As regions across Europe fight it out over access to EU regional aid, moves are gathering pace to encourage Europe's regions to co-operate more widely on regional and land-use planning.
Last month in Glasgow, planning ministers from the 15 EU countries moved a step closer to agreeing a regional policy framework for the EU. Final agreement on the strategy, known as the "European Spatial Development Perspective", is planned for next May under the German Presidency of the EU.
Although non-binding, the strategy will encourage towns and cities across Europe to co-operate with one another in tackling common issues such as urban sprawl, transport congestion and water supply. A network of regional planning research institutes to carry out further studies is also planned.
At its July meeting in Brussels, the European Parliament endorsed the new regional planning framework and its fundamental objectives of social cohesion, sustainable development and competitiveness.
MEPs, however, expressed concern about undue concentration on urban aspects of regional development to the detriment of rural and other peripheral areas, including island and coastal communities. In addition, Parliament advocated greater involvement for local and regional authorities in view of the important role they will have to play in implementing the new regional strategy for Europe.