Implementation of the 25th BSPC Resolution

Statements of the governmentsin the Baltic Sea Region to the25th BSPC Resolution.1. Åland2. Denmark3. Estonia4. Finland5. Germany6. Hamburg7. Latvia8. Lithuania9. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern10. Norway11. Poland12. Russia13. Schleswig-Holstein14. Sweden62YEARSBaltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceBSPCÅland Page 2Åland Page 3Åland Page 4Åland Page 5DenmarkDenmark Page 2Case no.2016 -38782Date:7 December 2016Dear Mr. Chairman,Thank you for your letter of 8 September 2016, in which you request ageneral description of the government's reaction to the outcome documentadopted at the 25th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference.The government finds that the document contains useful inspiration andrelevant encouragement to further develop cooperation in the Baltic Searegion. There are also many examples of concordance between the content ofthe outcome document and government policy. The outcome document alsoaddresses a number of activities, in which the government is alreadyengaged.The government agrees with the opinion expressed in the outcome documentthat steps should be taken to improve confide nce in the Baltic Sea region. Inthis respect, political dialogue is an important, and indeed indispensable, toolthat should be brought into play.The outcome document refers, among others, to decisions adopted under theauspices of HELCOM, the purpose of which is to promote good ecologicalconditions in the Baltic Sea. The document refers to a marine litter actionplan, control of nitrogen oxide emissions and the Baltic Sea Action Plan(BSAP). The government believes it is important that concerted regio nalefforts to protect environmental conditions in the Baltic Sea are harmonisedwith initiatives taken in other international forums. The government believestherefore that correlation with the EU environmental policies and commonfisheries policy should be upheld such that no further obligations are imposedon the individual countries involved, and that HELCOM's designation ofprotected areas should be based on criteria established in the Natura 2000Directives.Within HELCOM, comprehensive efforts are u nder way regarding themarine environment, in which data collected from the Baltic coastal states will be compiled to create a joint description of current environmentalconditions with a view to meeting the BSAP goals regarding good ecologicalstatus.Henrik Dam KristensenPresident of The Nordic CouncilChairman of the Danish delegation to The Nordic CouncilChristiansborg PalaceDenmark Page 32The joint regional assessment of the ecological conditions in the Baltic Seawill be included in the report on environmental conditions that must besubmitted to the EU Commission in pursuance of the Marine StrategyFramework Directive. Work within HELCOM underpins efforts toimplement the UN Sustainability Development Goals for 2030, in particularGoal 14, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas andmarine resources.In 2015, HELCOM adopted a marine litter action plan. The Minister forEnvironment and Food has since taken steps to launch a campaign tominimise the volume of waste along Danish coasts.Denmark has actively encouraged measures to reduce airborne nitrogenoxide (NOx) pollution from new ships b y nominating special NOx emissioncontrol areas (NECAs) in the Baltic and North Sea. In June 2016, the Balticstates agreed to send a joint NECA application to the UN agency,International Maritime Organization (IMO). If this application is approved byIMO , it will have a positive effect on health and environment in and aroundthe Baltic and North Sea. Furthermore, since early 2015, compliance with the regulations that restrict emission of sulphuric oxides (SOx) from ships in theBaltic and North Sea has be en an important focus area for the government.The new regulations mean that, in future, ships must use low -sulphur marinefuel. As this is significantly more costly than conventional fuel, evasion is arisk. To encourage fair competition in shipping and f urnish the fullenvironmental effect of regulation, Denmark has introduced a series of measures to ensure that the regulations are enforced effectively.With regard to the outcome document's support for the development of greenand blue technologies, I ca n inform you that Danish authorities have financedprojects that made solutions available to the shipping lines to ensure that theyare in a position to cost -effectively and flexibly meet the Ballast WaterManagement convention. Similarly, the authorities have subsidised theestablishment of a test centre, at which to test ballast water treatment technologies. At the centre, suppliers of ballast water technologies can havetheir solutions tested and accredited. Finland has now ratified the BallastWater Man agement Convention so it can now enter into force. This meansthat it will be possible for international shipping rapidly to implement theBallast Water Management Convention for the benefit of the aquaticenvironment and marine biodiversity in the Baltic Sea region.The government supports cooperation on Baltic Sea tourism. VisitDenmarkand other Danish players regularly attend Baltic Sea Tourism Forummeetings. Denmark is also represented on a steering committee with focus ontourism in connection with t he EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Thesteering committee meets about twice a year and is an obvious choice of forum for coordinating tourism among the EU countries that border the Baltic Sea. The issues discussed include opportunities for EU fundin g of newcollaborative projects. Denmark has supported the establishment of the BalticSea Tourism Centre with a view to creating a permanent platform for dataDenmark Page 43collection and knowledge sharing in connection with developing tourism inthe Baltic Sea region.The outcome document also contains an appeal to bring national and privateemployment bodies, including the labour market parties, closer to each otherwith a view to improving opportunities for job -seekers. One of the mainpriorities in the Danish emplo yment market reforms introduced in 2014 wasto strengthen cooperation between the job centres and unemploymentinsurance funds and create a cohesive common programme of contact, inwhich the (insured) unemployed person attends nine meetings with the jobcentre and unemployment insurance fund. At two of these meetings, all threeparties are present. The initiative seeks to empower the unemployed and focus efforts to get them back to work. Furthermore, elsewhere in thereforms, a project financed by a pool of funds has financed closercooperation between the job centres and private employment services inconnection with repositioning the unemployed with a view to improving theirchances of returning to regular employment.The outcome document also encourages the use and further development ofaccess to the EU Youth Guarantee Scheme with a view to developingsustainable and cohesive tools for managing youth unemployment and easing the transition from school to work. In Denmark, all young people whoqualify for educational support receive an offer within one month. Thegovernment believes that an adequate framework for further development is already in place in the EU and that the key to further development isknowledge sharing and dissemination of best practices at the pan -EU level.Denmark takes part in knowledge sharing of this kind.NEET -related initiatives have high priority in Denmark. One of the keyinitiatives is "Brobygning til Uddannnelse" (building bridges to education),which has proven to be very ben eficial for the NEET target group. Thebridge -building initiative at schools of commerce comprises a scheduleincluding various short -term periods of practical work experience at schoolsof commerce and companies. The young people also take part in trainin gcourses to improve their basic reading, writing and maths skills. Theseinitiatives are currently under implementation nationwide as the primary goalfor this target group.The outcome document also voices support for re -integrating the long -termunempl oyed in the labour market using successful methods based on acoordinated and individual approach involving employers. In the recentlyreformed employment policy in Denmark, everyone involved had strongfocus on scientific evidence that certain initiatives , such as more frequentcontact between the unemployed person and the job centre, periods ofpractical work experience in the workplace and salary subsidies for privatecompanies, are beneficial. Statistical profiling tools have also beenintroduced with a view to helping case workers identify the job -seekers mostat risk of long -term unemployment. The 2014 Employment Market Reformalso introduced a specific requirement that the job centres must offer anindividual and intensive programme to help insured pe ople with 16 months'Denmark Page 54unemployment to return to work. This requirement will be evaluated at theend of 2016.The outcome document's comments on EU Council recommendationsregarding the re -integration of the long -term unemployed in the labourmarket match D anish employment policy.With regard to efforts to encourage in particular the unskilled, long -termunemployed and seniors in employment to attend regular in -service trainingand upgrade courses, the most recent tripartite agreement between the governmentand the labour market parties in August 2016 has strong focus oncontinual in -service training and upgrading. A committee of experts has beenset up. It will report to the government and labour market parties in 2017. Itwill put forward recommendations t o ensure that opportunities extended toboth those in employment and the unemployed are relevant and in line withlabour market needs. In addition to the expert committee, the tripartiteagreement also stressed the importance of providing practical workexperience places for students on vocational programmes.With a view to reducing youth unemployment and opening new job andcareer opportunities for all young people, the EU has set up the Youth Employment Initiative that provides financial support to young people whoare not in employment or training in the regions where youth unemploymentis highest. Youth unemployment in Denmark is not especially high comparedto other EU Member States so we are not entitled to support from thisinitiative.The outcome d ocument also encourages early intervention to inform youngpeople who are about to move from education to work about paths andopportunities for career development and how best to approach theemployment market. In Denmark, every young person who applies f oreducational support is invited to attend an interview at the job centre withinone week of applying for support. Active initiatives are implemented shortlyafter. These depend on the individual's specific situation and challenges inrelation to specific goals that prepare the individual for education oremployment. These initiatives may include guidance and skills upgrading,short periods in education, mentor programmes and practical vocationalexperience at companies and in community service work and jo bs with wagesubsidies. Follow -ups and monitoring are included in youth unemploymentcontact. Responsibility is assigned to UngdommensUddannelsesvejledningscentre (the Youth Educational Advice Centres) if ayoung person is not registered at a job centre.Yours sincerely,Anders SamuelsenEstoniaEstonia Page 21Answers by the Estonia in regard to the implementation of the 25th BSPCResolutionMinistry of the EnvironmentRecommendations with regard to the Environmental status of the Baltic SeaOn the implementation of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference resolution of 2016:Strengthen and further develop HELCOM:The work with HELCOM is continuous and regular. We have prepared a position of the Government of the Republic where we have stated that HELCOM needs a bigger role in the Baltic Sea region in order to implement the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive andbetter protect the Baltic Sea.HELCOM adopted the Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter in the Baltic Sea in June 2015.HELCOM Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter sets the standard for each HELCOMmember country - all nine coastal states - to put the agreed commitments into action.The plan1 aims to reduce significantly marine litter by 2025 compared to 2015, and to preventharm to the coastal and marine environment. The regional action plan for marine litter should enable concrete measures (b oth regional and voluntary national actions) for prevention andreduction of marine litter from its main sources ; develop common indicators and associatedtargets related to quantities, composition, sources and pathways of marine litter; and toidentify the socio -economic and biological impacts of marine litter.Estonia leads 2 regional actions:- Action on bottles and containers – the aim is to cooperate on the establishmentand/or further development of deposit refund systems for bottles, containers andcans (e.g. glass, plastics and aluminium) in the HELCOM Contracting Parties.Currently functioning deposit refund systems for bottles, containers and cans (e.g. glass,plastics and aluminium) are in place in DE, DK, SE, FI, EE and LT. In PL, LV and RU thesystem is not in place .- Action on landfills – the aim is to map those landfills which are still active in thevicinity of the sea or of the rivers and may pose a risk to the marine environment.The feedback received on the questionnaire on landfills circulated by e -mail: information wasprovided by all HELCOM members except Russia. The received feedback indicated that allthe landfills are under control in the region and cannot be considered as s ources ofmarine litter.Marine litter related actions in EstoniaWhen you want to reduce marine litter, you have to study the source of the litter and that means we have to look actions taken on land. We have to have proper waste management and refund systems. In addition, a strong inspection system has to be in place. Educating peopleon waste related topics also helps to grow more environmentally aware nation. All measure which help to avoid litter dumping and eventually ending up with the help of wind and rivers in the sea are necessary because cleaning the sea from l itter is much more expensive thentaking proper actions on land.1 HELCOM Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter:http://www.helcom.fi/Lists/Publications/Regional%20Action%20Plan%20for%20Marine%20Litter.pdfEstonia Page 32To understand how big of a problem of marine litter is in our waters Estonia has conducteddifferent national pilot projects and is taking part in regional projects:Ongoing national project for assessing microplastic particles in water column (2016 -2017);Participation in a regional project MARLIN (2011 -2013) for monitoring marine litter onthe beaches and continued with a follow -up national project in 2014 -2015 to co ntinue thebeach litter monitoring of our national beaches;Ongoing regional project BLASTIC to map the plastic waste journey from land into theBaltic Sea. Local municipalities who have sea borders participated with the aim to havemarine litter related a ctions in their local waste plans (2016 -2019);Ongoing regional project MARELITT Baltic for reducing the impact of marine litter in theform of derelict fishing gear in the Baltic Sea environment (2016 -2019). Before joiningwith the regional project, Eston ia made a national pilot project on derelict fishing gearmapping in the coastal waters of Estonian marine area in 2015.In our Estonian Programme of Measures (to be adopted by the Government latest in March2017) for the Marine Strategy we have three mar ine litter related measures planned:- Analysing waste (incl. marine litter and derelict fishing gear) reception systems in harbours and proposing a proper action plan for the system;- Raising public awareness (incl. educational actions) on marine litter and plastic wasteending up in the sea.- All local municipalities bordering the sea should have marine litter reduction related actions in place in their waste management plans.NOx emission control:In March 2016, t he HELCOM countries finally agreed to submit a proposal to IMOfor a Baltic Sea NO x Emission Control Area (NECA) . A similar proposal wassubmitted by the North Sea countries and both were approved at the IMO MEPC70 in October 2016.The final confirmation at MEPC71 in spring 2017, these two dec isions will create alarger NECA for new ships built in or after 2021.The estimated annual N tot load reductions resulting from both Baltic Sea and NorthSea NECAs will be 22,000 tons in two decades. Of the total reduction in N deposition, 7,000 tons is es timated to be reduced from direct deposition to the surface of the BalticSea, and the remaining 15,000 tons is estimated to be reduced from deposition to the catchment area draining to the Baltic Sea.Web portal for the Baltic Sea region for sharing good examples regarding research,education an d environmental best practicesThe European Commission coordinates the efforts of the EU Strategy for the Baltic SeaRegion. For news and information on the activities and progress of the Strategy as curated by the various stakeholders, please visit the EUSBSR's dedicated website at www.balticsea -region -strategy.eu .Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication sRecommendations with regard to Cooperation in tourismThe cooperation in the field of tourism between the three governments of the Baltic States iscarried out as part of the framework of the intergovernmental agreement signed in 2002 andrenewed in 2013.The agreement lists the following areas of cooperation:Estonia Page 431) Promoting the Baltic area as a tourist de stination for short -haul and long -haulmarkets;2) Development of Baltic tourism brand;3) Development of tourism products;4) Development of tourism infrastructure and quality of tourism services;5) Reducing administrative burdens;6) Collecting of statistical information;7) Participation in international tourism organizations ;8) Applying of modern technologies for tourism development;9) Development of projects i n various international aid programs .To ensure the implementation of activities , a Joint Tourism Committee is establishedconsisting of tourism officials from Estonian Tourist Board, Latvian Tourism DevelopmentAgency and Lithuanian State Department of To urism. The committee meets in quarterly basis(3-4 times in year).The activities carried out in recent years include:General cooperation:Baltic Connecting international workshop for European tourism industryEDEN (product development (specialized maps and itineraries), marketing activities, presstrips etc., targeted at the German market)Cross- border product development (main r oads, routes, roundtrips, etc. ) towards Europe anddistant marketsPreparation of the working programs for periods of two yearsProduct development, educational study tours and information distribution within the Baltics.Publications and e -marketing:Baltic maps in Chinese, Japanese and American EnglishBaltic itineraries (camping maps and brochures) in English and GermanFlash p resentations in English and GermanPress and FAM trips from long haul markets:Journalists ’ and tour operators’ visits from China, Japan and USAJoint campaign for Baltic domestic tourism promotion :Great Bal tic Travel project (joint campaign for Baltic domestic tourism promotion)Cooperation on harmonizing the new Package Travel directive etc.In addition , all three G overnments are involved with the implementation of the Baltic SeaStrategy priority area “Tourism ”. As one of its activities we would like to highlight the 9thBaltic Sea Tourism Forum which was hosted 19 -20 October 2016 by city of Pärnu. The mainsubjects of the forum were seasonality and sustainability - two selected issues that have andwill have considerable impact on the future deve lopment of the Baltic Sea region.Ministry of Education and ResearchRecommendations with regard to Cooperation in research and innovation1) foster cooperation in the field of research and innovation towards more competitiveand sustainable region;2) facilitate continuous dialogue and collaboration in science, research, innovation andhigher education using existing political and regional formats and initiatives;Estonia Page 54There are several actions implemented for closer regional cooperation in research andinnovation out of which the most attractive ones could be as follows:a. To harmonise interests of the Baltic States and to agree on a joint concept andfurther development in regard to the research and innovation potential;One of the most interesting collaboration projects is Interreg Baltic Sea Region (BSR)program project “Baltic Science Network” (BSN) where all Baltic countries work together.The project started in March 2016 and lasts for 3 years . The main goal is to est ablish the BSRas one of the most competitive and innovative science regions of the world with an excellent structure of leading universities and research institutions. However, the BSR features different levels of research and innovation performance and t he existing facilities are not equallydistributed and interconnected.For the time being, science policy in the BSR is organised and pursued mainly from a regional, national or European angle whereas a macro regional dimension is missing. BalticScience Network (BSN) will establish a political coordination framework for joint BSRhigher education (HE), science & research policy with the overall aim to support the realisation of the European Research Area (via intensified cooperation in BSR), increase the research and innovation performance of the BSR and to strengthen the political ownership of the EUSBSR in the field of science policy by the regions and member states.Thus far, two joint meetings of all partners have taken place, during which the assign mentshave been distributed to all members. Next meeting is scheduled to be held in April 2017 in Turku.Estonia is, jointly with Latvia and the Land of Schleswig -Holstein, responsible for definingchallenges that hinder widening participation, developing innovative tools and measures forwidening and, eventually, making policy recommendations to improve the situation.Accordin gly, we are running the activit ies within the BSN Working Package 3 –development of research and innovation excellence in the BSR . First, national seminars inall countries were held. In Estonia regional examples of good cooperation practices weregiven and barriers for spreading excellence were discussed. Local seminar outcomes servedas basic information for the transnational sem inar. Next, Estonia participated in thetransnational seminar on January 18 in Copenhagen. During the seminar parallel sessions forfinding solutions to the barriers named during the national seminars were proposed. Some of these were creating a web -page t hat enables partner search in the BSR and the creation of a"BSN Academy" to facilitate making contacts with possible partners in the Baltic Sea region.In general, lobbying in Brussels was considered to be the most effective way to proceed.b. To support t he creation of a Baltic Bonus system aimed at increasing the successrate of Baltic projects submitted for the Horizon2020 and achieving higher excellence inscience by exploring cooperation of the Baltic States and relevant national institutions;Since 20 14, joint research projects where partners from at least two Baltic countries worktogether, can apply for the bonus ( Baltic Bonus Scheme ). The project evaluation score has tobe above the threshold set by the European Commission. Under these conditions, eachcountry gives the project partner from their country a reward of 1000 € in addition to national support for proposal preparation (e very Baltic country pays for their own beneficiaries).Partners must be from at least 2 Baltic countries. BONUS is also a new associated member ofBSN ( http://www.baltic -science.org/index.php/contacts/associate -organisations ).Estonia Page 65c. To elaborate a vision on the creation of a common research, technology andinnovation infrastructure which would be based on the feasibility study and coordinatedamong governments the Baltic States, and to report, in accordance with the established procedure, to the Baltic Assembly on the progress achiev ed.The Memorandum of Understanding on Closer Co -operation in Higher Education, Researchand Innovation between the Ministries of Education and Research/Science signed inNovember 2011 provides for the coordination of research and development infrastructu redevelopment plans, national research infrastructure roadmaps and national ICT networks.Estonian experts have participated in evaluation panels of research infrastructure roadmap inLithuania and vice versa.Recommendations with regard to cooperation in education (incl. vocational training)and science, linking education and labour market1) recognize the need to link education and the labour market more closely;2) to support the New Skills Agenda for Europe;3) to provide vocational training and skills development opportunities to young peoplewhich are geared to the needs of industry and which, by way of generally recognized formalqualifications, form one of the most important prerequisites for workplace success;4) strengthen the contacts between schools, universities and business in order to makesure that university education and vocational education and training are closely and concretely oriented towards labour market and to identify as well as to prevent labour marketmismatches;5) build on success of the CBSS EuroFaculty programme as an example of long-termproject -based cooperation in higher education and science for the benefit of the people of theBaltic Sea Region and to explore the possible steps forward for this programme;6) foster the further development and upgrade of skills (basic and specialized) andemployability through establishment of a right for lifelong learning;7) improve transparency and comparability of qualifications, and thereby to furtherdevelop the mutual recognition of formal qualifications;8) facilitate anticipating labour markets' skills needs;9) explore the need for a Northern Dimension Partnership for Labour Market andEducation to further develop education and labour market in the Baltic Sea Re gion;10) support business and education cooperation for a sustainable economic area in theBaltic Sea Region, especially a systematic exchange of expertise in the labour market andeducation sectors;11) support research and standardization within cyber security, with focus on maritimecontext and applications and to foster data governance in order to enable a fair and fertileenvironment for new data driven services that will capitalize our regions technology excellence and trigger high skill job creation;12) implem ent the Baltic Sea Region as a leading learning region;13) call for more intensified "bottom -up" collaboration and networking in order to pursuedevelopment and synergies in specific areas of science, research, innovation and clusters collaboration;These recommendations are very closely connected with the topics addressed by the SkillsAgenda of Europe adopted by the European Commission in June 2016. According to thisAgenda, the three pressing challenges of today's economies are the lack of relevant skill s toEstonia Page 76match labour market needs, the insufficient transparency of skills and qualifications, and thedifficulty to anticipate and forecast skills.The measures to support the implementation of the Skills Agenda for Europe include thefollowing 10 concrete actions: A Skills Guarantee to help low -skilled adults acquire a minimum level of literacy,numeracy and digital skills and progress towards an upper secondary qualification. A review of the European Qualifications Framework for a better understanding ofqualifications and to make better use of all available skills in the European labour market. The "Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition" bringing together Member States andeducation, employment and industry stakeholders to develop a large digital talent pool andensure that individuals and the labour force in Europe are equipped with adequate digitalskills. The “Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills” to improve skills intelligenceand address skills shortages in specific economic sectors. A "Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals" to support early identificationand profiling of skills and qualifications of asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants. A revision of the Europass Framework , offering people better and easier -to-use toolsto prese nt their skills and get useful real -time information on skills needs and trends whichcan help with career and learning choices. Making Vocational Education and Training (VET) a first choice by enhancingopportunities for VET learners to undertake a work b ased learning experience and promotinggreater visibility of good labour market outcomes of VET. A review of the Recommendation on Key Competences to help more people acquirethe core set of skills necessary to work and live in the 21st century with a spec ial focus onpromoting entrepreneurial and innovation -oriented mind -sets and skills. An initiative on graduate tracking to improve information on how graduates progressin the labour market. A proposal to further analyse and exchange best practices on eff ective ways to addressbrain drain .According to the EU Commission, these actions are supposed to be implemented by 2018. In Estonia, also the Lifelong Learning Strategy 2014 -2020 is covering most of these activitiesout of which the majority has been alr eady implemented or are currently in working process.Some of field examples are listed below.Entrepreneurship education. We have launched the SF funded programme “Developmentof entrepreneurial awareness” with aim to enhance the entrepreneurial educatio nhorizontally through all the levels of education, incl. general, vocational and higher education.In 2008 -2015, there was the Doctoral Studies and Internationalisation Programme DoRaunder which the so -called Industrial PhD scheme was introduced. As a follow -up, Estonia isgoing to support the implementation of this scheme in 2016 -2023 by using the SF. The totalbudget allocated for 2016 -2023 is approximately 3,25 MEUR to pay an extra scholarship fordoctoral students whose doctoral dissertations are made in at least one of the SmartSpecialisation growth areas and at least half of them are related with the businesses(enterprises, companies).Estonia has developed a measure to support applied research, where applicants areenterprises. The goal of this measure is:Estonia Page 871) to contribute to the financing of industrial research and experimental development tobe carried out in the interests of enterprises in public RD institutions;2) to increase the motivation and readiness of Estonian public RD institutions forcarrying out industrial research and experimental development projects necessary forentrepreneurship in growth areas;3) to foster knowledge transfer between establishments and Estonian public RDinstitutionsWorkplace -based learning. In 2006, Estonia started to offer a form of vocational educationwhere at least 2/3 of the curriculum is undertaken in companies or institutions and about 1/3at school. Estonian has shown its initiative in widening the possibilities for work basedlearning in VET. During the last years , approximately 600 students (4%) have been studyingunder the workplace study arrangement. Our target is to increase this number in forth -comingyears up to 1200 students per year.Monitoring and forecasting of the labour market needs. The lack of information aboutlabour market needs has been identified as one of the main problems in the professionaleducation . In 2015, Estonia launc hed a coordination system for the monitoring andforecasting of the labour market needs and the development of skills – called OSKA . Thesystem is based on the exis ting occupational qualifications system. The results of OSKAanalysis and forecasts can be used as input to the qualification and career counselling system,to curriculum development and to financing of educational institutions . In 2016, the firstreports related to the ICT, accounting, forestry and wood industry were compiled.Graduate tra cking. Statistics about the graduates’ progress in the labour market can be seenat the website of Estonian educational statistics , www.haridussilm.ee.Digital competences. Estonia has prepared the Digital Focus Programme for theimplementation of the Estonian Lifelong Learning Strategy 2014 -2020. The purpose ofprogramme is a knowledgeable and smart integration of digital opportunities into the learningprocess. The use of digital devices enriches studies and better accommodates the needs and abilities of students by helping them achieve better learning results. The improved technology -use skills and innovativeness of the population contribute to producti vity growthin the economy.Digital competency means the readiness to use digital technology to cope with the rapidlychanging information society at work, in studies, in acting as a citizen, as well as in communicating with one’s community. The planned co st of the programme until 2020 isalmost €47 million. The amount of financing is adjusted annually during the discussion of thenational budget strategy and national budget.As a result of different support measures (teacher training, elaboration of learni ng materials,financial support to schools for buying equipment, public awareness raising activities) almost70% of general education schools are teaching coding in Estonia. Also the number of kindergartens teaching robotics is increasing.Additional finan cial measures are being introduced by the government to further supportstudents’ access to informal education (including technology).In terms of cybersecurity on general education level – relevant skills have been defined assub-competences of digital co mpetence. Digital Competence of students is stated in Estoniannational curriculum as a key competence obligatory for schools to address. Accordingly the following sub -competences are described:- Protection of devices - students take safety and security measures to avoid physicaland virtual risks.Estonia Page 98- Personal data protection - students recognise the privacy of other individuals andcommon terms of use in exercising their digital activities, and protect their personal data andthemselves from Internet fraud, threats and cyberbullying.Ministry of Social AffairsRecommendations with regard to cooperation among social partnersIn Estonia overall involvement derives from government regulation Rules for Good Legislative Practice and Legislative Drafting(https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/508012015003/consolide ) and is based on the GoodPractice of Involvement. Through public consultation government authorities ask for feedback from in terest groups and the public in all stages of policy- making, including in risingproblems, identifying goals, offering and analyzing alternative solutions and preparing draftlegislation.Due to the dynamics of representativeness, but also the rise of ac tivity of civil society we areinvolving alongside the social partners a broader circle of stakeholders, with social partners being fully accountable actors.Recommendations with regard to Measures to decrease unemploymentEstonian Unemployment Insurance Fund is responsible for the provision of employmentservices and active labour market measures, payment of unemployment benefits, assessment of work ability and payment of work ability benefit.Around 60 -70% of unemployed are registered at the EUIF (26 2 45 people in the end ofSeptember 2016). According to Labour Force Survey (Statistics Estonia) in 2016 II quarterthere were 13 800 long term unemployed, which is less than in last year at the same time (19 200). The average of the previous year was 16 20 0. The share of long -term unemployed fromthe unemployed was 30.5% (43.2% a year ago).Registration rules and arrangements in Estonia are in compliance with the guiding elements of the recommendation of the Council of the European Union on the integration of long -term unemployed into the labour market .Active job search and registration at Public Employment Services (Estonian UnemploymentInsurance Fund) is encouraged by following actions and measures:- Job-mediation, career information and couns elling, job search assistance(participation in job search workshops and job clubs) is available in EUIF for everybodyregardless their employment situation and without requirement to register as unemployed or job-seeker.- EUIF regularly organis es mobile counselling to reach out people who are out of workbut not registered. The main goal is to give information and guidance about the job search, employment opportunities and EUIF services. In recent years mobile counselling has been especially tar geted at young people who are not yet EUIF clients.- EUIF well developed three -tier employment counselling system (job mediationcounsellors, case managers, disability employment counsellors) ensures that long term unemployed and other clients who are harder to help back to the labour market are devotedmore time and they receive more extensive and diverse support. More flexible counsellingarrangements are introduced: counselling on phone/Skype or self -service portal (via e -jobEstonia Page 109search diary) ca n be agreed aside face -to face counselling when client is enrolled in activelabour market programme or is not able to attend the employment office due to disability orhealth reasons.- Diverse package of active labour market measures (stipula ted in the Labour MarketServices and Benefits Act, Employment Programme and ESF co -funded Programmes) enablesEUIF to provide support taking into account client’s individual needs and employmentobstacles. Measures targeted at employment obstacles related to long term unemploymentinclude, for example, coaching for working life, individual job coaching and placement, psychological and dept counselling, employment with wage subsidy or support person etc.- Several ESF co -funded projects managed by NGOs, municipalities and other actorsare aimed at reaching out economically inactive population. The goal of the project is to activate people who have been long time out of the labour market for various reasons, preparethem for the job -search and encour age registration with the PES.- Employment services and active labour market measures are provided to all registeredunemployed regardless of their unemployment or other social benefits status . Allregistered unemployed are also covered with health insurance that encourages remainingregistered even when unemployment benefits are exhausted. Deregistration is also preventedby municipalities request for social assistance claimants able to work to register with EUIFand look for a job.- Persons with long-term health problems or disabilities who are at least partially ableto work, but not in employment, are activated by the work ability reform that makes entitlement to work ability benefit conditional upon registration with EUIF.Regarding Youth Guarantee , Estonian Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan was adoptedin 2014 and there are number of measures included, for example:- The new labour market measure My first job was introduced in January 2015. Themeasure is designed for young people aged 17 -29 who have not obtained professionaleducation and who do not have previous working experience. Wage subsidies and training compensation can be granted to employers who hire these young people. Employers canreceive up to 50% of the salary of the new staff member for 12 months. Training costs can bereimbursed up to 2500 euros during the first two years from the commencement ofemployment. An employment contract with the youn g person must be signed for minimumtwo years.- There are also included early intervention measures by PES (EstonianUnemployment Insurance Fund, EUIF) include reaching out to young people who are not registered at EUIF by organising mobile coun selling and workshops about working life andlabour market situation at schools and youth centres. In addition, in order to prevent youthunemployment, EUIF started with a new series of workshops in cooperation with schools in2015. - The Ministry of Education and Research is implementing European Structural Fundsprogrammes for 2014 -2020, which sets targets to support youths’ ability to work and reducethe risk of social exclusion. Support measures have been initiated to support NEETyoungsters , give young people opportunities to participate and get experiences from workingin community based activities. Focus is also on activities which help to introduce differentoccupations with future perspectives to youngsters through different workshops. Also moreopportunities are created to give young people opportunities to have working experience.Also the workability reform will have an important impact on the activation of NEETs witha disability; due to the reform they will become clients of the Unemplo yment Insurance Fundwhich brings them closer to activation measures.Recommendations with regard to fair wages and the integration of refugeesEstonia Page 1110Estonia guarantees to the refugees access to the services and benefits on the same basis as tothe residents. We are considering it important to support the integration of refugees, includingsupport on finding housing, providing individual approach (eg support person service) andEstonian language courses.The Ministry of Rural Affairs of Estonia contributes to the following areas:1) Landscapes and heritage cultureThrough the development of agricultural activity in rural areas, The Ministry of Rural Affairs supports the varied, open and mosaic landscape, which in addition to food safety purposes also holds an aesthetic value. Through rural politics the cultivation ofseveral local varieties and breeds are maintained, semi -natural habitats with highconservational and cultural heritage potential are maintained, the nature conservationrestrictions are compensated for Natura 2000 agricultural land and private forestryland . Historically in Western Estonia and the islands, stone fences have been particularly popular, which in addition to biodiversity, have a cultural value. The Rural Develop ment Program supports the restoration of traditional stone fences. Landscapeis characterized by the farmed animals, whose summertime outdoor grazing is supported by the Rural Development Program.In a direct or indirect way all these activities contribute to the continuous use ofagricultural land, the favourable condition of natural landscapes and preservation of habitats, through which the preconditions for sustainable tourism in rural areas are developed.2) Preservation of local identity, including the preservation of local culture and naturalheritage and preservation and promotion of life at the Eastern border areas. Theinhabitation of border areas is important from the defence and national securityperspective. The following activities will be implem ented:a. Estonian Rural Development Programm2014 -2020 Leader, with the general aim ofbalanced development of activity areas, including coastal areas.b. Regional Setomaa development program, which aims to contribute to thesustainable preservation of Setomaas vitality, though the development of businessenvironment and human capital and marketing of the area based on the region'scultural and natural characteristics as a specific development potential.c. Regional Peipsiveere program has the aim to help maintain t he sustainability of thevital community and region. The program aims to help through the development oflocal on -site business activity and human capita, increasing the popularity of LakePeipus in different areas and marketing the local areas based on th e region'scultural and natural specificities as a specific development potential.d. Vana -Võromaa program aims to help maintain the sustainability of the vitalcommunity and region through the development of local on -site business activityand human capital, and marketing the local areas based on the region's cultural andnatural specificities as a specific development potential.e. Mulgimaa program aims to help maintain the sustainability of the vital communityand region through the development of local on -site business activity and humancapital, and marketing the local areas based on the region's cultural and naturalspecificities as a specific development potential.3) Young people (generation transfer, employment of young people in rural areas,development o f training and business opportunities) and promoting the employment ofpeople with disabilities. The following activities will be implemented:Estonia Page 1211a. Estonian Rural Development Program 2014 -2020 measure 6.1 “Setting up ofyoung agricultural producers”, which aims to simplify the activities of youngagricultural producers in starting an agricultural holding and contribute togeneration transfer in agriculture and promoting sustainable age structure of agricultural producers with modern knowledge and experience.b. Estonian Rural Development Program 2014 -2020 measure 4.1 “Investments forimproving the efficiency of agricultural holding” will be supplemented with a newtarget group: the investments in agricultural implement can be submitted by legalpersons in private la w, whose main activity is disabled people in welfareinstitutions and whose statutory are objectives involved in agriculture.c. Estonian Rural Development Program 2014 -2020 measure 6.4 “Investments fordiversifying economic activity towards non -agricultural activity in rural area” willbe supplemented with new criteria, which favours investments which will have a positive impact on people with disabilities and youth entrepreneurship.d. Plan to develop and implement a pan -Estonian Youth program “Nooredmaale”(yo ung people to rural areas), which aims to increase the interest of youngpeople aged 21 -40 to live and operate in the rural areas and to develop rural areas’economic and social environment, which resulted in the growth of proportion and amount of young pe ople in the rural areas.4) Establishment and promotion of tourism and renewable energy. The following activities will be implemented:a. Estonian Rural Development Program 2014 -2020 measure 6.4 “Investments fordiversifying economic activity towards non-agricultural activity in rural area”. TheBaltic Sea regional tourism activities aren’t directly supported by the EstonianRural Development Program. However, rural tourism is encouraged andsupported indirectly. During the period of 2007 -2013 the pr omotion of ruraltourism was supported with 30 million Euros through the Estonian Rural Development Program measure 3.1. “Diversification of economic activities in rural areas”, where one of the most favoured areas of activity was rural tourism,including rural and natural product development. In the period of 2014 -2020 ruraltourism development is supported by the Estonian Rural Development Programmeasure 6.4 “Investments for diversifying economic activity towards non -agricultural activity in rural area”. In the new period, rural tourism as such is not apreferred area of activity, but rather the support goes to the promotion of thequality of rural tourism, development of secondary activities to prevent the seasonality of tourism and implementation of pro duction of renewable energy.Sustainable management of production and services is an important direction inthe new period.b. The Ministry of Rural Affairs cooperates with MTÜ Eesti Maaturism in thedevelopment of rural tourism. MTÜ Eesti Maaturism is invol ved in thedevelopment and implementation of the Estonian Rural Development Program and is a part of the monitoring committee of the Estonian Rural Development Program.FinlandFinland / Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Page 1/1 Page 2Finland has taken an active part in the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and its pol-icy areas and horizontal actions. Finland ́s main responsibilities within the EUSBSR are the coordination tasks inpolicy area Nutri ( reducing nutrient emissions in the Baltic Sea), policy area Safe (maritime safety and security),Bioeconomy ( esp. agriculture) and Neighbours ( cooperation with non-EU-members and neighbouring regions). Finland also takes part in the steering committees of other policy areas and horizontal actions. Within theEUSBSR a wide number of cooperation projects have been initiated and implemented. Finland ́s active role isalso reflected in the relatively high number of Finnish lead partners and partners to many projects e.g. of the Interreg Baltic Sea Programme.Finland is also an active member of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and its expert groups. In the June 2016CBSS Deputy Foreign Ministers ́ meeting in Warsaw Finland initiated an intensified CBSS cooperation in the field of soft security and as a result a conference on Soft Security and Migration was held in Helsinki in May2017. The conference exchanged experiences in the management of migration and integration and inclusion ofrefugees and migrants. Its report with recommendations will be published in September.The Finnish Government has decided to update its Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The work began by hearingstakeholders and asking them to contribute with proposals, as well as consulting members of the Finnish parlia-ment in a meeting invited by the Finnish Delegation to the BSPC. A draft was sent for comments in June 2017and the document is expected to be adopted by the Government by end of August 2017.Finland / Ministry of Economic Affairs – Page 1/2 Page 3Courtesy translationStatement of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland to the measurespursuant the Recommendations of the 25th BSPC ResolutionThe Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland considers thecontribution made and the work done by the BSR parliamentarians in thedevelopment of the region to be important and necessary because the strategy andregional development is backed by n ecessary political support. However, thefollow -up of the implementation of the BSPC recommendations does require aperiod longer than one year because such an annual follow -up does not necessarilygive a correct nor comprehensive picture of the actions and co -operation going onin the BSR.The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment from its own part has activelyparticipated in the work of various working groups and councils aimed atdeveloping the BSR and has b een actively participating in the preparation of theEUBSRS and its update during summer 2014, as well as updating the nationalBaltic Sea strategy of Finland.The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment supports regional co -operationand considers it important for regional development and for promoting publicwellbeing. In the current economic situation , co-operation can support finding newapproaches and solutions, as well as help utilize the existing resources forsupporting regions and the economic development and the wellbeing of the BSR.With the exception of co -operation in the fields of tourism, research and innovationand promotion of employment, not all of the recommendations of the 25th BSPCResolution are directly relate d to the competences of our ministry.Structural Funds programs , regional co -operation programs and ENI/CBCprograms are essential tools for promoting BSR co -operation. Many co -operationprojects are funded thanks t o them. B ecause of them, for example, Finland’sfinancial receivables for cross -border co -operation have been larger than theproportional share of the appropriations of Finland . The Ministry of EconomicAffairs and Employment acts as the administrative authority for the structural fundsprogram and is hence responsible , together with the Centres for EconomicDevelopment, Transport and the Environment and the regional council s for theimplementation of the program and directing of the measures. Funds are directedtowards projects that are in line with the Baltic Sea Region strategy so that it actsas one of the guiding criterions of the project selection. The implementation of theprojects are followed in the monitoring committee m eetings organized and reportedtwice a year and are then reported to the Commission. Hence, the Ministry ofEconomic Affairs and Employment monitors how funds are directed alsoconcerning measures of the EUBSRS during the programming period .Finland / Ministry of Economic Affairs – Page 2/2 Page 42/2Error! Unknown document property name.From the po int of view of the Structural Funds Program, the most essentialobjective of the EUBSRS is raising prosperity and wellbeing. The structural fundsprograms can support these objectives i.a. through supporting the growth andinternationalization of companies and investing in the development andexploitation of innovation. The rise of the cleantech segment to one of the enginesof the new economy will further strengthen the co -operation between the corporatesector and research in the BSR. The R&D&I sector can utilize the structural fundsfor e.g. developing intelligent transport and energy solutions for supporting systeminnovations. These also require involving co -operation partners from countriesbordering the BSR.With regards to the EUBSR and in addition to the structural funds program ,European te rritorial cooperation programs are also implemented in South and WestFinland (Interreg Baltic Sea Region and the Central Baltic Sea and Botnia -Atlantica cross border programs ) and Southw est Finland – Russia ENI program,European territorial programs in East ern and North ern Finland (cross borderprograms between the BSR, Northern Periphery and North/Nord countries) and theENI programs (Kolarctic and Karelia).The activities of the European Social Fund (ESF) will also be more tightly knitwith the implementation of the EUBSRS. The administrative authorities of the ESFwill be looking into how to further strengthen the co -operation concerning theparticular investment priorities of each member state. The ESF admini strativeauthorities in the BSR have i.a. the opportunity to organize common thematic calls for projects.In order to strengthen the social dimension of the BSR co -operation lifelonglearning and other education al needs should be further strengthened , for examplethrough tighter cross border co -operation between educational establishments, suchas higher education institutions and vocational education institutions . With regardsto youth , the co -operation could concern education and co -operation with thelabour market, measures related to transition especially about seeking studyopportunities and making study more effective. Also improving the mobility ofstudents and employees, improving social inclusion and combating povertyespecially concerning different ethnic groups are possible co -operation areastogether with various working life improvement and work based learningdevelopment projects.Finland / Ministry of Interior – Page 1/1 Page 5Recommendations with regard to the Environmental status of the Baltic SeaThe Finnish Border Guard has participated on two projects focusing on the protection of Baltic Sea environment:The CompMon project lead by the Finnish T ransport Safety Agency, was a Flagship project in the Policy AreaClean Shipping of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The CompMon CEF Action aim was to produceactionable information (e.g. risk ratings, alerts), which could be used by national control authorities to targeton-board inspections in a cost-efficient manner, to those ships that most likely are non-compliant with MAR-POL Annex VI regulations. Second project was Hyper Global funded by TEKES, which was focused on devel-oping light weight sensors to monitor exhaust gases from ships, especially SoX and NoX. The Finnish BorderGuard has shown the way to cleaner shipping by using LNG Fuel on its biggest Coast Guard vessel T urva since year 2015.Finland / Ministry of Transport and Communications – Page 1/2 Page 61(2)Liikenne - ja viestintäministeriö Käyntiosoite Postiosoite Puhelin www.lvm.fiEteläesplanadi 16 PL 31 029516001 etunimi.sukunimi@lvm.fi(kirjaamo) 00023 Valtioneuvosto kirjaamo@lvm.fiHelsinkiVNK:n Kommenttipyyntö 25. Itämeren parlamentaarikkokonferenssin päätöslauselmantoteuttamisesta 11.5.2017Liikenne - ja viestintäministeriön kommentit 25. Itämeren parlamentaarikkokonferenssinpäätöslauselman toteuttamisestaLiikenne - ja viestintäministeriöllä on seuraavat kommentit 25. Itämeren parlamentaarikkokonferenssinpäätöslauselman toteuttamisesta .7. further strengthen and develop HELCOM as the main coordinating body in the effortto protect the Baltic marine environment, and to strongly support and encourage a fastimplementation of the Marine Litter Action Plan, as well as the implementation of theNOx emission control area Roadmap for the Baltic Sea, and to stress the importance ofthe Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) as one of the environmental pillars of the EU strategyfor the Baltic Sea Region;LVM:n kommentti:The governments of the Baltic Sea region together with the CBSS and the EU are calledupon to further strengthen and develop HELCOM as the main coordinating body in the effort to protect the Baltic marine environment. The Ministry of Transport andCommunications fully supports this appeal. The ministry’s administrative sector activelytakes part in HELCOM activities, for instance through HELCOM Maritime WorkingGroup and the WG’s subgroups and correspondence groups. In the field of maritime transport, HELCOM is a key organization in further ing the protection of the Baltic Seafrom pollution and other emissions from ships. To this end, the Baltic Sea states have worked together through HELCOM to make joint initiatives to the International MaritimeOrganization (IMO) to enhance the protection of marine environment of the Baltic Sea.Examples of such cooperation are the proposals for designation of the Baltic Sea as a special area under MARPOL Convention Annex IV and as a NOx emission control area(NECA) under MARPOL Annex VI. The proposal for d esignation of the Baltic Sea asNECA was adopted at IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee at its 70thsession in October 2016. The regulation, which applies to new ships, will take effect on 1 January 2021. Finland is committed to the implementatio n of the regulation and willcooperate with the other Baltic Sea states and through HELCOM to ensure its effective implementation.8. discuss mutual definitions regarding sustainable development throughout the Baltic Sea region and to support innovations within green and blue technologies as well as tocreate a joint web portal for the Baltic Sea region for sharing good examples regardingresearch, education and environmental best practices;LVM:n kommentti:The BSPC encourages the governments to cooperat ion in the field of green and bluetechnologies as well as to information sharing to support sustainable development. TheMinistry of Transport and Communications wishes to point out that HELCOM is an organization through which information on research and environmental best practicescan be shared. The Baltic Sea states use the HELCOM Maritime Working Group for thispurpose in matters relating to maritime environment protection. The practice has provento be very useful. MuistioVEO/ VKELaatija 9.6.2017Finland / Ministry of Transport and Communications – Page 2/2 Page 72(2)Liikenne - ja viestintäministeriö Käyntiosoite Postiosoite Puhelin www.lvm.fiEteläesplanadi 16 PL 31 029516001 etunimi.sukunimi@lvm.fi(kirjaamo) 00023 Valtioneuvosto kirjaamo@lvm.fiHelsinki9. take the lead and coordinate development of a new regulations framework forautonomous vessels with the aim to make proposals to IMO as well as to supportresearch, technology development and standards for autonomous vessels;LVM:n kommentti:Last autumn Finland launched an extensive unmanned maritime transport developmentproject. The project aims to build the world’s first unmanned maritime products, services,and vivid ecosystem for the Baltic Sea Region by 2025. The project is a disruptive actionlead by Finland to create for the Baltic Sea Region the world's first unmanned maritimeautonomous maritime ecosystem by 2025.Finland has taken first steps to effect on international maritime regulation to improve theregulatory framework to take better account the needs of maritime auto mation andunmanned ships. A submission prepared by Finland and co -sponsored by followingcountries Denmark, Estonia, Japan, Norway, Singapore and Sweden on issue “ Impactof new and advancing technologies to maritime transport and the regulatory framework ”has been provide to the June meeting of IMO Maritime Safety Committee 98.27. support research and standardization within cyber security, with focus on maritimecontext and applications and to foster data governance in order to enable a fair andfertile environment for new data driven services that will capitalize our regionstechnology excellence and trigger high skill job creation;LVM:n kommentti:Finland has launched in May 2016 Government ́s Decision on Data Utilization inBusiness. The Decision defines principles and guidelines to increase big data and mydata utilization. The Decision has 5 main goals to reach: smarter business by datausage and data analytics, better cost -benefit ratio for data usage, international servicesthat attract investm ents, human -centric personal data governance (my data) and dataprotection as a competitiveness asset, increased skills and know how. Addition to thosegoals the Resolution contains also several other guidelines and actions to improve theutilization of da ta (https://www.lvm.fi/lvm -site62 -mahti -portlet/download?did=203293 )Finland / Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – Page 1/9 Page 8Some BSPC Recommendations with regard to labour market issues16. recognize the need to link education and the labour market more closely;17. against this background to support the New Skills Agenda for Europe ;Finland gave warm support for the Commission’s proposal from 2016 regarding the skillsguarantee (later adopted in the form “ Upskilling pathways: new opportunities for adults ”).From Finnish point of view, the proposal is well compatible with national education policyaims and it gives an opportunity to re -consider the importance of coordinated approachesbetween education -, employment and social policies and practices both on EU and onMember State level. Furthermore, Finland supports warmly the approaches the proposalgives for the Member States to develop ways to promote more personali zed educationpathways and to promote the validation of existing skills and prior learning. Both are priorityissues in Finland’s current national VET reform.In order to enhance the mobility of students and workers, inter alia, other initiatives underthe New Skills Agenda have been proposed, for example the European QualificationsFramework and Europass Framework.23. facilitate anticipating labour markets’ skills needs ;Anticipating/forecasting labour mark et and education and training needs is of outmostimportance and there efficient tools need to be developed, for both short and long termperspective. Also the Social Partners should have a role to play in anticipation work. Regionalanticipation work is a lso important.Labour Market Training is considered to be a flexible training tool for more ad hoc –basedtraining needs.In Finland regional anticipation of skills needs is performed in 15 regions with slightly different approaches. They aim to forecast the regional sectoral and occupationaldevelopment in the short term to guide procurement and delivery of labour market training.The main feature of this system is a coordinated use of a variety of input data: client surveys,employer surveys, PES office specific data on recruitment and jobseekers, labour markettraining feedback surveys, register data, etc. Regional Centres for Economic Development,Transport and Environment arrange anticipation forums twice a year. These forums discussregional economic prospects more generally, not only from the point of view of future skillsneeds. They also produce short -term forecasting reports which are combined into apublication covering all the regions in Finland. These reports are used by ministries asbackgroun d information in their decision -making processes. In the future, the idea is toestablish regional subgroups for a more thorough anticipation of skills needs.Finland / Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – Page 2/9 Page 924. explore the need for a Northern Dimension Partnership for Labour Market andEducation to further develop education and labour market in the Baltic Sea Region;The labour ministers of the CBSS countries are invited to a meeting on the 15th of June 2017in Berlin, at the auspices of the Icelandic Presidency in CBSS . The meeting will be held in partas a joint event with the Baltic Sea Labour Forum (BSLF) Annual Round Table. It must bepointed out that this will be the first meeting between the labour ministers.The ministers will discuss the issues of common concern, interest for co operation orexperience exchange in the field of labour and employment: labour mobility, demographicchallenges, knowledge supply, youth employment, migration/integration, involvement tolabour market of people with special needs. The draft declaration of the labour ministers ́meeting includes i.e. a proposal of agreeing to establish future co -operation engaging alsoother relevant regional stakeholders.33. bring together national employment services and private employment agencies ,including the social partners, in order to boost job seekers’ chances;Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s Government’s objectives are to bring the Finnish economy ontoa path of sustainable growth and higher employment and to safeguard sufficient financialresources for public servi ces and social protection. With its five strategic priorities in theGovernment Programme (29 May 2015), the Government is taking steps to follow throughwith essential reforms. The st rategic objectives are materialized in the form of 26 keyprojects followed by an action plan for the implementation of the key project and reforms.The first strategic priority ́Employment and competitiveness ́ covers the following keyprojects:1. Strengthe ning competitiveness by improving conditions for business andentrepreneurship2. Incentive traps preventing acceptance of work will be removed and structuralunemployment reduced3. Local agreement will be promoted and barriers to employment removed4. Reform of employment service activities to support employment5. Housing construction will be increasedAmong the actions is the reform of the labour administration and its role . This includes thatthe role of the private employment services is increased especially in the services for thosewho will find a job easily.The purpose of the future regional government reform (coming into effect 1 January 2019) is to harmonize the state regional administration with county government administration andto rationalize the orga nization of public -sector administration at state, regional andmunicipal levels. The Government Programme envisages the centralization of functions intoFinland / Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – Page 3/9 Page 10clear, autonomous regions – counties – in terms of tasks and authority. As a part of thereform, the employment and economic development services (the TE services) will turn intogrowth services. The growth services will be reali zed through the organi zer-producer modelwhere the roles of the organizer and the producer of the services are separated and in whichthe region holds the organi zation responsibility. A fundamental principle of the reform ismarket -orientation, i.e. the starting points of various service producers are on the same line.The service producers could be private and public companies and third sector operators.34. use and further develop good approaches such as the EU's Youth Guaranteescheme in order to develop sustainable and broad -based concepts for tackling youthunemployment and promote the transition from school to working life;Youth guarantee is one of the Government’s spearhead projects. The spearhead programaims to increase cooperation between government officials as well as between public -private and third sector service providers. One of the key principles of the Youth guara ntee isthat young unemployed job -seekers has to be met frequently by the PES (the PublicEmployment Services) officials and that job -seekers has to be offered individualized supportwithin three months from the day of registration as an unemployed.Under the Youth guarantee scheme the Ministry of Economy and Employment together withother ministries are developing so called One -Stop -Shop service points. The aim of thesenew service points is to bring together different service providers and to increasecooperation between different administrations. These Ohjaamo centres provide one -stop -shop guidance for young people. They form a key plank in Finland’s delivery of the Youth Guarantee. Promoting the 4P Principle (Public -People- Private -Partnership) at the hea rt ofthe national approach, there are now almost 40 centres across the country. These operate in more than 100 municipalities, from the metropolitan capital city to Finland’s rural areas. Thecentr es have been funded partly by the European Social Fund.The central concept is a low -threshold service providing guidance and support to youngpeople under the age of 30. Within these services, young people can access a wide range ofprofessional support. As well as careers guidance and training, this includes h ousing, welfareand social care provision. Throughout, the emphasis remains on the young person being incontrol, steering the process in a way that they are comfortable with. Across Finland, 80,000young people used the Ohjaamo services in 2016.36. pro mote the integration of the long -term unemploye d in the labour market, usingtried and tested methods based on a coordinated and individualized approach whichincludes employers;37. also use for this purpose good approaches such as the recommendation of theCouncil of the European Union on the integration of long -term unemployed into thelabour market;Finland / Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – Page 4/9 Page 11On 15 February 2016, the Council of the European Union adopted the Commission's Proposalfor a Recommendation on the integration of the long -term unemployed (LTU) in the labourmarket . The Council Recommen dation puts forward three key steps:- encouraging the registration of long -term unemployed with an employment service;- providing each registered long -term unemployed with an individual in -depth assessment toidentify their needs and potential at the ve ry latest at 18 months of unemployment;- offering a job integration agreement to all registered long -term unemployed at the verylatest at 18 months.The European Commission has organized the self -evaluation concerning the implementationof the Recommenda tion and made the assessment. The Commission has concluded that “thesituation in Finland is advanced and in line with the contents of theRecommendation. Although registration is very good for the group covered by theRecommendation, there are challenges related to young people and services for discouragedworkers. There is a ‘one stop shop’ for the LTU but the transmission of data on a jobintegration agreement between PES and social service as well as between PES and private service providers could be further improved. Job Integration Agreements tend to be ratherbroad but could still be improved, inter alia through better follow -up and regularupdates. Co-operation with employers is well -established and successful, and therecruitment trial is an int eresting model.”New active labour market policies have been introduced in the past 12 months in order to tackle the increasing problem of long -term unemployment. These measures areimplemented within the framework of the Government Structural Policy Programme. Thesemeasures include for instance the following.Based on a new act which came into force on 1 January 2015, a service model called “multi -sectoral joint service enhancing employability” is adopted in legislation and extendednationwide. The service is targeted at the long -term unemployed who need morecomprehensive services. Young people under 25 years are eligible for this service after 6 months of unemployment. The objective of the ser vice centre model is to improve thelabour market skills and employability of the long -term unemployed, especially those whoneed multi -professional services. It aims to bring together a network of existing employmentservices, municipalities and The Finni sh Social Insurance Institution (KELA) which jointlyassess the service needs of the long -term unemployed and to plan services to enhance theiremployability. The agencies are also jointly responsible for enhancing and monitoring the employability process. The services put together are the public employment services; socialand health care services ; and the rehabilitation services. There will be no new organi zationsestablished for the joint service centres, but the authorities will work in a network, withi nthe framework of their own jurisdiction.An experiment to alleviate structural unemployment in municipalities was carried outbetween 1 September 2012 and 31 December 2015. The objective of the experiment was tolocate new models based on local partnersh ips for integrating individuals into the job marketfor the purpose of alleviating structural unemployment. The experiment did not alter thebasic division of labour between the government and local authorities in the arrangement ofFinland / Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – Page 5/9 Page 12other services promoti ng employment. In the municipalities participating in the experiment,services promoting employment were implemented through multiprofessional cooperationtranscending sectoral boundaries.The experiment consisted of 23 projects, 14 of which include more than one municipality. Atotal of 65 municipalities and about 23 000 participants were involved in projects acceptedfor the experiment. Out of the long -term unemployed covered by the experiment, primaryfocus in the selection was placed on those who have received an unemployment benefit forat least 500 days on the grounds of unemployment and who, in addition to employmentservices, also required services for improving their prerequisites for finding employment, thearrangement of which is the responsibil ity of municipalities. In addition to the above -discussed individuals, the target group contained individuals who had remained unemployedfor at least 12 months continuously and who faced the risk of exclusion from the labour market.In the spring 2017, the Government decided to launc h a Social Impact Bond action”Employment -SIB” in order to promote employment of the young and long -termunemployed and to prevent long -term unemployment.42. make better use of the resources of an ageing society;The raise of employment of older workers (55 – 64 years old) has been continuous althoughit has slowed down during the recent years.Basically the TE services are offered by individual needs, not according to customers’ age. InFinland , the wage subsidy i s a measure to encourage employers to recruit those unemployedwho are in the difficult position in the labour market. From the year 2015 special attentionhas paid to elderly unemployed workers. The Employment and Economic DevelopmentOffices (the TE O ffices) can grant the wage subsidy to an employer for unlimited period, if aperson to recruit is long -term unemployed who is at least 60 years old .If people over 55 years are encouraged to utilize their potential in full, it is very important todevelop wo rking life throughout one’s career . Life-long learning possibilities are important inkeeping the elderly in the workforce, but at the end, real working life development is done atthe workplaces. To prolong working lives in a healthy and productive and su stainable way,ways of promoting safety and health, trust, engagement and participatory workplacepractices over the whole work career must be found . This has been done for instance withthe Working Life 2020 project coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs andEmployment .The raise of employment of older workers has been continuous although it has slowed downduring the recent years. The employment rate of older workers (55 - 64) was 59.1% in 2014.The employment rate of older workers was 60.0% in 2015 and 61.4 % in 2016 .44. rigorously and continuously pursue the goal of reducing youth unemploymentand opening up job prospects and life chances for all young people, to use financialFinland / Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – Page 6/9 Page 13funds by the Euro pean Union to this and to monitor results;Youth unemployment has been decreasing in Finland during the last year. However , it is stillat high level . Youth guarantee , which is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Educationand Culture , has remained one of the Government’s main responses to the youthunemployment in the form of a key project. Under the Youth guarantee scheme , theMinistry of Economy and Employment together with other ministries are developing socalled one-stop-shop service points taking use of co -funding of the European Social Fund(ESF) .The aim of these new service points is to bring together different service providers and toincrease cooperation between different administrations. These Ohjaamo centres provideone-stop -shop guidance for young people. They form a key plank in Finland’s delivery of theYouth Guarantee. Promoting the 4P Principle (Public -People -Private -Partnership) at theheart of the national approach, there are now almost 40 centres across the country. Theseoperate in more than 100 municipalities, from the metropolitan capital city to Finland’s ruralareas.The central concept is a low -threshold service providing guidance and support to youngpeople under the age of 30. Within these services, young people can a ccess a wide range ofprofessional support. As well as careers guidance and training, this includes housing, welfareand social care provision. Another important feature shaped by the youth input is a relianceon face -to-face relationships between profess ionals and clients. Throughout, the emphasisremains on the young person being in control, steering the process in a way that they are comfortable with.47. educate and integrate refugees into the labour market as soon as possible and toexchange experien ces with best practice examples within the Baltic Sea Region. Andalso embed the social partners comprehensively and at an early stage in theseefforts;The sudden and unexpected flow of immigrants entering Finland in 2015 was the mainmotivator to streaml ine the integration training for immigrants to make it more efficient,flexible and tailor -made. The National Board of Education and Ministry of Economic Affairsand Employment have specified possible new implementation models for the integrationtraining of adult immigrants. This model is based on modules which concern the integrationtraining provided to adult immigrants both as labour market training and self -motivatededucation, in accordance with the National core curriculum for integration training fo r adultmigrants (National Board of Education 1/011/2012).Purpose of the implementation model is to:- speed up the access to training as well as entry to working life and furtherstudies;- support supplementation of prior learning;Finland / Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – Page 7/9 Page 14- diversify and enhance implementation methods; and- enhance the effectiveness of training.An intensive orientation module has been added for those who have been granted aresidence permit, but do not yet have a municipal placement, as well as for those who arewaiting for access to training services after being transferred to a municipality. Th e trainingmodules may contain a diverse range of other activities, such as on -the-job learning,familiarization periods, work trials, etc. There may also be other activities between trainingmodules, such as work trials, subsidized employment and third -sector services. A part-timemodel was added because there is a desire to enhance the implementation of training. Inparticular, there is a desire to combine vocationally -oriented content with training at as earlya stage as possible.During the orientation module, a more detailed assessment of the integrating migrants'competence and vocational skills can be made and short -term basic language instruction canbe provided. Also during the module , participants can acquaint themselves with theregional/local wor king life and educational offerings in familiarization periods. Whereverpossible, the social studies element of the orientation module is provided in the mothertongue of the participants. Furthermore, the implementation can make flexible use of localofferings, such as library and other cultural services.The aim is that, within modules, integrating migrants can be further divided into thefollowing study paths based on a baseline assessment: basic pathway, slow -track pathwayand fast -track pathway. Voca tionally -oriented language instruction might be included in anydifferent modules.A new form of partnership between public and private - an Integration Social Impact Bond -has been introduced in Finland. The experiment is conducted by impact investing. Thismeans channeling private capital towards a project with a social impact. The public sector pays for the project's results – in this case speedy transition of immigrants to work.The goal is to train and employ 2000 immigrants during the experiment, f rom 4 to 6 monthsafter a beginning trial. The project tries new models for employment and training which willaccelerate the employment of immigrants as well as enable combining training and work in aflexible manner.The employment and labour market posi tion of SIB customers and a control group will becompared after the experiment ends in 2020. If the SIB model helps to accelerateemployment, those who invested in the SIB model will be paid a profit from the savings thatwill be generated to the State wi th this accelerated employment.So far the project has been focused on work in transports and logistics. Discussions areongoing with industrial companies. A first SIB course for academics will begin in the summerof 2017.In the integration policy of Fin land a new emphasis is placed on utilizing the added valuethat migration can bring to our economy. This approach is included in the GovernmentFinland / Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – Page 8/9 Page 15integration program as well as in the new Integration Act which is currently being rewritten.The approach is ca lled “International talents boosting growth”.48. promote the participation of people with disabilities in working life, wherepossible in business in the general labour market, having regard for the principle ofinclusion in the meaning of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons withDisabilities;The Employment and Economic Development Office s (TE Offices ) provide employment andeconomic development services (TE services). The services are defined in an act on publicemployment and business services (916/2012). The service model is based on three servicelines: Employment and enterprise services, Competence development services andSupported employment services.Customers are directed to these service lines based on their estimated need for th e services.All services included in the service selection are available in each of the service lines. The TEservices focus on supporting the rapid employment of job seekers, improving the availabilityof competent workforce and securing the operating con ditions of businesses.Public employment services include labour exchange services, information and guidance,skills development as well as business start -up and development services. All the services inthe service selection are also available to customer s whose disability or illness makes it moredifficult for them to find employment, and the services can be offered for the purpose of their vocational rehabilitation. Restrictions concerning the work ability of employees andtheir availability to the labo ur market have been removed from the legislation on publicemployment and business services, which improves the opportunities of individuals withpartial work ability receiving disability pension and rehabilitation subsidy to receive TEservices.The info rmation and advisory services are available to everyone without restrictions.Employment exchange is the most central type of service for job seekers and employers.Competence development services include vocational guidance and career planning,coaching, work try -outs, education and training and wage subsidy, and they are available toall individual customers. In every case, the purpose of job seeking and coaching is to supportcustomers in finding a job or vocational education. The content of the servi ces can be varieddepending on the customers.The employment of job seekers with partial work capacity is supported especially by the following changes in individual TE services: 1) The terms of granting wage subsidy have been clarified and applying for t he subsidy has been made simpler and 2) the amount of a subsidyfor arranging working conditions has been increased. These changes improve employers'financial opportunities for recruiting individuals with partial work capacity. Expanding thework coach se rvice to cover support offered to the employee and employer at the beginningof an employment relationship enhances attachment to the job and remaining in the job.Finland / Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – Page 9/9 Page 16An action programme for promoting the employment of those with partial work capacity for2013 to 2015 was prepared under the direction of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Particular attention has been paid to the employers' incentives towards hiring andcontinuing to employ individuals with partial work capacity, to providing the suppor trequired by those with partial working capacity to find an employment path suited for thelife situation of the individual, and to establishing a more motivating balance betweendisability pension and income from work.The number of unemployed among peop le with disabilities and long -term illnesses has seena slight decrease, whereas the proportion of people with disabilities and long -term illnessesamong the working population has slightly increased. The share of those working a shorterweek out of workers with disabilities and long -term illnesses remains low, despite itsincrease during the observed period.49. support their public labour administrations to promote the mobility of theircitizens in the entire Baltic Sea Region;Finland takes part in EURES – activities to support labour mobility in EU/EEA countries.Cooperation around the Baltic Sea area in recruitment activities is active due to both geographical and cultural closeness. As a receiving country Finland is working c losely withEstonia and Latvia and Sweden. Sectors of special interest have recently been agriculture,food industry and metal. As a sending country we have recently worked closely with Sweden, Estonia and Germany particularly in sectors of ICT and teacher s (Sweden).Finland / Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – Page 1/1 Page 17Coordination project “Rural Finland” funded by Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland 2014–2020 enhances rural tourism. Economically, socially and ecologically sustainable agriculture is one of the focusareas of the Rural Development Programme.Finland participates actively in the work of Policy Area Tourism of the EU Strategy for Baltic Sea Region.Finland participates in organizing 10th Baltic Sea Tourism Forum on 2–3 November in T urku, Finland. The fora support networking and clustering of tourism stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Region.Visit Finland is an associated partner in the project for Baltic Sea Tourism CenterGermanyGermany Page 2Federal Foreign OfficeMr Franz ThönnesMember of the German Bund estagPlatz der Republik 111011 Berlin6 Ma rch 2017Dear colleague , dear Franz (m.p.),Many thanks for your letter of 13 De cember to my predecessor , Frank -Walter Steinmeier , and forenclosing the r esolution of the 25th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference , held in Riga in 2016 .I am pleased to send you the Federal Government’s statement, which has been drawn up by myMinistry in cooperation with other Federal Ministries.The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference ’s resolutions have provided a great deal of positiveimpetus for German policy towards the Baltic Sea in recent years. The Federal Governmenttherefore attaches great importance to continu ing to support the Baltic Sea ParliamentaryConference in shaping the dialogue between governments, parliaments, and civil society in theBaltic Sea region. The next Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference , to be held from 3 to 5September in Hamburg , offers an excellent opportunity to demonst rate the diversity of Germanengagement in Baltic Sea cooperation – including and in particular following the annual forumof the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region , which is to be held at the Feder al Foreign Office inJune 2017.I welcome your work in the framework of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference and thank youwarmly for your engagement for the Baltic Sea region.Yours sincerely,Sigmar GabrielFederal Minister of Foreign AffairsMember of the German BundestagGermany Page 32Statement on the resolution of the 25th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference 2016The Federal Government welcomes the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference’s work to strengthen the BalticSea region’s common identity and to promote cooperation between state and non -state institutions –especially cooperation with the Council of the Baltic Sea States a nd the Northern Dimension. By workingtowards better cooperation between the parliaments, governments and civil societies in the Baltic Sea regionand initiating political activities and projects, the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference provides importantimpetus for closer links in the Baltic Sea region, particularly in relation to environmental protection, greaterinternal security, and more economic prosperity, including through links in relation to vocational training andsupport for an innovative economy .Regarding the preamble and cooperation in the region :The Federal Government’s cooperation in the Baltic Sea region consists of three pillars : the Council of theBaltic Sea States, the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and the Northern Dimension. Germany’s interestsin the Baltic Sea region lie in boosting competitiveness, dealing with environmental challenges, closinginfrastructure gaps and promoting economic cohesion in th e region , which was long divided in political andeconomic terms, with the aim of developing a common regional identity. The Federal Foreign Office is playingan active role as a n interministerial moderator. In principle, the Federal Government believes cooperatio n inthe Baltic Sea region also offers added value in the possibility of engaging in a dialogue in the Baltic Sea areaand especially with Russia, a member of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, which builds confidence andboosts transparency. In additio n, despite the strain placed on political relations by the Ukraine crisis,international coordination with Russia remains essential in dealing with shared challenges. The Council of theBaltic Sea States is an important forum in keeping channels of communication open with Russia at anappropriate level on such issues of common interest.Regarding the ecological status of the Baltic Sea :Germany is also a contracting party to the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environm ent of theBaltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention ). The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, or HelsinkiCommission (HELCOM) , holds a special position in the framework of Baltic Sea cooperation not only becauseits mandate encompasses all sources of pollution at sea and in coastal areas, but also because the Conventiontakes an integrative approach and involves all stakeholders in discussion s and decisions to protect the regionalmarine environment . At the same time, HELCOM stands for accumulated scientific knowledge about marineecosystems and expertise in achieving synergie s with added value for global, European and nationalprocesses , which is reflected in the good cooperation with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region .At present, the Baltic Sea’s marine environment is in great need of improvement, a condition which isattributable, in addition to historical pollution, to the pressure of constant growth in human activities – onland and at sea. Eutrophi cation, pollution by hazardous substances , adverse effects of maritime activi ties,biodiversity loss , marine litter and underwater noise remain major environmental challenges . All stakeholdersmust step up their e fforts in order to achieve the objectives agreed by HELCOM (and EU -wide) to reach agood ecological status for the Baltic Sea by 2020 (Marine Strategy Framework Directive – MSRL) or by 2021(HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan ).Germany Page 43With regard to hazardous substances, in 2016 HELCOM completed the first regional assessment of theconcentration s and inputs of pharmaceuticals in the marine environment as a scientific basis for the futuredevelopment of measures to reduce the pollution of the marine environment by these substances.In tackling eutrophication, a coherent approach must be taken to all diffuse sources (atmospher e, rivers,point sources) of nutrient inputs (nitrogen , phosphor us) in order to reach a good ecological status . We alsoneed a fundamental consensus between HELCOM, as an instrument of political cooperation, and the EUStrategy for the Baltic Sea Region with its possibilities of targeted project funding , on how eutrophicationcan better be tackled at the source. As an example of action against eutrophication, HELCOM adopted a newrecommendation on sustainable aquaculture last year .At the same time, HELCO M is able to draw up work programmes with added value for the region and forindividual p artners. In 2015 , HELCOM adopted the first Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter in the BalticSea, bringing together 30 regional actions to address land -based and sea-based sources of marine litter, aswell as education and outreach activities. Although the governments retain the primary responsibility forimplementing the plan , the Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter offers a stable regional framework for action– including for expanded cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. The Federal Government is actively pressingfor the implementation of the Action Plan (and, in parallel, of the OSPAR Regional Ac tion Plan for MarineLitter ), to ensure that significantly less litter enters the Baltic Sea in future than is currently the case.To protect and preserve biodiversity, HELCOM is, for example, examining the effects of underwater noise onthe marine environment with the aim of producing a regional action plan on underwater noise .HELCOM wa s involved in the preparations for the designation by the International Maritime Organi zation(IMO) last year of the North Sea and Baltic Sea as control areas (NECA s) for nitrogen oxide (NOx) e mission sfrom ships . The application was coordinated in advance with all Baltic Sea countries, including Russia, andthis facilitated the IMO decision. Via its Maritime Working Group, HELCOM is monitoring and supporting theimplementation of the agreed roadmap over the period until the requirements take effect in 2021. In addition,HELCOM supported the IMO’s 2016 decision to introduce stricter requirements for the disposal of sewagefrom passenger ships in the Baltic Sea , which will take effect from 2019 and 2021 (for new and existing ships,respectively) in the Baltic Sea, which the IMO has designated a special area for sewage . HELCOM is currentlydiscussing possibilities of creating sufficient (“adequate”) port reception facilities for the disposal of sewagefrom ships, with the aim of finding practicable solutions. HELCOM is supporting “green shipping” by offeringa Platform for Shipping which is intended to advance innovation and new technological solutions.The resolution adopted by the 25th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference also highlights the importance ofthe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs ) and in particularSDG-14. The first UN conference which is to be held to support the implementation of a SustainableDevelopment Goal concerns SDG -14; it is to take place in New York from 5 to 9 June 2017, with Swedenacting as co -president of the conference. This meeting offers a good opportunity , alongside efforts to boostocean governance , to bring the regional level into the process as an effective level for implementation , as itallows a tailored thematic organisation of marine protection measures and action to ensure sustainable useof the seas, a nd enables implementati on to take place both nationally and jointly, with added value for theregion.Regarding cooperation in the field of tourism :Due to the federal structure of the Federal Republic of Germany, tourism -related competences are in principledivided between the Federation and the Länder (federal states ), and this system has proven its worth. TheGermany Page 54development of t ourism and the marketing of German tourist areas in Germany are matters for the Länder .Via the German National Tourist Board ( Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus ), the Federation promotes Germanyas a whole abroad as a destination for tourists and is responsible for the general conditions for tourism andthe tourism industry in Germany. In addition, the Federal Government supports tourism -related pilot projectsand studies which are in the general interest s of Germany as a whole.It also plays a coordinating role, including in the framework of a regular, institution alised dialogue with theLänder in the Federation -Länder Committee on Tourism , to allow a full flow of information and to coordinatematters which are relevant for the Federation and the Länder . Only individual Länder in Germany are involvedin the tourism -related aspects of the European Commission’s macro -regional strategies. The federal interestis therefore limited; instead, this is primarily a matter for the individual Länder concerned .Against this background, the German contribution to tourism-related cooperation between the Baltic Seacountries is coordinated by the Land Mecklenburg -Western Pomerania. Federal interests are represented bythe German National Tourist Board (GNTB) , which promotes Germany abroad as a destination for tourists onbehalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The role of the GNTB , which is representedin the Baltic Sea region ’s source markets , includes e ngagement in international bodies , where this iscompatible with its marketing function.In the framework of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the GN TB attends the meetings and workshopsof the Steering Committee for the Priority Area Tourism. The issues covered include strategies and projectsto develop multinational routes , with the aim of boost ing the perception of the Baltic Sea region as a jointtourist destination (“Baltic Sea ” brand ), and to introduce sustainable tourism products.The Steering Committee ’s leadership is embedded in the Ministry of Economics of the Land Mecklenburg -Western Pomerania . In addition, the Mecklenburg -Western Pomerania tourist board (TMV) has successfullyapplied to be the lead partner for the new Baltic Sea Tourism Center which is to be established in Rostock,and which is being financed by EU funding from the Interreg South Baltic Programme . In the FederalGovernment’s view, tourism is an important element of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region . With theLand Mecklenburg -Western Pomerania as coordinator of the Priority Area Tourism , a partner has been foundwhich can bring wide -ranging experience to the table of develop ing tourism in its own Land. The GNTB hassignificant expertise in areas which are relevant for the development of tourism in the Baltic Sea region. Thisincludes theme marketing and branding, communic ation and so cial media, and the topics of rural areas ,sustainability and accessibility. Germany is therefore well -placed to make an effective contribution.Germany Page 65Regarding Europe an a nd international “education and research cooperation” :Baltic Sea call for proposalsIn 2010, 2011 and 2013 , the Federal Ministry of Education and Research published calls for proposals to fundan ideas competition to establish and expand innovative R&D networks with partners in Baltic Sea countries.The aim of these funding measures is to exploit innovation potential through international cooperation, inthe context of the High-Tech Strategy and the EU Framework Programme for Research, Horizon 2020, and toenhance the international competitive advantages of German companies and research institutes in the BalticSea region. At least three partners must be involved in the establishment or expansion of an R&D network :one German partner, at least one partner from De nmark, Finland, Norw ay or Sw eden, and at least one partnerfrom Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or Poland.Since 2010, 195 partners from the Baltic Sea countries have received funding in a total of 55 projects. At theend of 2016 , 15 projects ha d been completed from the third call for proposals .In September 2016 , the Federal Ministry of Education and Research commissioned an evaluation of the BalticSea calls for proposals. The results will be available in the spring of 2017 .Establishment and ex pansion of joint research structures in EuropeThis call for proposals aims to support research institutes, universities and (research -performing ) companiesin Germany in exploiting knowledge and innovation potential in less research -intensive regions in Europe andin taking on a leading role in cooperation with partners from the target regions. At the same time, thisenhances the ability of these partners to participate in the European Research Area and reduces theinnovation gap within Europe . The target countries for this call for proposals are therefore the EU MemberStates Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland , the Czech Republic , the Slovak Republi c, Hungary, Slovenia , Croatia,Romania and Bulgari a, as well as the official EU candidates Albani a, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Montenegro and Serbi a. This Federal Ministry of Education and Research funding instrument isconsistent with the EU initiatives of “teaming ” and “t winning ”. Fifteen projects began at the end of 2015 orstart of 2016, for a period of two years. Three Polish partners , two Estonian partners and one Lithuanianpartner are involved in the projects in the fields of climate and the environment, health research,biotechnology and innovation.German -Polish call for pr oposals on the subject of the “d igitalisation of the economy”German -Polish cooperation aims to establish a jointly coordinated, st rategic innovation policy . A declarationof intent to this effect was signed by Professor Aleksander Bobko, State Secretary at the Ministry of Scienceand Higher Education of the Republic of Poland, and Stefan Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary at theFederal Ministry of Education and Research , at the German -Polish Platform “ On the road to innovative Europe ”held on 11 October in Poznań, Pola nd. At the heart of the agreement is a funding programme which isintended to contribute to technology transfer, particularly in SMEs and start -ups. The content and prioritiesof the technology transfer are based on the German government’s High-Tech Strateg y and the key enablingtechnologies supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research . The funding programme is to bepublished in 2017 and will focus on the “digitalisation of the economy” . The Federal Ministry of Educationand Research a nd the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education are currently preparing the call forproposals .SustainabilityOne of the major subjects of German -Polish cooperation is sustainability . A German -Polish dialogue onsustainability and a bilateral agreement have been in place s ince 2008. Cooperation on sustainability researchhas been reinforced with the first and second calls for proposals for bilateral projects, published in 2011 andGermany Page 762015 respectively. Based on the successful experience of the first call for proposals, funding for SMEs wasintroduced in the second call for proposals. This approach is also intended to contribute to enhancing theeconomic relations between the two countries. The first call for proposal s resulted in 7 bilateral projectsreceiving funding, while 9 were selected in the new call for proposals.The Federal Ministry of Education and Research was represented by a stand at the POL -ECO-SYSTEM tradefair from 2005 to 2014 and in 2016. This is intended to support the establishment of German -Polish projectconsortia in the field of environmental research, environmental technologies and sustainability research. Inaddition to presenting current German R&D projects in these fields, the Ministry’s s tand hosts around 200cooperation talks between German and Polish R&D actors each year during the trade fair, which representsan important contribution in forging links between business, research, innovation and higher education.Regarding European and in ternational “cooperation on education (including vocational training ) andresearch by linking education and the labour market” :As set out in the Vocational Training Act ( Berufsbildungsgesetz ), vocational training in Germany has the aimof ensuring that individuals acquire full vocational competence (Section 1 (3) and (4) of the VocationalTraining Act ). The regulated qualifications for occupations requiring vocational training or further training arebased on examinations underpinned by national standards, and thus they are also valid nationwide. The focuson work and business processes during in -company vocational training, and consequently also in the subjectscovered in the school -based part of vocational training, means that vocational qualifications are intrinsicallyhelpful in finding employment and that vocational training and the labour market are close ly linked .The involvement of experts from the social partners and the Federal Institute for Vocational Education andTraining in the continuous work of drawing up training regulations (creating new and/or updating existingoccupations ) ensures that current labour market trends and technological developments are taken intoaccount ; this reflects the results of research on the need for early identification of skills needs .In addition, the Federal Government’s annual Report on Vocational Educatio n and Training lists measuresand programmes relating to the transition from schoo l to training and relating to training for adults withoutvocational qualifications ; it also document s targeted measures for disadvantaged groups , complemented bymeasures for high-achieving individuals who are interested in education. Federation -Länder agreements onenshrining education chains in the education systems of the Länder reinforce the coherent application of thevarious funding and support instruments. Additionally, the national Alliance for Initial and ContinuingVocational Training 2015 –2018 particularly addresses the challenges in the vocational training market .The German Qualifications Framework, developed jointly by all relevant stakeholders (Federation , Länder ,higher education institutions, s ocial partner s) on the basis of the European Qualifications Framework , ensuresthat German qualifications are transparent and comprehensible across educational sectors in cross -bordercooperation. The Recognition Act ( Anerkennungsgesetz ) regulates the recognition of foreign professionalqualifications in Germany.Germany’s federal objectives and actions are regarded as compatible with the aims and challenges referredto in the Baltic Sea Parliament ary Conference’s resolution.The Federal Government is using European and international cooperation to modernise vocational educationand training. The institutionalised, continuous modernisation of vocational training in Germany outlined aboveis suppleme nted by bilateral cooperation and support for cross -border learning mobility in the framework ofErasmus+. In the Baltic Sea region, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is cooperating bilaterallywith Latvia in the field of vocational education and training on the basis of a joint declaration of intent, withthe aim of promot ing vocational education and training and workplace learning .Germany Page 87In addition, the Member States coor dinate at European level on cross -cutting education policy issues , forexample regarding the Skills Agenda for Europe.On 10 Jun e 2016, the European Co mmission published its communication on a new Skills Agenda for Europe,in which it proposes a total of 10 actions . Germany welcomes the fact that the Commission is addressing thisimportant topic. Germany played a constructive role, in close coordination with the Baltic Sea countries, inthe negotiations in the competent Council bodies on the Skills Agenda and the concrete actions proposed inthis framework . Following these negotiations, the Council of EU Education Ministers adopted a resolution(2016/C 467/01) at its meeting on 21 November 2016 welcoming the communication on the Skills Agenda .In addition, the Council adopted a recommendation in support of “Upskilling Pathways – New opportunitiesfor adults ” as the first action under the Skills Agenda.EuroFacultyThe EuroFaculty project originated in an initiative by the Council of the Baltic Sea States in the early nineties.The project aimed to bring the Baltic universities up to international standards for research and teaching,including those of the Bologna Process, in the fields of business administration, law and administrativesciences, by reforming universit y curricula, teaching and learning methods, improving foreign language skillsand modernising libraries and technical equipment . In 1993, the project began in Riga ( Latvia ) and at twoother centres in Tartu ( Estonia ) and Vilnius ( Lithuania ). In 2005, Kaliningrad State University – renamed theImmanuel Kant State University of Russia in 2007 – was included in this project at Russia’s request. Theinitiative expi red in the 2007/08 academic year.The project is hailed in the Baltic region as a n important achievement , as it produced a large number ofespecially good graduates, with an extremely positive impact on the Baltic university system as a whole.The last EuroFaculty p roject so far ran from 2009 to 2015 in the western Russian region of Pskov, near theborder to Estonia and Latvia. The project aimed to improve and modernise university education in the fieldof business administration at the newly founded Psk ov State University , which brought together five formeracademic institutes. Among other things, the internationalisation of Pskov State University, for examplethrough the establishment of bilingual standards with English -language learning content, and th emodernisation and upgrading of its infrastructure, libraries and IT facilities can be described as achievements of this project. A Master’s programme was also established, aimed particularly at inter -Baltic cooperation andcultural exchange, in order to promote closer links between graduates and the labour markets of all BalticSea countries.Germany supported the past EuroFaculty projects to a significant extent, primarily through material andhuman resources. Modernising higher education institutions and ensuring productive forms of universitycooperation in the Baltic Sea region remain s an important factor in boosting the region’s competitiveness inthe long term and promoting the development of a cross -border regional identity. The Federal Governmentrecognises the achievements of the past projects and will examine, in cooperation with the Council of theBaltic Sea States, the possibility of continuing the EuroFaculty project. Provided that a useful and sustainableconcept can be developed, the Federa l Government is willing in principle to support a new EuroFaculty projectwhich reflects the needs of today’s higher education institutions.The aim of the current discussions in the Committee of Senior Officials of the Council of the Baltic Sea Statesis to establish links between universities and higher education institutions in the field of Baltic Sea studies ,in order to enhance professional qualifications and boost the opportunities for young people in the Baltic Searegion to enter the world of work . In this context, the focus is on the placement of workers within the memberGermany Page 98states of the Council of the Baltic Sea States a nd student exchanges between the universities and vocationaltraining institutions involved.Regarding cooperation between the socia l partners :The Federal Government works closely with the social partners in a spirit of mutual trust. This applies bothto legislative initiatives in which the social partners are involved, and for their influence outside of theseprocesses . Contacts and discussions take place at many levels . This regular dialogue enables tailored solutionsto be found jointly with the social partners.The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affai rs is unaware of s pecific initiative s to boost social partnershipor the so cial dialogue between the count ries of the Baltic Sea region . However, the Baltic Sea Labour Forum,which emerged from the EU Baltic Sea Strategy’s flagship project , the Baltic Sea Labour Network , in 2011 ,and which brings together more than 30 employers’ associations and trade union confederations from theBaltic Sea region and representatives of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference and the Council of the BalticSea States , is a notabl e example of a social dialogue which has been organised, l argely autonomously, bythe social partners themselves, and it is being observed with interest.Regarding measures to reduce unemployment1.) Promot ing the integration of the long -term unemployed in the labour market, using tried and testedmethods based on a coordinated and individuali sed approach which includes employersTackling long -term unemployment has been a particular priority for the Federal Min ister of Labour and SocialAffairs ever since taking office. With its “Opening Opportunities – Safeguarding Social Participation” strategy,the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is making an important contribution to reducing long -termunemployment. The strategy ’s implementation has been taking place since 2015. It includes a broad packageof measures with different priorities and aims , as experience has shown that long -term unemployedindividuals require both long -term and individual ised assistance.The Networks for Activation, Advice and Opportunities are intended to enhance the support for and activationof long -term unemployed indi viduals in job centres. Individual ised services can often only be successfullyimplemented as part of a well -organised network. This includes the support services provided by all localstakeholders. In particular, it is necessary for job centres to cooperat e closely with municipal agencies , forexample when it comes to addiction and debt advisory services, psychosocial support, child care or mobilityusing local public transport . Employers are also important network partners in this context. The new supportand activation approach is implemented on a voluntary basis in the job centres.The federal ESF programme to integrate the long -term unemployed who are entitled to benefits into thegeneral labour market provides comprehensive support and assistance to long -term unemployed persons atthe margins of the labour market who lack vocational qualifications, or qualifications which will help them tofind employment. The activities centre around special placement officers , support from coaches forparticipants after taking up employment , job-related training, mobility grants for participants and wagesubsidies for employers . 333 job centres are participating in the programme. Around 23,000 long -termunemployed individuals are to benefit from the programme. The programme is being financed by around 770million e uros in funding from the ESF and the budget item for integration under Book II of the Social Code(Sozialgesetzbuch ).Germany Page 109The federal programme “Social Participation in the Labour Market” is primarily targeted at two groups : peoplewho need special support due to health impairments , and people who have dependent children in theirhousehold . In this case, the support is intended to reach not only the long -term unemployed individual, butalso th e children in the household. The aim is for them to experience daily routines and have the opportunityto learn that employment plays an important role in life. Through this programme, the Federation is fundingaround 20,000 jobs with compulsory social ins urance coverage until the end of 2018. These must be additionaljobs which do not distort competition and are in the public interest . In total, 750 million euros in funding isbeing made available for this federal programme.The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is continuing to strive to improve access for the long -termunemployed to prevention and health promotion and to occupational rehabilitation . The development andtesting of cross -provider pilot projects is also planned i n the framework o f a dialogue process held by theFederal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs with the German Pension Insurance ( DeutscheRentenversicherung ) and the Federal Employment Agency , as rehabilitation providers, as well as the localauthority central organisations . In addition, an intensive dialogue has taken place with the Länder , the localauthority central organisation s and the Federal Employment Agency on possible changes to the fundinginstruments for reducing long -term unemployment. With the Nint h Act to Amend the Second Book of theSocial Code (“Simplification of legislation and temporary suspension of the obligation to file for bankruptcy ”),which entered into force on 1 August 2016, further regulations have been adopted to improve support andassistance for the long -term unemployed; in particular, the advice provided to individuals who are able towork and eligible for benefits has been significantly increased, the follow -up support for such individuals aftertaking up employment – even once they are no longer in need – has been extended to support their long-term integration into the labour market , and an extension option has been introduced for subsidisedcommunity work.2.) Using and further develop ing good approaches such as the Youth Guarantee scheme in order todevelop sustainable and broad -based concepts for tackling youth unemployment and promote thetransition from school to working lifeGermany has already had an extensive range of labour market policy instruments and effective actors in thelabour and vocational training markets for years. For this reason, the aim when implementing the YouthGuarantee in Germany was not to develop new structures and establish new actors to implement them, butinstead to further develop the existing labour market instruments and achieve long -term structuralimprovements in the transition from school to vocational training and working life.Among the developments which offer the prospect of a long- term effect within the meaning of the YouthGuarantee, the following measures in recent years should be singled out , in particular :- Assisted training , a new employment promotion instrument for young people who are in particular need ofsupport ;- The f urther development of the “Education chain up to qualification” initiative via agreements between theFederation, the Länder and the Federal Employment Agency ;- The ESF federal programme on career entry support ;- The f urther expansion of the agencies for youth employment , as one-stop shops for support servicesoffered by the employment agencies, job centres and youth welfare offices ;- The Alliance for Initial and Continuing Vocational Training as a concerted initiative by the Federation, theLänder and the social partners.The experience with MobiPro -EU, the Special Programme for the Promotion of Occupational Mobility of YoungPeople Interested in Vocational Training run by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs , has beengood and shows that it is worthwhile developing further this German contribution to European solidarity andto the realis ation of a European labour market. To this end, the results of the special programme are alsoGermany Page 1110being passed on to the European Commission so they can f eed into new initiatives. Discussions with Europeanpartners are also planned.Given the very low levels of youth unemployment in Germany in relative terms, the Federal Government isalso using this to promote Germany’s dual system of vocational training i n other European countries.3.) Providing targeted measures to NEETS to integrate them successfully into training and workIn the framework of the Youth Guarantee, Germany has made a commitment that every person under theage of 25 is to be offered a high -quality job, continu ing education, or a high -quality vocational training placeor intern ship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education . Germany is generallymeeting this commitment.Meeting this commitment becomes problematic if the young people in question are not registered with theemployment agencies or the job centres. Germany is therefore seeking, in the framework of the agreementsbetween the Federation, the Länder and the Federal Employment Agency in the context of the “Educationchain up to qualification ” initiative, to give schools greater responsibility for monitor ing young people’s pathseven after they leave school. In this context, schools are to work closely with the agencies for youthemployment and thus ensure that these agencies can offer young people suitable measures and support.In general, Germany takes a preventive approach which is intended to avoid young people becoming NEETs.For example, the ESF federal programme on career entry support is intended to help young people to makea successful start to working life, by providing continuous support to less able pupils at lower secondaryschools a nd special needs schools during their last two years of school and when they begin vocationaltraining.Germany Page 12114.) Using good approaches such as the recommendation of the Council of the European Union onthe integration of long -term unemployed into the labour marketGermany has already implemented the recommendations of the Council of the European Union on theintegration of the long -term unemployed in all major respects, meaning that no further adjustments areneeded in this context .On 13 and 14 October 2016, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs hosted a peer review in Berlin,in cooperation with the European Commission, on the subject of “Approaches to integrate long -termunemployed persons”. The Baltic Sea countries of Finland, Lithuania, Estonia and D enmark also participated.All participants were able to get to know each other’s approaches in an intensive dialogue and thus learnfrom each other. For example, workshops were held in which job centre staff explained how a Network forActivation, Advice and Opportunities functions and provided details about the federal ESF programme for thelong-term unemployed .5.) Encourag ing low-skilled, long -term unemployed and older employees to take part in continuingvocational educa tion and training .Another very important priority for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is to prevent long -termunemployment and to improve the vocational qualifications of long -term unemployed persons. For example ,low-skilled people are four times more likely to be unemployed than those with vocational qualifications. Thejoint “Future starters initiative” of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs a nd the FederalEmployment Agency for the initial vocational training of young ad ults (extended “late starters” initiative ) isintended to encourage, by 2020, a total of 120,000 low-skilled unemployed persons and workers agedbetween 25 a nd 35 to undertake training leading to a vocational qualification. In particular, the new supportoptions offered by the Act to Strengthen Continuing Vocational Education and Training and UnemploymentInsurance Cover ( Gesetz zur Stärkung der beruflichen Weiterbildung und des Versicherungsschutzes in derArbeitslosenversicherung ), which also entered int o force on 1 August 2016, are helping to dismantle existingobstacles to continuing vocational education and training. For example, continuing education bonuses forpassing intermediate and final examinations are intended to boost young adults’ perseveranc e and motivationto successfully complete a more long -term training course. In addition, the Act’s entry into force has alsoallowed support to be provided for low -skilled people to acquire basic skills, which are generally essential forcontinuing trainin g leading to a qualification. For employees aged 45 or over who work for an SME (withfewer than 250 employees) , the costs of continuing education and training can be paid partly or in full by theFederal Employment Agency.Regarding cross -border mobility :In the case of the members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States , the freedom of movement for workersenshrined in Article 45 TFEU in conjunction with Regulation (EU) No . 492/2011 gives nationals of EU MemberStates (in the Council of the Baltic Sea States these are Denmark, Est onia, Finland, Germany, Latvia ,Lithuania , Poland and Sweden) the right to freely choose their employment within the EU. They do not requirea work permit. In all of the other Member States, they enjoy the same acces s to employment as that country’ scitizens, which means that they and their family members have a right to reside there to engage inemployment. Nationals of Norway and Iceland, as members of the European Economic Area, have the samestatus as EU citizens who a re entitled to unlimited freedom of movement.Freedom of movement for workers prohibits discrimination against EU workers on the basis of nationality .This also applies to the provision of all social and tax advantages. Indirect (“covert”) discrimination i s alsoprohibited; in other words, measures which typically afford less favourable treatment to foreign nationalsGermany Page 1312than national workers, without referring directly to nationality, are not permitted either. An example of thiskind of indirect discrimination could be a requirement for applicants for a job in an EU country to havelanguage skills in that country’s language which, objectively, are not needed for the job in question. For otherjobs, language skills in the EU country’s language may genuinely be n ecessary. If applicants for these jobsare asked to submit evidence of their language skills, the employer may not require them to have taken thelanguage test in the EU country in question. In addition, an employer may not treat an EU citizen lessfavoura bly than other applicants solely because of his or her residence in another Member State.EU citizens are also permitted to enter another Member State and reside there for the purpose of seekingemployment. However, this right only exists for a period of up to six months, and beyond that only as longas those concerned can provide evidence that they are continuing to seek employment and that they have agenuine chance of being hired .In certain circumstances, freedom of movement for workers continues to ap ply for six months or longer afterthe end of an employment relationship (for example in the case of temporary incapacity for work followingan accident, or involuntary unemployment); this entitles the EU citizen and his or her family members toremain in the country during this period.The EU Directive adopted in 2014 introduced measures to significantly strengthen in practice the rightsconferred in the context of freedom of movement for workers . In particular, the Directive requires the MemberStates to establish national advisory bodies for migrant w orkers and their family members to offer themindependent advice about access to employment, employment and working conditions, access to social andtax advantages, and access to vocational training and housi ng; these advisory bodies are also to conductsurveys and independent analysis regarding the application of freedom of movement for workers . In Germany,the Office for the Equal Treatment of EU Workers was set up in May 2016; it offers support to all EU mi grantworkers, though not EU citizens who have been posted to Germany temporarily . It also publishes informationin various official EU languages, free of charge, about rights conferred in the context of freedom of movement for workers, although this is st ill under development at present.Facilitating mobility especially in cross -border regions and providing information services to frontierworkers who are subject to different national practices and legal systemsWith regard to facilitating cross -border mob ility within the EU, the EURES network in particular should besingled out. The network’s task is to offer information, advice and plac ement services for workers, job seekersand employers who wish to make use of the right to freedom of movement for workers. The EURES networkfacilitates better access to employment opportunities in the EU and contributes to fair occupational mobility.This is part icularly true in border regions, where cross -border EURES partnerships advise and support workerswho live in one country and work in another.In Germany, the Federal Employment Agency’s International Placement Services are an important point ofcontact for those who want to make use of the right to freedom of movement for workers. The InternationalPlacement Services are part of the Federal Employment Agency and participate in the EURES network. In2016, 14 job applicants from the Baltic region and 32 applicants from Scandinavia found work in Germanywith their help . Conversely, 22 jobseekers from Germany were placed in the Baltic region and a further 22 inScandinavia. Germany also promotes cross -border mobility in the case of trainees who complete all or partof their vocational training abroad. The Federal Employment Agency pays a vocational training grant for upto one year while the individual is living abroad. Support is provided for in -company vocational training whichis undertaken entirely in a neighbouring country or another EU country if it is established in advance that t hevocational training is equivalent to a corresponding vocational training course in Germany.Germany Page 1413Regarding fair wage s and the integration of refugees :The Federal Employment Agency offers all young people vocational orientation and guidanc e in the transitionfrom school to working life . In order to reach pupils at an early age, the Federal Employment Agency hasreached an agreement with the Länder which enables young people to receive vocational orientation andguidanc e during their lessons. If young people r equire further support prior to vocational training, varioussupport services are offered by the employment agencies and job centres . For example, less able pupils canreceive support from a c areer entry mentor from their penultimate school year until the end of their first halfyear of vocational training .Fair wages are ensured by the Minimum Wage Act ( Mindestlohngesetz ), which entered into force on 1 Januar y2015. But the Act Amending the Act on Temporary Employment Businesses ( Gesetz zur Änderung desArbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz ), which will enter into force on 1 April 2017, is also helping to ensure afairer labour market in future. For example, this Act will in future counter misuse of contracts for work andservices , focus temporary agency work on its core function, a nd improve the legal status of temporary agencyworkers. At the same time, the fundamental principle of “equal pay for work of equal value” will be takeninto account, and collective bargaining in Germany will be strengthened .Contracts for work and services an d temporary employment will, however, remain recognised instruments inan economy involving division of labour and in flexible staff deployment.The Federal Government has been working for some time to improve the possibil ities for asylum applicantsand persons whose deportation has been temporarily suspended to take up employment. For example, theprocesses of asylum application processing and labour market integration have been closely linked so thatthe necessary integra tion measures can be initiated as soon as possible . In the beginning the focus is onintegration courses and job-related language courses. Together with the Federal Ministry of the Interior, theFederal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is constantly working to improve language learning opportunitiesin Germany . Practi sing German in the workplace is another promising approach . Particular importance istherefore attached to better coordination of integration courses and job -related language training with labourmarket policy instruments . The Federal Employment Agency is therefore active very early on – in some casesalready in the initial reception centres.Not only do recognised refugees, persons with asylum status and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection haveunrestricted access to the vocational training and labour markets; they can also access all statutory benefitsand instruments fo r vocational training preparation and promotion without a specific prior length of residencein Germany being required , if they meet the relevant requirements. For persons with permission to reside inGermany and persons whose deportation has been temporar ily suspended , access to vocational trainingpreparation and promotion measures varies . For a limited period until 2018, it has been made easier for thesegroups to access vocational training promotion benefits, particularly benefits which can be provided inconnection with in -company vocational training . At the same time, companies providing training a nd personswhose deportation has been temporarily suspended have been given g reater legal certainty for the durationof vocational training and subsequent employment and for an appropriate period to find employment .The Federal Government is, as a whole, interested in exchanging experiences with best practice exampleswithin the Baltic Sea region, and in embedding the social partners comprehensively and at an early stage inthese efforts .HamburgHamburg Page 2Statement by the Hamburg Senate on implementing the resolution of the 25th Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference in RigaThe Senate welcomes and supports the goals formulated in the Riga Resolution. The majorityof the points mentioned in the Resolution do not fall within the purview of the Senate butrequire regulation at federal or EU level s respectively. In the following statement, the Senatetakes a position on the areas that are its concern and reports on measures andadministrative practic es that are implemented in Hamburg in accordance with the interestsof the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference.With regard to paragraph 6 of the Resolution :Ships’ waste disposal has for years been carried out in accordance with Directive 2000/59/ECof th e European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2000 on port receptionfacilities for ship -generated waste and cargo residues by means of the Hamburg Ships’Waste Act (Hamburgisches Schiffsentsorgungsgesetz) and the related Ships’ Waste ChargeOrdinance . On payment of a fee levied on arrival on each ship, irrespective of its size, shipsreceive fixed allowances for oil-water mixtures, solid oil treatment residues, ships’ waste,sewage and waste derived from exhaust gas cleaning that can be dispo sed of free of chargein the Port of Hamburg. With this regulation, Hamburg makes a direct contribution toreducing ships’ waste in the Baltic Sea. By virtue of the extensive waste disposal services onoffer in the port, seagoing ships that call at the Por t of Hamburg before continuing to theBaltic Sea Region contribute to meeting the HELCOM objectives.The coastal federal states in north ern Germany are devising national strategies for theirrespective maritime regions to implement the goals of the EU Mari ne Strategy FrameworkDirective (MSFD), with the aim of achieving or maintaining a good state of the marineenvironment by the year 2020.On t he basis of International Maritime Organisation and EU regulations on the sulphurcontent of marine fuels in the N orth Sea and Baltic Sea, Hamburg has passed its ownlegislation to implement these stipulations. Moreover, Hamburg supports further regulationson the use of alternative fuels and is encouraging initiatives by shipping companies on theuse of shore -side po wer. In coordination with the countries and ports in the SECAs,compliance with the existing rules is being monitored and their expansion advocated.With regard to paragraph 1 3 of the Resolution:In 2014 the Senate passed a Baltic Sea Strateg y for Hamburg as a Scientific Location”(Ostseestrategie für den Wissenschaftsstandort Hamburg , document: Drucksache20/10410). In the context of this strategy, the Senate has taken a variety of steps andinitiatives. Within the framework of public research funding in Hamburg, the development ofinternational research cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region has been supported since 2014through a specially established funding format.With regard to paragraph 1 7 of the Resolution:The introduction of the Hamburg Youth Vocational Training Agency (HamburgerJugendberufsagentur) has led to a significant improvement in the opportunities for youngHamburg Page 3people to embark on vocational training as the basis of a successful career. The participatinginstitutions coo rdinate the ir work closely. Agreed transition processes prevent young peoplefrom dropping out of the system. A mandatory requirement for vocational orientation fromyear 8 onwards is intended to equip young people to make a considered career choice andapply for voc ational training in good time. The number of young people going on tovocational training has increased, while adequate measures have been put in place to givedisadvantaged young people support , training preparation and help in finding a place.With regard to paragraph 1 8 of the Resolution:Topic -related cooperation between schools, universities and businesses is a regular elementof numerous projects. Of particular mention is the cooperation in the vocational training 4.0(digitisation) field of dev elopment in the course of which a conference for schools andbusinesses at the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education and Training (HIBB) is beingorganised by a joint planning committee representing universities, the chambers ofcommerce and trade, an d trade associations. The HIBB’s “study -integrated training”initiative aims to develop appropriate structures to enable synergies between vocational andin-service training and higher education to be better used and skills acquired in the onesystem to be recognised in the other. As part of an HIBB -led joint project to supportuniversity dropouts, the chambers, trade associations and businesses are working withuniversities to enable dropouts to make an appropriate transition from high er education tovocat ional training.With regard to paragraph 21 of the Resolution:The possibility to recognise foreign vocational qualifications is an important concern for theSenate. Relevant legislation has been enacted in the form of the Determination of theEquivalence of Vocational Qualifications Act (Gesetz über die Feststellung derGleichwertigkeit von Berufsqualifikationen) and the Hamburg Vocational QualificationsDetermination Act (Hamburgisches Berufsqualifikationsfeststellungsgesetz) .Implementing the right to recognition is supported in Hamburg though financing an advisorybody, the Central Point of Contact for Recognition (Zentrale Anlaufstelle Anerkennung –ZAA). The ZAA explains the recognition process to participants with formal qualifications andsupports them during the process. This applies also to refugees with the object of integratingthem long -term into the labour market . The ZAA makes a share of its advisory servicesavailable to W.I.R. (work and integration for refugees).With regard to paragraph 22 of the Resolution:When assessing future labour market skills in Hamburg, the Hamburg Action Group forEducation and Employment – Hamburg Skills Network ( Aktionsbündnis für Bildung undBeschäftigung Hamburg – Hamburger Fachkräftenetzwerk ) draws on the ski lls monitorprovided by Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and the labour market monitor provided bythe Hamburg Employment Agency.The Hamburg labour market has a high demand for staff in the trade and logistics sector dueto the port and associated cargo handli ng. This feature is also taken into account in theintegration of refugees into the labour market . Thus measures are being developed inHamburg Page 4cooperation with the chambers of commerce and trade to assess the skills of refugees in thetrade, logistics and caterin g fields in particular, with the goal of giving them goodemployment opportunities in a sector with a promising future in Hamburg.With regard to paragraph s 23, 24 and 3 3 of the Resolution:HIBB and Sweden are joint lead partners of the European Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region’s“Priority Action Education”. Here concepts for improving various aspects of the transitionfrom school to employment and of vocational training and academic education are developed and shared together with other countri es in the region. Thus Hamburg plays asignificant role in developing joint education strategies for the Baltic Sea Region. Joint approaches to the labour market also play an important role here , for example with a viewto avoiding youth unemployment.With regard to paragraph 25 of the Resolution:Cooperation between relevant government departments, social partners and the chambersalready takes place in the form of a regular working structure within the context of theHamburg Action Group for Education and Employment – Hamburg Skills Network(Aktionsbündnis für Bildung und Beschäftigung Hamburg – Hamburger Fachkräftenetzwerk ).With regard to paragraph 29 of the Resolution:Since 2012, the University of Hamburg has been building up a long -term strategic network ofinternational higher education partners as part of its internationalisation strategy. It s goal isbinding cooperation and development in the areas of research and teaching. Th is comprisesstudent and academic exchanges, joint doctoral programmes and research projects. Thestrategic partner in the Baltic Sea Region is the University of Lund in Sweden. In addition,there is the Stella Polaris Network between the University of Ham burg, Kiel University andSyddansk University (Denmark).The Baltic Science Network, initiated under the leadership of Hamburg, provides the scienceand research ministries in the Baltic Sea Region with a network structure to develop and implement science policy in a macro -regional dimension and to represent macro -regionalinterests better at the EU level. It is a flagship project of the EUSBSR ’s Priority ActionEducation and is funded under the EU’s Interreg Vb Baltic Sea Region Programme.There is valuabl e transregional scientific cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. In Hamburgand Schleswig -Holstein, what is currently the biggest European research infrastructureinitiative on the ESFRI list is currently in the process of completion – the European X -RayFree-Electron Laser (XFEL) . Several other countries in the Baltic Sea Region are also involvedin the project. Northern European science already has access to a globally unique combination of major research infrastructure for research with photon and synchr otronradiation in Hamburg, Berlin and Lund through BER 11, Petra -I 11, BESSY, FLASH and MaxLab1-111. In Lund, a further ultra -modern photon source, MaxLab IV, and the world’s mostmodern neutron source , the European Spallation Source, are being built in the region .With regard to paragraph 31 of the Resolution:Hamburg Page 5In 2015, the EUROJOB Viadrina project set up a German -Polish jobs platform . As part of theproject, a German -Polish cooperation network was created, comprising a range of people,companies and institutions, to analyse demand, identify sought -after profiles and assembleinformation on qualification recognition.With regard to paragraph s 33, 34, 43 and 44 of the Resolution:The EU’s Youth Guarantee has already been largely implemente d through the introductionof the Hamburg Youth Vocational Training Agency (Hamburger Jugendberufsagentur) in2012. In addition, the linking of y outh welfare and employment policy have led to theintroduction of further measures aimed at young people who h ave already dropped out ofthe regular system or are in danger of doing so. Young people in compulsory education whohave not yet made a considered career choice are offered a dual option of trainingpreparation: they spend two days at school and three day s on work placement. Youngsterswith learning difficulties in particular are thus given the chance to prove themselves in theworkplace and secure an apprenticeship.The Hamburg school system stipulates compulsory education up to the age of 18 or 11 yearsof school attendance respectively. Because school (from year 8 on) is also a part of theHamburg Youth Vocational Training Agency system, young people do not simply leave schoolon completion of compulsory schooling. Instead, employment advice begins while they arestill at school and continues afterwards on shared sites where they have access to necessarymeasures to integrate them into the labour market .Since 2011, t he ESF Manag ing Authority in Hamburg has been a member of the network ofESF Managing Aut horities in the Baltic Sea Region. The network aims to strengthen the socialdimension within the Baltic Sea Region. To this end, the flagship initiative “From School toWork” has been started . The two Hamburg ESF projects “Come In” and “Schulmentoren”(school mentors) are active partners.With regard to paragraph 35 of the Resolution:A sophisticated range of measures is available for integrating the long -term unemployed intothe labour market. Several models are currently being trialled, funded by ESF, to give thelong -term unemployed individual support to help them complete the proces s ofreorientation and qualification successfully. Since the Hamburg labour market offers few opportunities for low -skilled workers, older long -term unemployed people are to berecruited to the dual system of vocational training.With regard to paragraph s 35, 36 and 37 of the Resolution:A framework for out lining labour market policy for the coming years was created with the2015 –2020 Joint Labour Market Programme ( Gemeinsames Arbeitsmarktprogramm 2015 -2020 ). The goal is to continue to meet the challenges o f the Hamburg labour market jointlyand effectively and to develop successful strategies.With regard to paragraph 39 of the Resolution:The Information Centre on Free of Movement of Workers ( BeratungsstelleArbeitnehmerfreizügigkeit ) advises EU nationals already working in Hamburg or looking forHamburg Page 6work about employment rights and duties, such as the principle of equal treatment inemployment law, remuneration and social security.With regard to paragraph 41 of the Resolution:The Senate’s Skilled Labour Strategy (Fachkräftestrategie des Senats) envisages (inter alia)ensuring an adequately qualified skilled workforce for the future by increasing the labour market participation by older employable people. The Senate supports the Re solution’s callto make better use of the resources of an ageing societ y, for example by its funding for thePerspectives in Employment and Health Contact Point ( AnlaufsteIle Perspektive Arbeit undGesundheit).With regard to paragraph 46 of the Resolution :Jointly with the chamber s of commerce and trade, skills assessment processes are beingdeveloped to prepare refugees for the labour market in the catering, welding, logistics(planned) and retailing (planned) sectors and to evaluate and use their exi sting skills levelsprofitably. In addition, the standard measure of an initial training placement is a very goodway of bringing refugees in to the apprenticeship s ystem and convincing companies of theirability and proficiency in the course of such a long -term work placement.With regard to paragraph 47 of the Resolution:The Senate employs a variety of measures to facilitate participation in the general labourmarket by people with disabilities. This is the declared intent of the Hamburg State ActionPlan to Implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabil ities passed in2012 (and continually updated). The Skilled Labour Strategy also focuses on this target group. The aim here is to enhance the potential of people with disabilities in order toincrease labour market pa rticipation by this target grou p. Withi n the Hamburg Skilled LabourNetwork, previously formulated recommendations for action are being implemented in the form of a multi -stage project. There is a large range of additional support services, such as“PiCo”, a special coaching service for people with psychological impairments, or the“Aktionsbündnis Inklusive Arbeit ” (inclusive work action group), a mentoring programme tosupport people looking for vocational training or employment.With regard to paragraph 50 of the Resolution:In the framework of its 2020 Agricultural Policy Concept, the Senate resolved to putparticular emphasis on support for organic farming with the objective of achieving anexpansion of the organically farmed hectarage in Hamburg. This was most recently affi rmedin February 2017 in a Senate communication to the Hamburg Parliament entitled “Strengthening Agriculture in Hamburg – Hamburg Organic Action Plan 2020” ( HamburgsLandwirtschaft stärken – Hamburger Öko -Aktionsplan 2020) . In parallel , the tried and testedsupport instruments within agri-environment measures, such as the extensive use ofgrassland and conservation management agreements, are being continued.Hamburg and Lower Saxony have jointly initiated the Altes Land Plant Protection Regulation(Altes Land Pflanzenschutzverordnung ) at federal level to preserve the Altes Land cultivatedHamburg Page 7landscape, with its characteristic fruit growing and its typical landscape structures influencedby the marshland channels.With regard to paragraph s 10, 51, 54, 55, 56 and 59 of the Resolution:ONE Baltic Sea Region, the EU project to market the Baltic Sea Region, was completed inSeptember 2014 after two years. The partners in the tourism project, in addition toHamburg, were Helsinki, Riga, Warsaw, St Petersburg and Vidzeme University in Latvia. Thegoal was to develop cooperation with northern European and Baltic capitals and to positionHamburg in the US market as a strong metropolis alongside other northern European cities.The cross -border Fehmarn Belt Project “Building Tourism” was initiated in 2012 andimplemented jointly with different regional and municipal institutions in the STRING area –Hamburg, Copenhagen, Ostsee -Holstein Tourism and Sk åne Region. At the project’s core waspreparation for t he planned opening of the Fehmarn Belt Crossing in 2021. During theproject, the participating partners developed joint strategies to promote tourism in bothcountries jointly and by means of the crossing. Subsequently a cooperation agreementcovering the period 2014 –2015 was signed for Fehmarn Belt Region “Building Tourism II”.In 2016, cooperation was agreed with Wonderful Copenhagen, the city’s official destinationmarketing organisation . The goal is to have a joint presence in European partnerdestinati ons to work together with these relevant destinations on increasing the level ofawareness of Hamburg.LatviaLatvia Page 2Latvia Page 3AnnexAnswers to the Q uestions , submitted by the respective line ministries ofthe Republic of LatviaRecomme ndations with regard to the Environmental status of the Baltic Sea: to further strengthen and develop HELCOM as the main coordinating body in the effortto protect the Baltic marine environment, and to strongly support and encourage a fastimplementation of the Marine Litter Action Plan, as well as the implementation of the NOx emission control area Roadmap for the Baltic Sea, and to stress the importance ofthe Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) as one of the environmental pillars of the EU strategyfor the Baltic Sea Region; to discuss mutual definitions regarding sustainable development throughout the BalticSea region and to support innovations within green and bl ue technologies as well as tocreate a joint web portal for the Baltic Sea region for sharing good examples regardingresearch, education and environmental best practices.Answer prepared by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Developmen t As a HELCOM Contracting Party Latvia participated in the development and fullysupported adoption of the Regional Marine Litter Action Plan (2015), and willparticipate in its implementation.The National Programme of Measures towards good environment al status of the marinewaters of Latvia (2017 - 2020) (hereinafter – Programme) was adopted by the Cabinet ofMinisters on July 13, 2016. The Programme was developed in accordance with the requirements of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56 /EC and setsnecessary additional measures mainly in areas of eutrophication, invasive species and marine litter. Types of measures comprise such as: development of data and information basis, including improved and increased monitoring intensity, manageme nt measures,including, spatial protection measures, public information and awareness raising and research to improve identified knowledge gaps.At national level targeted actions to reduce marine litter include prevention of litter origins, improvement o f information basis, consumers’ and general public awareness raising, aswell as raising of merchants` responsibility through such measures as reduction of the use of lightweight plastic bags, beach monitoring, education, awareness, studies on presence and ecological impacts of micro plastics.As to the eutrophication implementation the river basin management plans are crucial andadditional measures are oriented towards development of data and information basis to assess pollution trends and effectivene ss of implemented measures. Spatial protectionLatvia Page 42measures include development of Maritime Spatial Planning and studies to justify possiblenew marine protected areas.Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (hereinafter – MEPRD)is a p artner of the Baltic SCOPE Project on the cross -border maritime planning. One of thetwo case projects focuses on the marine area between Estonia, Latvia and Sweden, and willaccess the functioning of shipping traffic, energy production, fishing and enviro nment inthese areas and how they can compromise. Latvia participated in the development of the joint proposal by nine Baltic Seacountries to the IMO on designation of the Baltic Sea as a Nitrogen Oxide (NOx)emissions control area (hereinafter – NECA). T he 70th meeting of the IMO MarineEnvironment Protection Committee approved the amendments to the MARPOLAnnex VI on designation of the Baltic Sea NECA and the North Sea NECA, taking effect from January 1, 2021. The MEPRD regularly informs the Latvian Boar d ofPorts, Transit and Logistics on the work within HELCOM towards implementation of MARPOL Annex VI regarding proposal for the Baltic Sea NECA as agreed by HELCOM Baltic Sea action Plan (2007) and Copenhagen Ministerial declaration (2013).Recommendatio ns with regard to Cooperation in tourism: against the background of the general competitive situation in the tourism economy aswell as the current tense situation in Europe to encourage transnational strategies andlong-term commitments for fostering cros s-border approaches primarily in the field ofsustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea Region; against the background of the unique natural environment of the Baltic Sea and thevulnerability of many habitats, to work on cross -border strategies in order to mi nimizeexisting conflicts between tourism, marine and coastal protection; to strengthen the rural development and agricultural production in accordance with the environment in such a way, that the natural landscape and sound environment asprecondition for a sustainable tourism in rural areas are protected and restored; to support transnational strategies which promote the development of tourism in the Baltic Sea Region and to include the creation of synergies between projects and acommunication strategy f or the Policy Area Tourism; in order to help mobilize the full potential of Sustainable Tourism to establish theBaltic Sea Region as a common and coherent tourism destination; jointly work towards a common understanding of Sustainable Tourism and to striv e toestablish joint marketing and joint labels; to support the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum and its newly -established project for apermanent platform for information and know -how exchange – the Baltic Sea TourismCenter – as coordinator for the implementatio n of activities on Sustainable Tourism inthe region; to facilitate the networking and clustering of tourism stakeholders.Answer prepared by the Ministry of Economics The European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) that also applies totouri sm sector offers guidelines on how the joint projects should be carried out, whatshould be the focus and common goals achieved. After their implementation thesecross -border projects have to be sustainable enough to continue performance evenafter the pro ject has been done – the products/results should be self -sufficient in thelong-run.Latvia Page 53 Latvia is collaborating with Estonia and Lithuania in cross -border cooperationprograms that are based on cross -border strategies. These strategies include guidelineson how joint projects should be carried out, including various environmental, coastaland other aspects. Regarding tourism practices in rural and agricultural areas, tourism products aredeveloped in accordance with the Tourism Law that determines tasks fo r tourismindustry that include promotion of the preservation and sustainable development of therural social, economic and cultural environment, and facilitate the development ofrural tourism and eco -tourism and ensuring harmonized development of tourism inaccordance with nature and cultural environment protection so that tourism does notcome into conflict with nature and cultural environment protection.Additionally, environmental considerations regarding tourism development are alsodetermined by the following policy planning documents and laws:1. Coastal Spatial Development Guidelines1, 2011. -2017 (in force since the 20th of April2011);2. Landscape Policy Guidelines2, 2013- 2019 (in force since the 7th of August 2013);3. The Environmental Protection Law3 (in force since the 29th of November 2006);4. Law on Pollution4 (in force since the 15th of March 2001);5. The Law On Specially Protected Nature Territories5 (in force since the 7th of April1993);6. The Protection Zone Law6 (in force since the 11th of March 1997) ;7. Laws on National Parks in Latvia:- The Gauja National Park Law (in force since the 30th of June 2009);- The Rāzna National Park Law (in force since the 1st of January 2007);- The Slītere National Park Law (in force since the 30th of May 2001);- The Ķemeru Na tional park Law (in force since the 19th of April 2000). Latvia is currently involved in the development of a strategy for TransnationalDestination Branding for the Baltic Sea Region (hereinafter – BSR), which is part ofthe Policy Area (hereinafter – PA ) Tourism Steering Group’s initiative. The previously mentioned Transnational Destination Branding for the BSR isperceived as such a tool in the future. Even though the development of a strategy for Transnational Destination Branding forthe BSR is in still in process, it has been concluded by the PA Tourism Steering Groupthat a joint label/brand most likely would not be effective enough and therefore theBSR should be more focused on the transnational destination identity. The rationale behind this d ecision was, that without a common identity, branding is rather a waste ofresources than a contributor to a competitive advantage. The joint identity should include innovativeness, sustainability and high quality.1 http://likumi.lv/doc.php?id=229163 (in Latvian only)2 http://likumi.lv/doc.php?id=258803 (in Latvian only)3 http://www.vvc.gov.lv/export/sites/default/docs /LRTA/Likumi/Environmental_Protection_Law.doc4 http://www.vvc.gov.lv/export/sites/default/docs/LRTA/Likumi/On_Pollution.doc5http://www.vvc.gov.lv/export/sites/default/docs/LRTA/Likumi/On_Specially_Protected_Nature_Territories.doc6 http://www.vvc.gov.lv/export/sites/default/docs/LRTA/Likumi/Protection_Zone_Law_.docLatvia Page 64 Latvia supports the Baltic Sea Tourism Center as an associated partner in that project.Latvia supports the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum by participating in its panel discussionsor presenting various projects and their outcomes in the forum. Networking and clustering of tourism stakeholders is fac ilitated via the joint BSRprojects. Latvian entrepreneurs and regional associations take active part in theseprojects and various stakeholders are involved as partners.Answer prepared by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional DevelopmentCurrently Latvia has one of the highest levels of biodiversity and unique cultural richnessin Europe, which provides excellent resources for the development of sustainable tourismin this region.The resource is immense. There are altogether 333 Natura 2000 territories, including fourNational Parks, one Biosphere Reserve, four Strict Nature Reserves and others. Latvia’scultural heritage (2017) presents 8 924 existing cultural heritage objects including two sitesof the UNESCO World Heritage List and t hree sites of the Tentative List.There are two specific objectives of the operational programme “Growth andEmployment” supported by the European Structural and Investment Funds:- to protect and reinstate biodiversity and soil, and promotion of ecosystem services,including by use of “Natura 2000” network and green infrastructure,- to preserve, protect and develop important cultural and natural heritage, as well as to develop related services.It is planned that the projects for activities of these two specific objectives will be launchedin 2017, and will be managed by the MEPRD and the Ministry of Culture.Additionally, the Administration of Latvian Environmental Protection Fund annuallyannounces project tenders for funding from the Fund, including pub lications in the field ofenvironmental education , implementation of activities for protected areas, promotion offriendly environmental lifestyle. Most of these projects support the development ofsustainable tourism in rural areas.The Latvian Touris m D evelopment Guidelines (2014 -2020) promote nature tourism,especially ecotourism among other branches of the industry. The Latvian Envir onmentPolicy Guidelines (2014 -2020) strengthen the quality of biodiversity and ecosystemservices considered as the most important resources for sustainable tourism in general.The strategies and development programs of many planning regions and local governmentsensure the planning and co -ordination of development, and co -operation for sustainabletourism in L atvia. In this regard the balance must be so achieved that the requirements forenvironmental protection would always have priority over any prevailing economiccircumstances.The MEPRD in co -operation with the concerned associations and foundations, theobjective of which is environmental protection in accordance with the statutes, has established an Environmental Consultative Council which promotes involvement of thepublic in the taking of decisions associated with the environment.The higher education institutions in Latvia offer courses on tourism and environment tostudy eco -technologies, renewable energy resources, reduction of emissions of sewagewater and air pollution, green mobility, promotion of organic farming and ecobuilding.Latvia Page 75Sustainable tou rism will be able to reap the benefits of a successful and competitiveenvironmentally friendly tourism products and services that will provide benefits in allareas of sustainable enterprise, thus adding immensely to the Baltic States region’sreputation abroad as a Green region among the nations of the world.The National Strategy for the Spatial Development of the Coastline (2011 - 2017) definesthe natural and cultural heritage as the central value and resource of the Latvian coastline. Development of tourism has been set as one of the major development priorities by all ofthe 17 coastal municipalities. The long -term thematic plan for the public infrastructuredevelopment of the Baltic Sea coastline has been adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers on Novem ber 16, 2016 ( http://www.varam.gov.lv/lat/darbibas_veidi/tap/lv/?doc=18794 ).Latvia together with other Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme’ s Monitoring CommitteeMember States (Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Denmark,Norway, Russia, and Belarus) has contributed to work which is directed towards support ofimplementation of European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. During projectselection process priority to EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region flagship projects hasbeen given. As a result joint cooperation projects on macro - regional level have beenselected for financial support, contributing to the development of a more innovative, better accessible and sustainable Baltic Sea Region. Furthermore, with the Interreg Baltic SeaRegion programme’s support networking of key implementing stakeholders of the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region for better performance of the Strategy have been facilitate d aswell as activities which are deriving from the tasks set for the PACs/HALs (includingPolicy Area Tourism) in the Action Plan have been supported.With regard to encouraging transnational strategies and long -term commitments forfostering cross -borde r approaches in the field of sustainable tourism in the Baltic SeaRegion some projects of the Interreg V -A Latvia -Lithuania Programme 2014 – 2020 out of41 recently selected for funding could be mentioned as examples of action.- UniGREEN project activitie s will facilitate sustainable tourism in border regions ofLatvia and Lithuania to stabilize and increase number of visitors and overnight stays inthe region by management of the nature objects. New tourism infrastructure in 10 nature territories in Kurze me, Aukštaitijos and Zemaitijos will be established:o six walking trails in total length of 5200 m,o three watching towers, located near water bodies therefore offering option to see landscape and watch birds (Latvia and Lithuania are active regions of themigrating birds),o seven pontoon piers, one parking lot and three resting areas,o 19 info stands including pilots with texts in Braille.- Project Balts' Road involves 6 partners – two from Lithuania and four from Latviaseeking to promote the sustainable pr eservation, development and popularization ofnatural and cultural heritage objects, services and products. Main activities of project implementation will cover the territory of four Lithuanian regions (Klaipeda, Telsiai,Siauliai, Panevezys districts) and two Latvian regions (Kurzeme and Zemgale). Newtouristic “Balts’ road” attractions will be created (including crafts, traditional food, education, service providers’ catalogue), latest technology interactive exhibitions will be established at renovated pa rtners’ premises, and annual Balts Unity Days as well aspromotional tours will be organized.- Overall objective of AGRI -HERITAGE project is to build and promote a sustainableLatvia Page 86cross -border heritage based on agro tourism products and covering all programme areain Latvia and Lithuania. In many rural farms people maintain inherited traditions infarming, culinary, crafts, fishing, building, architecture, and gardening. The projectinvolves these topics as part of rural cultural heritage and sees high potenti al for acompetitive cross -border heritage agro tourism product. The project output will beagro-heritage tourism products together from 50 farms in Latvia and 50 farms inLithuania linked in 10 tour itineraries.- Main objective of JESLL project is to inc rease the number of expected visits tosupported sites of cultural heritage objects in Lithuania - Latvia by the creation of anew eco sign for restaurants and hotels in those areas. Main output of project would besustainable tourism - increased number in expected number of visits to supported sitesof cultural heritage objects. Consumer research shows that tourists more often choosethe accommodation and catering establishments that implement sustainable tourismand have the eco sign. Created eco sign wil l put higher standards for hotels andrestaurants in cultural heritage objects to be more eco -friendly. Also new tourism routewill be created and promoted.- Protected areas project from Latvia –Lithuania Cross Border Cooperation Programme2007–2013 could b e also mentioned as an example of action. Nature parks andreserves in both countries combined forces in the project to improve the capacity oftheir employees and to help farmers to farm in a more environmentally friendly way in five municipalities: Jelga va, Krustpils, Rundāle, Birštona and Aizkraukle and threeregional parks in Kurtuvenai, Zagare and Birzai. Infrastructure that will help tourists to learn about the diversity of the environment without causing it harm was created in the project area: 100 b enches; 50 bicycle stands; 50 bins, four stairs, two toilets, onepontoon bridge, five tables, footway covering restoration done. The project also created a volunteer monitoring system, thus involving local residents in the protectionof the environment.Recommendations with regard to Cooperation in research and innovation: to foster cooperation in the field of research and innovation towards more competitiveand sustainable region; to support research and standardization within cyber security, with focu s on maritimecontext and applications and to foster data governance in order to enable a fair andfertile environment for new data driven services that will capitalize our regions technology excellence and trigger high skill job creation; to facilitate co ntinuous dialogue and collaboration in science, research, innovation andhigher education using existing political and regional formats and initiatives.Answer prepared by the Ministry of Education and ResearchLatvia and Baltic States are in process of establishing closer cooperation with the BalticSea region countries in the fields of higher education, research and innovation. The collaboration on regional dimension is ongoing within different frameworks such as Horizon 2020, Bonus and Baltic Bonus programme, Joint research infrastructure,Researchers mobility etc.In 2015, implementation of the Baltic Bonus programme started in order to increaseLatvia Page 97success rate of Baltic projects submitted to the Horizon 2020 and to encourage cooperationand good qual ity project writing among Baltic researchers. The programme providesfinancial support for those groups of scientists who, as coordinators or partners areinvolved in tenders of calls for project proposals and have reached required threshold.Additional su pport is provided to groups of scientists for cooperation with other Balticstates. In 2016, 54 applications of the projects (10 of them submitted by participants from Baltic countries) have been approved in the Baltic Bonus programme.Ministries of Educa tion and Science from Latvia and other Baltic countries activelyparticipate in INTERREG project “Baltic science network” (duration of the project: fromMarch, 2016 to February, 2019) which will establish a political coordination framework forjoint Balti c Sea Region (BSR) higher education, science and research policy. The project“Baltic science network” will support the implementation of the European Research Areaand will increase research and innovation performance in the Baltic Sea region bystrengthe ning the political ownership, coordination and coherence of the innovation policyby the region and its member states.At national level, the following activities in international cooperation, incl. the Baltic Searegion, should be also mentioned:- Latvia, according to bilateral agreements on co -operation in education and science,offers scholarships to students, researchers and teaching staff of several countries;- in Latvia the new postdoctoral grants program has started in 2016. An objective of the postdo ctoral grant scheme is to develop human capital in R&D and apply theirscientific knowledge directly in scientific institutions, higher education institutions andbusiness sector. To promote new researchers mobility, grant applicant after grantallocation is obliged to apply for internship for at least two months in foreign scientificinstitution or company;- the grants for applied research will facilitate the participation of institutions/researchers groups from Latvia in common international research proj ects, also withhigh commercialization potential in technologies.Answer prepared by the Ministry of EconomicsMinistry of Economics (MoE) of Latvia together with other BSR countries is a partnerunder the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) Ac tion Plan priority area“Innovation” (PA Innovation). At the end of 2016 PA Innovation countries have developed Innovation Strategy Guide for the new period 2016 -2020 where the three main cross -cutting themes or innovation enablers have been chosen to prom ote a globally competitiveposition within research and innovation for growth in the Baltic Sea region. These enablersare: 1) digitization, 2) internationalization of SME’s and 3) entrepreneurship and attractionof talents.In addition, MoE and the Latvia n Investment a nd Development Agency (LIDA) have beeninvolved in the EUSBSR’s PA Innovation flagship project “BSR Stars”. “BSR Stars” aimsto strengthen competitiveness and economic growth in the Baltic Sea Region by fosteringtransnational linkages betwee n specialized research and innovation nodes.One of the initiatives backed by the “BSR Stars” is “BSR Innovation Express”. In 2016Latvia has become a full member of this cross -border initiative. “BSR Innovation Express”aims to increase the level of coope ration between clusters and SMEs networks of the BalticSea Region countries to develop knowledge transfer and shared innovation projects.Totally 48 000 EUR are co -financed and managed by MoE and the Nordic Council ofMinisters to provide the opportunity for Latvian clusters to participate in this initiative.Currently two Latvian clusters are involved in the “BSR Stars Innovation Express”:Latvia Page 108- Latvian information technology cluster – project “Opening markets for the intelligenttechnologies for Latvian and Sw edish SMEs”;- Vidzeme High -quality and healthy food cluster – project “Cross -sectoral cooperationfor effective and sustainable food value chain in the Baltic Sea”.Adoption of experience and good practice of Scandinavian countries in the fields ofentrepre neurship, attraction of investments, export, R&D and innovation is one of thepriorities of MoE. To this effect, Minister of Economics of Latvia visited Sweden inFebruary, 2017 to meet several officials and representatives of organizations with the aimto build stronger bilateral linkages between Latvia and Sweden. The agenda of this visitincluded meeting with the Sweden’s Minister for Enterprise and Innovation. During themeeting cooperation possibilities in fields of higher education, innovation and tec hnologieswere discussed . Minister also visited several Swedi sh companies and organizations .Minister’s visit was the continuation of Prime Minister’s M.Kučinskis visit to Sweden inJune, 2016. It is also planned to organize additional visits of civil ser vants to Scandinaviancountries in 2017 with the aim to learn from the Nor dic countries their experiences oncreating and managing innovation eco -system and appropriate innovation policies incl.specific themes (i.e. technology transfer, IPR commercializat ion, start -up support,clustering, etc.) as well as to discuss closer bilateral cooperation possibilities in a morepractical manner.Recommendations with regard to Cooperation in education (incl. vocational training) andscience, linking education and la bour market: to recognize the need to link education and the labour market more closely; to support the New Skills Agenda for Europe; to provide vocational training and skills development opportunities to young peoplewhich are geared to the needs of indus try and which, by way of generally recognizedformal qualifications, form one of the most important prerequisites for workplacesuccess; to strengthen the contacts between schools, universities and business in order to makesure that university education a nd vocational education and training are closely andconcretely oriented towards labour market and to identify as well as to prevent labourmarket mismatches; to build on success of the CBSS EuroFaculty programme as an example of long -termproject -based co operation in higher education and science for the benefit of the peopleof the Baltic Sea Region and to explore the possible steps forward for this programme; to improve transparency and comparability of qualifications, and thereby to furtherdevelop the m utual recognition of formal qualifications; to facilitate anticipating labour markets’ skills needs; to explore the need for a Northern Dimension Partnership for Labour Market andEducation to further develop education and labour market in the Baltic Sea R egion; to support business and education cooperation for a sustainable economic area in the Baltic Sea Region, especially a systematic exchange of expertise in the labour marketand education sectors; to further develop the promotion of continuing training and improve the conditions forcontinuing training provision geared to the acquisition of vocational training qualifications, including for young adults.Answer prepared by the Ministry of Education and ResearchIn 2015, the new performance- based funding system has been introduced in Latvia thatimplies three central elements:Latvia Page 1191) base funding (for promotion of study and research at HE institution (HEI);2) performance funding (based on results of performance of HEI in studies and research);3) funding for innovations (for further development of HEI, incl. development ofspecialization and specialized profile/ - s of institutions).A support for development of STEM study programmes is also a matter of the new fundingmodel.With the introduction of th e new funding model graduate employment rates may be takeninto account for performance -based funding. However, transparent, reliable andrepresentative data on higher education graduates’ paths in the labour market are stillneeded to account for graduate employment through funding.A comprehensive set of measures to improve the attractiveness and labour marketrelev ance of vocational education are in progress, including: improvement of thevocational education institution network and modernization of vocational education andtraining ( VET ) school infrastructure; reforming VET curricula and introducing modularVET programmes; implementation of work -based learning; strengthening VET sectorcooperation with employers; improvement of t he legal framework/ regu lation.Work -based learning (WBL) is an especially important aspect, as it provides vocationaleducation and skills’ development opportunities to young people which are geared to theneeds of industry.From mid of 2013 when WBL was a theoretical concept i n Latvia and the Ministry ofEducation and Science (MoES) made an informal decision to take the so -called ‘bottom -up’ approach, calling on VET institutions and businesses to pilot the implementation of WBL on a voluntary basis7 to develop an appropriate mo del for the national concept till theadoption of the legal framework for work -based learning:1) Amendments to the Law on V ocational Education were developed and came into forceon 15 May 2015; these amendments inter alia stipulates WBL as a form of theimplementation of a VET programmes and determines the competence of the Cabinet of Ministers to adopt work- based learning implementation regulation ;2) Adoption of 16 July, 2016 Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No 484 on work- basedlearning organisation an d implementation.Apart from it , in the European Social fund the Measure 2: 8.5.1. Specific Objective “Toincrease number of qualified VET student’s through participation in work -based learningand practices in enterprise” (with respective Cabinet of Min isters Regulation No 483, July2016) aims at increasing the number of qualified VET students through participation in WBL learning and practice in enterprise . During the project 3150 VET students will beinvolved in the WBL and more than 10 000 VET student s – in practical trainings andtraining practices .VET curricula reform , which ha s been started in December 2010, aim s to transform thewhole VET system by: 1) making transition from subject -based curricula to learningoutcomes based curricula; 2) modularization of VET programmes.7 As a result of the work that has been done in close co -operation with social partners and industry representatives, thenumber of schools that applied to take part in the WBL pilot project in 2014/15 school year was approximately 3 -4 timeshigher than in pilot starting year, and the number of participating enterprises increased six -fold compared to 2013/14. In2014/15 study year around 20 VET institutions were involved in WBL in co -operation with around 200 entrepreneursoffering around 40 different progra ms involving around 500 learners. In 2015/2016 study year according to the estimatesof VET institutions around 2000 learners had already been involved in work -based learning type schemes.Latvia Page 1210First phase of the reform (December 2010 - November 2015) focused on co -operationmechanisms and methodology development, as well exp loration of all economic sector s’needs. During that period comprehensive studies of 14 economic sectors were carried out(2011- 2012); 12 Sectoral Expert Co uncils were established (2011 -2012); 61 occupationalstandards and 19 qualification requir ements (80 in total) were developed or improved(2012 -2014); 56 modular VET pr ogrammes were developed (201 4-2015) and 32 VETqualification exams cont ent were development of (2014 -2015) – 12,5%. All initiallyplanned results were archived by that stage.Second phase of the reform will take p lace from 2016 IV quarter till 2021 IV quarter. In2016 preparations for the next phase of the reform were carried out.In addition , during the period from 1 December 2014 till 28 February 2017 the MoES incollaboration with the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia , as well as Estonian andLithuanian cooperation partners are implementing the Erasmus+ programme project„National Authorities for Apprenticeships: Implementing Work Based Learning in Latvia,Lithuania and Estonia” (WBL -Balt).The goal of the project is to promote the national vocational education reforms in theBaltic States focusing on the development of WBL.In the framework of the p roject an information media campaign for attractiveness andpromotion of WBL and good practice examples has been implemented from November2016 till January 2017. The campaign inclu ded: digital information materials about WBLpossibilities; information dissemination via social networks; competition for the VET school students; development of e-calendar with the EU VET week events, creativeinstallation in the premises of Riga Central Railway S tation8 and other public places – toattract people’s attention to the VET career path a nd particularly through the WBL;information in written media, television and radio programs.A range of regional and national level seminars for a broad sp ectrum of WBL stakeholdershave been organized by the MoES to discuss and promote WBL developments and newlegislative initiatives among various stakeholders.In addition, the WBL -Balt project final conference “Baltic Alliance for Apprenticeship forInnova tive V ocational Education and Training” has been organized on 25 January 2017.More than 230 person s from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Switzerland, Germany Denmarkand other counties, as well as representatives from European Commission, CEDEFOP, and Interna tional Labour Organis ation participate d in the conference. P articipants discussed themain aspects of VET and WBL in particular focusing on excellence, innovation andinternationalization in VET. This brings VET closer to higher education as well, sinceinnovation and excellence address the issue of highly qualified medium level labourforce, and this level of quality can be ensured only via a joint effort of various actors.Colleges are seen as relevant institutions serving as a bridge to higher education, as well asa platform for further development of the so called ‘higher VET’ awarding EuropeanQualification Framework Level 5 qualification – a topicality in any stakeholder discussionsin Europe.Closer links between VET and higher education are promoted also via the sector expertcouncils and the sector qualifications framework ensuring a systemic approach tooccupations and the permeability of qualifications of all levels.Cooperation with the International Labour Organisation was launched in 2015 andcontinued in 2016. The exploratory visits have already taken place in Riga withparticipation of Ministries of Welfare and Education and Science, social partners an d the8 http://izm.gov.lv/lv/aktualitates/2222 -rigas -dzelzcela -stacija -atklats -vides -objekts -profesiju -kapnesLatvia Page 1311State Employment A gency. The focus of the cooperation is on the benefits of WBL fordifferent stakeholders. Several site visits and joint seminars have been held within theframework of the co operation , broadening the existing approaches and perspectives.The Latvian example of good practice in WBL has been promoted also via cooperationwith the World Bank – by hosting a Polish delegation on request by the World Bank toshare the Latvian approach, including the use of EU funds for implementing WBL.In the frame of the Youth Guarantee the possibilit y to participate in the WBL has beenensured to the NEET’s through short- cycle voca tional education programmes, thus givingthe opportunity for youngsters to spend more than half of the study time in a real workenvironment.According to the P rotocol of the Cabinet of Ministers meeting, the Mini stry of Financedeveloped and promoted amendments to the Law "On Citizens’ Income Tax" (came inforce on January 1, 2017). The amendments expanded the personal income tax exemptionsby including the WBL scholarships that are payed by the merchant, institut ion, association,foundation etc., ensuring a framework that reduces the possibility of tax avoidance.Answer prepared by the Ministry of WelfareIn Latvia the anticipation of labour market needs is carried out by two insti tutions. The Ministry ofEconomi cs prepares long -term forecasts, while the Latvian Public Employment Service (the StateEmployment Agency - SEA) is responsible for short term labour market needs forecasting.To facilitate link between employers and jobseekers, the SEA already has an ele ctronic system forvacancies and CVs, where both employers and unemployed can fill in forms and receiveinformation about available vacancies and persons seeking work – this system is currently workingand there are also plans to develop this system furthe r in the future.Since 2015 an EU co -financed project “Developing of system for anticipation of labour marketneeds” is being implemented by the SEA in close co -operation with the Ministry of Economics.The principal aim of the project is to create a user -friendly ICT tool, which helps to match theunemployed (but also young people, who need information about labour market and vacancies)with vacancies already existing in the SEA database and to provide information about futuredemand o n the labour market in a user -friendly way.Within this project, it is also planned to develop further the existing forecasting system (both short -term and long -term forecasts): for short -term forecasts ( https://cvvp.nva.gov.lv/#/pub/pakalpojumi/prognozes/ ) thedesign is to be improved to make forecasts understandable for different target groups; inaddition, next to the forecasts for professions and groups of professions, the future skillsforecasts ar e to be prepared; for mid- term forecasts a visual model is to be developed, where information will beavailable about both - demand for professions and demand for skills; changes will be introduced in the SEA ICT system that matches vacancies with jobseekers, a new feature will be added – job-seekers/vacancy matching analyzing skillsrequired by employer and gained by the job -seeker; eventually, it is planned to create one web -platform, where information will be stored aboutcareer guidance services, lab our market forecasts, training programmes and their results(monitoring tool on training programme’s effectiveness and satisfaction of participants withtraining process is already available but will be enhanced), and also about vacancies, whichare availa ble on the labour market (making selection available both for professions andlabour market skills).Recommendations with regard to Cooperation among social partners:Latvia Page 1412 to strengthen the cooperation between social associations, the social partners andgove rnmental organisations in a social dialogue; bring together national employment services and private employment agencies,including the social partners, in order to boost job seekers’ chances.Answer prepared by the Ministry of Welfare Social dialogue has a long -standing tradition in Latvia’s’ policy making process.A representative of the National Tripartite Co -operation Council participates in themeeting of State Secretaries in an advisory capacity, and during policy making processan opinion (consent) regarding a project announced in the meeting of State Secretariesis necessary, inter alia, from the National Tripartite Co -operation Council if the projectconcerns interests of employers and employees.9National Tripartite Co -operation Council is formed by representatives of the government,Free Trade Union Confederation and the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia. Its aim is tofoster the cooperation of social partners at national level and to ensure an integrated way of dealing issues on socioeconomic de velopment in compliance with the interests of wholesociety and state, that would guarantee social stability, increase of the level of well -beingand economic growth in the country.The Tripartite Co -operation Sub -council on Labour Matters (established on 8 March 2000)ensures and provides for co -operation on and participation of the state, employers’organisations and their unions and employees’ trade unions in the improvement of the regulation of the labour protection, labour relations and equal opportuni ties in respect tolabour relations. The Tripartite Co -operation Sub -council on Labour Matters examine thedrafts of the concepts, programmes and regulatory enactments in respect of labour protection, governing of labour relations (including working time a nd rest time) and equalopportunities pertaining to labour relations, prepare its own proposals as well as deliver opinions on these matters prior to their reviewing at the Committee of the Cabinet of Ministers and National Tripartite Co -operation Council. This Sub -council participates inthe improvement of the regulatory enactments in relation to labour protection, governing of labour relations and equal opportunities pertaining to labour relations in line with the requirements of the International Labour Organization conventions and recommendationsand other international liabilities of the Republic of Latvia.On 6 September 2016 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the regulation on the implementation of EU co -financed activity whose beneficiaries are socia l partners. Theaim of the project is to facilitate bilateral social dialogue at branch level (in five industries: timber, chemistry, construction, transport and logistics, and in telecommunication). Twoprojects are to be implemented by the Free Trade Uni on Confederation and the Employers’Confederation of Latvia starting from 2017.There is a long standing cooperation between the SEA and social partners on both nationaland local levels whereby for example meetings are organized by SEA affiliates on loca llevel with local employers and trade union representatives to discuss relevant issues. The cooperation with social partners and more specifically employers extends to privateemployment agencies as well. On the one hand the State Employment Agency isresponsible for licensing of private employment agencies but on the other hand it grantsaccess to private employment agencies to information about vacancies registered at the State Employment Agency.9 7 April 2009 Cabinet Regulations No. 300 “Rules of Order of the Cabinet” regulate the matters of internalprocedures and activities of the Cabinet (abovementioned refers to Paragraphs 63 and 91 of this Regulation)Latvia Page 1513Recommendations with regard to Measures to decrease unemp loyment: to promote the integration of the long -term unemployed in the labour market, using triedand tested methods based on a coordinated and individualized approach which includesemployers; to use and further develop good approaches such as the EU's Yo uth Guarantee scheme inorder to develop sustainable and broad -based concepts for tackling youth unemploymentand promote the transition from school to working life; to provide targeted measures to NEETS to integrate them successfully into training andwork; to use good approaches such as the recommendation of the Council of the EuropeanUnion on the integration of long -term unemployed into the labour market; to pursue the goal of stepping up efforts to encourage in particular low -skilled, long -termunemplo yed and older employees to take part in continuing vocational education andtraining.Answer prepared by th e Ministry of Welfare The introduction of the profiling system has provided s ubstantial benefits, whichhelp to diversify support for the registered unemployed with an aim to shorten theperiod of unemployment and prevent potential risks that could delay return in the labour market by providing most appropriate support, measures and intensity. The task of the profiling is to quickly identify registere d unemployed persons to whom, according tothe changing labour market requirements, support is needed primarily and accordingly adjust the recommended range of services and the time of receipt.In order to continue reducing the share of long -term unemployed, the Ministry of Welfarehas developed a model of long- term unemployed activation measures with an aim tofacilitate vulnerable long -term unemployed integration into society and settlement inpermanent work, suitable training programme or in measures imp lemented by the StateEmployment Agency (SEA ). The model includes such measures as individual and groupconsultations, in -depth health checks within examinations by occupational health doctors,assessment of professional suitability for unemployed people w ith disability or predictabledisability, motivational programmes for job search and mentor services after completion of the motivational programme, support measures for unemployed with addiction problems, public awareness campaign about the long -term unem ployed activation measures andtraining of the SEA staff.The SEA has improved methods for cooperating with employers as well by prioritizing enhanced cooperation and providing information about registered unemployed and available SEA services.Major activ e labour market policy programmes have been launched in 2015 and 2016 bythe SEA, including support to long -term unemployed10 and older employees (50+)11.The “ Programme to prolong workability and employment of older employed persons” hasbeen put in place since January 2017 and is being gradually implemented. It aims tosupport 3000 persons by 2023. The target group are persons under the risk of unemployment aged 50+ who meet at least one of following:a) Health condition does no t meet the requirements of dut ies assigned (according toconclusion of mandatory health examination or person has been absent at last for four weeks in a row during last year);b) Educational background does not exceed secondary or vocational secondaryeducation;10 http://www.nva.gov.lv/index.php?cid=2&mid=511&txt=415811 http://www.nva.gov.lv/index.php?cid=2&mid=511&txt=4645Latvia Page 1614c) Family care obligation s limit fulfilment of the duties;d) Employment is part -time and has low -income (less than 80% of the minimumwage).Support available:a) Evaluation and promotion of active aging potential in enterprises (voluntary activeageing audits);b) Support measures for old er employees (career consultations; informal training;measures to raise competitiveness – consultations, lessons and trainings (incl.psycholo gist, occupational physician); workplace adjustment; h ealth im provementprocedures (medical)).Since December 2015 the SEA is implementing “Activation programme for the long -termunemployed”. 20 000 persons are to be supported by 2023.The target groups are:a) Long -term unemployed (no state social insurance contributions made for last 12months);b) Long -term unemplo yed with disability and foreseen disability;c) The unemployed with alcohol, narcotic or psychotropic substance addictions.Support available:a) Individual and group consultations;b) In-depth health checks to assess suitability for the job and possible factors of theworking environment harmful to health;c) Assessment of professional suitability – service provided by State Social IntegrationAgency;d) Motivational programmes – including paid temporary work component,psychological support, motivation al measures, sup port and consultation s to providehelp for solving social problems, mentor after completion of programme (help s injob-search activities and provides psychologic support);e) Support measures (Minnesota P rogramme and other therapeutic methods);f) Stipend for the participant of motivational programme (150 euro per month). Latvia started the implementation of the Youth Guarantee already in 2014 byfurther developing existing youth support measures and implementing new ones. Latvia has benefited from the Youth Em ployment Initiative as well. Measures provided toyouth within the Youth Guarantee approach encompass a broad variety of activities related to gaining first work experience, choosing a future profession or even acquiringa new profession. Latvia has benefi ted from the experience of other EU Member Statesin this regard, most notably – Austria and Finland. The approach used in Latvia for labour market integration of u nemployed and inthis case long -term unemployed already broadly complies with this recommen dation.However , to enhance the support additional motivational and counselling support isbeing currently implemented. Taking into consideration population ageing and gradual increase of the retirementage, in September, 2016 the conceptual report "Active aging strategy for longer andbetter working lives in Latvia " (hereinafter - conceptual report) was adopted , includinglabour market support measures for the population aged 50 years and over, especiallytill the retirement age, who face significant barri ers to involvement in the labour market.Conceptual report includes informative activities carried out in order to facilitateemployers’, older employees’ and public in general awareness towards workforce agingLatvia Page 1715trends and possible solutions for a longer an d better working life. At the same time,support will be focused on older employed persons’ ability to work and theiremployment by identifying professional suitability, providing training and lifelonglearning opportunities, adapting work places and intro ducing flexible forms of work, aswell as promoting intergenerational skills transfer. Concerning employers it is plannedto organize voluntary evaluations, assessing the work organization's suitability for older workers and to develop recommendations to i mprove the situation accordingly.Recommendations with regard to Cross -border – mobility: to facilitate mobility especially in cross -border regions and to provide informationservices to frontier workers who are subject to different national practices an d legalsystems; to utilize cross -border capacities for commuters in education and studies therebyunderstanding cross -border commuting as a means to reduce the risk of unemployment.Answer prepared by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional DevelopmentWith regard to the facilitation of the mobility in the cross -border regions and provision ofthe information services to the frontier workers, who are subject to different national practices and legal systems, a project of the INTERREG V -A Es tonia - Latvia Programme2014- 2020 recently selected for funding could be mentioned as an example of action. Theproject “Promotion of Cross -Border Labour Market Integration and Employment” wouldcontribute to the promotion of cross -border employment possi bilities for further integrationof the Estonia - Latvia labour market in the regions concerned through fostering theconfidence of job seekers and employers of the cross -border region in their ability to find asuitable job or employee, respectively. The objective will be achieved by promoting cross -border labour market integration and employment opportunities, by providing better access to and improving quality of information services, organising joint employment and training initiatives, and developing a dvisory services. The collaboration within the mentionedproject will be ensured on the level of the State Employment Agency of Latvia, Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund and bordering municipalities of both countries.The project Mobility could be men tioned as an example of action recently selected forfunding from the INTERREG V-A La tvia-Lithuania Programme 2014 -2020 . The project isaddressing the problem that the workforce skills obtained as a result of the vocationaleducation do not always match th e needs of the labour market in the Latvia - Lithuaniacross -border region, as well as do not fully utilise the possibility to work across the border.Thus through cooperation of eight vocational education schools on both sides of the borderthe project ai ms at contributing to the increase of labour mobility across the border throughimproved workforce skills for the job market matching the needs of the Latgale - Utenaand Siauliai cross -border area. The project is targeted at the students and teachers of t heeight involved schools that through participation in the series of capacity building exercises for teachers and joint theoretical and practical workshops for students will improve their skills and as a result be able to enter the job market across the b order thus increasingmobility. The project activities will be organised by joint cooperation of all involved schools in four themes: transport vehicle, textile and graphic design, landscape design and agro tourism and agriculture and technologies. The pro ject also foresees improvement ofthe offer of education programmes and the respective material basis for the education process of the eight involved schools, as well as to involve 150 persons in joint local employment initiatives and joint training.Latvia Page 1816In addition it is foreseen that this year direct award procedure for funding the project forreconstruction of cross -border roads will be launched. The aim of the project is to connectregional towns in order to ensure convenient and safe access to services an d workplaces interritorial units where main services and employment opportunities are available thusfacilitating the labour mobility in the border area. For reaching this aim three road sectionsin total length of around 45 km shall be reconstructed. The project will be implemented inpartnership of the State Joint Stock Company "Latvian State roads" and State budgetary institution "Lithuanian Road Administration”.Answer prepared by the Ministry of WelfareThe State Employment Agency (SEA ) has a long established cross -border cooperation withboth Estonia (Valka/Valga, Valmiera/Vijlandi) and Lithuania (Aizkr aukle/Birzai,Jelgava/Sauliai, Daugavpils/Zarasai, Liepāja/Klaipeda). Within the framework of EURESthe frontier workers have access to the relevant i nformation related to the different nationalpractices and legal systems.Recommendations with regard to fair wages and the integration of refugees: to intervene at an early stage to inform young people making the transition from school towork about path ways and possibilities with respect to career development and promotesuccessful entry into the jobs market; to strive to ensure fair wages and to work towards the reduction of subcontracted, temporary agency work and temporary service contracts where perm anent jobs arepossible; to educate and integrate refugees into the labour market as soon as possible and to exchange experiences with best practice examples within the Baltic Sea Region. And alsoembed the social partners comprehensively and at an early s tage in these efforts.Answer prepared by the Ministry of Welfare The already previously mentioned S tate Employment Agency (SEA) provides careerguidance services to school students as well. According to the Paragraph 1 of the Section 7 of the Labour La w everyone has an equalright to work, to fair, safe and healthy working conditions, as well as to fair workremuneration. These rights shall be ensured without any direct or indirect discrimination. Paragraph 1 of the Section 29 states, that differential treatment of an employee isprohibited when establishing employment legal relationships, in particular when promoting an employee, determining working conditions, work remuneration ofoccupational training or raising of qualifications, as well as when givi ng notice oftermination of an employment contract.The Labour Law provides for a limited number of cases, where it is possible to concludean employment contract for a specified period. In accordance with the Paragraph 6 of the Section 44 the same provis ions, which apply to an employee with whom an employmentcontract has been entered into for an unspecified period, shall apply to an employee with whom an employment contract has been entered into for a specified period. An employer shall inform employees, with whom an employment contract has been entered into for aspecified period, regarding job vacancies in the undertaking in which the employee may be employed for an unspecified period. Employers shall inform employee representatives regarding the opport unities in the undertaking to employ employees for a specified periodif the employee representatives request such information (Paragraph 7 of the Section 44 of the Labour Law).The term of an employment contract entered into for a specified period may not exceedLatvia Page 1917five years (including extensions of the term). The entering into a new employment contractwith the same employer shall also be regarded as extension of the term of the employmentcontract if during the period from the date of entering into the for mer employment contractuntil the entering into a new employment contract the legal relationship has not beeninterrupted for more than 60 consecutive days.Until the end of 2018 a study will be carried out to get a more in depth understanding of the benef its and risks associated with the new forms of work, automation and digitalizationin the Latvian labour market context. Following Latvia’s commitments concerning asylum seekers, the Action Plan forRelocation and Admission of Persons who Need Internation al Protection12 (hereinafter– the Action Plan) was adopted b y the Cabinet of Ministers on 2 December, 2015. Theaim of the Action Plan is the creation of a system corresponding to the circumstances ofLatvia for admitting asylum seekers, as well as for soc io-economic inclusion of refugeesand persons who have obtained the alternative status.According to the Action plan for the first three months at the accommodation centre for asylum seekers Latvian language courses as well as a programme of socioeconomicinclusion introductory courses are provided. Asylum seekers who have been granted an alternative or refugee status have the right to employment and can receive support from the State Employment Agency (SEA). In rare cases when processing of the applicatio n forgranting the status takes longer than 9 months asylum seekers also have access to the labour market. The SEA implements targeted approach by profiling the unemployed, preparing individual job -search plans, providing career consultation and job searchassistance, offering appropriate employment and training measures, as well as organizing meetings with employers .Lack of sufficient Latvian language knowledge is a significant challenge to refugees orpersons with alternative status for involvement in t he Latvian labour market or relevantALMPs. Therefore the SEA provides opportunity to participate in three language coursesin one year period, receiving financial support in an amount of 100 EUR during the training. According to changes, each language lev el within language courses withoutintermediary language has been divided into two sublevels, ensuring a more graduallanguage acquisition.12 The Action Plan for Relocation and Admission in Latvia of Persons W ho Need International Protectionhttp://www.vvc.gov.lv/export/sites/default/docs/LRTA/Citi/Cab._Order_No._759_ -_Action_Plan_for_Movement_and_Admission_in_Latvia.pdfLithuaniaLithuania Page 2Lithuania Page 31Answers by the Lithuania in regard to the implementation of the 25th BSPCResolutionRecommendations with regard to the Environmental status of the Baltic Sea1) To further strengthen and develop HELCOM as the main coordinating body in the effortto protec t the Baltic marine environmentThe HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EChave a common objective of achieving and/or maintaining good environmental status in marinewater. In Lithuania, the main documents implementing these strategies are the Water Sector Development Program , adopted on t he 1st of February 2017. The Water Sector DevelopmentProgram is a national measure, based on HELCOM and the EU policy in order to reach successfulresults in protecting marine environment. (Information submitted by the Ministry ofEnvironment )2) to strongly support and encourage a fast implementation of the Marine Litter Action Plan,as well as the implementation of the NOx emission control area Roadmap for the BalticSea, and to stress the importance of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) as one of th eenvironmental pillars of the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea RegionLithuania recognizes that marine litter is a serious problem and that it has negative impacts notonly on environment but also on human health and economics. It is known, that majority of marinelitter are non -degradable items, mainly plastics. In Lithuania d eposit system on disposablepackaging has been operational since 1 February 2016 and this measure will reduce the amount ofplastics entering the marine environment. This is one of the most effective measures implement ingmanufacturer ’s responsibility. The Lithuanian Government has set an ambitious goal for which55 % of disposable packaging should be returned to the deposit system in 2016, 70 % in 2017,80 % in 2018, 85 % in 2019 and 90 % of disposable packaging in 2020. It is estimated that to thisday 75 % of disposable packaging has been returned to the deposit system in Lithuania.(Information submitted by the Ministry of E nvironment )3) the implementation of the NOx emission control a rea Roadmap for the Baltic SeaHelsinki Commission has agreed on the NOx emission control area (NECA) Roadmap for theBaltic Sea on 10 May 2016. On the 70th session on 24 –28 October 2016 MEPC approved thedesignation of the Baltic Sea together with the North Sea as a NECA starting from 1 January 2021.(Information submitted by the Ministry of E nvironment )4) to stress the importance of the Baltic Sea Action Pla n (BSAP) as one of the environmentalpillars of the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea RegionIn order to implement the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan together with EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EB Lithuania has adopted the Water Sector Develop mentProgramme for 2017 -2023 where targets and objectives to achieve and (or) maintain GES are set.Lithuania Page 425) to discuss mutual definitions regarding sustainable development throughout the Baltic Searegion and to support innovations within green and blue technolog ies as well as to createa joint web portal for the Baltic Sea region for sharing good examples regarding research,education and environmental best practicesContributing to joint efforts to implement recommendations contained in the resolution of the 25thBaltic Sea Parliamentary conference with regard the sustainable development, the Baltic SeaNetwork – for the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (BSN – EAFRD) wasinitiated. This project is the result of the Baltic Leadership Programme Bio economy, funded bythe Swedish Institute and implemented in 2016 in the cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture of Lithuania, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland in their capacity as coordinators of Policy Area Bioeconomy of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR)and the Swedish Institute. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, acting also asa coordinator responsible for rural development within EUSBSR Policy Area Bioeconomy, hasundertaken the role of a facilitator and promoter of the BSN - EAFRD. The Baltic Sea Network –EAFRD facilitates transnational cooperation through rural development programmes and contributes to sustainable development throughout the Baltic Sea Region. Moreover, a number of other different projects are underway. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture )Recommendations with regard to Cooperation in tourism1) against the background of the general competitive situation in the tourism economy aswell as the current tense situation in Europe to encourage transnational strategies andlong-term commitments for fostering cross -border approaches primarily in the field ofsustainable t ourism in the Baltic Sea RegionLithuania represents the ideas of the Baltic Sea region within the UNWTO. In 2016, the Ministryof Economy of the Republic of Lithuania and the UNWTO signed the Memorandum ofunderstanding. The parties of the Memorandum recognized the important role of tourism and itspositive contribution to the soci o-economic and cultural development of the country and expressedthe intention to combine their efforts and work together in the further promotion of tourism inLithuania and the Baltic States. The areas of mutual interest were identified. Lithuania, beingactive member of the UNWTO agreed:- to foster close collaboration on common tourism policy approaches, and to ensure a morestrategic framework for cooperation at all levels between Lithuania and UNWTO;- to enhance the role of the tourism sector in the soc io-economic development andinternational positioning of Lithuania;- to improve the tourism sector’s competitiveness while providing expertise in the field oftourism on human resource development, particularly skills development and training;- to enhance kn owledge -sharing and exchange, and help support best practices with a viewto fostering improved co -ordination and synergies in the field of sustainable tourismdevelopment;- to promote the development of sustainable tourism policies, including environmentalpreservation and biodiversity, social equity and cohesion and economic prosperity of localcommunities. (Information s ubmitted by the Ministry of Economy )Lithuania Page 532) against the background of the unique natural environment of the Baltic Sea and thevulnerability of many habitats, to work on cross -border strategies in order to minimizeexisting conflicts between tourism , marine and coastal protectionThe Ministry of Economy, in cooperation of the UNWTO and the Coordinators of the EuropeanUnion Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (Policy Area „Tourism“) organiz ed the workshop onPractical Implications of Sustainability within the framework of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development which was held on 16 –18 November 2016 in Šilutė ,Lithuania. The workshop was dedicated for the presentation of the Baltic Sea Strategy and for the preparation for the year 2017 – The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.The 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Develo pment is the perfect opportunityfor taking joint action to raise awareness internally and thus create a new momentum in the sustainable tourism development process in the Baltic Sea Region.Mobilizing the full potential of sustainable tourism is one the k ey pillars of action behind the actionplan of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region in the policy area of tourism. Against the background of the Global Agenda 2030 and the adoption of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals the Council of the Baltic Se a States (CBSS) member states have recently renewed theircommitment to sustainable development in the ‘Baltic 2030 Declaration’. (Informationsubmitted by the Ministry of Economy )3) to strengthen the rural development and agricultural production in accord ance with theenvironment in such a way, that the natural landscape and sound environment as precondition for a sustainable tourism in rural areas are protected and restoredRural tourism is already an important part of the European tourism sector. But ma ny aspects andresources for recreation in rural areas are yet not used, or remain undetected. In this contest,Lithuania will take part at the International conference on Sustainable Tourism for RuralDevelopment to be held in Italy, Bergamo, on the 15 -17 of February, 2017. The next action,dedicated for the rural tourism is the 6th European Congress on Rural Tourism. This event will be organi zed in 2018 in Lithuania in a close cooperation with the UNWTO and the EUROGITES(European Rural Tourism Association). (Information su bmitted by the Ministry of Economy )In order to strengthen cooperation in tourism, the competent authorities of Lithuania an d Latviahave submitted an application for the implementation of the project “Heritage based agro -tourismin Latvia – Lithuania”. The aim of the project is to carry into effect the tourism and heritagepotential of agricultural farms and small fishing busi nesses in Latvia and Lithuania, opening themto visitors and creating a strong cross -border agri -tourism product to increase visitor numbers inthe area. The agri -tourism product will have a wide coverage as all regions in the programme areain both countr ies will be represented. Latvia and Lithuania are a single tourism destination forinternational tourists willing to see both countries in one trip. Small agricultural producers are attractive as tourism objects carrying unique identity of the two Baltic S tates (pending approval ofInterreg). Similarly, another application has been submitted for the implementation of the project “Revival of old traditional fruit, vegetable and ornamental plants and their products: Heritage Gardens Tour”. The project is aime d at increasing attractiveness and accessibility of oldhorticultural plant collections as cultural and natural heritage objects and revival of old products from fruits and vegetables (pending approval of Interreg). (Information submitted by theLithuania Page 64Ministry o f Agriculture )4) to support transnational strategies which promote the development of tourism in the BalticSea Region and to include the creation of synergies between projects and a communicationstrategy for the Policy Area TourismThe Ministry of Economy, in cooperation of the UNWTO and the Coordinators of the EuropeanUnion Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (Policy Area „Tourism “) organi zed the workshop onPractical Implications of Sustainability within the framework of the Inter national Year ofSustainable Tourism for Development which w as held on 16 –18 November 2016 in Šilutė,Lithuania. The workshop was dedicated for the presentation of the Baltic Sea Strategy and for thepreparation for the year 2017 – The International Year o f Sustainable Tourism for Development.The 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is the perfect opportunityfor taking joint action to raise awareness internally and thus create a new momentum in thesustainable tourism development process in the Baltic Sea Region.Mobilizing the full potential of sustainable tourism is one the key pillars of action behind the actionplan of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region in the policy area of tourism. Against the background of the Global Agenda 2030 and the adoption of the UN’s Sustainable DevelopmentGoals the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) member states have recently renewed their commitment to sustainable development in the ‘Baltic 2030 Declaration’ . (Informationsubmitted by the Ministry of Economy )5) in order to help mobilize the full potential of Sustainable Tourism to establish the BalticSea Region as a com mon and coherent tourism destinationLithuania works actively in the field of sustainable tourism. In 2015, Lithuania was elected torepresent Europe in the Committee on Tourism and Sustainability of the United Nations WorldTourism Organi zation (UNWTO). The Committee’s activities mainly deal with the 10YFPSustainable Tourism Program. Nowadays, the guidelines of the Sust ainable tourism developmentfor the private and public sector is under the preparation of the Ministry of Economy. (Informationsubmitted by the Ministry of Economy )6) jointly work towards a common understanding of Sustainable Tourism and to strive toestablish j oint marketing and joint labelsAccording to the official agreement (02.06.2002) among the Governments of the Republic ofLatvia, Lithuania and Estonia on Co – operation in Field of Tourism, three Baltic States started itsactivities at the Joi nt Tourism Committee (JBTC). At the beginning of its activities, the JBTCfocused on cooperation in European markets. In 2010 the JBTC started its activity in long haul markets. In October 2016 the traditional Baltic Connecting event took place in Riga and was a newplatform for business contacts between Baltic tourism business representatives and tourism operators from long haul markets such as Japan, China, USA and South Korea. Today all three Baltic countries effectively cooperate in long haul markets – China, Japan, USA, partly inGermany and South Korea. The united activities encompass the participation at international tourism exhibitions, road shows, development of joint publications, organization of FAM trips forLithuania Page 75journalists and tour operators. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Economy )7) to support the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum and its newly -established project for apermanent platform for information and know -how exchange — the Baltic Sea TourismCenter — as coordinator for the implementation of activities on Sustainable Tourism inthe regionLithuania supports the transnational projects and participates as a partner in the INTERREGproject “Baltic Sea Tourism Center”, participates and supports the Baltic Sea Tourism Forums. In2019, Lithuania is planning to host the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum. (Information submitted bythe Ministry of Economy )8) to facilitate the networking and clustering of tourism stakeholdersLithuania supports the idea of tourism clusters. The national Medical Tourism Cluster from Lithuania initiated the creation of Baltic medical Tourism cluster. Unfortunately, due to the lack of financing, the idea of the Baltic cluster failed. (Information submitted by the Ministry ofEconomy )Recommendations with regard to Cooperation in research and innovation1) to foster cooperation in the field of research and innovation towards more competitiveand sustainable regionBaltic Bonus program is an instrument to foster collaboration between the scientists of the BalticStates in the field of research and innovation. An additional incentive of 1000 Euros is allocatedto the Horizon2020 program participants, which run projects together with a partner from anotherBaltic state. Science, Innovation and Technology Agency (MITA) implements Baltic Bonusinstrument since 2014. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Education and Science )One of the objectives of Lithuanian Innovation Development Program 2014 -2020 is to promotethe cooperation, creation of value networking, developmen t and internationalization, thereforethere is an effort to promote cooperation between business and science and transfer of knowledgeand technology as well as to promote the development of clusters and integration in the globalvalue chains.The opportunities for the regional cooperation are starting from the existing platforms such as BSR Stars program (part of the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region) till various European territorialcooperation programmes or even smaller initiatives (BSR Inn ovation Express etc.). All theseinstruments are used to initiate and promote joint innovation projects . Flexible co -operation canhelp to strengthen our common position and role in a wider European and global context. The cooperation between the Baltic St ates is of great importance in the light of engagement ininternational projects:The BSR Stars program (hereinafter – the Program) is a part of the EU Baltic Sea Strategy.It is organized as a multi stakeholder program and is interconnected with other flagships in theBSR Strategy and also to other EU strategies on competitiveness and innovation. In order toimplement the Program, ensure its continuity and proper use of accumulated experience and activeLithuania Page 86co-operation Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Nordic countries are working as a team in the field ofthe Baltic States innovation needs. The in -kind resources from the Baltic States are hands -onengines for partnership search, project facilitators at their own respective countries and a pushforward for more transnational projects coming into being with Baltic States participation. Itsupports the core activiti es in the Program, which are the transnational collaboration projects oninnovation: strategic alliances, linking research & innovation milieus, transnational clustercooperation and SME -networking.The 4th Cluster Matchmaking Conference (in Poland) was organised in connection with theBSR Stars Innovation Express call and provided a forum for developing ideas for international collaboration. BSR Innovation Express is a joint call for projects implemented within theframework of the BSR Stars program. The call is funded by national/regional funding agencies toinitiate, develop or enhance transnational cooperation activities – leveraging cluster organisations(or similar) to develop proposals for their SME members. After this Conference Lithuania’s andLatvia’s clusters now are participating in one approved project, because both countries havescouted for cluster partners for joint development projects in this Cluster MatchmakingConference. The aim of this joint project (Lithuanian SMART food cluster and L atvian FoodProducts Quality cluster) is to establish the Eastern Europe network in Smart food sectors through knowledge sharing, identification of new opportunities in food sectors.Horizon 2020 brings new challenges and opportunities. The new focus on innovationrequires higher levels of interaction with companies and result oriented approaches. H orizon 2020could contribute to the Baltic States progress in the modernization of universities and compani es.Lithuania in Horizon 2020 research and innovatio n projects have 28 joint projects with Latvia and27 joint projects with Estonia . (Information submitted by the Ministry of E conomy )2) to support research and standardization within cyber security, with focus on maritime context and applications and to foster data governance in order to enable a fair and fertileenvironment for new data driven services that will capitalize our regions technologyexcellence and trigger high skill job creationNB8 (abbreviation of Nordic - Baltic Eight ) are eight Nordic a nd Baltic countries – Denmark,Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, which cooperate in various areasand at different political levels since 1992. Civil security, including cyber security has been one of the priorities in Nordic –Baltic cooperation since 2011. Cybersecurity has been included among thepriorities for NB8 cooperation in 2015 and in 2016 as well. (Information submitted by theMinistry of Education and Science )3) to facilitate continuous dialogue and collaboration in scien ce, research, innovation andhigher education using existing political and regional formats and initiativesThe Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania participates in the INTERREG‘s Baltic Sea Region program project Baltic Science N etwork , coordinated by theMinistry of Science, Research and Equal Opportunities of Hamburg (Germany). The goal of the project is to strengthen regional cooperation in research and development between states in the Baltic Sea Region. The participants, i.e. ministries of research and other organizations fromDenmark, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland aim to improve coordination of research, innovation and education policies in the Baltic Sea Region. Improved intraregional and inter -Lithuania Page 97institutional cooperation in the fields of research and innovation, mobility and active collaborationof scientists in joint projects, creation of new funding schemes to foster intraregional research andinnovation activities and implementation are among the expected de liverables.In 2016, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Estonia organi zed two regional EarthObservation roundtable meetings to discuss the possibility to establish a common Earth observationplatform with representatives from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Poland, European SpaceAgency and the European Commissi on. After these meetings, a paper about the vision and objectives ofregional cooperation in the Earth observation field and the need for Baltic Regional Exploitation Platform was drafted. The discussion on how this Regional Exploitation Platform should lo ok like, what purpose itwill carry out and what would be the benefits for each member state are still on going.(Informationsubmitted by the Ministry of E conomy )Dialogue and collaboration between the Baltic States in space fieldIn 2016, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Estonia organised two regional EarthObservation roundtable meetings to discuss the possibility to establish a common Earth observationplatform with representatives from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Poland, European SpaceAgency and the European Commission. After these meetings, a paper about the vision and objectives of regional cooperation in the Earth observation field and the need for Baltic Regional Exploitation Platformwas draf ted. The discussion on how this Regional Exploitation Platform should look like, what purpose itwill carry out and what would be the benefits for each member state are still on going.(Informationsubmitted by the Ministry of E conomy )Recommendations with regard to Cooperation in education (incl. vocational training) andscience, linking education and labour market1) to recognize the need to link education and the labour market more closelyIn 2016, an action program to address the EU Council recommendations, among which there wererecommendations to increase the compliance of skills granted by the education system with thedemands of the labour market, to improve the results related to key competences, was set. The goals of the action program included the formation of a qualifications framework and thedevelopment of a system of evaluation and recognition of competences and qualifications; thesupport and promotion of the acquisition of practical skills; the strengthening of systems an dprocesses for managing and ensuring the quality and attractiveness of vocational training andlifelong learning; the development of formal and non -formal learning opportunities. (Informationsubmitted by the Ministry of Education and Science )In the early 2016, the Government adopted the resolution on the monitoring of the current state ofhuman resources. This resolution became the legal basis for the development of the system ofhuman resources monitoring. All state authorities are obliged to use th e results of the system inmaking decisions related to the issues of education and human resources.The pr inciple idea of human resources monitoring implies the integration of all available data onindividuals contained in different information systems and registers into one platform. Theplatform combines information contained in the register of State Social Insurance Fund, theResidential Register, the State Patient Fund and other registers. This information consists of theLithuania Page 108data on the qualification and e ducation acquired by a person, data on the professions of persons,wages, companies employing them and their age categories.Integration of all this data creates opportunities to monitor the state of different categories ofhuman resources and the corresp ondence of their qualification with the labour market. It will alsoprovide information on what specialty individuals have acquired and where they work having gained one or another level of education or qualification.The main participants of this monitori ng system are the Ministry of Education and Science, theMinistry of Economy, and the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. Monitoring results will be used in education funding, professional orientation and career development, medium -term forecastof the demand for human resources, investment planning and planning of active labour marketmeasures. (Information submitted by the Ministry of E conomy )2) to support t he New Skills Agenda for EuropeIn 2014, the three Baltic States have launched a project , which act ed as a facilitator for VETnational reform and as a tool for enhanced cooperation, exchange of information and experience,as well as for peer learning on implementing reforms. A particular focus was on developing andpromoting work -based learni ng and apprenticeships. The project lasted until 2016 and aimed alsoat launching the Baltic Alliance of Apprenticeships in order to set concrete actions for Balticcooperation in VET.In 2015, the ministers responsible for VET in the three Baltic States s igned a declaration of intenton the Baltic Alliance of Apprenticeships and Work Based Learning . Its aim is to increase theoverall competitiveness of the Baltic countries’ labour force trained within the VET systems, toraise the status and attractiveness of the Baltic VET and encourage regional approaches in VETimplem entation. To this aim, the ministries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia commit ted themselvesto co -operate for the promotion of apprenticeships and work -based learning.Measures to improve th e labour -market relevance of VET in Lithuania include adopting 17sectoral qualifications standards and setting up modular VET programs in accordance with thesestandards, which will be implemented up to 2022. An action plan for developing and implementingapprenticeships was prepared at the end of 2016. The provision of counselling and guidanceservices in real and virtual environments will be developed further. The main aims of adulteducation development in the period 2016 -2023 are to create a sustainabl e adult education systemand to adapt lifelong learning to the needs of the national economy and society. A methodology tofinance non -formal adult education and the long -term program for developing non -formal adulteducation will provide the basis for fur ther improvements in the field. The Government alsoannounced that it would be amending the law on non-formal adult edu cation and continuingtraining . (Information submitted by the Ministry of Education and Science )3) to provide vocational training and skills development opportunities to young people whichare geared to the needs of industry and which, by way of generally recognized formal qualifications, form one of the most important prer equisites for workplace successOn 21 June 2016, the Seimas of t he Republic of Lithuania adopted the Law on Employment (afterthe Law Amending Article 63 of the Republic of Lithuania Law on Employment No. XII-2470,adopted on 20 December 2016, took effect, the date of coming into effect of the Republic of Lithuania Law on Employment No. XII -2470 has been postponed from 1 January 2017 until 1 JulyLithuania Page 1192017) which expands the opportunities for the training and practice in the workplace of theunemployed. The new law introduces two new measures of support for training: employm ent onthe basis of an apprenticeship contract and traineeship.When implementing the measure of employment on the basis of an apprenticeship contract, bothvocational training providers and employers will directly participate in the training process.Apprenticeship contracts will be concluded with the unemployed referred to training; therefore,they will be provided with the opportunity to learn and perform a professional practice as well ascooperate with employers and other people working in the company and directly experience theworking environment.Traineeship, being an unremunerated period of professional practice, is aimed at developing,restoring and improving professional skills or qualifications. In order to encourage the unemployed to restore o r improve available professional skills acquired during training, they are paid a grantthroughout traineeship.A measure of support for the acquisition of professional skills is organised with regard to theunemployed who start professional activities acc ording to acquired qualifications or competencesfor the first time. The measure is aimed at acquiring missing professional skills directly in theworkplace. Employers who organise this measure are paid subsidies as partial compensation forwages. (Informa tion submitted by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour )In 2016, measures for improving labour market relevance of education focused on furtherdevelopment of framework of sectoral qualification standards and modular VET curricula.Prior to 2016, 10 sectoral standards that define key sectoral qualifications at different qualificationframework levels were designed. For each qualification the standard describes competences thatare grouped into units. The main principle of the standard is that it refl ects what are the needs andrequirements of business and labour market in terms of training of future employees and retrainingthe current ones. Identifying requirements for all levels of qualifications at the same time improvespermeability between differ ent educational levels and make qualifications development andimprovement more flexible. The standards will be primarily used for design of VET programs and will serve as a guide for designing higher education programs, competence assessment and recogniti on, etc. In 2016 the actions concentrated on coordination of standards with related sectoralstakeholders. The standard enters into force after ministers of education and science and economy approve them. Due to prolonged coordination process, none of the standards has been signed yet,but it is expected that standards coordination procedures will be finalized in 2017.In 2016 majority of VET institutions were enrolled in piloting of modular VET training programs. Until 2016 the most popular VET programs (more than 60 in total) have been reviewed andupdated. They follow a flexible modular structure and are composed of mandatory and optionalmodules. Around 40 newly designed VET programs were chosen for trial from September 2016.To identify what are the successes and problems of introducing modular system, Ministry ofEducation and Science together with Qualifications and VET Development Centre is monitoringthe process and is organizing regular round tables and consultation events.At the same time, further stages for the development of remaining standards and modular VET system were planned and a project for developing 14 standards and 100 VET programs has started.Lithuania Page 1210The project will run until 2020. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Education andScience )4) to strengthen the contacts between schools, universities and business in order to make surethat university education and vocational education and training are closely and concretelyoriented towards labour market and to identify as well as to prevent labour marketmismatchesThe general vocational training plans that have been approved by the MoES in 2015 provided forchanges over the next two years, such as more opportunities to learn a profession in the workplace, a wider choice of apprenticeships, learning in modules; these changes will allow the vocational training system to react more flexibly to the needs of labour market and those pursuing a profession. The country now has 42 sectoral practical training centres , which have been funded bythe EU structural funds and the Lithuanian national budget; these centres meet the practical training needs for specialists from most branches of the economy. (Information submitted by theMinistry of Education and Science )5) to build on success of the CBSS EuroFaculty program as an example of long -term project -based cooperation in higher education and science for the benefit of the people of theBaltic Sea Region and to explore the possible steps forward for this program;6) to improve transparency and comparability of qualifications, and thereby to furtherdevelop the mutual recognition of formal qualificationsThe Baltic States already have experience, despite some differences in criteria and practice, in thefield of evaluati on and recognition of qualifications. There is a great potential in automaticrecognition of qualifications and its introduction, based on mutual trust and understanding, wouldhelp to remove administrative obstacles and would facilitate for more sustainab le cooperationbetween Lithuanian, Latvia and Estonia and mobility of students and labour force.As an outcome of the project, ran by the ENIC/NARIC agencies of the Baltic States in 2014 -2016,the draft of an Agreement between the Government of the Republi c of Lithuania, the Governmentof the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Latvia on the Automatic Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education has been prepared. Therepresentatives from the ministries of the Baltic State s discussed the main provisions of the draftand approved it during the Baltic Ministerial meeting in June 2016. During the discussions the questions were raised on the scope of the agreement and different approaches to its provisions, therefore it was agr eed to prepare an explanatory annex, which will describe the application of theagreement in detail. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Education and Science )7) to facilitate anticipating labour markets' skills needsThe Government approved the Description of the Framework of National Human ResourcesMonitoring in 2016, which will create a legal framework for common human resources monitoringsystem. The Description defines the purpose, executives, principles and coordination of nationalhuman re sources monitoring. In 2016, the Government formed the commission to coordinatenational monitoring of human resources and plans to approve a description of indicators andLithuania Page 1311provisions of the Education Management Information System . The approval of this desc riptionwill prepare the ground for the regular monitoring of the careers of third -level education graduatesand graduates of vocational training. Regular monitoring performed by the Research and HigherEducation Monitoring and Analysis Centre will allow to analyze long -term employment trendsand to improve compliance of the education system with labour market needs. For this purpose, asystem for monitoring employment and careers of higher education graduates is underconstruction. The results will be used for planning state formal and non -formal education policy,for implementing qualifications system and lifelong learning, for evaluating and accrediting study programs and distributing them in proportions between colleges and universities, for fields ofstudy, regulated professions, for evaluating regional particularities and for other purposes. In addition, this will allow to improve the system for predicting average duration of the demand for human resources. Monitoring data will be collected from various registers and databases . Aftercollecting the data from these information sources, it will be possible to define the human resourcessituation in Lithuania more accurately than ever before. Study and training programs will be linkedwith grou ps of professions listed in the Lithuanian Classification of Occupations . This willfacilitate to determine whether people are working in the field in which they acquired theirqualification. In addition, there are plans to analyze the linkages between pro fessionalqualifications and jobs. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Education and Science )The ESF -funded project, which was aimed at developing human resource demand forecastingmodel and mechanisms, was completed. Within the framework of this p roject a tool for theforecasting of the demand of human resources was created. It enabled medium -term humanresource demand forecasting activities. In the future, it is planned to permanently improve the tool via the compilation of data on human resources from various National data registers. (Informationsubmitted by the Ministry of E conomy )8) to explore the need for a Northern Dimension Partnership for Labour Market andEducation to further develop education and labour market in the Baltic Sea RegionAll NB8 countries participate in the Nordplus Program , which offers financial support to a varietyof educational cooperation between partners in the area of lifelong learning from the eightparticipating countries in the Baltic and Nordic regions.Nordplus Program aims to strengthen and develop Nordic educational cooperation and contributeto the establishment of a Nordic -Baltic educational region, to support, develop, draw benefit fromand disseminate innovative products and processes in education through the systematic exchangeof experiences and best practice and to contribute to the development of quality and innovation inthe educational systems for lifelong learning in the participating countries by means of educational cooperation, as well as cooperating with workplaces, about development projects, exchanges andbuilding of networks. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Education and Science )9) to support business and education cooperation for a sustainable economic area in the Baltic Sea Region, especially a systematic exchange of expertise in the labour market and education sectorsStructural funds will be used to create professional standards for all sectors, which will be the basis for creating modular programs. Professional standards f or 17 sectors will be created andLithuania Page 1412formalized by 2022. The intention is to create modular professional training programs based onflexible practical training at the workplace by taking into consideration the economy supply of thecountry and the needs of labour market, to increase the availability of vocational training programs,to implement theoretical and practical training at the workplace using apprenticeships in trainingorganizations. It is planned to prepare all modular programs according to approved professionalstandards by 2021. The Apprenticeship Development and Implementation Action Plan will becreated , which will contain specific proposals regarding regulation and governance ofapprenticeship in Lithuania as well as involvement of employers. (Information submitted by theMinistry of Education and Science )10) to further develop the promotion of continuing training and improve the conditions forcontinuing training provision geared to the acquisition of vocational trainingqualifications, includin g for young adultsThe Government approved the Development Program of Non -formal Adult Education andContinuous Training for 2016 –2023, the necessary legislation to amend the Law on Non -formalAdult Education has been introduced. In January 2016, the Minis ter of Education and Scienceapproved the financing methodology for learning according to non -formal adult education andcontinuous training programs. The new system of adult lifelong learning will help adults to adjustto changing demands of the labour ma rket, and is expected to increase the level of lifelong learningin the 25 –64 age group. In order to encourage education, research and studies institutions todevelop educational services for adults and to adjust them to the needs of society and the labourmarket, a projects contest is being organi zed in 2016 to finance non -formal adult educationprograms. In 2016, EC funded the implementation of projects expanding the network of regional adult education coordinators; municipalities appointed the implemente rs of non -formal adulteducation policy. They will receive training and assistance related to information, coordinationand methodology. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Education and Science )The Ministry of Economy has prepared several new instruments financed using European UnionStructural Funds for business investments in employee competencies. These measures and intended to support business to improve the qualification of newcomers or alre ady workingemployees. They are designed for the training of employees of investing companies, for the development of sectoral competences, also for the increase of employee’s capabilities to work with new technologies. Measures which make the acquisition of competences available to small andvery small enterprises (Competence Voucher) as well as to the workers of the lowest qualification to acquire competences in workplace (Apprenticeship) are of special relevance. (Informationsubmitted by the Ministry of Economy )Recommendations with regard to Cooperation among social partners1) to strengthen the cooperation between social associations, the social partners and governmental organi zations in a social dialogueThe Action Plan for the Strengthening of Social Dialogue in Lithuania 2016 –2020 (hereinafterreferred to as the Action Plan) with its ultimate goals to encourage the cooperation between trade unions, employers, and non -governmental organizations in developing the social dialogue, provideLithuania Page 1513conditions to e nsure the quality of coordination of social partners’ interests, and ensure monitoringof the situation of social dialogue in Lithuania as well as the evaluation of results nationwide, wasapproved by the Order No. A1 -81 of the Minister of Social Security and Labor of 12 February2016. One of the main tasks is aimed at developing the abilities and competencies of social partnersthrough the organization of training and conferences and performing the international cooperationand exchange activities in the f ield of social dialogue. The Action Plan provides for theimplementation of joint initiatives of trade unions, employers, and non -governmentalorganizations – to organize roundtable discussions, joint negotiations between social partners,roundtable discus sions – training in order to evaluate the proposals of social partners and non -governmental organizations for the elaboration of methodical recommendations for collective negotiations and sign bilateral or trilateral agreements on social economic matters, developefficient publicity measures in the field of social dialogue and perform publicity related activities, develop the system for evaluating the achievements in the field of social dialogue and organizetraining for business managers as well as employe es and consult them on collective negotiations,information and consultation, as well as the involvement of employees in the companymanagement.The concept proposal elaborated in accordance with the Action Plan by the Order No. A1 -623 ofthe Minister of S ocial Security and Labo ur of 24 November 2016 was added to the list of stateprojects financed using European Union Structural Funds. The State Labor Inspectorate together with its social partners – Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation, Lithuanian trade un ionSolidarumas, Lithuanian Business Employers’ Confederation, and the Chamber of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania – was approved to be the promoter of the project. (Informationsubmitted by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour )2) to bring together national employment services and private employment agencies,including the social partners, in orde r to boost job seekers' chancesRecommendations with regard to Measures to decrease unemployment1) to promote the integration of the long -term unem ployed in the labour market, usingtried and tested methods based on a coordinated and individualized ap proach whichincludes employersWhile implementing employment support measures, the long -term unemployed are treated aspersons additionally supported in the labour market. Therefore, in order to encourage employers to recruit the long -term unemployed, subsidised employment is organised and the employer iscompensated for part of wage related expenses without repayment for a period of up to six months.(Information submitted by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour )2) to use and further develop good approaches such as the ELI's Youth Guarantee scheme inorder to develop sustainable and broad -based concepts for tackling youth unemploymentand promote the transition from school to working lifeThe Youth Guarantee has been implemented in Lithuania since 2014. The purpose of this initiativeis to offer employment , continued education , an apprenticeship or a traineeship to all young peopleaged 15 –29, regardless of whether they are registered in the labour exchange or not, within fourLithuania Page 1614months of becoming unemployed or leaving initial education. In other words, the main aim of theYouth Guarantee is to activate youth within the shortest possible period of time: by maintaining aconnection with the labour market or ensuring further education opportunities.A more intensive work with youth is showing results. In 2014 –2015, about 160 000 young personsbenefited from the Youth Guarantee initiative: employment was provided to 85 per cent of allyoung people applying to labour exchanges annually. About 63 per cent of registered youngunemployed people are employed, the employment process has accelerated, and participati on inactive labour market policy measures has increased: more than 20 000 (about 22 per cent) youngunemployed persons annually acquire qualifications, professional skills in the workplace, receivesupport for the establishment of a workplace, become empl oyed because employers arecompensated for part of wage and respective tax related expenses. It should be noted that afterparticipation in these measures 83 –92 per cent (depending on the measure) of young peoplesuccessfully integrate in the labour market within six months.The Youth Guarantee initiative is implemented by the Ministries of Social Security and Labour,of Education and Science, and of Economy as well as their subordinate institutions. The initiative is coordinated by the Ministry of Social S ecurity and Labour. (Information submitted by theMinistry of Social Security and Labour )3) to provide targeted measures to NEETS to integrate them successfully into training and workThe projects “Atrask save” (Discover Yourself ) and “Naujas startas” ( New Start ) targeted at youthnot in employment, education or training (NEET) are among the most important initiatives of the Youth Guarantee.These projects are financed with the funds of the Youth Employment Initiative and the European Social Fund within the framework of the Operational Programme for EU Structural FundsInvestments for 2014 –2020. Total allocations account for EUR 69 million s. In 2016 –2018, theprojects will involve over 35 000 NEETs, of whom 12 000 inactive young persons (NEETs whoare not re gistered in the labour exchange).While implementing these projects in Lithuania, we have developed a brand new concept of services to youth, which will ensure sustainable youth integration into the labour market. Young people participating in the projects are provided with a broad range of services: from psychologicalcounselling or motivation boosting seminars to vocational training or subsidised employment. Thus, an integrated system of individualised assistance to NEETs is developed, which also helps to reach inactive youth, i.e. NEETs who are not registered in the labour exchange. Projectparticipants are also provided with services that have not yet been provided to the unemployed in Lithuania, for example, job shadowing or visits to companies as well as short -term traineeship inthese companies. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour )4) to use good approaches such as the recommendation of the Council of the European Unionon the integration of long -term unemployed into the labour marketThe Lithuanian Labour Exchange seeks to implement measures and actions proposed in theCouncil Recommendation of 15 February 2016 on the integration of the long -term unemployedinto the labour market: 1) a single point of contact, thus simplifying availability of individualisedservices (active labour market policy measures, placement services, social assistance) to personsLithuania Page 1715distant from the labour market; 2) to make an offer of a job -integration agreement to the long -termunemployed (at the very latest when a person has reached 18 months of unemployment), includingindividualised active measures, placement, social and other necessary services. Seekingsustainable employment of the long -term unemployed, the Lithuanian Labour Exchange draws upindividual employment activity plans (IEAP) which evaluate barriers to employment and individual needs of the unemployed and envisage the commitments of the unemployed person and the labour exchange concerning labour market services and application of employment supportmeasures to the unemployed.A pilot project was launched in 14 Customer Service Branches in July 2016. It is aimed atevaluating employment opportunities of job -seekers and grouping job -seekers into those havinghigh, average or limited employment opportunities.A job -seeker is always serviced by the same employment consultant or, upon his referral, a careerconsultant for an agreed limited period of time (regarding selection of the profession, preparationfor employment, business organ isation, job clubs, psychological counselling, etc.). The frequencyand duration of visits is established individually, with regard to a job -seeker’s independent jobsearch intensity and the use of electronic services of the labour exchange.In certain cases (for the long -term unemployed who are registered for more than 18 months,persons with low social skills, long- term health problems, clearly expressed addictive behaviour)the consultant assumes the role of a social advisor and helps socially excluded persons or thoseexperiencing difficulties find assistance in alternative programmes or projects implemented byother institutions or organisations. A mentoring method is applied with regard to job -seekers whoare most in need of individual assistance. (Information submitted by the Ministry of SocialSecurity and Labour )5) to pursue the goal of stepping up efforts to encourage in particular low -skilled, long termunemployed and older employees to take part in continuing vocational education andtrainingSeeking to integrate more low -skilled, long term and older unemployed people into the labourmarket, the Lithuanian Labour Exchange has used support from the European Union Social Fundand has been implementing three projects focused on vocational training and establishment ofacquired skills in the labour market:1) “Support for the long -term unemployed”: more than 10 800 long -term unemployed persons willtake part in project activities;2) “Developing competences of low -skilled persons”: 14 000 low -skille d persons will undergotraining and acquire qualifications and/or competences that are in demand in the labour market;3) “Support for the older unemployed”: 14 000 unemployed persons over 54 years of age willacquire or improve qualifications and/or acqui re competences as well as missing professionalskills, which will help them integrate and establish in the labour market.Also i t has to be mentioned that changes were made to the Law on Cash Social Assistance for PoorResidents regarding the grants for ta king part in vocational training for unemployed.Seeking to boost motivation of persons of working age, who are capable of work, to integrate inthe labour market, according to the new regulation the training grant for unemployed, who areinvolved in the w orkers training, is excluded from the calculation of income to establish assistancelevel. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour )Lithuania Page 1816Recommendations with regard to Cross -border — mobilityl) to facilitate mobility especially in cross -border regions and to provide informationservices to frontier workers who are subject to different national practices and legalsystems;2) to utilize cross -border capacities for commuters in education and studies therebyunderstanding cross -border commuting as a means to reduce the risk of unemployment;Fostering closer cooperation and, as far as necessary, following EU respectively UN declarationsin tackling illegal and irregular migrationWith rapid increase of facilitated irregular migration, primarily of Vietnamees nationals, acrossthe Baltic States in 2014, the State Border Guard Service under the Ministry of the Interior hastaken action in order to further foster already existing cooperation with law enforc ementauthorities of Latvia and Belarus. The increased cooperation has been focused on joint criminalintelligence measures, border control activities and irregular migration controls inland. Effective implementation of these measures has allowed to dimini sh and to keep under control the flow ofthe facilitated irregular migrants. (Information submitted by the Ministry of Interior )Recommendations with regard to fair wages and the integration of refugees1) to intervene at an early stage to inform young people making the transition fromschool to work about pathways and possibilities with respect to career development andpromote successful entry into the jobs market;2) to strive to ensure fair wages and to work towards the reduction of subcontracted,temporary agency work and temporary service contracts wh ere permanent jobs arepossibleConsidering the suggestions of the Tripartite Council of the Republic of Lithuania, the Government was consistently increasing MMW (Minimum Monthly Wage) and MHR (MinimumHourly Rates):1) from 1 January 2013, the MMW was increased up to LTL 1 000 (EUR 289,62) (17,65 per cent), the MHR up to LTL 6,06 (EUR 1,76);2) from 1 October 2014, the MMW was increased up to LTL 1 035 (EUR 299.76) (3.5 percent) and from 1 January 2015 up to EUR 300 (due to rounding, it increased by 0.1 percent), MHR up to EUR 1.82;3) from 1 July 2015, the MMW was increased up to EUR 325 (8.3 per cent), the MHR upto EUR 1.97;4) from 1 January 20 16, the MMW was increased up to EUR 350 (7.7 per cent), the MHRup to EUR 2.13.5) from 1 July 2016, the MMW was increased up to EUR 380 (8,6 per cent), MHR up to EUR 2,32.Lithuania Page 1917On 1 July 2016, once the MMW of EUR 380 came into effect, if compared with the MMWof EUR 246.17 (LTL 850) effective on 31 December 2012, the MMW increased by 54.4per cent, while the MHR increased by 55.7 per cent during the same period.The increasing of the minimum wage had the largest impact on those economic activitiesthat paid the lowest wages, for example, according to the preliminary data, the averagemonthly gross wage (hereinafter - AW) of Accommodation and food service in 2015, ifcompared with the AW in 2012, increased by 32.6 per cent (from EUR 341.5 up to EUR452.9), the AW of Artistic, entertainment and recreation activities in 2015, if comparedwith the AW in 2012, increased by 22.9 per cent (from EUR 474.4 up to EUR 582.9).Meanwhile, in those economic activities that paid the highest wages, the AW was growingslower, for example, in the Financial and insurance activities during the same period theAW increased by 12,7 per cent (from EUR 1190.9 up to EUR 1341.9), in the Informationand communication activities respectively – by 22.4 percent. (from EUR 1003.8 up to EUR1229).According to the preliminary data, the average monthly gross wage in 2016, if comparedwith the average monthly gross wage effective in 2012, increased by 25.3 per cent (from EUR 615.1 up to EUR 770.8). During analyzed period the average growth rate wasobserved in Lithuania – by 5.4% (EUR 35.7) per year.Average gross earnings in Lithuania 2012 –2016, EUR2012 2013 2014 2015 2016*Average monthly grosswage, EUR 615.1 646.3 677.4 714.1 770.8Growth of averageearnings compared tothe previous year, percent 3.8 5.1 4.8 5.4 7.9*provisional dataBy taking into account strict provisions of the Labor Code of the Republic of Lithuania (i.e. fixed -term employment contracts cannot be drawn with respect to full -timeemployment), Lithuania characterizes for particularly small and decreasing number offixed -term employment contracts: in 2015 – 1.8 percent, in 2014 – 2.3 percent; while inthe EU countries – 11.1 percent (2015). A small number of temporary employees is also acharacteristic of Lithuania – approximately 4000 employees last year. (Informationsubmitted by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour )3) to educate and integrate refugees into the labour market as soon as possible and toexchange experiences with best practice examples within the Baltic Sea Region. And also embed the social partners comprehensively and at an early stage in these efforts.Mecklenburg-VorpommernMecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 2Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 3AnnexForwarded by letter from the Chief of the State Chancellery from 7th April 2017; incharge is the Ministry of the Interior and Europe. LANDTAG MECKLENBURG -VORPOMMERN Except from Drucksache 7/4957th election period 10.04.2017Exce rpt1 from the informationby the Landesregierungstatement by the Landesregierung Mecklenburg -Vorpommern about the implementation of theresolution for the 14th Parliamentary forum southern Baltic sea (Kiel, 12th – 14th June 2016) andthe 25th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (Riga, 28th – 31st August 2015)1 This exce rpt only contains information regardin g the Baltic Sea Parliamentary C onference.Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 4Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode2Information of the Landesregierung Mecklenburg -Vorpommern about theimplementation of 25th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference ResolutionWith this statement the Landesregierung Mecklenburg -Vorpommern reports aboutthe implementation of the 25th BSPC resolution from 28th to 31st August 2016 in Riga.The Landesregierung meets with this statement the request of the Landtag to conveya report before 31st March 2017.2 The statement only covers the fields ofcompetence of the Land Mecklenburg -Vorpommern and field of overall importancefor the Land.2 Landtagsdrucksache 7/ 86 of 23rd November 2016 and Landtagsdrucksache 6/5522 of 22nd June2016 in conjunction with Landtagsdrucksache 6/4498 of 15th September 2015.Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 5Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/4953 IntroductionBulletPoint Resolution Statement of the LandesregierungMecklenburg -Vorpommern(28 March 2017)9 affirming the importance ofthe United Nations 2030Agenda for SustainableDevelopment that is devotedto the people, the protectionof the planet, prosperity inharmony with nature, peaceand partnership, andbelieving in the necessity ofthe implementation of the 17Sustainable DevelopmentGoals, especially Goal 14which targets to conserveand sustainably use theoceans, s eas and marineresources for sustainabledevelopment;In the resolution at hand, the necessity of theimplementation of the 17 Goals forSustainability of the United Nations isstressed. Especially Goal 14 is highlighted inthat paragraph. With the develo pmentProgram for the Land(Landesraumentwicklungsprogramm (LEP) M -V 2016), which provides for a sustainablePlan for the territorial sea Mecklenburg -Vorpommern, considers those.3From the point of view of the Government ,Goal 7 (ensure access to affordab le, reliable,sustainable and contemporary energy foreveryone) apart from Goal 14 should beemphasized as well, in order to stress theimportance of Offshore Wind Farms for theimplementation of the Agenda 2030.Energy production that produces little carb ondioxide is a central part for the developmentof the three dimensions of sustainability(Economy, Social issues and Environment).4By 2050, 80% of the required power shouldbe gained from renewable energies.5 Fromthe point of view of the Ministry for Energy,Infrastructure and Digitalization Mecklenburg -Vorpommern, the Offshore -wind-energy isindispensable for the sustainable energyproduction. By now, because of the offshorewind farms in Mecklenburg -Vorpommern174,000 tons of natural gas and 435,000 tonsof carbon dioxide are being saved.6Additionally, a new economic sector has beenestablished around the renewable energies inMecklenburg -Vorpommern . About 15,000 jobs3 Determination in chapter ‚Spatial structure at coastal waters and integrated littoral management.4„The new future treaty for the world“; Federal Ministry for economic collaboration and development(BMZ), 2015.5„Energy strategy for a environmentally friendly, dependably and affordable power supply“; FederalMinistry for economy and technology (BMWi), 2010.6 http://www.regierung -mv.de/Landesregierung/em/Energie/Wind/Offshore/ (version : 2nd January2017).Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 6Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode4 emerged in this sector over the last fewyears.711 welcoming the adoption ofthe Declaration Baltic 2030:Renewing the Commitmentto Sustainable Developmentin the Baltic Sea Regionadopted by the highrepresentatives of the CBSSgovernment institutionsresponsible for sustainabledevelopment on 6 June,2016; See statement on number 9.12 welcoming the acceptanceof Chair ́s Conclusions ofCBSS Science Ministers ́Conference called BalticScience: Renewing theCommitment toScience/Research JointActions in the Baltic SeaRegion in Kraków, on 16June, 2016; The Science cooperation with p artners fromthe Baltic Sea Region is very important forMecklenburg -Vorpommern, its Universitiesand other research institutes, both traditionallyand perspectively. That can currently be seenin the joint INTERREG- Project “Baltic Sciencenetwork (BSN)”8, in which the Ministry forEducation, Science and Culture Mecklenburg -Vorpommern takes part as associatedPartner.The core of the project is the creation of asupra -regional network that provides, besidesthe existing “scientific network” an“administrati ve network”, in order to managethe scientific cooperation and researchcooperation in a useful and targeted way. This is a so -called Flagship -Project that should beseen as a good example for othercooperations.13 welcoming the InternationalMaritime Or ganization’s(IMO) decision that theBaltic Sea special area forsewage discharges frompassenger ships underAnnex IV or the MARPOLConvention will take effectby latest 2021 for IMOregistered passengervessels, in line with previousBSPC resolutions; The Government Mecklenburg -Vorpommernappreciates the coming into force of theregulations regarding the special sea areaBaltic Sea in line with the MARPOL Annex IVfor aggravated discharge of sewage and theresulting effects for the protection of the sea.They apply from 1st of June 2019 for newvessels and from 1st of June 2021 for existingships. At the same time the exception for the Russian Ports is regretted.7 Energy - and carbon -report 2015 -2016; Ministry for energy, infrastructure, digitalisation ofMecklenburg -Vorpommern, 2016.8 Informations to the BSN -project among: http://www.baltic -science.org/index.php undhttp://www.cbss.org/sustainable -properous -region/baltic -science -network/ .Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 7Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/4955 For the cruise ports in Mecklenburg -Vorpommern these regulations pose aconsiderable challeng e. The provision ofadequate reception facilities for ship sewagethere requires the construction of stationaryplants with the possibility of discharge into themunicipal wastewater network. Mobiledisposal options would quickly reach their limitduring t he usual business hours of cruiseships. In the ports, therefore, often extensive investments in appropriate reception facilitiesare likely to be required in order to fulfil theirlegal obligation concerning the waste watersewage and to be able to attrac t cruise ships.With the coming into force of the regulationson the Special Area in line with MARPOLAnnex IV and after the Baltic Sea beingSulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) in linewith MARPOL Annex VI, the shipping industryand the ports will have t o face moreexceptional charges. Europe wide regulationsregarding waste water sewage would beappreciated in order to reduce the distortion ofcompetition between the European navigatedareas. Relevant efforts of the Government ofMecklenburg -Vorpommern w ere included inthe “National Concept for Ports for Sea portsand inland ports” that was resolved by theFederal Cabinet on 20th January 2016 and inwhich the federal Government undertakes tosupport strict and unitary international andEuropean limit valu es for emissions and thedischarge of waste water sewage of ships.Regarding Cooperation in the region, toPara Resolution Statement of the LandesregierungMecklenburg -Vorpommern(28 March 2017)1 welcome mutual cooperation andpeaceful solutions of internationaldisputes taking into account bestpractises for example in the BalticSea region; The Land Mecklenburg -Vorpommernactively and in different manners takespart in the cooperation of the BalticSea Region. On the regional area thishappens with in their partnership withthe Voivodeship West- Pomerania and 2 take further steps to re -establishmutual trust and dialogue in theBaltic Sea Region, in particularMecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 8Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode6 within the Council of the Baltic SeaStates in order to ensure the mostefficient use of the organization’spotential as a forum for multilateralintergovernmental cooperation aswell as political and policy dialoguein the Baltic Sea Region; Pomerania, the region South -West -Finland and the region Leningrad aswell as in the scope of the membershipin the Baltic -Sea-Commission of theConference of the Peripheral CoastalRegion (KPKR).9Through the Engagement of numerousactors from Mecklenburg -Vorpommernin the transnational EU -CooperationProgram as well as the activeparticipation regarding the process ofimplementation of the EU -Strategy forthe Baltic Sea Region10, especially inthe field of Tourism, the landcontributes to the maintenance ofcontinuity in cooperation also in roughtimes. By hosting a “Russia Day” inOctober 2014 and May 2016 theGovernment send a political signal forthe dialogue in the region.The cooperation between the publicand the private sector in thetransnational cooperation isappreciated and seen as useful. Thesame applies for the St. Peterburg -Initiative11 with the aim to include thenon-governmental sector regardingquestions of the environment, and forthe Pilot -Financing -Initiative12 that wasdecided at the meeting of the Chiefs of Governments of the Baltic Sea Councilon 31 May 2012 in Stralsund. ThePilot-Financing -Initiative aims at thefinancing of small and medium - sizedenterprises as well as public -privatepartnerships for local and regionalinvestment projects in the memberstates of the Baltic Sea Council. Alsothe government offers possibilities tosupport small and medium - sized 3 further enhance regional synergyand cohesion through deepeningcollaborati on and structured dialoguebetween organizations andcooperation formats in the Baltic SeaRegion;4 further promote and encouragepublic -private practical interaction asa tool for cross -border cooperation,economically viable actions andprojects for t he benefit of the BalticSea Region, taking into account andadvancing the success of the SaintPetersburg Initiative andencouraging fuller use of the CBSSPilot Financial Initiative, if thesituation permits;9 http://balticseacommission.eu/ (version : 15 February 2017).10 http://www.balticsea -region -strategy.eu/ (version : 15 February 2017.11 http://spbinitiative.ru/en/index.php (version : 15 February 2017).12 http://www.cbss.org/sustainable -prosperous -region/pilot -financial -initiative/(version: 15th February 2017).Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 9Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/4957 enterprises, in order to initiate ordeepen their commitment abroad.Some examples are:• Single farm fair funding• Promotion of joint companystands• enterprise delegation journeys• promotion of counselling for theintroduction of products,technologies and services insupra -regional and especiallyforeign markets• foreign trade events like the„Russia Day“ (2014, 2016,expected 2018) or the Export -Tour.5 build on success of the CBSSProject Support Facility as a tool forsupporting the strategically importantproject activities in the Baltic SeaRegion, taking particular note ofRussia's and Finland's voluntarycontribution to the Facility for 2016,and to explore the possibilities for acontinuation of the CBSS fundingfacility in a form of the Baltic SeaCooperation Fund after 2016; The government of Mecklenburg -Vorpommern appreciates the supportof project -related cooperation -projectsprovided by the Baltic Sea Council.6 further strengthen and developHELCOM as the main coordinatingbody in the effort to protect theBaltic marine environment, and to strongly support and encourage afast implementation of the MarineLitter Action Plan, as well as theimplementation of the NOxemiss ion control area Roadmapfor the Baltic Sea, and to stressthe importance of the Baltic SeaAction Plan (BSAP) as one of theenvironmental pillars of the EUstrategy for the Baltic Sea Region; The efforts of HELCOM for theprotection of the sea areappreci ated. However, everydeepening of environmentaldemands should aim forsustainability. That precludes theavoidance of unacceptableeconomic consequences. Due to theinternational character of seatraveling, worldwide high standardsfor environment should besupported. Because of diversestandards, the competition betweendifferent areas could be affected orthe sea traffic could be relocated tothe land.7 discuss mutual definitionsregarding sustainable The term “Sustainable spatialMecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 10Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode8 development throughout theBaltic Sea region and to supportinnovations within green and bluetechnologies as well as to create ajoint web portal for the Baltic Searegion for sharing good examplesregarding research, education andenvironmental best practices; Development” i n Germany isdefined13 by the Government andformulated in the DevelopmentProgram for the Land (LEP M -V2016). The guidelines of thedevelopment of the Land, in linewith sustainability, are supported bybinding objectives. The LEP M -V2016 got its liabili ty in June 2016from a regional decree.The promotion of the exchange ofgood examples in the Baltic SeaRegion regarding science,education and environment arefound useful, in order to support the mutual learning and to use synergypotentials. The Ministry of theinterior and Europe Mecklenburg -Vorpommern brings that aspect tothe committees for Balticcooperation. Some successfulexamples for the transfer of resultsof the Baltic cooperation to the localand regional level should bepresented in the cou rse of the 8thStakeholder forum for the EU -Baltic -Sea-Strategy (13th-14th June 2017 inBerlin). Therefore, the Ministry ofthe Interior and EuropeMecklenburg -Vorpommerncollaborates with the Baltic SeaCommission of the Conference ofthe peripheral Coast al Regions(KPKR) that organizes the Forumtogether with the Federal ForeignOffice. That exchange should bemaintained even after the forum.8 take the lead and coordinatedevelopment of a new regulationsframework for autonomous vesselswith the aim to make proposals toIMO as well as to support research,technology development and The digitalization of the maritimenavigation depends on the investmentconfidence of the shipowners.Regulated framework conditions onthis area is the federation ́sresponsibility.13 Regional Planning Act (ROG)“, 2008 or „land use planning law Mecklenburg -Vorpommern (LPIG M -V)“, 1998.Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 11Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/4959 standards for autonomous vessels;9 continue cooperation between eachother in areas where mutual benefitsand synergies can be achievedamong relevant regional strategiesand action plans; The Government of Mecklenburg -Vorpommern supports thecollaboration that goes further thanregional strategies for example withview to the use of common potentialsin the Eu -Strategy for the Baltic SeaRegion14 and the strategy for theRussian North -West -Region. TheMinistry for Economy, labour andhealth engages for the inclusion ofRussian representatives in the steeringcommittee in the field of politics whereuntil now only members of EU -Balticstates came together.Additionally, the land is active tointensify the cooperatio n with theRussian partners. After severaldelegation trips and two “Russia Days”Russia became a very importantpartner. Especially in this difficulteconomic situation, the enterprisesshould count on political support.Activities that have started will becontinued.That effects in parti cular• the creation of a coordinatinggroup Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – Russianfederation with the chief of thestate chancellery as head andwith three specialist groups withthe secretaries of state of theMinistry for economy, labourand health, the Ministry forEnergy, infrastructure andDigitalization and the Ministryfor agriculture and environmentas heads, in order to implementthe joint memorandum for thecollaboration in the field ofindustry from the Russia day2016,14 http://www.baltic -sea-strategy -tourism.eu/cms2/EUSBSR_prod/EUSBSR/en/PA_Tourism/index.jsp(version : 16th February 2017).Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 12Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode10 • the planned delegation to St.Petersburg (Leningrad) andMosque in September 2017 ledby the prime minister as well as• the third Russia Day expectedin 2018 in Mecklenburg -Vorpommern.10 against the background of thegeneral competitive situation inthe tourism economy as well asthe current tense situation inEurope to encouragetransnational strategies and long -term commitments for fosteringcross -border approachesprimarily in the field ofsustainable tourism in the BalticSea Region; For the policy area tourism themesabout sus tainable tourism areespecially important, also regardingthe Agenda 2030 of the UnitedNations and the Baltic Sea Process2030 of the Baltic Sea Council. Theaspects of sustainable tourism(economic, ecologic and social) arethe basis for the new Tourismconcept.11 closely work together in coping withthe ongoing challenges connectedwith the refugees in the region and tocontinue to ensure the decenttreatment of and the right to safeasylum for these refugees in thecountries of the Baltic Sea Region; The Coalition partners affirmed thatrefugees would be protected furtheron. They will support a humaneAsylum policy.The admission and accommodation ofrefugees takes place in the institutionfor the first admittance of the land andthen in the districts and cities.Minimum requirements regarding thekind, size and equipment are set.Furthermore, in the accommodationssocial support is available, in order tosecure tolerance and acceptance.The federation is responsible for theasylum procedures. The pro cedureand the following decision is based onthe Asylum law, the RefugeeConvention of Genf as well as the EU -Law.12 foster closer cooperation and, as faras necessary, following EUrespectively UN declarations intackling illegal and irregularmigration; The European Commission madeproposals for the strengthening of thecommon European asylum system andproposed measures regarding thelegal immigration and integration whichare appreciated by the land.1515 Within the range of common European asylumsystem are projected the following improvements:• introduction either stable, fair system at determination for the test of application for asylumappropriate member statesMecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 13Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/49511 The European Commission will takefurther measures in the field of legalimmigration and integration.1613 foster cooperation in the field ofresearch and innovation towardsmore competitive and sustainableregion; In October 2014, the “RegionalInnovations Strategy 2020 forMecklenburg -Vorpommer n” wasconfirmed. An exchange aboutdifferent innovation strategies inGermany takes place in the scope ofthe committee of the federation andthe federal states on technology. Anexchange in the Baltic Sea Regionis appreciated and is part ofmultilateral meetings. theUniversities and other relevantresearch institutes work together in the Strategy council economy -Science that was founded in 2010.The council is headed by thesecretary of the state of the Ministryfor economy, labour and healthMecklenbur g-Vorpommern.Moreover, the Universitiescooperate with one another throughthe technology and innovationconsultants that are promoted bythe Ministry for Economy, labourand health. Additionally, theMinistry participates in thepromotion of the “Enterpr iseEurope Network Mecklenburg -Vorpommern”17. This Networksupports and links enterprises,Universities and research instituteswith the development of foreignmarkets, the search for Cooperation• production big convergence in EU -asylumsystem and reduction the asylum shopping: TheEuropean committee will proposed an other harmonisation for the procedure for granting theright of asylum, to create more equal treatment and eleminate the incentive in EU, to search asylum in any less member states• circumvention of seconday movement within EU and• new mandate for the EU -asylumagency,consolidation of the Eurodac -system for better detention and dissemination of fingerprints16 Among other things is planned a structured system for the new settlement. Designated is ahorizontal m echanism with common EU -rules to admission and distribution to the status new settledpersons for financial support plus arrangements, to shall curtailed the secondary migration.17 http://www.enterprise -europe -mv.de/ (version : 15th February 2017).Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 14Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode12 partners, the participation in theEuropean support program i n thefield of innovation and research (forexample “Horizon 2020”18) as wellas the participation in cooperationforums, trade fair participations anddelegations.A deepened cooperation betweenthe economy and universities in theBaltic Sea Region is appr eciated.The collaboration of Economy andscience is being supported. But thebranch office of the grantees haveto be in Mecklenburg -Vorpommern.14 pay greater attention to the issue ofensuring predictability that could bestrengthened through reciproca ltransparency and risk reductionmeasures. This is important in orderto avoid any unnecessary risks andtensions, including with regard to themovement of military vessels andplanes in the Baltic Sea Region; The topic security is limited on securityconsiderations regarding the police.The core issue is the improvement ofrelevant Communication structures inthe southern Baltic. NumerousCommittees actively contribute tothat.19Through deepening the transnationalexchange of information, an even moreeffective cooperation should beachieved. For more than 20 years thepolice of the Voivodeship West -Pomerania and Mecklenburg -Vorpommern work confidentiallytogether. This cooperation is based onexchange of experiences, joint eventsand common EU -Projects.Since 2000 the LandeskriminalamtMecklenburg -Vorpommern hosts incooperation with West -Pomerania theinternational Security Conference“Gdansk ́s talk”. After the conferenceon “Technology and inner Security inStralsund in 2016, the next conference18 http://www.horizont2020.de/ (version : 15th February 2017).19 The collaboration of the Baltic Sea neighbouring countries will voted since 1996 primary in line withthe „Visby -cooperation“ and by regular meetings on scale the Interpol -cooperation. In 2001 wassigned besides an agreement for cross -border collaboration (Schengen Ost) between the PolicecircleSouthsealand and Lolland -Falster, the Policecircle Bornholm, SKAT Middle - and Southsealand, theState Office of Criminal Investigation Mecklenburg -Vorpommern, the river police board Mecklenburg -Vorpommern, the police board Rostock, the police board Stralsund, the Federal financial board northplus the Federal police boa rd Bad Bramstedt.Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 15Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/49513 shall ta ke place in Pomerania on“Social Challenges in connection withthe practice of force”.Furthermore, in the LandeskriminalamtSIENA, an information exchangesystem, is introduced that will affectthe security situation in the southernBaltic.Regarding Com petitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking Education andLabour Market, toPara Resolution Statement of the LandesregierungMecklenburg -Vorpommern(28 March 2017)15 recognize the need to linkeducation and the labour marketmore closely The “Skills Agenda”20 is the mostimportant agenda in the program ofthe European Commission 2016regarding education. It supports thedevelopment of skills, the recognitionof mutual qualifications included, thepromotion of professional educationand universi ty education as well asthe exploitation of digital jobs.The Bundesrat rejected the conceptof a “New European Agenda forCompetences „of the EuropeanCommission with view to thesubsidiarity.21 However, the federalstates appreciate the importance ofthe promotion of competences aswell as the adjustment of Educationand labour market initiatives. 16 against this background tosupport the New Skills Agendafor Europe;17 provide vocational training andskills development opportunities toyoung people which are geared tothe needs of industry and which, byway of generally recognized formalqualifications, form one of the mostimportant prerequisites forworkplace success; A practice -oriented education of youngpeople improve their employmentopportunit y on the national andinternational labour market. But thecurrent needs of the economy shouldonly be one criteria for the contentdesign of the training. The future needsof the enterprises and other employersshould be taken into account.18 strengthen the contacts betweenschools, universities andbusiness in order to make sure The deepened cooperation betweenschools, universities and enterprises20 http://europa.eu/rapid/press -release_IP -16-2039_de.htm (version : 15th February 2017).21 Bundestag decision (Bundestagsdrucksache 18/315 ff.) from 23rd September 2016 .Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 16Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode14 that university education andvocational education andtraining are closely andconcretely oriented towardslabour market and to identify aswell as to prevent labour marketmismatches; is appreciated, for example in theform of a dual curriculum. Theacademic education in universitiesshould take the needs of the labourmarket into account.19 build on succe ss of the CBSSEuroFaculty programme as anexample of long -term project -based cooperation in highereducation and science for thebenefit of the people of theBaltic Sea Region and to explorethe possible steps forward forthis programme; The good experien ces of the long -term project related cooperation willbe taken up and used.20 foster the further development andupgrade of skills (basic andspecialized) and employabilitythrough establishment of a right forlifelong learning; The Ministry for education, science andculture Mecklenburg -Vorpommernsupports the idea of life long learning.21 improve transparency andcomparability of qualifications,and thereby to further developthe mutual recognition of formalqualifications; The European and Ge rmanqualification framework regulatesthese requirements.22 facilitate anticipating labourmarkets’ skills needs Mecklenburg -Vorpommern does notparticipate in the investigationregarding needs on the labourmarket. The Agency for Labourinvestigates th ese needs.The universities support the labourmarket through the offering ofdifferent study contents.Further, see the statement on number17.23 explore the need for a NorthernDimension Partnership forLabour Market and Education tofurther develop ed ucation andlabour market in the Baltic SeaRegion; The networking of Mecklenburg -Vorpommern with its neighboursallows an intense cooperation. thebasis for that are language lessonsand intercultural education. toconcentrate on the Nordic partnerscould have an effect on the identity.The universities and researchinstitutions have diversecooperations with partner institutionsin the Baltic sea Region. Thepartnership of the Nordic dimensionsMecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 17Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/49515 is a very important part of theinternationalization strategy of thescientific institutions.In addition, the cooperation betweenschools, universities and enterprisesshould be deepened. The partnership“Labour market and Education” isappreciated. But the universityeducation should not besubordinated 100% unde r the needsof the labour market.24 support business and educationcooperation for a sustainableeconomic area in the Baltic SeaRegion, especially a systematicexchange of expertise in thelabour market and educationsectors; See statement on number 18.25 strengthen the cooperationbetween social associations, thesocial partners andgovernmental organisations in asocial dialogue; The government Mecklenburg -Vorpommern sees positive results ofthe cooperation of the social partnersover the last years. Theunemployment rate decreased. Thenumber of employees subject tosocial security deductions increased.The Government, economy, tradeunions and labour administrationclosely work together. Thecooperation will be continued.The universities closely wo rktogether with scientific institutionsand the social partners.In addition, see statement on number17.26 support research andstandardization within cybersecurity, with focus on maritimecontext and applications and tofoster data governance in orde rto enable a fair and fertileenvironment for new data drivenservices that will capitalize ourregions technology excellenceand trigger high skill jobcreation; There are research projects andmeasures for standardization indifferent fields in Mecklenb urg-Vorpommern. At the port authority in Rostock a central IT -interface inaccordance with the guideline2010/65/EU has been created in 2015.That guideline applies for thereporting formalities in ports in themember states. The Ministry ofenergy, infras tructure anddigitalization Mecklenburg -Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 18Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode16 Vorpommern pays the costs for thetherefore needed workers inRostock.22In December 2016 the “FraunhoferInstitut Großstrukturen in derProduktionstechnik” (IGP) handed ina project outline at the federalMinistry fo r economy and energy.The planned center “DigiCruise” aimsat the development of innovativesolutions for the digitalization andthe networking of the economyregarding cruise ships and inespecially Ship building, logistics,qualification, medicine and to urism.Further points of reference couldemerge.27 implement the Baltic Sea Regionas a leading learning region; The education and science institutions inMecklenburg -Vorpommern aim at aclose cooperation with their partners inthe Baltic Sea Region to e stablish theregion as leading region for learning. Inaddition, see statement on number 23.28 call for more intensified “bottom -up”collaboration and networking inorder to pursue development andsynergies in specific areas ofscience, research, innovat ion andclusters collaboration;The bilateral cooperation as well as thecollaboration in programs of the federalstates, the federation, programs oninternational education, on science andresearch allows the institutions to furtherdevelop the networking in order togenerate scientific and technologicalprogress.29 facilitate continuous dialogueand collaboration in science,research, innovation and highereducation using existingpolitical and regional formatsand initiatives; The work routin e in universities andother institutions is marked by aconstant dialogue and cooperationwith other scientific and socialinstitutions.22 Compare number 65 and 66 in: „coalition agreement 2016 – 2021 about the education of coalitiongovernment for the 7. Legislative period of the Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern“, 2016, page 16.Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 19Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/49517 Regarding Employment Opportunities, Labour Mobility and YouthUnemployment, toPara Resolution Statement of the LandesregierungMecklenburg -Vorpommern(28 March 2017)30 work towards the creation of ajoint, collaborative labour marketin the Baltic Sea Region; Exonerative effects marked the labourmarket in Mecklenburg -Vorpommern inrecent years. For the entrepreneurs thismeant growing challenges in attractingnew specialists. In the field of health andtourism there are chances for specialistsfrom abroad.Employers who engage people fromabroad get support by the “EuropeanEmployment Services” (EURES) and bythe “Zentrale Auslands - undFachvermittlung” (ZAV).The ZAV and the EURES support acommon employment platform, thatrecruits specialist s in Mecklenburg -Vorpommern. The employer services ofthe Agency for labour primary supportsmall and med ium sized enterprises on thelookout for specialists. Furthermore,international Online job exchanges areused, job fairs hosted, specialized networkplatforms and Magazines offered.31 support a common jobs platformand to raise its awareness inorder to harness its full potentialfor the labour force of the BalticSea Region;The ZAV and the EURES23 support acommon employment platform, thatrecruits specialist in Mecklenburg -Vorpommern. The employer services ofthe Agency for labour primary supportsmall and medium sized enterprises on thelookout for specialists. Furthermore,international Online j ob exchanges areused, job fairs hosted, specialized networkplatforms and Magazines offered.32 bring together nationalemployment services andprivate employment agencies,including the social partners,in order to boost job seekers’chances; The respon sible ZAV -employees enterjob offers into the data bases and keepin touch with private employmentagencies, in order to find adequateoffers for jobseekers.23 https://ec.europa.eu/eures/public/de/homepage (version : 15th February 2017).Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 20Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode18 33 use and further develop goodapproaches such as the EU'sYouth Guarantee scheme inorder to de velop sustainableand broad -based concepts fortackling youth unemploymentand promote the transitionfrom school to working life; The European Youth guarantee24 will befurther developed. Core issue isfighting the Youth unemployment. Withthe youth guaran tee, reforms ofeducation systems and the labouradministration were supported. Due tothat, the youth unemployment furtherdecreased. The financial resources willbe toped up until 2020 and assigned tothe regions with the highest youthunemployment rate. In addition, seestatement on number 43.34 provide targeted measures toNEETS to integrate themsuccessfully into training andwork;The mentoring happens in the scope ofthe “Landeskonzept für den Übergangvon Schule in den Beruf Mecklenburg -Vorpommern”. Young people areprepared for training or work. Thefederal Agency for employment closelyworks together with educationinstitutions and mediates young peopleto preparing education measures.Furthermore, recommendations areanalyzed and in the case of concretesuitability implemented. In addition, seestatement on number 44.35 promote the integration of thelong-term unemployed in th elabour market, using tried andtested methods based on acoordinated and individualizedapproach which includesemployers;The integration of long -termunemployed inti the labour market is inthe focus of the government. In recentyears, the long -term unemploymentdecreased almost as much as the short -term unemployment.Furthermore, the Ministry for economy,labour and health will soon issue aprogram for the reduction of long -termunemployment.36 also use for this purpose goodapproaches such as therecommendation of theCouncil of the European Union on the integration of long -termunemployed into the labourmarket;All partners will keep up their efforts toreduce long -term unemployment. Thegovernemtn will analyzerecommendations and implement themin case if suitability.37 pursue the goal of stepping up The employability of low skilled24 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catid=10 79&langld=de (version : 15th February 2017).Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 21Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/49519 efforts to encourage inparticular low -skilled, long -term unemployed and olderemployees to take part incontinuing vocationaleducation and training;workers, l ong-term unemployed andolder employees should be increased.In the scope of the indications of theoperational program of the EuropeanSocial Fund (ESF) and in cooperationwith the agency for employment andthe Ministry for labour and socialissues projec ts to integrate long-termunemployed are launched. Long -termunemployed should be motivatedthrough targeted education measures.Mecklenburg -Vorpommern closelyworks together with the agency forEmployment, in order to integrate theclients into the workin g process and tokeep the older workers to counteractthe lack of skilled workers.38 further develop the promotionof continuing training andimprove the conditions forcontinuing training provisiongeared to the acquisition ofvocational trainingqualifications, including foryoung adults;The Ministry for economy, labour andhealth Mecklenburg -Vorpommern willdevelop a program to promoteenterprises, which offer qualificationmeasures for their workers. Especiallyin the field of shipyards and th emaritime supply industry, the need forskilled workers will be high. Thepromotion will be in form of grants, inorder to create incentives forqualification measures. The serviceshave to be adjusted to the needs of theapplying enterprise and prepare t heworkers for challenges, whichstrengthen the competitiveness of theenterprise. The amount of thepromotion will be oriented towardsstate aid law upper limit.39 facilitate mobility especially incross -border regions and toprovide information service sto frontier workers who aresubject to different nationalpractices and legal systems;The Ministry for economy, labour andhealth Mecklenburg -Vorpommern canallow grants for the financing ofmeasures, which support the creationof structure -developing services in thesurroundings of the enterprise andthrough this achieve structural effectsin the regions. With the help of thesemeasures, projects are promoted thatinclude transnational cooperation,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 22Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode20 exchange of trainees or the promotionof the employees ’ willingness to workin partner enterprises abroad. Theseprojects should strengthen theeconomy in the regions.The universities and other institutionsuse several mobility programs, in orderto foster the mutual exchange ofstudents and scientists. That alsoeffects the border regions to otherBaltic Sea states. In addition, seestatement on number 23.40 . utilize cross -bordercapacities for commuters ineducation and studies therebyunderstanding cross -bordercommuting as a means toreduce the risk ofunemployment; See statement on number 39.41 . make better use of theresources of an ageing society; The employability of older employeesshould be increased through targetededucation measures. In the scope of theindications of the operational program ofthe European Social Fund (ESF) and incooperation with the agency foremployment and the Ministry fo r labourand social issues projects to integratelong-term unemployed are launched.Mecklenburg -Vorpommern closely workstogether with the agency for Employment,in order to make older people work longer.The specialists’ confederacy supportsprojects and measures.42 facilitate cooperation betweeneducation and business toenable young people to find workand employers to fill vacancies; The universities offer the basis for thesuccessful employment of specialists andmanagers. In addition, see statement onnumber 17.43 rigorously and continuouslypursue the goal of reducingyouth unemployment andopening up job prospects and lifechances for all young people, touse financial funds by theEuropean Union to this and tomonitor results; The European Youth guarantee offerseducation and jobs for people under 25years. With this program, long -termunemployment should be avoided. Withinno more than four months after the end ofthe training or unemployment, youngpeople should have a job offer, internshipor further training. For this, the Europeansocial fund provides financial resources.Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 23Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/49521 Last year, there was a first positive result.The government of Mecklenburg -Vorpommern appreciates the program andis willing to support it if necessary. Inaddition, see st atement on number 33.44 intervene at an early stage toinform young people makingthe transition from school towork about pathways andpossibilities with respect tocareer development andpromote successful entry intothe jobs market; In the scope of th e implementation ofthe “Landeskonzept für den Übergangvon Schule in den Beruf Mecklenburg -Vorpommern” the land promotesmeasures especially in the fields ofTechnology, Economy, Society,Environment, New Media, Foreignlanguages and sustainabledevelopme nt. The pupils should beencouraged to learn on their own aswell as their competences should bedeveloped. In conjunction withprograms, key competences should bedeveloped in sustainable way. Inaddition, see statement on number 34.45 strive to ensure fair wages andto work towards the reductionof subcontracted, temporaryagency work and temporaryservice contracts wherepermanent jobs are possible;The government of Mecklenburg -Vorpommern supports theimplementation of the minimum wageand rejects th e misuse of temporaryworkers and other measures that aim atwage dumping.The objective of the promotion of theindustry is the increase of sustainablevalues, the broadening of an industrialbasis and the creation of attractive jobswith secure and fair wages.25In the scope of promotion inassociations with investments, the aimof equal tariff wages is taken intoaccount while a deduction of 5percentage points from the basicfunding level if the payment reaches8.50 Euros but is less than the standardwage.In the scope of the promotion inassociation with the wage costs thataim is implemented while thispromotion is only an exception and if25 Compare number 281 and 286 in: „coalition agreement 2016 – 2021 about the education of coalitiongovernment for the 7. Legislative period of the Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern“, 2016, page 52.Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 24Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode22 only for jobs where the payment is atleast 35,000 Euros at a 40 -hours -week.Temporary work is not supported. Th econstant employment of temporaryworkers does not fulfil the workplaceconditions and is no secure permanentjob.46 educate and integraterefugees into the labourmarket as soon as possibleand to exchange experienceswith best practice exampleswithin the Baltic Sea Region.And also embed the socialpartners comprehensively andat an early stage in theseefforts; The integration of refugees into thelabour market is a special challenge. InMecklenburg -Vorpommern, severalfunded projects are provided.262728Thegovernment installed an office forintegration in the initial receptioninstitutions, where they offer firstconsultations.Furthermore, “IntegrationsFachDiensteMigration” (IFDM)29 are promoted, thatoffer individual consultancy formigrants. For an e ffective integration,the IFDM operate in several regionaland federal networks of the labourmarket.In addition, the Ministry foe economy,labour and health Mecklenburg -Vorpommern will support thecooperation model of the Agency foremployment, in order to promote aquickest possible integration ofrefugees into the labour market.47 promote the participation ofpeople with disabilities inworking life, where possible inbusiness in the general labourmarket, having regard for theprinciple of inclusion in themeaning of the UN Conventionon the Rights of Persons withDisabilities; The federation and the federal countriesdeveloped a program, “Initiative Inklusion”for the improvement of inclusion ofhandicapped people into working life onthe labour market.The target groups are clearly defined inthree fields of action.1 - vocational orientation2 - new jobs for severely disabledyoung people in businesses26 http://www.iq.genres -mv.de/de/home -2/ig-servicestelle (version : 10th March 2017).27 http://netzwerk -iq.de/ (version : 10th March 2017).28 http://www.naf -mv.de/ (version : 10th March 2017).29 http://www.ifdm -mv.de/ (version : 15th February 2017).Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 25Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/49523 and offices of the generallabour market3 - New jobs for older severelydisabled peopleThe “Initiative Inklusion” is implementedtogether with the federal Ministry for labour and social issues and the Ministries of thefederal states. Mecklenburg -Vorpommernclosed a deal with the Agency foremployment, in order to implement thethree fields of a ction.48 support their public labouradministrations to promote themobility of their citizens in theentire Baltic Sea Region; The Ministry for social issues, integrationand equality Mecklenburg -Vorpommerncan on the basis of the EU -programEuropean Social fund for Mecklenburg -Vorpommern and theLandeshaushaltsordnung Mecklenburg -Vorpommern grant allowances for thefinancing of several measures. Thesemeasures should strengthen thewillingness for mobility of employees andenterprises in Mecklenburg -Vorpommern,overcome obstacles to mobility and aim ata better compatability of private life andworking life.Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 26Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode24 Regarding Sustainable Tourism, toPara Resolution Statement of the LandesregierungMecklenburg -Vorpommern(28 March 2017)49 against the background of theunique natural environment of theBaltic Sea and the vulnerability ofmany habitats, to work on cross -border strategies in order tominimize existing conflictsbetween tourism, marine andcoastal protection; Environmental aspects andenvironmental costs of tourism areconsidered in the scope of asustainable organization of theconcept for tourism inMecklenburg -Vorpommern.50 strengthen the rural developmentand agricultural production inaccordance with the environmentin such a way, that the naturallandscape and sound environmentas precondition for a sustainabletourism in rural areas areprotected and restored; The promotion of agriculture andthe rural regions aims at increasingthe attractiveness of the rural areas.A diverse and ecological agricultureand the development of theinfrastructure both contribute tothat aim.Increasingly, regional products areoffered and accepted. The projects“Baltic Sea Food” follows thatapproach and aims at strongermarketing of regional product s.3051 support transnational strategieswhich promote the development oftourism in the Baltic Sea Regionand to include the creation ofsynergies between projects and acommunication strategy for thePolicy Area Tourism; The creation of synergies betweentransnational cooperation projectsis one of the main tasks of thepolicy field tourism in the scope of the EU -strategy for the Baltic SeaRegion31, that is coordinated by theMinistry for economy, labour andhealth Mecklenburg -Vorpommern.Its importance i s stressed in thecoalition contract.32 Part of thecommunication is the mediation ofcontents and the active use ofSocial Media Channels, inter aliathe Facebook page of the Baltic SeaTourism Forum.52 ensure the better inclusion of allBaltic Sea count ries in joint projects An inclusion of Russia into the work ofthe steering committee in the policy30 http://www.interreg -baltic.eu/home.html (version : 15th February 2017).31 Hence is called as policyarea tourism.32 Compare „Coalition agreement 2016 – 2021 about the education of coalition government for the 7.Legislative period of the Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern“, 2016, page 13.Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 27Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/49525 and strategies as well as of theprivate sector to improve directeconomic impact; field tourism is seen as useful and isfurther aimed at.A direct inclusi on of enterprises aspartners in transnational cooperationprojects is not possible in theINTERREG -programs. A speech ishold through the Baltic Sea TourismForum.53 work towards increased coherencewith regard to approaches toSustainable Tourism in the region; Joint approaches could achieveincreasing coherence. In addition, seestatement on number 10.54 in order to help mobilize the fullpotential of Sustainable Tourismto establish the Baltic Sea Regionas a common and coherenttourism destinatio n That is a primary goal of the policyfield tourism, which was determinedin the Action plan for the EU -strategy for the Baltic Sea Regiontogether with the steeringcommittee and the EuropeanCommission.55 jointly work towards a commonunderstanding of SustainableTourism and to strive to establishjoint marketing and joint labels; The development of a commonmarketing or a common brand aredisputed in the steering committeeresponsible for the policy fieldtourism. Especially theScandinavian countries see noneed for such a brand. In aworkshop the topic identity and thepossibilities of the processing ofcommon issues was receivedfavorably. In the scope of the eighthStrategy Forum in June 2017 inBerlin, experts should discusspotential fields of ac tions.56 support the Baltic Sea TourismForum and its newly -establishedproject for a permanent platformfor information and know -howexchange – the Baltic Sea TourismCenter – as coordinator for theimplementation of activities onSustainable Tourism in the region; The Baltic Sea Tourism Centerstarted into its implementation -phase. The project will focus onActive Tourism and determinesustainable structures for the long -term establishment of the center.The policy area tourism activelysupports the pro ject and wants tomake an effort, in order to achieve along-term settlement at theMecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 28Drucksache 7/495 Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode26 international house of tourism inRostock.3357 especially support the application forthe 2nd call by the Baltic SeaTourism Center for financial supportvia the EU -INTERR EG-ProgrammeSouth Baltic 2014 -2020 to achievethe establishment of an operationalservice unit for Sustainable Tourismcooperation and permanent platformfor information and know -howexchange at transnational level, theso-called “Baltic Sea TourismCente r”; See statement on number 5658 support the objectives of the PolicyArea Tourism in the EU Strategy forthe Baltic Sea Region to facilitateand strengthen the Baltic SeaTourism Forum process as well as tofacilitate coordination withstakeholders through joint workshops The organization and implementationof the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum issupported in a professional and afinancial manner.The coordinator is highly involved inthe organization and implementation ofthe Baltic Sea Tourism Forum andprepares the final declaration for themembers of the forum.34At the Tourism. Forum in Pärnu, thefuture possibilities of financing theforum has been discussed. In thiscontext, the coordinator contacted thecommittee of the senior officials of theBaltic Sea Council, in order to achievea cooperation with the aim to connectthe Forums with the Baltic Seapresidency of the member states. Thisrequest was accepted.The organization of stakeholder -workshops is part of the tasks of thatpolicy area as well. In 2016,workshops were hold in Rostock,Copenhagen and Silute.59 facilitate the networking andclustering of tourism stakeholders That claim corresponds to the firstmeasure of the action plan for theEU-strategy for the Baltic SeaRegion.35 The measure is primarilyimplemented through the promotion33 Compare also number 49 in: „coalition agreement 2016 – 2021 about the education of coalitiongovernment for the 7. Legislative period of the Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern“, 2016, page 13.34 SWD (2015) 177 final, page 138 ff.35 SWD (2015) 177 final, page 138 ff.Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Page 29Landtag Mecklenburg -Vorpommern – 7. Wahlperiode Drucksache 7/49527 of the Baltic Sea Tourism Forumand the Baltic Sea Tourism CenterProject. In addition, see statementson the numbers 56 and 58.60 reinvigorate and update existing butuntapped knowledge in the BalticSea Re gion about SustainableTourism, for instance the AgoraStrategy for Sustainable TourismDevelopment in the Baltic SeaRegion; The use of already generatedknowledge is the aim of the policy areatourism. The transnational projectAGORA was again presented at thelast Forum of the Baltic Sea Strategyin the scope of a workshop.Approaches for the update should bedeepened at the nest annual Forumand the next Baltic Sea TourismForum, also against the background ofthe International Year of SustainableTouri sm for Development of the Worldtourism organization of the UnitedNations.61 work towards creating longer -termimpacts and benefits, thus increasingpublic acceptance;This is an aim of the coordination taskof the policy area tourism. Especially,beca use the implementation of theEU-Strategy for the Baltic sea Regionshould happen through project plansthat have a limited duration. Becauseof this, a strategic cooperation for thedevelopment of common approachesor the promotion of important projectsis indispensable.The advance of the coordinator toestablish a close cooperation with theBaltic Sea Council is part of thatobjectives.NorwayNorway Page 2Norwegian comments to the resolution of the 25 Baltic Sea ParliamentaryConference (BSPC) in Riga 28 - 30 August 2016With reference to the recommendations from the resolution of the 25th Baltic SeaConference in Riga 28 -30 August 2016 , the following information of relevant Norwegianmeasures and actions implemented or planned is submitted :Recommendations with regard to the Environmental status of the Baltic SeaThe Norwegian Government has recently presented a White Paper to the Parliament onOcean policy , signalling a strengthened Norwegian engagement in promoting sustainableoceans.Norway fully supports efforts to protect the marine environment by sharing experiences andcompetences as well as cooperate on measures for clean and healthy oceans, s ustainableuse of resources and growth in the blue economy. Environmental hazards and litter likeplastic and micro -plast ic, acidification and illegal fishing are serious threats to our oceansand to our future blue economic activities.In February 2017, the Norwegian government launched its Ocean Strategy. Thegovernment's main objective is to support maximum value creation in our ocean industries,while at the same time ensure sustainable use of our ocean -based resources.Norway is a driving force in de veloping a good international framework for climate andenvironmentally friendly shipping, continuing cooperation on the use of emission friendlyfuels and development of green ports (LNG Infrastructure and land -based electricity) , also inthe Baltic Sea r egion , in order to meet future NOx requirements of the emission controlarea.In April 2017 , the Norwegian Government published a new Arctic strategy. A centralobjective in the strategy is to promote environmentally, economically and sociallysustainable growth in the Norwegian parts of the Arctic. The strategy aims at introducing amore holistic approach to the Norwegian Arctic policy – solving challenges by seeing effortsin areas like education, research, business development in better conne ction with eachother.Regarding the question on creation of a join t web -portal for the B altic Sea Region for sharinggood examples , the Baltic 2030 E xpert Group on Sustainable Development is currentlyelaborating the concept for an open web -portal for co llaborative learning, information,knowledge and best practice exchange on sustainable development. The activity is a part ofthe CBSS Baltic 2030 project “ Towards Baltic 2030 – From Talk to Work ”. The demo versionof the open web -portal is expected to be ready by July 2017.Recommendation with regard to tourismIn March 2017 , the Norwegian Government presented a White Paper on Tourism to theParliament . Sustai nability is a commitment underlying the development of Norwegiantourism in a long -term perspe ctive. This industry is already investing in sustainable solutions.Undoubtedly , the market will increasingly demand green, sustainable , responsible andNorway Page 3ethical tourisms . We fully agree that these factors should also be the guiding policy for ourcross-border approaches in the Baltic Sea Region.Environmental certification and labelling will provide opportunities for communicatingstandards and document quality.As maritime transport is an important mode of tra nsportation in the tourism sector bothalong the Norwegian coast and in the Baltic Sea , development of clean shipping and greenports is important for promoting sustainable tourism (se also response to the previousrecommendation ).IMO, the UN maritime organization , has increasingly engaged itself in development ofstricter international environmental regulations f or shipping in recent years. Norway hasclearly been advocating stricter environmental requirements in this process .Recommendation with regard to cooper ation in research and innovationIn 2014 , the Norwegian Government submitted a Long -term plan for research and highereducation (2015 -2024 ) in a white paper to the Parliament. The Government has set threeoverarching objectives for the long -term plan for research and higher education. The threeobjectives are enhanced competitiveness and innovation, tackling major social challengesand developing research communities of outstanding quality. The Gov ernment will thereforeprioritiz e resources for research an d higher education that contribute to the objective ofcompetitiveness and innovation within all of the priorities in the long -term plan. A revisedlong -term plan will be launched in 2018.By invitation from the Baltic Science Network (BSN) , the Norwegian Ministry of Educationand Research confirmed that Norway would like to participate in the Baltic Science Network. A letter of intent was sent to BSN in January 2017 stating that Norway would support theideas and actions of the network. Taking into accou nt that Norway is not a formal partner tothe Interreg -project , Norway part icipates as an associate .The Research Council of Norway and Innovation Norway cooperate in research andinnovation projects with participation from the Baltic Sea States within t he framework ofHorizon 2020. Furthermore , Norway participates in Nordic- Baltic research and innovationcollaboration through Nordforsk and Nordic Innovation .Recommendation with regard to cooperation in education and science, linking educationand labour market.This spring the Norwegian Government submitted a White Paper to the Parliament onquality in higher education. There, employability and labour market needs are seen in a long -term context. Reference is made to the report The Future of Jobs ( World Economic Forum2016), according to which the majority of occupations in 2020 will require expertise that isnot considered crucial in today's world. The message in the white paper is that theemployability relevance of education cannot simply be asse ssed on the basis of itsconnection with the working life that students will immediately enter into. Equal importanceshould be assigned to the long -term perspective of equipping students for a futureNorway Page 4characterized by lifelong le arning, change and readjust ment - a future in which they will alsoplay a hand in shaping. Good study programmes are developed in partnership with workinglife, and internationalisation should have a natural place within them.Building on the many years of Eurofaculty experience, N orway is engaged in the ongoingCBSS considerations of options for continued cooperation in higher education. Foreignstudents have access to a number of master studies in English in Norway. There are also opportunities for countries in the Baltic Sea Regi on to cooperate in Nordplus and Erasmus+.Recommendation with regard to cooperation among social partnersIn Norway , we have a long tradition of social dialogue and cooperation with social partners.We also welcome r egional social dialogue taking place in fora like the “Baltic Sea LabourNetwork” and the “Baltic Sea Labour Forum ”. The next meeting of the BSLF with Ministers ofLabour and Social Affairs in Berlin in June will address key topics in the field of labour andemployment .Recommen dations with regard to measures to decrease unemploymentTo stimulate to participation in the labour market, emphasis is put on activity measures inour welfare schemes. Those furthest from the labour market will often be in need of tailoredservices and c loser follow -up to enter or return to the labour market. The Norwegian Labourand Welfare Administration (NAV) is designed to provide integrated services to those whoare in need of assistance.The Government is fully committed to prevent young people from falling outside the labourforce. The main challenges are the share of young people dropping out of secondaryeducation, and the increase of young people on disability benefits, often diagnosed withmental problems. The current youth guarantees have n ot had the effects as they wereintended to have. Therefore, it has been decided to replace current guarantees with a moretargeted and concrete initiative.A youth activity plan promised earlier, will be replace d by a new action -oriented system,more qu ickly engaging youth in activities that should lead them into work or education. Thispriority initiative is offered to young people under 30 who do not have a job offer, and donot attend school or other activities eight weeks after being registered at th e PES (PublicEmployment services). The aim is to quickly ensure these young people appropriate follow -up and personalized services - promoting education, work, or other activities, includinglabour market training and vocational training.In order to s trengthen the opportunities for entering a job and become self-supported, anationwide additional requirement has been implemented from 2017 that municipalitiesshould set conditions of activity for recipients of social assistance younger than 30 years old .Recommendations with regard to cross -border mobilityFor more than 50 years Norway has had a good experience with a common well -functioningNordic labour market. Following the conclusion of the EEA Agreement in 1994 , a commonNorway Page 5labour marked with the EU has been established based on EU internal market rules on freemovement of persons . Since 2004 , Norway has in particular experienced a period with netimmigration from the Baltic countries and Poland.Information on working opportuniti es and conditions in Norway is provided for by the TheNorwegian Labour and Welfare Administration , NAV .The Nordic Governments have set up a Freedom of Movement Council to promote freedomof movement in the Nordic region for people and companies.Regarding the border with Russia , Norway and Russia have since 2012 applied anarrangement that allows citizens within 30 km of the border on both sides visa -free access topromote trade and cross -border contacts. The arrangement was extended to comprise thewhole area of Neiden in 2017 .Recommendations with regard to fair wages and the integration of refugeesThe Norwegian welfare model is dependent on high participation in the labour market. TheGovernment will pursue an integration policy, which encou rages newly arrived refugees toenter employment and education, and become tax payers and contributing citizens.Refugees are met with requirements to contribute and participate. Considerable effort isexpected from every person coming to live in Norway. At the same time, they must beprovided with incentives and opportunities to participate, both in employment and i nsociety as a whole. Efforts are required of all instances: the authorities, the local communities, NGOs, the labour market and business sector.The government emphasizes that time spent in a reception center shall be spentproductively. Settlement in mu nicipalities shall occur as soon as possible after residencepermit has been granted. Previously acquired skills and qualifications shall be put to use.Newly arrived refugees ha ve an obligation and a right to participate in an introductoryprogram. The p rogram, arranged by the municipalities, offers necessary training for work oreducation, and language training.The government will, in cooperation with the social partners, establish a fast -track into thelabour market for those who have qualifications that are needed in the labour market ("easyto place"). The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) will offer labour marketmeasures such as work practice, wage subsidies a and close follow -up. These measures willbe combined with Norwegian lang uage training in cooperation with the municipalities.PolandPoland Page 21Informa tion on activities carried out by Polish institutions in order to implement specificareas of Baltic Cooperation, which were indicated in the Resolution of the 25th Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference (Riga, 30.08.2016)Point 2. Take further steps to re -establish mutual trust and dialogue in the Baltic Sea inparticular within the Council of the Baltic Sea States in order to en sure the most efficientuse of the org anization’s potential as a forum for multilateral intergovernmentalcooperation as well as political and policy dialogue in the Baltic Sea regionMinistry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation underline the importance of cooperationin the field of maritime policy between countries sharing a common sea and highlights theadded value of exchanging ideas and sharing experiences. We emphasize the role of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) as a forum for multilateral intergovernmental cooperatio n in theBaltic Sea Region. Chairing the CBSS Expert Group on Maritime Policy dur ing Polishpresidency we organiz ed three meetings mainly dedicated to review of national documentsregarding maritime policy. The Group was also involved in the Baltic Sea Ma ritime Dialogue –a platform of regional cooperation. We have prepared the support letter for project “Small - andmedium -sized Baltic Sea ports development challenges”, which applied for financial supportfrom CBSS Project Support Facility. What's more the Group has acquired the observer status inthe Zero Vision Tool Reference Group - a platform of cooperation for safer and greenermaritime transport. In addition, the Group has worked on the document defining their scope oftasks (Terms of Reference), whic h was adopted by the Committee of Senior Officials on 7 June.On May 2016, during the European Maritime Day in Turku (Finland) the Group in cooperationwith HELCOM have organized workshop “Partnerships for Green Shipping”.Point 7 . Further strengthen a nd develop HELCOM as the main coordinating body in theeffort to protect the Baltic marine environment, and to strongly support and encourage a fastimplementation of a Marine Litter Action Plan, as well as the implementation of the NOxemission control ar ea Roadmap for the Baltic Sea, and to stress the importance of the BalticSea Action Plan (BSAP) as one of the environmental pillars of the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea RegionHELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) is an ambitious program to restore the g oodecological status of the Baltic marine environment by 2021. The Plan incorporates the latest scientific knowledge and innovative management approaches into strategic policy implementation, and stimulates goal -oriented multilateral cooperation around th e Baltic Searegion. Poland is actively involved in the development of joint activities with HELCOMand participates in implementation of the Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter and the NOx emission control area Roadmap. These goals are included in the Strategy for ResponsibleDevelopment of the Polish Government. Poland also participates in HELCOM HOLAS IIproject, which give an update on the overall state of ecosystem health in the Baltic Sea. The assessment is following up on the goals of the Baltic Sea Action Plan and supports reportingunder the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) by those Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention that are also EU member states.On 8 -22 April 2016 and 24 -28 October 2016, Poland actively participated in the meetingof Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and supported the Committee decisionto settle January 1st 2020 as the implementation date for a significant reduction in the sulphurcontent of the fuel oil used by ships. The decision to implement a global sulphur cap of 0.50%m/m (mass/mass) in 2020 represents a significant cut from the 3.5% m/m global limit currentlyin place and demonstrates a clear commitme nt by IMO to ensuring shipping meets itsPoland Page 32environmental obligations. Also MEPC adopted revised Guidelines for approval of ballast watermanagement systems (G8), which update the Guidelines issued in 2008.Polish Border Guard while operating in the area of B altic Sea, i.e. patrolling Polish maritime zone,documents and reports cases of environmental pollution (for example with petroleum derivatives ).Such information is shared with maritime administration and Maritime Search and Rescue Service.Furthermore, p atrol cruises are organized with environmental officers to collect samples of waterand analyze type of pollution. Both vessels and aircrafts are taking part in drills aimed alsoat environmental protection. Two Border Guard vessels (type SKS -40) are labe lled with symbolicHELCOM flag and enlisted as HELCOM vessels.Poland is strongly involved in the most appropriate international body to co -ordinate this co -operation in the field of protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea. Both Baltic SeaAction Plan (BSAP) as well as Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP ML) are regarded asimportant tools supporting the achievement of provisions of Marine Strategy Framework Directive(MSFD). Poland feels the responsibility for RAP ML implementation as the Lead Country fora number of the actions. BSAP was an important reference when elaborating draft Program ofMeasure s as required by MSFD. Program of Measures enforces the commitments included in theBSAP to the best possible extend. For all the new measures proposed for implementation financingpossibilities are identified.Point 8 .Discuss mutual definitions regarding sustainable development throughout the Baltic Searegion and to support innovations within green and blue technologies as well as to create jointweb portal for the Baltic Sea region for sharing good examples regarding research, educationand environmental best practices.Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland as co -leader for PA -INNOVATION supports the efforts in widening Polish participation in the initiatives within the blue and green growth areas. Under the Submariner Network - EUSBSRs flagship project severalnew initiatives are being implement ed:- Balti c Blue Biotech Alliance - meets the problem of the absence of an integrated value chainfor Blue Biotechnology in the BSR .Aims & activities:▪ Develop marine bio -based products through transnational collaborationo Pro-active search and marketing for blue biotech actors,o Transnational value chains –Blue biotech “success stories”o Blue biotech “info and service point” on resources, material, knowledge, test beds,laboratories, etc.▪ Partners: blue biotechnology research institutions, business parks, SUBMARI NER Network& private companies▪ Lead Partner: GEOMAR (DE)▪ Funding: Interreg Baltic Sea Region- Smart Blue Regions (funded by Interreg Vb BSR) - seeks to enhance blue growthopportunities based on increased capacity of BSR regions to implement RIS3.Poland Page 43Aims & activities:• Increase capacity of regions around the Baltic Sea t o implement blue smart specializ ationstrategies (RIS3).o Implementation schemes for Research & Innovation Strategy,o Make blue growth visible via quantitative indicators,o Optimize po licy mix for blue growth,o Explore cross -sectoral potentialo Identify smart transnational cooperation opportunities• Funding: Interreg Baltic Sea Region- Baltic Blue Growth• Aims & activities: Initiate large -scale, business -based mussel farming in the Baltic Seao Evaluate production potential and environmental impacts of mussel farms,o Optimise and upscale mussel production techniques,o Create production & logistical line for animal -feed with mussels as ingredients,o Investigate opportunities for ecosystem service paymento Develop policy guidelines to facilitate smoother implementation of mussel farms.• Focus on pilot farms in Sweden, Denmark, Åland and Germany• Lead Partner: Region Östergötland• Funding: Interreg Baltic Sea RegionPoint 11 .Against the background of the general competitive situation in the tourism economy as well asthe current tense situation in Europe to encourage transnational strategies and long -termcommitments for fostering cross -border approaches primarily in the field of sustaina bletourism in the Baltic Sea Region.No direct response regarding that point.Point 13 .Foster close cooperation and, as far as necessary, following EU respectively UN declarationsin tackling illegal and irregular migrationMaritime Regional Unit of the Border Guard is responsible for the cooperation with their counter -parts within Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation. One of the priorities in the cooperationis prevention of irregular migration, including c urrent information sharing, joint a nalyses , exchangeof experts and joint border operation s in the region . Border Guard Officers are also involved inmaritime operations by Frontex.Poland Page 54Regarding Competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking Education andLabour Market and Employment Opportun ities and Youth Unemployment(points 16 -20; 22 -27, 30, 33 -41, 45 – 47)Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development 2014 -2020 and RegionalOperational Programmes ActionsSupport for young people vocational educationChanges in economic circumstances and consequently labo ur market requires tailor made, suitableskills and competences from young people entering to this market to fulfil demand of employersand simultaneously their readiness to change and flexibility.As factors of young people high unemployment rate most often are indicated qualificationsmaladjustment to the labo ur market needs and lack of professional experience. Therefore it isnecessary to equip persons at the age of 25 -34 with professional skills. A place for formation ofthese competences and attitudes is first of all a school. Well -functioning system of vocationaleducation is able to provide experts of employers’ contemporary requirements.In the new financial perspective European funds for vocational educat ion will come from twosources. Almost EUR 67 mln from National Operational Programme Knowledge, Education andDevelopment (POWER) will support vocational training system changes. Subsequently RegionalOperational Programmes (RPO) will help particular scho ols to develop cooperation with theirenvironment, especially with employers and academies. EUR 930 mln is envisaged for actionsplanned in the frame of Regional Programmes.Money from the POWER will inspire employers to join the educational process. They will createmechanisms for business and school system cooperation and share best practices. For this purpose,teams of social partners (professional associations, employers’ organizations and trade unions) for25 groups of professions will be created. Tog ether with educational institutions they will elaboratepaths of development for particular industry and will make review of educational offer to matchit to employers’ expectations.In the frame of POWER e -resources and e -manuals for vocational education will be elaborated.New solutions for involvement of employers in practical vocational training, including creationof model programmes of vocational education and model of incentives for employers engagedin vocational education process will be created .Sources from European Social Funds are directed first of all at support direct cooperation of schools with their environment. They will help schools with initiating of cooperation with theirenvironment, especially with employers and academies, including preparations educationalprogrammes, conducting vocational courses, organization of apprenticeships and stages, creationof patronage classes in schools or introduction of new directions of education. From Europeanfunds will profit also pupils, who coul d acquire new professional qualifications and learna profession with their future employers. Actions envisaged in the frame of Regional OperationalProgrammes will be directed also on teachers’ training, including vocational teachersand professional in structors. Intervention should provide possibility of updating their knowledgeby direct contact with a real work environment. Vocational schools will be equipped with modernequipment which will allow teaching in circumstances similar to natural work env ironment.Improvement of higher education functioningCrucial issue associated with adjusting qualifications of young people entering the labo ur market isa support for cooperation academies with business and enhancement pro -recruitment role of highereducation. This kind of support is implemented in the frame of III priority axe of the POWER.Poland Page 65Undertaken activities are concentrated on increasing of employers’ involvement in the processof vocational education (particularly in case of practical profiled p rogrammes) and implementinghigh quality programmes of stages. Significant emphasis is put on development of competencesin the key for economy areas (for example through certified trainings and workshops, study visitswith employers, creation of project teams or additional practical activities).These actions are aimed at better preparation of students to the entry into the labo ur market that willreally increase rate of graduates who could find directly employment according to their profileof education . Moreover implemented projects will allow to modify educational programmesaccording to the needs of economy, labo ur market and society.In addition European Social Funds will support changes in higher education suggested by 2.0 Actprepared by the Minist ry of Science and Higher Education, particularly by support academies inimplementing didactic actions, increasing intensity of higher education internationalization as wellas enhancing pro -recruitment role of them.Employers’ cooperation with educational and labor market institutions (better prevision ofdemand for skills)Creation of vocational and higher education programmes should take place with active participationof employers in order to well prepare of graduates to the entrance on labo ur market by formaleducation. So far conducted researches show that cooperation between schools and entrepreneurs ischaotic, and employers are not conscience of advantages in that kind of actions. It is thereforenecessary to implement solutions, which increase matc hing an offer.In the frame of the Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development 2014 -2020 actionsaimed at establishment and operation of sectoral councils for the competences will be supported.The Sectoral Council will be composed, among others, of representatives of business organisationsor key companies from particular sectors and workers organisations, vocational and technicalschools, secondary schools, high schools and educational institutions, which provide employeeswith required qualific ations, as well as regional authorities and regional labo ur offices, dependingon particular sector specific.Tasks of the Sectoral Councils:- recommending legal solutions in the education area and its adjustment to the labo ur market needsin particular s ector,- conducting activities disseminating among entrepreneurs from particular sector idea ofparticipation in the identification and forecasting needs for professional qualification,- transfer of information on demand for competences to the labo ur mark et institutions, includingemployment agencies and district labo ur offices, that should positive affect effectiveness of jobmediation and professional counselling activities.Improvement of the qualification transparency and comparabilitySince 2008 Pola nd conducts works aimed at modernizing national system of qualification. Newsystem should connect in orderly, internally coherent whole the process of lifelong learning andacquiring competence by the Polish people. Implementation of new system means grea ter emphasison effects of learning, and not on education process itself. The Act on Integrated QualificationSystem, which launched the system, has entered into force on 15 January 2016.Reduction of young people unemployment, support for employment and professional mobilitySupport for young people up to 29 years of age and without employment is implemented according the rules saved in the Plan of implementation Guarantees for youth in Poland. It means that duringfour months from registration in distric t labo ur office or joining the project, the high quality joboffer or further education or vocational training, stage or another form of assistance leading to thePoland Page 76professional activation is guaranteed. According that Plan young people will receive high qua lityoffer for support, including such instruments and services of labo ur market, which are individuallyidentified as necessary for improving situation on labo ur market or for getting employment by theperson covered by the support. Activities envisaged b y POWER follow the Recommendationsof the Council on Polish National Reform Programme for 2014, referring to the need for reductionof unemployment level among young people.People from the NEET group (i.e. Not in Education Employment or Training) are pec uliar groupof young people up to 29 covered by the support of POWER. Assistance for them is based on services and labo ur market instruments and is implemented as well as resources of Initiative forYoung People Employment and ESF. It is aimed at comprehe nsive assistance to young peopledepending on their life situation and situation on the labo ur market. Inherent element of each projectis recognition of young man needs and individualization of offered support and also helpin choosing of professional pa th. For this purpose always is made diagnosis of participants andoffered vocational counselling and job mediation. Depending on the needs it is possible improving or supplementing of their competences and qualifications. For that it is necessary proper tr ainingand certifying competences, for example by examining. Support by the POWER enable also gainingprofessional experience by young people, who – for their young age reason – frequently faceproblems of insufficient experience. Suitable instruments in t hat case are stages and apprenticeshipsoffered to the participants of the project, fulfilling standards indicated in the Quality Framework forTraineeships standard, or subsidising of employment. It is also possible use of the labo ur marketinstruments an d services aimed at supporting cross -sectoral and geographical mobility, amongothers vouchers for settlement and cover of commuting to work. It is also implemented business andself-employment support in a form of grant for establishment of an enterprise, counselling andtraining for gaining competences necessary for undertake and lead economic activity, as well asbridge support. The POWER supports also young disable people by eliminating barriers that theyface in scope of gaining and maintaining employm ent, for example by assistant support for disableperson and workplace retrofitting for his/her needs.The support is directed also for these persons in difficult situation on labo ur market, who are longterm unemployed. It is planned that complex and pers onalized activation support will receive 248thousands people up to 29 by 2023. In the regions where are identified problems of activation long term unemployed persons are introduced project selection criteria obligatory to keep guaranteed rateof young lo ng term unemployed people among project participants.Social integration of young peopleIt is planed implementation of the Programme “Youth in solidarity in action”. This Programme isaimed at support young people in age 15 -29, whose competences requires to be developed fromperspective of requirements and needs of labo ur market. People who learn will be prioritised,especially in the last years of education on given level, particularly including young people inespecially difficult situation, for example wards of youth socio -therapy centres, pupils ofcorrectional homes, shelters for minors, etc.Actions for complex development of social competences, taking into account individualpredispositions of participants of the project will be supported. Activities carried out by youngpeople will meet the needs of the local soci ety and will lead to solving local community socialproblems. Young people will develop their competences through activity for local communities innongovernmental organisations, as well as in entities representing youth, youth centres or through volunteer ing.Poland Page 87Point 16. recognize the need to link education and the labo ur market more closelyPoland must invest and is investing considerable efforts for finding a strong link between education(its quality) and labour market, since it is required by the Eu ropean Council’s recommendations(included in Country Specific Recommendations) for Poland. The Council considers that although the situation in the Polish educational system has improved significantly, when it comes toqualifications, there is still insuf ficient compliance between labour market requirements and whatthe graduates seeking employment actually present – especially when the situation on the labourmarket is changing so rapidly. The Council also underlines that a low level of higher educationinternationalisation, measured for instance by the number of students participating in aninternational scientific cooperation. This decreases the opportunities of Polish graduates forinternational scientific mobility.According to the Council, Poland mus t address the issues concerning the achievement of such aquality in education and training that will enable adjusting the graduates skills to meet therequirements determined by employers who expect their future employees to solve problemsindependently, think critically and participate in teamwork. Poland must also focus on increasingthe employees rates participating in the process of lifelong learning in order to maintain the mobility on the labour market.According to the Act on employmen t promotion an d labo r market institutions (Article 8 (1) point 16and 16a ) the tasks of regional (voivod ship) government should include cooperation with competenteducational authorities, schools, colleges and universities in harmonizing vocational education andtrainin g in orde r to ensure that they meet labo r market needs, as well as cooperation withuniversities in terms of support provided to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students andgraduates entering the labor market. Also, regional and loc al labo r market co uncils, bringingtogether social partners and operating under the Act on the promotion of employment, are obligedto submit proposals and issue opinions on matters relating to education and training (Article 22 (5)point 5 of the Act).Pursuant to legal re gulations governing the educational sector, the principal of a school providingvocational training decides on the scope of educational services provided, i.e. the list of professions or trades for which the school prepares its students, upon consultation with local and regional labourmarket councils regarding the compatibility of the school curriculum with the needs of the labour market.The Ministry of National Education places special emphasis on increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of vocationa l education. The previous model of vocational education within the Polishsystem of education has failed to fulfill its function, resulting in the opinions that vocationaleducation does not match the needs of the labour market.Since 2016, the activities have been undertaken for the purpose of streamlining the vocationaleducation system. One of the key elements of those activities is including the employers in theprocess of vocational education and inviting them to cooperate with vocational schools. Thesystemic adaptation of vocational education to the needs of the labour market is possible due to theeducational debate, organized by the Ministry of National Education from March to June 2016, oneof the subjects of which was vocational education. The con clusions and recommendations from thedebate, associated with various aspects of functioning of occupational schools, were used fordrawing up two acts – Education Law (Journal of Laws of 2017, item 59) and the Education LawImplementing Provisions (Journa l of Laws of 2017, item 60). The most important changes resultingfrom the above acts will take effect on 1 September 2017, and are related, among others, to theschool system and the associated modifications of organization and functioning of schools andeducational units.Poland Page 98The Ministry of National Education places special emphasis on increasing the effectiveness andefficiency of vocational education. We intend to adjust vocational education to the labour marketand to provide the curricula and the level of vocational education that will fulfill the needs of theemployers, while also improving the cooperation with them. That is why the activities of the Ministry of National Education are oriented towards higher involvement of the employers in theprocesse s of vocational education and examination. That activity should be conducive to theimprovement in the perception of vocational education and to the promotion of a dual education system meeting the needs of the economy.Point 17. improve transparency and comparability of qualifications, and thereby to furtherdevelop the mutual recognition of formal qualificationsThe National Action Plan for Employment /2015 -2017/ (NAPE) provides for a complex set of tasksaimed at adjusting education better to the needs of the labour market, in the framework of Targetaction 5.: Supporting vocational education systems, continuous education and life -long learning. Anexample can be Task 5.7 Activities facilitating increasing of opportunities of persons studying atuniversities in the labour market or task 5.10 Review and updating the core curricula of teachingoccupations in cooperation with employers. The task 5.4 carried out under this action and coveringthe implementation of an integrated system of qualifications is also supposed to help recognisequalifications better and potentially expand their base.Ministry of Digital Affairs (MDA) contributed to supporting the New Skills Agenda for Europeby taking activities towards deployment and fostering of digital skills in Poland, in particular:- actions supporting people form groups threaten by digital exclusion as well as- actions supporting more advanced IT users that are interested in deepening their digital skillsThese activities were stimulated and supported by the Digital Champion and the National Coalitionfor Digital Skills. An important instrument of their implementation was the 3rd axis of theOperational Programme “Digital Poland”.Point 18. provide vocational training an d skills development opportunities to young peoplewhich are geared to the needs of industry and which, by way of generally recognized formalqualifications, form one of the most important prerequisites for workplace successIn Poland takes place an ongoing development process of dual system of education, regulated by theeducation law (and partially by the Labo r Code, when it comes to the employment of the younglearners). Young workers in the dual system sign a contract for apprenticeship. Learning is based onthe core curriculum of the profession, theoretical training is provided in schools or training centers,the practical part is carried out by the employer. The conditions of work are determined by theprovisions of Section IX of the Labor Code ( special protection of the health of the young personapplies).Under the Act on employment promotion, the training of young workers benefits from financialsupport, which takes the form of resources from the Labo r Fund, which is administered by theminist er competent for labo r issues. The salaries and social security contributions paid byemployers to young workers are reimbursed; in subsequent years of study, the reimbursed amountsrepresent 4%, 5% and 6% of the average monthly salary. Theses salaries can be reimbursed to theemployer based on the provisions of the Act of on employment promotion . Voluntary Labo r Corpsare in charge of the distribution of funds. Each year, approx. 140,000 -150,000 young people arebeneficiaries of this scheme and nearly 40,0 00 employers receive refunds for the salaries they pay.Poland Page 109The Labo r Fund also provides employers with grants for the education of a young person who hascompleted his/her vocational training.The list of trades and professions covered by the scheme of salar y refunds for vocational training isdrawn up by the re levant voivod ship government upon cons ultation with the regional labo r marketcouncil. The list i s drawn up by the regional labo r office on the basis of the classification ofprofessions adopted by the Ministry of Family, Labo r and Social Policy, including trades taught inthe system of voca tional education. Regional labo r office verify these lists annually on 30 April,after having analyzed the current demand for qualif ications and skills in the labo r market.Active Labo r Market Programs available to young unemp loyed (registered in local labo r offices)include:(1) Work Practice - the aim of Work Practice is to help the unemployed in difficult situation onthe labo r market to get a work experience.2) Training Courses - the aim of Training Courses is to upgrade or update vocational and/orgeneral skills of the unemployed and job seekers for increasing their employability.3) Apprenticeship for Adults - the aim of Apprenticeship for Adults is to improveemployability of unemployed and some categories of job seekers by acquisition and formalconfirmation of skills and qualifications (it is a dual learning form similar to dual system ofeducation of young workers).4) Financing of the Postgraduate Studies , Scholarships for Continuing School Education,Financing of Examinations and Training Loans are also available to young people.Furthermore, job placement and vocational counselling are available to all registered youngunemployed.Poland has modernized recently the vocational education in the view of market and industryneeds. In the area of maritime education since this year has been a possibility to establish andprovide the maritime schools, inland navigation schools and fisheries schools by ministercompetent for each sector. That improvement enable to quick reaction of vocational educationon market changes. In 2017 Minister is planning to establish one Inland Navigation School, andin the next year one more.Support for young people vocational educationChanges in economic circumstances and consequently labo ur market requires tailor made, suitableskills and competences from young people entering to this market to fulfil demand of employersand simultaneously their readiness to change and flexib ility.As factors of young people high unemployment rate most often are indicated qualifications maladjustment to the labo ur market needs and lack of professional experience. Therefore it isnecessary to equip persons at the age of 25 -34 with professional skills. A place for formation ofthese competences and attitudes is f irst of all a school. Well -functioning system of vocationaleducation is able to provide experts of employers’ contemporary requirements.In the new financial perspective European funds f or vocational education will come from twosources. Almost EUR 67 mln from National Operational Programme Knowledge, Education andDevelopment (POWER) will support vocational training system changes. Subsequently RegionalOperational Programmes (RPO) will help particular schools to develop cooperation with theirenvironment, especially with employers and academies. EUR 930 mln is envisaged for actionsplanned in the frame of Regional Programmes.Money from the POWER will inspire employers to join the educa tional process. They will createmechanisms for business and school system cooperation and share best practices. For this purpose,teams of social partners (professional associations, employers’ organizations and trade unions) for25 groups of professions will be created. Together with educational institutions they will elaboratePoland Page 1110paths of development for particular industry and will make review of educational offer to match itto employers’ expectations.In the frame of POWER e -resources and e -manuals for v ocational education will be elaborated.New solutions for involvement of employers in practical vocational training, including creation ofmodel programmes of vocational education and model of incentives for employers engaged invocational education proces s will be created.Sources from European Social Funds are directed first of all at support direct cooperation of schoolswith their environment. They will help schools with initiating of cooperation with theirenvironment, especially with employers and aca demies, including preparations educationalprogrammes, conducting vocational courses, organization of apprenticeships and stages, creation ofpatronage classes in schools or introduction of new directions of education. From European fundswill profit also pupils, who could acquire new professional qualifications and learn a professionwith their future employers. Actions envisaged in the frame of Regional Operational Programmeswill be directed also on teachers’ training, including vocational teachers and p rofessionalinstructors. Intervention should provide possibility of updating their knowledge by direct contactwith a real work environment. Vocational schools will be equipped with modern equipment whichwill allow teaching in circumstances similar to nat ural work environment.Taking into account the need to provide young people – graduates of vocational schools – withaccess to various paths allowing them to improve their professional qualifications and the level of education, two -level branch vocationa l schools are introduced in the Polish system of vocationaleducation. From September 2017, three -year branch vocational schools of the 1st level will beintroduced (to replace the withdrawn basic vocational schools), and from September 2020 – three -year b ranch vocational schools of the 2nd level (for graduates of the branch vocational schools ofthe 1st level). The branch vocational schools of the 1st level will allow to receive a diplomaconfirming professional qualifications and basic branch vocational e ducation. A graduate of such aschool will be ready both to start work and to continue education in a branch vocational school ofthe 2nd level (or in a class two comprehensive secondary school for adults). A branch vocationalschool of the 2nd level will allow to get a diploma confirming the professional qualifications in theprofession taught, at the level of technician (pl. “technik”), and to receive branch vocationalsecondary education and a graduation certificate after passing the secondary school gra duationexam.The activities, started in 2016, aimed at developing vocational education, are also associated withcurriculum changes. The cooperation between the department was improved, among others by establishing the so -called “branch vocational line” a llowing to better coordinate the worksassociated with determining the vocational education offered (classification of the professions resulting from vocational education), and within the opinion and advisory team for vocationaleducation established by th e Ministry of National Education. Taking into account the fact thatvocational education should be closely connected with the needs of the employers, the projectentitled Partnership for occupational education developed by the Education Development Center(ORE) included teams of community partners representative for the professions of vocationaleducation. Those teams identified the needs related to qualifications and professions in the labourmarket in the respective sectors/professions of vocational educa tion. Additionally, there werereviewed the professions and core curricula of vocational education. The skills which should beincluded in the curriculum for the given profession were indicated, so that a graduate of such a school be properly prepared for work. The effects of those works were reflected in the regulationsof the Minister of National Education: of 13 March 2017 regarding the classification of theprofessions of occupational education and of 31 March 2017 regarding the curriculum forvocationa l education.Poland Page 1211Point 19. strengthen the contacts between schools, universities and business in order tomake sure that university education and vocational education and training are closely andconcretely oriented towards labour market and to identify as well as to prevent labourmarket mismatches.Maritime education shall meet the international training standards. In that view the maritimeeducation and training unit (MET), including maritime schools and maritime universities are approved by competent minister for the maritime economy. MET are focus on seafarers andonshore specialized personnel training . Maritime market institutes the needs of potentialspecialists, which are implemented directly to the educational programs by minister to avoida qualification gaps. That clos e cooperation enable to monitoring actual labor marketexpectation for the young graduates.Including the employers in the process of education constitutes a key element which directlytranslates to the quality of vocational education, and that is why it is so important to encouragethe employers to cooperate with vocational schools at each stage of the process of education(participation of the employers in developing the offered education, the curricula, in conductingthe exams verifying the professiona l qualifications). Therefore, employers will guarantee a highlevel of such education. The Ministry of National Education is planning to develop a dualmodel of vocational education. In order to do that, we want to promote the knowledge of thepossibilitie s of including employers in vocational education and of the benefits from suchinvolvement, among businesses. There are many such possibilities. There are also actualincentives for employers, e.g. in the form of co -financing education or reimbursing some of thecosts of practical vocational education. Another such incentive may be the support for thecooperation of the employers with vocational schools from European resources, within theregional operational programmes for the years 2014 -2020. Therefore, w e are planning topromote such cooperation both among employers and schools. It is also necessary to adapt thestructure of vocational education to the actual needs of employers, which we are currentlydoing.The changes in vocational education planned by the Ministry of National Education are aimed,among others, at allowing the graduates of the new types of schools, i.e. branch vocationalschools of the 1st level (instead of the previous basic vocational schools), to continue learningin branch vocationa l schools of the 2nd level. This will enable not only the improvement of theprofessional qualifications by obtaining a diploma confirming professional qualifications at thelevel of technik , but also to take the secondary school graduation exam. As a resu lt, a studentwill be able to continue learning at the level of higher education.Moreover, the regional operational programmes for the years 2014 -2020 will allow thefinancing of the cooperation between the schools that provide occupational education wit h theirsocio -economic environment, in particular with employers and universities.Point 20. build on success of the CBSS Eurofaculty Programme as an example of long -termproject -based cooperation in higher education and science for the benefit of the pe ople of theBaltic Sea Region and to explore the possible steps forward for this programme.Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland supports the efforts ondeveloping the new scheme for EuroFaculty by participating in Working Group as well as byencouraging Polish Higher Education Institutions to participating in the on -going dialogue.Poland Page 1312Point 22. improve transparency and comparabilit y of qualifications, and thereby tofurther develop the mutual recognition of formal qualifications.Recognition of maritime qualification of seafarers are established by international standardsand UE directive 2008/106/EC. There is no need to improve th at part of recognition. Moreoveron international level there is simple procedure to mutual recognition of qualification based onSTCW Convention.Poland is actively involved in work on Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation andrepealing Council Directive 96/50/EC and Council Directive 91/672/EECPoint 23. facilitate anticipating labo ur markets' skills needsOne of the tools allowing to anticipate s kills’ needs on the Polish labo r market is „OccupationalBarometer”. The tool originally comes from Sweden, and in 2015 Ministry of Labo r and SocialPolicy appreciated the “Barometer” and decided that it should be done t hroughout Poland. RegionalLabo r Office in Kraków is responsible for national coordination of the pro ject, while other regionallabor offices are coordinating the “Barometer” within their regions.The "Occupational Barometer" is a one -year forecast of situation in occupations. The Barometerqualifies jobs into three groups: deficit, balance and surplus.Deficit occupations are those in which it should not be difficult to find a job in the coming year since the demand from employers will be high, com bined with a low supply of labo r willing to takeup employment and having the right qualifications,Balanced occupations are those in which the number of vacancies will be close to the number ofpeople capable of and interested in taking up employment in the occupation concerned (the supplyand demand s ides will be balanced),Surplus occupations are those in which it might be more difficult to find a job because of the lowdemand and numerous candidates willing to take up employment and meeting the employers’requirements.Barometer shows demand for occu pations for each county. It is also available at regional level.Point 24. explore the need for a Northern Dimension Partnership for Labour Market andEducation to further develop education and labour market in the Baltic Sea Region.No direct response regarding that point.Point 25. Support business and education cooperation for a sustainable economic area in theBaltic Sea Region, especially a systematic exchange of expertise in the labour market andeducation sectors.No direct response regarding th at point.Point 26. Strengthen the cooperation between social associations, the social partners andgovernmental organizations in a social dialogue.Poland permanently consult all legal acts with social association, the social partners and governmental o rganizations especially in maritime education sector. Additional within theframework of Social Dialogue Council runs the Tripartite Group on Maritime Navigation and Fisheries with the scope of work out a common position for policy, employer and employee. That group meets 4 times o year.To strengthen the cooperation between social partners and government organizations in a socialdialogue at the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation is operating the TripartiteTeam for Shipping and Marine Fisheries.Poland Page 1413The team is represented b y Polish Shipowners Association, trade unions and government. Thetask of the team is to develop common positions on maritime sector issues. The tripartitedialogue forum i.a. solves problems related to adjusting Polish maritime labo r law tointernational standards and works to stabilize the labo r market of seafarers, including thereduction of Polish seafarers' employment costs and the increase in the number of vesselsregistered under the Polish flag.Ministry of Digital Affairs (MDA) contributed to rese arch and standardization within cybersecurity only indirectly :- by participating in works of the CSIRT Network and Cooperation Network (which a wereestablished under the NIS Directive (Network and Information Security Directive)).- by joining public -private partnership in the field of cybersecurity.However these works were not directly oriented towards maritime transport.Point 27. Support research and standardization with cyber security, with focus on maritimecontext and applications and to fost er data governance in order to enable a fair and fertileenvironment for new data driven services that will capitalize our regions technologyexcellence and trigger high skill job creation.No direct response regarding that point.Point 29. Call more intensified ,,bottom -up” collaboration and networking in order to pursuedevelopment and synergies in specific areas of science, research, innovation and clusterscollaboration.Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland serves as coordinator for PAINNOVATION and realizes Technical Assistance project called PACINNO that includes set of actions towards building new networks and platforms. Theme -led seminars and stakeholdersmeeting are planned to be organized in the 2nd half of 2017.In 2016 Ministry organizes within the Polish CBSS Presidency agenda panel discussion as back -to-back to prestigious CBSS Science Ministerial Meeting and Impact’16 Conference in Kraków. Thepanel was titled “Digital Talents & Entrepreneurshi p in the Baltic Sea Region”:Digital talents and entrepreneurs are among key fundaments for the digital strongholds and successstories of countries and enterprises in the Baltic Sea Region. Compared to for example SiliconValley we are good at producing digital talents but not so good at keeping them in our region.The discussion has touch ed upon questions like :- how can we work with talents in the BSR? How can we prepare them for business? What are theexperience -based insights?- how do we create favo rable conditions and ecosystems not only for attracting but also retainingand growing human capital in the BSR? How can joint ecosystem be designed to foster digital talent excellence across the region?- how can we keep talents in the region and compete effectively with global leaders in the talentmanagement? Is 'brain -draining' the real issue in the BSR?- what can policy makers do? What can industry and education do?Poland Page 1514Point 30. Facilitate continuous dialogue and collaboration in science, research, innovation andhigher education using existing political and regional formats and initiatives.Polish CBSS Presidency organized The Baltic Science Ministerial Meeting on June 16, 2016 , thatbecame the fundament for “CBSS Science and Research Agenda”. See more: http://www.cbss.org/first -cbss -science -ministerial/ and http://www.cbss.org/world -science -day/ .The meeting conclusions were accepted and published http://www.cbss.org/wp -content/uploads/ 2016/07/FINAL -CBSS -Science -Ministers -Meeting -Chairs -Conclusions.pdf . BalticScience Network and Baltic TRAM projects are recognized as key drivers for SRIA.Ministry’ representatives al so took part in the Baltic Scie nce Day conference organized in SanktPetersburg, Feb 8, 2017 http://www.cbss.org/event/baltic -sea-science -day/ .Point 33. bring together national employment services and private employment agencies,including the social partn ers, in order to boost job seekers' chancesOne of the problems connected with unemployment in Poland is a relatively high share of people inspecial situation on the labour market, including the long -term unemployed often with lowqualifications,in the total number of the unemployed. As practice shows, professional activation of such personstakes a long time and therefore is costly and characterised by low employment effectiveness.Since 2014, solutions have been introduced to legal order which enable to expand the public -privatepartnership on the labour market on a much greater scale. Since it is possible to contract activation measures at the regional level, the long -term unemployed have been given the opportunity to usehelp in a broader scop e than it has been available so far.The Polish model of commissioning the activation of the unemployed is closely related to achieving specific results determined by indicators of employment effectiveness and staying in employment.The introduction of th is model was particularly important when it comes to the need to increase asfast as possible the effectiveness of active labour market policies and to support labour offices inactivities aimed at improving the situation of the long -term unemployed by mea ns of solutionsproviding access for these people to activation measures undertaken by employment agencies.The whole process of activating the unemployed by the employment agency covers:- diagnosing the occupational situation of the unemployed,- desig ning activation measures tailored to the needs of the unemployed and aimed at taking upemployment by the unemployed,- bringing an unemployed person to employment,- monitoring of the employment sustainability of the unemployed.The employment agency sha ll be obliged to document and settle the activation measures withrespect to unemployed and provide it to the voivodship Marshal.Point 34. use and further develop good approaches such as the EU's Youth Guarantee schemein order to develop sustainable and broad -based concepts for tackling youth unemploymentand promote the transition from school to working lifeandPoint 35. provide targeted measures to NEETS to integrate them successfully into trainingand work The National Action Plan for Employment NAPE /2015 –2017 attaches greatimportance to the activities designed to facilitate the entry of the young people into the labourmarket. The measures contributing to that purpose are implemented, among others, by thespecial government agency, i.e. Voluntary La bour Corps (VLC).The Voluntary Labo r Corps is a state organization, the key functions of which include:Poland Page 1615• actions intended to support the system of education through social, occupational, and economicactivation of young people,• actions that are supp osed to improve vocational qualifications of people or to retrain them,• backing any initiatives intended to counteract unemployment and to nurture youths in the processof work performance, including employment process organization and organization of i nternationalco-operation between young people around the world.The primary objective of VLC is to create adequate conditions for proper social and vocationaldevelopment of young people, including special actions that are addressed to disfavoured young people (often NEETs) who are supported by VLC and such support consists in organization ofvarious forms of going out of poverty, unemployment, and social pathology effects.Moreover, the VLC implement several programs co -financed from ESF, which support youngpeople in vocational trainings, active job searching, entrepreneurship, psychological skills,computer and foreign languages skills.The Voluntary Labour Corps implement the task 6.16 Counteracting social exclusion of youth andactivation of young pe rsons, including youth from the NEET group, and the task 4.2 Increasingsocial and professional mobility of youth disadvantaged in the labour market, under theNAPE/2015 –2017.The NAPE/2015 –2017 includes also the task 6.4 related to the lasting integratio n with the labourmarket of young persons, particularly those included in the NEET group as well as under threat ofsocial exclusion and originating from marginalised communities, also through implementation ofthe Youth Guarantee. The measures carried out under these tasks are aimed at providing youth withqualifications needed on the labour market and activation of the professionally inactive youth through diverse instruments, including through initiatives such as Youth Guarantee.Poland successfully impl ements the Youth Guarantee, namely an European Union initiativeconcerning providing to the young people aged below 25, who are not in employment, education ortraining, a good quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or atraine eship within a period of four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education.The basic element of implementation of the Youth Guarantee in Poland, which has been taking place since 1 January 2014, was shortening the time within which public emp loyment service isobliged to present job offers or activation measures to a person up to 25 years of age from thecurrent 6 to 4 months, which occurred in May 2014. From the beginning of 2016, the Guarantees inPoland cover people up to 29 years of age.The implementation of the Youth Guarantee in Poland is based on the functioning of four keypillars of support for young people who are not in education, employment or training:(i) Labour Offices, (ii) the above -mentioned Voluntary Labour Corps, (iii) pro jects selected on acompetitive basis at central and regional level, and (iv) the loan programme implemented by BankGospodarstwa Krajowego.The results of the implementation of the Youth Guarantee and of the improvement of theemployment situation of you ng people are visible. From December 2013 to December 2016, theunemployment rate for persons aged 15 –24 in Poland decreased from 26.7% to 17.5%. Theproportion of the inactive young people (classified as NEET, i.e. people who are not in education,employm ent or training) also decreases – at the end of 2013, in the group of people aged 15 –24,such persons constituted 12.2% and at the end of 2015 they constituted 11%.Point 36. promote the integration of the l ong-term unemployed in the labo r market, usingtried and tested methods based on a coordinated and individualized approach which includesemployersAs part of a social policy are taken numerous measures aimed at activating people at risk ofexclusion and the socially excluded. These actions allow to exit from the circle of recipients ofsocial assistance and entry to the open labour market and are implemented mainly by developing anetwork of social integration centres and social integration clubs. These units operate on the basis ofPoland Page 1716the provisions of the act of 13 June 2003 on social employment. Their services are based onapplying methods of the social and professional reintegration towards, among others, for the long -term unemployed, benefiting from social assistance. The participants of activities over a period ofseveral months perform such types of work for which there is demand in the local labour market.Forms of support applied in the centres and clubs of social integration gives the ability tosupplement or gain new professional qualification s and, consequently, the ability to acceptemployment on the open labour market.Point 37. also use for this purpose good approaches such as the recommendation of theCouncil of the European Union on the integration of lon g-term unemployed into the labo rmarketThe EU/EEA public employment services, including Polish PESs, cooperate under the EuropeanPublic Employment Services Network (EPES).In December 2014 EPES network established a working party for long term unemployment in connection with an initia tive planned by EC at that time on support for integration of long termunemployment in the labour market. In the Recommendation on long term unemployed the Employment Committee (EMCO) and the Social Protection Committee have been authorised tomonitor imp lementation of the Recommendation, while the EPES network have been asked forassistance in this area. Since June 2016 Poland has presided over the efforts of the working party,with representatives of Spain, Bulgaria and Slovakia participating in the work (the work iscoordinated by the Department of Labour Market of MFL&SP.Implementing the tasks listed above, the working party has drafted following documents:1) Contribution of the EPES network to EMCO’s monitoring of implementation of theRecommendatio ns on long term unemployed - a proposal of the EPES network to EMCO onadditional qualitative indicators aiming at monitoring of the Council Recommendation on long term unemployed has been drafted. In the document, the EPES network proposed, inter alia: de finition ofquality thresholds for comprehensive customer service centres, quality framework for contracts on integration in the labour market and the mechanism for qualitative monitoring of implementation of the Recommendation on long term unemployed.2) The discussion document for the Board of the network on assessment and early interventionin order to prevent long term unemployment.In December 2016 the Board of the EPES network extended the mandate of the working group, in order to elaborate a potenti al process of evaluation of measures for long term unemployed, whichcould be incorporated in the benchlearning process. To this end, in the nearest future the workingparty shall take the following actions:1) Identification of possibilities for improvem ent of existing sets of statistical analysis relatedto long term unemployment. It will be the task of the working party to define the scope ofinformation that could be covered by a study.2) Development of a methodology for EMCO, in order to assess impl ementation of theRecommendation in long term unemployed by the Member States, in relation to quality thresholdsfor customer service centres.Long -term unemployed are one of the groups, which needs specific forms of support in labourmarket participation provided by public employment services and the use of opportunities offered inthis area by other institutions, primarily social assistance institutions, other governmental and non -governmental institutions.Unemployed persons particularly vulnerable in t he labour market, including long term unemployed,are offered the following forms of support:1) Activation and Integration Programme - is a programme targeted at unemployed personscovered by the 3rd profile of assistance, who receive social assistance b enefits, especially thoseexecuting a social contract. It is implemented in two paths, in the form of measures in the scope oflabour market participation and social integration, and has the objective of not only identifyingPoland Page 1817vocational deficits of an unemp loyed person, but also identifying problems in life, which limit thepossibility of effectively returning to the labour market or make it impossible.2) Special programme, a programme, which may be launched and implemented independentlyby a staroste or in cooperation with bodies, organisations and institutions involved in labour marketrelated issues and engaging with employers. Special programmes facilitate highest possible level ofpersonalisation of an approach to the client, expressed by the flexibilit y of support through the useof specific components supporting employment, which facilitate elimination of individual barriers to taking up/retaining employment. A special programme may contain measures combining labour market services or instruments with specific components supporting employment, targeted atsolving individual problems preventing individual unemployed persons from returning to the labour market, and also - in line with general principles - other forms of support resulting from the Act onpromotion of employment (...), including interventions works, public works, equipping orretrofitting of a work station, a teleworking grant, activation benefits.Point 38. pursue the goal of stepping up efforts to encourage in particular low -skilled, lon g-term unemployed and older employees to take part in continuing vocational education andtrainingAs regards measures taken by the Ministry of Family, Labo r and Social Policy in order to enhancethe participation of adults in lifelong learning, it should be emphasized that the Ministry continuesfrom 2014 the provision of financial support for employers investing in their own and theiremployees’ competences; it takes place in the framework of the National Training Fund (KrajowyFundusz Szkoleniowy, KFS). This tool was introduced in 2014 on the basis of an amendment to theAct o n employment promotion and labo r market institutions. KFS forms a distinctive part of theLabo r Fund (2% - about 200 mln PLN a year)) and is intended to support lifelong learning fo rworkers and employers. Funding from KFS is granted by local labor offices at the request of theemployer and covers 80% of training costs. Micro -entrepreneurs receive grants amounting to 100%of costs. Priority areas for KFS spending are specified by the Minister of Family, Labo r and SocialPolicy, in consultation with social partners (the Labor Market Board). Local labo r offices examinethe applications for funding submitted by employers and conclude relevant agreements.In 2014 -2015, KFS prioritized support for people aged 45+, as representatives of this age grouprarely participate in training and - due to rapid technological changes – often lack the skills requiredin the labo r market, which puts them at risk of unemplo yment. Since 2016, KFS funds have alsobecome available to representatives of other age groups, and therefore access to lifelong learning has been expanded.Point 39. further develop the promotion of continuing training and improve the conditions forcontinuing training provision geared to the acquisition of vocational training qualifications,including for young adultsLow levels of participation of adults in lifelong learning in Poland cannot be explained purely bythe existence of financial barriers. It also stems from lack of motivation to learn and low awarenessof the positive impact of learning on one’s employment situation. Not only does KFS providefinancial support, but it is an instrument that promotes the idea of lifelong learning. Therefore, alarge -scale campaign aimed at promoting KFS was carried out in order to raise public awareness ofthe need to invest in the skills and qualifications of workers. Upper -secondary school complexesand social partners (employers' organizations and trade uni ons) were actively involved inpromotional activities. Evaluation studies have shown that both employers and employeesacknowledged the introduction of KFS.Poland Page 1918Point . 40. facilitate mobility especially in cross -border regions and to provide informationservices to frontier workers who are subject to different national practices and legal systemsIn the territory of Poland, it is the Department of Labour Market in MFL&SP that coordinatesactivities of the EURES network (European Employment Services), whi ch operates in all EU andEFTA member states, including the countries of the Baltic Sea region. EURES network comprisesof public employment services of the Member States and other approved organisations operating inthe area of employment, at the local, r egional, national and EU levels.EURES network provides services in the area of EU wide job placement and provides informationon conditions of living and working in EU and EFTA member states. EURES network services arepublicly available and targeted at j ob seekers, interested in travelling to another Member State totake up employment, and at employers wishing to recruit workers from other EU or EFTA memberstate.Department of Labour Market in MFL&SP operates a website at www.eures.praca.gov.pl, wherethe following can be found:• information in Polish on the living and working conditions in the EU/EFTA countries, aimed forPolish citizens interested in taking up employment abroad,• information in Polish and English on the living and working conditions i n Poland, aimed forcitizens of EU/EFTA member states interested in settling and taking up employment in Poland,• access to international job offers in EU/EFTA member states , published in Polish by Voivod shipLabour Offices and Voluntary Labour Corps, as well as to internatio nal job offers availablethe EURES website of the European Commission at www.eures.europa.eu in national languagesof countries of origin of employers publishing their job offers.Since implementation of 2014/54/EU Directive on meas ures facilitating the exercise of rightsconferred on workers in the context of freedom of mov ement Ministry of Family, Labo r and SocialPolicy is obliged to monitor unjustified restrictions and obstacles to the right to free movement ofworkers and their discrimination, information, commissioning of independent research and surveys,publication of independent reports and recommendations. The minister competent for work is also appointed to act as the National Focal Point for the corresponding contact poin ts in other MemberStates. This task within the ministry is being implem ented by the Department of Labo r Market.Point. 41. Utilize cross -border capacities for commuters in education and studies therebyunderstanding cross -border commuting as a means to r educe the risk of unemployment.No direct response regarding that point.Point. 42 . make better use of the resources of an ageing society .Human Capital Development Strategy approved in 2013 addresses the issues related to developmentof human resources in a situation of increasing competition, which forces retention of abilities,qualifications and professional mobility throughout all stages of life. It means that in a solid mannedit also responds to the needs of older persons, whose role - particularly in the social sphere - cannotbe overrated in future.The implementation document for HCDS contain a tool no. 66 related to professional a nd socialactivity of senior citizens, named “silver economy”.This is because the Strategy assumes that greater independence of senior citizens and their readinessto take up employment or voluntary work shall be necessary, particularly in the area of pub licservices.On one hand, there will be a growing demand for social services, particularly in the areasof healthcare and social assistance (growing role of voluntary work) on the part of older persons, onthe other the growing number of older persons sh all require their active involvement in assistingtheir less able peers. Stimulation of senior citizen to activity in social area must then also take intoPoland Page 2019account integration inside and across generations, civic participation and broadly understood socialservices (not only in the aspect of social assistance, but also in the dimension stimulating activityof individuals and facilitating adaptation to new social roles ).Point . 45. Intervene at an early stage to inform young people making the transition fro mschool to work about pathways and possibilities with respect to career development andpromote successful entry into the jobs market.The Ministry of National Education initiated the activities aimed at better preparing the students formaking education al and professional decisions, for selecting the education path and planning theireducational and professional future. As the selection of the education path is significant for futureeducational and professional decisions of students and for the function ing of graduates on the labourmarket and civic society, the Ministry of National Education places emphasis on career counselling.Lack of proper educational and career counselling results in making misguided and often wrongdecisions regarding one’s educa tion, which results in encumbering the whole system with additionalcosts. That is why, starting on 1 September 2017, the classes in career counselling will become oneof the basic forms of didactic and educational activities of schools. The detailed solut ions associatedwith implementing career counselling in schools will be developed within the project entitled“Effective educational and career counselling for children, youth and adults” executed by theEducation Development Center within the PO WER Progr amme.Point 46. strive to ensure fair wages and to work towards the reduction of subcontracted,temporary agency work and temporary service contracts where permanent jobs are possible.In accordance with art. 13 of the Polish Labo r Code employees have the right to a respectfulremuneration for work. The conditions for exercising of this right are specified by the provisionsof labo r law, as well as by the state remuneration policy, in particular by specifying a minimumremuneratio n for work.Since 1 January 2003, the issue minimum level of remuneration is handled by the provisions of theMinimum Wage Act of 10 October 2002. According to the Act, the minimum remuneration isnegotiated annually within the framework of the Social Dia logue Council, a body that is made upof representatives of the government, employees (trade unions) and employers.The minimum remuneration level is determined taking into account forecasted and actualmacroeconomic figures, including the inflation rate and the growth of the real gross domesticproduct (GDP). The detailed mechanism for calculating the minimum amount of this remunerationis set out in the Act.As of January 1, 2017, the minimum remuneration for work is PLN 2,000. On 1 January 2017, theminimum wage for certain civil -law contracts was introduced as well. The obligatory minimumhourly rate has been applied to the contract of the order (or the fee for task agreement) (Article 734of the Civil Code) and to the (provision of) services contract if the contract is subject to the rules onthe contract of the order (Article 750 of the Civil Code).The minimum hourly rate in 2017 is set to PLN 13 per hour of executed orders or services rendered.In subsequent years, the rate will be subject of adjust ment to match the increase level of theminimum wage for employees.In addition, parliamentary work is currently underway on the government's draft amendments to theTemporary Employment Act and some other laws (Sejm Print No 1274).The project provides, a mong others, changes in the maximum permissible period of temporaryemployment. It is proposed that the very same temporary employment agency be able to send thevery same temporary employee to work for the very same employer for a period not exceeding 18months within a period of 36 consecutive months. The same limits will apply to the employer (user)Poland Page 2120regarding the employment of the very same temporary employee regardless of whether he wasassigned to work from one or more agencies.The same time limits wi ll apply to performing temporary employment under civil law contracts.The purpose of the new regulations is:1. to uphold the essence of temporary employment, consisting in temporarily limited provisionof work by a given temporary employee for a given use r employer,2. to eliminate circumvention of temporary work time limits.As a result, there may be an increase in open -ended employment contract.Point 47. educate and integrate refugees into the labour market as soon as possible and toexchange experiences with best practice examples within the Baltic Sea Region. And alsoembed the social partners comprehensively and at an early stage in these efforts .In accordance with the act of 12 March 2004 on social assistance foreigner who obtained refugeestatus or subsidiary protection in the Republic of Poland, shall be granted assistance aimed atsupporting the process of his/her integration. Assistance shall be granted to a foreigner for a periodnot longer than 12 months and it shall include, in addition to cash benefits, e.g. social work;specialist counselling (including legal, psychological and family counselling); providinginformation and support in com municating with other institutions, in particular institutions relatedto the labour market, local environment and NGOs;Assistance shall be granted to the foreigner under an individual integration programme, agreed uponby the district family assistance c entre and the foreigner, which defines the amount, scope andforms of assistance, depending on the individual life situation of the foreigner and his/her family, aswell as the obligations of the foreigner, which include inter alia registering at the distr ict labouroffice within a deadline set in the programme as well as active searching for job.The number of children from migrant families in the Polish system of education has been recentlyincreasing systematically. The foreigners in the Polish system o f education may find it difficult tocommunicate due to the lack of or poor knowledge of the Polish language, as well as due to thedifficulty with adaptation resulting from previous education abroad. This applies both to thechildren of the persons who ap ply for or were granted with international protection in Poland, of themigrant workers, or of the Polish citizens returning from abroad.The issue of accepting the students who used to attend school abroad is regulated by art. 94a of theAct on the Syste m of Education and the regulation of the Minister of National Education of 9September 2016 regarding the education of the persons who are not citizens of Poland as well as thecitizens of Poland who attended schools functioning in the education systems of other countries(Journal of Laws of 2016, item 1453).Under the provisions of the act and regulation, the students from abroad, including refugees, maystudy in public schools until attaining the age of 18 or until graduating from an upper secondaryschool in accordance with the rules applicable to Polish citizens. In 2016, the above -mentionedregulation introduced the possibility for the bodies managing public schools to establish preparatory programmes for students from abroad, including refugees, w ho are subject to the educationobligation and do not know the Polish language or know it to the degree insufficient to enter thepublic education system, and in which cases the education process needs to be adapted to theireducational needs, so as to sup port the effectiveness of their education. The preparatoryprogrammes may also be established by the school governing body during the school year. Such asolution is important in the case where a large number of students, e.g. children of the personsPoland Page 2221apply ing for international protection or of the evacuated persons, start attending one school. As arule, the education in preparatory programmes takes one year. However, it is possible to extend it,by no more than one school year, if the period of one year is insufficient for the student to masterthe Polish language at the level that allows it to effectively benefit from the system of education. The regulation also specifies the organization of the operation of preparatory programmes, inparticular the maximu m number of students (15), to allow an individual approach to each of them.Moreover, the new act – Education Law – from 1 September 2017 also private schools will have thepossibility to open preparatory programmes.The local government units may spend e ducational subsidies on the tasks associated with educationof students, regardless of their citizenship. The algorithm of distribution of the educational subsidycovers an additional weight of 0.3 for the students learning in preparatory programmes, thusincreasing the amount of the general subsidy per one student in such classes.Points 50-52, 55-56 and 60The Ministry of Sport and Tourism plans to implement points 50-52, 55 -56 and 60 within theBaltic Sea States’ cooperation in the framework of the currently developed Baltic Sea TourismCentre . The Ministry’s Department of Tourism support ed works in the field of developing theproject Baltic Sea Tourism Centre – sustainable development structures for active tourism, co-funded under the Interreg South Baltic Program me. The leading partner in the project isthe Mecklenburg -Vorpommern Tourist Board (MVTB) . The Ministry of Sport and Tourismencouraged the Pomeranian Regional Tourist Organization (PRTO) to join the project as a partnerand, consequen tly, PRTO is one of the main partners. The Ministry also sent a letter of support tothe project leader , MVTB, and encouraged the Polish Tourist Organization to carry out activitiesunder the project . As a result, the Organization joined the project as an associate partner .Point 55 Order to help mobilize the full potential of Sustainable Tourism to establish theBaltic Sea Region as a common and coherent tourism destination.A representative of the Department of Tourism takes part in the work s of:1) The Consultative Group on Interreg South Baltic Projects. The group’s objective is to supportprojects which apply for EU fund ing and whose leading partners or cooperating partners are Polishorganizations or institutions. Among others , as result of th ose works , 6 of 12 projects wereapproved for funding from Interreg Baltic funds. Each of those projects is implemented by partnersfrom several countries , including Poland. In 3 of those projects , Polish entities are the leadingpartners . The Ministry was particularly involved in supporting the project s Baltic Stories and Biking–South Baltic.A representative of the Ministry t ook part in the opening meeting of the Baltic Storiesproject whose leading partner is the Foundation for Landscape Protection from Poland. Themeeting participants highly appreciated the support extended by the Ministry. The project wasapproved by the Coordinator of the Priority Area Tourism within the EU Strategy for the Baltic SeaRegion (EUSBSR) , and then was allocated co-funding under the Interreg South Baltic Programme .The Ministry also supported the project Promotion of natural and cultural heritage of BSRthrough increased availability via EuroVelo bicycle routes whose leader is the PomeranianRegional Tourist Organizat ion. The Ministry is an associate partner in the project .2) The Consultative Committee on Transnational and Interregional Projects (IBSR projects) ofInterreg Central Europe programme, Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme and Interreg Europ eprogram me. In the Committee ’s meeting, arguments were formulated in order to support projectsPoland Page 2322with the participation of Polish entities in the Monitori ng Committee for Transnational andInterregional Projects, which allocates project funding .Works within the Consultat ive Group and the Consultative Committee, as well asthe implementation of the aforementioned projects cofounded by the EU, contribute d to mobilizingsustainable tourism potential in order to make the Baltic Sea Region a common ad coherent tourismdestina tion, and thus to the implementation of the task provided for under point 55 of the resolution .Point 5 7. Support the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum as its newly -established project for apermanent platform for information and know -how exchange – the Baltic Sea TourismCentre – as a coordinator for the implementation of activities on Sustainable Tourism in theregion.The Ministry actively supported the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum. A representative of the Ministrytook part in the 9th Baltic States Tourism Forum in Pärnu, Estonia, on 19-20 October 2016 .The forum was organized by Pärnu College, the University of Tart u, the Pärnu municipality and theMecklenburg -Vorpommern Tourist Board . The event was attended by 157 representatives of :national government s, local government s, municipal authorities of large cit ies, managers of otherorganizations and institutions, acad emics , representatives of educational institutions, as well astourism companies from the Baltic States: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany,Poland, Russia and Sweden , and countries from outside the Baltic region: Norway, Romania,Belgiu m and Spain. Poland was represented by 11 participants . The r epresentative of thePomeranian region moderated the panel on cultural tourism and its potential to extend the tourismseason , in which 8 speakers took part . The event was an opportunity to present proposals, discussvarious topics and exchange position s on tourism cooperation development in the BSR, therebyimplement ing point 55 of the resolution .The Ministry’s Department of Tourism supported works on the establishment of the Baltic SeaTourism Centre, as described above .The Department of Tourism is the Focal Point for the Priority Area Tourism within theEUSBSR . Therefore , the D epartment’s representative took active part in the meetings of theSteering Committee of the EUSBSR’s Priority Area Tourism, held: in Rostock on 27.04.2016, inCopenhagen on 10.06.2016 and in Pärnu (Estonia) on 19.10.2016 , as well as in the Forum of theEU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, in Stockholm. The meetings provided opportunit ies topresent proposals, di scuss various topics and exchange positions on tourism cooperationdevelopment in the BSR, and to discuss the Baltic Sea brand concept ( the Department of Tourisminitiated the discussion on branding as a key subject for Baltic countries ’ cooperation in the tourismsector ).Moreover, the Department of Tourism as the national focal point coordinated the work s of thetourism sector, e.g. through disseminating among the sector ’s representatives the information aboutthe applications for s eed funding under Interreg BSR and the Swedish Institute projects, theconference INTERREG changes the Baltic Sea Region - Stories that inspire , and an informationmeeting o n seed money projects.During the work s, a lot o f time was devoted to project funding from EU fund s. This is animportant activity area as the approved and implemented projects help mobilize sustainable tourismpotential in order to make the Baltic Sea Region a common ad coherent tourism destination and area driver for the development of cooperation i n the field of tourism.The work of the Department of Tourism as the focal point increased the awareness of the need tocommence the work on building the Baltic Sea brand by the partners, and built, among the sector,the awareness of the need to implement EU-funded projects in the field of tourism , thuscontributing to the implement ation of point 55 of the resolution .Poland Page 2423Point. 60. Facilitate the networking and clustering of tourism stakeholders.No direct response regarding that point.RussiaRussia Page 2Informationon the implementation of the 25-th BSPCby the Russian FederationPara 4 — 22 November 2016 , Moscow hosted a regular plenary session“St. Petersburg initiative” (the convener – The Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironment of the Russian Federation ).Para 5 — November 2016 The Committee of Senior Officials of the Councilof the Baltic Sea States (CSO CBSS) decided to launch “the second round” of thethe CBSS Project Support Facility at the same level of financial support (1 millionEUR for 2017 -2020 period ).Para 7 — 7 November 2016 , Stockholm hosted the first meeting of the“renewed” CBSS Expert Group on Sustainable development “Baltic 2030” (Russianagencies did not participate in the meeting because there is no respective agency ).Para 8 — 19-20 October 2016 , Parnu (Estonia ) held the 9 -th Baltic touristforum (in 2017, a Russian representative – Minister o f tourism of the government ofthe Kaliningrad region - is about to take part ).Para 12 — 24-25 November 2016, the Russian chairmanship convened inMoscow the final annual strategic meeting of the Baltic Sea task force on organizedcrime (Russia chairs the task force January 2015 - December 2016, which is to befollowed by the Latvian chairmanship ).Para 13 — CBSS developed two research projects launched in 2016 – “BalticScience Network ” and “ Baltic t ransnational research access in the macroregion ”.8 February 2017 St. Petersburg is to celebrate under the auspices of CBSS the BalticSea Science Day (the convener — St. Petersburg State University of Economics ).(especially — para 22) и Para 30 - 49 — since autumn 2016, CBSS has beencontributing to a range of work shops for representatives of government, businessand labor unions on “Labo r mobility in the BSR ”. The first workshop (Gdansk ,November 2016 ) welcomed D.S. Cherneyko , the Chairman of the Committee onRussia Page 3labor and employment of St. Petersburg , and experts of St. Petersburg StateUniversity of Economics . The second work shop ( Malmö , January -February 2017 )is about to welcome a representative of the Ministry of Labor. The Irishchairmanship has suggested convening a Berlin conference of CBSS LaborMinisters in June 2017 (the agenda guidelines will be the groundwork of theworkshops within the mentioned above program ).Para 50 - 61 — The resolution of the 9 -th Baltic Sea Tourism Forum (Parnu ,19-20 October 2016 ) included a section on the development of sustainable tourism.Regarding the Youth politics : October 2016 CBSS Youth Round Table tookplace in Berlin – Russia was represented by 3 organizations (Association Norden(St. Petersburg ), Organization ”Green front” (Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg).13- 19 November 2016 both Gdansk and Kaliningrad witnessed “CBSSYouth dialogue” , an annual event held in cross -border cities . Participants (about 20people ) visited Gdansk to further go to Kaliningrad , where they met local publiccommunities .Russia Page 4Moscow, November 2017Informationon Russia’s implementation of the BSPC resolutionsThe Russian Ministry of Environment in regard of the implementation of the24th and 25th BSPC resolutions is glad to inform as follows.We believe that the multilate ral co -operation of the Baltic S tates on theconservation of eco -system and natural resources in the region is based on theConvention on the Protection of the Marine Environment the Baltic Sea Area i.e.the Helsinki Convention (HELCOM). The Russian Minist ry of Environment isentrusted with fulfilling Russia’s commitments to the Convention.The Russian Federation considers HE LCOM Action Plan on the Baltic S eaadopt ed in 2007 at the HELCOM session as the guidelines for recovering theBaltic Sea environment. Respective actions are being taken at both federal andregional levels.The Russian national program on the restoration an d rehabilitation of theBaltic Sea ecosystem is aimed at the implementation of the BSPC resolutions. TheRussian government a ssigned t he multi -faceted nature to the program. Theprogram funds come from federal and regional target programs, bilateral andmultilateral agreemen ts, international projects and Pubic -Private P artnership.Among the most significant achievements we would like to mention thefollowing.State Unitary Organisation “Vodokanal Saint -Petersburg” successfullycompl eted the construction of the main trunk sewer (pipe canal) in the north of thecity (a complex of engineering facilities second to none in the world ) and theconstruction of the m ain tunnel sewer . These actions brought the amount ofpurified sewage waters in the city up to 98% which is one of the best figures formegalopolises across the globe.Russia Page 5Regarding the reduction o f biogens from agriculture, the Leningrad r egiondevised technical regulations on the use of manure for three regional cattle -breeding farms. This activity was part of the program on the use of manure in thecattle- breeding farms of the Leningrad region, initiated together with NEFCO andthe “North ern Dimension Environmental Partnership Project”.The Russian Ministry of Environm ent in co -operation with other Federal andRegional agencies, representatives of Russian and international companies,financial and public organizations is working on the dev elopment andreinforcement of “Saint- Petersburg Initiative (SPI)” – international platform forthe Public -Private Partnership in order to develop cross -border co -operation andprojects for the better Baltic environment.Within SPI a number projects have b een prepared and are being implementedon a wide range of issues i.e. on waste treatment, on biodiversity , on conservation,on “green shipping”, on raising environmental awareness just to name a few.Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein Page 2Excerpt from Schleswig -Holstein’s Governmental Report on European Affairs(Parliamentary Paper : Drs. 18/5266)Conference Resolution adopted by the 25 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Riga ,28-30 August 2016In its parliamentary paper Drs. 18/4844 the State Parliament of Schleswig -Holstein asked the StateGovernment to report on the implementation of the Conference Resolution adopted by the 25 thBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (Drs. 18/4588) in this year’s Governmental Report on EuropeanAffairs:Demands- regarding cooperation in the regionTaking further steps to develop the Baltic Sea R egion into a model maritime region, fostering bluegrowth and environmentally sustainable business practices, improving the Baltic marineenvironment, al so by active participation in the various bodies of HELCOM, are part and parcel of theState Government’s Baltic Sea policy , as is fostering cooperation in the field of science, research anddevelopment. The State Government’s action plan on Baltic Sea pol icy as well as its activities andprojects to implement this plan have been discussed in greater detail in the State Government’sReport on the Baltic Sea (parliamentary paper Drs. 18/4397) .- regarding competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking ed ucation and labor marketPlanned establishment of youth employment agenciesThe overarching goal of the Youth Employment Agency (JBA) is that “No one gets lost on their way”.The agency is to ensure that youths and young adults up to the age of 25 years receive individualguidance and support. All partners involved cooperate closely with each other and with the youngpeople concerned; if necessary, they develop a coordinated su pport plan in the sense of a“development plan” for education and vocational training and provide help all along the way. You ngschool -leavers are to be ready and prepared for vocational training or an academic education.Transition from school to vocation al training should be as direct as possible.The JBA is staffed by representatives from the employment agency, the job centers, youth welfareservices and local education authorities. If possible, such cooperation should be a carried out in asingle locati on.Refugees for whom vocational school attendance is mandatorySince the amended Vocational School Regulation came into effect on 1 August 2016, refugees whoare subject to mandatory vocational school attendance have had the opportunity to attain the A2German language proficiency level in an occupational integration class at a Regional VocationalSchool Center (RZB) or at Vocational School (BBS) as a first step. Subsequently, they are able to moveon into the Training Preparation Program Schleswig -Holstein (AV -SH) which provides enhancedvocational orientation and integration along with continuous language learning. The AV -SH aims totransition refugees into dual vocational training or a full -time course of education as speedily aspossible (e.g. voc ational school, vocational upper secondary school).- regarding employment opportunities, labor mobility and youth unemploymentA smoothly operating cross -border labor market and a highly mobile labor force are especiallyimportant in the context of developing border regions.Information for cross -border commutersThe “Info Center Grenze (border)” attached to the Regionskontor Sønderjylland/Schleswig in Padborgis one of the key institutions which facilitate the development of a cross -border labor ma rket. TheInfo Center was opened in August 2004 and since then has been providing information for cross -Schleswig-Holstein Page 3border commuters. The Administrations of the District of Ostholstein in Eutin and of Holeby inDenmark (Lolland) also set up Fehmarn Belt Regional Offic es which have been serving as informationand consulting points since the beginning of 2009.Transition of youths from school to workThe objective of Schleswig -Holstein’s Regional Program Employment for the period from 2014 to2020 is to ensure that young people enter the job market successfully . Financial support for theprogram is provided by the European Social Fund (ESF), the State of Schleswig -Holstein a s well asprivate and public co -funding resources.The program Concept of Action PLuS (practical experience, life planning and school) encourages asuccessful transition from school to training by offering coaching and analysis of potentials beginningin 8th grade. Students attending comprehensive schools with or without senior grades (GemS),support centers (FöZ) with special focus on learning and vocational schools are eligible for theprogram.The Action Program Production Schools targets production schools offer ing low -thresholdeducational program s which facilitate the transition from sch ool to work for young people below theage of 25 who have no school -leaving qualification, are unemployed and face multiple placementobstacles (e.g. drop -outs, psychological issues, potential for violence, substance abuse). These arenot schools in the narrow sense of the school law but rather educational institutions patterned onthe Danish model which support the participants in developing individual and specific, setting -basedskills. The underlying workshop principle initiates learning processes assoc iated with the productionof goods and services that are marketable and close to the market under conditions similar tooperations. This concept of production schools opens up possibilities for international partneringwhich in former times were willingly used for exchanges with educational institutions in Denmark.- regarding sustainable tourismTourism has been identified as one of the common economic strengths of the cross -border Danish -German region of Schleswig -Holstein and Southern Denmark. The “REACT ” project aiming to developcoastal tourism, for example, approved in 2015 as part of the INTERREG Program is focused on theadvancement of the tourism industry in the cross -border region of the Baltic Sea.UNDINE II (Underwater Discovery and Nature Exper ience) another project receiving funding from theINTERREG program was launched in 2017. The unique natural and cultural heritage of the program region is a vital mainstay of tourism in the program area. The underwater world of the Western BalticSea is a so far scarcely known part of this common heritage. UNDINE II offers guides to thisexperience, who show you the way, who tell the true story and who actually make these hiddensecret s come alive in all their colorful shades. But at the same time, these gu ides also raise theawareness of visitors concerning the need to protect the marine environment and the risks that theBaltic Sea is exposed to.SwedenSweden Page 2Responses received from the Swedish ministries in regards to the Follow -up of theResolution of the 2 5th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) in R iga, 28 August– 30 August 2016A. Recommendations with regard to Cooperation in tourism• against the background of the general competitive situation in the tourism economyas well as the current tense situation in Europe to encourage transnational strategiesand long -term commitments for fostering cross -border approaches primarily in thefield of sustaina ble tourism in the Baltic Sea Region;• against the background of the unique natural environment of the Baltic Sea and thevulnerability of many habitats, to work on cross -border strategies in order to minimizeexisting conflicts between tourism, marine and coastal protection;• strengthen the rural development and agricultural production in accordance with theenvironment in such a way, that the natural landscape and sound environment asprecondition for a sustainable tourism in rural areas are protected and restored;• support transnational strategies which promote the development of tourism in theBaltic Sea Region and to include the creation of synergies between projects and acommunication strategy for the Policy Area Tourism;• in order to help mobilize t he full potential of Sustainable Tourism to establish theBaltic Sea Region as a common and coherent tourism destination;• jointly work towards a common understanding of Sustainable Tourism and to strive toestablish joint marketing and joint labels ;• support the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum and its newly -established project for apermanent platform for information and know -how exchange – the Baltic Sea TourismCenter – as coordinator for the implementation of activities on Sustainable Tourism inthe region ;• facilitate the networking and clustering of tourism stakeholders;In order to work towards the Recommendations of BSPC resolution with regard toCooperation in tourism, we would like to highlight the following initiated and/or plannedinitiatives :Initiated : The Swedish government has initiated a committee (offentlig utredning) with thepurpose of developing and suggesting a new coherent national policy for the tourismindustry in cross -sectorial perspective, and to propose new structures and action s thatcontribute to internationally competitive tourism, sustainable growth, profitableentrepreneurship and employment across the country. The Committee is also designated topropose how cooperation between actors can be developed and improved to strengt hen thecross -border tourism offer and cooperation. The Committee will deliver its report December2017. The committee’s results and recommendation may influence the recommendations ofBSPC’s regarding cooperation in tourismSweden Page 3Initiated/planned : In May 201 7 the Nordic Minister for Enterprise, in an effort to improve thecross -border tourism cooperation, decided that a mutual plan for Nordic Tourismcooperation shall be developed. This plan, once developed, may have bearing also ontourism cooperation in the Baltic Sea region Nordic tourism plan. The work is in its initialstart-up phase.Initiated/implemented In 2015 Sweden presented a New Strategy for the development ofMaritime industries (Maritima Strategin). The vision of the strategy is to developcompetitive, innovative and sustainable maritime industries that can contribute to increasedemployment, reduced environmental impact and an attractive living environment. A key areain this strategy is sustainable tourism industry. The Baltic Sea region is a natural componentof the Maritime strategy.Initiated/implemented The Government have given the Swedish Agency for Economic andRegional Growth (Tillväxtverket) an assignment to make a continuation of the 2012 -2015Sustainable Destination Development Pr ogramme wich had the purpose to developsustainable destinations, increase SME competitiveness, and improve knowledge in how todevelop attractive and functional destinations with an international approach. The currentsustainable tourism program - the Sus tainable Production Programme was launched 2016and will run until 2019. The programme has a budget for 40 million SEK, and another 40million SEK in co -funding. Focus for this programme is tourism of culture and nature. Sevenprojects all over Sweden have started within this programme, some of cross -border nature.Initiated/implemented In the Strategy for international branding of the Nordic Region -2015 -2018 launched by the Nordic Council of Ministers , a defined priority is to protectand nature establi shed collaborations, particularly in the Baltic Sea area. This will improvevisibility of the Nordic and aid in marketing also the Baltic Sea Area.B. Recommendations with regard to Cooperation among social partners• strengthen the cooperation between social associations, the social partnersand governmental organisations in a social dialogue;The Global Deal initiative has been launchedOn 21 September 2016 the Global Deal initiative was launched at the UN Headquarters inNew York. The event was hosted by Swedish Prime Minister Mr. Stefan Löfven, Mr. GuyRyder, Director -General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Mr. Angel Gurría,Secretary -General of the Organization for Economic Co -operation and Development(OECD).The Global Dea l is a new global initiative with the objective of jointly addressing thechallenges in the global labour market and enabling all people to benefit from globalisation. Itis a multi -stakeholder partnership that aims to encourage governments, businesses, un ionsand other organisations to make concrete commitments to enhance social dialogue. Effectivesocial dialogue can contribute to decent work and quality jobs and thereby greater equalityand inclusive growth, benefiting workers, companies and society as a whole. It is a win -win-win opportunity.• bring together national employment services and private employment agencies,including the social partners, in order to boost job seekers’ chances;Tripartite talksIn order to meet the future skills needs, a dialogue with the social partners and the industryorganisations is important. In November 2016, the Swedish government held a first meetingwith the central organisations on how policies in the area could be dev eloped. A number ofproposals were presented at the meeting on how different contributions and measures couldSweden Page 4address the difficulties in finding workforce with the right education and work experience.Follow -up talks were held on June 8 2017After the f irst meeting with the social partners, a number of measures have been taken. Thegovernment has, among all given the Public Employment Service clearer goals to increasethe number of persons who after a job training get s a job or start s further studies, de cided ona student start -up support for unemployed people who do not have primary or secondaryeducation and continued the work with the fast track s in order to match new arrivals with theskills needs of different industries.C. Recommendations with regard to Measures to decrease unemployment• promote the integration of the long -term unemployed in the labour market,using tried and tested methods based on a coordinated and individualizedapproach which includes employeOngoing labour market policy reform and reinforcement of education and training initiativesare intended to make it possible to offer unemployed people active labour market policymeasures or education and training, based on their individual needs, in order to improve theirpotential to find a job or begin to study.To make it easier for people with limited education and profound educational needs to studyat the compulsory school or upper secondary level and thereby strengthen their opportunities to become established in the labour market, the Government intends to introduce a newrecruitment financial aid for studies: ‘The Start Studying Support’. This will enter into force 2 July 2017. The Government has taken several measures that cover newly arrived migrants toSweden, but more needs to be done so that newly arrived migrants will be able to study. Theintroduction of the Start Studying Support will help increase financial incentives to study fornewly arrived migrants with limited education.Subsidised jobs are one of several important l abour market policy instruments. TheGovernment reformed the ‘New Start Jobs’ scheme on 1 February 2017 to make the support scheme more accurate and effective. The changes include increasing subsidy levels in relation to the duration of absence from the la bour market. The rules for ‘Extra Jobs’ werealso enhanced as of 1 December 2016, including with regard to newly arrived migrants. The Government has also commissioned several central government agencies to offer ‘ModernPublic Sector Jobs’ to long -term un employed people and newly arrived migrants. Anoversight committee has been appointed to revise the current system for subsidisedemployment. The committee has been asked to submit proposals for how the forms ofsupport can be simplified and their structur e clarified.• pursue the goal of stepping up efforts to encourage in particular low -skilled,long -term unemployed and older employees to take part in continuingvocational education and training;A new Adult Education InitiativeGiving unemployed people the right skills and improving labour market matching areessential to both reducing unemployment and preventing bottlenecks that impede economicgrowth. The Swedish g overnment has launched a new adult education initiative that, whenfully deployed, will offer more than 70 000 places in education and training in vocational adulteducation, apprenticeship training for adults, folk high schools, higher education andvocational higher education.D. Recommendations with regard to Cross -border – mobilitySweden Page 5• facilit ate mobility especially in cross -border regions and to provide informationservices to frontier workers who are subject to different national practices andlegal systems;Pilot studyUpon a request from the Nordic Council, the Nordic Council of Ministers has allocated fundsto carry out a p ilot study during 2017 on the need for an information service for employees,employers and SMEs throughout the Baltic Sea Region .• utilize cross -border capacities for commuters in education and studies therebyunderstanding cross -border commuting as a means to reduce the risk ofunemployment;E. Recommendations with regard to fair wages and the integration of refugees• strive to ensure fair wages and to work towards the reduction of subcontracted,temporary agency work and temporary service contracts where permanent jobsare possible;Two law changes have come into force during 2017. One limits the possibilities to use long -term successive fixed -term contracts. The other means that the opportunities for achievingcollective agreements regulating the conditions for posted workers have been expanded.• educate and integrate refugees into the labour market as soon as possible andto exchange experiences with best practice exa mples within the Baltic SeaRegion. And also embed the social partners comprehensively and at an earlystage in these efforts;Increased promotion funds for fast tracks in the Budget Bill for 2017In 2015 and 2016, the Swedish Public Employment Service has coordinated the fast tracksthat the social partners and government agencies have jointly initiated. Fast tracks aredirected at new arrivals who have educational qualifications or professional experience in ashortage occupation for which the social p artners have agreed on a fast track. In August2016 , thirteen fast tracks for some twenty occupations were in place. For 2016, the PublicEmployment Service had been allocated funds for special promotion and development measures aimed at speeding up new ar rivals' establishment in the labour market. In theBudget Bill for 2017 t he government propose d an additional SEK 25 million per year in 2017 –2018 for this purpose.http://www.government.se/articles/2015/12/fast -track ---a-quicker -introduction -of-newly -arrived-immigrants/