Heel Europa heeft kansen voor groei en ontwikkeling (en) - Hoofdinhoud
At the Conference on Cohesion Policy and Territorial Development: Make Use of the Territorial Potential! held 10-11 of December, knowledge about and experience of conditions for regional growth were discussed. How structural funds and sectoral policy can contribute to the optimal use and how to respond to future territorial challenges, such as climate and demographic change, were among the main topics. The conference was located in Kiruna, where the town centre faces major changes in the near future.
Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Sandra Baqirjazid
Danuta Hübner
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Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Sandra Baqirjazid
Lars-Eric Aaro
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Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Sandra Baqirjazid
Catrin Mattsson
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Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Maria Nilsson
Klaus Kunzmann
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Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Sandra Baqirjazid
Wolfgang Munch
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Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Maria Nilsson
Panel discussion
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Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Ben Nilsson/Big Ben Productions
The Ice Hotel makes good use of the territorial potential. The cold climate enables ice to be gathered from the Torne River to use as building material for the unique hotel. In springtime the hotel melts and reunites with the river.
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Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Sandra Baqirjazid
The ice bar at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi
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Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Sandra Baqirjazid
Bed of ice at the Ice Hotel
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Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Sandra Baqirjazid
Celebration of saint Lucia at the Icehotel restaurant
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Image gallery: Kiruna Conference
Photo: Sandra Baqirjazid
Kiruna by noon
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Maud Olofsson, Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden and Minister for Enterprise and Energy, was happy with the conference taking place in Kiruna.
“It is important to show all parts of Europe at the EU high-level meetings. This is also a part of Europe and it is very important that we, who work with European issues, really see that the whole of Europe has potential for growth and development. Cohesion policy plays an important role in the strategy of building an eco-efficient economy. In order to be successful long-term, the local and the regional but also the European level must cooperate.” she said.
The discussions at the conference highlighted that territorial potential can be determined by many factors such as geographical location, access to markets and capital, natural resources as land, raw materials and energy resources. Also labour force, including skills of the labour force, as well as territorial capital as culture, creativity and governance were aspects discussed.
That globalization, demography and ageing population, climate change and access to sustainable and competitive energy are effecting regions were also some of the main conclusions. In addition, regions are affected very differently by each challenge, but they can also give rise to new solutions and business developments such as e-health and production of renewable energy.
Natural resources and tourism
“Europe is like a palette of diversity and we need to encourage every region to use its potentials so that regional growth and welfare can be obtained. There is a special reason for why we chose to locate the conference in Kiruna. It is sparsely populated and the European markets are far away. At the same time, there are natural resources here as gas, wood and iron ore. To get access to the iron ore, the city has to be moved” said Catrin Mattson, Political Adviser at the Ministry of Enterprise, who hosted the meeting. She also mentioned the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi in terms of a growing tourism sector and highlighted the potential of space tourism as there are space plants in the area.
Danuta Hübner, Chair of the Committee on Regional Development of the European Parliament, focused in her speech on territorial cohesion and how to release the potential of all regions. She emphasized the necessity of having a good balance between top governance and bottom up.
“Let us invest in better quality in local and regional governance” she said.
She furthermore pointed out that we will need collective action to meet coming challenges, for example in terms of infrastructure. The usability of cohesion policy is to anticipate change and not just to follow it, she said and exemplified that the EU need a common market and a common currency.
Pawe? Samecki, Commissioner for Regional Policy, Regional Policy DG at the
European Commission focused on the standpoint on the future of EU regional policy. He pointed out the mission cohesion policy as a treaty commitment to economic, social and territorial cohesion. He furthermore outlined the policy goal as enhancing competitiveness and employment on a regional level, facilitating growth in lagging areas and foster integration across borders.
Cooperation between the public and the business sector
Hakan Spett, County Governor’s Special Adviser of Norrbotten County Administrative Board, made a presentation on regional development in Norrbotten. He pointed out the main tools in order to work for development in the region. These were cooperation through regional partnership between the public and the business sector, the European structural funds, and the confidence in prosperity among the people in the region. He also emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship, equity and integration. His own mindset in terms of optimism was brought to light as he stated that “it never gets dark up here” referring to Kiruna being situated North of the Artic Polar Circle.
Lars-Eric Aaro, Acting President and CEO at LKAB elaborated on spatial planning and the transformation of the city of Kiruna. Mariann Nordmark, Information Officer, from the Municipality of Kiruna presented the expansion of the mining activity in Kiruna and illustrated the need for a new route for railway in Kiruna, that new roads need to be built and the need of a construction of a new water pipe.
Integrated solutions
Wolfgang Münch, Policy Analyst, Regional Policy DG, European Commission made a presentation on Regions 2020 - An assessment of future challenges for EU regions. He pointed out the following lessons for the future regional policy: The need for continued support for all European regions to drive forward regions to focus on the promotion of new approaches, re-orient private and public investments.
“Integrated solutions will be key to adapted responses and cohesion policy is crucial” he stated and also mentioned the importance of mobilization of territorial potentials and multilevel governance.
Belinda Wadsworth, Strategy Adviser at the Age Concern and Help the Aged
made a presentation on effects of the demographic change and how to handle the challenge.
“Demographic change only becomes a problem when society fails to understand its positive effects” she said and pointed out key principles for addressing demographic change: The importance of understanding it, not ignoring it, listen to elderly people, work together and to be bold.
“If we act boldly now we will not be overwhelmed over demographic change in the coming years” she added.
Klaus Kunzmann, Professor emeritus, at the Technische Universität, Dortmund, spoke on territorial implications of the global economic crisis for the future of European space. To take the newly added territorial dimension of the Lisbon Treaty serious beyond rhetoric, as well as promote difference instead of equalizing diversity were two of his main messages.
“We must also allow disparities and regional learning” he stated.
Two workshops
The meeting included two workshops, one of them a visit at the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi focusing on challenges affecting Europe’s regional future, the other one in LKAB Infomine focusing on territorial potentials for European Regions and tools for further development.