Ljubljana Green Cohesion Policy 2014-2020

Despite the fact that the European countries and their economies since 2008 faced the rise of public and private debt, high unemployment, many diminishing social rights of the citizens and the consequent drop in the standard of living, it must be emphasized that the situation is not the same in all Member States. There are also good examples in different parts of the EU where countries have managed to retain or even lowered the volume of debt. In more and more parts of Europe a growing part of the energy consumption derives from renewable sources and thus greatly contribute to the preservation of the environment. There are local communities where, in partnership with civil society and the private sector, they have created the conditions for new, sustainable jobs that will stand up well in the long run and provide families with a decent standard of living. It is with this in mind that we must stress the importance of the Cohesion policy in its aim to especially support the less developed regions with extra investments that will help them to fill the existing investment gap and to develop to the level, comparable with more successful regions. As we strongly believe, the performance-oriented Cohesion funds may present an important difference between the sustainable-oriented investments that bring the wider community a long term positive effects and ill-considered investments in projects that serve only the purpose of consumption of 'available' resources. At the Green Cohesion Policy 2014 - 2020 Conference we will present some of successful and sustainable examples of cohesion spending and share the examples of good, proven practices that can help in the revival of economic activity and improving cooperation between public actors at local, regional and national levels, and private bodies. The Greens / EFA strongly believe that particularly in difficult times it is important to show that investments which are focused on areas with the broad, sustainable impact can contribute to improving both the standard of living, as well as maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

PROGRAMME

8:30-09:00
Registration 09:00
Welcoming  Speech
Dr. Igor Šoltes (MEP, the Greens/EFA) 09:10 
Organisers' Speech

• Rebecca Harms, MEP, co-president of the Greens/EFA Group and Reinhard Butikofer, MEP, the Greens/EFA, co-president of the EGP (video address)
• Aleksander Jevšek, president of the association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia, president)
• Alenka Avberšek, executive director for policies and legislation, Chamber of Commerce and Industry

09:35 
Keynote address
Corina Cretu, Commissioner for Regional Policy (video address)     09:45
New elements in the Cohesion Policy  funding period 2014-2020
Monika Vana, MEP - the Greens/EFA 10:10
Partnership Agreement with Slovenia, 2014 - 2020
N.N., Guest speaker, European Commission 10:40
Slovenian Operational Programme
Franc Matjaž Zupančič, Secretary of State in the Government office for Development and European Cohesion Policy 11:10
Audience feedback 11:30-11:45
Coffee break 11:30
The Greens/EFA Press Conference 11:50
Environmental mainstreaming and sustainable development in Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Marcus Trilling, EU Funds Coordinator
Friends of Earth Europe/CEE Bankwatch Network 12:35
Your Guide to EU Funding 2014 - 2020
Robert Godina, Political advisor, the Greens/EFA 12:45
Lunch break 13:45-15:30
Panel: Good Practice around Europe

• Bronis Ropė (Lithuania)
  Municipality-level housing modernization programme
• Tamas Meszerics (Hungary)
  Morahalom, Hungary - Geothermal Cascade System
• Monika Vana (Austria)
  Heating from biomass for the Kleinwalsertal   
• Croatian case 
• Rupert Gole (Slovenia), mayor of Sentrupert
  Green integral economy in local communities
• Matjaž Čemažar, DOMEL, d.o.o. Zelezniki
  Industrija vlaga v zeleno

Panel Moderator: NGO Umanotera 15:40
Audience feedback 16:00
Conference wrap-up
Dr. Igor Šoltes (MEP, the Greens/EFA) Conference moderator: Aljaž Pengov Bitenc