Much progress reported at 3rd Municipal Policy Forum

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Schönefeld, November 25, 2022 | At yesterday's 3rd Municipal Policy Forum, the working group leaders of the Municipal Working Group Dialogue Forum Airport Berlin Brandenburg were able to report above all a great deal of positive progress on important projects that are of significance for the region as a whole. Topics were, in addition to the Joint Cycle Route Concept for the airport region, the Regional Development Fund and the Climate Protection Network.

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Representatives from the administration and politics of the municipalities in the airport region discussed the progress of the flagship projects from the Joint Structural Concept (GSK) Airport Region Berlin-Brandenburg and deliberated on implementation tools and strategies. In the GSK, the members of the dialog forum formulated strategic goals and identified lead projects that contribute to regional development.

One of these, the Joint Cycle Route Concept for the Airport Region, can be developed thanks to a grant of 70,000 euros from the state of Brandenburg. Jörg Jenoch, mayor of the municipality of Eichwalde and head of the Working Group on Reconciliation of Interests (AG1), said, "The aim is to bring together existing plans, identify obstacles and gaps, and thus design a roadmap for the development of an attractive network of cycle paths in the airport region." The Eichwalde municipality will coordinate this process and can draw here on the experience gained from the current project to promote cycling (NUDAFA). Jenoch continues, "The tender for the services for the joint bike path concept will be issued before the end of 2022. The goal is to have the concept in place by the end of 2023."

In addition to funding from the state, further funds are to come from municipal grants and applications are to be made to the Kommunales Nachbarschaftsforum Berlin-Brandenburg e.V., among others.

The Regional Development Fund is already a decisive step further: the district assembly of Treptow-Köpenick has unanimously agreed to participate in the Regional Development Fund. Only two members of the dialogue forum still have to be won over so that the fund can start. Alongside the municipalities of Blankenfelde-Mahlow, Eichwalde and Schulzendorf, Treptow-Köpenick is the fourth member. As the municipality with the largest population, the district contributes a sum of around 32,600 euros. In total, the fund thus has 70,000 euros at its disposal.

Jenoch says: "The development fund is an instrument used to develop the airport region as a whole. Projects in the municipalities are supported if the region benefits from them. What counts is the region moving forward together." The unanimous approval from Treptow-Köpenick sent a strong signal, said the mayor: "I assume that other municipalities will now also be willing to participate. We want to start with the development fund in the first quarter of 2023, as soon as six municipalities have declared their consent."

Another flagship project is the establishment of a climate protection network for the airport region. Support is possible via the National Climate Protection Initiative, explained Markus Mücke, mayor of the municipality of Schulzendorf, chairman of the KAG Dialogue Forum and head of the Noise Protection WG (WG 2).
He said: "To this end, we have already held many talks with interested municipalities and developed a work program. The aim here is to bring together the interests of the municipalities that are still at the beginning in the topic of climate protection with the municipalities that, for example, already have a climate protection management."
Mücke assumes that the dialog forum will be able to submit the funding application at the beginning of 2023: "The prerequisite is that at least six municipalities sign the necessary declaration of cooperation."

About the Dialogue Forum Airport Berlin Brandenburg
. Since 2006, the Municipal Working Group Dialogue Forum (KAG DF) has been a central communication and cooperation platform for the municipalities in the airport region and the three adjacent Berlin districts with the airport operator and BADC GmbH as the managing member. The states of Berlin and Brandenburg are supporting members. The central objective of the Dialogue Forum is to create a space for fair and transparent dialogue between the members, to build mutual trust between the stakeholders, to agree on development goals and to enable a balance of interests.
www.dialogforum-berlin.de

Dialogue takes center stage
. At the Municipal Policy Forum, representatives from the administration and politics of the municipalities in the airport region discuss current issues.