Latest Programme news

Using the online partner search group on LinkedIn can help a project developer to set up a solid partnership for Interreg Baltic Sea Region. Here’s one example.

A popular item in Latvian ladies’ handbags is the Dzintars lipstick. Dzintars – a well-known manufacturer of perfumery and biocosmetics – recently faced a manufacturing problem that could have caused a loss in reputation or even turn-over. New lipstick brands unexpectedly changed consistency. To identify the cause, the enterprise tested the lipstick with one of the world’s best X-ray machines, the synchrotron. This machine cannot only help make quality lipsticks, but also better life-vests, stronger aircraft turbines and more precise medical instruments. The fact that companies get access to such machines cannot be taken for granted – it was possible only because of the EU funded Science Link network.

Find summaries and core information about the 35 projects that were selected in the first call of the Interreg Baltic Sea Programme during the period 2014-2020.

The MA/JS wishes all applicants, project partners and supporters of Interreg a happy New Year and all the best for the upcoming months. 2016 is be a busy year for everyone involved in Interreg Baltic Sea Region. Have a look at what’s coming up.

Design centres in the Baltic Sea Region have teamed up to turn their region into a forerunner for eco-design – a design approach crucial to a circular economy. Interreg Baltic Sea Region recently approved EUR 2.3 million to support EcoDesign Circle, international cooperation project that wants to push forward the change towards green growth in the Baltic Sea Region.

Interreg Baltic Sea Region opened the call for applications for targeted support and communication measures for the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). The call is open from 14 December 2015 to 29 February 2016.

The European Commission approved the updated Cooperation Programme for Interreg Baltic Sea Region on 9 Dec 2015.

Interreg Baltic Sea Region calls for applications for funding from the Policy Area and Horizontal Action Coordinators of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR).

Pomorskie region in northern Poland is an active player in European cooperation. The region’s Marshal office’s director highlights how his region has contributed to and benefitted from Interreg projects.

35 cooperation projects are about to kick-off: The Monitoring Committee of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region has selected the best out of 78 project applications. Find out which themes are covered, how much funding is still available and which project partners are the most frequent.

Timeline still under discussion.

On Tuesday 24 November the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (DASTI) hosts a meeting concerning upcoming Interreg Baltic Sea Region projects within the Policy Area (PA) Innovation.

Council of the European Union conclusions on 25 years of Interreg: its contribution to Cohesion Policy goals. With the occasion of the Interreg anniversary of 25 years, the Luxembourg Presidency has initiated a political debate on Interreg and its contribution to Cohesion Policy goals.

At its meeting on 18-19 November in Malmö, Sweden the Baltic Sea Region Monitoring Committee (MC), which decides on project applications, oversees the overall implementation and is responsible for the correct use of funds, selected the first projects for Interreg Programme funding during the period 2014-2020.

Interreg Baltic Sea Region grants funding to the 7th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) and announces funds for macro-regional coordination until mid 2018.

78 applications for cooperation projects were submitted four months ago to Interreg Baltic Sea Region. Now it’s time to decide which ones are most promising.

The EUSBSR Seed Money Facility received 50 applications. Available funds allow supporting approximately 28 projects.

On 21 October 2015 Ms Susanne Scherrer, Director of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Managing Authority/ Joint Secretariat, IB.SH - Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein and Mr Rinalds Muciņš, Director of the State Regional Development Agency in Latvia signed an Agreement on the operations of the branch office in Riga of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Joint Secretariat for the Programme period 2014-2020.

Did you know that gross domestic expenditure on R&D in East Finland is one of the highest in Europe? The regional yearbook, published every year by Eurostat, provides an overview of European regional statistics covering a wide range of fields. The facts & figures help understand the regional diversity within the EU.

The 13th European Week of Regions and Cities (Open Days) takes place in Brussels on 12-15 October 2015. It is an annual four-day event during which cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy, and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance.

Interview with Alexander Somoza, Interregional Co-operation, European Commission

This soft-spoken German national with intellectual curiosity and clear views is keen to delve into intra-regional matters, while he claims to be reliable with a long-lasting interest in the Baltic Sea Region. And there is no reason to doubt that Alexander Somoza, who is the contact person in the European Commission for the Interreg Baltic Sea Region, is every bit as devoted to his topic of responsibility as he claims.

Applicants getting ready to submit a proposal to the EUSBSR Seed Money Facility need to contact their respective Priority Area or Horizontal Action Coordinator (PACs/HACs) by Wednesday.

On 22 September neighbours and stakeholders joined the Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat (MA/JS) team at its premises in Rostock to celebrate the European Cooperation Day and 25 years of Interreg. The MA/JS colleagues introduced the concept of Interreg, which is all about cooperation and told stories from selected projects.

Cooperation is all around us! On 21 September and adjoining days, European citizens celebrate cooperation across borders.

State aid is a hot topic these days in the Interreg community. Many programmes have modified their direction, thus allowing new types of project partners to participate and new types of actions to be realised in the projects. Not only authorities, but also advisors and first level controllers are now adjusting to the new situation and are exchanging experience in order to provide the best services possible to project applicants.

Today the celebration of 25 years of Interreg kicks off in Luxembourg. The event is organized by the Luxembourgish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, together with the European Commission and the INTERACT programme.

Recently, Russia agreed to the content of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme and has as well nominated national bodies for audit and control to manage its participation in the Programme. Consequently, the Managing Authority and the Joint Secretariat (MA/JS) are now taking further steps to include funding from the European Neighbourhood Initiative (ENI) for Russia in this Cooperation Programme (CP) update.

On 8 September in Berlin, officers from the Seed Money Facility (SMF) for the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) met applicants for seed money to discuss their project ideas. The SMF has so far received about 35 project ideas for consultation.

All projects of the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 have submitted their final reports by the end of summer 2015: and that is a good time to look at some financial aspects of the phasing-out Programme.

Interreg Baltic Sea Region is looking for experts to support the State aid assessment of projects active in the fishery and aquaculture sector or the agriculture sector.

Things you need to know in order to write a successful project application.

Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein (IB.SH) at Kiel, Germany is inviting companies providing first level control services to express their interest by 8 September.

The EUSBSR Seed Money Facility offers face-to-face consultations and support to potential applicants and project idea owners during consultation days in Riga on 25-26 August 2015 (t.b.c.) and in Berlin on 8 September 2015.

While summer months tend to be calm for many people working around the Baltic Sea, this summer is quite exciting for Interreg Baltic Sea Region. The first full-fledged applications were submitted last week. A set of statistics about these potential projects is now available for download.

The Annual implementation report 2014 of the Baltic Sea Region Programme shows that the Programme is on track towards a successful and timely closure with last projects finalising during 2015.

The strategic evaluation of the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 is now completed and published by the Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat. It is directed to those who want to learn about past Programme achievements and to those who want to understand the expectations towards future achievements of the projects and the Programme. Next to a thorough analysis of projects finalised in 2007-2013, the evaluation comprises baselines and targets for projects in the programming period 2014-2020.

Contrary to global trends, aquaculture production around the Baltic Sea area has even declined during the last decade – despite a shortfall of global seafood supply. A noticeable impulse to reverse this trend without putting additional pressure on the environment of the Baltic Sea was given by the Aquabest project. The project proposed options to balance economical development with environmental considerations.

The second step of the 1st call for project applications is closed, 78 electronic applications were received by MA/JS. 81 project concepts were invited by the Monitoring Committee (out of 282 submitted in the first step) to submit complete project applications. Deadline was 14 July 2015, 16:00 CEST (UTC+2).

Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein (IB.SH) at Kiel, Germany is inviting companies providing communication services to express interest in the tender for “advertising and marketing services” for the EU funded Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme in the years 2015-2020.

An additional EUR 1 million of the European Parliament's funding have been allocated to the EUSBSR Seed Money Facility in order to support new preparatory projects. We welcome projects in all policy areas and horizontal actions of the EUSBSR Action Plan 2015. Details on this call are explained in the announcement note. The submission deadline for applications is 30 October 2015.

Things you need to know to prepare a successful application to Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

The 6th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) on 15-17 June in Jurmala attracted thematic experts, public officials, business, NGO, students, university lecturers and other stakeholders, in total more than 500 participants. The Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat (MA/JS) of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region used this occasion for consultations, seminars, info activities, meeting the stakeholders and enjoying the cooperation spirit.

1st call for support to preparation and organising the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Forum 2016 is open (priority 4).

While new Interreg projects are being developed for the Baltic Sea Region, the Programme has put into place its communication strategy. It outlines how the projects and the Programme bodies should cooperate and complement each other – in order to reach out to the right target groups.

Some of the participating countries offer additional (complementary to INTERREG Baltic Sea Region Programme’s funding) co-financing for partners from their area.

To align available project funding thematically with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is an ongoing challenge in the macro-region. The EUSBSR Seed Money Facility, managed by Investitionsbank-Schleswig Holstein (IB.SH), has proven to be a strong tool to support this alignment. One example that illustrates this alignment is the first call for applications of Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

Lead applicants of the 81 project concepts selected by the Monitoring Committee participated in the project development workshops and discussed how to prepare a good quality application. The project proposals are to be submitted by 14 July. The MC will decide on projects in November 2015.

Seed money projects for the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) are vividly applying for funding from sources such as Interreg, BONUS, Erasmus+, HORIZON2020, LIFE or DG Mare. The EUSBSR seed money funding has helped to deliver almost 70 project applications. Ilze Ciganska from the EUSBSR Seed Money Facility gives more insight into the outcomes of this new tool to support the implementation of the EUSBSR.

Check the executive summary of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme. The most important info and facts are summarised on 8 pages.

More than 80 lead applicants representing half of the 81 selected project concepts participated in the project development workshop and discussed how to prepare a good quality application.

Less emissions, greener connections and better informed decision making

The representatives of eleven countries around the Baltic Sea met in Stockholm, Sweden on 28-29 April for the second meeting of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Monitoring Committee. The Committee selected concept notes and approved the communication strategy, state aid rules and the updated Programme Manual.

The Monitoring Committee of Interreg Baltic Sea Region granted funds to the Priority Area Coordinators and Horizontal Action Leaders of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region to support their tasks related to the coordination of the specific Priority Area or Horizontal Action.

The Interreg Baltic Sea Region’s Monitoring Committee selected 81 project concepts to be developed into advanced project proposals. Find the list of selected concept notes here.

The Interreg Baltic Sea Region’s Monitoring Committee will meet on 28-29 April in Stockholm. The most important decisions will be on projects applying in the first call and support to PACs and HALs of the EUSBSR.

Smaller paper piles, no more inconsistent file versions of the project application or report, less re-typing of information – this is what the new electronic monitoring system BAMOS of Interreg Baltic Sea Region is about. BAMOS is ready to be launched by Interreg Baltic Sea Region in May 2015. Robert Schulz, information coordinator at the Programme’s Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat (MA/JS) explains what BAMOS means for project applicants, lead partners, partners and first level controllers.

Deadline 11 June 2015, please check instructions below!

Do you need a hand-out to show the key Programme information at a glance? Do you maintain a website about funding Programmes and need some content to present Interreg Baltic Sea Region? Are you looking for an overview table of the financial Programme details? The Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat has published a Programme fact sheet for Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

The Monitoring Committee approved the Programme Manual for priorities 1-3 and for specific objective 4.2 (Coordination of Macro-regional cooperation) with minor technical amendments. The changes are highlighted in the text and in the overview tables.

On 26 and 27 February, representatives of the countries around the Baltic Sea met in Kiel, Germany, for its constituent meeting.

Interreg Baltic Sea Region’s Monitoring Committee will be established tomorrow. The Programme’s Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat welcomes the Monitoring Committee for it's first meeting in Kiel, Germany.

282 concept notes received for the first call for projects. Interreg Baltic Sea Region was approved by the European Commission only seven weeks ago.

By the closing date of 12 January, the Joint Secretariat has received a very high number of applications for the two positions advertised.

The strategic environmental assessment for the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014-2020 has been finalised and the European Commission has accepted the environmental statement.

The aim of the strategic environmental assessment was to ensure that environmental considerations were taken into account in the development of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.

Interim evaluation report published: Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 proved to be a success

Things you need to know to prepare a successful application to Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

Interreg Baltic Sea Region invites other Programmes to PReMoS Meeting on 5 February in Prague.

All consultation slots for project ideas applying in the first call are booked

European Commission approved Interreg Baltic Sea Region Cooperation Programme.

The Joint Secretariat/Managing Authority offices are closed during Christmas and New Year break from 20 December till 4 January. We will be back in office on 5 January 2015.

Interreg Baltic Sea Region is launching its first call for applications for Priority 1 “Capacity for innovation”, Priority 2 “Management of natural resources” and Priority 3 “Sustainable transport”.

1st call for support to Priority Area Coordinators and Horizontal Action Leaders of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is open (priority 4)

Things you need to know to prepare a successful application to Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

Register this week.

Things you need to know to prepare a successful application to Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

Get in touch with more than 300 other people interested in Interreg Baltic Sea Region projects on LinkedIn.

Things you need to know to prepare a successful application to Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

Find the next event in your country to learn about Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

Things you need to know to prepare a successful application to Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

Belarus and Russia are one step closer to join Interreg Baltic Sea Region

Register by end of this week.

Registration closed - stay in touch with news of MA/JS.

Practical steps taken at the Programming Task Force meeting in Krakow.

Yesterday, Thursday 4 September, the Cooperation Programme for the “Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014-2020” was submitted to the European Commission.

Are you ready for Interreg Baltic Sea Region? This week, the Managing Authority/ Joint Secretariat (MA/JS) launches support activities to project development for the first call of the new Programme.

Funding cooperation: Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme Conference 2014

Warsaw, Poland, 26-27 Nov 2014