Part-financed by the European Union Promoting attractive and competitive cities and regions Arve Skjerpen, Norway Member of the BSR INTERREG IIIB Steering Committee Baltic Sea Region Programme Conference Hamburg May 2007

Outline  Why a priority for outstanding BSR potentials?  What do we expect from the projects?  What type of activities can be supported?  Why and what is ENPI?  Questions and answers

Why the priority for BSR outstanding potentials? cities and metropolitan areas - engines for economic development specific settlement patterns with large areas of low population city development could enhance development of surrounding rural areas outstanding natural and cultural heritage of the BSR support needed to vulnerable groups and attention to social problems branding of the BSR and building up BSR identity

Objective To enhance - Baltic Sea Region identity and - attractiveness for citizens and investors. Through - the cooperation of cities and regions and - integrated development at the BSR level

Common Expected Results Increased political recognition of transnational solutions Increased sustainability of co-operative networks Unlocking public /private investments All projects should aim to enhance BSR identity and attractiveness

Priority Specific Results Pooled resources of metropolitan regions, cities and rural areas to enhance the BSR competitiveness and cohesion Improved preconditions for increase of BSR competitiveness in Europe and worldwide Increased BSR identity and/or its recognition outside the formal borders Strengthened social conditions and impacts of regional and city development

Areas of support 1.Strengthening metropolitan regions, cities and urban areas as engines of economic development 2.Strategic support for integrated BSR development and socio- economic and territorial cohesion 3.Strengthening social conditions and impacts of regional and city development - specific ENPI activities

1. Metropolitan regions, cities and urban areas Actions to improve and implement programmes and policies, which deal with economic development Preparation of investments and practical solutions to improve the supply of high quality socio-economic services Creation of urban-rural partnerships tackling common development problems

2. Integrated BSR development and socio-economic and territorial cohesion cross-sectoral and territorial development strategies at pan-Baltic level to guide socio-economic transformation of the Region strategies for energy saving and cleaner production marketing strategies and efforts on BSR strongholds in business and business environment BSR tourist products based on the area’s cultural heritage and natural assets

Neighbourhood programme (NP) in 2004 the programme area was enlarged towards Belarus and northwest Russia more active participation of partners from Russia and Belarus was supported by funding activities for Russian and Belarusian partners high interest and good experiences already in the current cooperation

Amount of project partners per country, 8th application round

European Neighbourhood partnership Instrument (ENPI) created with aim to support cooperation projects between EU MS/Norway and Russia, Belarus part financing activities that are for the benefits for Russian and Belarusian territories joint ERDF/ENPI projects can apply for all priorities, specific ENPI activities included in Priority 4

3. Strengthening social conditions and impacts of regional and city development actions in the field of public health actions to increase security and promote rescue assistance in case of natural disasters actions securing good governance practice in the public domain actions counteracting social exclusion of immigrants, disabled persons and other groups vulnerable to segregation or social problems

EXAMPLES - actions in the field of public health  HEPRO – creates a toolkit that will support implementation of sustainable public health policies at both local and regional level actions to increase security and promote rescue assistance in case of natural disasters  Eurobaltic II – good practises in safety management; guidelines on community based safety promotion and a BSR support network of communities implementing safety promotion programmes; report on managing flood risks to cultural heritage