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Within the framework of the Europe 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and following the adoption of the EPP-led opinion A Digital Agenda for Europe, the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions held a political seminar entitled "Pioneering Societal Innovations: Cities and Regions implementing the Digital Agenda for Europe 2020" in Espoo. The EPP Group firmly believes that the Digital Agenda can improve the quality of life for citizens if local and regional authorities are sufficiently involved, as highlighted by Markku Markkula, the opinion's rapporteur and host for the seminar. "Local and regional authorities are amongst the main recipients of the agenda's recommendations and can be key drivers for its implementation. The priorities of the Digital Agenda for Europe at the local and regional level are prerequisites for social and economic activity as well as an enhanced quality of life for citizens" the Chairman of Espoo City Council and Member of Uusimaa Regional Council said. "Through more efficient and personalised public services, greater investment in public-private partnerships and cooperation between universities and industry, I am convinced that Europe can be a pioneer for societal innovation." From affordable broadband access in rural and low population areas to reliable and secure online services for citizens, the Digital Agenda touches on some key competences of regional and local authorities. The members of the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions gathered at the seminar will therefore analyse the role that can be played in the EU's key performance targets of creating a single digital market, ensuring societal and digital inclusion, promoting broadband for all, improving the quality and efficiency of public services, investing in research and innovation and achieving a low carbon economy. The seminar was looking for the regions to become frontrunners in creating new societal innovations as requested in the CoR Opinion on the Digital Agenda: "the EU must adopt a new purposeful approach based on the idea that some local and regional authorities are pioneers, active researchers, experimenters and decision-makers who develop new solutions for the future for the benefit of all". The seminar also aimed to demonstrate the added value of local and regional ownership for the flagships of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the role that these authorities can play in the already proposed Territorial Pacts of Regional and Local Authorities. "In its recently published Budget Review, the European Commission has indentified the need for Development and Investment Partnership Contracts to ensure ownership of the new Strategy" Michael Schneider, President of the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions explained. "If we want to avoid another failure like the Lisbon Strategy, we must develop these partnerships further and insist on early cooperation with the local and regional authorities who are responsible for many of the policy areas." Speakers included Markku Markkula, Chairman of the City Council of Espoo and the Committee of the Regions' rapporteur for the Digital Agenda, Michael Schneider, President of the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions, Jyrki Katainen, Finnish Minister of Finance and Vice-President of the European People's Party and Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP. Video messages from Jose Manuel Barroso and Johannes Hahn also featured on the programme. ESPOO DECLARATION