• 
• 
• 

ESPON Contact Point in Romania in support of ESPON 2013 Programme implementation

press release

The ESPON Contact Point in Romania, whose role will be fulfilled by the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi through the University Center for Human Geography and Spatial Planning “Innovative Territories - Regional Administration and Spatial Interaction” - CUGUAT Tigris, was launched on 18 June 2009, in Iasi. The event was attended by representatives from universities, research institutions, local and central public authorities, young practitioners and PhD students.

Present at the kick off event, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Regional Development and Housing, Ioan Andreica, underlined the important role assumed and played by the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza University” of Iasi in its double quality: of ESPON Contact Point in Romania and partner in ESPON projects. He also said that the very important role the university would have in analysing the studies would establish a close collaboration with the Ministry of Regional Development and Housing, to promote and valorise the surveys and the results of territorial research in the process of substantiating the national policies.

The Rector of the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza University” of Iasi, Prof. Dr. Vasile Isan, congratulated the CUGUAT - Tigris team for their performance and for the recognition of their work, expressing his hope that, by collaborating with the Ministry of Regional Development and Housing, the ESPON Contact Point will be able to bring added value to Romania`s participation in the ESPON 2013 Programme.

The representatives of the MRDH and the ESPON Contact Point presented the ESPON programme priorities and the estimated calendar of future tenders to be held under the programme, as well as the activities and the role of the ESPON Contact Point in Romania.

The second part of the event was devoted to a debate on the modalities to capitalise the results of ESPON studies in the process of elaborating European and national policies and to monitor and evaluate the their territorial impact.

The main conclusions drawn from the event were:

• The need to capitalise the ESPON surveys at national level, by adapting them to the national and local context for a better use in policy substantiation;
• The importance of territorial observatories in supporting decision-makers at national and local level with detailed and thorough data and information.

ESPON 2013 – The European observation network on territorial development and cohesion is an operational programme within the European Territorial Cooperation Objective of the Cohesion Policy of the European Union under which European territorial research is financed.The ESPON 2013 Programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the contribution of all EU Member States and of the Partner States: Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The purpose of the ESPON 2013 Programme is to support the formulation of a policy aimed at the cohesion and harmonious development of the European territory, by (1) providing comparable information, statistics, analyses and scenarios on territorial dynamics, as well as by (2) revealing territorial capital and the development potential of regions and larger territories, thus contributing to the increase of competitiveness, the widening of territorial cooperation and the sustainable balanced development of the European territory.

Sources of information
www.espon.eu
www.mdrl.ro - Sectiunea ESPON
www.infocooperare.ro - INFO ESPON