1. Current orientations on territorial cohesion in policy development
A member state perspective
Peter Schmeitz
The Netherlands
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2. Context ESDP  Third Cohesion report 2nd report: territorial cohesion
SUD/CDCR (comitology)
Common document (“mermaids”)
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3. Territorial Challenges
EU enlargement: huge territorial disparities
Growing European territorial dynamics
Unbalanced and unsustainable development (Art. 2 EU treaty)
Lisbon strategy not fulfilled
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4. Need for action at EU level
“managing EU territorial dimension”
ESDP is first attempt
 but: general + focus on EU-15
Lisbon strategy
 lacks territorial development dimension
Concept of territorial cohesion
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5. What is territorial cohesion?
Territorial dimension of cohesion
Strategic dimension: “balanced and sustainable development of EU territory”
Space based dimension: area specific policies and investments
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6. How to manage the territorial dimension of EU policies?
Innovations in:
EU governance/policy process
EU cohesion investments
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7. Territorial Governance at EU level
EU convention: mixed or complementary competence?
Impact Assessments
Horizontal coordination
Territorial experts in policy process
Longer term: ESPON or DG?
Territorial Development Council?
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8. Territorial Cohesion Investments
Focus:
least favoured areas
EU main territorial structure?
Polycentricity
Space based investments: “territorial capital”
Strategic approach?
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9. ESPON policy demands EU main territorial structure?
Polycentrism: how to manage?
Space based: urban-rural?
Spatial(-economic) interrelations and dynamics (Lisbon!)
 Added value in measurable terms!
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