PON Governance - Strategic Metropolises

NOP GOVERNANCE – Strategic Metropolises – Associated Europe Office (Metropolitan Europe Unit)

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Period: February 2018 – December 2019
European programme of reference: National Operational Programme (NOP) Governance, institutional capacity-building

OBJECTIVE

Increasing the participation of the municipalities of the metropolitan territory to European activities with the support of the Metropolitan City of Milan (MCM), by building the Associated Europe Office between the Metropolitan City and the municipalities of the territory: the Metropolitan Europe Unit.

ABSTRACT – PROJECT DEVELOPED BY THE MCM

This initiative is a response to the necessity of supporting the municipalities of the metropolitan territory in European-oriented activities, as it emerged also during the construction phase of the Metropolitan Strategic Plan, during auditions with mayors and local administrators of the territory. Building a Metropolitan Europe Unit has been one of the needs most pointed out and the Metropolitan City of Milan intends to respond adequately. The initiative is composed of 5 phases:

• Phase of listening and analysis, in order to verify the real needs of the municipalities through the preparation and distribution of dedicated questionnaires, field one-to-one interviews, specific technical meetings with technical and administrative staff, to analyse the issues related to the creation of an associated office.
• Phase of information. The processing of collected information will enable to define an informative plan on the European-oriented main activities of interest for the municipalities.
• Phase of training. It will be aimed non only at managers/officials/employees of the municipalities but also at the political and administrative sphere. It will focus on direct management programmes, on European territorial cooperation and on European structural and investment funds, corresponding to the needs pointed out.
• Phase of support. It will be aimed towards the launch of projects related to the exchange of good practices with homologous organisations at the European level and at finding additional financial resources for the strategic activities highlighted by the municipalities.
• Phase of creation of the associated office, with the definition of the convention of the associated office.

ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

On January 31 and February 1, 2018, an event was organised in Venice in order to officially launch the project at the national level. A second meeting took place in Genoa on June 20 and 21, 2018, and dealt with the management of European funds, strategic planning and metropolitan governance.

The Partners are the National Association of Italian municipalities (ANCI, coordinator), the Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Public Service Unit, the Agency of territorial cohesion, the Metropolitan City of Milan and other metropolitan municipalities.