EPRC organises international conference on horizontal partnership

http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/are3.jpg <img src="http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/are3sm.jpg" width="184" height="103" border="0" align="left As part of EPRC's IQ-Net research programme on Structural Funds (managed by Laura Polverari), EPRC organised an international conference on the involvement of Socio-Economic and other Non-Governmental Organisations (SENGOs) in Cohesion policy programmes on 2-4 December 2009 in Åre, Mid-North Sweden, in collaboration with Tillväxtverket (Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth). The conference was attended by over 40 delegates from 14 European countries as well as from a member from the European Economic and Social Committee. http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/are2.jpg <img src="http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/are2sm.jpg" width="184" height="103" border="0" align="right The conference focused on changes in the approach to partnership in the 2007-13 period, placing particular emphasis on the new challenges and opportunities emerging from the new thematic and geographic scope of Structural Funds co-funded programmes. Particular attention was paid to the role of partners outside the public sector and to the approach to partnership at the implementation stage, in relation to different functional tasks and themes. As usual, IQ-Net partners also had the opportunity to discuss a review of progress with the implementation of 2007-13 programmes, including the recent measures undertaken to respond to the economic crisis and the preparation of the strategic reports. http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/are1.jpg <img src="http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/are1sm.jpg" width="184" height="103" border="0" align="left EPRC research and background papers by Laura Polverari and Rona Michie (on the changing partnership dynamics in the 2007-13 Structural Funds programmes), and by Stefan Kah (on programme implementation, strategic reporting and the recent measures to tackle the economic crisis) assisted discussion. In addition, Mr. Jan Olsson of the EESC presented the preliminary conclusions of the work that the Committee is carrying out for its Opinion on partnership, due in early 2010. Following the meeting, a study tour was organised by Tillväxtverket to demonstrate how European funding is being used to support the region's tourism industry, with a visit to the ice stadium of Östersund.