AEBR Newsflash - June 2010

AEBR GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2010

All members and friends of AEBR are cordially invited to attend the AEBR Photos from
Annual Conference 2010, which will be held in Dundalk (Republic of Ireland) Ireland /
from 21 to 23 October 2010. The main topic will be “Territorial Cooperation in Northern Ireland
a Post-Crisis Scenario. Contribution of CBC”. East Border Region will be the (Source: East
host of this year’s conference. Border Region)

High-ranking representatives from European institutions and from all

European border and cross-border regions will discuss this issue with a
special focus on the upcoming changes in 2011 and the importance of cross-
border cooperation after 2013, all in all taking into account the effects of the
financial crisis in our territories.

During the General Assembly (please note that only members are invited to
this session), the AEBR members will elect the associations representatives
and members of the AEBR Executive Committee 2011-2012.

Please click www.aebr.eu for the first draft programme and as well as
practical information on accommodation and travelling.

The 2010 AEBR Conference will be held in the Dundalk area of East Border
Region which is in located in County Louth, Republic of Ireland, and will
involve visits to County Down in Northern Ireland.

Registrations can be submitted until 17 September 2010.

We kindly ask you to check our website regularly for updated versions of the
programme and further information. Kilkeel Harbour

Narrow Water Keep, Warrenpoint Hilltown

AEBR Newsflash - June 2010

Meeting with Commission President Barroso and the presidents of the associations

While finishing this edition, on 29 based on Multi-Level Govern- moted by the Committee of the
June 2010, a meeting has taken ance would result in deeper co- Regions.
place between Commission hesion for European territories.
President Barroso, the President Related issues, as the imple- More information on the results
of the Committee of the Regions mentation of the new Objective of this meeting will soon be avail-
and the Presidents of Regional of Territorial Cohesion and the able on our website. Please see
Associations in order to ex- future EU Budget focussed this the press release at the CoR
change their views about current meeting as well. website:
challenges for European regions http://www.cor.europa.eu/pages/
and municipalities. AEBR President Karl-Heinz Lam- P r e s s T e m p l a t e . a s p x ?
bertz has taken part in this event, view=detail&id=39431f80-d1b1-
Main discussion topic is the rela- which will be crucial for the future 4979-b4f7-ffec02cec2cf
tionship between EU 2020 Strat- of European regions‘ and munici-
egy and Future Cohesion Policy. palities‘ interests.

Moreover, Territorial Cohesion This meeting in part of the Struc-

can be particularly affected by a tured Dialogue between the
thematic and sectorial approach European Commission and the
of EU 2020. Instead, an inte- European Associations of Re-
grated and territorial approach gions and Municipalities, pro-

AEBR Youth Seminar, 19 - 23 July 2010, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia

For this year‘s summer seminar, a total of be available in the July edition of the
34 applications has been received. The AEBR Newsflash.
jury is currently assessing them and will
select 15 applicants, who will finally be
invited.
The draft programme is available on
ww.aebr.eu. A full report on the results will

Legal challenges in cross-border health care

In June 2010 the Council agreed on a new proposal
Directive for patients' rights in cross-border healthcare.
The agreement came after a Council meeting in which a
compromise proposal of the Spanish presidency
(9948/10 +9948/10 COR 1) was presented. This Directi-
ve has a long history, one of the topics of discussion
being liability rights. These rights have a close relation
to health related cross-border activities in border regions
(e.g. emergency and hospital services). In this discussi-
on in both the border regions and on a Directive (EU)
level it was claimed that legal challenges hindered
cross-border cooperation.
On the other hand arguments were put forward that
these challenges were overcome by practical solutions
and by bilateral agreements; or even that experiences in
these border regions could be used to inform EU policy
making. The new proposal by Spain will probably lead to
a further discussion about what is thought to be neces-
sary for border regions and cross-border health care in
relation to liability and other legal challenges.
The partnership working in the Project EUREGIO II has
elaborated a statement on this regard. Please find the
whole message in our website and the EUREGIO II blog
(http://inthealth.eu/research/euregio-ii/blog/).

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AEBR Newsflash - June 2010

European Local Authorities Competition: Good Practices in Supporting Migrant

Elders' Initiatives
The Ministry for Generations, Family,
Women and Integration of North
Rhine-Westphalia, in cooperation with
the Committee of the Regions and the
Council of European Municipalities
and Regions, call upon European cit-
ies and municipalities to present best
practices for active ageing and for
integration of elderly migrants. The
prizes awarded will revolve around
local authority initiatives for the mutual
integration of migrant elders in all mu-
nicipal fields of activity for the improve-
ment of the quality of life of elderly
people namely in respect of housing,
leisure and culture, social and inter-
generational activities, support of eco-
nomic activities related to culturally
sensitive products and services; sup-
port of volunteering by and for migrant
elders.
Applications must be sent by 31 Octo-
ber 2010. The winners will be awarded
on 9 February 2011 in the Committee
of the Regions.
For further information and application
forms please go to the website of the
organisation office at:
www.aktioncourage.org.

Regional and local responses to poverty and social exclusion - Forum held on 8 June
2010 at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels

In the context of the 'European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion', the Committee of the Regions
invited local and regional authorities, organisations and EU institutions to exchange good practice and expertise in
the fight against poverty and social exclusion at local level. Full information on this event, including speeches and
video clip, can be found on the http://www.cor.europa.eu/pages/EventTemplate.aspx.

On the previous day, the regions of Extremadura (ES) and West Sweden organized in the Committee of the
Regions a Seminar on “New Job Markets for Inclusion”. In this seminar experts and representatives from
European Institutions, municipalities and regions discussed on the initiatives promoted during this European Year
in the context of the financial crisis, and what initiatives have been taken at regional and local level to promote
inclusion in the labour market. The Secretary General of the AEBR was invited to take part in the closing panel,
dealing with challenges for social inclusion, where main views about an active policy to promote the activation of
cross-border labour markets were presented.

40 Proposals for the future of the European Union

Promoted by the President of the Govern-
ment of Catalonia, the Catalan Reflection
Group on the Future of the European
Union (in Catalan, Grup Català de Re-
flexió sobre el Futur de la Unió Europea)
was created in January 2009. The goal of
the Reflection Group is to come up with
proposals on the future of the European
Union and to provide input on the kind of
Europe that Catalonia would like. The aim
is to submit the proposals to the Reflex-
ion Group chaired by Felipe Gonzalez, on
the Future of Europe in the 2020-2030
Time Horizon.
AEBR already began to report in the May
edition of our Newsflash (http://
www.aebr.net/news/news_aebr.php?
lc=en&nid=312#12) about the activities
with regard to Europe 2030.

Structured Dialogue “Commission‘s Working Programme 2010“

On 10 June, a structured dialogue regard to the implementation of the

meeting was held at the Committee of the
Regions. CoR Secretary General Gerhard
Stahl introduced the dialogue, followed by
a presentation of the Commission‘s
Working Programme 2010.
Commission's Work Programme. AEBR
Secretary General Martín Guillermo
Ramírez addressed AEBR‘s questions
related to all four axis of the WP 2010.

The structured dialogue took the form of a

debate where associations were able to
input their comments and priorities with
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AEBR Newsflash - June 2010

Strategic Report of 2010 by the Commission on the Implementation of the Cohesion

Policy Programmes - Council Conclusions

On 15 June, the General Affairs Coun- pe 2020 Strategy. Furthermore, the

cil of Ministers adopted conclusions on
the Commission 2010 strategic report.
These conclusions were prepared by
the Spanish Presidency with the as-
sistance of the future Belgian and Hun-
garian Presidencies. The conclusions
emphasise the need for the policy to
have an important role within the Euro-
need for one strategic approach and
common implementation rules for the
three funds (European Regional Deve-
lopment Fund / Cohesion Fund / Euro-
pean Social Fund) are adressed as
well. Read the full press release for
further information.

Events of EU Institutions

• 29 June 2010, Brussels, Lunch of the Presidents or European Associations and the CoR with
Commission’s President Barroso
• 30 June 2010, Brussels: Consultation of Stakeholders on „Action Plan implementing the Stockholm
programme“, Committee of the Regions
• 1 July 2010, Brussels, CoR Consultation on 2 July 2010, Brussels: 3rd Territorial Cohesion and Urban
Matters seminar, http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/conferences/territorial/02072010/index_en.cfm
• 1 July 2010, Brussels, CoR Consultation on the EU Health Strategy 2008-2013
• 2 July 2010, Brussels: Meeting of the ARLEM SUDEV commission at the CoR
• 2 July 2010, Brussels: Meeting of the ARLEM ECOTER commission at the CoR
• 4 July 2010, Brussels: Islands: Bridging the Gap—Challenges and Options for EU‘s Insular Territories,
European Parliament
• 6 July 2010, Rome: Twenty years after the ratification of the European Charter of Local Self-Government:
its impact on the Italian local authorities and the role of training. For further information please contact the
Congress of Regional and Local Authorities of the Council of Europe.
• 8 July 2010, Batumi/Georgia: International conference on local and regional development in Europe. For
further information please contact the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities of the Council of Europe.
• 8 July 2010, Moscow: 15th Session of the Council of Europe Conference of Ministers Responsible for
Regional/Spatial Planning (CEMAT). For further information please contact the Congress of Regional and
Local Authorities of the Council of Europe
• 13 July 2010, Brussels, CoR Consultation on EGTCs
• 19-21 July 2010, Ecuador: FOGAR General Assembly

Calls for Tenders

• Open Call for Tender: Study on the "Challenges of the digital era for film heritage institutions", (http://
ec.europa.eu/avpolicy/info_centre/tenders/index_en.htm), Deadline: 1 September 2010 at 16.00
• Macroeconomic modelling of sustainable development and the links between the economy and the
environment, (http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:177257-2010:TEXT:EN:HTML),
Deadline for receipt of offers: 16/08/2010
• Resource and economic efficiency of water distribution networks in the EU, (http://ted.europa.eu/udl?
uri=TED:NOTICE:170908-2010:TEXT:EN:HTML), Deadline for receipt of offers: 06/08/2010
• Natura 2000 Promotion, (http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:170902-2010:TEXT:EN:HTML),
Deadline for receipt of offers: 06/08/2010
• EAC/03/2010: Public open tender: Provision of services for the effective development and running of the
Erasmus Mundus and OCEANS alumni associations and related activities, (http://ec.europa.eu/education/
calls/doc2349_en.htm), Deadline for submission of offers: 30 July 2010
• TENDER N° T/DEV/ERD/2010/001 for a contract, to be awarded by open procedure, for the provision of
an annual "European Report on Development (ERD)" in the framework of the initiative "Mobilising
European Research for Development Policies", (http://ec.europa.eu/development/icenter/files/
europa_only/contract_notice_ERD.pdf), opened until 01/09/10 at 16:00.

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AEBR Newsflash - June 2010

PRESENTATIONS AND NEWS OF AEBR MEMBER REGIONS

EUREGIO (DE/NL) celebrates “Europe without borders“

On Sunday, 20 June 2010, in numerous places in the EUREGIO “Europe without borders“ was celebrated with
different cross-border activities.
Organisations and associations organised cross-border soccer tournaments, bicycle tours, art activities, marks-
men's festivals, markets etc. 12 TOPs (touristic orientation points) offered free maps for bicycle tours
in the border region. These celebrations took place in the framework of the 25th anniversary of the signature
of the Schengen Agreement. For more information on the programme of 20 June and on the Schengen
Agreement please log on to http://www.euregio.de/cms/publish/content/showpage.asp?pageid=740

EUREGIO EGRENSIS publishes new Czech/German dictionary for fire-fighters

Experts from several levels were involved in
the drafting of the new dictionary, including
fire-fighters from both sides of the border. The
publication is part of the language offensive of
EUREGIO Egrensis, and will serve as basis
for the planned language courses that will be
offered to fire-fighters at the border between
Germany and the Czech Republic. If you are
interested in further information, please
contact info@euregio-egrensis.de.

Galicia-Norte Seminar in Vigo: "Living in a Cross-Border Context: costs and

opportunities", 21- 22 June 2010

Galicia and Portugal showed their joint opportunities and real capacities for CBC in this Seminar
organized by the EGTC Galicia-Norte, in the framework of the CBC Operational Programme Spain-
Portugal (POCTEP). They analyzed the reality of the Spanish-Portuguese border in order to eliminate
CB context costs, converting difficulties into development opportunities, getting solutions for daily
border problems through alternatives and procedures to benefit border citizens, in particular on health,
transport, recognition of academic and professional qualifications, etc. Please see also the report on
http://www.aebr.net/news/news_regions.php?lc=en&nid=316

MAIN AEBR EVENTS 2010

19-23 July, II AEBR Youth Forum, Trieste (Friuli-Venezia-Giulia), TFEB

16 September 2010, AEBR Forum (Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, IT / Croatia)

17-18 September 2010, AEBR Executive Committee in Udine (Friuli-Venezia Giulia, IT)

20-25 September 2010, CBC Circle Conference Finland-Russia-Estonia

4-7 October, activities during the Open Days 2010

21-23 October 2010, AEBR Executive Committee, General Assembly and Annual Conference, Dundalk-
Newry (Ireland-Northern Ireland) (http://www.aebr.net/news/news_aebr.php?lc=en&nid=256#56).

December, AEBR Forum in Prague (CZ)

December 2010, Executive Committee meeting, Tabor, Silva Nortica (CZ)

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AEBR Newsflash - June 2010
Editor of the AEBR Newsflash:
Martín Guillermo-Ramírez,
AEBR Secretary General
Coordination:
Cordula Pandary, AEBR Office Coordinator
AEBR – AGEG – ARFE
Enscheder Str. 362
D-48599 Gronau (Germany)
Tel.: +49 (0)2562 70219
Fax: +49 (0)2562 70259
info@aebr.eu
www.aebr.eu
http://forum.aebr.net
The AEBR Newsflash is sent to
everyone on the AEBR “members
and friends” e-mail list. If you have
friends or colleagues who would
like to be added to the mailing list,
please send their details to the
AEBR Head Office.
In the July edition: The “Association of European Border
• Report about the Regions” (AEBR) is the oldest independent
AEBR Youth Forum association of regions in Europe, founded in
1971, and the only one dealing with Cross-
• Launching of the new
Border Cooperation (CBC). AEBR has
AEBR Website
almost forty years of extensive theoretical
• AEBR Sail of
Papenburg 2010 and practical experience in all aspects
related to CBC, but also in the fields of inter-
• Study on Cross- regional and transnational co-operation.
Border Cooperation in
Latin America With one hundred members (European
• Up-to-date news from border and cross-border regions), the AEBR
our member regions is a forum for cross-border cooperation and
makes the voice of the border and cross-
border regions heard at European level.
Please think twice before printing
this Newsletter. Perhaps you can Euroregions, border and cross-border
enjoy and share it by electronic regions or organisations, which would like to
means! receive information about the conditions of
an AEBR membership, are invited to contact
A PDF-Version of this Newsflash is the AEBR Head Office.
available for download on our web-
site.