Baltic Sea Region Phare Cross-Border Co-operation Programme 2001-2006

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Baltic Sea Region Phare Cross-Border Co-operation
Programme 2001-2006

• Andžs Ubelis
• Secretariat for the Minister for Special
  Assignment for Co-operation with International
  Financing Agencies, Latvia

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Co-operation History

• Inter-regional co-operation ECOS-Ouverture,
  Baltic Small Project Facilities, bilateral
  initiatives
• Trans-national co-operation spatial planning
  activities, Phare CBC large scale projects
• Cross-border co-operation on internal borders and
  on Eastern borders CREDO

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Evolution of the BSR CBC Programme 2001-2006

• New Programming period for the EU Structural
  Funds 2000-2006
• Introduction of the new pre-accession instruments
  in the EU candidate countries
• Need for closer co-ordination of the instruments
  available for co-operation
• Development of the new Interreg III programmes in
  the EU member states

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Aims of the CBC Programme 2001-2006

• To foster greater integration of the Baltic Sea
  Region and enhance its competitiveness by
  promoting co-operation in the following areas
• cross-border co-operation on immediate borders,
• trans-national co-operation, and
• inter-regional co-operation
• To act as co-financing source for the Interreg
  III activities in the Region, as well as to
  ensure gradual integration of both programmes
  with a view to future EU enlargement

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Eligible Activities

• Cross-border co-operation
• Investments into cross-border infrastructure,
  co-operation in the areas of economic
  development, education, culture and RTD,
  institution and capacity building, as well as
  joint planning activities
• Trans-national co-operation
• Activities supported under the Baltic Sea Region
  Interreg IIIB Programme
• Inter-regional co-operation
• Wide range of activities to be co-ordinated
  with the emerging Interreg IIIC Programme

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Who Can Apply?

• Local and regional authorities
• NGOs
• Educational, research and cultural institutions
• National authorities (only in case of Interreg
  IIIB co-operation)

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CBC Programme 2001-2006 Funding I

• Total amount of the Programme in 2001 and 2002
  12M Euro per year, 3M Euro annually for each
  Phare country
• From 2003 possible increase of allocation to
  the Programme in line with the latest
  communication from the European Commission on
  enhancing cross-border co-operation

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CBC Programme 2001-2006 Funding II

• Two funding schemes
• Small Project Fund small scale soft actions
  (from 20.000 to 50.000 Euro, annual allocation
  approx 1M Euro per country)
• Grant Scheme large scale activities and
  investment projects (from 50.000 Euro upwards,
  annual allocation approx 2M Euro per country)
• 5-10 of the Programmes budget to be allocated
  for Programme management
• with the exception of Estonia

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Implementation Arrangements

• BJCC overall co-ordination between
  participating countries and with the Interreg III
  Programmes, monitoring of the overall
  implementation
• National Steering Committees decision making on
  projects to be supported, monitoring of the
  national implementation
• National Programme Secretariats everyday
  management of the Programme

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Current Status with the Programme Approval

• Phare Management Committee decision October 18,
  2001
• Next BJCC meeting to take decision on further
  actions
• Development of the Programme Guidelines,
  Application Forms and Applicants Pack
• Launch of the Programme provisionally second
  half of 2002