SEPTEMBER 2012 News CONTENT Third Annual Forum Success story - Enjoy South Baltic! In focus - Priority Area 12 Tourism
The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) is the first macroregional strategy in Europe. It aims at reinforcing cooperation within this large region in order to face common challenges by working together as well as promoting a more balanced development in the area. www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu The EUSBSR newsletter is coordinated by INTERACT Point Turku with the support of the European Commission, DG Regional Policy. INTERACT Point Turku is funded by INTERACT which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). EDITORIAL The evolution of the macro-region follows the EUSBSR The EUSBSR is fairly regarded as a model for other macro-regions. However, the Strategy itself is a process in the making, where continuous political commitment of involved parties is based on iterative learning and understanding of macro-regional logic. To address this issue, two consecutive EU presidencies gave an important impetus by formally completing the review of the Strategy. As a result, we now have an improved framework with three new objectives, refined set of targets and role descriptions as well as elegant and effective communication tools. Further milestones in the evolution of the Strategy are expected during Lithuanian and Latvian presidencies in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Now behind written texts both concrete commitments and actions are standing. The EUSBSR Action Plan should be reviewed, rather in-depth, in order to better reflect the progress of the Strategy. Apropos, it is indispensable to facilitate equal representation of countries to take the lead in regional initiatives. The EUSBSR newsletter has been made available for download in pdf format at www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu Publisher: INTERACT Point Turku, on behalf of the INTERACT Programme. Editorial team: from INTERACT Point Turku: Gabriel Alvarez, Baiba Liepa and Ulf Wikström; from the European Comission: Catharina Sorensen. Contributors to this issue: Artis Bērtulis, Egle Obcarskaite, Marta Chełkowska and Krystyna Hartenberger-Pater. Layout: Södra tornet kommunikation Cover photo: PTB archives Print: KMG Printworks September 2012 Contact: INTERACT Point Turku Box 236 Ratapihankatu 36 20101 Turku, Finland ip.turku@interact-eu.net I think what is really interesting about what we are going to read in this newsletter is that it naturally draws on international examples. The story of the Enjoy South Baltic! project brings to the fore the role of tourism by enforcing the Baltic Sea region identity. It is our task to use available potential for collaborative promotion of the region that already shares economic, cultural, geographic and historic ties. Artis Bērtulis Ambassador - Head of the EU Directorate Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Latvia Update of the EUSBSR Action Plan on-going The EUSBSR Action Plan review process was launched in March 2012. This initiative is based on a wide consultation process as well as the contribution of stakeholders, who are invited to reflect on and propose ideas and actions that would improve the efficiency of the Strategy. The first draft of the Action Plan is available at the EUSBSR website www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu Comments and proposals to this draft can be submitted until 21 September 2012. The European Commission aims at presenting the updated Action Plan ultimo 2012. 2 EUSBSR NEWS
POLICY SIDE The Annual Forum ratified the EUSBSR as promoter of smart and green growth More than 800 participants got together in Copenhagen for networking, knowledge exchange and experience sharing. The event addressed the three new objetives of the Strategy: Save the Sea: it is not acceptable to be among the most polluted waters in the world. A better alignment of policy and funding, closer partnerships and high-level political commitment is needed. Connect the Region: this region s vast and sometimes difficult geographic conditions should not impede trade, mobility and energy reliability. That is why transport and energy projects should be completed as soon as possible. Increase Prosperity: a true commitment will help tackle economic challenges head on, and ensure that sound finance and growth go hand-in-hand. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn, second from the left, during the Plenary Session Mastering Smart and Green Partnerships. HASSE FERROLD The Third EUSBSR Annual Forum was held together with the 14th Baltic Development Forum Summit in Copenhagen on 17-19 June. The event, entitled Connecting Europe - Smart and Green Partnerships, attracted more than 800 participants for stimulating and lively exchanges. The European Commissioners Johannes Hahn and Siim Kallas, Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning- Schmidt, Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and HRH Crown-Prince Frederik of Denmark were among the high-level speakers at the event. The Annual Forum also counted an impressive representation of regional and local authorities, project developers, NGOs and financial institutions. In general, the Annual Forum confirmed the EUSBSR as the right framework to proactively promote green growth and the balance of traditional infrastructure projects with innovative approaches. As such, the Baltic Sea region, already one of the most highly integrated macro-regions in the world, is continuing to develop new ways in which actors at all levels can pursue common interests. NETWORKING VILLAGE The well-frequented Networking and Project Village included an array of different workshops and exhibitions. It demonstrated that many Baltic Sea region stakeholders perceive the Strategy and the Annual Forum as a good framework for advancing their own agendas. COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA The event also testified to the important cooperation with Russia, for instance in the framework of the NDPHS (Northern Dimension Public Health and Social Well-Being), the CBSS (Council of Baltic Sea States) and new initiatives like the SEBA (South East Baltic Area). At sub-national level the Turku Process, supported by the Strategy, provided a model and structure within which cities and regions in Russia could cooperate with partners around the Baltic Sea to meet common challenges in different fields. EUSBSR NEWS 3
SUCCESS STORIES Towards the tourism brand Baltic Sea The project Enjoy South Baltic!, in the framework of the EUSBSR Flagship Project 12.7, addresses the attraction of tourists. Its findings point out the potential benefits to refer to the Baltic Sea destination as such for which cooperation between countries is essential. The coastal areas of the Baltic Sea region have traditionally received an uneven distribution of tourists when making a distinction between north and south. More specifically, the brand Scandinavia has usually had a prominent attractiveness tourism-wise. Therefore, in order to boost the tourism market in Poland, Lithuania and Germany, the project Enjoy South Baltic! has carried out a Market Research Study which confirms the need to strengthen cooperation tourism-wise not only between these three countries but within the whole Baltic Sea region. Enjoy South Baltic! is implemented in the framework of the South Baltic Programme and led by partners from Poland, Lithuania and Germany under the coordination of Pomorskie Tourist Board. The aim of the project is two-fold: strengthening the image and competitiveness of the South Baltic area as an attractive tourist destination; and making the Baltic tourist offer more visible on the global tourism market through direct cooperation with the private sector. The growth in the south Baltic at the moment is driven by the German region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Polish regions. In general, the low but steady increase on the supply side can be seen as a sign of lasting attractiveness for investors. MARKET RESEARCH In the beginning of 2012 the Market Research Study, conducted by DWIF institute, was finalised. A comprehensive analysis gives an interesting overview about the current situation and potential of tourism in the Baltic Sea region. Results of this market research have reconfirmed that it is crucial to integrate destinations beyond the partnership. In terms of international The market research recommended two international focus markets to enable the Enjoy South Baltic! project create a joint tourism product as a basis for international marketing. MARKET RESEARCH STUDY ENJOY SOUTH BALTIC! PROJECT marketing, it is highly recommended to refer to the cross-border destination Baltic Sea. The market research also recommends a practical approach despite the lack of a jointly defined destination brand or USP (Unique Selling Point). A joint image or brand concerning the Baltic Sea region does not yet exist and the brand development process is still ongoing. Nevertheless, the project has unveiled some useful findings concerning the USP of Baltic Sea for international marketing and come up with some suggestions for a modular thematic system. This includes Baltic Sea SPAs and resorts, maritime cities and culture, the Baltic way of life, active Baltic sailing and biking, Baltic treasures and natural heritage and Baltic spirit and history. WHAT TOURISTS TO ATTRACT As the major project aim is the attraction of new customers from international markets, DWIF analysed 25 European and overseas markets. An indicator system including 19 socioeconomic, tourism and dynamic indicators such as expenditure for leisure and travel, nights spent and length of stay or development of media access leads to two outputs allowing for the selection of the most promising international source markets (see above figure). The Market set 1 with Switzerland, Netherlands, Russia or China is the most challenging one, laying focus on extraregional and dynamic markets as Russia or China. The Market set 2 with UK, the nearly intraregional market in Norway, USA or Japan, is a more conservative alternative building upon established markets (USA and Japan as traditional overseas markets for Europe) and allowing neighbouring markets (Norway) to be part of the marketing action. WHAT IS NEXT The next stage of the project implementation will be focused on the creation of new tourism products and 4 EUSBSR NEWS
IN FOCUS - PRIORITY AREA 12 TOURISM Tourism cooperation is in line with Europe 2020 Wolf Born, coordinator for Priority Area 12 Tourism, expresses the need to keep the sector in the next generation of structural funds programmes. What has been achieved so far in PA Tourism? Through the activities developed in the frame of Priority Area Tourism, tourism cooperation at Baltic Sea region level is more in the focus of tourism stakeholders. The communication between networks and projects has improved. A draft strategy for sustainable tourism in the region has been elaborated and shall be discussed with stakeholders in the coming months. The potential of joint tourism marketing in the fields of nature and cultural heritage and maritime tourism has been indicated in different studies. First practical steps are taken in this direction, e.g. in form of a common internet platform that has been initiated in the frame of the Enjoy South Baltic! project with whom we cooperate closely. Is it hard to spread the label Baltic Sea since the label Scandinavia prevails in tourism in northern Europe? The marketing of the Baltic Sea region as a sustainable tourism destination has to be built on marketable transnational products and services that offer an added value to the supply side and that are attractive for tourists. There are practical examples that also Danish and Swedish tourism actors benefit from cooperation with their neighbours in the south and the east, e.g. in the field of maritime tourism. I am convinced that the involvement of partners from Scandinavia will increase in the coming years and that the issue of a common marketing approach for the whole region will receive more support. It is been said by the European Commission that tourism projects should not be anymore financed by regional cooperation programmes. How would this affect PA Tourism? The tourism sector is an important source of growth and jobs, especially in rural and coastal areas. Accordingly, tourism cooperation is also in line with the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy which is the parameter for the next generation of structural funds programmes. Future project applications in the field of tourism will have to clearly state their contribution to Europe 2020. Nonetheless, we should not forget the objectives of the EUSBSR which asks us to promote tourism cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. In this regard, it is essential that the future Baltic Sea Region programme also supports tourism in order to better Wolf Born, coordinator for Priority Area 12 Tourism. cluster tourism activities at transnational level. What are the main challenges for PA Tourism in the near future? With regard to the preparation of the next EU programming period, we want to facilitate the development of a common position of tourism stakeholders on the perspectives and priorities of tourism cooperation in the Baltic Sea region in the coming years. Unlike other sectors, tourism does not dispose of an institutionalised cooperation structure at ministerial level. Therefore, more efforts have to be made in order to articulate the sector s needs. For this purpose, we intensify cooperation with the relevant tourism actors in the Baltic Sea region. The 5th Baltic Sea Tourism Forum, which will be held in Rostock from 14th to 16th November 2012, will provide an excellent opportunity to further develop this process. packages on the basis of the observed trends in tourism and the Baltic common features. Consequently, the following phase will address the launch of the new products on the market. The above mentioned aspects give only a general overview of the scope of the analysis. However the full findings are available at the project webpage www.balticsea.travel. The whole documentation about the project Enjoy South Baltic! provides a helpful database on the current situation of the tourism industry and offers an overall perspective on the development directions. You can also contribute to this section with your success story stemming from a project whose macro-regional impact in the Baltic Sea area is evident. Please contact us by sending an email to: ip.turku@interact-eu.net EUSBSR NEWS 5
NEWS IN BRIEF Indicators and roles for the EUSBSR are now updated New project on energy and resource efficiency On 26 June 2012, the General Affairs Council adopted conclusions on the EUSBSR, endorsing the Commission s Communication of 23 March. Importantly, the Council agreed to the proposal for new targets and indicators for the Strategy, as well as to the definition of roles and responsibilities of the main actors of the EUSBSR. The new targets and indicators and roles and responsibilities are now part of the EUSBSR Action Plan currently undergoing review. The draft version of this document can be found and downloaded at the EUSBSR website www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu Photo competition: Take a look at the Baltic Sea The South Baltic Programme launched a photo competition on 3 August 2012. In order to participate, all you need to do is to take and upload a photo of the Baltic Sea, the Baltic Sea Region or any other object related to the Baltic Sea. The competition will last until 16 September 2012. More information can be found at the website www.southbaltic.eu Baltik Artek youth camp. CBSS SECRETARIAT Baltic Sea youth cooperation in Kaliningrad On 1-5 August 2012 more than 350 young people met at the session Future of the Baltic at the youth camp Baltic Artek in the Kaliningrad Oblast. This event brought together youth from different countries, specially from the Baltic Sea region. The Baltic Artek had four main aims: to foster youth exchange; to empower youth to participate in decision making in the region; to develop youth entrepreneurial skills; and to raise awareness of the issue of sustainable lifestyles among youth. The project has been developed with a view to the EUSBSR Priority Area 12 Education and Youth. In June 2012, Swedish Institute (SI) Baltic Sea Unit approved the project EFFECT - Dialogue platform on energy and resource efficiency in the Baltic Sea region for funding with a total budget of around 2 Million Swedish Kronor. EFFECT s main aim is to map, foster and communicate good practice solutions that attract and enable cities, villages and sub-regions in the Baltic Sea area as well as other relevant actors from the local, regional, national and pan-baltic level to jointly develop and implement policies and concrete actions on becoming more energy and resource efficient, sustainable and resilient while stimulating a greener economy. In the long term, these activities will primarily contribute to creation of resilient societies and promotion of the Baltic Sea region as a green region. The project has been developed with a view to the EUSBSR Flagship Project 5.3 Creating a network of sustainable cities and villages in the Baltic Sea region. More information on the project can be found at the website www.cbss-baltic21.org Videos on the EUSBSR use in regional cooperation During the Third Annual Forum of the EUSBSR, Priority Area 14 Major emergencies organised a special event on the use of the EUSBSR as a framework for successful regional cooperation projects. A discussion was focused on management of risk cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. The documented material is now being developed into a series of film-clips. The event also marked the official launch of the website www.14point3.eu for the EUSBSR Flagship Project 14.3 Macro- Regional Risk Scenarios and Gaps Identification. Monika Stankiewicz (HELCOM), Jacek Paszkowski (Swedish Institute) and Egle Obcarskaite (CBSS) at the Priority Area 14 event in the Third Annual Forum of the EUSBSR. CBSS SECRETARIAT 6 EUSBSR NEWS
EVENTS 17-20 September 2012 BSSSC Annual Conference and Baltic Sea Region Programme Conference Lilleström, Norway On 17-19 September, the BSSSC (Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation) Annual Conference will focus on investments in green solutions in a time of economic crises. The Baltic Sea Region Programme Conference will take place at the same venue on 19-20 September 2012. Successful projects in transnational cooperation will be shown and the next programming period will be addressed. 21 September 2012 European Cooperation Day Europe and neighbouring countries Almost 40 countries will come together to celebrate cooperation and bridge-building between local communities across borders. Public events will take place all over Europe and neighbouring countries. Read more about it at www.ecday.eu 27 September 2012 Smart cooperation between Science and Industries in the Baltic Sea region Krakow, Poland Science Link, a project supported by the Baltic Sea Region programme, aims at encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in the Baltic Sea region. The conference will address the impact on R&D in the Baltic Sea region and cooperation between research and industry. 10 October 2012 Cross border cooperation on climate and energy in the Baltic Sea region Copenhagen, Denmark The seminar is initiated as part of the EUSBSR Priority Area 5 Climate change and EUSBSR Priority Area 10 Energy Market. The event will consist of presentations of existing visions and strategies for the region in the field of climate and energy as well as a number of practical examples from municipalities and cities. 16-17 October 2012 Implementing the EUSBSR Stockholm, Sweden Inclusive Europe, an organisation promoting transnational cooperation, will organise a transnational conference with a focus on the implementation of the EUSBSR. Special attention will be paid on benefits of cross-border cooperation and a stronger social dimension. European Cooperation Day on 21 September 2012. INTERACT 23-24 October 2012 South Baltic Programme annual event Ronneby, Sweden This two-day conference will tackle the impact of projects on the development of the South Baltic area as well as the direction of the future cooperation within the South Baltic Programme. The new opportunities for cooperation within the EUSBSR will also be part of the discussions. 24-25 October 2012 A greener agriculture for a bluer Baltic Sea Copenhagen, Denmark The agri-environmental projects Baltic Compass, Baltic Deal and Baltic Manure together with WWF organise this event. The main issues on the agenda include the latest accomplishments in the area of sustainable agriculture, current challenges, the CAP and business opportunities related to the management of manure. 30-31 October 2012 Storytelling workshop to promote EUSBSR Tallinn, Estonia A storytelling workshop will be organised by INTERACT Point Turku for the EUSBSR stakholders. The need to communicate and disseminate results coming out from projects as well as examples of good practices will be addressed in this event. More information about events can be found at the EUSBSR website. Presentations, agendas and programmes, reports and pictures have been also made available for download. Please visit www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/pages/events EUSBSR NEWS 7
DASHBOARD A study suggests how to improve communication for the EUSBSR In the framework of the implementation phase of the EUSBSR, the Council Conclusions of November 2011 recommended to improve the communication mechanisms of the Strategy for a proper dissemination of information as well as an appropriate internal communication between the stakeholders involved. Taking up the challenge, the EUSBSR website to be found at www. balticsea-region-strategy.eu as well as a recognisable visual identity were released during the first half of 2012. In the efforts of identifying other possible needs and gaps, a study on the EUSBSR communication has been carried out by the Latvian-based company DEA Baltika. The analysis was marked by a stakeholder survey, interviews and desk-based research whose findings pointed out some of the strengths and shortcomings in the EUSBSR communication. Overall the report indicates that the EUSBSR is on the good track towards a competent communication. Some Priority Areas and Member States of the EUSBSR are actively communicating the Strategy and the flagship projects are seen as efficient communication channels. Political commitment and motivated stakeholders as well as the coordinating role of INTERACT Point Turku and the Task Force for Communication have made this possible. However, some weaknesses have been found and need to be addressed 164 EUSBSR stakeholder participated in the survey carried out to assess the communication gaps. 60% of the respondents were pleased with the level of communication. EXPERTISE ON INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ISSUES FOR THE EUSBSR Impending communication activities within the EUSBSR: Storytelling workshop in Tallinn on 30-31 October 2012 Handbook on roles and responsibilities Website structural changes EUSBSR brochure addressing the new objectives EUSBSR posters Handbook of good practices Fact sheet about the EUSBSR in the near future. The report particularly suggests that significant improvements should be done in the field of EUSBSR internal communication and this includes the coordination mechanism among the stakeholders. Besides, the level of commitment of stakeholders differs very much. This is sometimes caused by the general lack of resources on communication which can be considered as a threat for a suitable implementation of the Strategy. Lastly, the study recommends that a guidance paper should be produced to clarify the roles and responsibilities for all the communicators involved. The final report of the study on Communication needs, which was presented and discussed during one of the workshops at the Annual Forum of the EUSBSR in Copenhagen, has been made available for download in pdf format at the Strategy website under the section Documentation. 8 EUSBSR NEWS www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu