ESPON seminar in Rethymnon (Crete)

5-6 May 2003

The second ESPON Seminar took place on 5-6 May 2003 on the Greek island of Crete.

The aim of the seminar was to create a common platform for the 16 ongoing ESPON projects that can lead to coherent ESPON results in stead of mere individual project results. This aim was supported by focusing on common understandings and joint use of core concepts, typologies, methodologies, indicators, data and map design as well as by an open exchange of views and results between the ESPON projects.

The political agenda linked to the debate on future Structural Funds is making the Interim Reports for August 2003 a major milestone. The seminar, therefore aimed at establishing the best possible relation between scientific results and policy demand. The Monitoring Committee including the European Commission gave valuable input to the TPGs in order to support a process towards the most relevant preliminary results for August 2003.

The seminar was attended by 130 scientists, consultants and policy makers and was seen by the participants as a very important event in the process of achieving coherent ESPON results most relevant to the political demand.

At the first seminar in Luxembourg a presentation of interesting developments outside the ESPON was part of the programme. In order to follow this "tradition" this time the OECD Territorial Service presented their work focusing on political as well as relevant scientific matters.

Please find below the presentations given during the seminar.