Migration plays a key role for population growth in European regions

ESPON has recently published the first issue of “Territorial Observation”. This publication provides concise information on important new evidence related to dynamics of population development and migration in Europe and its regions. These dynamics have an influence on territorial cohesion and regional competitiveness.

European demographic development is showing a number of positive trends which can contribute to a positive regional economic development. However, the territorial pattern is not favourable for all parts of Europe and all types of regions.

Peter Mehlbye, Director of the ESPON Coordination Unit, explains that the intention is to provide policy makers engaged with regional competitiveness and territorial cohesion with comparable evidence for their further policy process.

The ESPON Territorial Observation concludes with a summary of 13 key points, among them are:

Regions with growing population both due to the positive natural and migratory balance expanded considerably from 1996-1999 to 2001-2005.

Regions facing depopulation are in decrease. The main challenge of depopulation seems to concentrate in regions in the Eastern and Northern parts of Europe.

Migration plays a key role for population growth in Europe and has counterbalanced the impact of a negative natural population development in many regions.

A trend of East-West polarisation of the pattern of demographic development is visible in 2001-2005, mostly due to negative migration balance in Eastern Europe.

The ESPON Territorial Observation No.1 on dynamics of population development and migration in Europe and its regions, including 8 new European maps are available at the ESPON website www.espon.eu.

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The ESPON 2013 Programme is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, the EU Member States and the Partner States Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

It shall support policy development in relation to the aim of territorial cohesion and a harmonious development of the European territory. ESPON shall support Cohesion Policy development with European wide, comparable information, evidence, analyses and scenarios on framework conditions for the development of regions, cities and larger territories. In doing so, it shall facilitate the mobilisation of territorial capital and development opportunities, contributing to improving European competitiveness, to the widening and deepening of European territorial cooperation and to a sustainable and balanced development.

The Managing Authority responsible for the ESPON 2013 Programme is the Ministry of the Interior and for Spatial Development of Luxembourg. More information: www.espon.eu