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Baltic Leadership Programme on PFAS

Dear ERB Water Core Group Members, 

Please see the information we’ve received from the Swedish Institute. This year they are organizing another Baltic Leadership Programme (BLP) on Per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). They are very contaminated fluorochemicals, with a significant threat to the drinking water and water systems. Fire foams, all kind of sprays,  even takeaway boxes (e.g. pizza packages) or skivaxs often contain PFAS. Municipalities and regions have a tremendous responsibility in the direct implementation/usage of such substance. However, there is deficient awareness of that. I enclose the concept note of BLP on  PFAS. 

Conditions to apply and participate are similar to previous BLP programmes, only this time only specific target audience has been informed about the programme, including our Water Core Group.

SI BLP programmes enable the formation of expert-networks and provide great experts and knowledge. SI covers all costs of the modules, accommodation, food, etc.. However, SI expect that participants pay their travel to the physical modules.

For full module concept and programme please contact Magda from the IPS: magda.rzucidlo@euroregionbaltic.eu

IMPORTANT: SI they expect all applications form no later than 15 August attached with a CV written in English and then the final participants will be chosen.

In order to unlock the potential of young people and their knowledge of the region they live in, with a particular focus on the need to activate the potential of local peripheries, ERB International Permanent Secretariat organized a series of two workshops entitled “Baltic Leaders – Energy, Youth, Europe”.

The first one, held on 28th September at Gymnasium 8 in Elblag, was not only a unique opportunity to address teenagers aged between 14 and 15 years old about youth opportunities designed by EU but an opportunity to listen to them and understand how they imagine life in the Baltic Sea Region. Indeed, through an activity based on the concept of non-formal education and free exchange of ideas, teenagers were able to discuss three main topics – Leisure, School, Future – expressing their needs, concerns, hopes. What has emerged clearly from the workshop is that, even though interested in the opportunity to be actively involved in the area they live in as well as to take part to EU mobility related initiative in the future, they think that it could be done more to promote them.

The second one, held 29th September at ERB International Permanent Secretariat, was a structured workshop aiming at presenting the activity of ERB to locals, future Youth Exchanges will take place in Denmark and Sweden as well as at gaining information about Leisure, School/Work, Politics/Governance. Opting for a discussion strategy based on non-formal education, the participants – aged between 16 and 40 years old – had the opportunity to talk about recreational activities, the presence of youth councils, the reason motivating them to emigrate, the way how they conceive politics.

What has emerged during this workshop and the discussion with the three experts invited – Pawel Kulasiewicz (Director of the Center for Economic, Social and Institutional Cooperation – The State Higher Vocational School in Elblag), Agata Ludwiczak (Eureoregion Baltic – International Permanent Secretariat), Marcin  Żuchowski (Association of Polish Communes – Euroregion Baltic) – is that youth would like to receive a bigger consideration from politics – the lack of trust toward politicians is deep – and feels the need to have a stronger influence over the decision-making process of young related policies.

During the workshop Ms Ludwiczak had also the opportunity to present CaSYPoT, a project focused on improving cross-border cooperation capacity of actors in the Baltic Area through the creation of a joint knowledge-based strategic youth policy. In order to help with the implementation of the project – management, communication, promotion and dissemination of information – ERB International Permanent Secretariat is currently hosting an IVY volunteer, Domenico Misurelli from Italy. IVY – Interreg Volunteer Youth is a pilot action that offers the possibility to young Europeans aged 18-30 to serve as volunteers in cross-border, transnational or interregional programmes and related projects for 2-6 months. Finally, it was also a chance to introduce the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region aiming at detecting how it tackles youth-related issues and how ERB tries to be in line with it.

The meeting provided ERB with useful information about how young people conceive their role in the society they live in, the degree of engagement and opinions over opportunities offered to them. It is interesting to note that every topic faced showed the necessity for public institutions to provide them with more information as well as to give a concrete opportunity to exert influence in the decision-making process.

On 12-13th June 2017, young Baltic Leaders from the Warmia-Mazury Region and the ERB Youth Board took part in the conference ‘Nothing about us without us!’, organised by the three pan-Baltic organisations UBC (Union of the Baltic Cities), BSSSC (Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation) and ERB (Euroregion Baltic). (more…)

On 23rd May 2017 ‘Baltic Leaders’ joined the second ERB Executive meeting of this year. Baltic Leaders are 5 young people between 16 and 25 years old, selected as representatives of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship to take part in the LB-EME project (Baltic Leaders- Energy of the Young Europe). The aim of this project, ideated by ERB to contribute to “European integration and development of contact and cooperation between societies”, is to increase the access to knowledge, related to the international cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. The promotion of this plan has been going on in the Youth Leadership Council of Warmińsko- Mazurskie Voivodship Youth Council since April. (more…)

The content of this website is the sole responsibility of the author and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union, the Managing Authority or the Joint Secretariat of the South Baltic Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020. The project UMBRELLA is partly financed from the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2014-2020 through the European Regional Development Fund.