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- Communicating the EUSBSR – Let’s talk about results
Funding IssuesAs it stated in the Council Conclusions on the EUSBSR, adopted on 26 October 2009, the Strategy ‘is financially neutral and relies on a coordinated approach, synergetic effects and, on a more effective use of existing EU instruments and funds, as well as other existing resources and financial instruments’. According to the Commission Communication (June 2009), the European Social Fund, European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund, European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and European Fisheries Fund (European Maritime and Fisheries Fund for the programming period 2014-2020), are the key funding sources of the Strategy. However, the actions and projects under the Strategy and its Action Plan can be funded by many other financial sources (Horizon 2020, BONUS Joint Baltic Sea Research and Development Programme, the LIFE programme, Education and Culture programmes, the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme etc.), as well as national, regional, private sources. Actions and projects in the transport, energy and ICT sectors may also become eligible for funding by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). In addition, some projects (especially major ones) could benefit from the support of international financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank and the Nordic Investment Bank. In this respect, JASPERS initiative plays also a significant role, in particular in the transport, energy and environment sectors, including trans-border projects. Thus the EUSBSR embodies the new concept of macro-regional cooperation which is based on effective and more coordinated use of existing funding sources, and the promotion of synergies and complementarities. An overview of many potential funding sources can be found at: http://www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/funding-sources. From the beginning of the EUSBSR the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme has been important for the implementation of the EUSBSR. Thematic priorities of the programme have been fully aligned with the objectives of the Strategy to maximise the synergies and leverage effects on other financing sources in the programme areas. To facilitate implementation of the EUSBSR, the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme 2014-2020 provides direct support to the coordination activities of the macro-regional cooperation. This can include assistance to coordinators of policy areas/horizontal actions, the organisation of EUSBSR Fora and other implementation tasks. It also includes seed money funding to help prepare project proposals with strategic importance to one of the policy areas or horizontal actions of the EUSBSR. The alignment of funding The 2014-2020 legislative package for cohesion policy has paved the way for better embedding the macro-regional strategies into the programming documents. In general countries in the Baltic Sea region acknowledge that progress has been made and alignment of funding is not an issue anymore. However, even where a substantial progress has been made during the programming process, there is a further need to develop a dialogue between managing authorities of different funding instruments and national coordinators/policy area coordinators/horizontal action coordinators in implementing programmes in order to achieve intended results. The use of the provisions foreseen in the European Structural and Investment Funds Regulations 2014-2020, allowing financing operations outside programme area, should also be encouraged. Moreover, the embedding of the strategies should not be limited only to Cohesion Policy programmes. Indeed, coordination with funding made available under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) and future European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) Cross-Border Cooperation programmes could also be sought. The approach should be an integral part of all relevant EU, regional, national and local policy frameworks. There are several ways to align the programmes with the EUSBSR and it’s up to Member States to decide which one to choose. For example, the Common Strategic Framework, which invites Member States to ensure successful mobilisation of EU funding for macro-regional strategies in line with the needs of the programme area identified by the Member States, foresees that this can be done, among other actions, by prioritising operations deriving from these strategies by organising specific calls for them or giving priority to these operations in the selection process through identification of operations which can be jointly financed from different programmes. Specifically alignment could be done by: setting a priority axis for developing interregional and transnational cooperation (horizontal or vertical one); identifying potential cooperation projects (projects idea) and its partners in the Partnership agreement and/or Operational Programmes; introducing a project selection criterion which gives priority to flagships as listed in the EUSBSR Action Plan, or other projects having a clear macro-regional impact, contributing to the targets and objectives and to the implementation of one or more actions in the Action Plan; allocating a certain amount of funding to activities/projects that are in line with the Strategy; including a separate paragraph describing how the objectives and priorities of the EUSBSR will be reflected in implementing the programmes, their links. Communicating the EUSBSR – Let’s talk about resultsSince the EUSBSR is a first macro-regional strategy in Europe, there is a vital need to communicate the achievements on all levels to all possible targets groups. The basic responsibility lies with the implementing stakeholders, as evident in the governance of the EUSBSR. Dissemination, information and communication are a key task for everyone. The key issue is to tell e.g. politicians, taxpayers, NGOs about the benefit (‘added value’) of the Strategy. It shall be obvious what the overall goals are and that the indicators used can mirror the change. This approach is the basis to be able to communicate the success of the EUSBSR. The three objectives of the EUSBSR – ‘Save the Sea’, ‘Connect the Region’ and ‘Increase Prosperity’ – are transmitting good and clear messages. These positive messages should be used at global and the regional level. The background should lie on the significance of territorial cooperation and working together. This is the case both for successful projects and for achievements on the policy level. Nevertheless, there should be a direct link and connection with every single policy area, horizontal action, flagship and action, and described in relevant and clear messages showing that the Strategy really delivers results and respond to the three main objectives. Stakeholders shall tailor made the messages to raise the understanding of the benefits of working together in the Baltic Sea region. The messages should meet the needs of the target audiences. Every actor should use plain language in order to transmit powerful and understandable messages. Every actor and stakeholder needs to have an outreach plan and then choose the best possible channel to reach the target audience. Communication is the key action to ensure outreach. Even if there would be successful initiatives and major improvements due to the implementation of the EUSBSR it will fail if those results are not widely communicated. The aim is also to formulate a long term vision on Communication in a Communication Strategy of the EUSBSR. The Strategy would cover the period until 2020. On top of that Member States should also agree on Communication Plans. The plans shall describe agreed actions for 1-2 years ahead. The Member States have the responsibility to adjust the Communication Plans to the Communication Strategy to strive for consistency. Directory: regional policy -> sources -> docoffic -> official -> communic -> baltic baltic -> Commission staff working document regional policy -> The contribution of regional and local authorities to economic development baltic -> Commission staff working document Download 0.86 Mb. Share with your friends:
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