Euroregion Baltic is a hub for cross-border relations, involving citizens, politicians, institutions, economic and social partners, educational and cultural institutions. This role is recognised by national governments which bestowed ERB with the management function of the Phare Small Project Fund. Between 1999 and 2006 Euroregion Baltic managed two strands within the Fund: one for cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region and the other for cooperation with the Kaliningrad Region of the Russian Federation. More than 6 million EUR was granted to applicants from 10 countries who implemented 236 projects supporting small and medium enterprises and educational organisations, as well as facilitating youth exchanges, cultural and sports events, social inclusion, and organising conferences, seminars and trainings.
Euroregion Baltic centres its cooperation around strategically selected and agreed objectives. In 2005, within the framework of the INTERREG III B BSR Programme, Seagull devERB project (with the budget of 3.2 MEUR and ERDF co-financing of 1.3 MEUR) resulted in the elaboration of a long-term development strategy based on four strategic priorities, including economic and social development, implementation of the EU policies regarding environmental protection and promotion of renewable energy sources, as well as improving the infrastructures in order to provide better access to the Trans European transport networks, all corresponding with the revised Lisbon Strategy and the development of Four Common Spaces between the European Union and Russia.
Between 2005 and 2007 work within ERB focused on the improvement of its institutional capacities, with the jointy implemented Seagull II project. (of 0.6 MEUR total budget and 0.5 MEUR of the ERDF and Tacis co-financing from the NTERREG III B BSR Neighbourhood Programme). Working Groups were formed around the specific tasks of the Joint Development Programme, including representatives of the local and regional authorities, expert institutions, academic organisations, professionals and NGOs. Three of these groups ubmitted project applications to the second call of the South Baltic CBC Programme in 2009. Under implementation are currently: project DISKE prepared by ERB SME & Innovation Working Group, MOMENT prepared by ERB Water Working Group and LED prepared by ERB Energy Working Group.
South Baltic CBC Programme has also been of assistance to the ERB youth cooperation. Established at the end of 2008 Euroregion Baltic Youth Board applied with the YC3 project (Youth Cooperation and Communication) where young representatives of the ERB member regions work together forming a platform to exchange ideas and to put forward their proposals to local, regional and national policies concerning a number of issues related to the youth, e.g. student mobility and exchange programmes, young entrepreneurship, sustainable development, etc.
Also, ERB partners on Bornholm have been managing initiatives in support of cross-border cooperation. Between 2002 and 2006 the Tripartite Cross-Border Cooperation Fund was operated and co-financed 35 projects implemented in the partnership between Danish Bornholm Commune, Polish Warmińsko-Mazurskie Region and Russian Kaliningrad Oblast with 1,141,000 EUR.
In 2009 partners from around Euroregion Baltic have been able to use the Norwegian Financial Mechanism facility called “Small Cross-Border and Inter-Regional Grant Fund” offered by the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic. Micro-projects implementing cross-border cooperation, aiming and improving the operations of self-governmental administration and at stimulating social initiatives, transferring knowledge from the more developed regions to the less developed ones, promoting regional and local development and ensuring the development of communication and development of systems for exchange of information have been possible to execute in the area of EEA EFTA states, the other countries of The Baltic Sea Region, Kaliningrad Region of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and Belorussia. So far 81 projects have been implemented at the value of 1.8 MEUR of the co-financing.
Between March 2010 and November 2011 Euroregion Baltic was a partner in the Capacity Building Project, which was implemented within the South Baltic Cross-border Cooperation Programme. The goal of the project was to help potential Programme beneficiaries, especially from local authorities and small NGOs, in the preparation and implementation of cross-border projects. The project offered free-of-charge services, including training on project development, cross-border workshops and individual project consultations. Within the project, Euroregion Baltic was responsible mainly for the promotion and dissemination of information about the project activities.