Partnership
Since numerous
years, the Province of Reggio Emilia has developed its
international relations towards various European countries. In particular,
it has signed twinning agreements with the Spanish Province of
Albacete and the German Province of Enzkreis. Moreover,
both the Province of Reggio Emilia and the Regionforbundet Ostsam
(and the municipalities of Motala and Soderkoping) are member
of SERN and within this network they have decided to cooperate on the
matter of innovation and local development.
REGGIO EMILIA PROVINCE
The Province
of Reggio Emilia covers a 2,292 Km2 area (equal to 10.4% of the Emilia
Romagna region), of which approx. 45% consists in floodplain, 20% hills
and the remaining 35% consists in mountains.
According to estimates processed by a specialised organisation, during
2004, the added value produced in the province of Reggio Emilia totalled
12,259.8 million Euros, equal to an average income per inhabitant of 24.5
thousand Euros. This figure means Reggio Emilia ranks as the 14th Italian
province, with a pro-capita income 18% above the national average income.
A fundamental characteristic of the local economy is that Reggio Emilia
is a typically industrial province with a widespread and deeply rooted
entrepreneurial tradition.
There are no large industrial giants in the area; this is the realm of
small and medium sized enterprises. Similarly to the rest of the Emilia-Romagna
region, the industrial organisation of the province is characterised for
the presence of so-called “industrial districts”, that is a high concentration
of companies belonging to the same production sector within a limited
area.
The co-operative phenomenon is also worth mentioning, which plays an
important role in Reggio Emilia from a historic-cultural point of view
and from a purely economic point of view.
There are over 1,000 active co-operatives in the province, operating in
the most varied sectors and which overall employ more than 15,000 employees.
The current wealth in the Province of Reggio Emilia is based on tradition and work commitment by all of its inhabitants. Although Reggio Emilia represents one of the main centres for Italian economy (industry and services sectors), its inhabitants have kept alive the spirit their own oldest traditions.
The Province is the Local Authority between the Municipalities in its
own territory and the Region, and it takes care of the interests and needs
of the population. The objective that the Province targets is a balanced
social, cultural, economic and environmental development.
The Province plays its administrative functions in the following fields:
a) land safeguard, environment protection and enhancement, calamity prevention;
b) protection and enhancement of energy and water resources;
c) promotion of the cultural and artistic heritage;
d) transport and roads;
e) protection of flora and fauna, parks, natural reserves;
f) hunting and fishing;
g) waste disposal management at the provincial level, water discharge,
gas emissions and noise production monitoring and control;
h) health and public hygiene services devolved by the national and regional
legislation;
i) secondary school, artistic institutes, vocational training competences,
devolved by the national and regional legislation;
j) data collection and processing, technical and administrative assistance
to the local authorities;
k) promotion and co-ordination, in cooperation with the Municipalities
and based on specific programmes, of activities concerning economic, trade,
tourist, social, cultural and sports areas.
REGIONFORBUNDET ÖSTSAM
Östsam Regional Development
Council's mission is to enhance the regional development in Östergötland.
The mutual overall targets are:
•Long-term sustainable growth and development
•Region in balance
•Good living conditions for the inhabitants
The main areas of activity are:
•Arts & Culture
•Business Development
•Communications
•Lifelong Learning and Employability
The region's thirteen municipalities and the County Council formed Östsam
Regional Development Council in 2003. The political administration is
representative of the region's municipalities and the County Council
ENZKREIS
Enzkreis is locate in Baden Wuttemberg in the area surroinding Pforzheim.
The provincial Administration, the Landratsamt, fulfils a double function:
Community administration and governmental administration.
The main duty of the community administration is supporting local district
authorities in the execution of their tasks. This means independent management
of public duties and responsibilities beyond the scope of local district
authorities, e.g. refuse disposal, vocational and special schools, social
and youth support, district roadwork, local development and public transport.
The governmental area takes care of legislative responsibilities, e.g.
foreign worker affairs, construction planning approval, health service,
business and catering trade, judicial competence for local authorities,
traffic regulation and channelling, driving licence administration, motor
vehicle licensing, environmental and nature protection. The Landratsamt
(youth department) takes care of exchange among and training for the pedagogical
staff in the pre-schools (“Kindergartens”) in the Enzkreis.
DIPUTACION ALBACETE
Albacete is a
province of central Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community
of Castile-La Mancha. It is bordered by the provinces of Granada, Murcia,
Alicante, Valencia, Cuenca, Ciudad Real and Jaén.
Albacete has a population of 387,658 (2006). Its capital is Albacete. Other important towns (with more than 10,000 inhabitants) are: Hellín, Almansa, Villarrobledo, La Roda and Caudete.
The etymological meaning of Albacete, “Al- Basit”, which means a plain, gives us a clue to the characteristics of its landscape, so magnificently described in the pages of Don Quijote and so typical of the centre of Spain.
The pre-roman artefacts conserved in Albacete’s outstanding provincial archaeological museum also demonstrate the historical importance of the territory from even before the arrival of the Arabs.
The city of Albacete is in a strategic position on the roads between
Madrid and the Levantino coast along with its agricultural wealth were,
from its earliest times, determining factors in the city’s growth. Albacete
is also distinctive owing to its commercial character that was greatly
encouraged in the eighteenth century by Felipe V’s concession to the city
of Spain’s most important annual cattle fair. This fair, which is still
takes place today from the 7th to the 17th of September, has become one
of the most important commercial and leisure fairs in Spain.
Further modernization and expansion began in 1833, when the city became
the capital of the province and it has not stopped since.
These days Albacete is a modern city with the infrastructures to match. Not only is it a communication axis, with motorways to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante and Murcia. It is, at the same time, also proud to be able to fuse the virtues of a city that can offer a high quality of life, an aspect which is greatly desired but extremely difficult to find in large cities these days; an agreeable Mediterranean climate with a continental touch (average annual temperature 14.4ºc, average temperature during the warmest month of summer 24.4ºc); a large number of green zones; the possibility of going on fascinating excursions along outstanding routes such as those which cross the Mancha plains; and an ample supply of cultural and leisure activities, which are but a few of attractions and advantages that can be enjoyed in this city in permanent evolution.
Albacete is growing at an accelerated rate, not only economically but also in size and population. At the same time, however, it has been able to maintain a highly enviable accessibility and a high quality of life.
Albacete’s economy stretches from a long history of commerce, crafts
and industry.
Like the wines and cheeses from La Mancha, cutlery from Albacete enjoys
worldwide prestige and recognition too. Far from slowing down, Albacete’s
industry has been incorporating new sectors, whilst still consolidating
its traditions, so that at the moment it welcomes modern distribution,
logistic, aluminium extrusion, automobile parts production and robotic
products manufacturing companies and industries. Albacete has also attracted
new aeronautical sector companies that will provide a strong impulse to
the economy of the city in the future. Albacete’s geographical position
has contributed, without a doubt, to these successes.