From the beginning of the preparations for the new programming period and of the new regulations on the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) has successfully intervened in order to defend the interests of border regions. Several achieved improvements are based on the proposals discussed with the EU Commissioner Hahn, Director General Deffaa and the Spokespersons of the Political Groups in the Committee for Regional Development as well as on proposals submitted in writing.
The European Commission has published the first study to weigh up the success of the EU's Baltic and Danube macro-regional strategies and to provide recommendations for the future.
Baltic Sea Cluster Development Centre, network established on 25th April on Bornholm, has just launched its website. It will contain information about cooperation, partners involved and their role. Network intends to increase awareness and include new partners. It will apply for money from the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and new Interreg programme.
In September BSCDC will co-host an international cleantech cluster summit (http://brightgreenisland.com/ecoislands-global-summit-2013).
For more information please check www.bscdc.org.
Today Lithuania starts its Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the country undertakes the responsible task for the very first time after the EU entry. These historic 6 months of the Presidency in Lithuania and abroad will see numerous events related to the Presidency, as Lithuania becomes the focus of attention for international politicians and officials. Plans for the next 6 months are summed up by the slogan ‘credible, growing and open Europe’. Fine out more at http://www.eu2013.lt/en/
On 18 April 2013 at the Gdansk hotel “Scandic” Voivodeship Labour Office in Gdańsk organized the European Job Day. The event was held to promote the educational and professional mobility in Europe among the inhabitants of Pomerania, information on the principles of safe movement on the labour market and the current situation on the labour markets in European countries.
More than three thousand job offers, two hundred exhibitors, several thousand visitors
The second edition of the International, Pomeranian, Metropolitan Fairs of Job, Education and Entrepreneurship, held on 17 April 2013 at the Exhibition and Conference in Gdańsk Amber Expo have been successful.
Project was organised by Voivodeship Labour Office in Gdansk, with the Regional Labour Office in Gdansk and Regional Labour Offices in Wejherowo, Puck, Nowy Dwór Gdański, Malbork, Tczew, Słupsk, Lębork, Gdynia, Bytów and Kartuzy.
The 18th Ministerial Session of the Council of the Baltic Sea States took place on 6th June 2013 in Pionersky, Kaliningrad Region of the Russian Federation. Hosted by the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, the meeting included foreign ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, as well as High Representatives from Iceland, Poland and the European Union.
Between 27 and 28 May ERB Executive Board met in Karlskrona. On the first day the participants attended the information session with presentations and discussions on the programming process in the South Baltic CBC Programme, EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, youth cooperation, and two projects: Baltic Maritime Science Park and ArtLine. ERB Youth Board presented the results of the survey whose aim was to investigate the anchoring of youth cooperation in their regions and informed of their recent activities.
ERB Executive Board accepted the proposal regarding process of obtaining a legal personality by Euroregion Baltic. New legal entity should be established as international association with regional administrations and organisations as its members. Draft Statutes and additional documents have to be prepared in following months and discussed internally in member organisations and national authorities. If all proceedings fit into agreed schedule, association will be founded before the end of 2013.
ERB Executive Board, at its meeting in Karlskrona on 27th of May, agreed on a standpoint concerning thematic scope of future South Baltic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme. Members of the Board decided to give full support to following thematic objectives of the Programme: