“REGIONAL MANAGEMENT & TERRITORIAL COOPERATION – DESIGN YOUR OWN FUTURE”	Agenda Main results List of participants Downloads

AGENDA

Seminar 1a
17/18 November 2004, University of Maribor, Slomškov trg 15, Maribor, SI

Seminar 1b
12/13 January 2005
Landesdienstleistungszentrum, Bahnhofplatz 1, 4021 Linz, AT

Moderation: Günter Scheer

MAIN RESULTS / FINDINGS

Due to a very wide range of possible participants (Regional Managements / Development Agencies / Euregios / Intermediate bodies), the seminar was divided into two parts: one for the southern Iq-Train regions Carinthia, Styria, Slovenia and South Tyrol, the other for the northern Iq-Train regions South Bohemia, Vysocina, South Moravia, Lower and Upper Austria.
Although the agenda was the same in general, the workshops developed different during the sessions.

Main topics of discussion/results/proposals:

1. Status and role of Regional Managements (RM) in connection with INTERREG IIIA:

• The essential parts of competence for modern and effective RMs in Austria are regional competence, social competence, project competence and competence of procedures. On account of different demands on regional managers in the mentioned fields of competence they have to play different roles. Regional managers act with the knowledge of the region on behalf of the region. Strategic partnership, cooperation and team-work are very important aspects in their daily work.
• Austrian RMs are integrated in the implementation of INTERREG IIIA-programmes directly. They act as “knowledge-transfer-platforms” for potential project-holders, spread information about EU-Structural-Fund-programmes and support project-holders in contacting foreign partners and in project development. In some cases they act as project holders themselves.
• RMs in Austrias neighbouring regions are in many cases very young structures, their role is not clearly defined and they act primarily by order of communities or project-holders. The situation is a little bit different for Development Agencies, which act on behalf of Implementing bodies or public national authorities.
• From the Intermediate bodies´ point of view the role of RMs is mostly clear. They have to
  a) act as information-platform for potential project-developers,
  b) support them in developing cross-border-projects,
  c) represent the regional view vis-à-vis the implementation bodies (MA, IBs), in some cases as members of Steering or Monitoring Committees,
  d) implement the Small-project-Fund,
  e) do most of the publicity-activities for the programmes.

2. Status and role of RMs in connection with INTERREG IIIB and IIIC:

• The role and competence in transnational or interregional cooperation is poor. If they are involved, they act as sub-project-partners for lead-partners or simple project-partners (mostly public bodies) in international projects.
• Their non-participation is the result of their extent of business (description of their tasks) and the lack of time and resources. Nevertheless they want to participate on this international floor in future.

3. The role of RMs in the future period (SF 2007 - 2013):

• RMs do not know much about the future period. Most of the information they have comes from the official homepage of the EU and their publicity activities (3rd Cohesion report, proposals of the new EU-structural funds-regulations, ...) or from direct contact to the Intermediate bodies.
• RMs want to play a role in the next period of structural funding. They want to influence the programming for the next period and get a better defined role within the programme-implementation. On account of the implementation of the running INTERREG IIIA-programmes they have a lack of time in dealing with the new period.
• RMs want to define regional strategies for the common border regions. They “have their ear in the region” and can structure the needs of a region in a good way.
• They want to take the initiative to coordinate cross-border-cooperation on the basis of regional strategies, the want to act by themselves (and not only react on orders).
• For the IBs it is clear, that the RMs have to play a defined role in the now starting programming and the implementation of the programmes. The problem is that things about SFs are still very unclear till now.
• A report about the future of the Structural Funds, done by Robert Schrötter, gave an overview about the status quo in SF-preparation. On basis of this knowledge, the RMs´ task was to clearify
  a) their role in programming for the new programmes for territorial cooperation, especially in cross-border-cooperation, in relationship to the Implementing bodies and the Managing Authority,
  b) their possibilities, resources and acceptance for participation in co-managing future programmes,
  c) the role, they want to play in future programmes of cross-border-cooperation (project-holder vs. management of programme).

4. Outlook for 2^nd workshop:

Following the discussions and results of the last two seminars in Maribor and Linz the next workshop will focus on two key-issues to find tangible and practical solutions:

• How could Regional Managements / Development Agencies / Euregios be involved in the current programming activities ?
• What should be the future role of RMs / RDAs / Euregios in the new programme “Territorial Cooperation, Strand cross border cooperation” ?

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Seminar 1a
17/18 November 2004,
University of Maribor, Slomškov trg 15, Maribor, SI

Seminar 1b
12/13 January 2005
Landesdienstleistungszentrum, Bahnhofplatz 1, 4021 Linz, AT

DOWNLOADS

future-territorial-cooperation_iq-train-presentation_schroetter.ppt
presentation_carinthia.ppt
presentation_muehlviertel.ppt [3.5 MB]
presentation_styria.ppt [3.7 MB]
presentation_weinviertel.ppt [1.7 MB]
regional-managements-in-austria.ppt [1.5 MB]