Cruising into the new programming period - IQ-Net partners meet along the river Elbe

http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/magdeburg.jpg <img src="http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/magdeburg.jpg" width="184" height="103" border="0" align="left With the 2007-13 Operational Programmes about to start, the establishment of implementation arrangements capable of ensuring effective delivery is a key concern of programme managers. This was the main theme of the 22nd IQ-Net meeting in Magdeburg hosted by the Ministry of Finance of the Land of Sachsen-Anhalt (18-20 June 2007). The focus was on the new management and administration structures being introduced in partner countries and regions, with a particular interest in the systems for project generation, appraisal and selection being used to maximise financial absorption and project quality. <p>The conference was opened by a keynote speech by Dr. Dirk Ahner, Director General of D.G. REGIO. Partners had the opportunity to visit the Green Citadel, designed by the Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser and inaugurated in October 2005, a prime example of contemporary architecture and of how this can achieve a balanced relationship between nature, the people and the built environment : or, in the words of the artist, a 'oasis for humanity and nature within a sea of rational houses". A boat trip along the river Elbe gave delegates the opportunity to view some Structural Funds co-financed projects situated on the river banks. A study tour also visited Euroglas AG, an ultra-modern float-glass plant on the outskirts of Magdeburg, and Edeka Minden-Hannover Logistic Service GmbH, an automated warehouse and logistical centre for the storage and dispatch of packaged food and drinks.