The research in the area of territorial planning and regional development will be henceforth supported within the supranational program ESPON 2013 (European Spatial Planning Observation Network).
Geographic Coverage
- All member states of the EU
- Partner states (Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland)
Program Managing Structures
Also in the period 2007-2013, the Managing and Certifying Authority will be the Ministry of Interior and Territorial Development in Luxembourg. The program's coordination unit will have its registered office also in Luxembourg.
Focus of the Research Program
In consideration of the fact that one of the objectives included in the European Institution is territorial cohesion, which requires additional knowledge based on research and specific formulation for the purposes of its realization, the program ESPON 2013 will be focused on consistent acquisition and updating of information about the territorial development so that recommendations may be formulated on the basis of the knowledge, which are related to the decisions adopted at the political level. In the future, the ESPON program will have a more strategic nature. The specific definition of priorities will be defined in the Operational Program.
Preparation of Program Documents and Program Initiation
In consideration of the international nature of this cooperation, only one Operational Program for ESPON 2013 was prepared. This Operational Program is common for all participating states.
The Operational Program is published on the web site www.espon.eu. In the course of the program document preparation, those interested members of the expert public had an opportunity to participate in the consulting process.
The European Commission approved the Operational Program ESPON 2013 on 7 November 2007.
Related Documents