Swedish Presidency in Euroregion Baltic

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).

The meeting will take place in:

Brussels, Belgium

Skåne European Office

Rue du Luxembourg 3

1000 Bruxelles

„Nordic House”

Planned agenda of the meeting:

On 2nd and 3rd December 2019, our Europe for Citizens project partners travelled to Gdansk, Poland, to visit us and engage in a conversation centring around the theme of Solidarity.

What is the Connect Europe project about? This project aims to connect citizens and civil society representatives with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The European values are threatened with increased populism and nationalism around Europe. We want to raise awareness about the EU charter and discuss our fundamental rights as citizens of the EU. It is essential for all the partners in this project to counter these right-wing movements and instead promote a visionary and factual based discussion. In this project, we aim to take a different approach when it comes to communicating EU issues. Our strategic point of departure is starting a conversation about the common, cross-border challenges that will create a fora where common solutions can be discussed in a constructive manner. The topic of a common future is the starting point for citizens-to-citizens dialogue. This will move the discussion from a pro- or against the EU towards a more visionary, value- and fact-based discussion.

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In a tour of the city we learned of the hardships, battles and historical events that had taken place in this war-tormemded city – historically a place for outside forces to claim with little disregard for the existing population. But also, a city that should come to play a profound role in the healing of Europe and fall of the communist regime.

The key to this story we found at the old shipyard. Today a peaceful sight and build in its place, the European Solidarity Center, a museum, but in earlier days a centre of deadly worker struggles, a fight for justice and – in the end – the birthplace of free trade unions in Poland. Sparks may have flown here but as it turned out, the same sparks that sprung from the suffering of suppressed workers lighted the fire of democracy and foresaw the end of communism.  

Solidarity

The European charter for fundamental rights has a chapter especially suited to converse about in this historical place, Chapter IV, Solidarity and especially Article 28:

Article 28

Right of collective bargaining and action
Workers and employers, or their respective organisations, have, in accordance with Community law and national laws and practices, the right to negotiate and conclude collective agreements at the appropriate levels and, in cases of conflicts of interest, to take collective action to defend their interests, including strike action.

Solidarity was also the name of the first free trade union in Polen, Solidarność, who’s leader, Lech Wałęsa, was later elected for president and awarded the Nobel Peace Price. But in the beginning, it was a social movement that trough civil resistance worked to ensure social change and workers rights.

A place for solidarity

European solidarity centre today houses the story of the struggles of Solidarność and the Polish struggle for democracy. This special day it also housed us, a school class of youngster who was to learn about the story as well as debating amongst themself what the idea of solidarity meant for them.

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When asked to reflect upon the meaning of solidarity the students came up with many responses – it’s about teamwork, coming together, acceptance. But also, it is about power and action. The power of the many was not lost on the youth who was inspired by the stories of the past.

As Jacek Koltan, deputy director of European Solidarity Center puts it, one of the most important demands today is the need for physical spaces where we can create a sense of community and debates the struggles of today. The issues we face, such as climate changes and social division, is those of great complexity that we need to come together around if we are to find sustainable solutions.

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Perhaps that is also what we need today. New spaces to reflect on our shared interest. Together we stand, divided we fall.​

See more in the video from Gdansk here:

On 11th December we have participated in the Workshop on future Pomeranian initiatives in the Interreg South Baltic 2020+ Programme organized by the Pomorskie Region contact point and Joint Secretariat.

The workshop was an opportunity to discuss the needs of beneficiaries that can be implemented in the future South Baltic 2020+ program, and their readiness to engage in new EU projects. We also had a chance to present complete UMBRELLA project offer and invite the interested stakeholders and newcomers to reach us and use our project offer.

The workshops were conducted modularly, i.e. a plenary session and a workshop part led by experienced experts. It was also an opportunity to exchange experiences and share your own thoughts on the shape of the future program, improvements in the implementation system and the scope of future projects.

We are happy to report that one of our ERB projects, where we act as a Partner – Interconnect was mentioned a few times as the “best practice” example. The #Interconnect project was noted by the moderator, Mr Adam Mikłajczyk from Pomorskie Marshal Office as an extremely creative example of a project, where intelligent use of the Interreg South Baltic Programme funds supports the implementation of the project’s main assumptions. 

For more information on workshops and the presentations from the South Baltic Programme, visit ewt.pomorskie.eu

Program of the meeting

08:00 – 08:30

Registration of meeting participants/coffee break

08:30 – 09:15

Opening of the event – Adam Mikołajczyk Director of DRRP UMWP

Summary of the Interreg South Baltic Program 2014-2020 – Dominika Butkiewicz Head of the Joint Technical Secretariat

Presentation of Umbrella project results – Magda Leszczyna – Rzucidło Head of the Euroregion Baltic Secretariat

09:15 – 09:30

Coffee break

09:30 – 14:30

Workshop part – moderators:

Workshop 1 – Joanna Przedrzymirska
Workshop 2 – Robert Mazurkiewicz
Workshop 3 – Jakub Fedorowicz
11:30 – 11:45 Coffee break
13:00 – 13:15 Coffee break
14:30 – 15:25

Workshop summary

15:25 – 15:55

Lunch

We encourage you to check our presentation regarding the UMBRELLA project!

Future trends in ENERGY and ELECTROMOBILITY  in the South Baltic Region

Cross-border Conference with PA panel;  25^th of October, 2019, Scandic Hotel, Gdansk, Poland.

Invitation

Baltic Institute for Regional Affairs BISER together with UMBRELLA Interreg South Baltic project partners, take immense pleasure in inviting you to attend the Cross-border Conference with PA panel that will take place in Gdańsk (Poland) on 25th October 2019.

The main objective of this conference is to provide beneficiaries with relevant information in specific thematic areas for the preparation of future project applications. This will be a first occasion to investigate the possibility of creating new projects to submit for proposals in the South Baltic Programme or using other funding possibilities in the field of Energy and electromobility.

To be able to do that, the conference will provide you with relevant information concerning the on-going discussion on Energy topics in the South Baltic Sea, Energy & electromobility objectives in the EU Baltic Sea Strategy, to end up with the support you can get from Umbrella-project in the project application phase. Being the conference co-organized with the EUSBSR PA ENERGY Coordinator,  participants will meet with experts in the frame of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. We will also propose a special „Microactivity” aiming experts related to the electromobility.

You can find the draft agenda of the conference below:

Registration is now open at the following link: https://forms.gle/TLwpBJzCbN1L15Rc6

Should you need further details, don’t hesitate to contact:

Magda Leszczyna-Rzucidło

Email: magda.rzucidlo@euroregionbaltic.eu

On the 6^th and 7^th of May the Baltic Sea Youth 2030 meeting took place in Gdansk.

Several Youth organizations have contributed and young people have had the opportunity to build the future plan together with experts  on youth and cooperation.

ERB was present, along with CBSS, BSSSC, ERB, Latvian Youth Council, Swedish Youth, Council, Leontief Centre, Nordisk Institute på Åland/Ålands Natur och Milljö, ReGeneration 2030, International Cooperation Burau at the Office of the Marshal of the Pomorskie Voivodeship, Morena Association, as well as LSU and  LJP representatives who joined online.

It was a crucial meeting to start a more systematic process of coordination amoung youth in the Baltic Sea Regions, to share with all the participants what has been done so far and  which steps to be taken for the future.

The topics discussed focused on the practical instruments to engage young people and to improve communication between youth organizations.

Young people underlined the real need to have the opportunity to meet several times a year, in addition to online meetings, to build a strong cooperation within the Baltic Sea Regions.

The wokshop on the second day, brought some real ideas for the possibilities and applications that youth can catch in the frame of Erasmus + program. Thanks to the experts present, youth have started to draw the initial ideas that will be developed in the future.

Young people are planning to create a video and a letter for all organizations, politicians and adults who can and want to actively contribute, in order to ask their support.

Let’s make our voice heard!

Text by our IVY volunteer – Milena Pallotta

During the ERB Executive Board meeting in Palanga (18th-19th September) a position paper on the future EU Cohesion Policy after 2020 was signed by Ms. Akko Karlsson, ERB president, and Mr. Per Ole Petersen, ERB Vice-President.

In the document, the ERB adopted four main recommendations regarding a strengthened EU Cohesion Policy, the importance of European Territorial Cooperation and people-to-people projects, improved coordination with macro-regional strategies, and simplified administrative and financial regulations.

ERB supports economic, social and territorial cohesion, recognizing the importance of the European Structural and Investment Funds for growth and jobs underlying, in this frame, the need of distinguishing between cohesion and investment policies.

One point that has been underlined regards the need of adopting shared management instruments for a real involvement of actors at local and regional level, apart from the development of small-scale, people-to-people projects in order to build-up trust in the neighbouring regions.

ERB will strive to align its activities with the macro-regional strategies- with the EUSBSR in this case. Moreover, in this macro-region Russia plays a fundamental role that pushed ERB to commit in carrying on a dialogue with Kaliningrad Region on topics of common interests.

Finally, ERB asked for simplified administrative and financial regulations.

The position is available at this link.

Olsztyn, 25-26th May 2017. The branch of Polish Society of Economic (Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne Oddział w Olsztynie), sited in Olsztyn, organized with the University of Warmia and Mazury the All-Poland scientific conference “Methodology of youth work in NGOs and youth councils in Poland and other European Union countries in economic, legal and social terms.” During the meeting, Euroregion Baltic Youth Board has been presented by one of its members, Dawid Jędrzejak, representative of the Warmińsko-Maurzskie Region (Poland). ERB Youth Board can certainly be taken as a valid example of cooperation that strives for more targeted youth policies, exchange opportunities, and the promotion of education. ERB Youth Board, that could not be better represented by someone who works for it, is currently working on two new projects: Baltic Leaders and Erasmus +.
For more information about Youth Board’s actions, you can follow the Facebook page @EuroregionBalticYouthBoard

On 12th December 2017, all the CaSYPoT project partners and relevant stakeholders are invited to the city of Slupsk, Poland, for an important conference. (more…)

On 23rd May 2017 ‘Baltic Leaders’ joined the second ERB Executive meeting of this year. Baltic Leaders are 5 young people between 16 and 25 years old, selected as representatives of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship to take part in the LB-EME project (Baltic Leaders- Energy of the Young Europe). The aim of this project, ideated by ERB to contribute to “European integration and development of contact and cooperation between societies”, is to increase the access to knowledge, related to the international cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. The promotion of this plan has been going on in the Youth Leadership Council of Warmińsko- Mazurskie Voivodship Youth Council since April. (more…)