Reviewing the implementation and the achievements of the Territorial Agenda of the European Union 2030 - Survey
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Reviewing the implementation and the achievements of the Territorial Agenda of the European Union 2030
Survey
Purpose of this survey
This survey is intended to help shape the scope of a study to carry out a stocktaking review of the TA2030 with reference to the abovementioned modalities and cornerstones. It requires collecting views of the respondents (primarily NTCCPs) to steer the scoping process.
The questions below will enable preparing the Terms of Reference for a service contract, financed by ESPON and supported by Interact, which could be launched under the Spanish Presidency of the Council (2nd semester 2023) and completed under the Hungarian Presidency of the Council (2nd semester 2024).
The results of this study shall serve as a basis for the Ministerial Conference in 2025 under the Polish Presidency of the Council to decide about launching the possible renewal process of the TA2030.
Audience / targeted respondents
- NTCCP representatives
- All stakeholders involved in the pilot actions
- UDG representatives
Timing
- Opening: 31 October.
- Closing: 2 December.
- Processing the results (ESPON, Interact, CZ Presidency): December 2022.
- Sharing the survey results: 1st TAWG meeting under the SE Presidency and NTCCP in early 2023
Context
- The TA2030 document outlines a need for coordination and governance of activities.
- Next communication on progress in implementing the TA2030 will take place in 2024 (the 25th anniversary of the European Spatial Development Perspective).
- Stocktaking should include a review of the governance system, implementation progress and relevance of the priorities (in the light of preparations for EU Cohesion Policy post 2027).
- An informal ministerial meeting in the first half of 2025 could possibly launch the process for renewing the TA2030.
For the TA2030 governance authorities, it is important to understand:
- How the review exercise can be attractive to a broad community of policy stakeholders (meeting the needs, raising an interest in pursuing the TA2030).
- That the success of TA2030 implementation is profoundly dependent on national/regional contexts and the good will of the stakeholders involved.
Challenges
TA2030 provides an action-oriented framework to promote territorial cohesion in Europe (paragraph 6) but it is difficult to understand what to look at in order to claim the TA2030 has been effective:
- Intensity of promoting territorial cohesion?
- Degree of ‘putting the TA2030 in practice at European, transnational, macroregional and cross-border levels’ (paragraph 2) – ‘in the EU and neighbouring countries’ (paragraph 3)?
- Depth of ‘strengthening the territorial dimension of sector policies’ (paragraph 7)?
- Success stories or share of successful ‘taking onboard the TA2030 priorities at all governance levels’ (paragraph 13)?
- Degree of ‘overcoming growing development differences between people and between places’ (paragraph 18)?
- Number of activities addressing the TA2030 priorities and thematic fields or whether they tick all boxes: multi-level governance, place-based approaches, cooperation between territories etc (paragraph 64)?
- Number of pilot actions?
TA2030 provides no indicators or benchmark against which to determine what to measure.
Outcomes of the review
A broad scope of the review would be required so that it covers:
- The TA priorities.
- The pilot actions and other thematic activities.
- The governance system.
But there are many practical constraints to go into an in-depth assessment of all elements listed before. Hence, we see the following (pragmatic) cornerstones for the review exercise so that it becomes:
- Feasible - limited human and financial resources predetermine a more qualitative approach.
- Effective – by checking if and in what way the TA2030 recommendations managed to influence policies at all levels, incl. Interreg programmes.
- Unique – specific and avoiding overlaps with policy evaluation procedures (e.g., EU Cohesion Policy)
- Meeting stakeholders’ needs – by further encouraging the uptake of the TA2030 among policy stakeholders at all levels and identifying how to do it in a best way.
- Timely – offering advice and guidance on how to potentially calibrate the content of the TA2030 to the changing circumstances and make it an important contributor in the shaping of EU Cohesion Policy post 2027.
- Offering added value – by providing guidance for future TA pilot actions (covering cooperation and knowledge gaps).
Please access the survey here: