Part-financed by the European Union

Setting regions in motion

by Giedrė Švedienė, UndersecretaryJoint Programming Committee/Ministry of the Interior, Lithuania

Setting regions in motion

The Baltic Sea Region. Did you know that…

• programme’s area covers approx. 2.4 million km² - almost half of the EU

• population of 110 million amounts to 23% of EU

• average population density is about 46 inhabitants/km (EU 112)

• aggregated GDP is about 16% of the EU

We did it together

11 states,

represented in the Joint Programming Committee,

prepared and endorsed

the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013

Setting regions in motion

Identity of the new programme

• a mainstream Structural Funds programme for the Baltic Sea Region (Objective 3 programme on Territorial Cooperation)

• built on two preceding Community Initiative programmes (Baltic Sea INTERREG IIC & III B NP)

• addresses issues that call for intervention at transnational level

Setting regions in motion

Context of the new programme

• considerable differences between the West and East

• common development challenges, e.g.:

concentration of knowledge-intensive activities in and around capitals and metropolitan regions,

growth in road transport,

safety at sea,

pollution of Baltic Sea waters,

energy efficiency.

Setting regions in motion

Strategic objective and priorities

1. Fostering innovations

2. External and internal accessibility

3. Baltic Sea as a common resource

4. Attractive and competitive cities and regions

To strengthen the developmenttowards a sustainable, competitive

and territorially integrated Baltic SeaRegion by connecting potentials

over the borders

Eligible area of the programme

• EU Member States: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and northern parts of Germany

• Norway

• north-west regions of Russia

• Belarus

Setting regions in motion

Who can apply?

• Public authorities from national, regional and local levels

• Public equivalent bodies (e.g. research and training institutions, business development institutions and other non-profit organisations)

Private (commercial) organisations as additional partners with own financing

Within limits, programme funds can be applied for by partners from outside the eligible area.

Setting regions in motion

How much money is available?

• Slightly more than in the present programme

- 208 MEUR from European Regional Development Fund

- 22.6 MEUR from European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (new)

- 6 MEUR from Norwegian national funding

Total = 236,6 MEUR

Plus own co-funding from project partners

Setting regions in motion

What do we expect from future projects?

• principle of transnationality respected

• integrated territorial approach to distinguish from sector initiatives

• preparation of investments of transnational relevance

• emphasis on pre-investment character and pilot investments

• development of transferable results better visible than in the present programme

Setting regions in motion

Programme launch calendar

• March-April 2007 – national approval procedures

• May 2007 – submission to the European Commission

• 10-11 May 2007, Hamburg – Programme Conference

• autumn 2007 – approval by the European Commission

• late 2007/early 2008 – first call for project proposals

Setting regions in motion

Part-financed by the European Union

Setting regions in motion

by Giedrė Švedienė, UndersecretaryJoint Programming Committee/Ministry of the Interior, Lithuania