Landscape Europe is an interdisciplinary network of national research institutes with expertise in landscape assessment, planning and management at the interface of policy implementation, education and state-of-the-art science in support of sustainable landscapes.

 


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European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON)

Observation of the European territory and its evolution is an important prerequisite to formulating territorial cohesion policies and for the application of the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) in Community, national and regional policies. The European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON) has been launched as a programme jointly managed by the Member States and the European Commission in accordance with the work programme adopted at the meeting of spatial planning Ministers in Tampere in 1999. The aim is to increase knowledge about territorial structures, trends and policy impacts in the enlarged European Union. The ESPON programme started in 2002 and is planned to continue until 2006. Although none of the studies undertaken are currently completed, a number of valuable outputs are already available. The programme is being carried out within the framework of the Community Initiative INTERREG III.

Under the overall leadership of Luxembourg, the EU Member States submitted a joint application entitled "The ESPON 2006 Programme – Research on the Spatial Development of an Enlarging European Union". The European Commission agreed the application on 3 June 2002. The administrative arrangements for ESPON are as follows:

 

·         Monitoring Committee (MC),

·         Managing and Paying Authorities (MA/PA),

·         Co-ordination Unit (CU),

·         ESPON Contact Points (ECP), and

·         Transnational Project Groups (TPG).

The TPGs are carrying out the research projects. Each TPG has to include research institutes from at least three countries and is led by a Lead Partner. The activities of the network are co-ordinated and supported by the Co-ordination Unit, working in conjunction with the ESPON Contact Points. The ECPs represent the research capacities of the member states, through their own expertise and their links with and knowledge about national research on spatially relevant topics.

The Managing and Paying Authorities and the Monitoring Committee are responsible for the management and monitoring of the ESPON 2006 programme. The functions of the MA and PA have been delegated to the Ministry of the Interior of Luxembourg. Two delegates per participating member state, and two Commission representatives are full members of the MC. EU Candidate countries can join the ESPON programme as observers, as well as full partners. Neighbouring States have been invited to join the programme as full partners.

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