Regions and cities supporting growth and jobs

EUROPEAN UNION
Committee of the Regions
EUROPEAN UNION
Committee of the Regions
Regions and cities supporting growth and jobs
The Committee of the Regions’contribution
to the Europe 2020 strategy's seven flagship initiativesPublished by the Directorate for Communication, Press and Events
February 2013
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www.cor.europa.eu
@EU_CoR – #EU2020
QG-32-13-021-EN-C
CoR_1778_February_2013_EN

Catalogue number QG-32-13-021-EN-C
ISBN-13 978-92-895-0656-4
DOI 10.2863/66044
© European Union, 2013
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged
Printed in Belgium, on 100% recycled paper (excluding cover)

The Committee of the Regions is the EU’s assembly of local and regional representatives. Since 1994 its
task has been to represent and defend the interests of local and regional authorities in the European
decision-making process. There is broad agreement that Europe’s economic recovery depends on the
success of its strategy for smart, green and inclusive growth and ownership of the strategy by regional
and local authorities. The Europe 2020 strategy is among the most important political priorities of the
Committee of the Regions. At the same time, it provides direction for a number of EU programmes
that are currently being redesigned with a view to the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020,
in particular for the next generation of cohesion policy programmes. Finally, economic recovery and
“Europe 2020”form an essential part of the mid-term communication priorities of all EU institutions.
Regional and local authorities are responsible for the delivery of a number of priorities of the Europe
2020 strategy, including the majority of public investments and the implementation of EU programmes.
ManyregionsandcitiesarealreadymakingtheEurope2020strategytheirpointofreferenceformid-term
economic and social development plans. Cohesion policy programmes, the new Common Strategic
Framework and the European Code of Conduct on Partnership are the elements that – between 2014
and 2020 – are most likely to have a positive impact in lending increased visibility to “2020” through
a new generation of regional development programmes. However, multilevel governance and an
integrated territorial approach could play an even more significant role in implementing the strategy,
for example when it comes to the sharing of experience between regions and cities from different
Member States.
In 2013, the Committee of the Regions is organising a series of conferences under the heading“Regions
and cities supporting Europe’s growth strategy”. The series culminates in the 6th
European Summit of
Regions and Cities in spring 2014 and the mid-term assessment of the Europe 2020 strategy from the
perspective of the CoR. The conferences on the flagship initiatives are organised together with the
European Parliament, the European Commission and stakeholders from cities and regions. European
associations are invited to contribute to events according to their interest in the topics.The conferences
are targeted at representatives from regional and local authorities, EU institutions, private and financial
institutions, social partners and civil society.
In spring 2014, a selection of good practices covering the different flagship initiatives will be presented
in Brussels. In the next two and a half years, the CoR Monitoring Platform will also continue to track the
Europe 2020 policy cycle – looking at how multi-level governance is implemented.
The dates of future conferences are:
– Industrial policy for the globalisation era, 10 April, Brussels;
– European platform against poverty, 29 May, Brussels;
– Digital agenda for Europe, 2 July, Brussels;
– Resource-efficient Europe, 2-3 September,Vilnius;
– Innovation Union, 27 November, Brussels;
– 6th
European Summit of Regions and Cities, March 2014.
Welcome

■ Foreword........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
■ We need a cohesion policy that concentrates on growth and jobs................................................................................................................... 5
■ The Irish Presidency looks to advance the Europe 2020.................................................................................................................................................................. 6
■ Europe 2020 is a strategy that can put the EU back on the path to growth........................................................................... 7
■ The Europe 2020 strategy cannot succeed unless Europe’s regions
and cities are actively involved in its implementation......................................................................................................................................................................... 8
■ Europe 2020 in a nutshell......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
■ Europe 2020 National Reform Programmes and territorial authorities...................................................................................... 11
Partnership contracts signed between Member States
and the European Commission should be based on agreements
negotiated with local and regional authorities............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Estonia’s“Eesti 2020”involving local and regional authorities delivering Europe 2020........................................................... 13
Belgian communities and regions working together
to achieve Europe 2020 objectives............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
■ Youth on the Move........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 15
I would like to see a stronger emphasis on culture and innovation........................................................................................................................................ 15
Unless we invest now in support of growth in a sustainable manner,
we risk a lost generation.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Youth on the Move can only be successfully
implemented with the help of local and regional authorities................................................................................................................................................................ 16
New Youth Competence Centres are good tools
for investing in youth, new skills and jobs.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17
■ Agenda for New Skills and Jobs............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
The role of local and regional authorities in promoting
growth and creating jobs...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
The Hague: Working hard to develop new security cluster........................................................................................................................................................................... 19
The SÖM Project in Malmö: Towards a comprehensive
and sustainable way of integrating immigrants.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
For the Castile and León region, regional growth means employment........................................................................................................................ 20
Content

■ Industrial Policy for the Globalisation Era............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 21
Local authorities are partners in revitalising industry .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 21
European small and medium-sized enterprises at a crossroads........................................................................................................................................................ 22
New challenges for Industrial Policy in Saxony.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22
■ European Platform Against Poverty and Social Exclusion.................................................................................................................................................... 23
We will continue to push for a stronger social dimension in the current political agenda.......................................... 23
The experience of Uszka, a predominantly Roma-populated municipality in Eastern Hungary.................... 24
The Neuvokas network is bringing human warmth to the Arctic Lapland region............................................................................. 24
Helping socially disadvantaged and disabled people is a priority
for the Bratislava Region........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Despite years of economic growth we still have
a worrying legacy of child poverty across the EU................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
■ Digital Agenda for Europe..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
In Slovakia, eGovernment facilitates the access of the public and businesses
to local authorities................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
CoR is involved in the European Digital Agenda....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
■ A Resource-Efficient Europe............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30
CoR backs campaign:“A world you like. With a climate you like”..................................................................................................................................................... 30
2013 is the“Year of the energy revolution”in Burgenland, Austria ............................................................................................................................................ 31
Increasing biodiversity loss within ecosystems has reached worrying limits.................................................................................................. 31
Implementation of EU environmental law must be a priority................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Protection of natural heritage and resource efficiency
are key concerns for the Mazovia regional administration.............................................................................................................................................................................. 32
■ Innovation Union.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Regions and cities must be actively involved in European Research.................................................................................................................................... 34
Europe needs blueprint for bioeconomy..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35
■ Europe 2020 Going Local........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 36

4
The Europe 2020 strategy is Europe’s blueprint for a
smart, sustainable and inclusive future, providing
a 10 year roadmap for growth and jobs. All its
instruments and policy goals have already been set:
now we need to deliver. The Europe 2020 strategy
must be implemented in partnership with Europe’s
regions and cities because they are the actors who
can close the delivery gap. This is why making
Europe 2020 a success is one of the key priorities of
the Committee of the Regions in the years to come.
One of the CoR’s main concerns is “implementing
Europe 2020 in partnership”. This will involve a series
of events focusing on the seven flagship initiatives
and the exchange of best practices, which will end
during the first half of 2014 with the 6th
European
Summit of Regions and Cities and a mid-term
assessment of the Europe 2020 strategy. Numerous
activities organised by the Europe 2020 Monitoring
Platform during this period will enable local and
regional authorities to contribute to this bottom-up
assessment.
National Reform Programmes should be
implemented in cooperation with local and regional
authorities. We need to work in partnership, and
develop a culture of multi-level governance in
Europe. When drawing up and implementing your
own2020vision,yourregionandcitymustbeableto
count on other public authorities – including those
at European and national levels – social partners,
universities and other civil society players relevant to
its future development.
Therefore, sound mechanisms need to be set up to
enable timely and structural cooperation with the
national level when it comes to annually reporting
on progress towards the strategy’s headline targets.
We will need to think outside the box and generate
newalliancesbetweenregionsandcities.Translating
the five Europe 2020 headline targets to take
account of the specific territorial characteristics of
our regions and cities will require clear governance,
monitoring and evaluation structures, fresh funding
and a sound communication strategy. Moreover, to
achieve efficient delivery on the ground, the signing
of Territorial Pacts – enabling the implementation
of Europe 2020 in partnership and the creation of
greatersynergiesbetweenpublicbudgetsatalllevels
– represents an opportunity that should be seized by
every single EU Member State.
This publication is designed to inform local and
regional authorities about the strategic potential
of Europe 2020 for your city and region. It provides
an overview of seven flagship initiatives, as well as
hands-on best practices. The new Cohesion and
Structural Funds Regulations are geared towards
achieving the Europe 2020 headline targets and
EU socio-economic and territorial cohesion. The
funds will therefore bring important additional EU
assistance and guidance so as to make your 2020
vision a reality within your region and city.
Nowisthetimetoprepareforthenextprogramming
period for the funds and contribute to the
development of the future Partnership Contract
between the Member States and the European
Commission.Youhavetheopportunitytoshareyour
ideas and good practices. Every local and regional
authorityinEuropehasatleastonejewelitcanmake
shine, share and showcase to others.
Foreword
Ramón LuisValcárcel Siso
President of the Committee of the Regions

5
Over recent years, the European Union has been
fighting one of the worst crises since the start of
European integration. Both firemen and architects
havebeenneeded.In2012,wehavebeenmovingfrom
a crisis mode to applying the lessons of the crisis. The
root cause of the current situation is economic, and
we will not be able to face the social challenge unless
weovercometheeconomicchallengetoo.Wehaveto
get the fundamentals right. We need to build a strong
and sustainable recovery on sound foundations and
worktowardsgrowth;smart,sustainableandinclusive
growth as described in our growth agenda, Europe
2020. This is the way to preserve and modernise our
social market economy, which is an open economy
withhighlevelsofsocialcohesionandsocialjustice.
Our strategy of growth-friendly fiscal consolidation,
economic reforms and targeted investments is
beginning to show results. Deficits are coming down,
tensions in financial markets are easing and there
are signs that competitiveness is improving in some
Member States. But there is no room for complacency.
More than ever, it is crucial to stick to our strategy
and to retain a sense of urgency. Obviously these
reforms are difficult, painful and may have social
consequences. In some parts of Europe we are seeing
a real social emergency with rising poverty and very
high levels of unemployment, especially amongst our
young people. The European Commission is doing
the best it can to contribute to delivering a job-rich
recovery and combat social exclusion. But determined
andconcertedactionisneededfromusall.
We will only succeed with full ownership and
commitment from all levels, particularly from regional
and local levels. Regional and local authorities
have key competences and are often best placed to
implement the necessary reforms in crucial areas such
as education, research, active labour market policies,
energy efficiency and social inclusion. With specific
targets reflecting the priorities of our Europe 2020
strategy and clear conditions for the implementation
ofEUfunding,wewillbeabletodelivertangibleresults
in our regions, in our cities and in our rural areas
together.EUstructuralfundsarebotharealexpression
of solidarity and a major driver of economic recovery
and convergence. They represent a vital source of
growth-enhancingpublicinvestmentfortheEuropean
Union. We need to work closely together to make sure
thattheyarefocussedonresults.
This is why we need a cohesion policy that concentrates
even more on our growth and job objectives, and that
reinforces Europe’s competitiveness and our new system
of economic governance. The fact is that local and
regional bodies have to be better anchored and actively
involved in our new economic governance. We also need
to stand together and show the necessary openness in
support of the proper Multiannual Financial Framework
to take us to 2020. It is time to support a budget for
growth at the European level. The real issue is how to
get back to sustainable growth. The European budget is
an instrument for investment in Europe and growth in
Europe, and cohesion policy is an indispensable part of
thatpurpose.
In this context, I very much welcome this publication and
thanktheCommitteeoftheRegionsforbringingtogether
all the information to make Europe 2020 happen on the
ground in one document. I am confident that it will be
an important tool for municipalities and regions and
help them to succeed in achieving our common goal of
boostingsustainablegrowthandcompetitivenessforour
citizens and our businesses. This is even more important
and opportune in 2013 which has been declared “The
EuropeanYearofCitizens”.
José Manuel Barroso
President of the European Commission
We need
cohesion policy
that concentrates
on growth
and jobs

6
The EU is currently experiencing very challeng-
ing economic times. The crisis has clearly dem-
onstrated how interlinked our economies are.
Citizens across Europe have faced difficult years
and now justifiably expect leadership from their
Governments to deliver economic growth and
stability. This is why the Irish Presidency is plac-
ing economic recovery and job creation at the
centre of its Presidency programme. The history
of the Union has shown that the EU can deliver
results, including through the Single Market, and
as Presidency we are working to generate positive
change for citizens.
The Irish Presidency is working to make progress
in a broad range of areas including the Single
Market, the digital economy, the research and in-
novation sector, green technologies and external
trade, with the overarching objective of promot-
ing sustainable economic growth and employ-
ment. It’s also seeking to advance the Europe
2020 process to ensure that the Union remains
competitive in a rapidly changing global mar-
ket. The Presidency is also working to strengthen
national economies through implementation of
economic governance measures, creating a more
stable environment for investors, consumers and
businesses to support economic recovery.
Ireland also stands ready to take forward whatever
actions that remain at the heart of its Presidency,
to bring the EU’s future financing to a successful
conclusion and to underpin investment in stra-
tegic areas of the EU economy; from education
programmes to energy, transport and telecoms
infrastructure to programmes such as Horizon
2020, aimed at boosting the Union’s research and
innovation capabilities. The Irish Presidency is
organising a series of events to promote greater
engagement in the EU during the European Year
of Citizens, particularly at regional level. Close, on-
going and intensive engagement with citizens is a
prerequisite for building Europe’s future.
The EU has proved before that when its Member
States work closely together, it can make great
progress. The awarding of the Nobel Prize to the
citizens of the EU is testament to how much
Member States have achieved through dialogue
and cooperation. Ireland is seeking to maintain
the Union’s successful commitment of delivering
peace, prosperity and progress to all Europeans.
Enda KennyT.D.
Prime Minister of Ireland
The Irish
Presidency looks
to advance
Europe 2020

Committee of the Regions’ contribution to the Europe 2020 strategy’s seven flagship initiatives
7
Europe 2020 is a strategy that can put the EU
Member States back on the path to growth. To
achieve this, it must be tailored to the specific
situation of each EU region and dovetail with the
measures for greater cohesion, in the spirit and
tenor of the Treaty of Lisbon and, of course, Struc-
tural Fund programming. The Europe 2020 strat-
egy can only succeed if Europe’s cities and regions
are involved in its implementation by acting as
partners with other levels of government. The cit-
ies and regions of Europe have certainly needed
no encouragement to get involved.
Two years after the launch of Europe 2020, the
Committee of the Regions published its 3rd
CoR
Monitoring Report on Europe 2020, in November
2012. At the same time, the CoR also launched a
monitoring exercise on the seven flagship initia-
tives of the Europe 2020 strategy, which is due to
be completed in time for the March 2014 Summit
of European Cities and Regions, which will take
stock of the findings of the monitoring exercise
and feed into the mid-term review of the Europe
2020 strategy.
Each survey by the CoR’s Europe 2020 Monitor-
ing Platform has shown that local and regional
authorities are active in most policy fields cov-
ered by the strategy. The strategy has also helped
to create a “shared language” enabling local and
regional authorities to improve relations both
among themselves and with higher levels of
government and other stakeholders. It has also
encouraged certain local authorities to set more
ambitious targets and has helped trigger a rich
experience-sharing process.
Various forms of “multi-level agreements” have
arisen here and there, adapted in line with the
objectives of Europe 2020, no doubt encouraged
by the positive experiences of cohesion policy.
Nonetheless, it should be said that Europe 2020
faces a number of serious challenges.
Firstly, the financial crisis is having a very heavy
impact on local and regional spending. Local and
regional authorities are drastically cutting back
public investments that support growth in order
to focus their expenditure on anti-crisis welfare
measures. That being said, direct sub-national
investment, which amounted to EUR 204 billion
in 2011, has always accounted for two thirds of
European public investment while sub-national
expenditure amounted to EUR 2109 billion or
16.7% of GDP and 34% of public spending.
At European level, our surveys have revealed a se-
ries of problems:
– a lack of coordination between the different
political instruments, which is compounded by:
– a lack of available financial resources for the
Europe 2020 objectives, and
– a strong need to simplify administrative
procedures and to help provide local and
regional public administration with greater
operational capacities;
– insufficient consideration is given to the
regional impact of EU policies.
Unfortunately the Annual Growth Survey for
2013, which was published by the European
Commission at the end of November 2012, did
not address these issues.We will therefore have to
make further efforts at European level to convince
the need for the Member States to draft the 2013
National Reform Programmes, as the main Europe
2020 implementation tools, in partnership with
the local and regional authorities.
There is another sword of Damocles hanging
above the head of the Europe 2020 strategy: in
reality, most of the growth and recovery meas-
ures are based on structural reform (liberalisa-
tion and labour market and pension reforms), the
overwhelming majority of which are to be ad-
dressed at national level, with no increase in the
EU budget. However, it is not possible to pursue
an ambitious strategy without providing the req-
uisite budgetary resources for its implementation
at EU level.
Europe 2020
is a strategy that
can put the EU
back on the path
to growth
“Cohesion policy
is, par excellence,
a strategic
investment
instrument for
sustainable growth and competitiveness,
one which evens out macro-economic
imbalances over time and fosters cohesion.
Local and regional authorities are key
actors in successful implementation of
the Europe 2020 strategy as they could
provide valuable knowledge of different
local situations and a realistic bottom-up
approach.”
Martin Schulz,
President of the European Parliament
“I see my role
as a unifying
role. Meeting
the Committee of the Regions is part of
that role. I hope that, with assistance from
local and regional authorities, the Europe
2020 strategy will be more successful than
its predecessor, the Lisbon strategy. I will
personally see to it that Europe 2020 will
not become another bureaucratic process.”
HermanVan Rompuy,
President of the European Council

8
Furthermore, I also believe that we often confuse
necessary budgetary discipline with austerity by
focusing more on relatively arbitrary reduction
targets than on actually identifying the quality
and productive spending that could pave the way
for economic recovery. It is a case of putting the
cart before the horse. For – if we want to achieve
high levels of employment – it is also absolutely
vital to follow through with fiscal consolidation
and economic recovery, both by maintaining
levels of consumption and by ensuring that more
people contribute to the finances of the welfare
state.
A third comment: there has been a shift towards
a“macroeconomisation”of economic governance
with a concomitant risk that the Europe 2020
strategy may be relegated to a lower position in
the EU’s ranking of political priorities.The fact that
the first strategy document of the presidents of
the Commission, the European Council, the ECB
and the Eurogroup, entitled “Towards a Genuine
Economic and Monetary Union”, made no explicit
mention of the Europe 2020 strategy or its role in
strengthening the EU’s economic governance is a
clear indication of this danger.
Lastly, I think that the main challenge for any
new form of political integration is to ensure
the democratic nature of the EU’s economic
governance.Working together with the European
Parliament, we must put forward specific avenues
for reform which involve parliaments, local and
regional authorities and the social partners
more closely in the European Semester process,
which is currently something of a black hole
democratically. We should not be using “country-
specific recommendations” to set the retirement
age or eligibility thresholds for social housing in
the Member States, which is a matter for national
democratic decision-making.
The challenge for the Committee of the Regions
will be to make sure that we are able to analyse
and put forward ideas as part of this economic
governance which, with its specific decision-
making mechanisms, stands in stark contrast to
what has always been at the very heart of the
Committee of the Regions’ activities, namely
participation in the process of drafting EU
legislation.
Interview with Michel Delebarre, Coordinator of the CoR’s Europe 2020 strategy Monitoring Platform
“Europe 2020 cannot succeed without the active involvement of Europe’s
regions and cities”
We met Michel Delebarre, Coordinator of the CoR’s Europe 2020 strategy Monitoring Platform, who
told us how the Europe 2020 strategy affects local and regional authorities, as well as about the
platform’s programme and proposals for the future. He believes strongly that the new strategy
cannot afford to repeat the errors of the Lisbon strategy:“The Europe 2020 strategy cannot succeed
unless Europe’s towns and regions are actively involved in implementing it, working alongside the
other tiers of governance.”
The Committee of the Regions has set up a
Europe 2020 strategy Monitoring Platform
for which you are coordinator. Why this
platform?What is it aiming to achieve?
The Europe 2020 strategy is the European Union’s
roadmap for economic and social policy - indeed,
almost 80% of the EUR 330 billion earmarked for the
future cohesion policy will be spent on it. The Europe
2020 strategy is designed to enable the EU Member
States and their regions and towns to kick-start
growth. Over 150 local and regional authorities are
members of the Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform
and they all agree on one key message: the errors of
theLisbonstrategymustnotberepeated.TheEurope
2020 strategy cannot succeed unless Europe’s towns
and regions are actively involved in implementing it,
working alongside the other tiers of governance. In
order to achieve this objective, it must adapt to the
specific situation in each EU region and work with
measures to boost economic, social and territorial
cohesion, in accordance with both the spirit and
letter of the Lisbon Treaty and - naturally - structural
fund programming.
The platform has recently canvassed the views
of local and regional authorities to assess the
YouthontheMoveinitiative.Whatarethechief
results of this? What role could and should be
played by towns and regions in combating
unemploymentamongyoungpeople?
Iwouldliketodrawthreeconclusionsfromthissurvey.
Firstly, as regards young people, Europe cannot do
everything; it has neither the means nor the power.
However, without European encouragement,
nationalandregionalyouthpolicieslackperspective
and points of convergence. The best illustration
Europe2020MonitoringPlatform
To achieve the Europe 2020 goals, all
tiers of government should work in
partnership, implementing multilevel
governance agreements. Coordination and
synchronisation of partners’ agendas and
integration of their sectoral policies would
unlockgreatpotentialintheformofsynergies
and systemic effects when implementing
National Reform Programmes. It is crucial
to consider the close links between this
and the ongoing discussion on the new EU
Multiannual Financial Framework after 2013.
To boost mutual learning, CoR is collecting
policy experiences featuring partnerships
between different government tiers. The
Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform is the CoR’s
network of local and regional authorities and
an electronic platform at the same time. It
aims to assess the Europe 2020 strategy from
the point of view of EU regions and cities.
To become a member of the Monitoring
Platform visit our website:
http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020
or contact the Platform by email:
europe2020@cor.europa.eu

9
of this is, I believe, the EU’s “snowball effect”, which
certainly influenced the recent decision presented by
Jean-Marc Ayrault’s government to bring in a youth
guarantee. Youth employment needs to be tackled
bymeansofapolicywhichtakesallaspectsofyoung
people’s lives into account: housing, education and
healthcare. Policies cannot be split into a youth
employment policy and a housing or education
policy. Lastly, the European Commission’s proposals
on youth employment need to be built into the
governance of the Europe 2020 strategy, particularly
when framing country-specific recommendations.
What topics will the platform be considering
over the next few months? What will be the
key issues for you in 2013?
We are currently involved in monitoring the seven
flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 strategy;
this exercise will be finalised in March 2014 when a
Summit of Regions and Cities of Europe will draw
conclusions from it in order to influence the mid-
term review of the Europe 2020 strategy. In late
February during the Irish Presidency, we will hold
a forum on the Europe 2020 flagship initiative An
Agenda for New Skills and New Jobs in Dublin, and
another in April in Brussels on the EU’s industrial
policy. I believe that there are three key issues. Firstly,
the bulk of growth measures proposed at European
level are based on proposals for structural reform
(liberalisation,reformofthelabourmarket,reformof
the pension system) which are almost entirely aimed
at the national level and assume that the EU budget
will remain at the same level. However, there is no
way we can carry out an ambitious strategy without
the resources needed to implement it at EU level.
Next, economic governance in its current form at EU
level focuses exclusively on macroeconomic issues.
Employment is at best a secondary consideration.
This is proven by the fact that most Member
States did not include a national employment
plan, setting out a complete set of measures to
promote job creation, in their 2012 national reform
programmes. The third key issue is democratising
the EU’s economic governance. We need to propose
practical avenues for reform giving parliaments,
localandregionalauthoritiesandthesocialpartners
a stronger role in the EU’s economic governance,
which is currently something of a democratic
black hole. The Commission should not be working
behind the scenes, with national civil servants and
via country-specific recommendations, to set the
retirement age for each Member State or eligibility
criteria for council housing.
The Committee of the Regions issued its 3rd
Monitoring Report on Europe 2020, during
the 2012 Open Days. Europe 2020 is a
natural priority for the new CoR Presidency,
since it sees the achievement of growth in
quantitative as well as qualitative terms
(growth should be smart, sustainable
and inclusive) and as something that can
be flexibly adapted to different national
situations.
ThisThird Monitoring Report can be found at:
http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020/
news/Pages/3rdCoRMonitoringReportonEur
ope2020.aspx
MichelDelebarre(FR/PES), SenatorandMayor
ofDunkirk,CoordinatoroftheCoR’sEurope2020strategy
MonitoringPlatform

10
Europe 2020 is the European Union’s ten-year
growth strategy. It is about more than just
overcoming the crisis which continues to afflict
many of our economies. It is about addressing
the shortcomings of our growth model and
creating the conditions for a different type of
growth that is smarter, more sustainable and
more inclusive. To render this more tangible, five
key targets have been set for the EU to achieve
by the end of the decade, and each member
country has set its own contribution to these
targets. These cover employment; education;
research and innovation; social inclusion and
poverty reduction; and climate/energy. The
strategy was approved by the European Council
in June 2010.
The strategy also includes seven “flagship
initiatives” providing a framework through which
the EU and national authorities mutually reinforce
their efforts in areas supporting the Europe 2020
priorities such as innovation, the digital economy,
employment, youth, industrial policy, poverty,
and resource efficiency.
Europe2020willonlybeasuccessifitisthesubject
of a determined and focused effort at both the EU
and national levels, including local and regional
authorities. At the EU level key decisions are being
taken to complete the single market in services,
energy and digital products, and to invest in
essential cross-border links. At national level many
obstacles to competition and job creation must be
removed. But only if these efforts are combined
and coordinated will they have the desired impact
on growth and jobs.
That is why the delivery of Europe 2020 relies
heavily on the new governance structures and
processes that the EU has been putting in place
since 2010. At the heart of these is the European
Semester, a yearly cycle of economic policy
coordination involving EU level policy guidance
by the European Commission and Council,
reform commitments by the Member States and
country-specific recommendations prepared by
the Commission and endorsed at the highest
level by national leaders in the European Council.
These recommendations should then be taken on
board in the Member States’policies and budgets
The 5 targets for the EU in 2020
1. Employment – 75% of 20-64 year-olds to be employed
2. R&D – 3% of the EU’s GDP to be invested in R&D
3. Climate change /
energy
– Greenhouse gas emissions 20% lower than 1990
– 20% of energy from renewable energy sources
– 20% increase in energy efficiency
4. Education – Reducing school drop-out rates below 10%
– At least 40% of 30-34–year-olds completing third level education
5. Poverty / social
exclusion
– At least 20 million fewer people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion
TheofficialEurope2020websiteis:
http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm
“Whilst retaining
their essential
focus on Europe 2020, the Common
Strategic Framework provides a strong
basis for multi-sectoral integrated
programming. The CSF sets out how the
innovative instruments we have proposed
in the regulation can be articulated to
deliver real place-based programmes
and projects. Key mechanisms such as
Integrated Territorial Investments or
Community-led local development will
offer a genuine opportunity to Member
States and regions to fully apply the
principle of subsidiarity and to empower
key partners to take their development into
their own hands. Cohesion Policy is one
of the keys that can unlock our economic
transformation in the coming decade. We
must defend it, and at the same time make
every effort to increase its effectiveness.
To re-launch growth and job creation, a
sufficient budget for cohesion is needed.
But to convince tax payers and the main
contributors on a sufficient budget, we
need to deliver on our promises to make the
policy more effective. We can only defend
an ambitious budget for a strong Cohesion
Policy if we demonstrate our commitment
to a modern and smart implementation
process and clear objectives aligned with
the Europe 2020 strategy.”
Johannes Hahn,
EU Commissioner for Regional Policy
“
t
Europe 2020 in a nutshell

11
The Committee of the Regions strongly supports
the Europe 2020 strategy, while emphasising the
need to coordinate and implement actions at all
levels of government, including local and regional
authorities. The CoR accomplishes this through a
variety of mechanisms and initiatives, including
the Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform and
Territorial Pacts. As part of the European Semester
and the monitoring of the Europe 2020 strategy,
the Member States submit their annual National
Reform Programmes, which specify the progress
made and action to be undertaken in areas such
as employment, research, innovation, energy or
social inclusion in order to meet the goals and
targets set out in the Europe 2020 strategy.
All Member States have committed themselves to
the Europe 2020 strategy. However, each country
has different economic circumstances and
translates the overall EU objectives into national
targets in its National Reform Programme – a
document which presents the country’s policies
and measures to sustain growth and jobs and
to reach the Europe 2020 targets. The National
Reform Programme is presented in parallel with
its Stability and Convergence Programme, which
sets out the country’s budgetary plans for the
coming three or four years. The Country-specific
Recommendations are documents prepared
by the European Commission for each country,
analysing its economic situation and providing
recommendations on measures it should adopt
over the coming 12 months. They are tailored to
theparticularissuestheMemberStateisfacingand
cover a broad range of topics: the state of public
finances, reforms of pension systems, measures to
createjobsandtofightunemployment,education
and innovation challenges, etc.The final adoption
of Country-specific Recommendations prepared
by the Commission is done at the highest level by
national leaders in the European Council.
In September 2012, the CoR published a study
on the “Role of local and regional authorities in
the Europe 2020 National Reform Programmes –
analysisofthe2012NationalReformProgrammes”.
The study analysed the role played by territorial
authorities in the first round of National Reform
Programmes (NRP) submissions in 2011. It
reflected the dynamic nature of Europe’s
economic and policy landscape, including the
pressing need to promote sustainable job growth
and the fiscal consolidation of the public sector.
Localandregionalauthoritiesarereferredtointhe
majority of National Reform Programmes – 24 out
ofatotalof27NRPsstatethatterritorialauthorities
have a role in implementing the actions outlined
in the NRP. Local and regional authorities are also
frequently mentioned (in 20 out of 27 NRPs) in the
context of NRP implementation, with a specific
focus on the two priority areas of job creation and
combating youth unemployment.
“Today, the
main challenge
is economic
growth. Europe
needs growth. Not just national policy, but
all European policies must be focused on
creating conditions for growth. Therefore,
our common responsibility - the European
Commission, the European Parliament,
Member States, local and regional
authorities - is to ensure that the European
budget is an effective and efficient
engine for development, a truly long-
term investment in the future of Europe
supporting the objectives of the Europe
2020 strategy. The European Parliament
has shown strong support to the alignment
of cohesion policy with the Europe 2020
strategy, arguing that cohesion policy has
to contribute in a concrete and measurable
way to the Europe 2020 strategy goals for
smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
We believe that the explicit linkage to the
Europe 2020 strategy, through thematic
objectives derived from it, provides a real
opportunity for reform, prioritisation,
increased synergies and a better delivery
system. We all agree that public investment
needs to be better targeted and spending
needs to be more effective in the future.
However, members of my Committee
plead for greater flexibility, giving
regions and municipalities more leeway
to adapt programmes to their specific
characteristics; as indeed Europe’s regions
and cities are not only making a difference,
but they are also different and each has a
specific mix of strength and weaknesses,
challenges and opportunities.”
Danuta Hübner,
Chairwoman of the Committee
on Regional Development, European
Parliament
Europe 2020 National Reform Programmes
and territorial authorities
The most
important issue
for the region:
unemployment
< 20%
20% - 40%
40% - 60%
60% - 80%
> 80%
% of respondents
© EuroGeographics Association for the
administrative boundaries EuroGeographics
Association for the administrative boundaries
0 500 Km
Guyane
Açores
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Madeira
Canarias
Réunion
REGIOgis
The27NationalReformProgrammes,andCountry-
SpecificRecommendations,canbefoundat:
http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm
Source:FlashEurobarometer356

12
Country-specific Europe 2020 targets as set by Member States in their National Reform
Programmes in April 2011
Source:
http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/pdf/targets_en.pdf
EU/MemberStatestargets
Employmentrate
(in%)
R&Din%ofGDP
CO2emission
reductiontargets
Renewable
energy
Energyefficiency–
reductionofenergy
consumptioninMtoe
Earlyschool
leavingin%
Tertiaryeducation
in%
Reductionofpopulationatriskofpovertyorsocial
exclusioninnumberofpersons
EUheadlinetarget 75% 3%
-20%(comparedto
1990levels)
20%
20%increaseinenergy
efficiencyequalling
368Mtoe
10% 40% 20,000,000
EstimatedEU3 73.70-74% 2.65-2.72%
-20%(comparedto
1990levels)
20% 206.9Mtoe 10.30-10.50% 37.50-38.0%
Resultcannotbecalculatedbecauseofdifferences
innationalmethodologies
AT 77-78% 3.76% -16% 34% 7.16 9.5% 38% 235,000
BE 73.2% 3.0% -15% 13% 9.80 9.5% 47% 380,000
BG 76% 1.5% 20% 16% 3.20 11% 36% 260,000
CY 75-77% 0.5% -5% 13% 0.46 10% 46% 27,000
CZ 75% 1%(publicsectoronly) 9% 13% n.a. 5.5% 32%
Maintainingthenumberofpersonsatriskof
povertyorsocialexclusionatthelevelof2008
(15.3%oftotalpopulation)witheffortstoreduce
itby30,000
DE 77% 3% -14% 18% 38.30 <10% 42% 330,000(long-termunemployed)
DK 80% 3% -20% 30% 0.83 <10% Atleast40% 22,000(householdwithlowworkintensity)
EE 76% 3% 11% 25% 0.71 9.5% 40%
Reducetheatriskofpovertyrate(aftersocial
transfers)to15%(from17.5%in2010)
EL 70% toberevised -4% 18% 2.70 9.7% 32% 450,000
ES 74% 3% -10% 20% 25.20 15% 44% 1,400,000-1,500,000
FI 78% 4% -16% 38% 4.21 8%
42%(narrow
national
definition)
150,000
FR 75% 3% -14% 23% 34.00 9.5% 50%
Reductionoftheanchoredatriskofpovertyrate
byonethirdfortheperiod 2007-2012orby1,600
000people
HU 75% 1.8% 10% 14.65% 2.96 10% 30.3% 450,000
IE 69-71% approx.2%(2.5%GNP) -20% 16% 2.75 8% 60% 186,000by2016
IT 67-69% 1.53% -13% 17% 27.90 15-16% 26-27% 2,200,000
LT 72.8% 1.9% 15% 23% 1.14 <9% 40% 170,000
LU 73% 2.3-2.6% -20% 11% 0.20 <10% 40% Notarget
LV 73% 1.5% 17% 40% 0.67 13.4% 34-36% 121,000
MT 62.9% 0.67% 5% 10% 0.24 29% 33% 6,560
NL 80% 2,5% -16% 14% n.a. <8%
>40%-45%
expectedin2020
100,000
PL 71% 1.7% 14% 15.48% 14.00 4.5% 45% 1,500,000
PT 75% 2.7-3.3% 1% 31% 6.00 10% 40% 200,000
RO 70% 2% 19% 24% 10.00 11.3% 26.7% 580,000
SE Wellover80% 4% -17% 49% 12.80 <10% 40-45%
Reductionofthe%ofwomenandmenwhoare
notinthelabourforce(exceptfull-timestudents),
thelong-termunemployedorthoseonlong-term
sickleavetowellunder14%by2020
SI 75% 3% 4% 25% n.a. 5% 40% 40,000
SK 72% 1% 13% 14% 1.65 6% 40% 170,000
UK NotargetinNRP NotargetinNRP -16% 15% n.a.
Notargetin
NRP
NotargetinNRP
Existingnumericaltargetsofthe2010Child
PovertyAct
Source:
http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/pdf/targets_en.pdf

13
Partnership contracts between Member States and the European
Commission should be based on agreements negotiated with
local and regional authorities
If we wish to restore Europe’s confidence in the
future, we must not abandon the investments
that bolster the foundations of future growth –
investment in research and innovation, education
and vocational training. Such investment is vital
for backing up labour market reforms, ensuring
the integration into the labour market of young
people and steering our economy towards green
growth.
Of course, the measures necessary in the short
term must be consistent with the goals of both
Europe 2020 and territorial cohesion, which is
subject to different conditions in line with the
particular situations of the Member States. On this
last point, it is crucial to insist on the conditions
on which our support of Europe 2020 was based:
adaptation to the different starting points, and
setting the quantitative targets not only at
national level but also at regional level. But we
must be realistic: since one of the primary tasks of
the Structural Funds will also be to help meet the
Europe2020goals,Ibelievethatwemustseizethe
opportunity of the partnership contracts to also
discuss, around the same table, the coordination
and integration of all the other policies necessary
to the success of Europe 2020. The bottom line
is that partnership contracts signed by Member
States with the European Commission should be
based on an agreement negotiated with their
local and regional authorities.
We are convinced that the partnership approach
and multilevel governance will not only serve to
revive the economy and employment by laying
thefoundationsforsmart,sustainableandinclusive
growth, but will also help inject fresh political
impetus into the European venture – through a
strongrevivaloftheCommunitymethod–capable
of restoring the democratic legitimacy of the
European and national institutions.
Estonia’s “Eesti 2020” involving local and regional authorities
in delivering Europe 2020
Estonia’s “Eesti 2020” competitiveness plan brings
together the main policies and measures to
improve the country’s competitiveness, and sets
targets for 2015 and 2020. The plan is in line with
the goals of the Euro 2020 strategy and with the
challenges facing Estonia. “Eesti 2020” takes into
accountthegovernment’sactionprogramme,the
national budget strategy, the stability programme
and the action plan. It has been drawn up and
implemented under the coordination of an inter-
ministerial working group on competitiveness,
with the involvement of all the key partners and
experts from many fields.
However, local authorities were not treated
as important partners, and were only given
a secondary role as the government was not
particularly interested in having tangible input
from them on the strategy and the accompanying
action plan. The government half-heartedly
invited suggestions, but has not given any
detailed feedback.
However, it is precisely local and regional
authorities which will be responsible for
implementing numerous projects of national
importance under the plan. Many local
Estonian authorities are now being compelled
to implement numerous measures which the
“Eesti 2020” action plan envisages being taken
at local level; however, a plan which attaches so
little importance to dialogue cannot be seen as
systematic or sufficiently thought through, and in
the long term it will not be sustainable for local
authorities.
St t ith th E C i i h ld b
Mercedes Bresso (IT/PES)
First Vice-President of the Committee
of the Regions
Uno Silberg (EA/EE)
Member of Kose Municipality Council, Chairman
of the European Alliance Group of the CoR

14
Dialogue, involvement and funding to achieve
shared goals are the only reasonable means
of meeting the challenges facing Estonia in a
constructive and effective way, and this requires
closer cooperation with local authorities than
has hitherto been the case. In addition to
the EU’s recommendations to Estonia, which
must be taken into account during the annual
updating of the “Eesti 2020” action plan, there
are also fully justified expectations that local
authorities should be more effectively involved
in all respects. Closer cooperation between
the Estonian parliament and the government
together with greater involvement of local
authorities in planning and implementing
measures of national relevance could in the
long term create conditions for more economic
growth while enhancing the country’s
competitiveness and that of the European Union
as a whole.
Belgian communities and regions working together to achieve
Europe 2020 objectives
In Belgium, competences are shared between
the federal level, the regions and the language
communities: exclusive competences are
attributed to the federated bodies and they are
closely involved in preparing the National Reform
Programmes (NRP) and Stability Programmes. The
NRP submitted in 2011 by the federal government
thus fully included the measures that the
language communities and regions intend to roll
out in order to help achieve the five objectives of
the Europe 2020 strategy.
The regions have also drawn up their own
regional reform programmes, the key points
of which are set out in the NRP: Vlaanderen in
actie (Flanders in Action) for Flanders and the Plan
Marshall2.Vert (Marshall Plan 2.Green) forWallonia.
The NRP is part of the European Semester process
introduced in 2011 under the Europe 2020
strategy.The NRP submitted in 2011 was therefore
the first of its kind. The 2012 version aims firstly
to describe the progress made with the reforms
announced in 2011 in terms of achieving the
national objectives and, secondly, to fulfil the
Council’s recommendations. This programme
should also take on board the guidelines supplied
by the European Commission and the European
Council for the 2012 European Semester, with
particular reference to the youth unemployment
issue.
The 2012 Belgian NRP is divided into three main
sections. The first focuses on macroeconomic
surveillanceandcomesunderthemacroeconomic
imbalance surveillance and prevention process.
The second scrutinises the implementation of the
2011 NRP, detailing Belgium’s response to each of
the Council’s recommendations. The third section
reports on the state of progress and presents
newly-planned measures concerning the
Europe 2020 objectives (employment, R&D and
innovation, education and training, energy and
the climate, social inclusion). Once again, each
body contributes to drafting the programmes
for the fields relevant to it. In this way, a joint
contribution from Wallonia and the Wallonia-
Brussels Federation was appended to the 2012
programme.
Since the Council’s recommendations to Belgium
mainly concern federal competences, the
NRP details the measures taken by the federal
government, especially in the area of pension
reform, unemployment schemes and taxation, as
well as macroeconomic stability measures. The
federated bodies also had the opportunity to
highlight the measures taken by their respective
governments, mirroring the European guidelines
and the aim of achieving the Europe 2020 strategy
objectives.
The Commission’s recommendations, endorsed
by the European Council of 28 and 29 June 2012,
provide a roadmap for each of our governments
to press ahead with reforms and, if appropriate, to
implement new initiatives and contributions for
the next NRP.
“It is important
for achieving
the Europe
2020 strategy
and the Common Strategic Framework,
in accordance with the principle of
proportionality, that the CSF effectively
play its role of clarifying and spelling out
the logic of individual fund intervention
in the future programming period, while
leaving room for adapting programme
intervention to the specific situation, needs
and potential of individual Member States
and regions. The CSF should provide an
indicative framework for partnership
contracts and operational programmes
prepared in individual Member States.
This will give the Member States and their
competent regional and local authorities
the possibility of pursuing an individual
approach which responds to their
development needs, while taking account
of the objectives of the Europe 2020
strategy.”
MarekWoźniak (PL/EPP),
Marshal of the Wielkopolska region,
Chairman of the COTER Commission
of the CoR
“
f
t
2
Michel Lebrun (BE/EPP)
Member of the Parliament of the French-speaking
Community, Chair of the CoR’s Commission for
Financial and Administrative Affairs (CFAA)

15
I would like to see a stronger emphasis on culture
and innovation
Youth unemployment hit a record high of 23% in
autumn 2012 for the European Union. As Chair of
the CoR Commission on Education,Youth, Culture
and Research (EDUC), I am devoted to the further
development of youth policies at a time when
the crisis is having a strong impact on the next
generation.
Within this context, I would like to see a stronger
emphasis on culture and innovation. In my
opinion on promoting cultural and creative
sectors for growth and jobs in the EU, I underline
that the preservation and development of
culture, in all its expressions, is in serious danger
due to the financial cuts. We have to remember
that culture and creativity are important driving
forces for growth in the regional and local
economy. Moreover, by giving young people
the opportunity to take part in cultural events,
we enable them to broaden their horizons and
overcome prejudices. This is an important step
towards a more inclusive, responsible and equal
society. Culture and innovation is therefore, in my
view, a cornerstone for developing jobs and skills
for the next generation.
There have been many proposals from the
EuropeanCommissioninrelationtoyouthpolicies
and getting young people into work. Most
recently, the Youth Employment Package. It is in
the EDUC Work programme for 2013 and we will
ensurethatlocalandregionalauthoritiescanhave
their say. I also welcome the Youth Opportunity
flagship initiative and the consultation on a
quality framework for traineeships, as proposed
by the European Commission. Such measures,
within the Europe 2020 strategy’s Youth on the
Move initiative, are also a clear priority for the Irish
Presidency of the Council of Ministers. In many
Member States, local and regional authorities are
primarily responsible for youth policy. With the
principle of subsidiarity in mind, we will endeavor
to support all proposals that ensure young people
can have a smooth transition from education to
work.
Unemployment levels of young people are twice as high as the average of the total workforce and in some Member States, one in two below 25
is now jobless as a result of the economic crisis. Youth unemployment stands at an unprecedented high of 5.5 million (23.6%, up by 50% since
2008). Many of these young people looking for a job will miss opportunities because they lack the right qualifications or experience.The European
Commission launchedYouth on the Move, the flagship initiative aimed at helping these young people to gain the knowledge, skills and experience
they need to make their first job a reality. Part of the EU’s Europe 2020 strategy, Youth on the Move proposes 28 key actions aimed at making
education and training more relevant to young people’s needs and encouraging more of them to take advantage of EU grants to study or train in
another country. This will increase young people’s employability and access to the labour market.
Anton Rombouts (NL/EPP)
Mayor of the city of‘s-Hertogenbosch, Chairman
of the Education, Youth, Culture and Research
Commission (EDUC) of the CoR
Youth on the Move

16
One of the main goals for youth and education
policy in my city Hertogenbosch is to reduce
the number of youngsters leaving school
without qualifications. I believe that responsible
investments in culture and sport help to promote
tolerance and mutual respect whilst creating
a safe city for all. As far as young people are
concerned, we need to ensure that they have
access to new skills and jobs; be this through
traditional education or extracurricular activities.
Unless we invest now in support of growth in a sustainable
manner, we risk a lost generation
Young people have borne the brunt of the
crisis: they face unprecedented levels of
unemployment and increased risks of social
exclusion and poverty. Unless we invest now in
support of growth in a sustainable manner, we
risk a lost generation. Education, along with social
policies, have a crucial role to play; education in
particular is the foundation for developing the
skills and competences which Europe needs to
remain competitive and ensure we have the right
people for the jobs of tomorrow. We must create
the conditions that will help young people to be
active in society and to have a future. The critical
mass to achieve these objectives is there.
The European Commission recently launched
the “Rethinking Education” initiative which
calls on Member States and regions to invest
more in education and training and ensure that
institutions and systems are more open, flexible
and efficient. Everybody needs to master the
basic skills in literacy and numeracy, but these
alone are not enough to succeed in the modern
knowledge economy. Young people also need
good computer skills, entrepreneurship skills, and
to speak foreign languages. Fewer people will
stay in the same job or profession throughout
their working life in future. Skills which enhance
people’s versatility are increasingly important.
The Commission supports Member States by
encouraging the exchange of good practice and
ideas, as well as monitoring national reforms.
We also provide grants to more than 400 000
young people a year to enhance their skills
through opportunities to study, train or volunteer
abroad under the Lifelong Learning Programme
(Erasmus, Leonardo, Comenius, Grundtvig) and
Youth in Action. We have proposed to double the
number of these grants through the new Erasmus
for all programme in 2014-2020. The Commission
also promotes“youth guarantees”to avoid the risk
of young people being out of work or education
for too long. Reforming education and training
systems takes time, so it is essential that Member
States and regions (which are normally the level
of government responsible for education and
training) act now to ensure that today’s young
people do not become a lost generation.
Youth on the Move can only be successfully implemented with
the help of local and regional authorities
The EU’s Youth on the Move flagship initiative can
only be successfully implemented with the help of
local and regional authorities, because their contact
with young people puts them in the best position
to understand their situation and circumstances.
Local and regional authorities can develop systems
to promote mobility in education and training pro-
grammes and cross-border voluntary work by sup-
porting the development organisations that send
or host volunteers, and also by encouraging young
people at local level to get involved in international
voluntary work.
They can motivate young people to get involved
in local decision-making processes, so that today’s
youth can contribute more to the economic, social
and political life of the regions. This can also help
AndroullaVassiliou
European Commissioner for Education, Culture,
Multilingualism, Sport, Media and Youth
Alin Adrian Nica (RO/ALDE)
Mayor of Dudeştii Noi, former Chairman of the
Education, Youth, Culture and Research Commission
(EDUC) of the CoR
Youth on the Move
“Cities and regions
are not only home
for European
citizens but also
the heart and spirit of the European Union.
They are the driving force for the Europe
2020 strategy and the flagship initiative
Youth on the Move. The contribution to
the strategy by local and regional level is
essential for its success.”
Doris Pack,
MEP, Chairwoman of the Culture
and Education Committee
“
a
f

17
them to develop into conscientious European
citizens. The CoR opinion on the Green Paper on
Promoting the learning mobility of young people
notes that local and regional authorities can make
an important contribution to enhancing mobility
for education purposes. This is particularly true
with respect to information, advice and awareness-
raising, but also in most cases for quality control and
financial support.
Being represented at European level is critically
important, especially for young people. Voluntary
work is an example: the European Voluntary
Service enables young people to visit another
country, learn new languages, try out new career
paths and further their personal development.
The EU can support Member States like Romania
in helping voluntary organisations to overcome
the many obstacles (e.g. legal and financial) they
face. The EU also has major funding programmes,
such as the European Social Fund and the Youth
in Action programme, which provide support
and advice to national, local and regional
organisations.
New Youth Competence Centres are good tools for Investing
in youth, new skills and jobs
Thesharpincreaseinyouthunemployment,linked
to a great extent to the current economic crisis
and the subsequent decline in job creation, is also
due to a mismatch between labour market needs
and the available skills.Yet formal education is not
the only way of equipping people with the right
skills for employment. This is why it is necessary
to focus on learning outcomes as well as on
knowledge and skills gained in practical contexts
by recognising, inter alia, skills and competences
previously acquired elsewhere, including through
informal and non-formal education.
TheYouth Competence Centres (YCC) in Antwerp,
Belgium, which guide and encourage young
people to discover and develop their skills, are
a tangible example of this approach. We look at
how people spend their leisure time and what
their non-formal skills are.We make young people
aware of their talents and offer them a chance
to start working with them. Our “‘occupational
competency tutors” work together with young
people to identify their needs when it comes
to looking for work or deciding on appropriate
training.
There are currently three YCCs in Antwerp. The
“de Branderij” YCC in Borgerhout focuses on
the implementation of integrated competence
pathways in the same way as our other projects
in Antwerp, placing a particular emphasis on
management training and youth. At “21N” we
focus on reaching out to the maximum number
of vulnerable young people in their free time.
The explicit objective is to improve their chances
on the labour market. Finally, “Zappa” , in Kiel,
seeks to turn the skills that young people acquire
in their leisure time into real assets on the labour
market. YCCs are certainly no panacea but they
do represent an important step in the right
direction.
Youth on the Move
Mia DeVits (BE/PES)
Member of the Flemish Parliament

18
Agenda for New Skills and Jobs
The role of local and regional authorities in promoting growth
and creating jobs
During this difficult period of economic crisis
and repeated attempts at recovery, it is vital
to promote the role which the EU can play in
restoring growth, particularly through its local
and regional authorities. The Committee of
the Regions felt the need to table an opinion
which, by distilling the experience of the regions,
could provide strong and authoritative input for
the European debate. The opinion begins by
noting that socio-economic disparities between
Member States and regions have been getting
bigger rather than smaller. The economic crisis
has shown that public spending can no longer be
managed inefficiently. Analysis of the institutions’
proposals and of the situation has led the
Committee to the following conclusions:
– The importance of strengthening the single
market, reducing regulatory complexity,
mobilising the EIB and introducing project
bonds (especially in relation to the Connecting
Europe Facility) to fund fast-acting measures to
promote growth;
– The crucial role of local authorities and the
need to make better use of the ESF, the
ERDF and other EU programmes (Progress
microfinancing facility and the European
Globalisation Adjustment Fund);
– The need for more incentives for
entrepreneurship, inter alia through Erasmus
for young entrepreneurs, and investments with
chambers of commerce and the Enterprise
Europe Network;
– PromotionofCSRandqualitylabels(bothpublic
and private) to help and support employment
and industry and strengthen support for
proper training, and apprenticeships with work
experience.
This initiative outlines how the Commission will help the EU reach its employment target for 2020: 75% of the working-age population (20-64 years)
in work.The Agenda also contributes to achieving the EU’s targets to get the early school-leaving rate below 10% and more young people in higher
education or equivalent vocational education (at least 40%), as well as to have at least 20 million fewer people in or at risk of poverty and social
exclusion by 2020. The Agenda presents a set of concrete actions that will help to:
• Step up reforms to improve flexibility and security in the labour market;
• Equip people with the right skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow;
• Improve the quality of jobs and ensuring better working conditions;
• Improve the conditions for job creation.
Maria Luisa Coppola (IT/EPP)
Regional councillor, Veneto Region
“The economic
and financial crisis
makes a robust
investment policy promoting economic
and social cohesion more relevant than
ever. By showing the way to support the
Europe 2020 strategy targets with EU funds,
the Common Strategic Framework will
help Member States concentrate scarce
resources on the key challenges and exploit
synergies better than in the past. It will
show for example how the investments
of the European Social Fund can promote
labour market participation and reduce
unemployment by focusing on young
people and the elderly, and how skills can
be improved by better apprenticeship
policies, how education and training
systems can be reformed and active
inclusion supported. And it will also explain
how the other funds can contribute to
these vital objectives.”
László Andor,
European Commissioner for Employment,
Social Affairs and Inclusion
“
a
m

19
In 2013, the Committee of the Regions is
confirming its commitment to mapping out a
new path to growth and recovery for Europe, and
it will continue to play its part in bringing these
priorities to the attention of the Council and the
European Parliament.
The Hague: Working hard to develop new security cluster
The role of local and regional authorities in
developing the European Agenda for New Skills
and Jobs is extremely important in enabling the
European economy to grow. The Committee of
the Regions therefore recommended, back in
2011, that the contribution of Europe’s provinces
and municipalities should be strengthened,
because they are in an excellent position to
develop strategic cooperation between education
institutions, businesses and governments. The
Hague Security Delta (HSD) is a good example of
The Hague’s contribution to achieving this agenda.
The Hague is working hard to develop the security
cluster in the HSD. Businesses specialising in, for
example, cyber security, national security and
forensic research are working together, benefiting
from each other’s knowledge and innovation,
with certain costs being shared where necessary.
In order to strengthen the cluster even more,
The Hague has taken the initiative to develop a
wide range of training courses in cooperation
with further and higher vocational education
institutions, universities in the region (Delft and
Leiden) and industry. One good example of this is
the brand-new Cyber Security Academy.
I am convinced that these kinds of regional
cooperation between local government, industry
and knowledge institutions are the only way of
ensuring that the European economy can grow
and be competitive. There are 300 businesses
in The Hague region’s security cluster, with a
combined turnover of EUR 1.5 billion. The sector
provides 10 000 jobs, and the huge economic
potential of “security” means that this will rise to
30 000. Moreover, turnover is expected to come to
a good EUR 4 billion over several years.
It is therefore necessary, from every point of view,
to continue to look forward and to ensure that
people are well trained. Only then will we be able
to meet the expected increase in demand. We are
also contributing to increasing employment in
Europe, which is a key focal point of the European
Agenda for New Skills and Jobs.
The SÖM Project in Malmö: towards a comprehensive
and sustainable way of integrating immigrants
The Swedish city of Malmö is the Nordic country’s
thirdlargestcity,afterStockholmandGothenburg,
with a total population of nearly 300 000. 29%
of the total population, or some 80 000 people,
live in the metropolis’s south-eastern or “SÖM”
area . Although it has the potential to be one of
the most prosperous parts of Malmö, the SÖM
area suffers high unemployment and many of
its citizens consequently rely on regional or state
social benefits. This was the main reason for the
Swedish authorities’ 2003 decision to implement,
in conjunction with the area’s businesses,
associations and residents, what became
known as the SÖM project. The SÖM project
has developed some 10 measures fostering
regeneration in the area, thus achieving the
objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, primarily
social integration, growth of the local economy
and combating unemployment. The cornerstone
of the project is a process of multi-sectoral
coordination based on an integration strategy
to generate environmental, economic and social
sustainability and stimulate growth in Malmo’s
south-eastern neighbourhoods, covering four city
districts where there is high unemployment.
This local project has enabled different
stakeholders from both the public and private
sectors, associations and NGOs to work together
to achieve sustainable growth in the area.
d b titi Th 300 b i
Henk Kool (NL/PES)
Alderman for social affairs, employment and the
economy, Municipality of The Hague
Ilmar Reepalu (SE/PES)
Mayor of Malmö

20
Furthermore, before the project got off the
ground, a public consultation and planning
process took place to identify people’s real social
needs.To go ahead with the project, the city had a
total budget of EUR 190 000, EUR 81 105 of which
came from European funds (the European Social
Fund and the European Regional Development
Fund) for the 2007-2013 financing period.
The SÖM project recently received one of the
2012 RegioStars awards, given each year by the
European Commission’s Directorate-General
for Regional Development for the best regional
development measures co-financed by the EU.
The RegioStars awards comprise five categories:
smart growth, sustainable growth, inclusive
growth, CityStar and, finally, public information
and communication. These thematic groups
reflect the objectives set by the Commission
in the Europe 2020 strategy for the future of
cohesion policy. The projects provide an example
of what European regions and cities can achieve
with funding and investment from the EU, at the
same time benefiting the whole of Europe. The
Swedish project won the award in the CityStar
category, for projects that promote integration
and development in deprived urban areas. At
the awards ceremony held on 14 June 2012,
Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional
Policy, stressed that the awards “show the
synergies between different EU programmes and
how Regional Policy is supporting innovation and
sustainable development in different regional
contexts’’. I am very proud of the work done
through the SÖM project. Although work is still
ongoing under the area-based programme for
a socially sustainable Malmö, this award is proof
that through the SÖM project, the city of Malmö
is moving in the right direction to achieve socially
sustainable development and demonstrates the
important financing role played by European
funds.
For the Castile and León region, regional growth means
employment
We in Castile and León are working to help put
the Europe 2020 strategy into practice.To achieve
regional development and growth and to counter
the effects of the crisis, such as unemployment –
which has reached record levels across Europe
– the move from study to the labour market
must be made easier. To this end, we are taking a
series of steps such as enhancing access to high-
quality training programmes. Tying in with the
youth employment initiative under the Europe
2020 strategy, Aulaceei.com (the European
Business and Innovation Centre for Castile and
León) is a platform where young entrepreneurs
can seek guidance, advice and training on
starting up a business. Its main task is to prepare
business plans and harness business innovation.
It offers a range of business courses from initial
design, administration and innovation through
to business consolidation. The platform also
promotes the dissemination of a business culture
through topical workshops and by bringing
future entrepreneurs together with academics to
pool know-how and update skills.
The regional government of Castile and León has
published a guide outlining the most relevant
future career profiles for the region involving
technological development and innovation in a
globalised world. The main aim is to ensure that
the region’s universities – who contributed to the
study – bring their subject areas and programmes
into line with the future needs of the private
industrial sector. The study has identified 67
key profiles across six broad economic sectors
(agrifood; health and quality of life; water, energy
and the environment; transport and mobility;
leisure and tourism; and industrial processes).
These measures, to be included in the European
Commission’s Youth Employment Package, are
effective and are helping society in Castile and
León to tackle the crisis.
We in Castile and León are working to help put
JuanVicente Herrera Campo (ES/EPP)
President of the Regional Government of Castile
and Leon

21
Industrial Policy for the Globalisation Era
Local authorities are partners in revitalising industry
Local authorities are concerned by industrial
policy, not only because they are the first to suffer
the consequences of deindustrialisation, but also
because they are partners, too often forgotten, in
revitalising industry.
Three of the six priority lines of action proposed
by the European Commission – bio-products,
construction and sustainable raw materials,
clean vehicles and smart networks – by their
very nature have a local dimension. In addition,
it is on a local level that changes in our way of
life and production methods are played out and
innovative ecosystems take root.
Industry is above all a collection of skills,
knowledgeandknow-howinbusinessesandtheir
environment provided by the people of Europe.
Local authorities have a key role in harnessing and
governing all these things.
In Picardy, the regional authorities have mobilised
local players on major issues such as bio-refinery,
alternative energy, new forms of mobility,
and clean and safe production processes. This
approach, which brings together research,
innovation and training, is being introduced in the
region by the establishment of a technopolitan
network and is one of the key strategies of the
Regional Plan for Sustainable Development and
Spatial Planning.
In a knowledge-based society, regions are not just
places where activities are carried out, but one of
the major contributors to innovation and wealth
creation.
Industry is at the centre of the new growth model for the EU economy as outlined in the Europe 2020 strategy. This initiative therefore proposes a
fresh approach to industrial policy that will strengthen EU competitiveness, provide growth and jobs, and enable the transition to a low-carbon and
resource-efficient economy. For this purpose, it is essential to consider industrial policy in its wider sense, embracing those policies that have an
impact on the cost, price and innovative competitiveness of industry and individual sectors, but also taking on board the competitiveness effects
of all other policy initiatives which can have an important influence on the cost, price and innovative competitiveness. This not only includes the
single-market and trade policies, but also the transport, energy, environmental or social and consumer-protection policies.
Local authorities are concerned by industrial
Claude Gewerc (FR/PES)
President of the Picardy Regional Council
“Europe needs
its real economy
now more than
ever to underpin
the recovery of economic growth and
jobs and it needs to re-industrialise for
the 21st century. Immediate action
should contribute to reverse the current
downward trend and to promote the
re-industrialisation of Europe. Currently
industry accounts for about 16% of EU
GDP. Therefore, the European Commission
has set its goal that industry’s share of GDP
should be around 20% by 2020. Europe’s
industry is well placed to assume this role:
Europe is a world-leader in many strategic
sectors such as automotive, aeronautics,
engineering, space, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals. Industry still accounts
for 4/5 of Europe’s exports and 80% of
private sector R&D investment comes from
manufacturing. If confidence comes back,
and with it new investments, Europe’s
industry can perform better and start
growing again.”
Antonio Tajani,
Vice-President of the European
Commission, responsible for Industry
and Entrepreneurship

22
European small and medium-sized enterprises at a crossroads
In 2012, the Polish Agency for Enterprise
Development published a report showing that
in Poland 95% of firms are SMEs (compared to
an EU average of 92%), with the majority being
one-person or family enterprises. If we look back
over a longer period, it is clear that Polish SMEs
have grown more quickly than the average EU
company and considerably more quickly than
their counterparts in Western Europe. Given the
market share SMEs already have in spite of all
difficulties, we can imagine what SMEs would look
like if barriers to their activities were removed and
they were given additional support.
This is the aim of the 2014-2020 COSME
programme, i.e. the Programme for the
Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs
(2014-2020). The proposal for a regulation
of the European Parliament and the Council
establishing this programme to a large extent
guarantees support for the SME sector. Of course,
one may well question whether the figure of
EUR 2522 bn is enough to support SMEs and
enable them to succeed on European markets
and beyond. It is important that this programme,
while taking account of the EU’s current policies,
supports firms which will compete on foreign
markets, focuses on entrepreneurship education,
introduces a range of financial instruments and
allows for the redevelopment of companies
headed for bankruptcy and which have recovery
programmes.
This programme will give hope and opportunities
to thousands of SMEs throughout the EU to
overcome current labour market conditions and
increase confidence in European business on
both European and global markets.
New challenges for Industrial Policy in Saxony
The European Union has acknowledged that
a strong, diversified and globally competitive
industrial base is important for the economy
and thus also for people in general. As a highly
industrialised region of Germany, Saxony very
much welcomes this. In the early 1990s, i.e.
immediately after the reunification of Germany,
Saxony saw the need to improve competitiveness
in the long-term by targeting future-oriented
industries for development.The Dresden-Freiberg
economic region, for example, has, to a defining
degree, become a centre for the semiconductor
industry and other “key enabling technologies”
(KETs), putting it in competition not so much at EU
as at global level.Therefore, in order to be globally
competitive, we must for example improve our
training provision, free up labour markets and
avoid overregulation, such as in legislation on
chemicals.
However, Europe’s competitiveness also rests
on strategic changes of approach focusing in
particular on KETs. As cross-cutting technologies,
KETs have a decisive impact on all aspects of life.
Saxony has therefore been involved in preparing
the KET strategy and will play an active role in
implementing it.
One key element of the KET strategy is pilot lines
to fill the gap between research and production
that has been observed in Europe. The European
Union should provide industry with committed
support in setting up these pilot lines, given that
there is global competition for future-oriented
technologies. Winning this competition as often
as possible will enable us to secure jobs and
prosperity for the future.
Industrial Policy
for the Globalisation Era
In 2012 the Polish Agency for Enterprise
Witold Krochmal (PL/EA),
Member of the Wołów Town Council, coordinator
of the EA group at the ECOS commission
Jürgen Martens (DE/ALDE)
State Minister, Saxony Ministry for Justice
and for Europe
“Forthe
2014–2020
fundingperiod,
theEuropean
Commissionhas
envisagedaround
EUR182billionintotalfortheEuropean
RegionalDevelopmentFund.Assumingthe
EuropeanParliamentandtheCounciltake
uptheproposal,thismeansthatthefund
cancontinueduringthatperiodtoplayits
specialroleinpromotinggrowthandjobs
andimplementingtheEurope2020strategy
atgrassrootslevel.Theimportantthinghere
fromtheCommitteeoftheRegions’pointof
viewisthattheERDFregulationleaveslocal
andregionalauthoritieswiththenecessary
leewaytodraftandimplementdevelopment
strategiestailoredtolocalandregional
needs. Among other things, this means that
the range of ERDF support available must
not be unduly restricted and so prevented
from being given, for example, to larger
businesses or important infrastructure
projects in more developed regions.”
Michael Schneider (DE/EPP),
State Secretary, Plenipotentiary of Saxony-
Anhalt to the German Federal Government
“
2
f
t
C
e
“The regional
state aid revision
process will be
finalised in May
2013. We can’t
afford to waste scarce public resources in
the present situation and we can’t afford
the competition distortions and the harm
to growth opportunities that such wasteful
subsidies would create. It is not only
important to establish that the aid has an
incentive effect, but also that this aid will
contribute to our common objective: that
is, the economic development of regions
across the EU. In other words: it needs to
be well designed. Good subsidised projects
are those that can contribute effectively
to a region’s development strategy and
we know that the impact is higher in the
least developed regions. Given the evidence
we have reviewed about the general
ineffectiveness of aid to large companies in
more advanced regions, I believe that, on
balance, regional investment aid to large
companies should be allowed only in the
least developed regions – the so-called “A
regions” in state aid terminology.”
Joaquín Almunia,
Vice-President of the European
Commission responsible for Competition
Policy

23
European Platform Against Poverty and Social Exclusion
We will continue to push for a stronger social dimension
in the current political agenda
Tacklingtheconsequencesofthefinancial,economic
and social crisis at the local and regional level
remains the key concern of the CoR’s Commission
for Economic and Social Policy (ECOS). The ECOS
Commission will therefore contribute actively
to European policy-making aimed at creating
sustainable jobs, addressing youth unemployment
and protecting the vulnerable from falling into
poverty, while managing public debt with a view
to achieving sustainable budgetary balances. These
challenges will be addressed through several
activities during 2013-2014.
The ECOS Commission’s priority is to contribute
tothefutureoftheEuropeanstrategyforjobsand
growth. Unlocking the full potential of the single
market is seen as a future source of sustainable
growth and jobs. The ECOS Commission is
currently focussing on the governance of
the single market. The ECOS Commission will
closely follow developments in relation to the
single market reform to be launched under the
umbrella of the Single Market Act II. Furthermore,
the ECOS Commission will continue its efforts to
promote small and medium-sized enterprises
and monitor the implementation of the COSME
programme, on which it has recently issued an
opinion. The fight for a substantial reduction
in administrative burdens for SMEs remains a
priority for ECOS. As a member of the European
Entrepreneurial Region (EER) Award Jury, it will
also promote an SME-friendly approach and the
“thinksmallfirst”principlethroughouttheregions
of Europe, thus contributing to the creation
of jobs and increasing the competitiveness of
European SMEs.
In 2013, more than 80 million people across the Union are living below the poverty line. Women account for well over half of them and 20 million
are children. Young people, migrants and the low skilled, often relying on temporary and low-paid jobs, have experienced the greatest increases
in unemployment and are therefore exposed to a worsening of their living conditions. The so-called “working-poor” represented 8% of the
working population, while the risk of poverty rose significantly for the unemployed. Official data showed Eurozone unemployment rose to 11.8%
in November 2012, the highest since the euro currency was founded in 1999. The rate was up from 11.7% in October and 10.6% a year earlier.
Furthermore, 8% of Europeans live in conditions of severe material deprivation and cannot afford a number of necessities considered essential in
order to live a decent life in Europe, such as a telephone, or adequate heating. In the poorest countries, the rate is more than 30%. Moreover, over
9% of European population in working age live in households where nobody works.
Tacklingtheconsequencesofthefinancial economic
Simone Beissel (Luxembourg/ALDE)
Municipal Councillor of the City of Luxembourg,
Chairwoman of the CoR ECOS Commission

24
Despite the poverty reduction targets set by the
Europe 2020 strategy, more and more people are
finding themselves in need of support for their
livelihoods, and local and regional authorities must
respond to this increased need despite their often
limited budgets for social protection measures. We
will therefore continue to push for a stronger social
dimension in the current political agenda.
The experience of Uszka, a predominantly Roma-populated
municipality in Eastern Hungary
Before 1989, the Roma population used to migrate
to work in the Western part of Hungary since there
were no work opportunities in our region. After
the change in political regime, these commuting
Roma were the first to be affected by massive
unemployment. Following local elections in 1994,
the municipal representatives’ main programme
was to help Roma find work and housing. The
returning Roma received land on which to build
houses with social support. By providing practical
and efficient assistance to the Roma population,
our municipality demonstrated that there was no
discrimination between Roma and non-Roma and
thatbothcommunitieslivedtogetherinpeaceand
harmony. As a result, since 1990, its population has
almost doubled from 228 to 419.
Furthermore, the Roma accepted an offer whereby
the local government provided financial and
material support and the Roma provided the labour
to renovate housing. As a result, 67 houses were
renovated and five new houses were bought for
Roma in difficult social circumstances. A new model
programme, the “Education Centre”, was started.
As a result the grades of Roma pupils increased by
30%. Moreover, 37 Roma adults completed primary
education at this Education Centre.
Our local government’s third initiative was to
provide basic support for Roma families who
wanted to engage in intensive cucumber
production, for which there is a stable market in
the region.The initiative was successful. A relatively
small capital investment has given 25 Roma
families a stable source of revenue from May to
September each year. Our experience shows that
the Roma can be integrated, with support from the
public authorities and municipal government, and
that since integration leads to new skills and jobs, it
does not require substantial financial support, but
a more human approach that respects the dignity
and culture of the Roma people.
The Neuvokas network is bringing human warmth
to the Arctic Lapland region
Rovaniemi, in the Arctic area of Finland, is the
northernmost town in the EU. In terms of area
it is also the largest town in the EU, extending
over 8,200 square kilometres. With its 60,000
inhabitants living far beyond the Arctic Circle,
it is also a very sparsely populated area. Rivers
and lakes are frozen for eight months every
year. Rovaniemi calls itself “the beating heart
of Lapland”: it is the capital of Lapland and the
gateway to the home of the only indigenous
people in the EU, the Sami folk. It is, of course, also
known as the official hometown of Santa Claus.
For almost 20 years the Streetwork network
“Neuvokas” (http://www.neuvokasrovaniemi.fi)
has been working in Rovaniemi, taking care of old,
sick, poor and lonely people. Its work is based on
three principles:
– cross-border/culture/generations/districts;
– subsidiarity: always be as near to people as
possible;
– Arctic, sparsely populated society: make it
more cohesive.
43 voluntary public health organisations in the
area are working together to tackle diverse issues
such as: different clinical handicaps, loneliness,
European Platform Against Poverty
and Social Exclusion
István Sértő-Radics (HU/ALDE)
Mayor of Uszka
Antti Liikkanen (FI/PES)
Member of Rovaniemi City Council, founding
member and former Chairman of the board
of Neuvokas network

25
poverty, need for assistance, schooling, culture,
nursing, escorting to hospital facilities, shopping,
face-to-face discussions. A total of 10,000 people
have dedicated some of their time to social work
without requesting a salary or other benefits. The
network has a budget of EUR 350 000, but only
five full-time workers.
Each year, 16,000 contacts are made to assist
people in need, and 8,000 hours are spent on
activities; 1,300 different people are contacted
each month. Social and health officials in the
town purchase services to the tune of EUR 53
500 a year, and the town’s culture department
EUR 25 000. Funds are used for guided art-gallery
visits, concerts, museum visits, theatre plays, and
music soirées. Finland’s Slot Machine Association
provides EUR 240 000 of financing per year for
Neuvokas’s activities.
Helping socially disadvantaged and disabled people
is a priority for the Bratislava Region
The Bratislava Region provides social services
to make life easier for severely disabled people,
help those in difficult circumstances and
demonstrate that such people are valued and
can be integrated into society. The Bratislava
Region runs 15 social services facilities for
various target groups and disabilities. The oldest
of these is the adult Social Care Centre (SCC) in
Báhoň, which has been in operation for almost
80 years. A number of institutions celebrated
anniversaries in 2012, including the Karol Matulay
SCC, Slovakia’s first day centre for mentally
handicapped children (30th anniversary),
Sibírska SCC (25th
anniversary), Hestia SCC (20th
anniversary) and the Integra SCC for adults and
children (20th
anniversary). Next year, Rača SCC
will also celebrate its 20th
anniversary. Javorinská
SCC for adults and children, founded in 1969, is
another of the oldest facilities.The fact that these
institutions have been in operation for many
years shows that we are carrying on a tradition.
The Bratislava Region also supports a number of
organisations and projects that focus on social
services and aid to residents.
In addition, the region has broadened and
improved the quality of its social services by
opening five sheltered housing centres, which
allow disabled people to live as independently
as possible and greatly improve their quality of
life when compared to traditional institutional
care. The Bratislava Region is also thereby
implementing the 2012-2015 National Action Plan
for the Transition from Institutional to Community
Care in the Social Services System, adopted by the
Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Families,
which is based on the Europe 2020 strategy and
the European Commission’s European Disability
Strategy 2010-2020. The Quality Requirements for
Social Services of the Bratislava Region adopted by
the Bratislava regional council constitute a further
significant step towards improving the quality of
social services.This is the first, and so far only, such
document produced by a Slovak region.
The Bratislava Region also organises its own
events, such as the Regional Olympic Games
for senior citizens from institutions run by the
region and by the City of Bratislava, which has
taken place twice so far. The aim of the event is
to provide senior citizens with a light-hearted
opportunity to take part in sport, get exercise and
have fun at the same time.
European Platform Against Poverty
and Social Exclusion
The B ices
Pavol Frešo (SK/EPP)
President of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region,
at the Regional Olympic Games for senior citizens

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