The Role of Government
Civil Society and Economic Stakeholders.

Discussion Paper
November 1 and 2, 2007

Palace of the Patriarch, Bucharest, Romania

Background

Urban regeneration is the revitalisation of urban areas in a cooperative effort by municipalities, homeowners and other stakeholders. Its aim is to improve the living conditions, increase the environmental and social quality, and strengthen the local economy. In Romania, urban regeneration will be one of the biggest challenges for the coming decades. Urban regeneration will be impossible without the involvement of homeowners and their organisations, and other stakeholders in civil society and in the local economy, particularly financiers and project developers.

Objectives of the seminar

• Raise awareness among stakeholders in Romania on urban regeneration.
• Provide a forum for the exchange of experience between the Netherlands and other countries.
• Address the different barriers to the process of urban regeneration.

Participants

• Romanian central and local government
• Romanian and international civil society
• Project developers and construction companies.
• National and international financing institutions
• Dutch government and social housing organisations
• Platforms of homeowners organisations

PROGRAMME

WEDNESDAY 31 OCTOBER 2007
Afternoon
Meeting Cecodhas Working Group Eastern Europe 15.00 – 17.00.
Hotel Capitol
Evening
Informal gathering speakers and participants

THURSDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2007
Venue Palace of the Patriarch

8.30-9.15 Seminar registration and coffee

9.15 - 10.00 OPENING ADDRESSES

His Excellency Laszlo Borbely - Minister of Development, Public Works and Housing of Romania
His Excellency Jaap L.Werner, Ambassador of the Netherlands in Romania
Mr. Hubert van Eyk, Manager International Housing Unit, Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment. Vice-President of the Committee on Housing and Land Management of the UN Economic Commission for Europe
Representative of the Romanian Presidency (invited)
Representative of the Romanian Ministry of the Interior and Administrative Reform (invited)
Representative of the Patriarchy (invited)

10.00 – 13.00 PLENARY SESSION

Conference Chair: Jan van der Moolen. Chairman of the Habitat Platform for Central and Eastern Europe

10.00-11.00 1st plenary session “What is at Stake?”

1. The Story of Urban Regeneration in the Netherlands Jan Hauwert, Member of the Board of Woonbron, Dutch social housing company
2. The story of Urban Regeneration in Romania Speaker: Vera Marin. University of Architecture, Bucharest

11.00-11.30 Press conference

11.00-11.30 Coffee break

11.30-13.00 Continuation 1st plenary session “What is at Stake?”

3. The needs of homeowners in the Romanian cities
Speaker: Mihai Mereuta, President of the HABITAT League of Homeowners’ Associations in Romania
4. Financing Urban Regeneration
Speaker: Wolfgang Amann, IIBW Institute for Real Estate Construction and Housing Ltd. Vienna
5. European Housing and Regional Policy – Delivering Regeneration
Speaker: Ms Flo Clucas, Rapporteur for Housing and Regional Policy of the Committee of the Regions, and Executive Member for Economic Development and Europe for Liverpool City Council

13.00-14.30 Lunch

14.30 – 16.30 WORKING GROUP SESSIONS

19.00-21.00 Dinner

FRIDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2007
9.00-9.30 Coffee

9.30 – 11.00 WORKING GROUP SESSIONS

9.30-11.00 2nd parallel working group sessions (continuation of day 1) During the 2nd working group session draft conclusions and recommendations to be included in the seminar communiqué will be discussed and agreed upon.

11.00-11.30 Coffee break

11.30 – 13.00 PLENARY SESSION

“Lessons Learned: How to start the Urban Regeneration Process in Romania” Part 1 Chair: Mr. Jan van der Moolen. Chairman of Habitat Platform for Central and Eastern Europe

11.30-12.30 Reporting on Lessons Learned from the working groups

- Chair WG 1 Financing
- Chair WG 2 Involving the Stakeholders
- Chair WG 3 Legal Framework for Urban Regeneration

12.30-13.00 Discussion

13.00-14.30 Lunch break

14.30 – 16.15 FINAL PLENARY SESSION

“Lessons Learned: Starting the Process for Urban Regeneration in Romania”. Part 2

14.30-15.30 Panel discussion

Introduction to the panel discussion: Jan van der Moolen, Chairman of the Habitat Platform for Central and Eastern Europe
Panel members:
- Chairs of the three working groups
- Mr Henk Rieff, Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment of the Netherlands (confirmed)
- Representative Minister of Development, Public Works and Housing of Romania
- Mihai Mereuta President HAL-Habitat,
- Jan Hauwert, Member of the Board, Woonbron

15.30-16.15 Presentation and discussion of the draft seminar communique

A discussion paper will be distributed to the participants before the seminar. This will be the basis for the seminar communiqué.

16.15 Closure of the seminar

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Partners:

 

EN OOST-EUROPA (MATRA) VAN HET MINISTERIE VAN BUTENLANDSE ZAKEN. (KORT: MATRA PROGRAMMA, MINISTERIE VAN BUITENLANDSE ZAKEN). THIS PROJECT IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY THE SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRMME CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE (MATRA) OF THE NETHERLANDS MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. (IN SHORT: MATRA PROGRAMME, NETHERLANDS MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS).

Conference with international guests: “Homeowner’s Association Management” – present and perspectives

The Homeowner’s League– HABITAT organizes on 9th of June 2007, at Poiana Brasov – Alpin Hotel, a conference with international guests: “Homeowner’s Association Management”-present and perspectives.

This project has been kindly supported by the Matra Programme of the Netherlands Government.