PURPLE has recently produced the sixth in its ongoing series of Topic Papers. Each paper is designed to adresss a subject with a particular peri-urban dimension.

In the case of Green infrastructure (GI), the new paper highlights the unique nature and potential contribution of peri-urban Green Infrastructure. Much of what we normally think of as GI is located in peri-urban areas but this key fact is often overlooked and its full significance not acknowledged or understood.

The Topic Paper captures the nature and value of peri-urban GI, sets out a rationale for the development of a peri-urban GI "agenda" and sets down a series of challenges to policy-makers with the aim of stimulating further debate and better policy and practice.

PURPLE has very recently produced six position papers relating to different areas of the post 2020 legislative proposals published earlier this year by the European Commission.

The six papers relate to:

• The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)
• Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
• The proposed Common Provisions Regulation (CPR)
• European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund (CF)
• European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) [Interreg]
• European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)

The intention is that each paper be reviewed and updated as necessary as discussions on each of the six interrelated issues continue over the coming weeks and months.

On September 26, PURPLE was delighted to have the opportunity to hold a public seminar in the European Parliament looking at realising the peri-urban potential 2020+ through its future policies, strategies and programmes.

The event took place at the kind invitation of Franc Bogovič MEP (SLS/EPP) and (Vice President of the RUMRA intergroup), PURPLE was also delighted to be joined by Mr Michael Schneider, co-rapporteur of the CoR opinion on the Common Provisions Framework. Alongside Mr Bogovič and Mr Schneider, the audience were also able to hear from PURPLE President Helyn Clack, and from PURPLE Secretary General Vincent O’Connell who gave an update on the H2020 project ROBUST within which PURPLE is a partner.

The speakers addressed territorial aspects of the recently published European Commission’s legislative proposals – especially on Cohesion Policy and the CAP – and the influence that these policies might have on peri-urban areas, their specific urban-rural character, landscape and quality of life. The event also served as an opportunity to publicly launch a series of six PURPLE Position Papers looking at different future policies/programmes (see separate article).

The next PURPLE GA will take place in Voeren, Flanders in the afternoon of Wednesday October 24 2018.

For further details, please contact info@purple-eu.org

PURPLE is delighted to have the opportunity to organise an event in the European Parliament, Brussels on the afternoon of Wednesday September 26 2018 (15.00 - 17.00). The event takes place at the kind invitation of Franc Bogovič MEP .

Registration is now open by emailing secretarygeneral@purple-eu.org.

All interested parties are welcome to join us and we look forward to a lively discussion on the potential contribution of peri-urban areas of Europe to future EU policies and programmes. 

The event will address territorial aspects of the recently published European Commission’s legislative proposals – especially on Cohesion Policy and the CAP – and the influence that these policies might have on peri-urban areas, their specific urban-rural character, landscape, and quality of life.

The twelfth and final partnership established as part of the EU Urban Agenda relates to Sustainable Land Use and Nature Based Solutions (SLU_NBS). The partnership is jointly coordinated by the Polish Ministry of Investment and Economic Development and the city of Bologna, and has now launched its draft plan. The plan’s content is the subject of a consultation exercise open until September 19 2018.  Details at https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/sustainable-land-use

The draft plan consists of ten elements (“draft actions”) – five concerning sustainable land use and five which relate to nature based solution – the consultation exercise consists of separate online consultation questionnaires for each of the ten actions. The draft actions are designed to reflect the four priority themes upon which the partnership has decided to focus: Land take; Brownfields and under-used land; Functional Urban Areas, and; Nature-based solutions.

The draft actions contain reference to a number of issues of direct peri-urban interest and PURPLE intends making multiple responses and would be interested in learning of any member regions who plan to do the same.

A short summary document regarding both the partnership and the consultation exercise is here.

The draft plan which is the subject of the consultation can be downloaded here.

Pdf versions of the ten questionnaire forms are here:

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