1. Neighbourhood programme
The Baltic Sea Region
INTERREG III B
Neighbourhood programme
in a nutshell
by Susanne Scherrer
BSR INTERREG III B Joint Secretariat

2. Content The programme: facts and figures
2. The projects: activities and results

3. (1) INTERREG III B Neighbourhood programme
Total programme budget about 210 million EUR
129 approved projects
more than 3200 project partners!

4. INTERREG III B Neighbourhood programme
Total 210 million EUR from 4 different sources:
129 million EUR European Regional Development Funds
6 million EUR Norway
7.5 million EUR Tacis
67.5 million EUR national/Norwegian co-financing from projects
of which for programme management: 14,65 million EUR

5. The programme’s context:
8 EU Member States neighbour countries
100 million inhabitants
11 languages

6. INTERREG III B Neighbourhood
Seeks to combine:
3 historically differently organised economic spaces (former EC, EFTA, COMECON)
3 different administrative traditions: Scandinavian, Eastern European (former Soviet dominated) and Continental European
3 differently organised political systems (Western democracy, presidential democracy, authoritarian regime)
3 different Christian religious cultures

7. Turning Points in programme history: The “ever changing environment” of implementation!
Closure of INTERREG IIC and approval of the IIIB programme (first round was launched in 2001)
September 2001
Introduction of Priority 4 (border regions)
January 2002
EU enlargement - from PHARE to ERDF
May 2004
Introduction of IIIA priorities (cross-border)
Transformation to Neighbourhood Programme
October 2004
Future challenges
Objective 3 – Territorial cooperation programme
Introduction of European Neighbourhood
and Partnership Instrument (ENPI)
Challenges faced throughout the implementation of the BSR INTERREG programmes
Basically two major ones:
EU enlargement
Introduction of the Neighbourhood Programme
P4: + 3 MEUR
First call with PL participation: 4th call Febr (upgrading).

8. Baltic Sea region… …..a rich common cultural and natural heritage…..
…but a common identity?
Vilnius, Lithuania
Wismar, Germany

9. It is not the density, but the intensity that counts!

10. (2) INTERREG III B Neighbourhood projects
SEBTrans-Link
STRING
Via Baltica Nordica
Rural Development Connection
… and many other projects!

11. Baltic Sea projects: address challenges and risks
seek to connect regions
work on common grounds
around our Sea :

12. Challenges and risks
promote wind-energy-ideas and improve the investment climate by bringing together politicians, planners, lawyers, researchers and medium size companies to exchange knowledge (Wind Energy)
improve direct access to specialised healthcare to prevent migration from rural areas (Baltic eHealth)

13. Connecting regions
develop a region which is dynamic, sustainable, innovative and not hampered by borders (Baltic Palette)
set up a common strategy for how to improve the transport system in the area (Baltic Gateway)
build a tourist route, focussing on brick Gothic heritage (European Route of Brick Gothic)

14. Our Sea
change the attitudes and behaviour in order to reduce marine pollution (Baltic SeaBreeze)
decrease emissions by ships in Baltic ports (New Hansa)

15. Neighbourhood programme
The Baltic Sea Region
INTERREG III B
Neighbourhood programme
in a nutshell
by Susanne Scherrer
BSR INTERREG III B Joint Secretariat