Editorial Cohesion

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Editorial cohesion Objective 1

Convergence Regions

Objective 1

Phasing-out Regions

Phasing-out (till 31–12–2005)

Phasing-in Regions

Phasing-out (till 31–12–2006)

Competitiveness and Employment Regions

Special programme

Objective 2 Objective 2 Objective 2 (partly) Phasing-out (till 31–12–2005) Phasing-out (partly) (till 31–12–2005)

Structural Funds 2004–2006: Areas eligible under Objectives 1 and 2

Structural Funds 2007–2013: Convergence and Regional Competitiveness Objectives

Frank van der Hoeven, TU Delft/ Faculty of Architecture,

cohesion of this part of the city, our street was paved with noise

Lead Partner Connected Cities, Photos: Frank van der Hoeven

reducing asphalt, two bicycle lanes were added, the pavement was resurfaced and some trees were planted. In mid September the

The Interreg Community Initiative is an integral part of Europe’s

residents held a street party to celebrate the reopening of the street.

regional policy. Interreg’s main objective is to strengthen economic

The European flag was prominently displayed as the backdrop for

and social cohesion. In pursuing this objective the European Union

the local musicians who entertained the party-goers. I would not

realised that it also has to consider the territorial dimension of

even be surprised if the musicians’ fees were eligible for European

cohesion. No clear and precise definition of territorial cohesion has yet

funding as part of the dissemination measures for the project.

been made, but as European regional policy focuses mainly on economic and social disparities, territorial cohesion may follow a similar path.

As the lead partner in an Interreg IIIC project, I could disseminate

This would put it on a course for easing the territorial disparities

the experience of the renovation of my street by adding a fact sheet

that exist between countries and regions as a way to contribute to

to the on-line guide to good practice on the connectedcities.eu

the Lisbon and Gothenburg objectives. What will be the territorial

website. This would be appropriate because the renovation of the

consequences of Barroso’s call for a post-industrial revolution?

street (part of an Urban II Community Initiative project) clearly

As Interreg III comes to a close many of our partners are looking to the

First and foremost, European regional policy promotes solidarity

future. What will the new cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation programmes under the Interreg IV ‘European Territorial Cooperation’ objective bring us? In this editorial we look briefly at these policy shifts and try to assess how they relate to our current initiatives.

the eu in your own street Not many people know about Interreg IIIC, Interreg III, the

combines sustainable mobility and urban development. Having

Community Initiatives, the European Regional Development Funds

added this ‘good practice’ to the website I could even claim in our next

(ERDF), or any of the Structural Funds and European regional policy

progress report to the Joint Technical Staff of Interreg IIIC West that

in general. These are not easy to explain to outsiders. Most of us

we had increased the effects of the Structural Funds programmes by

occasionally come across a construction sign with the blue EU logo

identifying another good practice related to the Structural Funds. It

with its fifteen yellow stars signalling an EU financial contribution

may sound bizarre, but, in a nutshell, this is basically what European

to the project. I came across one this summer in my own street.

regional policy is all about.

I moved to a new home in the Oude Noorden district of Rotterdam. Apparently, this district is one of the few ‘Objective 2’ pockets in

structural funds

the province of Zuid-Holland eligible to receive Structural Funds.

First and foremost, European regional policy promotes solidarity.

As part of the programme for improving the economic and social

The policy on reducing the disparities between regions and citizens

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takes up about a third of the EU budget. It works mainly through

In the transition towards the new programming period (2007–2013)

four Structural Funds, one of which is the European Regional

three new objectives have taken the stage: convergence,

Development Fund. Besides the Structural Funds there are other

competitiveness and cooperation. The eligibility map has been

financial instruments, such as the Cohesion Fund.

drastically simplified. Interreg III will continue as Interreg IV, with the Lisbon and Gothenburg objectives forming the main criteria

During the 2000–2006 period most of the Structural Funds were

for assessing projects.

spent on three objectives. Objective 1 helps regions lagging behind in their development. Objective 2 supports economic and social conversion in areas facing structural difficulties. Objective 3 is

territorial imbalances Awareness of a territorial component to European cohesion

about modernising training systems and promoting employment.

policies has grown over the last six years. As a result, territorial

Financial assistance from the Structural Funds under such objectives

cohesion has emerged as a new objective alongside economic and

is restricted to specific regions or areas. The result is a complex

social cohesion. ‘The concept of territorial cohesion extends beyond

tapestry of Objective 1 regions and Objective 2 areas, as can be seen

the notion of economic and social cohesion by both adding to this

on the eligibility map.

and reinforcing it. In policy terms, the objective is to help achieve a more balanced development by reducing existing disparities,

Besides Objectives 1, 2 and 3 and the Cohesion Funds, The Structural

avoiding territorial imbalances and by making both sectoral policies

Funds support four Community Initiatives: Interreg III, URBAN II,

which have a spatial impact and regional policy more coherent.

Leader+ and EQUAL. Interreg III was financed from the European

The concern is also to improve territorial integration and encourage

Regional Development Fund and its mission was the development

cooperation between regions.’2

of cross-border, interregional and transnational cooperation. Interreg IIIC is the interregional strand of the programme. ‘Cooperations

Discussion documents on regional policy mention a number of

under INTERREG IIIC shall give access to experience of other actors

territorial imbalances and the high concentration of economic

involved in regional development policy and create synergies

activity and population in the core area of the EU, referred to as the

between ‘best practice’ projects and the Structural Fund’s mainstream

‘European Pentagon’, the area between London, Hamburg, Munich,

programmes. The overall aim is to improve the effectiveness of

Milan and Paris. The European Pentagon covers less than one fifth

regional development policies and instruments through large-scale

of the EU15 land area, but contains over two fifths of its population

information exchange and sharing of experience (networks) in a

and accounts for almost half of its GDP and even three-quarters of

structured

way.’1

its expenditure on R&D. The concentration of people, wealth and

EU party in a Rotterdam neighbourhood.

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Maybe territorial disparities are not so bad after all

Illustration: Mietzeb, Rotterdam.

investments in the European Pentagon is not the only territorial

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), located in the

cohesion issue, though. The EU faces territorial imbalances in the

north-west corner of the European Pentagon, is investing much of its

distribution of towns and cities, marked disparities between and

energy in the HST network and the economic and social opportunities

within cities, intra-regional imbalances and regions with geographical

it offers. But the United Kingdom itself is reluctant to build a high

handicaps. All of these issues should be examined in the light of the

speed rail infrastructure outside the South East. At first glance, the

Lisbon and Gothenburg ambitions. Territorial development strategies

HST looks like something that typically belongs to the European

and policies have to be aligned to Borraso’s call for a post-industrial

Pentagon. Wrong again! Look at the HST network that Spain is building.

revolution.

But again we could question if this is the right approach. If the aim is to ease the stark differences between the European Pentagon and

The European Council of Spatial Planners (ECTP) warns in their on-line

the rest of the EU, it would seem to be a sound approach. But the

discussion paper on territorial cohesion that Europe might become

inhabitants of Toledo, whose regional train service has been replaced

a boring place if we try to systematically eradicate the differences

by the HST (AVE), are not at all happy about the steep price rises

between regions and places. The ECTP constitutes our Quality Team,

that came with it.

so we should take such warnings seriously. But what does this mean for our Guide to Good Practice?

The mountain town of Covilhã is one of the few partners that clearly suffers from a geographical handicap. The field demonstration of

connected cities Should we listen to the more sceptical view of Henrik Sander?

the cybernetic transportation system organised by IPN would seem to be a justifiable approach. But some doubts creep in here too.

The HafenCity Universität Hamburg, also rooted in the European

On average, the people of Covilhã spend fifteen minutes travelling

Pentagon, seems to be well aware of the territorial shortcomings

between their home and workplace. Living in the European Pentagon

of the Pentagon. Or should we applaud the Stedenbaan initiative,

is rather different. To travel home from work I can choose to travel

which tries to bring rail mobility to as many citizens as possible in

by car, take the train or use the cycle path in my street subsidised by

the province of Zuid-Holland?

the European Union. No matter which mode of transport I choose, during the rush hour my journey to and from work will take me

Sophie Labbouz (EIVP) shows that every self-respecting French town

about three times as long as the equivalent journeys made by the

is re-embracing the tram in the fight against congestion and pollution.

citizens of Covilhã. Maybe territorial disparities are not so bad after

What do we say to a partner city like Toledo that has set its mind on

all. And who knows, the ECTP may be right to make some of their

building its own tram system? Should Toledo draw on the French

criticisms.

experience? Or should we point out the territorial differences between French and Spanish cities? The steep hill on which Toledo’s city centre

Notes

is located could be one such difference: trams cannot climb the steep

1

Source: www.interregc3.net

2

Ibid

slopes in the centre and would have to bypass it.

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