1. DC NOISE demographic change (page 1)
2. European portal for SMEs: enterprise and industry (page 2)
3. Support for place branding professionals (page 2)
4. Krimpen met Kwaliteit (Shrinkage with Quality): intergovernmental action plan on shrinkage and recommendations on the same issue by the Dutch Raad Landelijk Gebied - Council for Rural Areas (page 3 - both unfortunately only in Dutch)
5. Jonge Friezen Foarút (page 4)

DC NOISE demographic change

DC NOISE - demographic change: new opportunities in a shrinking Europe, is a project in the framework of the Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme. Nine regions from five European countries work together to deal with the consequences of demographic change. The project runs from June 2008 until June 2011.

Demographic change is recognised as one of the 3 most significant challenges facing Europe and its regions. The others being climate change and globalisation. All developed countries, sooner or later, have to deal with processes of demographic change.

It consists of different trends:

• a population decline;
• a shrinking labour force;
• decreasing number of young people;
• an ageing society.