Verbund regionen.NRW in dialogue with members of the Bundestag from NRW in Berlin: A strong voice for cohesion policy and regional development
The regionen.NRW association, an alliance of nine regional development organisations in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier, met with around 20 members of the Bundestag from NRW in Berlin on 25 June for a political exchange. The aim was to make key regional policy issues visible and introduce them into the political discourse. The focus was on topics such as the organisation of the future EU cohesion policy, the reform of the joint task "Improvement of the regional economic structure" (GRW) and the current funding strategies for infrastructure development in structurally diverse regions.
Münsterland e.V. was also represented as a member of the association. "Direct dialogue with political decision-makers is crucial in order to represent the interests of the Münsterland and the regions and to ensure sustainable framework conditions for innovation, competitiveness and services of general interest," said Andreas Grotendorst, CEO of Münsterland e.V.
After a brief presentation of the association, an intensive expert discussion took place. The aim was to introduce concrete impulses from regional practice into ongoing political reform processes at federal and EU level. Among other things, the representatives of the network argued in favour of comprehensive eligibility for funding for all regions and consistent implementation of the partnership principle.
Anne König, Member of the Bundestag from Borken, expressed her thanks for the practical perspective: "Strong regions are the backbone of a sustainable Federal Republic. The exchange with the regionen.NRW association shows how important close cooperation between politics and regional stakeholders is for strengthening mutual understanding and for developing funding policy in a practical and customised manner and ensuring sustainable development prospects in all parts of the country."
In the evening, the association also presented itself as part of the NRW summer festival of the state representation with its own stand with regional specialities. Around 1500 guests from politics, business, science and the media took part in the event. Minister President Hendrik Wüst officially opened the party and emphasised the importance of such informal evenings in his speech. The event provided space for new contacts, political discussions and an exchange of views on key issues for the future.
The joint appearance of the regions in the regionen.NRW association emphasises the goal of positioning themselves together vis-à-vis the state, federal government and EU and making the strengths of the regions visible in a bundled form. The association has existed since 2013 and brings together the following partners: Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier and the nine regional management organisations Region Aachen - Zweckverband, Bergische Struktur- und Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH, Regionalmanagement Düsseldorf/Kreis Mettmann, Region Köln/Bonn e.V., Münsterland e.V., Standort Niederrhein GmbH, OstWestfalenLippe GmbH, Regionalverband Ruhr and Südwestfalen Agentur GmbH.
