Welcome to the training session about the EUSBSR on 9^th November 2021 at 9.30-15.15 CET, Online. The event will be organised by the Umbrella 2.0 partner – Union of the Baltic Cities. 

The overall aim is to shift the paradigm from taking part in international projects to becoming an active player in the EUSBSR process. The goal is to share the knowledge on how to build a process for the implementation of EUSBSR at the local level by local authorities and civil society organisations.

Please see the draft programme in the attachment here:

Please fill the application form here:

 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSbnqdTjYbaqo2Br5yofc_90pIeHBoqhIvq2xE17VgT6Txfw/viewform

What is Umbrella 2.0?

”UMBRELLA 2.0-Boosting transnational cooperation capacities for multilevel actors in the Baltic Sea Region” goal is to increase awareness and knowledge of transnational cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. More specifically, the project aims at initiating a process for the development of strong multi-actor and multilevel governance partnerships that can undertake cross-sectoral sustainable solutions while following the principles and objectives of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EU Green Deal and UN SDG.

Project partners:

• Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic (ERB) – the applicant
• Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC);
• Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation (BSSSC) – Associated partner

For any additional questions, please contact UBC Secretariat: info@ubc.net

Umbrella 2.0 organizes two webinars on project management. The material of the previous Umbrella project and the one used in these sessions is available for free in Moodle (register to Moodle platform here https://umbrellainterreg.moodle.school/login/index.php). 

1st PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR BEGINNERS

22 nd October 9.00- 14.00 with a lunch break

Agenda UMBRELLA 2.0 project training. Agenda for Beginners

Is it the first time you approached project management, E.U. funded projects, or international cooperation? Learn with us!

Some of the things you will learn:

– Project Cycle Management

– analyzing a problem or needs

– stating objectives and impacts

– identifying partners and stakeholders

2nd ADVANCED PROJECT MANAGEMENT

18th November 9.00-14.00 with a lunch break

Agenda: UMBRELLA 2.0 project training.Agenda for Advanced

Are you confident in project management? We have some tips for you.

Some of the things you will learn:

– Business Analysis Core Concepts Model

– How to plan a strategy

– Networking Diagrams

– TEAM

– Change Management ADKAR

Link to enrol in the courses: https://forms.gle/ozVb34WH8qd9yvS39

N.B. The webinars are for free. They will be held in Zoom Webinars and will be recorded. Some parts of the video lessons will be published in Moodle Platform

Max number of participants 20-25. First come, first served, but we need to confirm your participation up to 3 days after your registration to ensure we have equal geographical coverage within the Baltic Sea Region states, so don’t wait and sign up TODAY).

According to your needs, you can enrol in both the webinars, only in the basic or advanced only.

Are these dates not available for you?

Don’t worry, and the other two webinars will come in December and January.

We’ll keep you posted!

The key goal of the Umbrella 2.0 project is to raise awareness and knowledge of the importance and advantages of transnational and cross-border cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), following the principles of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), European Union Green Deal and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The project, whose partners are Euroregion Baltic (ERB), the Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation (BSSSC) and the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) is funded by the Swedish Institute.

Umbrella 2.0 is dedicated to the BSR local authorities, civil society organisations and small institutions of diversified type, especially those who are newcomers to international cooperation. Our aim is to encourage them to be open to the possibilities provided by cross-border and transnational cooperation, to make them aware it is worthwhile to cooperate and that there are financial tools and project possibilities available to them, too. Furthermore, our ambition is to jointly explore the opportunities and benefits of being a part of the BSR and EUSBSR.

We believe that the best way to convince those who are new to international cooperation is by showing them the best examples of what has already been achieved by others. Thus, we have decided to ask directly those we thought could give some inspiration.

Enjoy the reading!

Click here:  

Umbrella 2.0 developed this booklet with best practices to further build the capacities of small and local actors and inspire more stakeholders to engage in transnational BSR cooperation.

The stories show examples of successful collaboration, extensive networking and present current and future “hot topics” for cooperation in EUSBSR thematic areas.

We asked partners of Baltic Sea cooperation projects and initiatives to share their stories about what good transnational collaboration can bring to their work, their organisations and local communities. They were all so enthusiastic about their work!

We encourage you to read those stories, get inspired and try to start your own transnational or cross-border activity.

DOWNLOAD HERE:

The 3rd Seed money call for proposals of the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2014-2020 is open between 13 September and 5 November 2021. The call is open for proposals which are aiming to develop ideas for regular projects to be implemented and financed under the future Interreg South Baltic Programme 2021-2027.

The template of the ISBP 2021-2027 being under public consultation by 15 October 2021 is available here

The applications must be developed under one of the current Interreg South Baltic Programme 2014-2020 specific objectives:

• SO 1.1 Increase the presence of blue and green sector SMEs from the South Baltic area in international markets through joint cross-border actions;
• SO 1.2 Improve the transfer of innovation for the benefit of blue and green sector SMEs through joint cross-border actions;
• SO 2.1 Increased development of the South Baltic area’s natural and cultural heritage assets into sustainable tourist destinations;
• SO 2.2 Increased use of green technologies in order to decrease the pollution discharges in the South Baltic area;
• SO 3.1 Improve the quality and environmental sustainability of transport services in the South Baltic area
• SO 5.1 Improve the cooperation capacity of local South Baltic area actors through participation in cross-border networks.

Interested applicants are invited to access the application documents here

The call closes on 5th November 2021 (Friday), 4:00 p.m. CET.

The Joint Secretariat is organising a webinar with questions and answers session dedicated to the 3rd Seed money call on 23rd September at 1:00 p.m. CET. The registration for the webinar is available here

The GDPR rules for the meeting are here. Please, say YES during the registration if you consent to the rules.

In case of questions, please contact Project Officers at JS, contact details to be found here

The Joint Programming Committee approved a draft of the Interreg South Baltic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027. An external contractor prepared a draft report of the Programme Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).
Now, you can HAVE YOUR SAY!

Add your comments until 15th October 2021.

South Baltic programme JS Team is happy to announce that the Joint Programming Committee approved a draft of the Interreg South Baltic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027. In parallel, an external contractor prepared a draft report of the Programme Strategic Environmental Assessment.

This means that we are ready to announce the documents and start public consultations. It is time to share your opinion and contribute to the future of the South Baltic Programme.

Use the opportunity to get familiar with the draft documents: 

• Template of the Interreg South Baltic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027
• Accessible version of the Interreg South Baltic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027 template
• Presentation of the Interreg South Baltic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027
• Reader’s friendly version of the Interreg South Baltic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027
• Accessible version of the Reader’s friendly version of the Interreg South Baltic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027

• Strategic Environmental Assessment report
• Strategic Environmental Assessment non-technical summary 

and give your feedback by filling in two separate online questionnaires:

• Interreg South Baltic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027 template
• Strategic Environmental Assessment report

We also encourage you to take a direct and active part in the seminars organised by the Regional Contact Points of the South Baltic Programme. Relevant information will be announced on our website in the “Events“ section as well as on the Programme’s social media platforms Facebook, Linkedin and directly by the Contact Points.  

The public consultation process will take 37 days. The deadline for submitting comments is 15 October 2021. 

Your feedback is very valuable in developing the new Programme and will be used by the Joint Programming Committee to finalise the programming process.

Best regards

South Baltic Team

More information: https://lnkd.in/gAjagy4U

#PublicConsultations#SouthBaltic#Interreg#JPC#SailingTogether

The event will be a joint discussion of five projects engaged in:

1. green technologies and environmental protection,
2. skills and labour development and education services for different target groups
3. connecting and involving institutions to establish future partnerships

The discussion aims to present and inspire participants on how the cross-border cooperation projects can effectively involve local society, youth, and local authorities in activities for green recovery on different levels. The variety of invited speakers will allow leading the discussion towards many fields and threads. Invited to the discussion are representatives of such projects as WASTEMAN, Baltic for All, Umbrella, ArchaeoBalt and SEAPLANSPACE who will present concrete examples of what they did in the context of local community collaboration and their engagement, as well as the impact of the communities’ activities on the sustainable development of their regions. They will discuss options for cross-border training, and networking – all aiming at a greener future of small regions and establishing partnerships. After this session, participants will be able to identify which option for close partnership is suitable for their organisation, a project, or a cluster and how to engage local society for green recovery and more sustainable regions.

REGISTTER HERE: https://eusbsr2021.eu/

Organiser – Interreg South Baltic Programme 2014-2020

The Swedish Institute, in cooperation with Euroregion Baltic Secretariat, the Union of the Baltic Cities Secretariat and Nordregio, invite you to a webinar exploring different collaborative governance models for enhancing stakeholder engagement in the Baltic Sea Region. The webinar aims to boost stakeholder involvement within emerging EUSBSR initiatives related to the green transition. The programme consists of two parts:

The first part will focus on:

• A policy perspective on stakeholder and citizen engagement in the EUSBSR.
• An overview of different EUSBSR governance concepts and practices.
• Practical learnings from ongoing projects, focusing on concrete stakeholder and citizen involvement tools, methods and practices from the Umbrella 2.0 capacity building programme examining how to engage local stakeholders and CSOs in frameworks such as the EUSBSR.
• Hands-on practices coming from regional city networks working on the green transition in the Baltic Sea region

REGISTER HERE: https://eusbsr2021.eu/

The aim of part one is to provide a good overview of both theoretical and practical examples for cross-sectorial and multi-level stakeholder engagement, including horizontal approaches, such as youth participation to boost green transition.

The second part of the webinar will open up the stage to the audience. Smaller group discussions will be arranged to discuss your possible role in future Baltic Sea Region collaborations. Interactive discussions based on participants own personal experiences will be carried out, focusing on: 1) identifying alternative stakeholder engagement best practice tools and methods; 2) establishing how to overcome the challenges of stakeholder mobilisation; 3) exploring the benefits of engagement and how to incentivise stakeholder to become more proactively involved. The key take-aways part of the discussion will be reported to the Annual Forum organisers.

For more information, please contact Gabor Schneider

Organiser – Swedish Insititute, Umbrella 2.0, Nordregio

The Annual Forum of the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is the largest event of the Strategy. It brings together all the stakeholders implementing the EUSBSR as well as other participants who would like to contribute to managing the common challenges the Baltic Sea Region faces. The 12th Annual Forum will take place from 27 September to 1 October. It will focus on green recovery and will invite the participants to REVITALISE the Strategy, to RECOVER after COVID-19 together and to RECHARGE for a greener and more resilient Baltic Sea Region.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions

the 12th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region will be virtual. The Annual Forum will take place online from 27 September to 1 October 2021. The agenda of the Annual Forum will be full of interesting, engaging and inspiring discussions, workshops and presentations. You are most welcome to join!

We invite you to read the short descriptions and register for as many events as you wish by filling in the information in the registration form

Six major events

Planned to take place daily from 13:00 to 14:30 CET:

#01

High-level opening event/ strategic panel discussion on 27 September with the main focus on economic recovery through green and digital transformation.

#02

1st plenary session on macro-regional strategies’ role in setting EU agenda on 28 September. The macroregional strategies have shifted from being a pure platform for regional cooperation to being the hub for identifying challenges a particular region faces and for looking for common solutions. The ongoing embedding process strengthens this change. Therefore, it is important to discuss the ways to increase the EUSBSR’s ability to ensure the relevant issues are included in the EU agenda.

#03

The presentation of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021-2027 on 28 September. The participants of the Annual Forum 2021 will be the first to learn about the possibilities of the EU funding for transnational projects tackling the challenges the Baltic Sea Region face. The kick-off event will focus on the importance of cooperation across borders in order to develop an innovative, climate-neutral Baltic Sea region and to increase the resilience of its society.

#04

2nd plenary session on macro-regions’ contribution to the Conference of the Future of Europe (focus on social agenda) on 29 September. This session will create links to the ongoing Conference on the Future of Europe. Taking into account the fact that the aims of the Conference of the Future of Europe and the EUSBSR in terms of involvement of citizens coincide, we aim at ensuring EUSBSR’s contribution to this important wide-range debate. This plenary session will focus on the social dimension and the challenges the youth encounters due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants will search for the ways the multilateral cooperation could contribute to enabling the young people to participate more actively in the decision-making process.

#05

3rd plenary session on green recovery on 30 September. It will be devoted to the possibilities of the EUSBSR to significantly contribute to the Green Recovery of the EU.

#06

Closing event on 1 October. It will be fully owned by young people. They will be looking for solutions for the environmental issues the Baltic Sea Region encounters. As in the case of the opening event, some of the participants will come to a studio in Klaipėda, the other speakers will join online.

After the registration, you will receive the automated confirmation.

A personal link to the virtual Annual Forum will be sent to the registered participants one day before the event, on 26 September. We kindly ask you to keep this link as it will help you access the event.

Please note that if you answer “no” to the statement “I consent that my name and organisation will be published in the forum participant list”, you will not be able to use the networking tools during the Forum.

Introduced in 2009, the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) was the first EU macro-regional strategy of the European Union. Formally adopted by the European Council after a communique from the European Commission (EC), the EUSBSR is an agreement signed between the Member States and the EC to strengthen cooperation between the countries bordering the Baltic Sea and to meet the many joint challenges as well as benefit from common opportunities facing the Baltic Sea region through three objectives: Save the Sea, Connect the Region and Increase Prosperity.

The Umbrella 2.0 project has been developed precisely to make the EUSBSR more “user-friendly” for the local stakeholders. The Umbrella 2.0 project was initiated by the Euroregion Baltic (ERB) and is implemented throughout 2021 with two partners: Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) and Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation (BSSSC). This project is funded by the Swedish Institute, which has supported Baltic Sea cooperation for many years, especially among the local actors. The project also builds on two previous capacity building projects successfully implemented by the Euroregion Baltic and its Partners within the Interreg South Baltic Programme.

Over the course of two months, the experts conducted a series of 14 interviews with Coordinators of all Policy Areas of the Strategy, attempting on the one hand to gain a broad picture of the current status of local stakeholders’ participation but also to listen to interesting ideas and proposals on what should be done further to integrate them in the works of the Strategy. To this end, we asked several questions through which we have received a great deal of interesting feedback and some concrete proposals for the future of the EUSBSR implementation.

The resulting report is directed both towards the local stakeholders who are newcomers to the Strategy as well as those local actors who are more experienced in Baltic cooperation but would like to organise their knowledge and understanding of how the Strategy can be of use for them. Lastly, we hope that this report will help all institutions directly or indirectly involved in implementing the EUSBSR to learn more about the importance of improved collaboration with the local level of governance to achieve the goals outlined in the Strategy.

Download the Umbrella 2.0 report here: