Message from the ESPON Coordination Unit

A Challenging Month of May
 

May 2010 marks the start of new challenging activities and events, and it is certainly an exciting time to be involved in the ESPON 2013 Programme.

• Calls for Proposals have just been opened on applied research, targeted analyses and transnational networking activities by the ESPON Contact Point Network.
• An ESPON Info Day, a Workshop and a Financial Managers Seminar take place in May.
• The Open ESPON Seminar on 9-10 June 2010 is being organised including a debate on contributions of regions to the new Europe 2020 Strategy as well as new peers to explore the current state of the ESPON Projects.
• A large number of new projects selected by the Monitoring Committee are being contracted and started.
• Several ongoing projects are presenting draft final and interim reports on their applied research, targeted analyses and the ESPON Database and require responses.
• A new round of calls for proposals on additional targeted analyses and the ESPON Database phase II will be opened in August 2010.
• The themes for the final 6-8 Applied Research projects to be launched in 2011 are being processed.
• Production of new ESPON publications and marketing the Programme and promotion of results at European level will step up a gear.
• Efforts are being made to find simplifications in the procedural setting that can ensure the easiest and most efficient implementation possible of operations.
• The necessary management of finances and auditing of operations are running at high level with the aim of ensuring the required speed in payments and spending of the ESPON 2013 budgets.

As you can imagine a busy and exciting moment for everyone involved. For some of the issues mentioned you will find more detailed information in the Newsletter.
 

Peter Mehlbye
Director ESPON Coordination Unit

Please find below the ESPON 2013 Newsletter No 13.