Intro
The session aimed at demonstrating the successful outcome of the Baltic Sea Region Transnational Cooperation Programme under the umbrella of the Interreg. Moderator Wiktor Szydarowski pointed out that the session should discuss to what extent this particular programme has been able to boost the development and competitiveness of the BSR. The themes of the session also revolved around the possibilities of the new transnational programme, which runs from 2007 until 2013.
Main Messages
• More private sector involvement should be generated in the new Interreg projects. (Wilfried Görmar)
• The new planning period of the Interreg BSR Interreg program will be much more open to pan-Baltic organisations that run their own projects. (Wilfried Görmar)
• The new program will focus on four main parts: innovation, accessibility, environment and urban-rural co-operation. (Wilfried Görmar)
Themes
BSR Transnational Co-operation
Wilfried Görmar from the German Federal Office of Building and Planning, Steering Committee of the BSR Interreg IIIB Neighbourhood Programme, spoke of the achievements and challenges of transnational cooperation in the BSR in the light of the BSR Interreg programme. The programme area comprises the 11 member states of the BSR as well as Belarus. The need for transnational cooperation stems from real processes, such as the growing integration of Europe, Görmar pointed out. In fact, many problems today cannot be solved in a local context, but must be tackled through transnational solutions, especially when it comes to environmental or transport related issues. This was the main idea behind the programme, which aims at focussing on problems that need a transnational strategy. Görmar underlined that transnational cooperation is an excellent tool to integrate Europe through working together in joint projects. The projects under the Interreg IIIB programme run until 2008 and have altogether attracted 2800 partners, among these 150 from the private sector. This indicates an improving private sector involvement. Görmar emphasised that there is a need for more flexibility in the future towards bigger projects with less direct partners and more indirect ones. He also stressed that the programme aims for pilot solutions and pilot investments in order to create solutions transferable to other projects. Further, more involvement of the private sector is a desired goal as well as stronger involvement of national authorities. In the next coming period, Görmar stated, the programme should focus on four key issues: innovation, accessibility, environment and urban-rural co-operation. This programme will be much more open for pan-Baltic organisations who are working on their own projects, he said. One of the four key topics in the next programme period will be innovation. More precisely, objectives like building enhanced cluster infrastructure, facilitating transfer of innovation and strengthening social foundations for better generation and absorption are going to be dominating the next planning period.
Concrete projects under the Interreg IIIB programme
Manager, Baltic Spatial Development Measures for Enterprise project, Hanseatic Parliament in Germany, Max Hogeforster, talked about their successful project that sets the goal of strengthening SMEs in the BSR. There are three areas of action: 1) community (public-private co-operation and networks), 2) Qualification (to improve academic background and practical knowledge of SME managers), 3) concrete support of SMEs (matchmaking events, seminars and courses etc.). His experience with the Interreg IIIB program was very positive in terms of structuring the project as well as getting consultancy from the secretariat.
Manager, Eurobaltic II project, Swedish Rescue Services Agency, Anneli Bodin, stressed that when dealing with civil protection, a strongly regional perspective must be taken. In order to finance the regional and transnational gaps in services, it was necessary to find a project that could develop certain areas. That was the initiative behind applying for the BSR transnational programme, she said. The Eurobaltic II project deals with cross-border disasters and daily-life accidents. The project focuses on three areas: 1) risk management in spatial planning, 2) building transnational capacity and 3) promoting safety cross-borders and cross-sectors. Some important results have already been achieved especially in the area of transnational training and planning, initiated networks and in developing safety study material for children. She asked for continuous flexibility towards project structures. Involving Russia, Belarus and Ukraine would also be important, she said.
Manager, Baltic Biomass Network project, Potsdam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Germany, Stephen Dahle, informed the audience that this project deals with renewable energy and the development of bio energy in the BSR. Dahle underlined that there is a need to catch up in terms of capacity building in the area of bio energy development, which was also the main idea behind the project. There is a global biomass market developing in the BSR, and the project’s objective is to implement a common vision for bio energy development in the Region. The project works with regional decision makers providing them with planning tools for bio energy investment projects. Their task is to make a spatial planning analysis in order to see what the most appropriate bio energy product lines are. The project produces biomass action plans at the local, national and regional level. The success behind the project depends on the fact that the method for developing these plans was created at the transnational level under the Interreg project, Dahle said. Another activity of the project is to make multinational companies aware that there is a huge potential for biomass investment in the BSR. The project idea has proved very successful. The Interreg transnational programme was a perfect platform for the project as it was flexible enough to allow regions to cooperate together and employs a multidisciplinary approach.
The transnational cooperation programme has now implemented its own legal framework. Görmar also pointed out that they are working hard on reducing bureaucratic burdens, but, due to the transnational scope of the projects, it is difficult to diminish all administrative obstacles. Good project management is extremely important already from the start. Bodin agreed that the bureaucratic issues can hinder the progress of the project, many problems occur especially on the national level. Hogeforster pointed out that project management can play an important role in reducing administrative and bureaucratic burdens. There will be more Russian and Belarusian involvement in the next period, Görmar said.
