Spatial dynamics and integrated territorial development scenarios for the functional area of Central Europe

Programme 2014 - 2020 ESPON 2020

Date of latest update: 2024-05-18

Description

Description (EN):

The Interreg Central Europe (CE) programme area encompasses the territory of nine EU Member States, i.e. Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as parts of Germany and Italy. It makes up 23% of the EU territory and covers countries from both sides of the former ’Iron Curtain’. Despite major progress, economic and social differences between ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ countries are still pronounced. The area is characterised by an uneven distribution of economic strength, which is rooted in the historical, political and economic development (East-West divide: command economy vs market economy) as well as in structural differences between regions (urban and industrialised areas vs. rural and peripheral areas). Research and development (R&D), as well as investments, are concentrated in few, mostly urban growth poles including capital city agglomerations like Warsaw, Prague, Berlin, Vienna, and Budapest. As a consequence, rural and peripheral areas often show lower competitiveness combined with significant brain-drain. Also, social disparities within CE can be observed especially along the former ‘Iron Curtain’ and the eastern external frontier of the EU. A recent study analysed the main challenges for the CE region which were identified as: a) globalisation, b) digital economy, c) transport and accessibility, d) energy, e) circular economy/environment, f) climate change, g) employment and skills, h) social risks, i) demographic change/migration and j) governance. The study concluded that CE is a functional area and that this functionality is not only based on the geographic proximity of countries but on spatial interactions and linkages within different sectors such as economics and business, governance etc. The CE-FLOWS targeted analysis shall look into the spatial dynamics and existing flows across the regions making up the CE functional area. With this focus on the functional geography of CE, the project is well anchored in the European policy context in view of the objectives of European regional development and Cohesion Policy for the forthcoming funding period 2021-2027. The draft ETC regulation introduces the notion of functional areas, therefore the methodology and approach tested by CE-FLOWS in the CE area can be applied in the analysis of functional relationships in other transnational Interreg programme areas outside the four Macro-Regional Strategy (MRS) areas (e.g. South-West Europe, North-West Europe, Mediterranean, North Sea Region). Furthermore, the methodology developed in CE-FLOWS can be applied to a smaller scale than the transnational one, i.e. for capturing dynamics and flows at the cross-border level. The analysis in the framework of CE-FLOWS shall also consider complementarities and synergies with other EU instruments and policies, including macro-regional strategies. A better understanding of the flows and interdependencies within CE will allow to increase the impacts of other EU policy instruments through better coordination and valorisation of synergies as well as strengthen the linkages of CE with other adjacent functional areas. This will further reinforce cooperation between stakeholders and territories, leading not only to an effective integrated territorial development of the CE functional area but, considering its location at the heart of Europe and its economic importance, to more cohesion in the entire EU.

Achievements (EN):

Key findings: • This study highlights significant discrepancies between regions of the CE area in terms of research and development patterns, accessibility and labour commuting, pollution, energy production and consumption. • The degree of innovation is closely linked to the level of economic specialisation and specifically to manufacturing activities. Manufacturing activities in the CE area are driven by hubs featuring high economic specialisation in terms of gross value-added generation, employment, and businesses in manufacturing activities. • However, these manufacturing hubs are partly hampered by a persistent bottleneck represented by the insufficient interlinkages between far eastern and western regions due to issues of transport interoperability and deficient car and rail infrastructures. • Even if commuting flows between Member States are rapidly increasing in the CE area, the absolute number of cross-border commuters remains relatively low compared to other regions in the EU. • The expected outcomes for 2030 in the New Normality scenario can be summarised by a significant economic growth in the CE regions hit the hardest by the health crisis (e.g. Italian regions). • However, the overall economic performance of central and eastern regions remains stronger in the long run due to the lower losses registered during 2020. • The long-term impact of the pandemic on other economic and non-economic indicators different from GDP distinguishes the New Normality from the two Integration scenarios.

Website: https://archive.espon.eu/

Expected Results (EN):

The main outcome of this project is to answer the following key policy questions: - Which spatial dynamics of CE as a functional area can be observed? How can the current situation be characterised (e.g. by which indicators) and which are the main development trends/scenarios in view of 2030? What is going to be the territorial impact of the predicted/expected development trends? - What are the main spatial development potentials able to reduce economic and social disparities in CE and foster integrated territorial development? Which drivers and bottlenecks can be best addressed by transnational cooperation to further strengthen functional links? - Building on existing cooperation patterns and partnerships, how can transnational cooperation structures, governance mechanisms and solutions be tailored to fit spatial dynamics of the CE functional territory? How can their impacts be further strengthened in view of 2030 (i.e. by when impacts of 2021-2027 programmes will be achieved)? What is the special niche of transnational cooperation in this context (in relation to other EU instruments and policies)? How can complementarities and synergies with other EU instruments and policies, such as macro-regional strategies be used?

Thematic information

Regional planning and development

Specific Objective: Upgraded knowledge transfer and use of analytical user support

Thematic Objective:

(11) enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration through actions to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administrations and public services related to the implementation of the ERDF, and in support of actions under the ESF to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administration.

Investment Priority: (11 ETC) ETC specific for transnational cooperation: enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration by developing and coordinating macro-regional and sea-basin strategies

Partners (4)

Lead Partner: VVA Brussels SPRL

Address: Rue van Eyck 22, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

Legal status: private

ÖIR GmbH

Name: ÖIR GmbH

Address: Franz-Josefs-Kai 27, A-1010 Vienna, Austria

Legal status: private

Politecnico di Milano

Name: Politecnico di Milano

Address: Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy

Legal status: public

Civitta Strategy & Consulting S.A.

Name: Civitta Strategy & Consulting S.A.

Address: 10-12 Belgrad Street, Building A, Attic, Sector 1 Bucharest, Romania

Legal status: private

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

VVA Brussels Sprl

Spatial dynamics and integrated territorial development scenarios for the functional area of Central Europe

Partners and Projects info

Öir GmbH

Spatial dynamics and integrated territorial development scenarios for the functional area of Central Europe

Partners and Projects info

Polytechnic University of Milan

Spatial dynamics and integrated territorial development scenarios for the functional area of Central Europe

Partners and Projects info

Spatial dynamics and integrated territorial development scenarios for the functional area of Central Europe

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Spatial dynamics and integrated territorial development scenarios for the functional area of Central Europe

Project acronym: CE FLOWS

Project start date: 2020-02-12

Project end date: 2021-10-19

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 280 350.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 229 243.32

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 229 243.32.

Documents

Documents on this project are listed below, and organised by category. Please note field "Data source", attached to each document. Keep.eu users are free to use these documents as long as they mention the data source and keep.eu.

Reports

Spatial dynamics and integrated territorial development scenarios for the functional area of central Europe I

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/ce-flows

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2021-12-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Spatial dynamics and integrated territorial development scenarios for the functional area of central Europe III

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/ce-flows

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2021-12-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Project’s final reports

Spatial dynamics and integrated territorial development scenarios for the functional area of central Europe II

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Project’s final report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/ce-flows

Publication date: 2023-08-07

Document date: 2021-12-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

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

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 ESPON 2020

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2024-03-04

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

68 / 69 (98.55%)

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

353 / 370 (95.41%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme. Data from 3 projects ((MRS. ESPON TOOL, SoET and CPS 2.0) was retrieved by Interact from the programme´s website on the 2024-03-01. Regarding partners only data only main partners is available. Achievements were retrieved by Interact from the Programme website (http://www.espon.eu), or a website directly linked from it, on 2021-09-21 and 2023-01-03.

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Spatial dynamics and integrated territorial development scenarios for the functional area of Central Europe

Description

Thematic information

Partners (4)

Partners map

Summary

Documents

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

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