CENTROPE Summit Győr

CENTROPE Summit in Győr paves the way for future co-operation

A major step forward for CENTROPE was taken against the backdrop of a historical date for deeper cross-border integration: in a nutshell, this is the key message of the Győr Summit. Coinciding with the lifting of the last labour market restrictions, the governors and mayors of the region met for the first time since 2007 and set the course for intensified co-operation.

Aptly named “A Region without Limits”, the CENTROPE Summit on 5 May 2011 marked a crucial opportunity for decision-makers, experts and the public at large to discuss the status of development and integration of CENTROPE. Meeting in Győr City Hall as the “Political Board CENTROPE”, political leaders from the partner cities and regions constituted a new body and deliberated on the next steps of the co-operation agenda.

The two main topics discussed at the Political Board meeting touched upon improvements for qualification and labour mobility in the common CENTROPE market as well as upon the upgrading and promotion of CENTROPE as a business location. Furthermore, the issue of research and development was raised and cross-border co-operation in this field was identified as a key area of concern. Discussion of these topics led to a number of conclusions agreed on by the Political Board. These are now subject to concrete follow-up action, which should already bear its first fruits by late 2011, when the second CENTROPE Summit will take place in Slovakia.

Towards an interconnected labour market

The lifting of the last barriers for full employment mobility paves the way for a truly integrated labour market in CENTROPE. The new frame conditions call for co-ordinated action so as to make the most of the potential advantages resulting from the common labour market. Supporting labour mobility and career opportunities represents one of the essential factors for boosting both economy and attractiveness of the region as a place to work and live in and thus preventing brain drain. Furthermore, high educational levels built on cross-border standards as well as higher labour market participation of women and improved compatibility of family and career should represent pillars of a common labour market policy.

Employment and qualification issues were addressed with particular emphasis. Co-operation can help to foster labour supply in shortage skills but is also mandatory to ensure that cross-border commuters find employment according to their acquired skills. While a region-wide monitoring of emerging labour market needs would provide the knowledge base for co-ordinated qualification activities, joint lobbying at a national level for the mutual acknowledgement of degrees, certificates and diplomas could hasten the creation of necessary frame conditions for an integrated cross-border labour market.

Upgrading and promoting the business location CENTROPE

In the second part of its conclusions, the Political Board focused on the business location CENTROPE. In its quest for investment, CENTROPE is competing with locations on a worldwide scale. A certain size or “critical mass” is essential to achieve the visibility that makes a business location internationally competitive. For this purpose, a Joint Location Marketing Initiative is to support the competitiveness of the CENTROPE region. The Board agreed upon the necessity of implementing such an initiative from 2012 onward and invites all concerned bodies, such as business and promotion agencies, to participate in the initiative.

Furthermore, higher interconnectivity within the region is necessary for an attractive business location CENTROPE. Resilient co-operation structures are called for to facilitate cross-border/cross-regional infrastructure planning. The evaluation of current infrastructure supply, infrastructure plans and future requirements is an essential prerequisite for successful implementation of this strategy. The “Infrastructure Needs Assessment Tool”, a CENTROPE pilot project, was created to deliver concrete results for the monitoring process and is fully supported by the Board. Last but not least, the European Cohesion Policy will be another important factor for enhancing economic development in CENTROPE. Programmes geared to the nature of the cross-border region need to be in place for the 2014-2020 funding period. CENTROPE will seek active involvement in the EU Cohesion Policy discussions.

Győr Summit: Programme and Conclusions