EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

Slide 1:EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea RegionBSPC Standing Committee MeetingBrussels, 23 January 2017Peter SchenkEuropean CommissionDirectorate General for Regional and Urban PolicySlide 2:Macro-regional strategies – the conceptAn integrated territorial development framework,Addressing common challenges and opportunities in a specific geographical area,Challenges/opportunities for which the Member State is too small and EU-28 is too largeTo achieve economic, social and territorial cohesion through strengthened cooperation.Slide 3:Four macro-regional strategiesEUSBSR in 2009EUSDR in 2010EUSAIR in 2014EUSALP in 2015Slide 4:EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region – key factsFirst macro-regional strategy in the EU (launched 2009)8 EU Member States; 80 million people (16% of EU population)Joint challenges/opportunitiesThree objectives: 'Save the Sea', 'Connect the region', 'Increase Prosperity'13 Policy Areas, 4 Horizontal ActionsBetter and more effective use of existing policies, funding, institutions and legislationSlide 5:Commission report on the implementation of all four macro-regional strategies published on 16 December 2016 (COM(2016)805)Achievements:Increased political awareness of challenges and opportunities specific for the Baltic Sea RegionMobilisation of projects across borders (more than 120 Flagships)Increased knowledge and joint initiativesBetter coordination of existing networks: Strategy as reference pointParticipation of neighbouring non-EU countriesChallenges:Maintain commitment, mobilise funding, communicate resultsSlide 6:Issues raised in the COM reportHow can the synergies and complementarities between MRS and relevant national or regional programmes supported by the ESIF be strengthened to maximise impact?Should transnational programmes be (functionally) further aligned with MRS or other transnational cooperation frameworks and initiatives?How the governance system of MRS, including the respective roles of all relevant actors, could be further improved?Slide 7:Other ongoing developmentsCommunication: Implementation of the Communication Strategy for the EUSBSR (adopted in December 2015).Funding: 'Pilot' European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Managing Authorities’ (MA) Network in the Baltic Sea region in support of the EUSBSRSecond call for projects of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme; 'Seed money projects' and 'targeted support' to the implementation of the EUSBSREUSBSR funding portal: http://funding.balticsea-region.eu/Study ‘Macro-regional strategies and their links with cohesion policy’ (findings expected to be available in 2017).8th EUSBSR Annual Forum: 13/14 June 2017 in BerlinSlide 8:Annual Forum of the EUSBSR8th EUSBSR Annual Forum on 13/14 June 2017 in Berlin (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)Hosted by Germany together with the CPMR - Baltic Sea Commission and in close cooperation with the European CommissionOverall topic: "Connectivity"More information: : http://www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/8th-annual-forumSlide 9:www.baltic–sea-region-strategy.euThank you for your attention!