General Assembly 2015

General Assembly 2015 in Salsomaggiore

The SERN General Assembly 2015 has been hosted by the Unione Terre Verdiane in the municipality of Salsomaggiore. Several activities have been scheduled from thursday 21th to saturday 23th of May. This year the nework has celebrated the 10th general assembly of its life.

Friday 22nd May

Seminar on the Covenant of Mayors (9.30-11.00)
SERN is a support organization of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) since May 2013. Several member municipalities in Italy and Sweden have already signed the agreement which commits public authorities to local sustainable energy actions. The main tool to implement the objectives of the CoM is the preparation and implementation of the Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP). Speakers from Emilia Romagna, the Norrbotten County Council and from the Municipality of Forlì introduce the implemented activities in order to reach the main goal: the CO2 reduction of 20% by 2020.

• Claudia Cané (Emilia Romagna): The CoM in Emilia Romagna: innovative experiences implemented
• Francesca Ravaioli (Forlì Municipality): Local projects of the SEAP implementation
• Peter Töyrä – Energy saving actions in the County of Norrbotten

Seminar on rural development (9.30-11.00)
Rural development means an improved local and sustainable growth, the involvement of young people in the local economy, the opportunity to increase competitiveness and at the same time to preserve and valorize the local intangible heritage. The speakers have analyzed some of the aspects prioritised at EU level; in particular, the link between rural development, economic growth and environmental sustainability and the involvement and education of young people in the rural sector.

• Carla Cavallini (Europe Direct Emilia Romagna) – EU guidelines on rural developmnet: new elements in the 2014-2020 programme period
• Iris Wetter (Borgo Val di Taro Municipality) – Rural Europe Network, REN project
• Pascal Tshibanda (Falköping Municipality) – Rural Europe Network, REN project
• Anders Bengtsson (Motala Municipality) – Rural development projects for an increased local growth
• Giuliana Colussi (Coop. consortium Leonardo) – Social farming experience

Training, Education and Labour (11.15-12.45)
Coordination between different schools, private actors and public authorities is one of the key tools success both for Jobb- och kunskapstorget and the ATOMS Project. ATOMS is a Leonardo transfer of innovation project and constitutes a best practice in the field of prevention of early school leaving.

• Massimo Peron (CIOFS FP): ATOMS Project contrasting early school leaving – devices skills and territorial approaches
• Per Arnöman (Municipality of Linköping): Jobb och kungskapstorget

Workshop on European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) (11.15-12.45)
ETC aims at strengthening European cohesion and a balanced growth through the European Union. In the framework of the programing period 2014-2020, two dimensions of the ETC are particularly relevant for SERN and its member organizations
1)Transnational Cooperation promotes cooperation among greater European regions, including the ones surrounding sea basins, and facilitates coordinated strategic responses to joint challenges like innovation, transport, competitive of urban and regional contexts
2) Interregional Cooperation provides a framework for the exchange of experiences between local and regional actors from across Europe in order to contribute to the EU’s strategies on growth, jobs and sustainable development.

The workshop has focused on the opportunities offered by ETC, particularly in the field of Transnational cooperation, in the light of the innovations of current programming period.

• Lodovico Gherardi (Emilia Romagna Region)
• Anna Lindberg (Region Östergötland)

Seminar on youg people and well-being (14.30-16.00)
This seminar has focused on the theme well-beeing among young people. To avoid future social esclusion of the youth mental health is important in our communities. It’s time to make a difference and support children and youth where they are and offer tools for creating a life that actually works. With this objective Norrbotten County Council has created the SAM-project. The Municipality of Forlì has present its work on the prevention of the use of moodaltering substances among young people.

• Linda Moestam (Norrbotten County Council): Prepare children and youngsters for life (SAM-Project)
• Edoardo Polidori (AUSL local health authority Forlì): Mood altering substances and public health
• Anders Eriksson (Luleå Municipality): Sportoteket

Seminar on sustainable tourism (14.30-16.00)
Providing a definition of “sustainable tourism” is an important challenge for European countries nowadays. Indeed, achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires a constant monitoring of environmental impacts without forgetting the maintenance of a high level of tourist satisfaction. The Emilia-Romagna Region is a very active actor in the development and identification of strategies for sustainable development both at national and European level. Several members in Italy and Sweden, thanks to their innovative approach to the theme, can be important cases to study.

• Count Orazio Zanardi Landi (Association Castelli dei Ducati) – Castles routes in Parma and Piacenza
• Elsie Hellström (Tillväxt Norra Bohusslän) – Developing sustainable tourism for an increased local economic growth
• Anna Dovadola (Cervia Municipality) – Ecomuseum od the see and salt

Networking Cafés (13.30-14.30/16.30-18.00)
The networking café is an informal meeting place for those wishing to present and discuss project ideas. Those interested in a specific topic can meet and exchange ideas during a 30-minute slot. The list of topics will be available upon registration and can be integrated with new themes until one hour before the session.

Saturday 23rd May

Order of Business

1. Call to order and opening of the Session
2. Approval of the minutes of the 2014 session
3. SERN Annual Report 2014
4. Financial Report 2014
5. Report of the Board of Auditors 2014
6. Budget Proposal 2015
7. Membership fees 2016
8. Election of the members of the SERN Executive Board 2015-2017
9. Election of the members of the Board of Auditors 2015-2017
10. Venue of the 2016 Session
11. Adjournment and Closing of the Session