Local and regional experts to discuss integrated local development in future EU territorial policy

Local and regional experts on cohesion, territorial policy and rural development are to gather in Brussels, Belgium, on 29 November 2011 to discuss integrated local development policies in the post-2013.EU programmes with representatives from the European institutions and the Polish EU Presidency. For the first time, the seminar on “Local development as a key pillar of post-2013 EU integrated territorial policies” will allow participants to discuss in public the provisions for community-led local development and local partnerships. The debate will notably help identify whether these forms of local development and partnerships will work on the ground or if there will be a need for improvement during the legislative process. The aforementioned provisions, which were put forward by the European Commission in its regulation on the future of EU cohesion policy, published on 6 October 2011, will allow for integrated local development strategies to be defined from the bottom-up. The increased involvement of local authorities in the development and implementation of operational programmes will thus also be ensured. Moreover, local development strategies will be able to receive simultaneous financial support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Social Fund (ESF). The seminar is organised by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Romanian Municipalities Association (AMR) and under the patronage of the European Parliament Urban Intergroup. In order to facilitate a more interactive discussion, please note that attendance is limited.