News

Archive of 2014

New PURPLE President and Executive Board

Nov 11, 2014

Mrs Helyn Clack, Councillor and Cabinet Member for Community Services, Surrey County Council has been chosen as the new President of PURPLE.  She replaces Mr Michel Gregoire.

Mrs Helyn Clack

The following policians will form PURPLE's new Executive Board.
Vice Presidents:
Mr Wojciech Jankowiak, Vice Marshall of Wielkopolska 
Mr Ludger Stüve, Director of the Regionalverband Frankfurt Rhein/Main 
Mr Mark Winnington, Cabinet Member for Economy and tTransport in Staffordshire County Council 

Members:
Mr Bert Gijsberts, Executive Councillor for the Province of Flevoland and member of the Committee of the Regions 
 Mme Michèle Vitrac-Pouzoulet Regional Councillor, Île-de-France

Treasurer:
Mr Paul Van Der Sluys, Flemish Land Agency on behalf of the Flemish government

CITTASLOW signs PURPLE Charter

Nov 9, 2014

Mr Arnoud Rodenbourg, Burgemeester, Gemeente Midden-Delfland and Deputy President of Cittaslow met PURPLE President Helyn Clack on 4 November 2014 and signed the PURPLE Charter on behalf of his network. They agreed that Cittaslow and PURPLE share a number of areas of interest, including:

- safeguarding quality of life for our citizens;
- maintaining valuable landscapes and biodiversity;
- respecting landscape, farm land, natural places;
- stimulating regional products and short food chains;
- seeking sustainable solutions for future generations.

They will look in the future for practical ways to link the work of the two networks. 
 

CLLD as a tool of Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 for local rural, urban and peri-urban development

Jul 30, 2014

This public hearing will inform an opinion of the Euriopean Social and Economic Committee on Community led Local Developmant (CCLD) as a tool of Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 for local rural, urban and peri-urban development and will takes place on 29 September, 2014 in Brussels (registration opens on 20 August). 

More details here

 

Making room for both high quality agriculture and urbanisation in Rhone-Alpes

Jun 30, 2014

PURPLE's General Assembly meetings in Valence on 12 and 13 June, 2014 began with a conference on 12 June. This was an opportunity for an exchange of views between elected representatives, local stakeholders and some of PURPLE's regional representatives on the topic 'Making room for both high quality agriculture and urbanisation'.

The spatial, economic, and environmental challenges facing this dynamic part of the Rhone valley were explored and compared with those in  other peri-urban regions of the EU. 

 

More about the event including speakers and presentations

PURPLE meetings in Rhône-Alpes 12 and13 June

May 29, 2014

 

Conference: Making room for both high-quality agriculture and urbanisation

 PURPLE holds its 20th General Assembly meeting in Valence, Rhône-Alpes on 12 and 13 June, 2014 and the Association of Mayors and Presidents of Federation of Municipalities of the Drôme Department have organised a conference to coincide with these meetings from 0930 on the morning of 12 June in the salon 'Maurice Pic', Hôtel du Département, Avenue Président Herriot - 26000 Valence 

Making room for both high-quality agriculture and urbanisation

Conference programme
Introduction and context 

 

More than just agriculture and recreation zones!

May 7, 2014

PURPLE joined forces with other members of the European Countryside Movement and the Assembly of the European Regions on 29 April to convey some key messages to the new European Parliament and Commission. 

An over emphasis on urban policies risks undervaluing the potential of Europe’s rural and peri-urban spaces – their diversity and their dynamism.

PURPLE joined forces with other members of the European Countryside Movement and the Assembly of the European Regions on 29 April to convey some key messages to the new European Parliament and Commission. 

An over emphasis on urban policies risks undervaluing the potential of Europe’s rural and peri-urban spaces – their diversity and their dynamism.

Text of AER press release:


The reality of European rural areas: an overriding issue for EU competitiveness

In the run up to the European elections, regions and international organisations call on the future Parliament and Commission to further take into account the new reality of rural areas.


Brussels, Bruxelles-Capitale (BE), 29 April 2014

The European Union (EU) is facing several key challenges and responding to these will prove to be a particularly complex and expensive process. Focus is drawn today towards increasing effectiveness by using factors such as competitiveness, urban areas and innovation. Other targets, primarily rural areas, are being left out when in reality they are brimming with potential.

Gathering 70 participants, the RUR@CT Benchmarking Seminar allowed the Assembly of European Regions (AER) and the European Countryside Movement (ECM)* to join forces in order to convince European stakeholders and the EU of the importance of restoring rurality to its rightful place, as one of the priorities.

Rural areas contribute to the Europe 2020 Strategy

"Encompassing 59% of Europe's population and 56% of EU's employment, the role that rural and peri-urban areas play within the completion of the Europe 2020 Strategy is undeniable. These areas produce wealth and added value, yet their full potential remains unexploited. The vitality and the consideration of these territories as poles of development and innovation is key to a sustainable growth and a well balanced territorial development”, underlined Gerard PELTRE, ECM President.This is why it is crucial that MEPs’ of the new Parliament take up this issue through a White Paper on territorial realities in the European Union and the establishment of an intergroup devoted to the development of the rural territories, including peri-urban areas, he stated.

Rural and urban go hand in hand

In order for the objectives of economic, social and territorial cohesion to be met, the European policy approach cannot solely focus on a system of metropoles. Not denying the importance of metropolitan areas, the unique spatial quality of Europe must be the connection between urban and rural areas. “As highlighted in the AER ‘Denanot Report on Rurality’, Rural and peri-urban areas have a particular role in this relationship, given their importance in terms of local agriculture, landscape quality, environmental management, employment and social cohesion. These areas are much more than just agricultural or recreation zones." said Doede SIJTSMA from the Province of Gelderland (NL).

Rural areas: more than just agriculture

Rural Europe of today has evolved and its economy is diversified. Agriculture remains a vital economic and territorial activity, but the secondary and tertiary sectors take up a major role in terms of employment. The RUR@CT Benchmarking Seminar gave the floor to several regions, such as Wallonia (BE), Alba (RO) or Noord-Brabant (NL) to put forward concrete examples of this diversification. Noord-Brabant for example, is currently engaged in strengthening Quadruple Helix partnerships to enhance innovation in its regional countryside.  A wide range of success stories on innovative ways of unlocking the potential of rural areas highlighted the importance of interregional cooperation as a tool to build greater economic diversification in rural territories.

* ECM members are:
International
Association
Rurality‐Environment‐Development‐
RED

European
Association
for
Rural
Development
Institutions
‐
AEIAR

International
Association
of
Family
Movements
for
Rural
Training
–
AIMFR

Assembly
of
European
Regions
–
ARE

European
Committee
of
Property
Owners
‐
CEDIP

European
Council
for
rural
law
‐
CEDR

European
Greenways
Association
–
EGWA

European
Leader
Association
for
Rural
Development
‐
ELARD

European
Network
of
Outdoor
Sports
‐
ENOS

European
Federation
of
Rural
Tourism
‐
EUROGITES

European
Association
for
Mountain
Areas‐
EUROMONTANA

International
Federation
of
Equestrian
Tourism
‐
FITE

Peri
Urban
Regions
Platform
Europe
‐
PURPLE