Research Projects

Project number V5-2154, price category B, is co-financed in the total amount of EUR 90,000.00, 

• of which 45.000,00 ​EUR from the Public Research Agency of the Republic of Slovenia,
• in the amount of 27.000,00 EUR from the Ministry of the Environment and space,
• in the amount of 9.000,00 EUR  from the funds of the Ministry of Infrastructure and
• in the amount of 9.000,00 EUR from the funds of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.

The project will be co-financed for a period of 24 months.

Abstract

harmonized with the goals of spatial development in order to achieve the goals of territorial cohesion in Slovenia, as set out in the new Spatial Development Strategy of the Republic of Slovenia (SPRS). This is in line with the current shift in the spatial planning towards the integrated planning, which seeks enhanced dialogue between sectors, stakeholders in spatial planning and more open preparation and implementation of strategic policies at all levels of government. At the same time, this also corresponds to the idea of the European Spatial Development Perspectives from 1999 to take into account the spatial dimension of policies and increase their spatial sensitivity. The European Commission is addressing the spatial dimension of policies through the concept of territorial cohesion and the instrument Territorial Impact Assessment (TIA). The TIA is intended to help achieve these objectives by assessing policy objectives and actions in advance, thus informing policy makers about the territorial impacts of their actions and measures. The TIA approach was first developed under the ESPON program in 2004, and today it is mostly elaborated by the European Commission which regularly uses it to assess emerging regulations. Member States are less successful in their efforts, some of them have introduced the check-up into their Regulatory Impact Assessment, however, not as an obligatory task.

In order to address the lack of cross-sectoral cooperation, greater implementation of spatial development guidelines and potentially also the implementation of TIA, the latest Act on Spatial Planning (ZUreP-2, Official Gazette of the RS, No. 61/172017), in (4) paragraph 66 of Article wrote that the development documents of individual areas and activities must not be in conflict with the Spatial Development Strategy of the Republic of Slovenia. The Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, as the carrier for steering spatial development, does not currently have an instrument with which to implement the provision (4) of Article 66. The only existing regulation that requires verification of potential spatial impacts is the Resolution on normative activity (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 92/07 - official consolidated text). In the instructions for the implementation of the resolution, the legislator should also envisage a Territorial Impact Assessment, as it also includes questions on potential environmental and spatial impacts among other evaluation questions. Thus, in preparing all regulation, the legislator is also supposed to assess the territorial sensitivity of regulations, however, so far, this has not been done.

The purpose of the research project is to design a methodological approach to Territorial Impact Assessment, which is user-oriented and which addresses the harmonization of policies and regulations with the proposed methodological approach to Territorial Impact Assessment TIA as an integral part of the process of preparation, adoption and evaluation of policies.

Researchers

Siciris

• Naja Marot
• Mojca Golobič
• Barbara Kostanjšek
• Manca Krošelj

The phases of the project and their realization

WP1 - Analysis and preparation of the TIA methodological approach

The first work package is devoted to the analysis of resources, literature, existing TIA approaches and communication tools. Activities focus on the review of existing TIA tools and resources and literature, which address cross-sectoral coordination and integration and weighing the spatial sensitivity of policies, especially in terms of coordination of sectoral policies and measures. Based on the analysis, a methodological approach is proposed, which enables the analysis and presentation of territorial impacts feasible for different spatial units for better coordination and integration of policies.

WP2 - Testing the methodological approach on the example of selected policies

In the second working package of the project, the proposed methodological approach is repeatedly tested in pilot tests at various administrative levels, namely on selected policies in the field of work of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food and the Ministry of Infrastructure. Following the pilot reviews of the proposed approach to the TIA, test reports are prepared summarizing the assessment of the spatial sensitivity of sectoral policies and their territorial impacts.

WP3 - Development of an analytical and communication tool

In the third WP, the proposed methodological approach is supported by the design of an analytical-communication tool. The tool is prepared functionally in accordance with the existing Spatial Information System (PIS) or other publicly available spatial data for a more sound determination of the territorial impacts of sectoral policies in the process of their preparation, adoption and evaluation. The activities of WP 3 envisage the implementation of two seminars for policy makers and potential users of the developed TIA tool to ensure the preparation of a user-friendly and compatible tool.

DS4 – Dissemination activities

WP4 envisages the implementation of dissemination activities of the project throughout the duration of the project, for two purposes. In order to strengthen the spatial sensitivity of the sectors, users are informed about the TIA approach and its applicability with a brochure and a seminar is organized, one in the first quarter and the second in the last quarter of the project. For the purposes of promoting the project and its results, the project website is prepared and maintained and the interested public is informed through the social channels of the Department of Landscape Architecture. Based on the collected results and experience, a manual for the implementation of the TIA is prepared, with an emphasis on a transparent and collaborative approach to territorial impact assessment and coordination of interests, especially at the regional and local level.

DS5 - Project Management

Project management as the last work package represents content and financial management activities, agreements with clients and reporting throughout the duration of the project. The activities of work package 5 envisage reporting the results of the project to the clients or project administrators every three months.

Citations for bibliographic records

MAROT, N., GOLOBIČ, M. Delivering a national spatial development strategy: a success story?. European planning studies, 2018, vol. 26, no. 6, str. 1202-1221, doi: 10.1080/09654313.2018.1459502.

FISCHER, T. B., SYKES, O., GORE, T., MAROT, N., GOLOBIČ, M., PINHO, P., WATERHOUT, B., PERDICOULIS, T. Territorial impact assessment of European draft directives the assessment instrument - the emergence of a new policy assessment instrument. European planning studies, 2015, vol. 23, no. 3, str. 433-451, doi: 10.1080/09654313.2013.868292.

GOLOBIČ, M., MAROT, N., KOLARIČ, Š., FISCHER, T. B. Applying territorial impact assessment in a multi-level policy-making context - the case of Slovenia. Impact assessment and project appraisal,2015, vol. 33, no. 1, str. 43-56, doi: 10.1080/14615517.2014.938438.

MAROT, N., KOLARIČ, Š., GOLOBIČ, M. Slovenia as the natural park of Europe? : territorial impact assessment in the case of Natura 2000 = Slovenija kot naravni park Evrope? : presoja učinkov Nature 2000 v prostoru. Acta geographica Slovenica, 2013, leto 53, št. 1, str. 91-116. http://giam.zrc-sazu.si/sites/default/files/ags53105.pdf, doi: 10.3986/AGS53105.

MAROT, N., FISCHER, T. B., SYKES, O., GOLOBIČ, M., MUTHOORA, T., GONZÁLEZ, A.. Territorial impact assessment : a policy assessment-like strategic environmental assessment in action. V: FISCHER, T. B. (ur.), GONZÁLEZ, A. (ur.). Handbook of strategic environmental assessment, (Research handbooks on impact assessment). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. 2021, str. 58-79.