BelarusDenmarkEstoniaFinlandGermanyLatviaLithuaniaNorwayPolandRussiaSweden

BelarusDenmarkEstoniaFinlandGermanyLatviaLithuaniaNorwayPolandRussiaSweden

Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013

Transnational Co-operation Programme under the European Territorial Co-operation Objective

Prepared by the Joint Secretariat

The eligible area of the programme• EU Member States

Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden (whole country), Germany (parts of the country)

• Norway (whole country)

• Russia (parts of the country)

• Belarus (whole country)

• NEW! Partners from other EU and non-EU areas may join individual projects and benefit from the programme funds (under certain conditions)

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 sector involvement as additional partners with

own financing

• Lead Partner principle to be further applied

Budget of the programme

• Higher than the size of the present programme

• Will be composed of:– European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): approx.

208 MEUR– European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument

(ENPI): approx. 22.6 MEUR (NEW!)– Norwegian national funding: approx. 6 MEUR– Respective obligatory own co-funding from

national/regional/local level

Co-financing rate

The programme funds will cover:

– up to 75 % of eligible project costs generated by

partners from Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Finland

– up to 85 % of eligible project costs generated by

partners from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland

– up to 50 % of eligible project costs generated by

partners from Norway

– up to 90 % of eligible project costs generated by

partners from Russia and Belarus

ENPI component (NEW!)

• Participation of partners involved in the activities which are for the benefit of the Russian or Belarusian territory covered by the programme will be financed from the ENPI fund

• Partners using the ENPI funds will have to follow the rules that apply for EU external funding (PRAG rules)

• ENPI component under preparation towards an integrated ERDF/ENPI programme

Implementation structure of the programme

Single Managing

Authority (MA)Investitionsbank

Schleswig-Holstein,Kiel, Germany

SingleCertifying

Authority (CA) Investitionsbank

Schleswig-Holstein,Kiel, Germany

SingleAudit

Authority (AA)

???, Germany

Joint Technical

Secretariat(JTS)

Main office: Rostock,Germany

Branch office: Riga, Latvia

Groupof

Auditors(1 representative

per MemberState; chaired by

AA)

Assis-tance

Monitoring and SteeringCommittee (MSC)

Leadbeneficiary

AssistanceAssistance

Bene-ficiary

Bene-ficiary

Bene-ficiary

Assistance

„First level“controller(s)

(set up byMember States)

EuropeanCommission

(EC)

AgreementPayments Verification

Assistance

…

8 EU Member States+

Belarus, Norway and Russia

Represen-tatives

Agreements AgreementsAgreements

Identity of the new programme

It is a mainstream Structural Funds programme for the Baltic Sea Region (Objective 3 programme on Territorial Cooperation); no longer a Community Initiative although it is a continuation of the BSR IR3B programme

It addresses the Lisbon and Gothenburg strategies and develops on the Baltic Sea Region specificity

It addresses only issues which call for intervention at the transnational level

It has a geographical, thematic and quality focus

It combines three development aspects of the BSR:

(1) territorial cohesion

(2) socio-economic competitiveness

(3) sustainable management of the natural resources

Strategic objective and priorities of the programme

OBJECTIVE:

To strengthen the development towards a

sustainable, competitive and

territorially integrated Baltic Sea Region by connecting potentials

over the administrative borders

1. FOSTERING OF INNOVATIONS

ACROSS THE BSR

2. IMPROVING OF EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL

ACCESSIBILITY OF THE BSR

3. MANAGEMENT OF THE BALTIC SEA AS

A COMMON RESOURCE

4. PROMOTING OF ATTRACTIVE AND

COMPETITIVE CITIES AND REGIONS

mitigati

on

of bar

riers

seeding and

diffusion

risk m

itigatio

n

&resource management

networking

& pan-Baltic

products

EFFECTS:

Accelerated functional integration and internal

convergenceIncreased investment

attractivenessHigher regional

productivity Better quality of the

environmentRecognition of the BSR

as a global player

Priority 1: Fostering of innovations across the BSR

Directions of support:

Supporting of the innovation sources

Facilitating transnational technology transfer and dissemination of knowledge, in particular for SMEs

Strengthening the societal foundations and public participation in generation and absorption of new knowledge

Priority 2: Improving external and internal accessibility of the BSR

Directions of support:

Promotion of transport and ICT measures enhancing accessibility and sustainable socio-economic growth

Actions stimulating further integration within existing transnational development zones and creation of new ones

Priority 3: Management of the Baltic Sea as a common resource

Directions of support:

Water management with special attention to challenges caused by increasing economic activities and climate changes

Enhancement of Maritime Safety

Economic management of open sea areas and sustainable use of marine resources

Integrated development of off-shore and coastal areas

Priority 4: Promoting of attractive and competitive cities and regions

Directions of support:

Strengthening metropolitan regions, cities and urban areas as engines of economic development

Strategic support for integrated BSR development and socio-economic and territorial cohesion

Strengthening social conditions and impacts of regional and city development (NEW! – ENPI)

Character of future projects

• Projects have to address topics identified under the priorities of the programme

• Principle of transnationality to be respected, i.a. projects should demonstrate potential for the whole BSR

• Emphasis on strategic relevance of projects, preparation of future investments, capitalisation of project results

• Learning experience and model solutions to be produced

• Transfer of project results to be better visible than in the present programme

Indicators System (NEW!)

introduced in the Programme

15

The system of indicators is based on a set of expected results defined for each priority and accompanied by respective outputs

Programme targets are expressed as a minimum expected number of projects contributing to the given result

The system of indicators operates at two levels: - at the programme level results indicators are the numbers

of project addressing the given result,

- at the project level result indicators are defined and quantified by the projects themselves

Feature of the programme: strategic projects

A project is regarded strategic if:

it refers to a problem and develops solutions essential for the stable development of the whole BSR, and

its geographical area or area of influence encompasses the whole or large parts of the BSR, and

it contains an investment stage, and

it has a strong political backup at the national level, which takes responsibility for endorsement of the policy recommendations or implementation of transnationally prepared investments

Examples of strategic projects are given under each priority

Feature of the programme: principle of transnationality

Projects are requested to:

ensure joint project development, management, financing and implementation by partners from at least 3 countries from the programme area (out of minimum 3 financial partners at least 2 come from EU Member States inside the BSR), and

address topics of importance for or having impact on the BSR development, and

develop model solutions and learning experience in a transnational context, i.e. through a common process of involving actors of various countries, or

provide development proposals (strategies, programmes, concepts) for a contiguous transnational territory (e.g. transport corridor-related development zone)

Feature of the programme: quality requirements

contribution to sustainable development

added value

competence raising

durability

preparation of investments

transferability of results

Launching of the programme

• Open calls for application launched on a regular basis

• Max. two calls per year

• Calls open and advertised for approx. 3-4 months

• Considered schedule for the 1st call: still discussed!

– Programme info days:

– Opening of the 1st call:

– Thematic workshops, lead applicant seminars, project consultations:

– Closure of the call:

– Decisions on projects: