Introduction The GEOSPECS project: Background, objectives and setup

1. Introduction The GEOSPECS project: Background, objectives and setup

2. The ESPON 2013 Programme Role in Structural Funds 2007-2013: • Support EU Cohesion Policy development with pan-European, comparable facts and evidence on Territorial Structures, Trends, Perspectives and Policy Impacts, revealing territorial capital, potentials and challenges. Budget 2007-13: • 47M Euro (ERDF 34M Euro, plus 13M Euro from 31 countries) Programme Priorities: • P 1: Applied Research • P 2: Targeted Analyses based on Stakeholder interest • P 3: Scientific Platform and Tools • P 4: Capitalisation

3. Programme Delivery Programme Implementation: • 25 Applied Research projects • 21 projects ongoing, final or just starting • 4 additional Applied Research projects start primo 2012 • 23 Targeted Analyses (defined by stakeholder demand): • 18 ongoing or closing • 5 Targeted Analyses starting early 2012 • 10 larger projects under Scientific Platform and Tools: • 4 larger projects ongoing/final • 6 additional larger projects starting early 2012 • 6-7 Transnational Networking Activities: • 5 projects ongoing • 1-2 additional projects expected starting early 2012

4. Themes of ESPON Applied Research

5. Expectations of GEOSPECS Applied Research Project Explore how taking account of the diversity of development preconditions linked to geographic specificities could contribute to achieving national and strategic EU targets Address key policy and research questions Current situation, trends, needs, drivers for development Opportunities for development, partnership and co-operation Development of reference frameworks Options for addressing geographically specific vulnerabilities Build on ESPON 2006 and 2013 results For example, EDORA (P1) and in particular, ESPON TeDi (P2) project on development opportunities in areas with geographic specificities (initiated by national authorities of Norway, Finland, Sweden, Cyprus, Switzerland, Romania and Malta)

6. Remaining major milestones • 2nd March 2012: Draft final report • 1st July 2012: Final report • July to December 2012: ‘Official’ dissemination period

7. Geographic specificities and development potentials in Europe Regional policy as an instrument to promote balanced, sustainable development Territorial diversity as a factor that needs to be taken into account - in regional development strategies - in sectoral policies The notion of “free and undistorted competition”: a vision of the mind? But: Why should one maintain settlement patterns in areas where economic activities are not competitive? Is the objective competitiveness, or economic, social and ecological sustainability?

8. Geographic specificities and development potentials in Europe Henrik Samuelsson Northern Sweden: a place «with fewer and fewer people», «where only elderly people and drug addicts (sic!) live» and «where houses and factories are slowly decaying» Complex regional realities – A challenge for policy makers?

9. Geographic specificities and development potentials in Europe Geographic specificities co-exist and interact Specific effects can be difficult to identify

10. Geographic specificities and development potentials in Europe Access to urban areas with more than 100,000 inhabitants

11. Making sense of the European territory Development potentials are more difficult to map than disparities  How can policy instruments and debates be based on an evidence based that fits with their objectives? Europe is not only made up of “NUTS regions” Regional and local perceptions of territorial diversity cannot simply be compiled at the European level  A European geography of territorial diversity needs to be constructed

12. Lead Partner: Department of Geography, University of Geneva + Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency, AT

13. Objectives for the day Get your feedback on the framework we have set up to analyse and understand geographic diversity across Europe Establish whether there could be a European discourse on territorial diversity. - What would justify such a discourse? - What would it focus on? Discuss policy measures that are needed to promote balanced, sustainable development in geographically specific areas?  What is Europe’s role in this?