The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning

ESPON 2030
European Spatial Planning Observation Network

ESPON Contact Point (ECP)

ESPON logo, Quelle: ESPON EGTC

The ESPON Contact Points (ECP) form a Europe-wide network of national contact points. They are represented by research institutes or public authorities depending on the country. Together, the Contact Points with their professional scientific background support the coordination of network activities within the ESPON Programme. For Germany, the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) within the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) is the national Contact Point and the national scientific interface to the ESPON Programme.

The ECPs mainly take on tasks that serve network building and support and also the communication of results and latest developments within the Programme to national and also regional levels.

The main tasks of the ECP are as follows:

  • to support the creation of Transnational Project Groups (TPGs)
  • to assist national project or lead partners in administrative, Programme-related questions and to initiate contacts internationally and across Germany
  • to forward information to national stakeholders
  • to provide feedback from the national to the Programme level
  • to communicate results from the ESPON Programme to national stakeholders through events and publications

In order to communicate ESPON results, the ECP network has limited financial resources that it can use in the context of publications and events.

As ECP for Germany, the BBSR represents Germany's interests in the network. The political interests are forwarded by the German representative in the Monitoring Committee which, for Germany, is the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building. Close contacts guarantee that the German interests are effectively represented within the ESPON Programme.


The newsletter of the ESPON EGTC periodically informs about ECP activities, events, tenders and projects of the ESPON 2020 Programme. It can be subscribed on the following ESPON EGTC website: Subscribe

Contact us

  • Anna Hellings
    Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development
    Division RS 3 "European Spatial and Urban Development"
    Phone: +49 228 99401-1356
    Email: anna.hellings@bbr.bund.de

  • Philipp Gareis
    Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development
    Division RS 3 "European Spatial and Urban Development"
    Phone: +49 228 99401-2346
    Email: philipp.gareis@bbr.bund.de

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