Umbrella 2.0 Report: “Entry points” to EUSBSR Cooperation

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:

About the ERB Water Core Group

WCG Work Plan 2020-2022

List of ERB WCG members: https://www.eurobalt.org/category/water-core-group-board/

The Security of the Baltic Sea and the Region in the Face of New Challenges – this was the topic of a panel discussion organized by the Youth Board of the Euroregion Baltic on 14 April 2025 during the Local Trends Self-government Financial Congress in Sopot.

The debate was moderated by Jakub Hamanowicz, Chair of the Youth Board of the Euroregion Baltic, and Youth Board member Amelia Łaszewska.

The panel welcomed:

• prof. Piotr Mickiewicz, PhD, Head of the Department of Public Policies and Administration at the Institute of Political Science, University of Gdańsk, and Chair of the Discipline Council for Political Science and Administration.
• dr Wiesław Topolski, Navy Commander (ret.), former lecturer at the Polish Naval Academy. He served in top-level roles within the Ministry of Defense. From 1990 to 1996, he was Deputy Defense, Military, Naval and Air Attaché at the Polish Embassy in Moscow, and from 2001 to 2024, he served as Defense Attaché at the Polish Embassy in Kyiv.

The discussion touched on key issues such as defense, ecology, and diplomacy.

Critical Infrastructure

Panelists emphasized the importance of protecting critical infrastructure, which is especially vulnerable in the current context of hybrid warfare. Sites such as refineries and storage facilities need to be secured. They also pointed to the under-discussed threat of specially trained Russian units capable of sabotage.

Development of Poland’s Fleet

In response to a question about the future of Poland’s naval forces, Professor Mickiewicz highlighted the importance of NATO’s role. He stressed that maritime cooperation between member states is essential and that Poland must not act in isolation, but rather work closely with its allies.

(From left: dr Wiesław Topolski, prof. Piotr Mickiewicz)

Ecology

A highly visible topic in the media is the effort to clear the Baltic seabed of dumped munitions from WWI and WWII. Both the Doctor and the Professor noted the difficulty and limited effectiveness of such operations. They emphasized that Polish agriculture poses a far greater threat: fertilizers and chemicals used in farming flow into rivers and eventually into the Baltic Sea. In their view, agriculture is a more serious ecological threat than the sea-dumped munitions.

Diplomacy

The final topic addressed was the potential for renewed cooperation between Russia and Western countries after the war in Ukraine. The experts noted that this cooperation has never completely ceased — trade in gas, oil, and coal continues.

(Jakub Hamanowicz, Chair of the ERB  Youth Board)

A First of Its Kind

This was the first initiative of its kind organized by the Youth Board of the Euroregion Baltic during Pomorskie Presidency. Pomorskie Region currently holds the Presidency of the Euroregion, and youth engagement is one of its top priorities. The event was made possible thanks to the kind support of the organizers and the Youth City Council of Sopot.

 (Amelia Łaszewska, ERB Youth Board member)

We are pleased to announce that the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2025 will take place in Pomorskie Region (Gdańsk/Gdynia/Sopot) in Poland, in October 2025. Registration will open soon, and we encourage you to save the date:
• Date: 29-30 October 2025
• Venue: Gdańsk/Gdynia/Sopot, (final venue to be confirmed in due time)
• Registration: Opens in June 2025
• Theme: “Securing the Future: Stronger Together – Building Stability in Times of Uncertainty”

• Back-to-back event – BSSSC Day of Cities and Regions: 28 October 2025, at the same venue as the Annual Forum

The EUSBSR Annual Forum is one of the largest pan-Baltic cooperation events in the Baltic Sea Region. It brings together stakeholders from across the region to collaborate on addressing common challenges and supporting the implementation of the objectives of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR).

We look forward to your participation and contributions to the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2025, which is taking place during a period of significant change in the Baltic Sea Region, its vicinity and beyond. The forum will address the crucial question:

What actions are needed to build stability and a prosperous future for us all and the generations to come, across geopolitical, economic, social and environmental dimensions?

Viewed through the lens of the “Securing the Future”, the forum will address the EUSBSR’s three main objectives: “Save the Sea, Connect the Region and Increase Prosperity”:

Enhancing resilience to adversity and unpredictability, particularly focusing on energy security and critical infrastructure.
Ensuring economic and social resilience by emphasasing workforce development, education and green innovation. Ensuring the integration of culture and tourism to strengthen regional ties and the Baltic identity.
Protecting the environment and natural resources and promoting circular economy. The Baltic Sea in good environmental health can support diverse activities.
Policy makers, experts, and practitioners from ministries, agencies, local governments, academia, NGOs, and the EU will gather in the Pomorskie Region, Poland, for the Annual Forum. With a dynamic programme of high-level plenaries, panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities, the forum will encourage collaboration on strategies in the Baltic Sea Region to tackle the challenges of stability and sustainability in changing times.

Ahead of the EUSBSR Annual Forum and organised by BSSSC and partners, the Day of Cities and Regions will take place in Pomorskie on 28 October 2025. The event will bring together regional and local stakeholders, including authorities, civil society and youth organisations, to engage with EUSBSR Policy Areas. The day will conclude with an evening programme by the BSR Cultural Pearls project.

Additional information about the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2025 can be found here.

The host for the Annual Forum 2025 is the Pomorskie Voivodeship and the Forum is organised together with the Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat (CBSS), supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Poland, and in close collaboration with the Baltic Sea Strategy Point. The event is funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, the Pomorskie Voivodeship and the Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat.

Representatives from the Danish, Swedish, and Polish regions gathered in Gdańsk on February 17-18, 2025, to launch the Euroregion Baltic (ERB) agenda for the upcoming year. Over the course of the two-day meeting, key issues were discussed, including the priorities set by the Pomorskie Voivodeship for its presidency within the network.

Participants from Bornholm, Kronoberg, Kalmar, Blekinge, Pomorskie, and Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeships engaged in discussions. A major topic was the transformation of Euroregion Baltic into a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation. Additionally, the Pomorskie Voivodeship presented its priorities as it assumed the ERB presidency, officially taking over from the Swedish Kronoberg region after its one-year term. As part of this transition, Leszek Bonna, the Marshal of the Pomorskie Voivodeship, was elected as the new President of ERB, and Jakub Hamanowicz became the Chair of the ERB Youth Council. The Executive Board concluded the meeting by adopting a joint statement regarding the current global situation.

On the second day, a seminar on disinformation was led by Ms Iwona Pisarska from the Naval Academy in Gdynia. The seminar focused on addressing the growing issue of disinformation in the context of regional cooperation. For the ERB Youth Board, a workshop titled Level Up Your Squad Goals: Become the Ultimate Teamwork Squad was organized, where young people engaged in activities designed to strengthen collaboration, communication, and leadership skills. These activities aimed to build a more resilient and innovative future for the Baltic Sea Region.

EUROREGION BALTIC ACTION PLAN 2025 – 26

ERB JOINT STATEMENT

ERB President, Rene Jaramillo has represented Euroregion Baltic at the Art of Cooperation conference, organised under the Hungarian EU Presidency in partnership with the EU Committee of the Regions and the Association of European Border Regions.

EU Cohesion was an important topic discussed at the conference with its positive impact in strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion across the European Union. Special attention was paid to Interreg programmes and their role in promoting solidarity, common understanding and sustainable economic growth.

“This conference confirmned me in my opinion that the European community is more crucial than ever”, said ERB President, Rene Jaramillo.

Declaration on the future of Interreg, adopted at the Conference.

Euroregion Baltic Executive Board met in Brussels on 6-7 November 2024. The two-day meeting kicked off with a debate attended by MEP Jacek Protas and MEP Janusz Lewandowski emphasising the importance of regional collaboration in driving the EU’s growth and resilience. The discussion highlighted successful cross-border platforms like Euroregion Baltic in the context of ever more complicated geopolitical situation in Europe.

Special attention was given to ongoing discussions on the relevance and future direction of Cohesion Policy. Euroregion Baltic stressed the importance of EU’s partnership with regional and local authorities in strengthening cohesion and growth policy and the regions’ central role. This collaborative approach ensures that all stakeholders are involved in the decision-making process, leading to more comprehensive and inclusive policies.

We may not forget the fundemental principles enhrined in the Treaty on European Union, including the principle of subsidiarity that ensures that decisions are made as close to the citizens as possible, empowering local and regional authorities to address issues more effectively. This avoids unnecessary centralisation and ensures that policies are tailored to the specific needs of different regions.

During internal part of the meeting the Executive Board also discussed issues related to the cooperation. The Board decided to annex Euroregion Baltics strategic document: ERB 2030 Agenda with more specific goals and guidance for a new ERB secretariat once the application process for the status of a European Groupings for Territorial Cooperation is finalised. The document also defines how we define Euroregion Baltic in our external communications.

Opening speech by ERB President, Rene Jaramillo

ERB resolution on the next Multiannual Financial Framework

Annex to ERB 2030 Agenda

Euroregion Baltic Executive Board met in Olsztyn, Poland on 15-16 May 2024. Future was in focus and the Board took decisions a.o. to strengthen cooperation around climate change mitigation, green transition and EU cohesion policy after 2027.

ERB President, René Jaramillo has taken the initiative to issue a joint statement after the meeting. He said, “In a polarized world, more cooperation is part of the solution. We must build a better future, not with words but with actual work. That’s why our cooperation is so important. Together with our partners around the Baltic Sea we develop our regions.”

Among the decisions taken were the establishment of the network for green transistion leaders and the adoption of ERB Joint Position on Cohesion Policy. An important step was also taken in the process of applying for EGTC status, which enables a more formalized cooperation between public entities in the EU member States.

On 14 – 15 February 2024 the Euroregion Baltic Executive Board met in Sweden, Växjö to officially commence its work for the 2024. The meeting was attended by the representatives from the counties of Blekinge, Kalmar, Kronoberg in Sweden, Association of Klaipeda Region in Lithuania, the regions of Pomorskie and Warminsko-Mazurskie, as well as Association of Polish Communes in Poland. Also, ERB Youth Board and ERB Task Force for Climate Change and Green Transition met during these two days.

At the begining of this year’s first Executive Board meeting the ERB President, Mikael Benzon summed up the activities carried out in 2023 and thanked everyone for their engagament and exemplary cooperation spirit. ERB Presidency was then handed over to  to Region Kronoberg and Mr Rene Jaramillo. Mr Rene Jaramillo opened Kronoberg presidency by highlighting the importance for cooperation on a local level, which makes our interregional cooperation fundamentally important as well as the need for more effective communication of our work in Euroregion Baltic. We must be more visible towards our citizens!

Not only did the Executive Board Members discuss the goals and activities implemented in 2023, but also decided on future activities and steps planned in 2024. They heard reports from Mr Łukasz Bielewski, member in the South Baltic Monitoring Committee and Mr Tobias Facchini, Region Kalmar County presented the latest within the Waterman project. The Executive Board Members also discussed further steps in the application process for the status of European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC).

This year’s first Executive Board meeting concluded with presentations Johan Eklund,Chamber of Commerce  and Daniel Silander, Linnaeus University who talked about political and economic challenges and developments in the Baltic Sea Region and the whole European Union.