Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Programme 2007 - 2013 ESPON

Date of latest update: 2026-06-13

Description

Description (EN):

The EU Cohesion Policy debate has included a focus on regions with specific territorial features. The Treaty of Lisbon (2007), being in the process of ratification, mentions already some of these types of regions and territories. It states that “(...) among the regions concerned, particular attention shall be paid to rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and islands, cross-border and mountain regions. (...)”. The Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion (2008), which launches the EU wide debate on Cohesion Policy, highlights as well the specific types of territories and regions. To better understand the strengths and weaknesses, which a specific region possesses, and to develop policies accordingly, comparable and comprehensive evidence and knowledge from a European perspective is thus in high demand for each type of region. Against this backdrop, the Green Paper holds the respective subtitle “Turning territorial diversity into strength”. Territories with geographic specificities are characterised not only by development challenges, but also by a series of specific assets. Such assets have been identified in numerous localities and regions; knowledge about them has also, to some extent, been compiled at the European level in studies and policy perspectives on territories with geographic specificities such as those mentioned above. However, in spite of the frequent concomitant references to multiple categories of geographic specificities in policy documents, there have been no attempts to construct a transversal discourse on why they are often not fully exploited, and why many areas with geographic specificities are still “lagging”.

Achievements (EN):

Reports: Final Report - Main Report PDF Final Report - Scientific Report PDF Final Report - Inner Peripheries PDF Draft Final Report PDF Draft Final Report - Annexes PDF Draft Final Report - Scientific Report PDF Draft Final Report - Scientific Report, Annexes PDF Interim Report PDF Inception Report PDF Project Specification PDF http://www.espon.eu/main/Menu_Projects/Menu_AppliedResearch/geospecs.html

Website (not verified): https://www.espon.eu/programme/espon/espon-2013-programme

Thematic information

Coastal management and maritime issues Regional planning and development Rural and peripheral development

Partners (11)

Lead Partner: University of Geneva, Switzerland

Address: 1211 Geneva, Switzerland

Legal status: n/a

National University of Ireland Cork (CMRC), Ireland

Name: National University of Ireland Cork (CMRC), Ireland

Address: Cobh, Co Cork, Ireland

Legal status: n/a

University of the Aegean - Research Unit, Greece

Name: University of the Aegean - Research Unit, Greece

Address: 81100 MYTILENE, Greece

Legal status: n/a

Louis Lengrand & Associés, France

Name: Louis Lengrand & Associés, France

Address: 78000 Versailles, France

Legal status: n/a

CEPS/INSTEAD - Centre for Populations, Poverty and Public Policy Studies, Luxembourg

Name: CEPS/INSTEAD - Centre for Populations, Poverty and Public Policy Studies, Luxembourg

Address: 4501 Differdange, Luxembourg

Legal status: n/a

Leibniz institute of Ecological and Regional Development, Germany

Name: Leibniz institute of Ecological and Regional Development, Germany

Address: 01217 Dresden, Germany

Legal status: n/a

E-Cubed Consultants Ltd

Name: E-Cubed Consultants Ltd

Address: MST 1751 Mosta, Malta

Legal status: n/a

Alterra, The Netherlands

Name: Alterra, The Netherlands

Address: 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

Environmental Agency,Austria

Name: Environmental Agency,Austria

Address: A-1090 Vienna, Austria

Legal status: n/a

Nordregio - Nordic Center for Spatial Development, Sweden

Name: Nordregio - Nordic Center for Spatial Development, Sweden

Address: 11186 Stockholm, Sweden

Legal status: n/a

Perth College, United Kingdom

Name: Perth College, United Kingdom

Address: PH1 2NX Perth, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

National University of Ireland Cork (CMRC), Ireland

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Partners and Projects info

University of the Aegean - Research Unit, Greece

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Partners and Projects info

Louis Lengrand & Associés, France

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Partners and Projects info

CEPS/INSTEAD - Centre for Populations, Poverty and Public Policy Studies, Luxembourg

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Partners and Projects info

University of Geneva, Switzerland

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Partners and Projects info

Leibniz institute of Ecological and Regional Development, Germany

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Partners and Projects info

E-Cubed Consultants Ltd

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Partners and Projects info

Alterra, The Netherlands

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Partners and Projects info

Environmental Agency,Austria

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Partners and Projects info

Nordregio - Nordic Center for Spatial Development, Sweden

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Partners and Projects info

Perth College, United Kingdom

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Project acronym: GEOSPECS

Project start date: 2010-02-01

Project end date: 2012-12-01

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 899 950.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 809 955.00

Co-financing sources:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2007 - 2013 ESPON

Latest month of project-partner-call data publication

2015-05

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

68 / 68 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

399 / 399 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme and collected from programme's website

Languages

Contact Form

Geographic Specificities and Development Potentials in Europe

Description

Thematic information

Partners (11)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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