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Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region:

"The EU Strategy"

VIII Annual International Conference: CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION: THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, THE EU AND

NORWAY6 September 2012, Pskov

Catharina Sørensen, European Commission

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Keywords

• The Strategy in a nutshell

• Cooperation with neighbours

• The 2012 review process

• Future perspectives

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OVERVIEW1:

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The Strategy in a nutshell

• Why do we have macro-regional strategies?• Structure: Rolling Action Plan with priority

areas, horizontal actions and flagship projects

• Aim: Better use of existing institutions, funding and legislation

• Governance: Policy development by the Council; Coordination, monitoring and follow-up by the Commission; Implementation by international, national, regional or local bodies

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Cooperation with neighbours

• To build on existing structures, such as the Northern Dimension, CBSS, NCM and HELCOM

• Good on-going dialogue with the Russian Federation, agreement on projects of joint interest

• Regional cooperation with coastal regions: – Turku-process – CBSS South East Baltic Area

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WHERE ARE WE NOW?2.

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State of play

• 2011-2012: Review

• Autumn 2012: Update of the Action Plan Strategy 2.0

• June 2013: Evaluation of macro-regional strategies

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Aims of the review

• Clearer objectives • Clearer roles and responsibilities• Better communication• Better involvement of all stakeholder

groups• Sustained political commitment• Better financing

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HOW WILL WE ACHIEVE IT?

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Objectives, indicators, targets• 3 objectives for the Strategy…

– To Save the Sea– To Connect the Region– To Increase Prosperity

• …made concrete by indicators and targets

Example: To save the Sea (objective), illegal discharges (indicator) must be eliminated by 2021 (target)

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Roles and responsibilities

• To make work transparent and effective• Key tasks of all main stakeholder groups

were identified by a representative task-force

• Endorsed by the Council and included in the updated Action Plan

• A handbook to be published with extensive descriptions, explanations and examples

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Better Communication•Cooperation with Interact on new website, newsletter, visual identity. •Needs analysis conducted

Better involvement of stakeholders•Through multi-level governance, clearer roles…

Political commitment and policy alignment •Continuous visibility and relevance to ensure commitment at all levels •Strategy included in relevant Council agendas

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Better financing

• Macro-regional strategies to be accommodated in the new EU programming period

• Importance of technical assistance funds

• Seed money facility to ensure the development of good, relevant projects

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The future programming period• Macro-regional strategies included in the draft

regulations, especially: – Common provisions, Art. 14(a)v: Partnership

Contracts to take account, where appropriate, of macro-regional strategies

– Common provisions, Art. 87(c)vi: Relevant Operational Programmes to set out their planned interventions to support the Strategy

– ETC regulation, Art. 6(b) allowing transnational programmes to support implementation (TA)

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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:http://www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/