Oil is running short, traffi c volume is in-creasing and in view of the greenhouse effect the CO2 emissions have to be

minimized dramatically. In this context, traffi c turns out to be an international issue, since it pro-vides for integration of all regions and forms the base of our economy and society. In its recently published transport White Paper, the European Commission in this context enumerates differ-ent strategies and future visions that are to make the European traffi c system more competitive and more sustainable until 2050. It strives for a homogenous European transport area, a core network of corridors in the fi elds of freight and passenger transport as well as for new technolo-gies and a sustainable attitude, considering the diminishing resources.

Supporting regional development by innovative transport instruments is the main focus of many projects that are promoted by the Federal Pro-gramme Transnational Cooperation. Thus, the projects SonNorA, TRANSITECTS and SCANDRIA focus on linking up the regions between the Baltic and the Adriatic Sea with a stress on using environmentally friendly solutions and coopera-tion potentials. With a study about investments in the railway infrastructure along the European west-east-axis, the project Via Regia Plus proves that the extension of transport corridors must be-come even more transnational to develop its full effi ciency. The efforts of the regional rail trans-port project INTER-Regio-Rail for better political basic conditions show that the regional rail trans-port can only work properly as a pan-European concern.

According to the White Paper, more than half of the traffi c shall be shifted to railways and ship-ping until 2050. The latter aspect is signifi cant for BaltSeaPlan and Ballast Water Opportunity. These projects concentrate on maritime spatial planning and deal with the consequences of a higher traffi c volume for the ecosystems of our seas.

Enjoy reading! The DV Team

03Newsletter May 2011Bundesprogramm Transnationale Zusammenarbeit

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a newsletter of selected projects within the Federal Programme Transnational Cooperation

This newsletter informs about the Federal Programme Transnational Cooperation. With this programme, the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development supports German project partners in European projects of strategic political relevance for the Federal Governement on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Urban Development.More Information on the Federal Programme at: www.interreg.de or www.deutscher-verband.org

German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development | DV-GmbHHeike Mages, Littenstraße 10, 10179 BerlinPhone +49 (0)30/206 41 690 | Fax +49 (0)30/206 41 691interreg@deutscher-verband.org

DATES

18 May 2011 SoNorA WorkshopThe economic Area Saxony - Bohemia - Lower Silesia. Potentials and ChallengesDresden

19 –20 May 2011 SoNorA Project MeetingKnowledge Management with Clustered ProjectsVenice

20 May 2011 BaltSeaPlanOpen workshop at the European Maritime DayTowards coherent Maritime Spatial Planning in the Baltic SeaGdansk (Poland)

25 May 2011 Urb.Energy Discussion Meeting Sustainable energy solutions in the urban and regional context Brussels

14 –15 June 2011LABELElbe without borders. Flood risk prevention in the LABEL and SAWA projectsHamburg

Please see the projects’ websites at the last page to get more information.

THEMES

Regional Development by Innovative Transport Projects SoNorA, SCANDRIA, TRANSITECTS, Via Regia PlusPage 2|3

Spatial Planning Strategies to Adapt toClimate Change BaltSeaPlan, BALLAST WATER OPPORTUNITYPage 4

Regional Development by Innovative Transport Projects INTER-Regio-RailPage 5

Oswald Fürtsch, Pixelio

deals with the structural im-provement of the transbound-ary railway infrastructure, with intermodal hubs as well as with freight transport serv-ices in Central Europe. In the western Baltic Sea region, the eligibility of north-south con-nections as a “green corridor” for freight transport shall be proven within the framework of SCANDRIA. Innovative offers and services should support the integration of transport modes and the improvement of their envi-ronmental balance. Concrete interim results are regularly presented and discussed at conferences, workshops and specialized fairs.

So the SCANDRIA midterm conference at the beginning

Regional Development by Innovative Transport Projects 2

The White Paper “Road-map to a Single European

Transport Area”, recently published by the European Commission, focuses on the massive reduction of carbon emissions in transport. The concept of intelligent “green corridors” was also developed in this context. Both strategies aim at effi ciency and sustaina-bility, especially of the freight transport. This e.g. includes the optimisation of logistical processes, the intelligent use and integration of transport modes or the extensive shift of long-distance transport modes to environmentally friendly transport modes. Fur-thermore, concepts for freight transport meet the economic demand for security, reliabil-ity, cost effi ciency and are the bases for regional as well as for international value chains and fl ows of goods.

The projects SoNorA, TRANSI-TECTS and SCANDRIA, which are fi nanced by the Federal Programme Transnational Cooperation, work along this approach. With their geo-graphical focus on regions be-tween the Baltic and the Adri-atic Sea, they demonstrate which measures are necessary for a practical implementa-tion of these aims: In the project TRANSITECTS, offers of combined transport as well as concepts for optimizing intermodal hubs in the Alpine region are developed. SoNorA

of April 2011 in Malmo was characterized by the “green corridor” issue. It could be reported that – supported by the project – the ferry con-nection between Rostock and Gedser had been incorporated into the EU programme “Mo-torways of the Sea”. This had consequences for investments in ports. Besides, plans for the “HUB 53/12°” were presented, which is a regionally impor-tant hub between ports of the Baltic Sea and the southern landlocked country. Further-more, analyses and appropri-ate planning for new block train connections between the Baltic and the Adriatic Sea were presented.

The SoNorA project does not only develop infrastructure

analyses and solutions for weak points but also organ-izes regional discussions between politicians, adminis-trative and private sector rep-resentatives. According to the project, transport is fi rst of all regarded as a way to exploit and to strengthen economic potentials. In this context, an event at Dresden on 18th May dealed with keeping skilled workers in the region, with potentials from cooperation projects and with political positions of transboundary regions.

The importance of the “green corridor” for economy and science will be brought up at a conference in Berlin at the beginning of November 2011. It is about how to combine

SoNorA, SCANDRIA, TRANSITECTS:

“Green Corridors“– Organizing Freight Transport in a Resource-Effi cient Way

www.scandriaproject.eu www.transitects.orgwww.sonoraproject.eu

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intelligent freight transport with products and services. The importance of an effi cient transport system for the whole corridor between the Baltic and the Adriatic Sea and the need for political-structural support should become clear so that prevailing potentials can be activated.

The “transport logistics” fair on May 2011 in Munich as well served as an important plat-form for the presentation and discussion of project results. The projects or relevant project partners were represented with stands and events like rounds of talks or conferences.

On 10th May, the midterm conference of the TRANSI-TECTS project with the title “Innovative logistic solutions for combined transport” took place. Concrete approaches for the transalpine railway freight transport and intermodal nodes were presented. The attractive-ness of the concepts developed within the project was dis-cussed with stakeholders in the sectors of logistics and politics. The focal point was accom-panied and unaccompanied combined transport services. Examples illustrated among other things the positive envi-ronmental effects of shifting transport away from the road to the railway. Furthermore, the concepts include techniques how goods can be shifted from one transport mode to another.

Each of the presented projects has its own spatial and the-matic focus and therefore cre-ates specifi c solutions.

Besides, these projects coop-erate closely with each other and further INTERREG IV B transport projects. One ele-ment of this cooperation is the discussion forum “Green-ing the European transport network” at the “transport logistic”. During one hour, the main stakeholders of the projects TRANSITECTS, So-NorA, SCANDRIA and BATCo (Baltic-Adriatic-Transport Cooperation) discussed about techniques, strategies, and spatial approaches, about synergies, potentials for co-operation as well as about appropriate distinctions. This process of cooperation will be continued at the end of May in Venice in the frame-work of a project workshop, in which further INTERREG IVB projects will also be inte-grated.

Via Regia Plus

A Study on the Internationalization of Railway Connections

T he Via Regia Plus project was developed against the

background of the relative bad transport connections along the historic trade route. The reason was the European sepa-ration and the related neglect of infrastructure in the west-east corridor between cities like Dresden, Wroclaw and the Ukrainian Lviv. Under the lead partnership of Wroclaw, the project promotes a sustainable transport system and regional cooperation along this cor-ridor.

Therefore, the Saxon State Ministry of the Interior togeth-er with the project partners examined how investments in the railway infrastructure af-fect the accessibility along the Via Regia. Already started and fi nancially secured building works as well as national and cross-border future projects in the area of high-speed transport were considered in the investigation. The study demonstrates that specifi c in-vestments may lead to attrac-

tive overall travel times in the fi eld of passenger transport between the node cities. It also emphasizes that states, coun-tries and regions mainly focus on the related local transport.

In total, it becomes clear that extension measures regard-ing the infrastructure are not enough „European“. National planning schemes have to be replenished by an interna-tional perspective, so that the whole corridor “Via Regia” can profi t from improved ac-cessibility and the boundaries between Saxony and Lower Silesia will not prevent spatial development in both regions anymore.

www.viaregiaplus.eu www.transitects.org

www.baltseaplan.eu www.northseaballast.eu

Spatial Planning Strategies to Adapt to Climate Change 4

T he Baltic Sea – with its unique fragile ecosystem

– is subject to a multitude of human uses such as shipping, fi shery, wind farms or mineral extraction. All of them are com-peting for the limited sea space giving rise to potential confl icts among these interests and with environmental values.

A wise, pro-active Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) could not only avoid confl icts, but also create synergies and thus lay the basis for a sustainable maritime development. Moving away from the “fi rst come fi rst serve” tradition MSP could lead to a more coherent, forward-looking allocation of maritime space.

The project BaltSeaPlan pro-motes the introduction of this tool by developing a series of draft Maritime Spatial Plans within the Baltic Sea. These seven pilot Plans are based on • detailed impact analyses of national & international secto- ral strategies on the sea area

Ballast Water Opportunity is a key project providing

regional cohesion in the North Sea region, encouraging inno-vation and developing future strategies in ballast water poli-cies and ballast water manage-ment.

About 90% of the EU’s foreign trade are managed by cargo shipping and are going to increase by 6.6% annually ac-

cording to a study conducted by the Hamburg Institute of Global Economy. Ballast water is fi lled in special tanks of the ships to guarantee proper stability when travelling with light loads. Connected with this, the introduction of new organisms into the European seas by ships’ ballast water also will increase. This could result in serious damages of native marine ecosystems. The immigration of alien species also involves serious economic consequences e.g. in fi sheries. So, introduction of harmful aquatic organisms and patho-gens to new environments has

• a collection and generation of information on current and future uses & natural values • an analysis of resulting confl icts• intensive stakeholder involvement • the application of new model- ling & mapping methods

Furthermore BaltSeaPlan part-ners have jointly developed a “Vision 2030” which will be for the fi rst time presented on 20th May 2011 during the EU Maritime Day in Gdansk. The Vision shows that a healthy marine environment, a coher-ent pan-Baltic energy policy, sustainable fi sheries and a safe, clean and effi cient maritime transport are all pan-Baltic top-ics. Aside from transnational thinking they require, a MSP- coordinating body which takes into account the whole Baltic Sea as one ecosystem where planners think in terms of spa-tial connectivity with regard to linear infrastructure, corridors and natural values.

been identifi ed as one of the four greatest threats to the world’s oceans by the Interna-tional Maritime Organization. This problem should be solved by ratifi cation of the interna-tional Ballast Water Manage-ment Convention (BWMC) adopted 2004.

A precision of the required tools to implement the con-vention and guidelines are

developed in the project. The results could be the basis for policy decisions of the North Sea neighboring states. One of the 14 project partners is the Federal Maritime and Hydro-graphic Agency. The project is coordinated by the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research. Compared with other transport carriers, ocean shipping already is more envi-ronmentally friendly. The en-vironmental load by shipping could be further reduced by implementation of the BWMC.

BaltSeaPlan

Towards the Sustainable Planning of Baltic Sea Space

BALLAST WATER OPPORTUNITY

Dealing with the Introduction of New Organisms into European Seas

www.interregiorail.eu

Regional Development by Innovative Transport Projects

INTER-Regio-Rail

People on the Move

5

T ransport systems conserv-ing natural resources are

decisive for Europe’s worldwide competitiveness. As means of transportation in daily life the regional rail transport (RRT) plays an important role in this framework as it is environmen-tally friendly and at the same time ensures the mobility of people.

Under the lead partnership of the BAGSPNV (Germany), the project INTER-Regio-Rail aims at improving the regional rail transport in Central Europe. With nine partners from Germany, Italy, Poland and Czech Republic, the project demonstrates on the basis of pilot projects how new passen-gers can be permanently won through improved organiza-tion and infrastructure as well as through specially tailored services. Transnational net-working and a professional dialogue with transport com-panies, passenger associations and external experts are very important in this process.

Using the experience gained from these regional projects, INTER-Regio-Rail will ap-proach policy-makers at the re-gional, national and European level and argue in favour of improving the framework con-ditions governing the organisa-tion and fi nancing of the RRT.

The partner activities focus on transboundary transport con-nections, modernized railway stations with improved pos-sibilities to change trains, tariff cooperation arrangements and effective systems of informa-tion and services. To also meet the specifi c requirements of seniors and bike tourists, tai-lored solutions and offers in the fi eld of RRT are needed, which is why a study trip through three countries took place in the framework of the project in May. The participants of the trip had the opportunity to get to know examples of good practice.

Projects Supported by the Federal Programme Transnational Cooperation

Innovative Measures for Urban and RegionalDevelopment

ACT4PPP – Public Private Partnerships:www.act4ppp.eu

AGORA 2.0 – Economic Development in the Baltic Sea Region: www.agora2-tourism.net

BEST AGERS – Demographic Change:www.best-agers-project.eu

CREATIVE CITIES – Strengthening and Professionalization of the Creative Idustry:www.creativecitiesproject.eu

MANDIE – Managing District Centres: www.district-management.eu

SECOND CHANCE – Creative Reuse of Industrial Culture:www.secondchanceproject.eu

Regional Development by InnovativeTransport Projects

INTER-REGIO-RAIL – Regional Rail Transport:www.interregiorail.eu

SCANDRIA – Infrastructure and Economic Development:www.scandriaproject.eu

SONORA – Infrastructure and Economic Development:www.sonoraproject.eu

TRANSITECTS – Transalpine Freight Traffi c:www.transitects.org

VIAREGIAPLUS – West-East Connection:www.viaregiaplus.eu

Energy Efficiency in Town Planningand Housing

LONGLIFE – New Buildings’ Energy Effi ciency:www.longlife-world.eu

URB.ENERGY – Integrated Urban Development Concepts:www.urbenergy.eu

Spatial Planning Strategies to Adapt to Climate Change

BALLAST WATER OPPORTUNITY – Managing Ballast Water:www.northseaballast.eu

BALTSEAPLAN – Spatial Development on the Sea: www.baltseaplan.eu

CLISP – “Climate-Proof” Spatial Planning:www.clisp.eu

LABEL – Flood Risk in the Elbe River-Basin: www.label-eu.eu