ESPON offers substantial territorial evidence on a large number of relevant themes as well as useful tools supporting the necessary analyses positioning the programme area in the European context, its potentials and challenges. Managing Authorities are invited to make use of the available ESPON research results, analyses, data, indicators and tailor made tools that fits the ideas and visions for their Operational Programme for 2014-2020.
Objectives:
Four strategic avenues will guide the implementation of the ESPON 2013 Programme in 2014:
(1) Emphasising capitalisation and communication activities and wide-spread use of ESPON territorial evidence based on all results achieved with the ESPON 2013 Programme, with particular promotion of new evidence becoming available during 2014.
(2) Improving the ESPON toolbox through a wide-range of actions on different issues that together contributes to a consistent and inter-related set of tools for territorial analyses based on ESPON results.
(3) Guaranteeing high quality, solid and useful outputs from active projects, supported by clear executive summaries and applications that can make ESPON even more useful as provider of territorial evidence and tools.
(4) Continuing efforts ensuring sound financial management with finding-free audits and quality checks and preparing for the winding up of the 2013 Programme.
Implementation:
The Work Programme 2014 includes the actions envisaged in 2014 being the final year of implementation of the ESPON 2013 Programme in relation to content. In 2015 onlythe financial closure of projects and services is foreseen. The planning andimplementation of activities under the 5 Programme Priorities that were started in 2008 has progressed according to plan. In this policy context, the ESPON 2013 Programme is expected in 2014 to further strengthen the outreach and knowledge transfer by having a strong focus on capitalisation. A reputation for delivering solid and innovative, interesting and useful results is expected to be taken a step forward.