UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat,/Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 4-5 March 2009 New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction Turku 4 – 5 March 2009 Introduction to the Baltic Sea Region Programme Part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund and European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument)

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009 The Baltic Sea Region Programme a mainstream Structural Funds programme for the Baltic Sea Region (Objective 3 programme on Territorial Cooperation) builts on two preceding Community Initiative programmes (Baltic Sea INTERREG IIC & III B) addresses issues that call for intervention at transnational level is expected to boost knowledge-based socio-economic competitiveness of the BSR and its further territorial cohesion strives to make the Baltic Sea region a better and more attractive place for its citizens and other people to invest, work and live in. New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009 New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction BSR Programme area 1. EU Member States (ERDF and ENPI): Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Northern parts of Germany 2. Norway (Norwegian fund) 3. Partner countries (ENPI): Belarus (and maybe in the future North- west regions of Russia)

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009 “On 30 January 2009 the European Commission officially informed the Programme’s Monitoring Committee that the Government of the Russian Federation had not signed the Financing Agreement for the Baltic Sea Region Programme by the specified deadline. As a consequence, the ENPI funding that was allocated to the Programme will not be used to finance the involvement of Russian organisations taking part in the activities of Baltic Sea Region projects.” New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009 First call results: total 110 project applications were received in the 1st call 24 projects approved approved projects involve around 440 project partners from 10 countries in the Baltic Sea area Around 66.1 Million Euro or 29.8 % of the total available EU/Norwegian programme co-financing was allocated New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009 BSR Programme - Strategic objective and priorities New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction To strengthen the development towards a sustainable, competitive and territorially integrated Baltic Sea Region by connecting potentials over the borders 4. Attractive and competitive cities and regions 1. Fostering innovations 3. Baltic Sea as a common resource 2. External and internal accessibility

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009 Prioritised thematic areas: Priority 4: Promoting attractive and competitive cities and regions propagates co-operation of metropolitan regions, cities and rural areas for their better attractiveness for citizens and investors features action programmes and policies at the BSR level to make cities and regions more competitive engines for economic development. strengthens urban-rural partnerships and support a viable economic transformation of BSR areas with smaller and less dense settlements New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009 New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction Lead Partner Principle responsibility for: project management system submitting Application Form signing the Subsidy Contract reporting of the project progress requesting payments Some basic elements of the programme

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009 Work package = a group of activities focused on delivering specific outcomes Work package 1: Project Management and Administration Work package 2: Communication and Information Work package 3-7: defined by projects New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction Some basic elements of the programme

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009 Some basic elements of the programme Milestones = important moments in the work package implementation  delivery of a main output  readiness to start a new stage The base for activity monitoring! New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009 Visit the BSR Programme web site and documents for further information New Bridges – Strengthening of Quality of Life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction

UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat/ Sakari Saarinen / Project Coordinator / NEW BRIDGES Kick-off 3-5 March 2009