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Rhône-Alpes presidency 2011-2012

On 11 July, the Rhône-Alpes Region took over from Catalonia at the head of the Four Motors for Europe network for a one-year period.

The Rhône-Alpes presidency has adopted two main focus:
+ sustainable innovation, the leitmotiv of this year of presidency
+ the role of the Four Motors for Europe within the European Union

All the same time, the Four Motors for Europe will continue working on initiatives to extend the network's reach internationally, essentially through its ongoing cooperation with the Four Motors for Mercosur.

The Four Motors' working groups will have a central role to play in implementing the presidency's programme as they pursue ongoing projects and regular meetings.

Events organised by the Rhône-Alpes Region as part of its presidency of the Four Motors will also pay special attention to youth.

Programme of the Rhône-Alpes presidency:

> Sustainable innovation

 European Conference of Regions on Climate Change (20-21 October 2011)

All this conference, the European regions and federated States will be asked to give their support to European climate and energy targets so that Europe can speak with a single voice at the international negociations to take place in Durban (South Africa) in December 2011 and at the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development in June 2012.

 The Conference will be an opportunity to identify regional best practices and innovative public-private partnerships in the drive to combat climate change. A roadmap will also be drawn up for future cooperative initiatives. Lastly, the conference will draw up the Lyon Conference Change Declaration to ratify European regions' commitments with regard to European and global climate change.
To find out all about the conference, follow this link : http://www.rhonealpes.fr/516-conference-sur-le-climat.htm

Institutional mission, economic and technological mission as part of cooperation on clean technology (February 2012)

This mission is part of the cleantech programme conducted by the Four Motors for Europe and the Four Motors for Mercosur. It will consist in meetings between the eight regions' institutional and economic stakeholders, as well as specialists in clean technology, specifically biomass and urban solid waste treatment. The mission will strive to cement institutional ties between the members of the new 2009 agreement and explore the potential trade and R&D exchanges.

European innovation fairs (October 2012)

The Four Motors will take part in two flagship events in Rhône-Alpes:
+ the "Grenoble innovation fair", which brings together industrial groups, start-ups and research laboratories in a bid to find opportunities for collaboration
+ The "Rendez-vous Carnot", which bring together members of the research community.

The Rhône-Alpes presidency of the Four Motors for Europe will officially close with these meetings focused on innovation and technology transfer, giving them a European dimension.

Prior to the 2012 edition, the Four Motors will meet in Brussels for a one-day thematic meeting attended by the innovation agencies of the four partner regions and representatives of the European Commission. The meeting will discuss the EU post-2013 research policy, on which the four regions plan to draw up a common policy statement.

The role of the Four Motors for Europe within the European Union

The Rhône-Alpes presidency intends to extand the role of the Four Motors for Europe within the European Union so that the regions can make their voice heard in debate on the future of the European Union and forthcoming EU policies. Opinions are one of the means of action used by the network to share common positions on a number of major themes in European policy and on the future of the EU itself.

Two joint papers have already been signed to this end:
+ paper on the future of the EU cohesion policy (January 2011)
+ joint paper on European Union initiatives to support SME's expansion into international markets (July 2011)

Other opinions are currrently under consideration:
+ joint paper on the future of the EU structural funds (autumn 2011)
+ joint paper on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (winter 2011)
+ joint paper on future EU research policy (spring 2012)

In the same drive to bring the work of the Four Motors to attention of the European Union, a meeting of Euro MPs will be organised in Brussels during the Rhône-Alpes presidency.

> Working groups

in parallel to the programme drawn up by the Rhône-Alpes Region for its presidency, the Four Motors are continuing their thematic work in the working groups, which provide continuous input for the network's activities.

The "Economy working group" focuses on a three-pronged action plan comprising:
+ initiatives to help SMEs expand into international markets
+ policies to promote innovation and interclustering
+ lobbying and promotion of the network at European and international levels

The "Environment" working group is currently on the issues of water and climate change. A such, it is helping to prepare the European Conference of Regions on Climate change.

The "Science and research" working group supports the joint work undertaken by the development and innovation agencies of the four partner regions to identify EU-funded joint projects in R&D and technology transfer.

The "Youth, sport and training" working group: during its presidency of the Four Motors, the Rhône-Alpes Region is keen to place special emphasis on its initatives for youth. These include holding a plenary session of the European Youth Parliament in July 2011 in Lyon;giving apprentices and young professionals support for moving to other partner regions to work; promoting exchanges of young sportspeople; holding a meeting of trade unions from the Four Motors in Lyon at the end of 2011 to discuss the future of today's youth.

The "Culture" working group promotes the four Regions' policies to support cultural and artistic activity at European level. It has two focus areas: publicising our regions' initiatives to support the film industry and taking part in European deliberations on the creative industries.

The ICT workshop revolves around "ICT applications and society". Echoing the Rhône-Alpes presidency's initiatives to encourage sustainable innovation, this workshop is continuing over 2011-2012. It will carry out research into and provide support for deploying innovative digital solutions that can susbsequently be pooled at European level.