Commission staff working document



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Updating the Action Plan


The Action Plan may be updated regularly as the Baltic Sea region (BSR) and its context develops, following an agreement among the policy area coordinators, horizontal action coordinators, the Member States and the European Commission.

The governance process

Three general criteria apply:



  1. Proposals for updates should be coordinated by the relevant policy area coordinator(s) and horizontal action coordinator(s), agreed upon with national coordinators and communicated to the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy.

  2. Proposals for updates should be in line with Community policies.

  3. The Commission will decide on all updates and corrections after consulting the High-Level Group of macro-regional strategies, when appropriate.

The Commission has developed a ‘typology of updates to the Action Plan’ to serve as a general rule of thumb when evaluating proposals for updates.


Broadly, the typology distinguishes between:

  1. updates for the purpose of clarifying, correcting or ‘filling the gaps’,

  2. updates that propose to cover new ground or are required because of a change in circumstances, and

  3. updates proposing to move, significantly amend or delete flagships. While proposals to move flagships should generally to be accepted, the other two types will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.







Type of updates to the Action Plan

Commission’s approach

1

Filling gaps

To be accepted

2

Clarifications, correction

To be accepted

3

Negotiated change

To be accepted

4

Change of circumstances

Generally to be accepted

5

Substance change

Case-by-case evaluation

6

Delete flagship

Case-by-case evaluation

7

Modify flagship

Case-by-case evaluation

8

Add flagship

Case-by-case evaluation

9

Add flagship only partly meeting the set criteria for flagship

Generally not to be accepted

The following section describes in detail the process of becoming a flagship.



Flagships: functions, structure and added value


The EUSBSR is implemented, among others, by means of flagships – projects and processes. Flagships demonstrate the process and progress of the EUSBSR, and may serve as pilot examples for desired change.
A flagship is frequently the result of a policy discussion within a policy area/horizontal action. It fleshes out the ambition of a policy area/horizontal action in a specified field. It may, for example, develop key solutions, new methodologies, practises or be a network looking for new forms of cooperation. Flagships may also concern key investments of regional importance.
In terms of structure, a flagship is either:

  • a single project;

  • a set of projects (a group) contributing to same action;

  • a process (e.g. network, new cooperation platform, etc.).


The label of a flagship can be given to a project/process that fulfils the following criteria:

    1. it has a high macro-regional impact;

b. it contributes to meeting the objectives, indicators and targets of the EUSBSR;

c. it is related to the implementation of one or more actions of the policy area/horizontal action concerned.


In general, a flagship is also expected to:

d. have a clear macro-regional dimension (cooperation between and/or impact on at least three Baltic Sea region states including at least two EU Baltic Sea region states if another Baltic Sea region state (Russia, Norway, Iceland, Belarus) is involved); in case a flagship is implemented by individual efforts (projects), coordination between these individual projects should be ensured. It should be clearly shown how these individual projects make an impact at macro-regional level. Any flagship shall clearly contribute to the objectives, indicators and targets of the EUSBSR;17

e. be mature for implementation:


      1. can be implemented within a realistic timeframe;

      2. has a clear financial and activity plan which e.g. encompass setting aside resources for attending relevant activities of the policy area/horizontal action and the EUSBSR;

      3. partnership is established and a flagship leader is identified.

f. be monitored and evaluated towards the objectives, indicators and targets of the EUSBSR and particular policy area/horizontal action.

Policy area coordinator(s)/horizontal action coordinator(s) may decide on additional criteria under their respective policy area/horizontal action after consultation with the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO).


The added value of flagship status for a project or a process can take several forms. It represents recognition of the project and what it is addressing as questions of high macro-regional importance, central to the EUSBSR objectives and its policy areas/horizontal actions. Flagship status will also help raise the profile of the project or process. Furthermore, in many instances, when evaluated by programmes a project application will be given a higher score if it has flagship status.


Procedure to become a flagship18


Projects/processes interested in obtaining the label of flagship in the EUSBSR are to undertake the following steps:

  1. identify to which action of a chosen policy area/horizontal action the proposed flagship would contribute;

  2. establish contact with the policy area coordinator(s)/horizontal action coordinator(s) concerned;

  3. after assessing the proposed flagship, the policy area coordinator(s)/horizontal action coordinator(s) will make a recommendation to the steering committee/coordination group for decision;

  4. if the proposal is supported by the committee/group, the policy area coordinator(s)/horizontal action coordinator(s) makes a recommendation to DG REGIO regarding the project, indicating how the requirements for becoming a flagship have been met;

  5. DG REGIO considers the proposal and may consult other Commission services before making a recommendation to the national coordinators;

  6. as soon as the national coordinators agree on the proposal, flagship status is granted. The flagship will be included in an Annex to the Action Plan and published on the EUSBSR and DG REGIO websites;

  7. the High-Level Group of macro-regional strategies will be informed about the modifications in the Annex to the Action Plan (concerning flagships).

A flagship can be listed under one policy area/horizontal action only. If a flagship contributes to several policies areas/horizontal actions, it is recommended to liaise with the other relevant policy areas/horizontal actions.


A flagship does not have the exclusive right to undertake action in the policy area/horizontal action under which it is listed. The policy area coordinator(s)/horizontal action coordinator(s) may at any time accept more flagships in the same field.
Furthermore, by implementing the flagship, its leader shall fulfil certain tasks of the flagship leader as specified under the tasks of flagship leaders above.
As soon as the flagship status is granted, the flagship leader should follow the visual identity requirements of the EUSBSR and attach flagship label to it.


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