The EUSBSR newsletter March 2013 issue is out. The content includes, among other articles, the reviewed EUSBSR Action Plan, the joint meeting on Partnership Agreements and EUSBSR and two success stories from Priority Area on Maritime Safety and Security.
At its meeting in Gdańsk ERB Executive Board adopted ERB action plan for 2013 and 2014. The main objective for joint activities of Euroregion Baltic, will be to contribute to the implementation of the ERB 2020 Agenda, and thus to make ERB an effective political tool, as well as making ERB efficient in dealing with common challenges. Therefore, content of this action plan is a clear continuation of actions specified in action plan adopted last year.
Euroregion Baltic organised a seminar on labour market in South-East Baltic Sea Region on 25th February. A meeting, that took place in Gdansk, gathered politicians – members of ERB Executive Board and experts – members of the Labour Market Task Force.
Participants of the seminar have adopted a resolution which indicates main actions for ERB. These are: an improvement of the labour force mobility and combat against youth unemployment.
Denmark took over Presidency in Euroregion Baltic from Sweden. A ceremony took place in Gdańsk during offcial dinner on 25 February. Mr Roland Gustbée, Chair of the Board of Regional Council in södra Småland, who has been a President of Euroregion Baltic since February 2012, handed over leadership to Mr Per Ole Petersen, Member of the Council of Regional Municipality of Bornholm. This will be a second term of Mr Petersen as President of ERB. Mr Vytautas Grubliauskas, Head of Association of Klaipeda Municipalities will be a Vice-president in 2013.
ERB Annual Report for 2012, with activities implemented during Mr Gustbée’s Presidency, is available here.
Ms Karolina Hołówka from Poland will be a volunteer assisting ERB Youth Board within EVS youth exchange project (European Voluntary Service). Starting in March, she will live in Kalmar for one year in Kumulus organisation. Project submitted together by Kumulus (hosting organisation) and Euroregion Baltic was approved in December last year. Sending organisation will be Elbląg Europa Association from Poland, which replaced Europe Direct Bornholm in that role.
Tasks of the volunteer will be: coordination of activities of ERB Youth Board and technical assistance for its members.
Pan-European Institute follows the economic development of the Baltic States, Poland, St. Petersburg, Leningrad region and Kaliningrad region. The results are published quarterly in the Baltic Rim Economies (BRE) and the institute’s website. The review has become an important media for leading policymakers and representatives of business life as well as others interested in the development of the Baltic Sea region. Previous writers include ministers, commissioners and representatives of business and academia. The latest issue of the quarterly contains an article on Euroregion Baltic on page 56.
A youth exchange project, jointly developed by Kumulus and Euroregion Baltic, has just been approved. Submitted within the recent European Voluntary Service call, the project will enable a youth volunteer from Bornholm to go to Kalmar and assist the Euroregion Baltic Youth Board in its work.
The special Task Force within Euroregion Baltic (ERB) dealing with EU Cohesion Policy, and in particular with the South Baltic CBC Programme is currently taking active part in the preparations for the next programming period. Consisting of the representatives of the ERB member organisations and ERB Youth Board who particpate in the implementation of the European Territorial Cooperation programmes, the Task Force prepares ERB’s contribution into the discussions held within the South Baltic CBC Joint Programming Committee and drafts decisions to be taken by the ERB Executive Board with regards to the future shape of the Programme.
The EUSBSR newsletter November 2012 issue is out. Considering the large amount of issues addressed, the publication is 12 page long for the first time.
Euroregion Baltic Preisdent, Mr Roland Gustbèe and Labour Task Force leader, Mr Johnny Winther Holbech are taking part today in the Round Table of the Baltic Sea Labour Forum (BSLF) in Hamburg aiming to to exchange ideas and discuss two main subjects: youth unemployment and mobility of labour. BSLF is a platform for exchange of experience and communication between social partners and other key labour market actors in the Baltic Sea Region, set up after the successful conclusion of the BSLN-project (Baltic Sea Labour Network), flagship project within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Please, read the press announcement.