Jean Monnet Centre for Europeanisation and Transnational Regulations Oldenburg (CETRO)

The European regional and cohesion policy

Study trip to Brussels (June 24th - 27th, 2008) 

Gruppenbild

The European Union's regional policy aims at reducing structural disparities between EU regions, fostering a balanced development throughout the EU and promoting really equal opportunities for all. Based on the concepts of solidarity and economic and social cohesion, this aim shall be achieved by means of a variety of financing operations, principally through the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund. For the period of 2007 to 2013, the European Union's regional policy is the EU's second largest budget item, with an allocation of € 348 billion. Given the economic and social disparities in and between the Member States and regions of the European Union (EU), the objective of economic and social cohesion is a crucial aim of the EU at least since its Southern enlargement in 1981 and 1986. Recently, the European structural and cohesion policies have been closely integrated into the European Strategy for Growth and Jobs, the so-called Lisbon strategy, in order to improve the integration of the European priorities and the national and regional development programmes, and to ensure greater national and regional ownership of cohesion policy.

Im Europäischen Parlament Im Europäischen Parlament

Inside the European Parliament

From June 24th until June 26th 2008, a group of 22 students of the institute of social sciences from the University of Oldenburg visited the different European institutions in Brussel. They should get a general idea of the current situation of the European structural and cohesion policy and their future challenges.

Program

Wednesday, June 25th

9:00
 

Die Regionalpolitik aus Sicht des Europabüros der bayrischen Kommunen
Julia Urlinger (Leiterin des Europabüros der bayerischen Kommunen)

Location: Europabüro der bayerischen Kommunen, Rue Guimard 7, 1040 Brussels

15:00 

Challenges and strategies of the Commission in the field of territorial cohesion
Lewis Dijkstra (DG Regio, Directorate-General for Regional Policy, Unit C3 Economic and Quantitative Analysis)

Location: Directorate-General for Regional Policy,
Avenue de Tervuren 41

16:00 

European Cohesion Policy and its current developments
Charles White (DG Regio, Directorate-General for Regional Policy, Unit B1 Communication, Information, relations with third countries)

Location: Directorate-General for Regional Policy,
Avenue de Tervuren 41

 

Bei der Eurpäischen Kommission In der Bayrischen Vertretung 

                At the European Commission               European Office of the Bavarian Local Authorities    

   

Thursday,  June 26th

11:30

Does European Regional Policy empower the German Regions?
Christian Huttenloher (Leiter des Büros Brüssel des Deutschen Verbands für Städtebau und Wohnungswesen).

Location: Europabüro der bayerischen Kommunen, Rue Guimard 7, 1040 Brussels

13:30

The implementation of the European regional policy in Germany Johann Brettschneider (Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU)

Location: Europabüro der bayerischen Kommunen, Rue Guimard 7, 1040 Brussels

16:00 

Dr. Christian Ehler (Member of the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats/CDU, European Parliament)  

Location: European Parliament

16:45

Dr. Rumiana Jeleva (Member of the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats, European Parliament)

Location: European Parliament

 

Friday, June 27th

9:45

The impact of the European regional and structural policies on the Bulgarian situation
Tsvyatko Velikov (DG Regional Policy, Unit I.2 Bulgaria)

Location: CSM1 building of DG Regio, Rue Père de Decken 23/metro station Merode

12.30
Klaus Hullmann (Communication, Presse and Protocol Directorate, Committee of the Regions)

Location: Committee of the Regions, Rue Belliard 99-101, B-1040 Brussels

Contact

Dipl. Soz. Jenny Preunkert
Institut für Sozialwissenschaften (Fak. I)
Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118
Universität Oldenburg
jenny.preunkert@uni-oldenburg.de
Tel: 0441/798-4870