A Central Baltic programme for the years 2021-2027 is being created
Friday, October 23, 2020 - 16:32
You may have caught wind that we are in the process of creating the Central Baltic programme for the 2021-2027 period. I’m very happy to provide you with a brief overview of the process. You can also check the News section, which will be the best source for staying up-to-date about the process.
Programming bodies.
Our hands-on work started already in March with the meeting of the Joint Programming Committee (JPC) in Helsinki. This is the official body responsible for drafting the content and structures of the new programme. The members of the JPC come from the regions and Member States/Åland of our programme. Since then the JPC has met online twice to agree on management issues and to confirm the content discussions of the so-called Working Group.
The Working Group consists of representatives of the regions. The group is responsible for discussing the needs and challenges of our Central Baltic region and for identifying what our programme should focus on. The Working Group meets online regularly and moves from an analysis to concrete proposals for potential activities, who could be partners and how we will measure our success.
The new programme can be expected to be result-oriented and focused. The selection of objectives will be based on the needs and challenges of our region. To get a good picture of these needs and challenges, input from stakeholders will be collected in many ways, ranging from surveys to thematic workshops and public hearings.
It is already clear that the new programme is serious about simplifying the life of project partners in the future. The application form and monitoring system will be improved. Reporting will be much lighter, as most costs will be paid out on the basis of so-called Simplified Cost. These require less documentation and will also reduce the risk of errors for the partner.
I and my colleagues will keep you up to date on our progress and on the ways at your disposal to give your input during the process. You can keep up to date through our website and social media accounts as well as newsletters. If you are interested, you can already make for yourself a note: a public hearing is foreseen in December.
Let’s cooperate in creating the best programme for our region for the future.
Merike Niitepõld
Head of Managing Authority
Programming bodies.
Our hands-on work started already in March with the meeting of the Joint Programming Committee (JPC) in Helsinki. This is the official body responsible for drafting the content and structures of the new programme. The members of the JPC come from the regions and Member States/Åland of our programme. Since then the JPC has met online twice to agree on management issues and to confirm the content discussions of the so-called Working Group.
The Working Group consists of representatives of the regions. The group is responsible for discussing the needs and challenges of our Central Baltic region and for identifying what our programme should focus on. The Working Group meets online regularly and moves from an analysis to concrete proposals for potential activities, who could be partners and how we will measure our success.
Programme content
Many inputs will be considered when the programme is prepared. First and foremost, the programme structure and content come from EU legislation. For example, the Commission has given a list of 5 Policy Objectives from which all programmes must choose what they will work with. The selection for Central Baltic will be prepared by the working group. The proposal will finally be approved by the JPC.The new programme can be expected to be result-oriented and focused. The selection of objectives will be based on the needs and challenges of our region. To get a good picture of these needs and challenges, input from stakeholders will be collected in many ways, ranging from surveys to thematic workshops and public hearings.
Programme area
The JPC wants to keep the current geographical area for the Central Baltic programme also in the next period. As the programming advances there may be minor adjustments to the geography, but generally the area will probably remain roughly the same.From programming to action
The goal is to have the programme ready to be approved by the participating Member States in the spring. After this we will submit the document to the Commission for approval. The first call for proposals can be launched when the content of the programme is known.It is already clear that the new programme is serious about simplifying the life of project partners in the future. The application form and monitoring system will be improved. Reporting will be much lighter, as most costs will be paid out on the basis of so-called Simplified Cost. These require less documentation and will also reduce the risk of errors for the partner.
Current status - and what you can do
The work has now started and it will continue actively all this year. We have collected inputs through surveys and in thematic workshops. It is very much my role to facilitate the discussion between stakeholders and decision-makers and to make sure that your voice gets heard.I and my colleagues will keep you up to date on our progress and on the ways at your disposal to give your input during the process. You can keep up to date through our website and social media accounts as well as newsletters. If you are interested, you can already make for yourself a note: a public hearing is foreseen in December.
Let’s cooperate in creating the best programme for our region for the future.
Merike Niitepõld
Head of Managing Authority