1 Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region: "The EU Strategy" VIII Annual International Conference:...
-
Upload
parker-doran -
Category
Documents
-
view
216 -
download
0
Transcript of 1 Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region: "The EU Strategy" VIII Annual International Conference:...
1
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
2
Keywords
• The Strategy in a nutshell
• Cooperation with neighbours
• The 2012 review process
• Future perspectives
4
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
5
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
7
State of play
• 2011-2012: Review
• Autumn 2012: Update of the Action Plan Strategy 2.0
• June 2013: Evaluation of macro-regional strategies
8
Aims of the review
• Clearer objectives • Clearer roles and responsibilities• Better communication• Better involvement of all stakeholder
groups• Sustained political commitment• Better financing
10
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)
11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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)