The 8th April Partenalia organised in Turin a political Conference hosted by Provincia di Torino on “Territorial Cohesion and Local Intermediate Authorities”. More than 70 participants attended the Conference where different EU networks and different Partenalia members presented their own experiences.
Mr. Bisacca, the Vice-president of Provincia di Torino responsible for European Affairs, welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of the Cohesion Policy and of the local intermediate level in managing Cohesion mechanisms.
In the first part of the Conference, Mr. Verdaas, Minister of the Province of Gelderland, presented the reaction of Partenalia on the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion. Dr. Lajos SZŰCS, President of Pest (Hungary) representative of the President of the Hungarian National Association of County Governments (MÖOSZ) and Vice-President of CEPLI presented the CEPLI common statement on Territorial Cohesion. These presentations were followed by the ones of Mr. Kasseckert, Vice-President of PURPLE and of Mr. Bonnefoy, from Terres en Villes, two European Networks representing peri-urban regions.
In the second part of the Conference, 6 Partenalia members explained their own experiences and interests on Territorial Cohesion. In this moment, Mr. Verdaas, Minister of the Province of Gelderland presented the statement of their Province on the issue, as well as Mr. Blanco, Vice-president of Ourense Provincial Council. Mr. ROGER, Vice-President of CG de la Seine-Saint-Denis responsible for Economic Development, Employment and European and International Relations, as well as Mr. Tardy, Vice-president of CG du Nord responsible for International Relations and European programmes, Ms. Peñacoba Director responsible for the programme LandaGipuzkoa from Gipuzkoa Provincial Council and M. Giorgio Giani, politician responsible for territorial planning of Provincia di Torino, explained their experiences on Territorial Cohesion. Finally, Mr. Szücs presented the views of the Hungarian National Association of County Governments (MÖÖSZ), bringing to the Conference the eastern perspective. Consequently, the Conference succeeded to present a good compendium of experiences on such an important issue.
3 key messages where transmitted to the representatives of EU institutions present at the Conference: Mr. Osvald, Vice-Chair of the COTER commission of the Committee of the Regions and Mr. de Grandis administrator of Unit Italy of the Directorate-General for Regional Policy from the European Commission:
1. Need of simplifying procedures to allow better participation of local bodies at EU level. This simplification should go together with a better cooperation of different local bodies. The cooperation of different local bodies is a matter of enhancing partnership and having better involvement on Local Plans.
2. Need of integrating the different EU policies including sectoral ones according to territory tailored solutions and need also of coordinating different instruments at EU level according to local needs.
3. Need of going beyond administrative borders to get correct data and information.
Provincia di Torino will elaborate a report of the Conference to be sent to EU institutions and to all Partenalia members in order to transmit more effectively the common demands of Partenalia members on Territorial Cohesion issues.
You will find the different presentations of the event in Partenalia webpage: www.partenalia.eu
