European research network for spatial development and territorial cohesion
The European research network for spatial development and territorial cohesion ( European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion earlier European Spatial Planning Observation Network ), short ESPON , is a 2002 by the European Commission was to start research network for observation of European spatial development, and is a program under Objective 3 on European spatial cooperation under the umbrella of the European Regional Development Fund .
32 countries take part in ESPON: the 28 EU member states plus 4 others, Iceland , Liechtenstein , Switzerland and Norway . It is a transnational cooperation for a comprehensive spatial observation . In addition, this network is intended to promote cooperation between the European Commission, the individual member states, the research institutes and the responsible administrations and to use synergy effects in the context of spatial development and regional planning . To this end, ESPON provides comparative information, data, analyzes and scenarios about spatial development dynamics and shows how spatial potentials for the development of regions and larger cooperation areas are used to increase Europe's competitiveness, to improve spatial cooperation and for sustainable and balanced spatial development can be.