CREATIVE REGIONS
The renewed Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs in the EU is based on the notion that Europe’s potential for future economic development is directly linked to its ability to create and promote high-value, innovative and research-based economic sectors. 

The Creative Sector (CS) contributed to 2.6% of EU GDP in 2003, whereas in the same year food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing sector accounted for 1.9% to EU GDP. The Creative Sector has therefore a proven high potential to support the Lisbon objectives of the EU. This potential is not sufficiently taken into consideration in the EU Structural Funds programmes (2007-2013) in many European regions. Especially rural regions and regional urban centres are concerned. 

For this reason, CREA.RE was originated to combine (1) a better part of regions having faced such problems when starting to integrate CS into the EU Regional programmes with (2) several very advanced partners who agree to share their experience – but each partner
providing specific added value for CREA.RE.

Within CREA.RE (a) the know-how, (b) good practice and (c) policy experience in the field of creative economy will be exchanged aiming at enhancing the effectiveness of each partner’s – current & future - EU Regional programmes. All results shall be accessible – by interregional dissemination activities – also outside the partnership.

(a) Most important therefore are activity plans: In not yet having a final strategy, the EU Regional programmes (2007-2013) of all partners shall be examined to prove concrete Creative Sector projects being yet feasible. While working on those aims, all partners will be accompanied by interregional workshops. There will be additional know-how transfer by state-of-the-art-research as well as from other 4C projects and further Creative Sector initiatives.

(b) Furthermore, as a good practice example, a CCI (cultural and creative industries)-project from Central Finland will be transferred
and mainstreamed into the Upper Austrian Objective 2 programme. The results of this mainstreaming activity will be integrated into the final outcomes of the project. 

(c) An important objective of CREA.RE will be specific targeted recommendations to the EU Regional policy. For that purpose, CREA.RE will organise interregional fora (EU-wide platform for the exchange of related political options) as well as regional/local policy debates at the places of all partners for promoting the implementation of the CS-concerns into the EU Structural Funds programmes. 

Therewith (a, b, c) the durability of the project results will be extensively enhanced. 

Summarizing the specific experiences made by all partners, the CREA.RE toolkit “How to integrate Creative Sector potential into EU regional development in a sustainable and feasible way?” will be published and presented during the EU-wide final conference of the project.