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Dates and Place: October 23-24, 2024, Brussels
SAVE THE DATE!
Join us for an exciting opportunity to discuss key findings and lessons learned from SMARTA-NET, and to co-design the future vision of rural mobility in Europe!
The Final Conference aims to highlight the diversity of rural contexts and explore how mobility and tourism solutions can be developed and implemented according to specific local conditions. It will showcase the outcomes of various tasks, including typology, guidance, training activities, and evaluation analysis. It will also discuss urban and rural linkages and the SMARTA-NET recommendations to enhance SUMPs with rural considerations.
The event primarily targets ERMN members, including rural municipalities and “multipliers” organizations such as regions, counties, and Leader Action Groups. ERMN members will receive personalized invitations.
If you would like to join this in-person event, you can express your interest by filling out this form:
For this event a high participation is expected from different kind of stakeholders – including European, national, regional and local authorities, and private associations and organisations – due to the various themes that will be analysed during the Conference . For this reason, early application in is recommended through the link mentioned above, to ensure your participation at the event due to limited availability of seats. The Expression of Interest form will remain open until Friday 6th September.
All selected participants will receive a confirmation email, so please do not make any travel or accommodation arrangements until your participation is confirmed. Travel and accommodation support will be offered to a limited number of participants who need assistance, mainly local authorities and organizations belonging to the ERMN.
When: 23rd and 24th with a welcome drink on the 22nd
Where: Brussels, Belgium
Venue:
Getting to Brussels & Welcome Drink
19:00
Welcome Drink at Brasserie Le Roy d’Espagne, Grand Place 1, 1000 Brussels.
Navigating through SMARTA-NET Findings
Venue: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Rue des Tanneurs 58-62 1000 Brussels
08:30 – 09:00
Welcome and registration
09:00 – 10:15
Morning plenary – What the ERMN members gets from SMARTA-NET
General introduction about SMARTA-NET project and achievements
Brendan Finn, MemEx
SMARTA-NET resources and guide to the updated website
Edina Ockso, E40
SMARTA-NET training, available materials and upcoming module
Tiago Pina, TIS
Validating SMARTA-NET Outcomes:
Sharing experiences from Lighthouse Sites
Bente Grimm, NIT
10:15 – 10:50
10:50 – 13:15
World Cafè session
5 tables in World Café style
Findings from the tables
Tables rapporteurs
13:15 – 14:00
Lunch break
14:00 – 15:30
Parallel Workshops (provisional themes)
15:30 – 15:50
Coffee Break
15:50 – 17:45
Afternoon plenary- Reaching Conclusions
Findings from the workshops
Panel session: Driving Change: Policy Actions for sustainable, inclusive, and low-carbon Rural Mobility
Future of the ERMN
MemEx
Final Conference Day 2: Key messages, logistics information
Brendan Finn, MemEx
17:45
Conclusion of Day 1
19:30
Dinner
Building recommendations for Rural mobility 2.0
Venue: Berlaymont – Robert Schuman Room – Rue de la Loi, 200, 1049, Brussels
09:00 – 09:30
Welcome and registration
09:30 – 10:00
Welcome note
Brendan Finn, MemEx
Keynote address from DG-MOVE
Eddy Liégeois, Acting Director, investment, innovative and sustainable transport, DG MOVE
SMARTA-NET key achievements, including European Rural Mobility Network (ERMN) events, Guidance, and trainings
Andrea Lorenzini, MemEx
What key messages did rural municipalities of the ERMN agree yesterday?
Edina Ocsko, E40
10:00 – 11:15
First Thematic session: Urban-Rural Linkages
Rural Access Challenges and Framework of Solutions – Good Practice and Catalogue of Solutions
Elena Bargagna, MemEx
Solutions within the public transport framework – Case of Alentejo, Portugal
Alexandra Correia, Alentejo Region, Portugal
Solution based on community and volunteering – Case of Kusel District, Germany
Karl-Heinz Schoon, Kusel District, Germany
Moderated Q&A
Incorporating rural aspects within Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs)
André Freitas, TIS
An inspiring practice of Functional Urban-Rural transport planning
Neri di Volo / Alberto González Sánchez, JASPERS – EIB
Moderated Q&A
Accessibility issues in rural areas, public transport deficits and transport poverty, what it is, the need to baseline (and measure) it and how it could influence policy choices.
Moderator: Edina Ocsko, E40
Panelists
11:15 – 11:45
Coffee Break
11:45 – 12:30
Second Thematic session: Advancing Rural Mobiity
Enhancing mobility in support of rural tourism, with particular reference to “tourism without my car”
Bente Grimm, NIT
Offering tourists mobility without the car – case from Greece
Vasilis Myriokefalitakis, Rethymno, Greece
Greenways and support to cycling tourism – case of Vidzeme Region, Latvia
Raitis Sijats, Latvia Greenways Association
Moderated Q&A
Overview and profile of the ERMN – purpose, activities, participants, training, concepts for future
Andrea Lorenzini, MemEx
Discussion on possible way forward with ERMN members
Carmelo Rivero, Barcelona Provincial Council, Spain
Karl-Heinz Schoon, Kusel District, Germany
Adéla Pixová, MAS Sdružení Růže, Czechia
Moderated contributions from floor and online audience
12:30 – 13:00
Closing session: Towards rural mobility 2.0
(Policy) Recommendations from the SMARTA-NET Evaluation
Geert Koops, Panteia
Key messages from SMARTA-NET about goals, scale, funding, etc.
Brendan Finn, MemEx
Conclusions and closing: A couple of take aways
Isabelle Vandoorne, Deputy Head of Unit Innovation and research, DG MOVE
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch at venue
14:00+
Participants depart for home/onward travel
