Ecodu séminaire - Europe en France, le portail des Fonds européens

Les
Rounding up
What are you taking home from
the seminar?
It was a great opportunity for local
authorities to exchange their experiences.
And there is no doubt in my mind that the
conclusions will influence the programme
in the pipeline.
Where will sustainable development fit into the programmes
for 2014-2020?
We are all aware that we have to change
the way we do things. And not only at
home: energy production methods also
matter. And we need to use that energy
more efficiently - especially in cities,
where more of the greenhouse-gas emissions will come from.
Sustainable territorial development via the European Funds
What would you like to say to the
people running these programmes
in France?
I would like them to use this opportunity
to talk to the people benefitting from the
programmes and to help them (I am especially thinking about innovation, SMBs
and training). I hope they will be as committed as they were during the seminar.
Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner in charge of cohesion policy
They said it!
“Cohesion policy should also stretch to
encompass people working on smaller
projects. Associations, for example,
should be able to qualify for funds.”
du séminaire
“The real point is to shift pilot projects
into the mainstream.”
Vincent LE DOLLEY, DATAR
Yvette Izabel, European Commission
“Today, it makes sense for territories to
work in multi-fund mode: structural funds
should be able to combine research
funds and HR funds.”
Vincent LE DOLLEY, DATAR
“A genuine European strategy is the only
way to go. In a universe without borders,
we can’t stay alone for long.”
Gilles Pennequin,
Union for the Mediterranean Mission
Being bold, breaking down borders
The people shaping
Europe meet in Nantes
EDITOrial
Nantes welcomed the 500 participants who gathered at the Regional
Competitiveness and Employment Seminar organised by DATAR on
8, 9 and 10 June 2011, to assess the European Funds’ contributions
to sustainable growth and to map out the post-2013 programme.
Workshop leaders have their own Q&A session
The feeling during the ICT workshop was mostly
grim. Why was that? What has to happen to turn
that feeling around?
Will green growth
change anything for
the ESF?
Marc Laget (DATAR) : Digital technology can inter alia
contribute to cutting travel. And yet telecommuting is not
very widespread in France. And public procedures to not
accommodate ICT as much as they should. One of the messages at that workshop was “Be bold: use ICT”.
What we need is a cultural paradigm shift. The leading
lights, such as the Region of Auvergne, which included ICT
in all its operational departments in 2009, are showing us the
way to go.
Elisabeth
Vaillant
and Thomas Fargeas
(French Economy, Industry and Employment Ministry): The
green economy principally involves bolstering
the fields of expertise we
already have. The Training and Economic Development workshop reviewed the full list of skill
requirements then distilled
the pointers to map out
the next steps. Some parLes participants de l’atelier Formation et développement économique
ticipants wanted to refocus
the ESF on territorial issues, not just on under-qualified people, i.e. channel ESF financof trying to keep up, and towards building in sustainableing to competitiveness clusters and thereby SMBs.
development objectives from the start, not enduring them as
constraints.
A number of participants embraced the notion of “Territorial
Employment and Expertise Plans” (which mirror employment
Workshop participants also asked for a clearer, consensusand expertise plans in companies).
based definition of sustainable development, and for the resources they need for training, leadership and communication,
One workshop focused espe- for the coming programme period.
What did you learn from the Energy workshop?
Pierre-François Clerc (DATAR) : The technical solutions exist. Now we need more projects to take on the 3x20
challenge, with innovative financing mechanisms and by
structuring the sectors. Networking territorial stakeholders
and professionals is vital, ultimately to lower project costs.
Programme managers–not only at the workshop–are calling
for a more comprehensive approach, i.e. for closer articulation between the ESF and ERDF.
Publication director:
Vincent Le Dolley, DATAR
Photo credits:
© Marion Lecat - Averti
Creation and copywriting:
www.averti.fr
Printed in June 2011
Printed on 100% recycled
FSC-certified paper
Ce séminaire est cofinancé par l’Union européenne dans le cadre
d’Europ’Act. L’Europe s’engage en France avec les Fonds européens.
4
June 2011
Eco
3 questions
for Commissioner Hahn
Sustainable growth in territories, with the European Funds
cially on building sustainable
development into each project.
Serena Lorenzetti (DATAR) : Yes.
Regions are coming up with more and more
initiatives, to support people with projects,
raise project manager and beneficiary awareness, and assess project action and impact.
We need to capitalise on successful experiences and use them, and talk to a broader
spectrum of stakeholders (especially include
the people with the projects). Dedicated exchange platforms would help there. We also
have to angle towards anticipation, instead
The Water workshop spent a lot of time talking
about preventing floods. What is your first impression?
Mickaël Vaillant (DATAR) : We were unhappy about
the fact that the operational programmes were “watertight”, i.e. confined within administrative borders instead
of stretching to an entire watershed, for instance. So they
have to aggregate project outcomes to find out whether
they have achieved their objectives. There is room for improvement there. Last but not least, it would make sense
to get researchers and administrations working together on
water management, as early as the public-debate stage.
About 500 participants converged on Nantes for
the 2011 seminar on Regional Competitiveness
and Employment to discuss sustainable
development. They spent 3 days contributing to
workshops, visiting projects and discussing at
roundtables to review territorial stewardship in
depth. This seminar came at a turning point in the
process and led to several pointers to improve
the 2007-2013 programme - whence we will be
distilling the lessons learnt. It inter alia made a
solid case for coordinating economic research
and development policy and employment and
vocational training policy more closely.
As regards the future, the French Minister in
charge of cohesion policy, Mr Bruno Le Maire,
confirmed that France has embraced cohesion
and wants the European Funds to flex their
full muscle to support “smart, sustainable and
inclusive” growth. It is up to all of us to translate
this aim we share into action on the ground.
Bertrand Martinot, DGEFP
Emmanuel Berthier, DATAR
CONTENTS
Page 2 & 3 : Five sustainable topics
Page 4 : Rounding up
[Above] Left to right: B. Martinot (DGEFP), E. Berthier (DATAR),
C. Clergeau (Pays de la Loire Regional Council), P. Rimbert (Nantes
Métropole) and J. L.. Caffier (journalist). [Opposite] Left to right:
C. Clergeau, P. Migneret (DATAR), J. F. Lebrun (European Commission),
J. Palma Andres (European Commission), C. Larrieu (French Ecology,
Sustainable Development and Planning Ministry).
W
elcome to Nantes, which
is hosting the Regional
Competitiveness
and
Employment seminar for the first time
ever. Patrick Rimbert, Nantes’ Deputy
Mayor, told participants about that
that city’s distinctive brand of sustainable development and how it has
evolved over the past 20 years, combining drives to organise urban environments and protect natural surroundings - the policy that has earned it the
title of European Green Capital for 2013.
Christophe Clergeau, the Pays de la
Loire Region’s first Vice-President, then
discussed the key projects in the area,
including the renewable marine energy
research platform (since, he added, “This
region wants to become a national benchmark [in this field]”). Bertrand Martinot
then spoke about best practices for using
European Funds from the French Economy, Industry and Employment Ministry’s
perspective, and about training courses
for employees in companies that have
to adjust in order to harness the trend towards a greener economy. He sees opportunities to promote genuine sustainable
development–spanning economic, social
and environmental development–as opposed to projects undermining growth
or spawning unbridled growth, i.e. what
he calls “suicidal economics”. DATAR’s
Emmanuel Berthier then distilled the
lessons learned from the programmes
underway, and was delighted with the
success that the ERDF and ESF are enjoying: “The people who qualify for
these funds know them well, and they
are very happy with them.” He was nevertheless disappointed that only one in
three very small and small businesses
knows about these options. Building
sustainable economic development
properly, he added, will mean involving institutional stakeholders at every
level, businesses, and, basically, all
European citizens.
A village
to set an example
T
he people shaping Europe’s cohesion policy also
converged on the Village des Régions for drinks,
snacks and chats during these three days. They got
together, asked each other questions, exchanged best
practices, and spoke about their region’s sustainable
projects using European Funds. The village spanned
most French regions, most multiregional and
cooperation programmes, and included Nantes
Métropole, European Municipalities and Regions,
La 27ème Région (France’s public innovation agency),
The French Natural Regional Park Federation, and the
European Commission.
Chatting in the Village des Régions.
Sustainable growth in territories, with the European Funds
1
Five sustainable topics
Europe needs to take a dip in the water
W
ater is one of those things
that gladly travel across
frontiers. That is why solidarity at
every level, all the way upstream
and downstream, is a sine-qua-non.
Preventing floods is one example.
Jean-Claude Eude, the man who
runs the Services Department at the
Établissement Public de la Loire,
the company inter alia in charge of
Marc Challéat (General Secretary for Regional Affairs in Rhône-Alpes) and
Jean-Claude Eude (Etablissement Public de la Loire)
floods in and around the River Loire,
stated that 53% of the companies
working on that river’s watershed
are in flood-prone areas. And a few
simple measures could avoid 25% of
the damages that floods entail.
He also used the opportunity to
highlight a few trailblazing projects
that sometimes lack the publicity
they warrant. The Aquasim project,
for instance, is an outstanding
example of an educational approach
that works and delivers results. This
initiative encompasses the three
pillars that underpin sustainable
development: it is ecologically
sustainable (the construction
methods are environment-friendly),
economically sustainable (it includes
scientific projects involving water)
and socially sustainable (three of
the people on the team are disabled
and come from a centre supporting
integration through jobs).
Five sustainable topics
“Green growth is
posing challenges
for ESF”
T
Remote presence. Cisco Systems France’s Technology Strategy Director Olivier Seznec spoke about
usage and Cisco’s drive to enhance remote presence,
including improved videoconferencing systems to
provide the impression that meeting participants are
in a single location and cut travel by 20% with homegrowth technology. Participants furthermore agreed
that the French Grenelle roundtable has completely
overlooked telecommuting, and should put it back on
the table to harness digital technology for sustainable
development.
Facts and figures. Communication technology,
Results in the energy sector are encouraging and demonstrators
should start showing other stakeholders the way to go. But it will
take massive efforts...
H
combining economic development
and social progress.” The tram in
Le Havre is a great example: it is a
soft means of transport that will help
people living in tough suburbs to get
to the city centre, the infrastructure
is attracting real-estate developers
to those suburbs, and the project
involved hiring 33 people on subsidised contracts to train youths in difficulty.
few energy-positive buildings - but
we need millions of them.” Creating
jobs in the building sector–really–,
will involve structuring the trade and
sharpening skills.
Transversal. The way to go, says
the Nord – Pas de Calais Region’s
Jérôme Pigé, is an integrated approach to “shore up the strategic
depth of environmental policy, by
Mainstream. These projects are
fascinating - but we need lots more
of them. Or, in the words of JeanLuc Sadorge, from Alsace Energivie
(an energy cluster), “We can make a
The recipe includes innovative, financing, experience feedback on
exemplary and transversal projects,
training and duplication, and other
ingredients.
Estimates suggest that it will involve
training 225,000 people a year for a
decade. This mainstream drive will
require serious ESF and ERDF articulation.
Left to right: Olivier Jouin (Centre Region), Jean-Luc Sadorge (Alsace Energivie competitiveness cluster), Jérôme Pigé
(Nord – Pas de Calais Regional Council).
2
Sustainable growth in territories, with the European Funds
Digital technology consumes substantial amounts of energy and is not entirely available yet - but it is
nonetheless an amazing tool to boost sustainable development.
here
is
more
than
one
triptych.
Jean-Jacques Thiébault, the President of Stratégic
Scout, a division of ECOTER (a corporate and community association to promote ICTs) has his own three
pillars–usages, infrastructure and services–to mirror
sustainable development’s three pillars.
On the infrastructure front, Europe has a road map to
reach its ambitious aim to provide every citizen with
high-speed access by 2020.
Energy: shifting up a gear
ere’s some great news! The assessment at the beginning of
2011 shows that the 3x20 objectives are on track, especially as regards greenhouse gases and renewable energies. But, without turning up
the heat, the energy-efficiency gain
will not even make the 10% mark.
That is why new measures should
focus research on non-fossil energy
and cutting energy consumption.
Digital technology
for Sustainable Development 2.0
Josette Guillon, La Boîte à Papiers (Limousin)
E
SF support will add up to almost €4.5 bn
in Mainland France in 2007-2013. And
green growth is ushering in new training
requirements. In the Pays de la Loire Region,
for example, the ESF is sharpening skills in the
renewable marine energy field and financing
training courses to build a greener economy.
And this economy is posing several challenges
for the ESF, including cross-sector training
to meet emerging requirements. Guibert
Debroux, the man who runs Forem Forum
Environnement, a training centre in Wallonia,
added that future heat-pump fitters will need
“refrigeration rather than heating expertise and
skills.” Over in the more conventional business
fields (operation-side services for companies),
the challenges hover closer to cross-functional
skills and behavioural skills. “Turning a ‘dump
caretaker’ into a ‘dump team member’ takes
more than semantics,” explains Josette Guillon
from La Boîte à Papiers, a company working to
coach people back from the fringes of society
with jobs in the waste-management sector.
“Before, they used to let tippers into the dump.
Now, they welcome customers, reassure them
and deal with conflicts,” she explains. “We also
have to think about behavioural training more
than before: we often have to bring people up
to speed on personal presentation, politeness
and reliability when they start working for the
company,” Josette Guillon rounds up.
however, consumes a lot of energy so its carbon footprint will stretch in synch with wider access. The figures (carbon-dioxide emission cuts, more productivity, less travel, etc.), however, will make it easier to
convince stakeholders across the board. The last point
that all participants agreed on is that digital technology should be a realm for everyone, not just specialists.
And that will take a few bold moves!
23 million
That’s the number of
unemployed people in
Europe - and the number of
SMBs. If each SMB hired just
one job-seeker...
Front : Hélène Ribeaudeau (Cybermassif), then Alexandra Debaisieux (YTES), Jean-Jacques Thiébault (ECOTER), Olivier
Seznec (Cisco Systems France) and Marc Laget (DATAR).
Building sustainability
into projects from the start
In a nutshell
Sustainable development is emerging
as one of the top priorities as these
programmes are drawing to a close. So
what next?
It will take a vigorous strategy and clearcut sustainable-development goals (which
are too often restricted to environmental
concerns). The key seems to be anticipation
in general, and long-term, hands-on action
plans that stakeholders at every level (i.e.
policymakers, programme managers and
the people driving the projects) embrace.
Anne-Sophie Cambier (Nord-Pas de Calais DREAL), Eric Cabarez (Nord-Pas
de Calais Regional Council) and Serena Lorenzetti (DATAR).
I
t’s difficult to show how sustainable a project actually is, and
even harder to imagine it - without tools to plan ahead, assess
the project and direct teamwork.
And there are examples! We can
assess carbon footprints on programmes (NECATER) and projects
(Eval’ CO 2) today (the latter was
developed by the Region of Lower
Normandy).
Sylvain Sellos and Franck Pelé
presented a simple and efficient
tool to assess carbon-dioxide
emissions on projects in order
to help the people working on
them to improve their outcomes.
There are other methods to help
programme sponsors and managers
to run environment-friendly
projects - with educational
approaches, or constraint-based
ones, as is the case in Nord –
Pas de Calais and Aquitaine.
The road ahead most probably
involves fine-tuning the balance
between planning ahead,
corrective mechanisms and the
right governance.
Sustainable growth in territories, with the European Funds
3