JASPERS 9th Stakeholders’ meeting took place in Bratislava on 19th and 20th June 2017. The 115 participants from 17 countries constituted an engaging mix of people, working at local, regional, national and European levels.

The event was conceived as a platform for participants to network and exchange views.  For JASPERS, it was a good opportunity to get first-hand impressions for the experiences with JASPERS, needs and ideas of our counterparts.

This year, it was particularly important for us to stay tuned to the  evolving realities of our beneficiaries, as well as to the expectations of our partners, the European Commission and the EIB, all acting on a changing international scene. We are constantly adapting our services and products, to make sure they help meet these complex needs at once. This is currently being reflected in the negotiations for the next financial programming period 2020-2027.

The event was opened by Peter Pellegrini (Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia), Normunds Popens (Deputy General Director at the European Commission’ DG REGIO) and Vazil Hudak (EIB Vice-President).

Five interactive sessions covered the following topics:

  • Support to non-major projects and integration in the context of the Urban Agenda
  • Priority areas for JASPERS in the next 18-24 months
  • Models for ‘hands-on’ support to projects
  • Dissemination and communication f success stories
  • Potential expansion of post approval activities

The discussions were rich and open, both in and after the panel sessions, including breaks. Amongst the many points and possible solutions raised, one might identify the following:   

  • The level of satisfaction with JASPERS is high. Our tailored and hands-on interaction with our beneficiaries is particularly appreciated.

  • JASPERS provides a unique model of demand-led technical assistance that is free at the point of delivery, independent in its opinions and Pan-European in its approach. The availability of proper technical assistance for projects promoters is key to the Investment Plan for Europe.

  • There seems to be a tendency to move from a "project-centered approach" to a "beneficiary-centered approach". This means that that our counterparts acknowledge the benefits of our support not just in terms of quality of projects, but also in terms of knowledge transfer. 

 

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