The Conference is building upon the conclusions reached at the International Conference on Overcoming Regional Disparities held in Ohrid, FYR of Macedonia, in 2010 which ended in adopting the Ohrid Agenda of Conference Resolutions.

The overall objective of this Conference is to foster the process of bringing national policies in line with EU regional development polices, with the overall aim to reduce regional disparities and achieve stronger cohesion in all Europe. Mutual discussions, exchange of experiences among EU and candidate and neighbouring countries as well as launching constructive initiatives are expected as direct outputs of the Conference.

Excellencies from EU institutions, Ministries in charge of regional development in SEE, EU member states and other countries, as well as high-ranking officials, policy makers, practitioners, directors and executives from governmental and non-governmental organisations have been invited to share their vast knowledge and provide valuable contribution in reaching the Conference goals. Furthermore, key experts from universities, think-tanks, civil society and international organisations will also partake.

It is important to highlight that this Conference is the first event of this type and magnitude organised in Serbia on the topic of regional development. The outputs and conclusions reached here will be largely incorporated in the long-term strategic planning documents of the country.

Moreover, we are witnessing the ever increasing importance of the debate on EU Cohesion policy post 2013 and the role of all European countries and regions in its proper and effective programming and implementation. The Conference will also contribute to this debate by providing options and potential solutions to the issues raised in the 5th Cohesion Report launched by the European Commission in November last year.

Please click on the following links to...

• access the draft programme
• find out more about the planned workshops
• read more about travelling to Serbia and visa requirements
• download the registration form.

Source: Information provided by the Serbian Ministry of Economy and Regional Development

Date:
From: 10 May 2011
To: 12 May 2011