban-rural relations, implementation of the Action line 1.1.a) • Opening the discussion of wider involvement of cities in Cohesion policy (in the future architecture of the OPs )

28. Implementation of the Leipzig Charter • Focused on the integrated approaches • monitoring of the implementation of integrated approaches in EU countries • reflection in national legal framework, • implementation in spatial planning, • other • Emphasize on deprived areas • to identify problems and design measures to avoid or to solve them

29. Implementation of the 1.Action Programme of the TA of the EU • Responsibility for acting presidency • Coordination, monitoring and assesment of the implementation of the 1.AP • output – Progress report including recommendations for further development of the 1.AP • Implementation of action line 1.1.a) Urban-rural relations

30. Dealing with the Urban – Rural Relations • Justification of need • Urban-rural issue is nowadays at the heart of the Czech priority topic • Based on the EU (OECD) methodology the Czech space is mostly defined as rural areas • In the Czech Republic, rural areas are not mostly conceived as an agriculture-based (since 19 century) • Process of sub-urbanization (increasing need for public investments – infrastructure, etc.) • Scattered settlement of the Czech Republic • Prevent from declining regions, • Taking into account a diversification of the European space • Fragmentation of the territorial and urban development, etc.

31. 1. Action Programme for the Implementation of the Territorial Agenda of the EU(action 1.1a – Urban rural relations) • The MRD assumed the responsibility for the implementation of action 1.1a (during the Slovenian Presidency) • 2008-2010 timeframe • The objective is to create and promote guidelines and policy measures in order to support the coordination between both urban and territorial development (titled Urban-Rural Relations)

32. Action 1.1a – Urban rural relations • The working group has been established (partners: Norway, Portugal, Germany, France, Austria, Finland, Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Poland, Turkey and representatives of the EC, CEMR and Czech university and the Union of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic) • Need to elaborate a contribution to support the polycentric development and innovation through the networking of regions and city regions • To assess the state of art of the urban-rural relations and find the possible solutions (to be applicable – not necessary to create a set of new documents in this field). • The first meeting took place on 13 October 2008 at the MRD

33. Action 1.1a – Urban rural relations Action 1.1a ought to also answer the following questions: • How is the urban-rural relations issue solved at both the European and national level? • What are the key topics of the linkages (relations) between urban and rural spaces, and their future perspective? • What kind of tools are available to ensure the optimization of the linkages between urban and rural space, and their future perspective? • What kind of potential obstacles could we face by dealing with this issue, and finding the proposals for solving given issue ?

34. Outputs of action 1.1a Future Outputs: • An elaboration of the Interim report informing on the fulfilment situation of the action 1.1a of the 1.AP (will be presented at the International Conference on Future of the Cohesion Policy and Territorial Cohesion on 26 and 27 March 2009 in Prague – the Interim report is going to be presented on 27 March) • An elaboration of the final report of this issue (date is not yet scheduled) Note: continuous close co-operation with the EC (Activities on urban-rural linkages carried-out by the EC)

35. Thank you for your attention josef.postranecky@mmr.cz www.mmr.cz

36. Daniela Grabmüllerová EUROPEAN AFFAIRS DIVISION

37. Activities of the CZ PRES COHESION POLICY AND TERRITORIAL COHESION

38. Main goals • Continuation of the debate on the future of the cohesion policy; continuation of the debate on the concept of the territorial cohesion • Presentation of the preliminary outputs of the public debate following the Green Paper. • Progress in the implementation of the Territorial Agenda and goals of the Leipzig Charter. • Discussions on both - expert as well as political levels.

39. “It is a capital mistake totheorize before one has data.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

40. Most important events organized by the Ministry for Regional Development

41. Informal Meeting of Ministers • 23 and 24 April, 2009 - Mariánské Lázně. • Debate on the main principles of the future cohesion policy for 2014+; communiqué of ministers. • Presentation of preliminary outputs of the public debate on the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion. • Occasion for political exchange of views on the content of “territorial cohesion“. • 25 March, 2009 – DG Meeting in Prague - draft communiqué.

42. Conference “Future of the Cohesion Policy and Territorial Cohesion“ • 26 and 27 March, 2009 – Prague. • First day – future of the Cohesion policy; second day – territorial cohesion • International level - 200 participants. • National delegations, European institutions, academics, etc. • Platform for expert debate on various aspects of the cohesion policy, territorial cohesion and urban development, including urban-rural relations.

43. Conference “Architectural Policies“ • 17 and 18 April, 2009 – Prague. • Organized with the Czech Chamber of Architects and European Forum for Architectural Policies. • International level – about 400 participants - experts, academics, etc. • Raising awareness of the importance of high-quality construction of cities as well as villages. • Declaration on sustainable urban and architectural development.

44. Conference “Tourism Industry: Employment and Labour Market“ • 10 and 11 June, 2009 – Prague. • International level – more than 100 participants. • National delegations, European institutions, academics, etc. • Opportunity to exchange opinions and experiences; presentation of trends in tourism-related labour market development.

45. ESPON 2013 Conference • 3 and 4 June, 2009 – Prague. • International level – about 200 participants. • Platform for sharing results and experience; creating new contacts, networking. • Presentations on current outputs and activities within EU and neighbouring countries, trends, challenges, perspectives and workshops. • Raising awareness of territorial development dynamics and sustainable territorial development.

46. Important events organized by other subjectsin the Czech Republic

47. Bureau of the Committee of the Regions • 15 and 16 January, 2009 – Plzeň. • Extraordinary meeting. • Organized together with the Pilsen Region and the City of Pilsen. • Discussion and exchange of information on cohesion policy and regional development.

48. European Urban Day • 6 and 7 February, 2009 – Prague and Kladno. • Organized by the Union of Towns and Municipalities and Council of European Municipalities and Regions. • Evaluation of the urban dimension of the structural policy as a whole; recommendations for the future.

49. CzechReg Days: Cohesion policy post 2013 • 12 February, 2009 – Brussels. • Organized by the CZ regions – Network of the Czech regions in Brussels. • Discussion of the most up-to-date views on the territorial cohesion - based on the draft report of the EP REGI, Committee of the Regions´ opinion, Member States positions, regional contributions to the EC´s consultation process. • Representatives of the regions, EU institutions, academics, experts.

50. European Summit of Regions and Cities • 5 and 6 March, 2009 – Prague. • Organized by the Capital City of Prague and the Committee of the Regions. • About 800 participants; on-line TV debate. • Discussion and exchange of experience, discussions on Lisbon goals, future aiming of cohesion policy.