Baltic Sea Youth Platform is an Erasmus+ Programme project aiming at empowering youth and fostering actual participation in decisions and policy-making in the Baltic Sea Region. It started on February 1st 2020 and was prolonged from August 2022 until December 2022. Despite many difficulties and inconveniences caused by the pandemic, the project partnership supported and got involved in many significant youth-oriented initiatives throughout the past year, thus promoting the idea of BSYP.

In 2021 project partners meetings were held online every two weeks, which contributed to building strong engagement and developing new initiatives and great ideas for further cooperation.

On March 1st, BSYP conducted the Youth Forum within the 2^nd EU Macro Regional Strategies week hosted by DG REGIO. Julia Orluk, ERB’s Youth Board former Chairwoman, who’s been engaged in the BSYP project from its’ very beginning, was among the panellists of the bottom-up session to empower the participation of Youth and Civil Society Organisations in MRS.

In March 2021, the First Interim Report for the Baltic Sea Youth Platform Erasmus+ project was submitted and approved by the Swedish Agency.

In April, the BSYP project participated in two youth-oriented events:  BSSSC Youth Network on April 14th and Digital Youth Workshop on Green and Social entrepreneurship co-organized with Youth4Nature.

May 2021 was another busy month for BSYP. On May 6th BSYP became a part of a youth panel during a CBSS trafficking conference focusing on human trafficking during the digital era. The meeting was co-organized by TH-TFB and the CAR unit of the CBSS. Next, on 12^th – 14^th May, the CBSS Ministerial Youth Edition was held, where again BSYP was very active. During the event, young people from the Baltic Sea region came up with great ideas that evaluated the CBSS Vision Statement Beyond 2030, presented to the Foreign Ministers at the CBSS Ministerial on June 1st.

Finally, between 28^th and 29^th May, BSYP joined the BSSSC Youth Spring Event, where modern democracy, Baltic sustainability and entrepreneurship were discussed with experts from EU Parliament.

On June 22nd, all BSYP project partners and associated partners joined Partnership Day to work on the platform vision with ACTER experts. Project partners discussed further steps regarding virtual platform development, toolkits and guidelines issues within Baltic Sea Youth Power Box, policy recommendations, youth input to the Baltic Sea Cultural Cities and other matters connected to the external report.

August 2021 was also filled with extraordinary events dedicated to Youth, and the BSYP project was proud to be a part of them. Starting up with 41^st Hanseatic Days days on 19^th -21^st August, a hybrid event taking place in Riga and online. Among others, the program included the “Youth Hanza” event, which was a virtual meeting of young people from member cities, during which issues of current issues in the region such as the climate and environment, the participation of young people in these processes, as well as the history and traditions of Hanseatic cities were discussed interactively.

On 28^th – 31^st August, BSYP joined the ReGeneration Week 2021 – a hybrid event, where people participated physically on the Åland Islands and through the streaming tool Coeo. The ReGeneration Week provided an international meeting place for intergenerational dialogues for a sustainable system change. The theme for the ReGeneration Week 2021 was “ReThinking The System”, which highlights the need for a sustainable recovery after the pandemic. ReGeneration Week 2021 offered interactive lectures and workshops, intergenerational dialogues and provided tools to contribute to a more sustainable life in connection to the five different domains in Anatomy of Action.

On August 29th, the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)/Baltic Sea Youth Platform, together with the Swedish delegation to the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, organized the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Youth Forum to promote dialogue between young people of the region and policymakers.

The Forum gathered young people and members of parliament from the Baltic Sea Region who discussed how to secure a democratically and environmentally sustainable future. It provided an opportunity for young people to give input to policymakers on the issues at hand and gain insight into international parliamentary cooperation.

Furthermore, BSYP was an active participant at the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2021. On September 30th, CBSS organized a panel discussion on Empowering Youth for Green Entrepreneurship, which became a platform for young entrepreneurs from across the BSR to share their insights on how to start a green business and provide their experience regarding existing obstacles and barriers for receiving funding and building a business model. The panel also gave the floor to representatives of financial institutions and programmes. The participants also had an opportunity to discuss how to improve the status quo regarding financial mechanisms and accessibility and provide a more supportive environment for young people to start their businesses in the BSR. The last day of the Forum was entirely dedicated to youth issues. Participants joined a plenary session on Youth’s involvement but also heard more about Klaipėda as the European Youth Capital 2021, the role of Youth in implementing ambitious green agenda of the EU, the presentation of Lithuanian Sea Museum, creative workshop on SDGs, presentations of sustainable solutions of businesses and many more.

In October, CBSS announced a call for the Baltic Sea Youth Dialogue 2021: Looking forward, looking back – 30 Years of Collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region. The dialogue, held between 4th-28th November, consisted of three lectures on the following topics: Safe & Secure Region, Sustainable & Prosperous Region and Regional Identity. All participants of the lectures had an exciting opportunity to dialogue with experts from the region. The discussion was followed by two activities: a cross country assignment and a learning diary. Each activity’s best creative entries were later awarded during the online ceremony on December 11th 2021.

On November 1st, the Baltic Sea Youth Platform partnership announced the recruitment for the Baltic Sea Talent Pool. Young people (18-30 years old) eager to be active in shaping policies within the region could apply to join one of the working groups: advocacy – responsible for writing policy recommendations and taking part in the events,  culture – implementing local actions and being part of the development of the Baltic Sea Cultural Cities and Regions Project Or to become a part of BSYP taskforce for child protection policies.

On November 23rd, CBSS presented the BSYP during the “Connecting minds across the ages” side event at the NDPHS Partnership Annual Conference.

Finally, on 25^th and 26^th November, the BSYP project partners met physically in Stockholm for the first time after nearly 20 months. At the two day meeting, organized in the premises of CBSS, representatives from Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany and Poland, including many youth representatives, had an opportunity to discuss the current status of the Project, partner contribution, funding options, add-ons to be created, development of intellectual outputs within Project as well as Strategy, Vision and Partnership beyond 2022. The second day of the meeting was filled with some great workshops within the Baltic Sea Belongs to Kids project and very fruitful discussions among members of BSYP Working Groups.

• BSYP Vision Beyond 2022

As a follow-up of the youth involvement in the first CBSS Committee of Senior Officials meeting in mid-September, BSYP was asked to provide a first draft of a vision for the BSYP after the project ended. The document is an internal document of the CBSS to continue the discussions on the institutionalization of the BSYP. It was meant to start a debate amongst the CBSS Member States on how financial support of the BSYP could look like after the Erasmus+ Project ends. On November 23rd, the CSO met and discussed the BSYP Vision Beyond 2022 proposal and how to move on with the BSYP.

This call aims to involve people aged 18 – 30 years old in shaping policies within the region. There are three thematic groups to apply:

Advocacy Working Group

Politically interested young people who want to shape policies in the Baltic Sea Region.

Culture Working Group

Active young people who want to implement local activities and advise decision – makers on cultural projects in the Baltic Sea Region.

Taskforce: Child protection

Young people who are interested in child protection policies and would like to conceptualize a child protection working group.

The deadline for the submission is November 8^th, and is held via this link: https://bit.ly/3nRBaDq

More detailed information is available on the CBSS website and the Baltic Sea Youth Platform website.

The next meeting of the BSYP Working Groups is scheduled for November 25th and 26th in Stockholm and via remote tools. Euroregion Baltic will be present in Stockholm, we will have two representatives of the International permanent Secretariat and 3 Euroregion Baltic Youth Board members.

FAQ

FOR WHOM? 

Everyone between 18-30 years old. 
No special knowledge needed.

Do not worry about your level of English, joining our Working Groups is a great way to improve your own personal skills. 

HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE? 

Every group will meet twice per month.

If you join a group, you should stay active for at least 6 months. There will be tasks distributed within the group.

If you take over such responsibility, please consider carefully if you have the time to fulfil the task. 

IS THERE ANY SUPPORT AND MENTORSHIP? 

Yes, the Council of the Baltic Sea States and other partners of the Baltic Sea Youth Platform will support the groups and provide guidance whenever needed. 

WHY SHOULD I JOIN? 

This is a great opportunity to enhance your own skills in teamwork, international cooperation, the English language and in the topic you will be working in. 

You can learn a lot and share your experiences with others while working for a much bigger purpose: real youth participation in the region. 
You will be the one driving the change, engaged in all our activities and getting all the latest information before anyone else. 

You have the chance to work with mentors and experts in various fields and you can build a network that will help you throughout your life. 

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE WORKING GROUPS? 

The aim of the Working Groups is to promote youth cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region and show that young people are active drivers of change. You will get the chance to speak to decision-makers and influence decisions to create a more sustainable, safer and prosperous region. 

IS THERE A DEADLINE FOR THE APPLICATION? 

Yes, we will close the application on

08.11.2021, 23:59 CET Sign-u

Are you between 16 and 30 years old and do you represent the Baltic Sea Region? Do you organise conservation activities with children, other young people or a local community? Or maybe you have a project in mind to raise awareness of consumers on sustainable seafood or to use marine resources in the Baltic Sea sustainably? Or something completely different that you think has the potential to change things in the area?

Then we are looking for you!

The #Youth4Ocean Forum has launched a new call for project proposals, designed to promote the ideas of young change-makers in the Baltic Sea Region! All across the Baltic Sea Region, we are looking for young people that either are or would like to develop an ocean-related project and that are keen to become Baltic ‘Young Ocean Advocates’.

What do you get out of it?

As a Baltic Young Ocean Advocate, you will have access to exclusive benefits and resources to make a positive change for the Ocean:

• Your project and personal profile will be showcased in the Youth4Ocean Forum section on the Maritime Forum website of the European Commission, and promoted on social media by the EU4Ocean Coalition;
• You will get support and guidance from members of the EU4Ocean Coalition, to help you carry out your activities;
• You will have access to the coaching/mentoring programme of the EU4Ocean Coalition to develop your project and skills;
• You will be invited to participate in the EU4Ocean sea basin events on an equal footing with the EU4Ocean Coalition other members and get the chance to pitch your project and ideas in front of a broad audience;
• You will be able to attend events and network with leading experts, likeminded young people and professionals from all over Europe.
• You will get access to tools and networks to promote ocean literacy in Europe.
• You will be able to participate in EU4Ocean Coalition discussion groups on topics: Food from the Ocean, Climate & Ocean, Healthy & Clean Ocean;
• And last but not least, you will have the possibility to participate in the EU4Ocean final event (to be held in one the EU Member States in 2021/2022), and to win an award for your project.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for all kinds of projects or project ideas that take place in the Baltic Sea Region or that are somehow linked to the region. You can find more information in the Guidelines which include a handy FAQ section:   

• 16–30-year-olds
• From the Baltic Sea Region / or a project (idea) focusing on the Baltic Sea Region
• Project (ideas) relevant to Food from the Ocean; Ocean and Climate; Healthy and Clean Ocean
• Project (ideas) relevant to the ocean: focusing on marine education; conservation; research, performing or visual arts; Blue Economy and entrepreneurship; fisheries and aquaculture; maritime transport; coastal tourism; sports; etc.
• Project (ideas) bringing a solution to a marine and/or social challenge, promoting sustainable development, community engagement, good practice and behaviour; etc.

All kinds of ideas to create the Baltic we want are welcome and there’s no limit to imagination!

Will we see you on the 26^th and 27^th of August in Helsinki, Finland?

Supported by the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission, the #Youth4Ocean and the #EU4Ocean Coalition are organizing the first Baltic Ocean Literacy Event taking place on the 26^th and 27^th of August 2021 in Helsinki, Finland. The event will showcase initiatives and activities from all Baltic Sea Region countries and gather all relevant Ocean Literacy stakeholders from across the region, to transfer and generate joint knowledge and to raise awareness about the ocean, its resources and its importance for the Blue Economy and human health. It will be a hybrid event, taking place both in-person in Helsinki as well as online.

In addition to the many benefits listed above, a successful application to become a Baltic Young Ocean Advocate will also give you a chance to pitch your project at the #EU4Ocean Baltic Ocean Literacy Event that is being organised on the 26^th and 27^th of August 2021 in Helsinki, Finland. We will select 5 pitchers that will be given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present their project to real ocean professionals. The winner of the pitch will be given the opportunity to present their project once more at the final event of #EU4Ocean taking place in 2021/2022 and receive extra mentoring to realize their project and bring it to the next level.

Now what?

Brainstorm – submit your application until 1st August 2021, keep your fingers crossed and hopefully see you in Helsinki!

Click here to apply

Your project is not related to the Baltic Sea Region?

You can still submit it and if it is approved there will be many other occasions to present it!

Youth from Lithuania Poland, Norway and Latvia is invited to the Digital Innovation Camp!

The 3-day event will be organized on 15-17th of November (afternoons 13:00-16:00 CET) and will focus on social entrepreneurship. Young people in national teams will work on a real case to find innovative solutions.

The event will include:

• creative lectures and workshops
• work in national teams
• mentorship and support
• creative icebreakers
• International networking
• presentations, evaluation and prizes for competition winners!

Registration by 8th of November here: https://airtable.com/shr8tHlsiSvYPVzp8

Following the decision made by our Euroregion Baltic Board Members on 25th May new ERB Working Group for the Conference on the Future of Europe has been established.

The plan for this WG is to follow the COFE debate, events and discussion over the upcoming months and let us all know once there is some significant event or input related to ERB members and stakeholders or anything we may find necessary to the South Baltic area.

In the group, we have the representatives of Euroregion Baltic Secretariats from ERB member states, Europe Direct representatives, and the Brussels Offices representatives from our regions. We are pleased to welcome you onboard and thank you for agreeing to work with us regarding COFE. The list is not finalised; we still keep it open for other actors to confirm their interest

The plan for this WG work is as follows:

• We will keep track of all COFE events and seminars relevant and essential to the Euroregion Baltic/South Baltic area citizens and stakeholders;
• we will share information on important events and meetings organised
• we will promote the ERB/South Baltic area COFE events – please let us know what & when you organise and we will share information on our website and social media;
• In September 2021, we will organise an online meeting of the WG representatives to exchange knowledge, and discuss the potential directions where we could engage more.
• In the late autumn of 2021 current ERB presidency, Blekinge Region will start working on the draft of the ERB position paper regarding the COFE – a document that we hope the WG can discuss later. The upcoming presidency of Warmia and Masuria Region will also be closely working on the final draft. Finally, we would like to see the document ready for Fen 2022  and adopted by Euroregion Baltic Board Members during the Board meeting.

We hope that this WG will help us promote the most important events and inputs from the COFE, share them with ERB and South Baltic Stakeholders and finally, in the fall, these inputs will allow us to prepare the ERB position paper to be adopted in Feb 2022.

Our Euroregion Baltic Youth Board and all Baltic Sea Youth Platform members are invited to join 1h fun class on “Fauna and flora of the #BalticSea” organised by us together with Gdynia Aquarium Akwarium Gdyńskie. Discover with us cool and funny facts about our sea!

Sign up, as we have limited no. of seats in our online class:

https://forms.gle/LeyacKTkCqSsPzhT8

During the presentation, students learn about the characteristics of the Baltic Sea, physical and chemical conditions as well as fauna and flora. During the presentation, basic ecological concepts are introduced. 

The Gdynia Aquarium is part of the National Marine Fisheries Research Institute. Our mission is to present aquatic species from around the world, as well as to transfer knowledge about the aquatic environment. The Gdynia Aquarium is a rather unusual zoological garden, in which all animals are bound to the aquatic environment, and in which the entire surface is enclosed in one building. However, despite this uniqueness, the Aquarium fulfils all the functions of a modern zoological garden, undertaking actions for the animals’ protection, propagating the ideas of environmental protection, conducting broadly understood ecological education and scientific research.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), one of the most important factors responsible for the loss of biodiversity on Earth is the excessive exploitation of species by humans. In the early 1970s, a special international agreement was established, called the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, i.e. from the English “Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora” – CITES. The aquarium is a shelter for animals from the CITES list. 

Please see below the final agenda for the online seminar planned for 9th April 2021. We welcome all ERB Stakeholders to join us and learn how:

• ERB contributes to the Interreg South BalticProgramme (SBP);
• what are the perspectives and planned policy objectives for Interreg SBP 2021-27;
• how we can align the planned SBP objectives with the work in
  ERB Water Core Group, ERB MobilityCore Group and ERB Youth Board;
• what are the possibilities for ERB Stakeholderscooperation in the area of tourism
  
• 
  
  

On 25th February 2021, Euroregion Baltic Executive Board met for the 1st time in 2021. Over 35 ERB Boad Members, Youth Board Members, ERB Secretariat representatives and guests from Water Core Group and Mobility Core Group met to summarize ERB activities in 2020, change the ERB presidency from Poland to Sweden and hear about the ERB priorities and Action Plan for 2021.

The meeting started with the approval of the ERB Annual Report 2020 and the Annual Budget for 2020. A report detailing the activities implemented within ERB cooperation in 2020 was delivered by Ms Leszczyna-Rzucidło, Head of ERB International Secretariat in cooperation with the Presidency held in 2020 by the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic.

This was followed by the transfer of the ERB Presidency from Poland to Sweden. With the decision of the ERB Executive Board of 21st Feb 2011 and later in September 2019, approving the sequence of ERB Presidency transfers, the ERB Presidency will be transferred from Poland – Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic to Region Blekinge, Sweden.
By the ERB Board decision, Mr Johan Sandberg, Member of ERB Executive Board, Chair of the Regional Development Board assumed the position of ERB President in 2021.

At the same time, the ERB Vice President’s position was assumed by Mr Gustaw Marek Brzezin, Marshal of Warmia and Masuria Region. Warmia and Masuria region will Lead the ERB in 2022. Since its foundation, Euroregion Baltic understood the importance of making use of EU opportunities to ensure the implementation of projects that could help the objectives of economic growth in the region: industry, agriculture, transport, communication, spatial planning, environmental protection, cooperation in the fields of science, education, tourism, health care, etc. The Euroregion’s mission is to undertake joint initiatives aiming at strengthening and promoting cooperation among the local and regional authorities of the Parties of the Agreement, as well as contributing to the sustainable development of the Baltic Sea Region, with particular focus on the South Baltic area.

The ERB 2030 Agenda builds on the achievements of the first 20 years of successful cooperation and provides an updated strategic framework by defining Euroregion Baltic’s vision:

– South Baltic Agenda
– Baltic Sea Region Agenda
– European Agenda
– Youth and People-to-People Agenda
– Blue and Green Growth Agenda.

Ms Johanna Ronn from Blekinge Region presented the priorities of the Swedish presidency. These are:

1. EU-funds for the South Baltic area. To continue the role with Euroregion Baltic as an active part in the programming process representing its member regions and initiating joint discussions regarding possibilities for project preparations financed by the same programme.
2. Sustainable Mobility. Establishment of the Mobility Core Group with a focus on joint actions for improved sustainable mobility within the Euroregion Baltic and South Baltic regions
3. Sustainable and Innovative Tourism cooperation. To investigate the potential for Euroregion Baltic regions to participate in current tourism networks and project initiatives and explore the potential for new and/or deepened cooperation.
4. Capacity Building and people to people activities. Concerning the up-coming new program period for EU-funds Euroregion Baltic, it has a vital role to be a facilitator and act as an intermediator for local organisations (especially newcomers), NGOs and youth organisations’ possibilities to establish contacts for cross-border cooperation in our regions.

The next point in the agenda was information about the transfer of ERB Youth Board Presidency. Ms Julia Orluk, ERB Youth Board Chairwoman in 2019-2020, presented information about the elections in the Euroregion Baltic Youth Board and introduced the new Chairwoman of the ERB YB. On 19th Feb 2021 Johanna Wyckman from Kalmar Region, Sweden, was elected the new ERB YB Chairwoman. At the same time, Ms Małgorzata Lewandowska from the Pomorskie region became the ERB YB Vice-Chairwoman. This information was followed by a presentation by Johanna Wyckamn on the ERB YB activities in 2021 and plans for ERB YB engagement in 2021.

ERB Youth Board main goals are to provide the opportunity for the youth to
be involved in the ERB activities, act as a voice of youth in the ERB, increase interaction between regional authorities and the youth, encourage closer cooperation between the youth and local government, eliminate culturally prejudice and facilitate youth mobility.

Head of the IPS, together with Johanna Ronn from the Blekinge region presented the Action Plan for 2021 and a set of activities foreseen for the ERB in the upcoming months. After the discussion among the ERB Board Members, the Action Plan 2021 and Budget for 2021 were both adopted by the Board. This information was followed by the summary of international projects with ERB engagement and reports from the Water Core Group and the newly established Mobility Core Group (Mr Mattias Andersson).

The next ERB Executive Board meeting are planned for: 25-26 May 2021 (Blekinge Region) and 6th Oct 2021 (Kaliningrad Region).

Young people are key in shaping the macroregional strategies #MRS & our future! After great experience during the Youth Dialogue session earlier this week #EUMRSWeek, you can read now the #YouthManifesto here: https://www.eurobalt.org/youth-manifesto-to-shape-european-cooperation-policy/

Aline Mayr from CBSS, Leader of our Baltic Sea Youth Platform project supported by the Erasmus+ programme explained how we engage youngsters from the Baltic Sea Region to become more involved in cooperation activities.

See here:

We also encourage you to see the MRS summary video explaining the macroregional strategies in Europe here:

Did you miss the #EUMRSWeek?

No worries! You can rewatch the open sessions:

• Involvement of civil society
• Youth Dialogue
• MRS & Covid-19 recovery

Go to the event website – https://eumrsweek.app.swapcard.com/event/2nd-eu-macro-regional-strategies-week

A group of young Europeans has contributed to the publication of the “Manifesto for Young People by Young People to Shape the European Cooperation Policy” in October 2020, on the occasion of the 30 years of Interreg, which is the EU’s flagship scheme for cooperation across borders at the regional and national level, to the benefit of all EU citizens. The Manifesto is the result of a truly democratic and bottom-up process to involve young people in shaping the future of EU cohesion policy and especially of Interreg and the Macro-Regional Strategies (MRS).  

Following targeted surveys, polls and online group discussions with young people from all over Europe, the Manifesto presents five areas of concerns for European youth especially linked to:

1) education and training opportunities;

2) employment and job market;

3) digitalisation;

4) climate change;

5) citizens’ engagement.  

12 concrete recommendations are presented mainly addressing decision-makers and administrations at the EU, national, regional and local level to show what they can do to best address young people’s requests.   

A core group of young people and organisations interested in European cooperation and/or citizens’, and especially young people’s, engagement, as well as European Commission’s staff, hold regular informal exchanges to best disseminate the Manifesto and ensure its proper follow up with the implementation of the 12 recommendations. 

The Manifesto is in the hands of anyone interested in improving EU cohesion policy and especially its cooperation dimension. Being it for a young person, a politician or someone working in a local, regional or national administration, the Manifesto is a great tool to show that young people’s ideas can only improve the way we build a better, fairer and stronger EU for all. As such, young people’s voices must be heard! 

All Interreg and Macro Regional Strategies actors are invited to implement the 12 recommendations and to further promote the Manifesto with their network!