NEW EU PLAN "INNOVATION UNION" WILL FAIL WITHOUT BALTIC SEA REGIONS
As the European Commission is adopting its new plan "Innovation Union" this month, the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CPMR) with its Baltic Sea Commission and particularly its Member Regions Päijät-Häme, Uusimaa and Itä-Uusimaa launched a discussion on the current impact of EU innovation and research policies in Regions of the Baltic Sea Area, and on their future after 2013. The framework of the discussion was the seminar "Are EU innovation and research policies making a difference in regions of the Baltic Sea Area?" that was organised in Lahti (FIN) on 16th-17th September 2010 with the support of the European Commission.
Photo: Kuura Timonen/Regional Council of Päijät-Häme
Innovation and research are among the key strands of both the EU2020 Strategy and the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). They are also at the heart of the EU regional policy, and are covered by a large set of EU programmes, as well as by specific EU regulations on State Aid. In this context, the Lahti seminar aimed to show the impact that EU innovation and research policies have today in the Regions of the Baltic Sea Area and stimulated the debate on the future of these policies after 2013. The seminar also addressed the issue of the Regions as key partners in the design and implementation of the next generation of EU and national instruments which will implement the EU2020 strategy and the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). Moreover, it encouraged practical exchanges of knowledge and experiences between public authorities and stakeholders managing EU innovation and research policies.
Photo: Kuura Timonen/Regional Council of Päijät-Häme
"The so called 5th freedom in the EU that gives free movement of knowledge needs to be taken forward. The Baltic Sea Region must be a frontrunner, for instance by opening up national innovation financing for companies and researchers from other countries." Mrs Astrid THORS, Minister of Migration and European Affairs of Finland said. "But we must also be able to support and complement each other when decisions are taken on the localisation of research infrastructure. A macro regional approach could be an alternative when we start to discuss among member states how the Union´s programmes and financing is planned after 2013."
Photo: Kuura Timonen/Regional Council of Päijät-Häme
Speaking on behalf of the European Institutions, Mr Carl HAGLUND, Member of the European Parliament, also addressed the geographical coverage of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Area saying that the "EU needs to enable Russia and other neighbouring countries to take part in the Baltic Sea Strategy". Furthermore, he added that "more resources are needed for innovation, which is the future of Europe". Representing the EU Commission, on the other hand, Mrs Charlina VITCHEVA, Director at DG Regio responsible for countries in the Baltic Sea Area, stressed the need for the EU2020 to work with Regions to use EU Regional policy and declared that "The Cohesion policy is the main delivery tool for the EU2020 strategy".
From the Baltic regions, Mr Pekka KOMU, Delegate of the Regional Council of Päijät-Häme (Finland), and host of the seminar declared: "EU regional policy must contribute to EU2020, whilst complementing its own specific role, based on the Treaty. I am in favour of a strong regional policy for all Regions of Europe and an EU regional policy that maintains its own mission, based on the Treaty, which is to support cohesion. Regarding how to better create synergies between EU regional policy and EU2020, such as a reinforced conditionality, I believe that this conditionality should not be contradictory with cohesion." Furthermore, Mr Erik BERGKVIST, President of the Regional Council of Västerbotten (Sweden) and President of the CPMR Baltic Sea Commission, also stressed the role of Regions, stating that "Regional dimension and multi-level governance are the keys to success along with proper funding".
International press release www.cpmr.org
Seminar presentations http://www.paijat-hame.fi/fi/innovationconference
For further information, please contact:
PÄIJÄT-HÄME:
Marko MÄLLY
Gsm + 358 443 719438 / Email: marko.mally@paijat-hame.fi
CPMR:
Enrico MAYRHOFER
Gsm + 32 486 56 19 67 / Email : enrico.mayrhofer@crpm.org
