news REGION MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE REGIONS OF EUROPE • 46 / OCTOBER 2017 Western Balkan Ministers and EU Commissioner Hahn at IRE Summit From left: Enver Hoxhaj (Kosovo), Georgia: Romania: Igor Crnadak (Bosnia-Herzegovina), 17 Österr. 18 19 Jadranka Joksimović (Serbia), Hagelversicherung: IRE-member region IRE-member region EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn, campaign against soil Autonomous Republic of Braşov/Kronstadt as Bujar Osmani (FYRO Macedonia) consumption Ajara presents itself guest in Austria and Franz Schausberger FOCUS 13th Conference of European Regions and Cities Andrä Rupprechter 13th Conference of European Regions and Cities – Salzburg Summit on “Next Generation” Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management How regions and cities can be attractive for future generations The countryside as area of the future: A tailor-made Master Plan How to unite European countries in a common political and economic project, what can be done against the emptying of rural regions, which potentials have renewable Rural areas represent our country’s future. This is why I This ambitious project met with a lot of approval, and the have established a regional focus in 2017 and launched civil participation process yielded highly insightful results. energies in regions, all this has been discussed in this year‘s Conference of European a broad civil participation process. I wanted to ask people Overall, we collected more than 2.000 ideas and sugge- Regions and Cities. The Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE) organized this inter- directly what they need and how we can support them stions that were structured in my ministry and fed into the national event for the 13th year in a row, which took place from the 24th until the 26th in the best possible way - where the individual strengths Master Plan. Thus, a comprehensive and interministerial of September 2017 in Salzburg. and needs of their respective regions lie and which invest- strategy for rural areas was created – a joint pathway ser- ments are needed to ensure sustainable development. ving the systematic improvement of economic and living conditions in the countryside. The emphasis is on those One of the decisive questions will be, whether the jobs could be created and secured in rural regions. topics that are dear to the heart of rural dwellers - among society is still willing to uphold the infrastructure in There are numerous young and creative people, them agriculture and forestry, infrastructure, mobility, so- rural regions if it is no longer economically profita- one-person companies or start-ups that would like cial responsibility and the digital village. ble, IRE Chairman Franz Schausberger explained in to work and be located in rural, as long as the neces- his opening speech. “Will the state be prepared to Talking to people on the ground and finding out first-hand sity of a good infrastructure is provided: good trans- use taxation to counteract the rural depopulation as about what the regions need has definitely paid off. Now, port connections and equally good communication First row from right: well as enable people who like to live in the coun- we must all join forces and implement the Master Plan infrastructure, such as broadband supply. If the same Johannes Hahn, tryside a prosperous future?“ Due to the decentrali- accordingly together with the Federal Provinces, the muni- conditions are not created in the country as in cities, EU Enlargement zation of administrative facilities, not only from the cipalities and the population. there will be a two-class society which will lead to Commissioner, central administration to the regions, but also from social tensions. Wolfgang Brandstetter, Your Andrä Rupprechter these to the districts and municipalities, valuable Austrian Justice Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Minister and Vice Water Management Chancellor, Odeta Barbullushi, Deputy Minister for European and Foreign Affairs, Albania, Enver Hoxhaj, You can find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/institut.ire Vicepremierminister of Twitter: www.twitter.com/Institut_IRE Kosovo, Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/institut_ire Bujar Osmani, Deputy Prime Minister Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/ institut-der-regionen-europas-ire- responsible for European Affairs, FYRO Macedonia and IMPRESSUM Media owner and publisher: Institute of the Regions of Europe, A-5020 Salzburg, Nonntaler Hauptstraße 58, Tel.: +43/662/843288-0, Fax: +43/662/843288-5050, Igor Crnadak, Minister www.institut-ire.eu, [email protected] • Editor and layout: printmedia & pmverlag, 5020 Salzburg • Photos: IRE, Neumayr • Photo Cover: Franz Neumayr • Print: druck. of Foreign Affairs in at, A2544 Leobersdorf Insofar as this publication features only personal designations in their gender-specific forms, they relate – insofar as this can be considered with regard to the content – Bosnia-Herzegovina to men and women on equal terms. 2 newsregion 46 / october17 newsregion 46 / october17 3 FOCUS FOCUS 13th Conference of European Regions and Cities 13th Conference of European Regions and Cities From left: Alois Steinbichler, Caroline Fernolend, Andrä The Ministers for Rupprechter, Claus Foreign and European Raitan, Thomas Stelzer, affairs of the Gordana Rokvić, Kurt Western Balkan Weinberger, Gerlind Countries met with Weber and Robert Commissioner Hahn Thaler at the IRE Salzburg Summit Shaping rural regions for future generations IRE organizes high-level ministerial conference with EU Commissioner Hahn: “The rural space represents a promising future“, said tourism and renewable villages. Something simi- Agriculture and Environment Minister Andrä Rup- lar Caroline Fernolend, Vice-President of the Mihai EU enlargement policy is based on the Western Balkans prechter in his keynote on the panel discussion “At- Eminescu Trust in Romania, reported. It began 25 tractive regions for future generations“. With a “Ma- years ago in the village reformation in Transylvania. ster Plan“ prospects and programs for Austria‘s rural At the beginning was the preservation of the Saxon What is the EU‘s position on enlargement? EU Enlar- bating corruption, on the other hand, if EU enlarge- areas were developed besides the “multilevel gover- cultural heritage threatened with decay. In more gement Commissioner Johannes Hahn explained ment is to be defined as a national and cross-party nance“ co-operation partners were being brought than 1200 projects, social, economic and cultural di- this question as the main speaker in the IRE Forum objective which is not sold for short-term political together. This has the effect of mitigating the depo- mensions of regions were recorded and processed. pulation process and helping structurally weak regi- Thomas Stelzer, “The Next Generation of EU Member States“ with small pocket money. Jadranka Joksimović, Serbian However, the “braindrain” can hardly be stopped, ex- ons effectively. After all, according to Rupprechter, Governor of Upper the following words: “We want to complete what is Minister for European Integration, sees the pillars plained Gerlind Weber, professor at the Institute for two thirds or five million people live in Austria’s Austria obvious“. The six countries of the Western Balkans of European integration in economic development Spatial Planning at the University of Natural Resour- rural areas. By the year 2030 nonetheless, a further Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bosnia and and the strengthening of the rule of law. However, ces and Life Sciences. Anyone who moves from one migration of one tenth of the population is to be ex- Herzegovina and Albania should, according to Hahn, “Euro-realism“ has replaced “Eurofanaticism“ in the country to another can hardly be hindered, because pected. In order to turn the “Braindrain“ towards the become members as soon as possible. It is of great Serbian population. Nevertheless, she considers cities offer heterogeneity, which is a variety of forms countryside again, it would be necessary to provide Aleksandar Andrija importance to use the dynamics in the momentum, an accession in 2025 realistic for her country. One of life and professional activities preferred by some opportunities and new prospects for people in rural Pejović, Minister of says Hahn towards the ministers of the Western should not forget the mood in the old EU, declared people. Howbeit, according to her observations, the areas. Additionally, the value and importance of the European Affairs, Balkan countries at the podium to make the states Montenegro‘s Minister of European Affairs Aleksan- influx or return to the country could be attractive. regions must also be more strongly recognized at Montenegro ready for the EU. EU Commission President Juncker dar Andrija Pejović. In some EU countries, the ma- “With high quality of life and good infrastructure, European level, emphasized Rupprechter. had now set an important temporal orientation with jority of the population does not want any new EU immigration can be fostered“. Kurt Weinberger, Di- 2025. He considers essential challenges in the lack of members, although many of the old member states With the complex tasks of municipal policy and the rector General of the Austrian Hail Insurance, urged economic cooperation among the countries of the have benefited economically from the EU enlarge- production of the required infrastructure, small com- to reduce the land use and rather focus on unused Andrä Rupprechter, region and the high youth unemployment. However, ment. The