Directorate General for Programs and Agreements, European Relations and International Cooperation EMILIA-ROMAGNA VALORIZZAZIONE ECONOMICA TERRITORIO This publication was realized in the frame of the project REACT, fi nanced by INTERACT Programme Edited by Michele Migliori Emilia-Romagna Region Directorate General for Programmes and Agreements, European Relations and International Cooperation With the technical assistance of ERVET Emilia-Romagna Region Development Agency Introduction and analysis edited by Michele Migliori Emilia-Romagna Region Claudia Ziosi ERVET - Emilia-Romagna Region Development Agency, European Union Policies and International Cooperation Unit With the support of Mario Cerè, Germana De Carli, Lodovico Gherardi, Giuliana Ventura Emilia-Romagna Region, Directorate General for Programmes and Agreements, European Relations and International Cooperation 2 Coordination and project fi ches by Lucia Calliari, Franco Cima, Roberta Pierantoni, Andrea Pignatti, Ornela Zylyfi ERVET - Emilia-Romagna Region Development Agency, European Union Policies and International Cooperation Unit We would like to thank the projects’ referents for the precious contribution We also thank the Emilia Romagna Region Photographic File, that has allowed the use of some images in this volume Translation by Maria Pia Falcone Graphic design by Avenida - MO Printed in October 2006 Preface 5 Introduction 6 1. The future 2007-2013 European territorial cooperation 7 1.1 The general framework 7 1.2 Internal cooperation 8 1.3 External cooperation 9 1.4 The 2007-2013 cooperation in the Emilia-Romagna region 10 2. The 2000-2006 INTERREG III Community Initiative 12 2.1 Cross-border cooperation 12 2.2 Transnational cooperation 12 2.3 Interregional cooperation 13 2.4 INTERACT, ESPON and URBACT programmes 13 3. The implementation of the INTERREG III programmes in Emilia-Romagna in the 2000-2006 period 15 3.1 Strand A - Cross-border cooperation 15 3.1.1 Cross-border Adriatic programme 15 3.2 Strand B – Transnational cooperation 16 3.2.1 CADSES programme 16 3.2.2 MEDOCC programme 16 3.3 Strand C – Interregional cooperation 17 3.3.1 INTERREG III C programme 17 4. Organisation of the Emilia-Romagna region 18 5. Analysis of the 2000-2006 INTERREG projects in the Emilia-Romagna region 19 3 5.1 Total INTERREG III projects approved in Emilia-Romagna 19 5.2 Projects implemented by the regional authority and by the local authorities 20 5.2.1 Regional authority 21 5.2.2 Local authorities 21 INDEX 5.3 Partnership 23 5.3.1 Distribution by country of origin 23 5.3.2 Lead partner per country 26 5.4 Types of authorities 28 5.5 Areas of intervention 30 5.6 Financial resources 32 Conclusions 33 6. 2000-2006 INTERREG projects in Emilia-Romagna: projects’ cards 35 INTERREG III A Adriatic Crossborder Programme 35 INTERREG III B CADSES Programme 51 INTERREG III B MEDOCC Programme 95 INTERREG III C Interregional Programme 127 INTERACT Programme 173 Country abbreviations 176 Emilia-Romagna at a Glance 4 Emilia-Romagna Italy Population 4.151.369 7,10% Employment Rate 68,3% 57,4% Total Unemployment Rate 3,7% 8,0% Female Activity Rate 63,4% 51,3% Female Unemployment Rate 5,0% 10,6% Gdp Per Head (Euro) 26.413 21.611 Active Firms 420.401 Agriculture 77.843 Companies (18,5%) Industry 124.465 Companies (29,7%) EMILIA-ROMAGNA AT A GLANCE EMILIA-ROMAGNA AT Services 217.191 Companies (51,8%) 1 Firm Each 9,87 Inhabitants Employees In The Manufacturing Industry 521,00 Agriculture 5,1% Industry 36,0% * updated to 2004 Services 64,9% Cartographic elaboration by ERVET Spa Preface The development of regional policies and the strong integration commitment of the European Union have led to the launching of several regional and local programmes and projects. Nevertheless, the recent en- largement of the European Community space and the further future enlargement process that will include new member States have further pointed out different levels of development between the various European regions. Based on this awareness, a serious debate has been launched about the best tools to be developed by the European Union over the next few years to support this integration process. Concepts like “co-operation”, “exchange of experiences”, “network”, “transfer of knowledge” are now becoming increasingly more meaningful and serving as reference for specifi c Community initiatives and for a renewed regional policy. As far as co-operation is concerned, the INTERREG III Community initiative, launched in the 2000-2006 period, has been one of the best opportunities offered to the European regions to establish relations with regional and local partners in other European countries and to implement the integrated regional development principle through joint actions. This has also led to a strengthening of regional development networks. The analyses that have been carried out on the results deriving from the implementation of co-operation programmes have highlighted an outstanding co-operation “architecture”, in which public, regional and local authorities of the various member states have established close relationships, shared knowledge, resources and working methods. This is a strong dialogue tool that brings together the different administrative cultures and the different ways of interpreting and implementing public policies and of involving citizens into the public life. The Emilia-Romagna Region and its local authorities have given their substantial contribution to the implemen- tation of the INTERREG III Community initiative. Several projects have been launched by the Emilia-Romagna Region, thus making it one of the most active European Regions. The experience has been very positive. We intend to further support and strengthen it in the framework of the following co-operation programmes that will be launched in 2007. The Regional Government has already 5 committed itself and it has included the need to further strengthen the relationships between the Emilia- Romagna Region and the other European Regions as well as the already existing co-operation networks in its own programming documents. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of the several projects that have been designed within the framework of the Interreg programmes and that have involved a large number of institutional and social- PREFACE economic partners throughout the whole territory of the Emilia-Romagna Region. I really wish that it may serve as a tool to further enhance this vast experience as well as a working and infor- mation tool for all those who, in different ways, are involved in the development of this kind of initiatives. Vasco Errani President of the Emilia-Romagna Region Introduction This report has been drafted in the framework of the activities envisaged by the REACT project - Regional Actors in Interreg cooperation – funded by the INTERACT Community Programme. INTERACT is part of the INTERREG III Initiative, which in turn concerns cooperation between European regions. In particular, INTERACT aims at enhancing the effectiveness of the various programmes that constitute IN- TERREG III and liaising the various cooperation units located within the EU territory. The REACT project has allowed seven regions of the community space – Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, the Balearic Islands, Southern & Eastern Ireland, Crete, Champagne–Ardenne, as well as the Universities of Ljubljana and the Zenica Doboj Canton of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation – to work together and share their experiences related to their participation in the different INTERREG III programmes. The report “Interreg in the Emilia-Romagna Region: the implementation of the Community Initiative on trans-european cooperation in the 2000/2006 period” is one of the activities that have been carried out in the framework of the REACT project and it stands as an example of good practice to be transferred to the other project partners. It analyses the involvement of the Emilia-Romagna Region in the programme, in cooperation actions and in the setting up of relations and networks with other community partners on different issues in the various areas of interest, through its institutional bodies, public and private actors. It is intended as a knowledge and working tool that might be useful for all those who are concerned with the development of similar initiatives. Synthetic project cards summarise all the EU funded projects that have been implemented in the 2000-2006 period, by the Emilia-Romagna Region, in liaison with its local authorities and other public and private bodies, both in its capacity as lead partner or as project partner1. As many as 135 projects have been described, all funded under INTERREG III programmes, related to cross- border, transnational and Interregional cooperation. A few projects have already been completed, whereas others are still under way. The fi rst section of the report provides a detailed analysis of the participation model. This analysis points out the high degree of involvement of the Emilia-Romagna Region in this Community Initiative. Not just the 6 Regional Authority, as such, but also the Local authorities have proven their skills and expertise in project designing. Close relations have been established with many other European Union regions (including the new accession countries), with candidate countries (in particular in the Balkan area) and with third countries in the Mediterranean area. From the point of view of the fi nancial resources that have been allocated, the Emilia-Romagna Region ranks fi rst in the list of the European regions with the highest level of participation and fi nancial commitment. This has allowed the various local institutions to achieve a high degree of know-how that can be capitalised on during the next 2007-2013 Structural Funds programming period. INTRODUCTION A specifi c objective on “European Territorial Cooperation” is envisaged in the new European Union cohesion policy, whose legal framework was fi nally approved in July 2006. It will allow to further implement and stren- gthen the INTERREG III Community Initiative and it will make a much larger amount of fi nancial resources available as against the previous 2000-2006 period.