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OPEN DAYS SEMINAR:

Themes for trans-national and interregional cooperation:

ECRN - The European Chemical Regions Network

www.ecrn.net

Centre Borschette, 10.10.0717.00 – 19.00

Thomas WobbenRepresentation of Saxony-Anhalt to the European

UnionBoulevard Saint Michel 80

B-1040 Brussels

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(Petro-) Chemical Industry in Europe is clustered in alimited number of sites• the chemical industry plays a dominant role in

these regions• chemical industry, the chemical sites and the

chemical regions are faced with similar challenges:

• to find efficient way to implement EU legislation• to support competitiveness of the chemical

industry and therefore• safeguarding the sustainable development of the

chemical sites in the long run• to exploit the new framework conditions in a

most efficient way:• change of business structures and culture and

globalisation

Starting Point

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Joint Interests of Chemical Regions

Chemical regions in Europe are affected by these EU regulations in a similar way

The regional dimension of EU legislation is often forgotten or only scarcely taken into account

Chemical sites/chemical regions must respond to the changing framework conditions in finding joint solutions on:– Training and Education,– Research and Development, – Infra Structure Development, etc.

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Steps to set up the network

1st Congress of Chemical Regions on 21st of May 2003– 250 Participants– 2 Commissioners– 30 CEO of Chemical Companies and Site Initiatives

17.09.03 Joint Application of Lombardy, Saxony-Anhalt and Asturias in the call of DG Research on “Knowledge Region” 17.09.

26.09.03: Joint Application of the network within INTERREG III C– 13 Regions as partners– 1,7 Mio. EURO for network budget– duration of the support 3 years

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The ERCN consortium

Partner:

Saxony-Anhalt, D (Lead Partner) Lower Saxony, D North Rhine Westphalia, D Catalonia, E Asturias, E Huleva, E Ida-Viru, EST Masowia, PL Limburg, NL Piedmont, I Lombardy, I Tees Valley, UK Cheshire, UK

Budget:• 1,7 Mio. EURO (997.000 support by

INTERREG III C)• Duration: 3 years (January 2004 –

December 2007)

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Aims and Objectives of the ECRN

Improving regional development strategies in Chemical regions

Maintaining competitiveness by fostering European co-operation of regional actors

Developing a European partnership of regional partnerships in Chemical regions

Articulating common interests of Chemical regions towards the European institutions

Recognizing the European Chemical Regions Network as a genuinestakeholder in the future debate on Chemical policy.

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Rationality of Lobby-Work

Draft legislation Decision of the Commission Council and EP readings

Effort

time

National Decision Making

85%

15%

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The ECRN and REACH

ECRN was part

of it

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Speakers:

• Margot Wallström, Member of the European Commission• Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Böhmer, Prime Minister of the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt• Dr. Horst Rehberger, Minister for Economy and Labour of Saxony-Anhalt• Reinhard Reibsch, General Secretary of the European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers’

Federation John Hontelez, Secretary General of the European Environmental Bureau• Dr. Gerd Romanowski, Managing director and Head of the Department Science, technology• Miroslaw Lewinski, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Social Policy,

Department of Industrial Policy, Poland• Boguslaw Kowalski, Vice-Marshal Of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship,• Tony Richmond, Darlington Borough Council• Ingrid Häußler, Mayor of the City of Halle• Councillor John Fraser, Chair of Cheshire County Council's Economic Development Board,

Cheshire County• Petra Wernicke, Minister for Agriculture and Environment of Saxony-Anhalt• Dr. Andreas Ahrens, Ökopol Hamburg• Carol Watts, Director of the North West Chemical Initiative, Cheshire• Eduard Figuerola, Generalitat de Catalunya, General Directorate for Industry, Commerce

and Tourism• Dr.-Ing. Christoph Mühlhaus, DOW Olefinverbund GmbH• Maria Teresa Annovazzi, Assessore al Bilancio, Province of Novara and environment of

Verband der Chemischen Industrie, Frankfurt• Rudolf Bohn, Secretary of State, Ministry for Economy and Labour of Saxony-Anhalt• Prof. Dr. Jan-Hendrik Olbertz, Minister for Science of Saxony-Anhalt• Prof. J. M. Bainbridge OBE• Dr. Rinaldo Psaro, Research Manager, CNR National Research Council, Region Lombardia• Jan Dopper, Member of the Managing Board of DSM, Limburg• Jean Severijns, Province of Limburg• Magne Haugseng, Development Initiative for Chemical Industry Dependent Areas - DICIDA-

Network UK• Dr. Gerwald F. Grahe, President of Landesverband Nordost des Verbandes der Chemische

Industrie• Dr. Gunthard Bratzke, isw - Institute for Structural Policy and Economic Promotion gGmbH• Steve Duncan, Regional Development Agency ONE Northeast• Antonio Cáceres, Director of the Department for Local Development and Employment of the

County Council of Huelva, Spain• Andreas Hiltermann, InfraLeuna, Saxony-Anhalt• JUDr. Richard Hlavatý., Head of European Integration, Ministry for Industry and Trade of

Czech Republic

ECRN as a tool for exchange

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ECRNNetwork

Secretariat(isw Halle)

RegionalPartnerships

Implementation Structure of the ECRN

RegionalPartnerships

RegionalPartnerships

RegionalPartnerships

Saxony-Anhalt LP

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Quantitative Results

Integrating of about 1.600 regional stakeholders in Regional Partnership Meetings Implementing of five thematic studies Organising a number of Working Group Meetings, 6 Presidium Meetings, 3 Training Seminars and 3 Congresses – Brining together relevant stakeholders from European chemical regions (27 interregional events with approx. 1200 participants) Representing joint interest in EU Decision Making Process (14 Joint Position Papers) Developing of spin off projects for the further development and deepening of cooperation (e.g. MentorChem and ChemSME) More than 170 Articles about ECRN in past 3 years, 36.000 hits on ECRN Website, 6 Newsletters, 15 Brochures

Setting up of the ECRN association as a legal body

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Recognition of the ECRN as stakeholder to represent the chemical regions vis-à-vis the European Commission

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Current Membership of ECRN (2/2007)

Sachsen-Anhalt (D)

Niedersachsen (D)

Nordrhein-Westfalen (D)

Cheshire (UK)

Tees Valley (UK)

Asturias (ESP)

Catalonia (ESP)

Ida Viru (EST)

Limburg (NDL)

Schleswig-Holstein (D)

Rheinland-Pfalz (D)

Flanders (B)

Usti Nad Labem (CZE)

Hessen (D)

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Influencing EU Policies

Success factors:

Defining joint interests between the regions (i.e. REACH)

Engaging the stakeholders at regional level

Developing strategic co-operations at EU level

Defining the added value of the Network

Timing and content of your contribution

Actions:

Participation in INTERNET Consultations (Climate, Innovation, Energy, etc)

Engaging EU Institutions in Network activities

Focus on achievable results

Concerted and coordinated efforts at al levels

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Lessons learned by the ECRN project

Involvement of regional actors is crucialo Setting up regional partnerships

Long term vision of networking activities necessaryo Having a long term agenda at EU level and in the regions

Managing ambitions and expectationso Defining achievable targets

Efficient project management essentialo Experienced project manager necessary

Commitment and communication skills of the Lead Partnero Overcoming bureaucracy

Focus on project sustainabilityo Defining survival strategies right from the beginning

From regional networking

to

interregional co-operation

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Chemical Industry in Central Germany:

• 7 chemical sites• highly interlinked• in three German regions

The physical network

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Industrial SitesIndustrial Sites

Small & MediumEnterprises

Small & MediumEnterprises

ChemicalIndustriesChemicalIndustries

UniversitiesUniversitiesTraining and Education

Training and Education

Institutes +Organizations

Institutes +Organizations

CzechCzech

Other countriesOther countries Other countriesOther countries

EstoniaEstonia

PolandPoland

SlovakiaSlovakiaChemicalTriangle

East Germany

ChemicalTriangle

East Germany

CeChemNet

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Setting up joint working groups on site development in Central Germany

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Cluster Strategy in Central Germany

local/regional networking (Cluster Development)

joint articulation of cluster interests

interregional networking through ECRN and EU-Projects

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The ECRN and INTERREG IV C

Since 2003 the EU has encouraged stakeholders in the field of science, innovation and business to form European Technology Platforms One of this Technology Platform is SusChem which is

managed by CEFIC and focuses on leading technologiesin the field of chemical industrial research

Since its setup the ECRN took part in the SusChem Mirror Group

ECRN II application focussing on research and innovation in chemical regions by adding a regional dimension to theEuropean Technology Platform instrument in the field

Aim of ECRN II: Developing regional technology platforms in chemical regions

CEFIC has signalled to join the initiative

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Further Contacts

Ministry for Economy and Labour Saxony-AnhaltMs. Catrin Gutowsky Hasselbachstraße 4 D 39104 Magdeburg

Tel. +49 391 567 44 52Fax. +49 391 567 44 50e-mail: catrin.gutowsky@mw.lsa-net.de www.ecrn.net

Representation of Saxony-Anhalt to the European UnionMr. Thomas Wobben Boulevard Saint Michel 80B-1040 BrusselsTel.: +32.2.741 09 31Fax: +32.2.741 09 39E-mail: thomas.wobben@lv-bruessel.stk.sachsen-anhalt.de

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Thank you for your attention!