Message from the ESPON Coordination Unit

First ESPON 2013 Synthesis Report
New Evidence on Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Territories

 The current policy debate at European level is focusing on three main avenues:

• The implementation of the new Treaty Aim of Territorial Cohesion.
• The contribution of Cohesion Policy measures to the Europe 2020 Strategy of Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth within Europe.
• EU Cohesion Policy after 2013 where the European Commission has just published the 5th Cohesion Report on economic, social and territorial cohesion.

ESPON play the role of providing European facts and evidence for policy development in European regions, cities and larger territories that reflect the current dynamics and build on the diversity of territorial potentials embedded in each region and city.

In meeting this challenge, ESPON 2013 Programme has just released its First Synthesis Report with evidence on Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Territories.

The report includes results from the first Applied Research projects undertaken by the ESPON 2013 Programme. It is also using examples from Targeted Analyses made in cooperation with stakeholders supporting the use of results by Member States, regions and cities.

The ambition has been to contribute to the Europe 2020 Strategy and provide evidence that can support policy considerations of regions, cities and larger territories in this context. The report therefore does not only make efforts in presenting comparable facts at regional and local level. It also contains new evidence on the European territory seen in a worldwide perspective, which nowadays is becoming increasingly necessary for improving the competitiveness of the EU.

The report is the first in a series of three ESPON Synthesis Reports previewed until 2014 which all aim to communicate major ESPON results on numerous ongoing research themes relevant for integrated, place-based policy considerations.

You are invited to use the ESPON results, data and maps available which can all be accessed for free on www.espon.eu.

Peter Mehlbye
Director ESPON Coordination Unit

 Please find below the Newsletter