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State of the European territory: A key contribution to the debate about the future EU

As a geographer and a Member of the European Parliament, I tried to strengthen the EU’s territorial dimension. ESPON inspired me to go deeper into the debates and I expect that the new ‘State of the European Territory’ will do so in the upcoming debates on the future of Europe.

The recognition of territorial cohesion as one of the EU’s goals in the Lisbon Treaty was a breakthrough. In the slipstream, I received broad support in the European Parliament Plenary for a more integrated approach to EU sectoral policies. With a stronger role for cities, regions and stakeholders in cohesion, investment and the internal market, we were able to respect diversity and specific needs all over Europe. The result, as recognised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), has been the substantial growth and convergence in the gross domestic product (GDP) of all Member States and regions.

Looking back at my contributions in the European Parliament, I still embrace ‘the three Cs’, as introduced in the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion (2008), namely a common basis for a balanced Europe, supporting: concentration, where necessary, boosting GDP in front-runner cities and regions; under the condition of connection, where the EU offers open data and offers citizens ways to connect through digital and physical networks; and cooperation in all relevant fields, based on citizens’ perspectives, in all parts of the EU.

In 2020, the three Cs still provide an EU-wide architecture for finding answers to globalisation, climate change and the role that territorial stakeholders play in the European space.

I am happy that ‘Smart Specialisation’, introduced by the European Regional Development Fund in 2014, shows that there has been a significant learning curve in relation to the three Cs.

In recent years, hundreds of specialised consortia have been built, assisted by the EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Seville.

The JRC supports territorial stakeholders all over Europe in the field of research and through structural funds programmes. This approach for a greener Europe that promotes growth and jobs will get a fresh boost in the post-2020 multiannual financial framework (MFF).

Will these first steps make Europe more successful at tackling the upcoming challenges? Only partly; to fully address these challenges, we need deeper alliances between leaders and citizens in all policy fields. We lack shared visions, shared missions and shared results to work on.

In February 2020, Vice President Dubravka Šuica and Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira highlighted their expectations for the upcoming debate on the future of Europe. They recognise the need for a strong territorial dimension in these consultations. The awareness of citizens is strongly influenced by their position in cities and regions. The Brexit referendum brought surprises and revealed striking differences throughout regions and cities.

" I see this ESPON study asa key contribution to the Conference on the Future of Europe. In line with the concept of ‘leaving no one behind’,a renewed territorial policy is needed "

In our search for ways of increasing the level of engagement of citizens and stakeholders, ESPON has a lot to offer. ESPON director IIona Raugze gave a clear signal by introducing two journalists to present the draft 2020 State of the European Territory report at the ESPON seminar in November 2019 in Helsinki. ESPON specialists speaking to their Member State colleagues does not bring breaking news to citizens. Having journalists presenting upcoming publications is, therefore, an encouraging step towards talking directly to citizens, using less specialist slang’

But the content of the 2020 State of the European Territory report is even more important. The 2020 report highlights the EU-wide effects of climate change, demographic change, and digitalisation and its take-up in education and business. It provides details of upcoming developments in Europe’s transport sector and digital economy’ We see new patterns in functional areas and new cross-border entities. It demonstrates the need to give renewed attention to rural communities. Existing administrative borders have become outdated because of the growth of metropolitan areas, and cross-border developments are underestimated. Labour shortages bring a need for new policies and priorities. Above all, upcoming geographical patterns will not obey current nationalistic tendencies.

The European Commission will launch soon the bottom-up debate on the future of Europe.-which was postponed due to the coronavirus crisis. The 2020 State of the European Territory report brings clear information on the trends and perspectives of our continent. Not just a report to gather dust in a drawer in Brussels, I see this ESPON study as a key contribution to the Conference on the Future of Europe. In line with the concept of ‘leaving no one behind’, a renewed territorial policy is needed. A deeper understanding of the territorial dimension will bridge the gap between the EU and its citizens – it will be the glue that keeps the EU together.

The “State of the European Territory” is a valuable tool for policymakers on European, national, regional and local level. It sheds light on the main territorial development trends in Europe and offers evidence and policy advice to those designing policies - especially for the post-2020 period. The messages of the “State of the European Territory” can be useful for anyone involved or interested in EU development policies and particularly Cohesion Policy.
This article appears in Green infrastructure and reuse of spaces

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