EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - The Greening Regional Development Programmes Network

The Greening Regional Development Programmes Network

Introduction

Greening Regional Development Programmes (GRDP) is a European-wide network funded by the EU that enables the partners to learn from each other about how to develop their regions while minimising the impact on the environment.

Description

The GRDP project has four working themes:

identifying good practices where the environment has been integrated into regional development programmes;
influencing the implementation of Structural Funds;
making an economic case for environmental integration;
integrating the environment into all future regional economic development programmes.

Participants

Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, Austria
Local Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona, Spain
Cornwall County Council, UK
Devon County Council, UK
Environment Agency for England and Wales, UK (lead partner)
Italian Environmental Authority, Italy
The Environment and Soil protection Department of the Marche Environmental Authority, Italy
Med. ORO – Orientation, Research, Occupation, Italy
Med. ORO – Orientation, Research, Occupation, Italy
Regional Department Environment and Territory - Environmental Authority for Structural Funds, Sicily Region, Italy
University of Debrecen, Centre for Environmental Management and Policy, Hungary
Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Territorial Policies, La Rioja, Spain
Development Agency of Langhe Monferrato Roero – Consortium, Italy
Malta Environment and Planning Authority, Malta
Environment Management, Nurseries and Afforestations of Navarra, Spain
The Regional Environmental Centre (REC) for Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary
Western Greece Region, Greece
Municipality of Wroclaw, Poland

Network lead

The Environment Agency for England and Wales.

Objectives

The GRDP project aims at gaining experience from Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund programmes, as well as other regional economic development activities. Goal is to develop a common European methodology for the effective integration of environmental aspects into current and future regional development programmes. By sharing best practice and experience, the network partners hope to improve their knowledge on environmental integration in the context of Cohesion and Structural Funds and other economic development programmes and to disseminate best practices in partner regions and beyond.

The project will be concluded with a GRDP Charter to be signed by the partnership’s members and other interested organisations. The charter will suggest a set of principles on how to integrate environmental sustainability in regional development programmes.

Products

Expected results:

Improved understanding among partner regions on environmental integration and sustainable development in the context of Structural Fund programmes.
Influencing the implementation of the environmental horizontal theme in Structural Funds post-2006.
Presentation of economic cases for environmental integration.
Dissemination of good practice, guidance and principles for environmental integration in regional development programmes across EU countries.
Partners sign up to a GRDP Charter on completion of the project.
Transfer and exchange of ideas and experience.
Development of better co-operation among environmental authorities and other organisations at national, regional and European level beyond the project.

EU involvement

The partnership is financed by the EU.

Contact info

GRDP Project Team, tel. +44 1392 442170

Links

The Greening Regional Development Programmes Network The GRDP handbook on Strategic Environmental Assessment for Cohesion Policy on EUKN

Document type

network

Themes

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment > Research & innovation

Keywords

Implementation & production