The main aim of the UMBRELLA 2.0 event on 27.04 is to inspire and raise awareness on the importance of cross-border and transnational cooperation for all local actors – including the smaller ones and those who never took part in any international collaboration before.
We have invited experts coming from: Council of the Baltic Sea States, EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, Euroregion Baltic, Union of the Baltic Cities, Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation, local NGOs and municipalities from different Baltic Sea countries to ask them for their best practices, advice and inspiration.
We will have experts answering your questions LIVE during the event.
Send your questions to us now, and we will ask the most suitable expert to answer them.
Euroregion Baltic (ERB)
continues its active role as a facilitator of cross-border initiatives in the
South Baltic area. Over the years, ERB has built a strong network of
cross-border relations involving citizens, political decision-makers, economic
and social partners, and educational and cultural institutions. Our ambition
is to use these partnerships for the benefit of inhabitants and local
communities in our cooperation area.
EU
funds supporting territorial cooperation will be of special importance in our
work. People-to-people collaboration is essential in building relations and
should continue to be supported. This refers specifically to the South Baltic
cross-border programme, a key financial instrument for ERB cooperation since
2007.
ERB
will continue working towards improved conditions for cross-border cooperation
in the South Baltic Sea area.
Joint Secretariat of the Interreg South Baltic Programme has released information about the current state-of-the-art in programming the Interreg SBP for the years 2021-2027. You can read it below on go directly to the Interreg SBP website: https://southbaltic.eu/interreg-south-baltic-2021-2027
Euroregion Baltic is directly involved in the works on the new Programme for 2021-2027 being an active member of the Joint Programming Committee, members of two SWokring Groups for the new Programme, as we as leading the Join Delegation of Euroregions in the Programme Monitoring Committee.
The Joint Programming Committee (JPC) was established and the 1st meeting took place on 4th February 2020, during the meeting, the JPC Rules of Procedure, as well as Terms of Reference for the socio-economic analisys, were adopted. In the following months, the public procurement procedure was carried out and the best offer was selected. Contract with the PWC Advisory was signed on 18th June 2020.
During the second meeting of the JPC held on 22nd of June 2020, PWC Advisory presented the methodological report and the first results of the study. The cooperation with the Contractor was divided into two stages:
In the first stage, Contractor was obliged to conduct socio-economic analysis, SWOT/TOWS analysis and Problems and Objectives Tree (POT). The socio-economic analysis, SWOT and POT stage ended on 8 October 2020 and it was a starting point for further discussions and decisions on Programme Strategy, Priorities and Specific Objectives;
In the second stage on the basis of the conducted research, surveys and workshops with JPC, MA, JS, public stakeholders etc. (held in the Summer) as well as requirements and requests submitted during the 3rd JPC meeting (10th September 2020), Contractor prepared a proposal of the Programme Strategy, Priority Axes and Specific Objectives, covering:
In the Programme Strategy
– characteristics of the eligible area;
– most important common challenges;
– characteristics of the basic social, economic and territorial differences occurring in the CP area.
In the Programme Priorities and Specific Objectives
– justification of the choice;
– related types of actions and their expected contribution;
– indicative percentage breakdown of funds by category of intervention;
– first proposal of the output indicators and result indicators selected from the common list;
– the main target groups.
The first proposal of the Strategy and Programme Priorities was delivered on 20 October 2020 by the PWC Advisory. Working Group 1 was established by the JPC (20 October 2020) and started work jointly with the Contractor on Programme Strategy and Priorities. During the 4th JPC meeting organised on 3-4 November, 2020 first draft of the Strategy was presented.
The next step was the establishment (19 November 2020) of the Working Group 2 for the implementation arrangements of the future Programme. Afterwards, the second draft of the Strategy and Programme Priorities incorporating the results of the WG1 discussions was developed on 30 November 2020.
Currently, work is focused on the joint elaboration of contribution to Programme Document according to the template for Interreg Programmes as stated in the draft of Interreg regulation:
Programme strategy: main development challenges and policy responses etc.;
Priorities, covering: specific objectives, types of actions, indicators, main target groups etc.;
Financing plan (incl. ERDF and national co-financing);
Implementing provisions (Programme Authorities, liabilities of Member States );
Use of simplified costs options.
During the 5th JPC meeting planned for 12th January 2021, the final draft of the Strategy, Priorities and Specific Objectives should be adopted. In the next steps planned for I – II Quarter of 2021, the process of drafting of the Cooperation Programme document as well as Strategic Environmental Assessment will begin.
The Joint Secretariat of the Interreg South Baltic Programme encourages all stakeholdrs to take part in the public consultations of these documents. Information will appear on the programme website in due course.
On 3rd December 2020, during the final ERB Executive Board meeting in 2020 and the last one under the Presidency of the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion baltic (PL), the Board members all agreed to establish another task force in the Euroregion Baltic – Mobility Core Group.
The decision was made after the Blekinge Region Board Member – Mr Johan Sandberg, ERB Vice President presented the idea to the ERB Board Members. Blekinge Region will host a secretariat for the newly established group.
The ERB Mobility
Core Group consists of partners from the previous Interreg South Baltic project
Interconnect, as well as contact persons and experts from the ERB member
organisations.
The group will be working on behalf of the ERB Board with concrete actions and the work is supposed to contribute to project development and common activities improving mobility between the ERB member regions.
The Mobility Core Group will report to a steering group consisting of ERB board members (appointed by the ERB Board). Lobbying activities in order to represent and promote common interests;
Implementation of strategic initiatives and projects complementing the local and regional agendas of the member organisations; and
Exchange activities, to seek a collaborative approach to common challenges and to progress in innovation and in operational efficiency of the cooperation. The Mobility Core Group will focus on activities from the below perspectives.
Exchange
of experience:
Trends
affecting public transport and sustainability change directions of the local
and regional transport systems in the South Baltic area.
Public
transport planning vs. strategies by private operators (e.g. ferry companies).
Shared
challenges
Access
to cross-border PT services for rural and more remote areas.
Low
knowledge/awareness of leisure time attractions on ‘the other shore’.
Fighting climate change
Joint
solutions
‘Low-hanging
fruits’ (new or enhanced methods, services or products developed and/or applied
in the Interconnect project and demonstrating a high replication potential)
Cross-border
perspective of public transport in the local and regional strategic documents
Impact
on other sectors
Tourism
routes – adapted to different target groups
Cross-border
commuting / labour market travel patterns
Student
and youth travel patterns
Method
The Mobility Core Group will apply a Multi-level governance perspective on its activities. The link between TEN-T development and contribution to the EU cohesion policies is considered a week. The focus will be to apply a holistic view on regional mobility and transport planning as a driving force for boosting potentials within other sectors such as tourism, education and business. This approach will strengthen the relationship between public transport, regional development and the citizens.
Actors from each region
The ERB Mobility
Core Group should aim to include members from all nine regions, in six
countries. The basis will be the partnership from the previous Interreg South
Baltic project Interconnect with the possibility to extend the network with
relevant representatives from each of the ERB member organisations. The group
will also invite relevant participants from regions outside the ERB
geographical area ie former Interconnect partners.
Actions
The Core
Group aims to have physical meetings back to back with the ERB Board meetings.
Those meetings will be complemented by online meetings.
The meetings should aim to identify “hot topics” and “bottlenecks” for further joint development and discussion.
