The URBACT II Programme 2007 - 2013 - Lublin

Final Application Form TN URBACT II
ANNEX 2 – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE-
MATIC NETWORKS WITH THE FAST TRACK LABEL
This section is to be filled in by networks with the Fast Track
Label only 20 .
1. FAST TRACK Label and Commission support
Please indicate for which part of the work programme you expect the support
of the Commission and indicate what kind of support you envisage
Being a Fast Track network means that HerO is privileged to benefit from the support
and assistance of the European Commission acting as a partner to the network.
During a first meeting at the EC DG REGIO in Brussels the following Directorates
have expressed their interest in the project topic and have offered an active
collaboration to the HerO team: EC DG REGIO, DG Environment, DG Education
& Culture.
Based on that HerO will invite EC representatives to all major events within the
frame of the network in order to enrich the debate on the topic from a European
perspective and to contribute to the peer review of the Local Action Plans. Presence
of the EC will also give a strong (political) signal on the importance of the
network topic to other invited experts on European, national, regional and local
level and trigger the involvement of the responsible MAs.
Another important aspect is that by having the EC DG REGIO as partner in the
project this will allow the network to express recommendations (bottom-up) on
the structure and priorities of the future structural funds programmes and European
policies directly to the responsible institutions on European level.
The HerO network’s special focus is on the sustainable development of historic urban
landscapes through integrated management strategies. This means that the
environmental component of the urban development of historic cities is of specific
relevance to be discussed with experts from the EC, DG Environment and DG EaC.
As part the networking activities for the “Organization of World Heritage Cities”,
the City of Regensburg recently hosted a big conference on the topic “Earth, Wind,
Water, Fire - Environmental Chalenges to Urban World Heritage” which addressed
natural hazards and environmental influences as a major threat for European cities’
built cultural heritage and for the communities’ identity. During this conference
examples for innovative preventive measures have been presented to the
audience and, as a result of the event, a “Regensburg Recommendation” has been
adopted by the participants. With a lot of preparatory work already done, the environmental
dimension of urban development could be elaborated further in close
co-operation with the EC’s DG Environment. This would in turn result in new ideas
for concrete measures on local and regional level receiving support from the Operational
Funding Programmes.
20 For further information please contact DG Regio at the following address: Regio-
Urban-Territorial@ec.europa.eu) or refer to the Regions for Economic Change website:http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/interregional/ecochange/index
_en.cfm.
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