17 November 2022
On 17 November 2022, Dr Sarah Meyer (Head of Project, REGIOPARL) was invited to present the European Regional Democracy Map to the members of the CIVEX Commission of the Committee of the Regions. Her input was commented by Johannes Greubel (European Policy Centre, EPC) who also drew attention to the Conference on the Future of Europe and its implications for Europe’s regions.
A recording of the session is available here.
Further information on the ERDM may be found here.
10/2022
“Mapping regional involvement in EU affairs” – REGIOPARL’s final conference in Krems
On 20 & 21 October 2022, REGIOPARL organized its final conference in Krems (Austria). Together with around 35 participants in Krems and 60 participants online, regional involvement in EU affairs was discussed from different perspectives during three academic panels, a practitioners roundtable and a methods workshop.
Please find further information on the program and the participants here.
The conference report is available here.
10/2022
Presentation of the ERDM at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2022
On Wednesday, 12 October 2022, the European Regional Democracy Map (ERDM) was presented at this year’s European Week of Regions and Cities during an online session on “The Quality of Regional Democracy and Its Impact on Territorial Cohesion in Europe” hosted by Arjan Schakel (University of Bergen). Speakers included: Dorothée Allain-Dupré (Head of Division for Regional Development and Multi-Level Governance, OECD), Lewis Dijkstra (Head of the Economic Analysis Sector, DG for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission), Sarah Meyer (Principle investigator REGIOPARL, Danube University Krems).
Find more information on the session here.
The website of the ERDM can be reached here.
05/2022
On 23. Mai 2022, the interactive art project Outer Space Transmitter by artist Mona Schulzek visited St. Pölten. With friendly support by the city museum of St. Pölten, between 12:00 and 18:00 pm, passers-by had the opportunity to send their answers to the question “What does it mean to be a citizen of the European Union?” in form of coded art images to outer space, and to enter a dialogue with the artist as well as the REGIOPARL team.
A view from local news reporting (in German)
Here, you find further information on the art project and this is the archive of the Outer Space Transmitter.
05/2022
REGIOPARL and the Outer Space Transmitter at Lange Nacht der Forschung in Krems
On 20 May 2022, this year’s Lange Nacht der Forschung took place at Danube University Krems. Against this backdrop, REGIOPARL presented its research at a designated station to visitors. In addition, on its journey through Europe’s regions, the art project Outer Space Transmitter has reached Austria and paid a visit to Krems as well, where it once again sent visitors’ messages on the European Union to outer space.
Here, you find the Outer Space Transmitter archive and further information on future destinations.
05/2022
On 8 May 2022, the interactive art project “Outer Space Transmitter” by artist Mona Schulzek is visiting Berlin! In front of the Zeiss-Grossplanetarium from 11 am onwards, interested by-passers can send their thoughts on Europe into space.
More info on the project may be found here.
From 5 pm – 6.30 pm, author and activist Nini Tsiklauri, Laura Neugebauer, Chair of the EU-Committee of the Berlin House of Deputies, Martin Kasperek, adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and EU youth representative at Deutscher Bundesjugendring, Sakiye Boukari, will discuss the role of Europe’s youth in the debate on the future of the EU during a panel discussion entitled: “The Future is Yours?! Europe’s Youth in the EU’s future debate”.
Programme (in German)
05/2022
***Call For Papers***
Mapping regional involvement in EU affairs
On 20/21 October 2022, REGIOPARL organises its concluding project conference at Danube University in Krems. Interested academics have the opportunity to hand in their paper abstracts until 10 May 2022.
Please find a comprehensive Call for Papers here.
Further information on the conference is provided here.
04/2022
The journey continues… On 25 April 2022, the art project Outer Space Transmitter visited Alicante (ES) and asked once again: What does it mean to be a citizen of the European Union?
Numerous pass-byers sent their replies towards outer space and engaged in lively discussions on the EU and its future with the artist Mona Schulzek and the REGIOPARL team. In attendance of local press representatives, several members of the city council (Consejal Municipal) visited the Outer Space Transmitter as well and participated in the conversations.
Next, the OST will be visiting Berlin on 8 May 2022.
From local news coverage (in Spanish):
01/2022
On January the 25th 2022, Sarah Meyer und Paul Kindermann followed the invitation of MEP Helmut Scholz and engaged in an exchange of opinions with Věra Jourová, vice-president of the European Commission, discussing citizens’ dialogues and citizens’ participation in the EU.
11/2021
On the 8th and 9th of November, REGIOPARL will be represented at EuroPCom’s Market Place as an exhibitor, showcasing the art project „Outer Space Transmitter”. EuroPCom is the key annual meeting for experts in the field of public communication, being jointly organized by the EU institutions. At the Market Place we would like to share some of our encounters with people in different European regions and our experience with the synergies of research and arts, as well as lessons learned from communicating Europe via an artistic dialogue. Find more information here.
Find more information here.
11/2021
On 02. November 2021, the digital event “Mapping Regional Democracy in Europe – a Science2Public Perspective” took place as a side event to the annual European European Week of Regions and Cities. REGIOPARL and its cooperation partner of the University of Bergen presented for the first time the web portal European Regional Democracy Map, which is currently still in development. Afterwards, the research team discussed with prominent members of the Committee of the Regions, Dr. Mark Speich ( Secretary of State of North Rhine-Westphalia) and Karl-Heinz Lambertz (President of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community).
Find more information about the event here.
10/2021
From 25. to 31. October the “Outer Space Transmitter” is exhibited in the framework of the Rundgangs der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. During this week visitors have the possibility to send their messages about Europe into outer space by visiting the art project’s website www.outerspacetransmitter.art. More information about the project and its journey so far are available here.
10/2021
On 15 October, the art project “Outer Space Transmitter” stopped in Krakow, Poland. Starting a dialogue about Europe through an artistic approach was very well received: Numerous people took the unique opportunity to send their messages about Europe from their region into outer space. Find more information here.
09/2021
In the course of the exhibition Science-Ex – timeless travels, REGIOPARL’s art project, the Outer Space Transmitter, was set up at the Kunsthaus Dortmund on 3 September.
Here you can find more information about the art project.
07/2021
On 12 July, the REGIOPARL project team visited the Donau-Gymnasium Kelheim in Lower Bavaria to discuss the future of the EU in a workshop with students.
Here you can find a report on the event.
07/2021
Journalist Peter Jamin met artist Mona Schulzek and the Outer Space Transmitter as part of the “Home Visits” campaign from 02 – 04 July 2021 in Düsseldorf. Read his column “Blind Date with a Transmitter” here.
06/2021
From June 18 to 20, the Outer Space Transmitter will be exhibited at the Kunsthafen in Cologne as part of the AIC ON 2021 art festival. Messages to space can be entered via the project’s website.
More information on the project can be found here.
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05/2021
On Thursday and Friday, 6 and 7 May, the University of Tübingen, under the direction of Professor Gabriele Abels, in cooperation with the REGIOPARL research project and the Arbeitskreis Europäische Integration e.V., organized the conference “From Takers to Shapers”, to which the project team contributed both with scientific contributions and with the presentation of its art project, the “Outer Space Transmitter”.
Here you will find video recordings of the first, second, and third session, the keynote lecture, and the presentation of the art project.
05/2021
On 10 May 2021, the REGIOPARL project team launched two waves of surveys of regional MPs in Spain and Poland. The MPs will be asked about their European policy attitudes and activities, among other things.
More information on REGIOPARL’s research agenda can be found here.
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04/2021
On Friday, 16 April, Sarah Meyer and Paul Kindermann from the REGIOPARL team have been invited to an exchange of views on the current draft report ‘Citizens’ dialogues and Citizens’ participation in the EU decision-making’, compiled by the AFCO committee of the European Parliament. REGIOPARL already contributed to the draft report with feedback and an extensive policy brief. In the exchange with the rapporteurs on Friday – MEP Helmut Scholz in the lead –, Sarah Meyer emphasised to bear in mind the complementary function of participatory tools at EU level and sketched conceptual clarifications and amendments for the report.
04/2021
On 13 April 2021, at the invitation of the European Committee of the Bremen Parliament, the REGIOPARL project team presented its work at a digital committee meeting, and exchanged views with members of parliament on the future of Europe from a regional perspective.
A press release on the event (in German) can be found here.
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03/2021
On request of MEP Helmut Scholz, REGIOPARL provided extensive feedback on a new draft report on ‘Citizens’ dialogues and Citizens’ participation in the EU decision-making’ (2020/2201(INI)). Issued by the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs, the report outlines demands and suggestions for a ‘permanent participatory mechanisms to allow for citizens’ participation in EU decision-making’.
Most recently, REGIOPARL also published a concise discussion paper on the general issue of participatory innovations in the context of EU policy making.
03/2021
On 5 and 6 May 2021, Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels (Institute of Political Science) organizes the conference ‘From Takers to Shapers? Challenges for Regions in a Dynamic EU Polity’ at the University of Tübingen in cooperation with REGIOPARL and the Arbeitskreis Europäische Integration (AEI). The REGIOPARL project team will participate with academic contributions as well as with a presentation of the art project Outer Space Transmiter.
02/2021
On 16 February, Dr Sarah Meyer was invited by the Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX) of the European Committee of the Regions to present the REGIOPARL project and to discuss the perspective of regional MPs on EU policies.
Here you can find a report of the event by the CIVEX Commission.
12/2020
In December 2020, Paul Kindermann, Dr Sarah Meyer and Mario Wolf published the policy brief ‘Innovative participatory instruments for the EU’ in the Discussion Paper Series of the Department for European Policy and Democracy Studies at Danube University Krems.
11/2020
Dr Sarah Meyer and Paul Kindermann contributed with their article “Democratisation Strategies in the Debate on the Future of the EU: Perspectives of Regional MPs” to the publication “Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights and Solidarity in Austria and in Europe“, edited by Peter Hilpold, Andreas Raffeiner, Walter Steinmair (2021).
12/2020
On 12 November 2020, the digital event “European Citizens between Region, Nation and Europe. Perspectives from Science, Art and Politics” the kick-off for the art installation Outer Space Transmitter by the artist and amateur radio operator Mona Schulzek took place.
Here you can find further information and a press release on the event. Click here for the website of the art project.
10/2020
In addition to the exchange between science and politics, REGIOPARL also attaches great importance to the dialogue about Europe with the population. In the call for entries for an art contribution launched for this purpose, which was to accompany REGIOPARL through Europe’s regions, artists participated with a total of 61 submissions. After an elaborate selection process, the installation Outer Space Transmitter by the artist Mona Schulzek was chosen.
You can find the website of the project here.
03/2020
On 28 and 29 May 2020, the digital conference “Parliamentary Voices on the Future of Europe” was held as part of the REGIOPARL research project.
Here you can find a short summary, the conference report and further information on the programme and the participants on the conference website.
03/2020
On 2 March 2020, REGIOPARL was a guest in the Parliament of the German-speaking Community of Belgium. In a well-attended four-hour workshop, we discussed the future of Europe with MEPs.
Here you can find a report on the event and a press release.
12/2019
On 17 December, the Regioparl research team held its last workshop for 2019 at the Regional Parliament of Andalusia in Seville. In cooperation with Mario Kölling from the Foundation Manuel Giménez Abad for Parliamentary Studies and the Spanish State of Autonomies, the team had an exciting discussion with MEPs from all political groups on the role of regional parliaments in the EU.
Here you can find a short press release in English or Spanish.
12/2019
On 2 December, REGIOPARL’s research team was hosted by the Regional Parliament of Galicia in Santiago de Compostela. In cooperation with the University of Santiago de Compostela, we had an interesting discussion on the future of Europe and the role of the regions in the EU.
11/2019
On 5 November 2019, the REGIOPARL research team visited the Bavarian Parliament to discuss the future development of the EU with MEPs from a regional perspective. The expert discussion with MEPs from the European Affairs Committee is part of the REGIOPARL series of events on the future of Europe, which the REGIOPARL project team is holding in numerous regional parliaments across Europe.
The full press release can be found here.
10/2019
This year’s European Week of Regions and Cities took place in Brussels from 7-10 October 2019. The REGIOPARL project team was present and discussed the future development of municipalities and regions in different parts of Europe together with local and regional actors from all over the EU.
10/2019
On 16 October, Karl Heinz Lambertz, President of the European Committee of the Regions, and Ulrike Guérot, professor at Danube University Krems, author and founder of the European Democracy Lab in Berlin, discussed the current challenges and the new strategic objectives of the EU institutions for the period 2019-2024 from a regional perspective.
For more information, click here.
10/2019
What does the future of EUropa look like? At a workshop in cooperation with the Rhein Ruhr Bildungsgemeinschaft, the REGIOPARL project team discussed ideas on the institutional architecture, the distribution of competences and the spatial order in a future EUropa.
A report on the event can be found here.
09/2019
Strengthening the social dimension of the European Union is a key part of the EU’s future policy agenda. This is why the Committee of the Regions (CoR) launched its first European Regional Social Scoreboard in September, with the aim of better tracking progress towards a more inclusive and fair European Union and comparing the development of social rights in EU regions.
The full document can be found here.
09/2019
With the document “From local to European: Putting citizens at the centre of the EU agenda”, published in September, the Committee of the Regions brought together the results of a wide range of seminars and provides an insight into the perspective of regional politicians, experts and academics.
Click here for more information.
08/2019
On 22 August, the Sønderjylland-Schleswig region, REGIOPARL and the European Democracy Lab organised a discussion on the future of regions in Europe and the role of European border regions as a “laboratory” for a decentralised, citizen-oriented Europe in the auditorium of the Hans Christiansen House in Flensburg.
Further information can be found here.
06/2019
On Tuesday 11 June, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) published a document on the future of regions and cities in the European Union (EU). Based on the principle of subsidiarity, the document outlines three main guiding proposals: implementing active subsidiarity, improving multi-level governance and establishing a permanent dialogue between the EU and European citizens.
The full document can be found here.
05/2019
On 22 and 23 May, our project colleague Martín Rodríguez Alberdi participated in the “Reclaim Europe” conference organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Covilhã, Portugal. The conference focused on the current and future interaction between the regions and the European institutions.
A report on the two-day conference can be found here.
05/2019
The third edition of the series “Making Europe Different” took place at the Berlin Ensemble on 21 May 2019. The event, entitled “Organising Solidarity” and moderated by Marie Rosenkranz from the REGIOPARL project team, continued the discussions of the first two events with Ulrike Guérot, Fabio De Masi, Heinz Bude and Svenja Flaßpöhler.
A report can be found here.
04/2019
On 29 April, project leader Dr Sarah Meyer discussed the role of regions in the European legislative process at the expert council meeting of the “Network European Studies for North Rhine-Westphalia” (NEW:NRW).
More information about the network can be found here.
03/2019
On 28 March 2019, the first intervention in the framework of REGIOPARL took place in St. Pölten, Lower Austria. Members of the Lower Austrian Parliament met in a workshop to develop scenarios for an EUropa of the future together with the project team. Special attention was paid to the role of regions and regional parliaments.
Here you can find a review of the event. You can also find further coverage here.
03/2019
At the F(EU)TURE FESTIVAL organised by the European Democracy Lab on 15 March 2019, Saskia Sassen and Julien Deroin discussed the role of cities and regions in Europe and the world.
A report is available here.
01/2019
On 23 and 24 January 2019, our scientific kick-off conference took place at Danube University Krems! Under the title “Redefining Regions in Europe”, we addressed various aspects of regional governance in Europe.
You can find a conference report here. A video of the first day of the conference is available here.
01/2019
Julien Deroin gave the keynote speech at the international symposium “RÄUMLICHE REFLEXION / REFLEXIVE RÄUME” on 19 January 2019. Along the question “Europe of the regions or Europe of the metropolises?” he put possible models of order in the EU up for discussion.
You can find more information here.
10/2018
On 6 October, our project collaborator Julien Deroin spoke at a conference near Saint-Malo on the topic of “European regional politics between solidarity and subsidiarity”.
You can find more information here.
10/2018
The annual European Week of Regions and Cities took place in Brussels from 8-11 October. In various formats, the most urgent issues of regional and urban policy-making were discussed, challenges and potentials were identified, and best practices were shared.
The programme can be viewed here.
09/2018
REGIOPARL project member Bastian Kenn was invited to write a guest article for the Euregio Mass-Rhine Education Handbook. In it, the author argues for more cross-border cooperation, especially in education and language policy, to further reduce barriers for citizens.
The handbook is available for download here.
06/2018
In June, Moritz Neujeffski started his dissertation “Social Movements, Populist Parties and Regional Inequalities” at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB). His work is part of the project and examines the tension between austerity policies, regional inequalities and redistribution mechanisms from a comparative perspective.
Moritz will report regularly on his project on our blog.
04/2018
Together with the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Jean Monnet Competence Centre PRRIDE at the University of Tübingen, the REGIOPARL team organised a conference on the future of the EU and the role of the regions.
The conference proceedings can be accessed here.
The project Regional Parliaments Lab (REGIOPARL) is part of the larger cluster democracy.research, which is conducted in cooperation with Forum Morgen. In addition to REGIOPARL, with its explicit focus on European politics, the Austrian Democracy Lab (ADL) is intensively concerned with the current state of Austrian democracy and will regularly publish new data on citizens’ perceptions, ideas and opinions in Austria.
