Norwegian Financial Mechanism Programme
„Capacity-Building and Institutional Cooperation between Latvian and Norwegian Public Institutions, Local and Regional Authorities”
Project “Implementation of regional policy actions in Latvia and elaboration of regional development measures”
Activity “The development of support measures for remote and underdeveloped areas for attracting qualified workforce and entrepreneurs”
SEMINAR- DISCUSSION
Development needs and perspective of the remote and underdeveloped areas, possible future support measures
AGENDA
The overall target of the visit to Latvia – to gather the missing information necessary for preparing the recommendations for Latvia regarding the provisional support measures that might be adapted in Latvia, based on Norwegian experience, in remote and underdeveloped areas. The recommendations will be considered by the national governance preparing the Regional Policy framework for the period 2020, providing support measures for remote and underdeveloped areas.
Specific objective of the tour to Vidzeme planning region – to present real situation and circumstances at regional and local level, inter alia, the role of remote and underdeveloped areas at regional scale, their challenges, needs and development potential, existing support measures and their efficiency, provisional future support measures.
Date: 26January 2017
Venue: "Auciemmuiža", Auciems, Raiskums parish, Pārgauja municipality
Time: 9:00 – 12:00
7:15 – 8:45 / Departure from hotel to venue place8:45-9:00 / Registration and coffee
9:00 – 9:15 / Opening of the seminar – welcome speeches
Mr Aivars Draudiņš, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia
- Overall regional policy framework, including role of the regions and local municipalities in regional policy development, role of smaller municipalities, future perspective
- Event expectations, brief introduction of participants from Vidzeme Planning Region, short summary of planning regions role in regional development
9:15 – 9:25 / Introduction to the seminar
- Overall objective, expected results,working method
9:25 – 10:25 / Building capacity for local community development - bringing stakeholders together
- Stimulate local growth and vitality «bottom up» - Community development. (The main area of the Center of Competence on Rural Development)
- Attracting businesses to invest in Finnmark (the northernmost county in Norway) and families to establish in the county
10:25 – 10:40 / Development perspective of Vidzeme Planning Region
- Role and development perspective of underdeveloped and remote areas in development strategy of the region
- Existing and desirable future support instruments
10:40 – 10:55 / Development perspective of the Rauna municipality
- Short context information about the municipality
- Activities performed by the municipality to preserve and attract inhabitants, young people, families, experts, entrepreneurs etc.; provision of services for local residents and entrepreneurs;collaboration with other municipalities, administration of Vidzeme planning region and national governance;
- Municipalities needs, necessary support measures in future]
10:55 – 12:10 / Roundtable with involvement of local municipalities – main challenges, existing and future support instruments
Discussion issues:
- What activities local municipalities in Latvia perform so as to preserve and/or attract highly qualified experts, young families, entrepreneurs, investors?
- What are the main challenges and needs of local municipalities in the fields of local economy, provision of services and mobility?
- What support instruments can be applied to underdeveloped and remote territories by the national government?
- Whether any of Norwegian existing support measures can be adapted to Latvia’s local municipalities?
12:10 – 12:30 / Closure of the event
Feedback by Norwegian experts
Speaker to be confirmed
Main conclusions with the view on future development perspective
Ms Jevgēnija Butņicka, Deputy Director of the Regional Policy Department, Head of the Regional Development Planning Unit, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
12:30 – 13:30 / Lunch
Venue: Rauna municipality
Time: 13:00 – 19:30
13:30 – 14:00 / Departure to Rauna municipality14:00 – 14:30 / Sightseeing – Rauna secondary school, castle ruins, monument of freedom
[Short walk]
14:30- 15:30 / Visit youth centreand social service
[Presentation, discussions]
15:30 – 16:30 / Visit Ltd “Latvijas Ķiploks”
[Presentation, discussions]
16:30 – 17:30 / Visit Ltd “Latnature”
[Presentation, discussions]
17:30 – 18:00 / Visit Rauna library
18:00 – 19:30 / Dinner
[Canteen of Rauna secondary school]
19:30 – 21:00 / Departure to Riga
Specific objective of the discussion with national authorities (sectoral ministries and other institutions) – to discuss the existing national support measures for remote and underdeveloped areas, their efficiency, possible future support measures, opportunities to adapt any of Norwegian support measures.
Date: 27 January 2017
Venue: The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Peldu Street 25, room 101
8:15 – 8:30 / Walk from Hotel to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, registration, coffee8:30 – 8:45 / Opening by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
- Context information, int.al, report preparation, objective of the visit, expected results.
- Overall regional policy framework, regional development support measures, future needs.
- Role of sectoral ministries etc.
8:45 – 9:45 / Presentation of support measures for remote areas in Norway (attract investors and entrepreneurs, provide services and make remote areas attractive places to settle and live)
- Merkur – how to strengthen private service in areas with few people and long distances.
- Local development, measures, working methods, cooperation with the county councils on these issues, and finding ways of how to report on results and effects of the money spent.
- Norway have rich base of resources in nature. There is an increased focus on how to use these resources for value making, both economically, socially and environmentally.
- We have a development programme on city regions. We need more knowledge on how cities and the surrounding municipalities can work together, to create regional growth. 37 city regions, 213 municipalities are no working on these challenges.
- Action Zone for Finnmark and Northern Troms counties (the northernmost part of Norway)
9:45 – 10:00 / Coffee break
10:00 – 11:30 / Roundtable discussion with sectoral ministries and other involved partners
- Short information of current support measures/ instruments for remote and underdeveloped territories.
- Future plans – if new support instruments for remote and underdeveloped territories are being considered for the future.
- Considerations if Norwegian existing support measures can be adapted to Latvia’s situation.
11:30 – 11:45 / Feedback byNorwegian experts
11:45 – 12.00 / Summary and closing of the meeting by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
Mr Raivis Bremšmits, Director of the Regional Policy Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
12:00 – 13:00 / Lunch
12:45 / Departure to airport
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