2007-04-19 Youth and maritime policy issues in focus

The ERB Executive Board today met in Elblag, under the chairmanship of the new ERB President, Bernth Johnson. A main issue was the ERB Youth Conference held the following day in Elblag. The Board agreed on a four step plan for the further work to better integrate the Youth in the ERB work and development: 1) ERB Youth Conference 20 – 21 April, 2) Evalutation at the next Board meeting in Vilnius 2 June 2007, 3) Agreeing on the mandate of a Youth structure within ERB including financial means, to be discussed at the Board meeting in Kalmar 13 August 4) Start up of an ERB Youth structure at the next Council meeting in Gdansk in December 2007.

The Board also focused on the current debate within EU on a future Maritime Policy. Based on a presentation by Niels Chresten Andersen from Bornholm, the Board agreed to establish a Task Force lead by Mr Bo Löfgren from Blekinge Region, to prepare an ERB position to the next Board meeting in Vilnius 2 June 2007.

Two of the ERB networks reported about their activities to the Board: the Rural Development Network by its expert Mariana Gomez Johannesson from Kronoberg Region, and the Tourism Development Network by its expert Jacek Zdrojewski from Pomerania Region. Both networks are in a very solid progress in order to prepare concrete projects.

At the Council meeting today in Karlskrona Bernth Johnson from Blekinge Region today was appointed as the new President of Euroregion Baltic and will replace Mikhail Pluhin from Kaliningrad Region. As a new Vice President was appointed Per Ole Petersen from Bornholm.

The new President presented a two-year strategy, prepared by Blekinge and Bornholm, and recommended by the Executive Board. The strategy includes five objectives: 1) Improving the institutional capacity; 2) Strategic and visible management; 3) Broader anchoring of the cooperation; 4) More involvement of the Youth; 5) Social and economic integration. The strategy was unanimously adopted by the Council. See: ERB Strategy 2007-2008

The Council asked the Executive  Board to prepare a position to the Green Paper on a future maritime policy for the European Union. The Green Paper was launched by the European Commission in June 2006 and the consultation period runs until the end of June 2007.

The Council adopted two resolutions. The first one on border crossing issues, which was forwarded to the Border Crossing Conference organised the following day in Karlskrona (See: Border Crossing Resolution)

The second resolution gave support to two “Motorways of the Sea” projects: “Motorways of the Sea, Karlskrona – Gdynia” and “Motorways of the Sea, Klaipeda – Karlshamn”. (See: Motorways of the Sea Resoluion)

Euroregion Baltic Board met in Elblag to discuss the two-year plan of strategic activities and prepare a Council meeting in Karlskrona on 14th March 2007 during which ERB presidency will be transferred to the Swedish Party, represented by Region Blekinge.

The meeting was preceded by a study tour of the Municipality of Elblag, hosted by its Mayor, Mr Henryk Slonina. Please, find more at: Agenda, Minutes, Attachment 1, Attachment 2, Attachment 3

The Euroregion Baltic Council met in Svetlogorsk on 20 November 2006. It was the last Council meeting in 2006, during the Russian presidency The next will take place on 14 March 2007 and mark transfer of chairmanship in the organisation to the Swedish Party, repesented by Region Blekinge.

The Council discussed the future cooperation within Euroregion Baltic, paying most attention to the prioritised implementation of the Joint Development Programme and possible instruments of financial assistance to the actors implemnting it between 2007 and 2013, e.g. the European Territorial Cooperation programme in the South Baltic and the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument programme for Poland, Lithuania and Kaliningrad Rgion. The COuncil also approved the Latvian request to withdraw from Euroregion Baltic.

European Parliament adopted a resolution on a Baltic Sea Strategy for the Northern Dimension. To see the text, please go to: Resolution

Today, the exchange seminar has begun of Europe Direct offices from around the Euroregion Baltic member regions. The regions are represented by the Europe Direct offices from Blekinge (Sweden), Bornholm (Denmark), Slupsk (Poland), Sodra Smaland (Sweden), and Warminsko-Mazurskie (Poland).

The aim of the seminar is to prepare a joint project to be implemented with the objective of drafting and disseminating information on how the EU policies and programmes can improve the integration of young people in the assistance to the development process within Euroregion Baltic.

For more iformation, please see: Europe Direct Office in Olsztyn, Poland Europe Direct Office in Vaxjo, Sweden Europe Direct Office in Slupsk, Poland

The Board of Euroregion Baltic met in Karlskrona on 3rd October 2006. Among the topics discussed were the progress in the developent of the South Baltic CBC Programme, plans for joint cultural and sports projects within Euroregion, status of Latvian participation, response to the invitation to take part in the BEN project as well as the calendar for the meetings in 2007. The Board also debated on the status of the Seagull 2 project, as it acts as the project Steering Committee.

In 2005 seven members of the European Parliament: Christopher Beazley, Michael Gahler, Satu Hassi, Thomas Hedrik Ilves, Girts Valdis Krsitovskis, Henrik Lax and Alexander Stubb formed the Baltic Strategy Working Group and constructed the first contribution into the development of a European Baltic Sea Strategy. To read the paper, pleae go to: Europe’s Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region