International Congress on Regional Policies Management for Mercosur and the European Union
PROGRAMME
Opening Ceremony12/03/2008 6:00h – 8:00h PM
Opening Plenary / Mr. Geddel Vieira Lima – Brazil’s Minister for National Integration (MI)
Mr. Antoine Pouillieute – France’s Ambassador to Brazil
Mr. João Pacheco – Chief of the European Union’s Delegation to Brazil
Mr. Celso Amorim – Brazil’s Minister for Foreign Relations (MRE)
Mr. Paulo Bernardo –Brazil’s Minister for Planning, Budget and Management (MPOG)
Mr. Enrique Rubio – Director – Planning and Budget Office of the Uruguay’s Presidency (OPP)
Mr. Ronald Hall – Director –European Union General Department for Regional Policies (DG Regio)
Mr. John Briscoe– World Bank Director for Brazil (BIRD)
Mr. José Luís Lupo – Brazil’s Representative for the Inter-American Development Bank (BID)
Ms. Alicia Bárcena – Executive Secretary – Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Mr. Roberto Smith – Chairman -Banco do Nordeste do Brasil (BNB)
Mr. Márcio Pochmann – Chairman – Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA)
Mr. Carlos Basco – Brazil’s Representative for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Signature of the Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry for National Integration (MI) and the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA)
Welcome Cocktail / Launching of the World Bank’sWorld Development Report
Inaugural Panel: Economic Integration and Regional Policies: European Union and Mercosur
12/04/2008 8:30h AM – 12:30h PM
Summary / The Mercosur countries have responded to the challenges of globalization with renewed interest on regional integration, by transferring increased responsibilities and resources to the regional agencies. Initiatives of integration may be important tools to complement national and sub-national policies. However, the distribution of costs and benefits from regional and global integration may be asymmetric. Some regions or social groups may experience expanded opportunities, while others with less capacity to adapt to the process might face some hardships. The absence of political tools to compensate for the asymmetries jeopardizes social cohesion and may imperil integration and participation in the global economy. By comparing the experiences of Latin America and Europe, the panel will discuss the political structure to be adopted for the supra-national, national and local levels, so as to compensate for the polarizing effects that are likely incurred by the process of integration in the global economy.
Speakers / Ronald Hall / DG RegioDirector of Communication and Information
Clélio Campolina / UFMGProfessor –Department of Economics and CEDEPLAR
Osvaldo Rosales / CEPALDirector –International Trade Division
Indermitt Gill / IDRBChief Economist
Francisco Ruiz Diaz López / ParaguayDirector of Integration- Ministryof Finance
Moderator / Liana Carleial / IPEADirector – Urban and Regional Studies
Coordinator / Luiz Antonio da Eira / MIExecutive Secretary - Ministry for National Integration
Sub-theme A: The Role of Economic Blocs in Managing Regional Policies
Panel A1 / Addressing regional disparities through community policies: The European Union and Mercosur approaches
12/04/2008 2:00h – 4:00h PM
EmentaSummary / The panel will address the relevance and the obstacles incurred by regional disparities in the integration process, pointing out the strategies already adopted or strategies to be put in practice under this perspective.
Speakers / Reinaldo Salgado / MREChief– Division of Economic CoordinationandTrade Issues of Mercosur
Raphaël Goulet / DG RegioHead of Unit
Fernando Masi / ParaguayEconomic Analist
Coordinador / Pedro Bandeira / UFRGSAssistant Professor – Department of Economics
Panel A2 / Assessing the Experiences of the European Union and Mercosur
12/04/20084:30h – 6:30h PM
Summary / The panel will emphasize the essential aspects of the construction processes of the two blocs, pointing outtheir specific traits and singularities, so as to elicit a reflection on the technical and institutional initiatives that might be promoted to facilitate political decisions that may be considered pertinent in the near future.
Speakers / Alain Barrau / EU ParliamentDirectorof European Parliament Representation in France
Paolo Giordano / IDBCoordinador –Division of Integration and Trade
Enrique Rubio / OPP/UruguayDirector of Planning and Budget Office of Uruguay´s Presidency
Denise Obara / MercosurCoordinador - FOCEM Technical Unit - Mercosur Secretariat
Coordinador / Ambassador Maria Edileuza / DEU/MREDirector - Departmentof Europe – MRE
Panel A3 / Cross-border Cooperation: Challenges in South America and Europe
12/05/2008 8:30h – 10:30h AM
Summary / The panel willdiscussthe importance of cross-border relations in their numerous outlooks and possibilities, as an important element for cultural, political and economic integration, and as development opportunitiesfor the regions that are more closely involved in the process.
Speakers / Jose Palma Andrés / DG RegioDirector of Territorial Cooperation
Jean-Michel Berlemont / Nancy Deputy-Mayor of Nancy (France)
José Luis Rhi-Sausi / CeSPIDirector -Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale (Italy)
Lia Osório / UFRJProfessor - Department of Geography
Coordinador / Min.Clemente Baena Soares / MREChief - Department of South America II
Panel A4 / Physical Infrastructure as a tool for regional integration
12/05/200811:00h AM – 1:00h PM
Summary / The panel focuses on the needs and prossibilities of promoting the integration of physical means of transport and communications as a way to enhance the processof economic integration and a tool to promote regional development. Using EU’s logistics and transport plan and IIRSA’s initiatives as a base, each speaker will point out the aspects considered most relevant for the regional development process.
Speakers / Afonso de Almeida / MPOGSecretary– Planning and Strategic Investments
Ricardo Sanchez / ECLACDivision of Natural Resources and Infrastructure
German Granda / DG RegioHead of Unit
Francisco Ramalho Chagas / MREEconomic Coordinatorfor South America
Coordinador / Marie-Françoise Durand / SciencesPoAssistant Professor of Geography (Paris)
Sub-theme B: The Current Debate on Tools and Mechanisms for Regional Policies Management
Panel B1 / Regionalization as a tool to guide the promotion of differentiated territorial impacts
12/04/20082:00h – 4:00h PM
Summary / This panel will address the policies, programs, initiatives or strategies that utilize regionalization of the institutional spaces as a way to deal more precisely with the singularities and specific character of each selected area. Thus, in accordance with the explicit objectives of each one of the proposed initiatives for public policies with a territorial impact, the speakers must seek to emphasize the importance of regionalization in each proposed strategy. The panel envisages the participation of state and federal agencies of the Brazilian Government, as well as representatives of the European Union and Mercosur, when feasible.
Speakers / Ramón López Sánchez / DG RegioOficial for International Relations
Maria Lúcia Falcón / CONSEPLANNational Board of State Planning Secretariats
Antônio Carlos F. Galvão / CGEEDirector
Coordinator / Fábio Cunha / SPR/MIDirector - Departmentof Programs for the Northand Northeast
Panel B2 / Indicators and Methodologies for Assessment of Regional Development PoliciesManagement
12/04/20084:30h – 6:30h PM
Summary / The panel will address how the institutions involved with socioeconomic information production and analysis operate to support policies, programs and initiatives that have a differentiated territorial impact with the use, or intended use of primary or secondary data for monitoring regional inequalities and/or assessing the territorial impacts of initiatives carried out.
Speakers / Roger Cubitt / EurostatChief –Division of Regional Indicators and Geograpical Information
Luiz Riffo / ECLACChief - Department of Territorial Statistics
Eduardo Nunes / IBGEChairman
Coordinator / Ronaldo Vasconcellos / SDR/MIGeneral Coordinator –Information and Policy Monitorship
Panel B3 / Current Issues of Regional Development Financing
12/05/20088:30h – 10:30h AM
Summary / This panel focuses on the issues concerning regional policy financing, especially the available tools and mechanisms, such as regional development funds, fiscal incentives and other tools, emphasizing the practices that establish management initiatives designed to boost regional development. (E.G: Feder, Constitutional Funds, FNDR, etc.). Special emphasis will be placed on how those instruments seek to articulate with the traditional sectoral policies, so as to broaden the support on initiatives of regional development. It envisages the participation of members of agencies directly involved with managing regional development financing in Europe, Brazil and other countries of Mercosur.
Speakers / Claudia Serrano Madrid / ChileUnder-Secretary of Regional and Administrative Development – Min. Interior
Luís Madureira Pires / FundEuropaGeneral Director
Antonio Roberto Albuquerque / SDR/MIDirector - Department for Management of Regional Development Funds
Coordinator / José Antônio da Silva Parente / SCO/MISecretary–Center-West Development Secretary
Panel B4 / The role of good governance and integration of social stakeholders in managing regional policies
12/05/200811:00h AM – 1:00h PM
Summary / This panel focuses on the role of good governance in managing regional policies and addresses which tools and mechanisms should be used to render more favorable conditions to the management processes. The panel also addresses the role of the relevant social stakeholders in the sound management of priority territories, taking into account aspects like integration, conflict and interest management, social control, format of territorial organization, etc. It involves the participation of representative entities of the social stakeholders involved with regional policy management in different levels.
Speakers / João Faria / Chairman-Algarve Regional Development and Coordination (Portugal)
Humberto Oliveira / MDASecretary– Territorial Development
Marcia Damo / SPR/MISecretary- Regional Programs
Coordinator / Henrique Villa C. Ferreira / SDR/MISecretary– Regional Development Policies
Sub-theme C: Regional Policies in Perspective
Panel C1 / The regional development policies and the theoretical advances of the 1990’s and 2000’s(Part I)
12/04/2008 2:00h – 4:00h PM
Summary / The past two decades witnessed intense theoretical achievements in regional developmentthought. Beyond the classical location theories, the emphasis on agglomeration factors, the relations between innovation and region were intensely discussed. Many efforts were made to incorporate models and analyses devised to address the changes in the technical basis that approach communications and information technologies, and the regional impacts of commercial openness, economic de-regulation, productive restructuring and the financial character of contemporary capitalism. There was an incorporation of the concepts and models originated from economic geography, the new institutional economy, the innovation economy and industrial organization, as well as econometrics. On the other hand, the formation of the great regional economic blocs and the emergence of the European Union brought the regional policies and local development experiences to a new light. This round-table seeks to assess the following issues: how will the theoretical advances in regional development issues contribute for a better understanding of the relations between development and regional issues in a country such as Brazil? What lessons should be incorporated to stimulate advances in understanding the current regional question in Brazil?
Speakers / Christian Azaïs / Professor – University of Picardie Jules Verne (Amiens–França)
Clélio Campolina / UFMG Professor – Department of Economics and CEDEPLAR
Coordinator / Liana Carleial / IPEA Director – Urban and Regional Studies
Panel C1 / The regional development policies and the theoretical advances of the 1990’s and 2000’s (Part II)
12/04/20084:30h – 6:30h PM
Speakers / Adriana Amado / UnBProfessor - Department of Economics
Eduardo Haddad / USPProfessor - Department of Economics
Coordinator / José Sydrião de Alencar / ETENE/BNBSuperintendent –Technical Office for Economic Studies in the Northeast
Panel C2 / Regional Development Strategies: Lessons learned from National and International Experiences
12/05/20088:30h – 10:30h AM
Summary / The panel will discuss the strategies for regional development in Brazil. The clear need for coordination of policies and regional development tools in the country must be articulated with the country’s development strategy. Therefore, the panel will discuss the design of the regional policy, as well as address the following question: what territorial scales are liable for intervention? Faced with the theoretical advances observed in the past decades, what lessons should be drawn in designing new strategies for territorial and regional development in the country? On the other hand, a number of world-class experiences of economic integration elicited important examples and impacts on the territory, and constitute examples for the discussion of new strategies for regional development in Brazil. The panel will address the failure of some regional policies in Brazil, or how they should be redesigned, due to the rapid evolution of information and communications technologies, increased commercial flows, the emergence of new economic blocs and discuss a regional development policy that is integrated to a prospective development view and international insertion for Brazil.
Speakers / Rosella Nicolini / IAE/CSICInstitut d’Anàlisi Econòmica – Universitàt Autònoma de Barcelona
Marisela Muñoz / IDRBWorld Bank Group for Policy and Operational Strategy
Ivan Silva / ILPES/ECLACChief –Regional and Local Development
Coordinator / Bruno Cruz / IPEAAssistant Director – Urban and Regional Studies
Panel C3 / New tools of intervention for the National Policy for Regional Development
12/05/200811:00h AM– 1:00h PM
Summary / Brazil boasts some regional development programs (e.g. PAS –Sustainable Amazon Plan; PDNE –Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development of the Northeast; PDSA - Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development of the Semi-Arid; PROMESO: Sub-Regional Spaces Sustainability Program; Sustainable Development Plan for the Area of Influence of Highway BR-163; National Policy for Territorial Organization, etc.) that support the government action to fight regional inequalities. Regional development policies in Brazil have largely relied on federal fiscal incentives, through the allocation of constitutional funds (FNE, FCO and FNE), The Development Funds for the Amazon, and the Development Fund for the Northeast and specific programs. The panel will discuss the regional development tools in Brazil and the rest of the world, their reach and their impacts on the more depressed areas and their population – so as to incorporate international experiences in Brazil’s regional development, well-succeeded international experiences that might be duplicated in Brazil – without prejudice of the theories and regional development strategies discussed in other panels of this seminar.
Speakers / José Sydrião de Alencar / ETENE/BNBSuperintendent –Technical Office for Economic Studies in the Northeast
Liana Carleial / IPEA Director – Urban and Regional Studies
Helena Lastres / BNDESAssistant to the Chairman
Tânia Bacelar / UFPEDirector and Consultant - Department of Geography
Coordinator / Paulo Pitanga do Amparo / SDR/MIGeneral Coordinator – Regional Plans and Actions
REPORTS and FOLLOW-UP
12/05/2008 / 2:00 – 3:30 PMMauro MárcioConsultant - IICA
CLOSING SESSION
12/05/2008 / 3:30 – 4:00 PM