The ESPON Monitoring Committee on 16-17 February 2010 took important decisions on starting 24 new ESPON projects. These include 9 Applied Research projects, 1 scientific project on Territorial Indicators/Indices and the first 2 Transnational Networking Activities where the ESPON Contact Point network will be the active partners.

Equally important is progress on the use of ESPON results in Targeted Analyses, carried through together with national, regional and local stakeholders. Here 2 new projects found the experts to conduct the Targeted Analyses. And 10 new project ideas from stakeholders were selected which will swiftly, in cooperation with the stakeholders behind the ideas, be turned into project specification, ready for the next call for proposals.

The project decisions taken by the Monitoring Committee means that the ESPON 2013 Programme is now very well underway. A lot more will nevertheless happen in 2010 and 2011 as 4 more calls for proposals and expression of interest will become open. It is envisaged that around 20 additional projects will become part of the ESPON 2013 Programme.

Important news is that the flow of ESPON calls has been speeded up. In 2010 the first calls will be launched on 3 May 2010. The second round of calls is envisaged for 24 August 2010. In 2011, the last 2 rounds of calls are envisaged. The first calls opening on 3 May 2010 will include the re-launch of two Applied Research Projects for which no proposal were submitted in the call of September 2009, a number of the new Targeted Analysis selected during the last Monitoring Committee meeting as well as more Transnational Networking Activities by the ESPON Contact Point network.

In terms of communication and capitalisation of results, 2010 includes a substantial number of actions. Info Days targeting potential beneficiaries of the programme as well as a number of activities and events will support an increased awareness of European territorial dynamics.

The first final results of many projects of Applied Research and Targeted Analyses will become available during 2010. These new evidence will be the basis for the first ESPON Synthesis Report to be published in October 2010. More ESPON publications on Territorial Observations will also be published during 2010.

Concerning events, the Open Seminar “ESPON evidence for regional policy-making” during the Spanish EU Presidency will take place on 9-10 June 2010 in Alcala de Henares. This Seminar aims at focusing on the ESPON Knowledge base as potential for territorial analyses and policymaking, particular at regional level. In addition, a Conference on Targeted Analyses is previewed in autumn 2010 as well as several ESPON Workshops, participation in the Open Days in October 2010, etc.

Altogether a very interesting, challenging and busy year for ESPON. Please consult the new ESPON 2013 website regularly for more updated information.

Peter Mehlbye
Director ESPON Coordination Unit