Focus group sessions were successfully carried out in all six countries involved in the SIMPLA project (Italy, Austria, Spain, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania).

The events gathered representatives of institutional actors – such as ministries, regional and local authorities, associations of municipalities, multi-utilities, energy and environment agencies – to analyse and discuss existing multilevel governance strategies, policies and planning tools and operational, financial and organisational measures for energy, transport, mobility and land-use planning at community and city level.

The outcomes of focus group sessions will feed the SIMPLA guidelines, a document providing a transnational methodology for the harmonization of SEAPs and SUMPs whose first release is foreseen in January 2017.