1. ESPON Seminar Luxembourg, 8-9 December 2015 http://www.dat.public.lu/eu-presidency/Events/Informal-Ministerial-Meetings-on-Territorial- Cohesion-and-Urban-Policy-_26-27-November-2015_-Luxembourg-City_/index.php Presidency conclusions for Territorial Cohesion and Urban Policy of the Informal Meeting of Ministers responsible for Territorial Cohesion and Urban Policy Luxembourg, 26 and 27 November 2015 Thiemo W. Eser, Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure

2. The Trio Presidency of Italy-Latvia-Luxembourg has based its activities upon a common presidency programme covering the issues of Territorial Cohesion and Urban Policy as well as the link of these policies to Cohesion Policy, The Trio programme was presented at the beginning of the Italian Presidency in July 2013 and has since then offered the common thread throughout all activities launched under the individual presidencies of Italy, Latvia and Luxembourg. Luxembourg now sees its task under its Presidency in winding up the Trio programme. The appoach so far 2

3.  thematically integrated approach to Territorial Cohesion and Urban Policy, with a strong link to Cohesion Policy.  Common conclusions for both Ministers responsible for Territorial Cohesion and Ministers responsible for Urban Policy as well as the participating EU institutions.  Separate conclusion under the General Affairs Council  The actions have developed in different ways and reached different levels of completion, so the most appropriate approach is to demonstrate the common storyline in the Trio Programme; conclude in this context on different actions; and formulate follow-up actions. The understanding of the presidency conclusions and practical consequences date 3 Pied de page

4. 1.Context and considerations 2.General political messages on territorial cohesion and urban policy 3.Specific messages regarding the assessment of the way the Union’s territorial cohesion objective is implemented and the necessity of a review of the TA 2020 - Action 1; 4.Specific messages regarding Territorial Scenarios, Visions, and Perspectives for the EU - Action 2; 5.Specific messages regarding provisions for the creation of integrated cross-border areas - Action 3; 6.Specific messages regarding structuring a political debate on territorial development and cohesion policy - Action 4 7.Specific messages regarding small and medium cities and urban areas - Action 5 8.Specific messages regarding the EU Urban Agenda and the urban dimension of the refugees situation Structure of the Presidency conclusions 4

5. Great interest in assessing the implementation of the Territorial Cohesion Objective and the Territorial Agenda 2020; Resulted in an annex to the Presidency Conclusion - a reference document : “Towards a better use of the European Territory – Pathways for strengthening territorial cohesion in European Union” Objective: to stimulate communication and further action to be successively implemented where relevant by Member States and the EU institutions The following proposal builds the basis for such a reference paper as part of the presidency conclusions. Follow up on implementation 5

6. Elements identified as cornerstones for strengthening territorial cohesion in Europe: The production and provision of territorial evidence mainly on territorial developments and the territorial impacts of policies, in order to raise awareness and increase the understanding that territory matters; The creation of occasions for communicating and discussing political messages with those policy-makers and stakeholders who are deciding on territorially relevant issues in order to create the necessary ownership; The institutional anchoring of territorially relevant debates and policy making in existing procedures; The principle: pathway document is an “open source document” to be further developed, updated or complemented and it will gain life by being used and transferred into action. Elements identified as cornerstones for the Pathway document 6

7. Access points need to be developed at the initiative of actors or groups of actors (e.g. Member States, Commission also together) with concrete content (e.g. addressing the EU 2020 strategy) and action (e.g. a position based on evidence addressed at a particular occasion/event); Consideration of the subsidiarity principle as in a multi-level governance approach; Voluntary implementation by partnerships for territorial development to promote concrete strategies and projects, despite a lack of formal instruments, by committing all involved actors to the achievement of common objectives. What, how and who? 7

8. “Towards a better use of the European Territory – Pathways for strengthening territorial cohesion in the European Union” 1.Context and purpose 2.Access to the pathways 3.Access point: Evidence and storyline 4.Access point: Creating the occasion 5.Access point: Actors and institutional anchoring at the European and national level 6.Access point: Content-related debates 7.Access point: Local and regional actors 8.Access point: Vision/perspective and TA 2020+ Structure of the reference document 8

9. Advocacy of the territorial dimension through tools like Territorial Impact Assessments; Improved communication on territorial matters. Regular publications and/or (annual) conferences where the territorial policy community meets other policy sectors; Some key sector policies to be addressed such as: The review of the Europe 2020 Strategy, The Investment Plan for Europe, The 2030 Framework for Climate and Energy Policy; The Digital Agenda for Europe etc. ; Regularly addressing topics related to Territorial Cohesion / Territorial dimension in sectoral policies at the EU General Affairs Council; Strengthened links to Urban Policy: Urban policy and the prospective EU Urban Agenda seem to be closely linked to the TA 2020 Important examples for actions by the European Commission and Member States 9

10. Messages to the on regional and local policy making : ‒The principles of the TA 2020 are often applied at the local and regional level without reference to the TA 2020. Make this more visible! ‒Encourage actors at the local and regional level to find new solutions and display a pro-active attitude with regards to including the TA 2020 principles in their projects; A revision of the TA 2020 should start in the year 2018 and be finalised in the year 2020 This revision should be based: ‒on the results and experiences of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the reform of Cohesion Policy post 2020; ‒be informed by a territorial scenario and visioning process involving relevant stakeholders from all sectors and governmental levels. Regarding the TA 2020 10

11.  ESPON is frequently mentioned in the Presidency Conclusions and the Pathway document annexed to the conclusions;  Many points are mentioned where evidence could be proved by ESPON (without being exhaustive): Evidence for any kind of policy process initiated by the EU institutions, precedencies, other governmental level and stakeholders; Policy briefs for the exchange with sector policies ; Impact assessments ; Scenarios and vision processes; Knowledge base for cross border regions; More user friendly and accessible tools; Support to the result orientation of the TA 2020. As for the ESPON 2020 Cooperation programme date 11 Pied de page

12. Merci fir är Opmierksamkeet! Thank you for your attention! 12