“The Regions as agents of economic change: a regional policy appropriate to demographic challenges”. That’s the title of the Pan-European Conference held in Brussels last week on the question of the future use of EU structural funds to respond to demographic changes, by promoting the adaptation to them of the labour market, businesses, public services, infrastructures and society in general. The Conference, which forms part of the initiative “Regions for economic change” of the European Commission, discussed aspects of cohesion policy and local development linked to demographic changes. According to the Commissioner for Regional Policies, Danuta Hubner, “for the new period of programming 2007-2013, we need to base our efforts on the positive experiences of European local authorities and integrate demographic developments into our programmes in a more strategic and systematic manner”. The next meeting of the initiative “Regions for economic change” is planned for Brussels on 6-7 March.
