1. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 1 Hartmut Beyer, UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting GmbH, Hamburg EUROPLANE – An Example of EU Support for Regional and Airport Development September 12, 2007 Poznan, Poland Assembly of European Regions Conference

2. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 2 Transport consulting company working on regional airport issues: airport business development, airport benchmarking, market potential analyses, airport commercialisation and privatisation Experiences from previous INTERREG regional airport projects: SEABIRD (EU INTERREG II C) SEAPLANE (EU INTERREG III B ) Responsible for EUROPLANE Project Coordination (EU INTERREG III C) Mission at the AER Conference To present one example that European Commission can be of some help for regional airports Introduction of UNICONSULT

3. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 3 The EUROPLANE Project INTERREG III C 11 partners plus 12 airports, 03/2006 – 12/2007 Budget 840,000, thereof 560,000 EU-contr. plus external support for coordination and air transport questions Ministry of Economics State of Brandenburg (Potsdam) Airport Rostock-Laage (Weitendorf) Barnim County (Eberswalde) Marshal Office of the Wielkopolska Voivodship (Poznan) Sera South-East Regional Authority (Clonmel, co. Tipperary) Liguria Region (Genova) Marche Region (Ancona) Aosta Valley Region Province of West-Vlaanderen (Sint- Andries (Brugge)) Kaunas County Governor´s Administration (Kaunas) Ljungbyheds Airport (Ljungbyhed))

4. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 4 Ministry of Economics State of Brandenburg Province of West- Vlaanderen Airport Rostock- Laage Barnim County Giunta Regione Marche Liguria Region Marshal Office of the Wielkopolska Voivodship Aosta Valley Region SERA South- East Regional Authority Kaunas County Govenors Administration Ljungbyhed Airport 11 EUROPLANE Partners from 7 EU Countries

5. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 5 General Objectives Economic and social cohesion among EU regions Initiating inter-regional co-operations and networks among regional authorities in the EU More efficient use of European regional development tools and instruments Exchange of know-how (best practise) Backbone: EU INTERREG III C Programme Improving relations among EU family members

6. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 6 The EUROPLANE project partners (regional authorities) were aware of the relevance of regional airports for spatial, socio- economic and regional development and had: –pro-actively utilised the INTERREG III C programme opportunities –initiated a joint approach to combine their interests as they are responsible for their regional airports –successfully applied for an EU co-financing of Euro 560.000 (66% of project costs) –to cover activities and to answer questions which are necessary for the development of their regional airports Approach of EUROPLANE in INTERREG III C

7. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 7 Challenges, market structures, problems but also solutions for Regional Air Transport are very similar in the EU countries…....why not make use of different know-how and existing experiences of EU regions, airports and airlines through networking to learn from each other (best practice approach) EUROPLANE Philosophy

8. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 8 EUROPLANE: Outputs and Benefits for Regional Authorities Improved access and new contacts to authorities of other EU regions for best practice approach and better cooperation opportunities (workshops, assemblies) Relevant analysis and condensed information (5 regional SWOT Analysis, 2 airport business and strategy analyses, 1 regional airports status report, etc.) Internal promotion of regional airports towards local and national institutions (Airport Information Day in Poznan) Guidelines for EU co-financing opportunities for regional airport extension projects (Airport Poznan)

9. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 9 EUROPLANE: Benefits and Outputs for Regional Airports Passenger market analysis to set up new flight connections (condensed market analysis to convince airlines) Best practice approach among regional airport managers on international level (how to approach an LCC ?) New ideas on business opportunities for sustainable airport existence (set up of logistic airparks, destination development to promote tourism) Guideline for application of EU funds for airport reconstruction (Poznan Airport) Access to airport analysis, information and know-how at no cost

10. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 10 Output: EUROPLANE Resolution Background Regional airports are important for regional development, for accessibility, for polycentric spatial development in the EU Findings Regional airports may face opposition of national hub airports, large (national) network carriers with good access to national bodies or institutions (political influence), which sometimes holding stakes in network airports. Action Call upon the EU Commission DG TREN to establish policies to encourage national governments to support the sustainable development of regional airports (Resolution)

11. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 11 Regional Airports Regional Airports: Competitive Environment National Governments Hub Airports Network Airlines Low Cost Carriers Mutual Benefit Fear of Competition Lack of Support Fear of new LCCs (Competition) Regions (Airport Owners) General Policy Support Mutual Benefit Lobbying

12. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 12 Next steps Fine tuning of the contents until end of September Conclusion of a strategy how to submit the resolution towards DG TREN in October Submission to DG TREN in November Still open towards other European bodies, assemblies, institutions which are interested in the objective EUROPLANE Resolution

13. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 13 SEAPLANE EU INTERREG III B North Sea Region Execution 2002-2005 Regional Airport Projects in INTERREG SEABIRD EU INTERREG II C Baltic Sea Region Execution 1998-2001 EUROPLANE EU INTERREG III C All of Europe Execution 2006-2007 Time Evolution EUROBIRD EU INTERREG IV C Exec. 2008-2011

14. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 14 Next generation: EUROBIRD - INTERREG IV C Interregional Co-operation | Best Practice Approach| Lisbon Agenda | Gothenburg Agenda E U R O B I R D Project Regions and Airports of EU 27 + Norway and Switzerland Priority 1: Innovation and the knowledge economy Airports as a job machine Airports as a nucleus for economic regional development Airport as innovation testing ground Priority 2: Environment and risk prevention Sustainable airport management (energy, waste treatment, de-icing) Prevention and control of technological risks Capitalisation incl. Fast Track Projects Regional Initiative Projects Building on exisiting networks and methods

15. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 15 EUROBIRD Project: Some more details About 15 regions incl. their airports are interested to join – project is still open to new partner regions and airports Project will consist of up to 10-12 regions plus their airports, Application in November 2007, approval expected in spring 2008, project duration about 3 years Co-financing of project costs by EU INTERREG IV C is between 75% and 85% of project budget ( 2-3 mEuro ) Detailed programme information expected at INTERREG III C/ IV C event in Lisbon, September 20 th /21 st, 2007

16. UNICONSULT Universal Transport Consulting, September 2007 16 EUROPLANE: Support by EU Summary General Finding of EUROPLANE : EU INTERREG Programme acknowledges the relevance of regional airports for socio and economic cohesion as well as for spatial development in EU Indirect EU support exist wherever the new INTERREG IV C Programme is actively used by regional airports and regions INTERREG is very much interested to see active participation from regions in EU policy (resolution as one instrument)