The Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE) (german: Institut der Regionen Europas; IRE) is a
scientific institute located in
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
(
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
) and was founded on 21 December 2004 by Univ. Prof. Dr.
Franz Schausberger
Franz Schausberger (; born 5 February 1950) is an Austrian politician (ÖVP) and historian. From 24 April 1996 to 28 April 2004 he was Landeshauptmann (governor) of Salzburg.
Early life, education, and start in politics
Schausberger was born in S ...
, former
governour of the
Land Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) (also known as ''Salzburgerland'') is a state (''Land'') of the modern Republic of Austria. It is officially named ''Land Salzburg'' to distinguish it from its eponymous capital — the city of S ...
. The Institute is part of the Institute of European Regions (non-profit) private foundation, which was founded in autumn 2004.
Purpose
The main aim of the foundation was to create a supranational and non - partisan body, which in an enlarged Europe is dedicated to taking into account the increasing importance of regions, municipalities and enterprises. Also on the basis of the
Lisbon treaty
The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by the EU member sta ...
, the IRE is committed to reduce existing information deficits, to tackle problems and to try to exploit the various economic potentials of regional as well as trans-regional cooperation between the regions of Europe.
An important focus here is the creation of networks between regions, municipalities and other areas of public actions as well as their economics for the realization of their interests. This applies in particular to the new
EU member states
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
as well as to the
candidates for accession to the next recording session, or to those countries which are seeking this status.
With its priorities and initiatives, the IRE supports
decentralisation
Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding planning and decision making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group.
Conce ...
and
regionalisation
Regionalisation is the tendency to form decentralised regions.
Regionalisation or land classification can be observed in various disciplines:
*In agriculture, see Agricultural Land Classification.
*In biogeography, see Biogeography#Biogeogra ...
and provides expertise for strengthening respective processes. A small but competent team based in Salzburg offers consulting for many of these regions, municipalities, enterprises and institutions.
With its impartial and non-profit character the IRE wishes to minimize informational deficits and to foster the economic potentials in the European regions. Cross-border cooperation is upheld as a fundamental instrument for supporting social cohesion and sustainable economic development. As a supporter of the
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, economic integration, economic, political, legal, social integration, social, and cultural Regional integration, integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integrat ...
process the institute is obliged to the European principles of
democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...
,
tolerance,
international understanding and
subsidiarity
Subsidiarity is a principle of social organization that holds that social and political issues should be dealt with at the most immediate or local level that is consistent with their resolution. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defines subsidi ...
. The institute is financed by founders, membership fees and sponsoring. It has its seat in Salzburg, Austria and disposes of an administrative infrastructure in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
as well.
Members
Up to more than 130 member regions, municipalities, cities and towns as well as enterprises from 23 European countries have joined the IRE network. The members and supporters of the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE) are on the one hand regions, cities and municipalities of Europe and, on the other hand, important economic enterprises. Other members are partners of the Institute through the Association for the promotion of the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE).
Activities
On behalf of the Austrian
Presidency of the Council of the European Union
The presidency of the Council of the European Union is responsible for the functioning of the Council of the European Union, which is the co-legislator of the EU legislature alongside the European Parliament. It rotates among the member state ...
the IRE has started a series of
Café d’Europe on
Europe Day
Europe Day is a day celebrating "peace and unity in Europe" celebrated on 5 May by the Council of Europe and on 9 May by the European Union.
The first recognition of Europe Day was by the Council of Europe, introduced in 1964. The European Un ...
, 9 May 2006, in all EU-capitals. The main aim of these events was to use the relaxed atmosphere of a traditional coffee house, in order to discuss EU topics such as integration process and participation of civil society in decision making. Under the title "Café d'Europe Régional" the institute continued to organize this form of events in various European cities. Top-class referents from the areas of politics, diplomacy and economy as well as an interested audience are invited to discuss.
The annual ''Conference of European Regions and Cities'' will be organized on current topical issues for Europe's regions and cities with regard to future strategies and challenges for politics and businesses. Each year, this conference brings together about 300 political and economic representatives from different regions of Europe.
Moreover, Expert Conferences are continuously organised on specific topics of regional politics.
Research
Scientific research at the IRE focuses on regional and local election research, regionalization and decentralization in Europe, and regional and local history.
Published four times per year, the magazine "''Newsregion''" informs more than 2,000 decision makers in Europe about the activities of the IRE.
The IRE monograph series consists of research papers on the topics of regional and local election analysis, political systems, regional location development, EU regional policy and other areas focusing on regionalisation and decentralisation. A selection of papers as well as other publications is published annually in the ''"Yearbook of Regionalism"''.
Internship programme
To young people the IRE offers a possibility for an internship at the IRE office in Salzburg. Therefore, the IRE is in cooperation with various universities and institutes all over Europe. By now, over 200 students from all kind of academic fields and various European countries worked on a research paper on a topic related to European or regional policy. The results are published within the frame of the IRE monograph series.
Economic Board
* Hermann Anderl - Managing Director, Canon CEE GmbH
*
Wolfgang Anzengruber - Chairman of the Board, Verbund AG
* Stefan Dörfler - Chairman of the Board, Erste Bank der österreichischen Sparkassen AG
*
Peter Haubner - General Secretary, Österreichischer Wirtschaftsbund
* Andreas Hopf - Managing Director, Central Danube Region Marketing & Development
Johannes Hörl- Managing Director & Chairman of the Board, Großglockner Hochalpenstrasse
* Franz Hrachowitz - Managing Director, TRASYS Beteiligungs- und Management GmbH
* Đorđa Kojić - Chairman of the Executive Board, Brčko Gas d.o.o.
*
Klaus Mangold
Klaus is a German language, German, Dutch language, Dutch and Scandinavian given name and surname. It originated as a short form of Nikolaus, a German form of the Greek given name Nicholas.
Notable persons whose family name is Klaus
*Billy Klau ...
- Chairman, Mangold Consulting GmbH
*
Susanne Riess - Chairwoman of the Board, Bausparkasse Wüstenrot AG
* Veronika Seitweger - Auditor, Tax Advisor & Partner, TPA Steuerberatung GmbH
* Alois Steinbichler - Chairman of the Executive Board, Kommunalkredit Austria AG
*
Werner Steinecker - Chairman of the Board, Energie AG Oberösterreich
* Markus Strasser-Stöckl - CEO & General Manager, Network Quality Management GmbH
* Christian Struber - Managing Director, Salzburg Wohnbau GmbH
*
Josef Taus Josef may refer to
*Josef (given name)
*Josef (surname) Josef is the surname of the following people:
* Jens Josef (born 1967), German composer of classical music, a flutist and academic teacher
* Michelle Josef (born 1954), Canadian musician and tr ...
- Chairman of the Board, Management Trust Holding AG
* Zvjezdan Višt - Founder & Managing Director, Wischt d.o.o.
*
Kurt Weinberger - Chairman of the Board, Österreichische Hagelversicherung
*
Walter Zandanell - Managing Director & Chairman of the Board, Volksbank Salzburg
Board of Patrons
The activities of the IRE are in line with the idea of the "Europe of the Regions" on the basis of the principle of
subsidiarity
Subsidiarity is a principle of social organization that holds that social and political issues should be dealt with at the most immediate or local level that is consistent with their resolution. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defines subsidi ...
, which is one of the pillars of the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
. The members of the Board of Patrons support the objectives of the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE).
*
Benjamin R. Barber † - Political scientist, political theorist
*
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek (born 3 July 1940) is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament from Poland. He has served as Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001, since being elected to the European Parliament in 2004, he served as Pre ...
− Member of the European Parliament, former President of the EP and former Prime-Minister of Poland
*
Luis Durnwalder
Luis Durnwalder (born 23 September 1941) is an Italian politician, former governor of the autonomous province of South Tyrol from 1989 until 2014, and former president and vice-president of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, in Northern Italy.
Bio ...
− Former Governour of South Tyrol
*
Benita Ferrero-Waldner – EU-Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy (2004–2010)
*
Hubert von Goisern
Hubert von Goisern (born Hubert Achleitner, 17 November 1952) is an Austrian singer-songwriter and world musician. With his mix of rock music and elements of traditional Volksmusik he has become a prominent exponent of the so-called New Volksmus ...
– Songwriter and world musician
*
Johannes Hahn
Johannes Hahn (born 2 December 1957) is an Austrian politician who has served as European Commissioner for Budget and Administration under Ursula von der Leyen since 1 December 2019.
He previously served as European Commissioner for European Ne ...
– European Commissioner for Regional Policy
*
Ivo Josipović
Ivo Josipović (; born 28 August 1957) is a Croatian academic, jurist, and politician who served as President of Croatia from 2010 to 2015.
Josipović entered politics as a member of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ), and played a key ...
– President of Croatia
*
Jean-Claude Juncker
Jean-Claude Juncker (; born 9 December 1954) is a Luxembourgish politician who served as the 21st Prime Minister of Luxembourg from 1995 to 2013 and 12th President of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019. He also served as Finance Minister ...
– former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, President of the Euro Group (2005–2013) and
President of the European Union
The official title President of the European Union (or President of Europe) does not exist, but there are a number of presidents of European Union institutions, including:
* the President of the European Council (since 1 December 2019, Charle ...
*
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl (; 3 April 1930 – 16 June 2017) was a German politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1973 to 1998. Kohl's 16-year tenure is the longes ...
– Federal Chancellor, Germany (1982–1998)
*
Borut Pahor
Borut Pahor (; born 2 November 1963) is a Slovenian politician who served as President of Slovenia from 2012 to 2022. He previously served as Prime Minister of Slovenia from November 2008 to February 2012.
A longtime member and former presid ...
− President of Slovenia and former Prime Minister of Slovenia
*
Erwin Pröll
Erwin Pröll (born 24 December 1946, in Ziersdorf-Radlbrunn), is an Austrian conservative politician (ÖVP). From 1992 to 2017, he was the Governor of Lower Austria.
He was born in Radlbrunn, Lower Austria and after obtaining his Matura at ...
− Former Governour of Lower Austria
*
Viviane Reding
Viviane Adélaïde Reding (born 27 April 1951) is a Luxembourgish politician and a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Luxembourg. She is a member of the Christian Social People's Party, part of the European People's Party. She p ...
− Member of the European Parliament
*
Wolfgang Schüssel
Wolfgang Schüssel (; born 7 June 1945) is an Austrian People's Party politician. He was Chancellor of Austria for two consecutive terms from February 2000 to January 2007. While being recognised as a rare example of an active reformer in conte ...
– Federal Chancellor, Austria (2000–2007)
*
Karel Schwarzenberg
Prince Karel of Schwarzenberg (, born 10 December 1937) is a Czech politician, former leader of the TOP 09 party and was its candidate for president of the Czech Republic in the 2013 election. He served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies ( ...
– Minister of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic (2007–09 & 2010–13)
*
Edmund Stoiber
Edmund Rüdiger Stoiber (born 28 September 1941) is a German politician who served as the 16th Minister President of the States of Germany, state of Bavaria between 1993 and 2007 and chairman of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, Christian So ...
– Minister-president of the state of Bavaria (1993–2007)
*
Danilo Türk
Danilo Türk (; born 19 February 1952) is a Slovenian diplomat, professor of international law, human rights expert, and political figure who served as President of Slovenia from 2007 to 2012. He was the first Slovene ambassador to the United Nat ...
− Former President of Slovenia
*
Theo Waigel
Theodor Waigel (born 22 April 1939) is a German politician of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU). He represented Neu-Ulm in the Bundestag from 1976 to 2002.
Waigel is a lawyer, and earned a doctorate in 1967. He was a member of the Bu ...
– Federal Minister for Finance, Germany (1989–1998)
*
Kandeh Yumkella
Alhaji Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella (born July 5, 1959) is a Sierra Leonean agricultural economist, politician, and the former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy ...
− Agriculture Economist and former Director-General of UNIDO
*
Helmut Zilk
Helmut Zilk (9 June 1927, Vienna – 24 October 2008, Vienna) was an Austrian journalist and politician in the Austrian Social Democratic Party. He served as mayor of Vienna between 1984 and 1994.
Biography
Born in Vienna, Zilk was Mayor of ...
† – Mayor of Vienna (1984–1994)
References
External links
* http://www.institut-ire.eu/
{{authority control
Research institutes in Austria