WIREDGOV

The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) Markku Markkula (EPP/FIN) met recently with Marshal Marek Sowa (EPP/ PL) and the Mayor of Krakow Jacek Majchrowski at the European Congress of Local Governments in Krakow. Local leaders discussed issues of investment in education and new technologies in the perspective of EU funds and the Juncker Plan. Accordingly, they confirmed the need for commitment and mutual co-operation of the European regions for effective investments and combating unemployment.

To counteract the crisis, a new plan (the so-called Juncker Plan) was announced to the European Commission in November 2014, which in the coming three years aims to create investments worth 315 billion euros in strategic sectors, such as energy, transport and information and communication technologies. This plan clearly indicates the need for cooperation with European institutions, businesses and regional authorities. For this reason, it is important that it is a complement of the cohesion policy and that these policies’ intervention areas do not overlap.

Local and regional authorities implement most public investments in the EU. Despite the fact that, for example education, which is so important for the labour market, remains largely influenced by national policies, through the Juncker plan the regions may contribute to the increase in investment in this sector. New technologies, among others ICT (information and communication technologies) and e-learning are some of the elements that properly supported could revolutionize the labour market, bringing new forms of employment and minimizing unemployment.

Based on the discussion with Marshall Marek Sowa, President of the CoR Markku Markkulapromised piloting activities between schools and universities in Finland and Malopolska. The President added that “we want to have also other regions in Europe join on this cooperation in teacher training, better pedagogy and joint digitalised learning. We want this cooperation to be a pioneering European initiative also in targeting the creation of favourable conditions for entrepreneurial discovery and new digitalised start-up companies” Markkula concluded.

With regards to investments in Małopolska, the Mayor of Krakow, Jacek Majchrowskimentioned that: “The SMART_KOM project is being finalised, in which, the city together with the Kraków Technology Park and the Marshal's Office are preparing a strategy for the implementation of smart solutions in the Kraków Metropolitan Area. Perhaps in the coming years under the Horizon 2020 Programme project Smartify will be completed, hence Kraków together with the German city of Aachen and the French city of Brestem will be outlining new trends for cities and regions of Europe”. In his opinion "Kraków does not focus only on implementing technology and investments, but also on education, that the residents could consciously choose from available projects, applications or initiatives, those that best suit them and which carry out their needs”.

As Marek Sowa said, the Marshal of the Malopolska region: "In the years 2014-2020, 2.9 billion euros will go to Małopolska. To make proper use of this money and build a strong image of Polish local government, we need to work together at the local level. In recent years there has been also significant regional advancements within the European Union, moreover their collective voice is the Committee of the Regions.

"There is another aspect that is not directly related to the success of such effective regions as Małopolska, but applies to smaller regions and municipalities. Many of them have problems with the availability of financial instruments, particularly with the small scale projects, this is why in order to have a coherent policy, cooperation is needed between all European regions" Markkula summarised.

Contact:
Julia Rokicka
tel. +32 2 282 2447
julia.rokicka@ext.cor.europa.eu