Transcript East-West Forum Project

East-West Forum
Project
The co-operation in the BSR is strengthening
However, the participation of Russia in INTERREG has hardly been satisfactory in the
previous years
Important movements were done in Russia towards this direction
It is clear that the political preconditions for better participation of the Russian regions
in INTERREG III B projects have been settled down, but several constraints still
exist:
  low institutional capacity within Russian regions to co-operate transnationally (the
responsible for regional development civil servants still need to study the contemporary
planning and programming methods based on principle of sustainability and
subsidiarity, they need to study the most important pan-Baltic strategic documents and
concepts, they need to meet other planners from other BSR regions to be encouraged
by their experience),
  lack-of co-operation between different stakeholders horizontally and vertically (no
experience how to co-operate effectively, lack of modern tools for fast professional
communication),
  lack-of experience on project based implementation of the existing strategic
documents, experience how to conceptualise and how to develop the project idea up till
implementation phase,
  insufficient knowledge of the potential partners their problems , weak and strong
points,
  insufficient understanding among politicians for implementation of existing strategic
documents at the project bases.
Project idea Summary
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The proposed project – East-West Forum for sustainable development in the
Baltic Sea Region – will involve practitioners and trainers in the field of regional
development from four BSR countries. The target group are professionals (civil
servants,experts) and politicians from regional and local authorities of the North-West
of Russia. The Forum will work as an arena for exchange of knowledge and experiences
in the field of spatial and regional (sustainable) development to stimulate partnerships
and increase the possibilities for co-operation and networking between North-West
regional authorities and BSR countries.
provide an exchange of experience in strategic planning and policy making and
stimulate partnerships between Russian officials, experts and European counterparts,
and representatives of donor programs and agencies;
professional links, networking among Russian and foreign participants and their
institutions, exploiting advanced Internet technologies (conference on municipal GIS
for BSR countries).
strengthening Institutional Framework and Regional Development Agencies Network
in BSR as an effective instruments for reinforcing sustainable economic development of
the regions
Main implemented
steps
New impulse for enhancing of co-operational
activity has been done by the international
seminar “Baltic Sea Region Interregional Cooperation: New Opportunities for North-West
Russian Participation” which had taken place in
Saint Petersburg on May 2001. The strategic
objective of the seminar was to facilitate
partnerships with the North-West regions of
Russia by generating joint projects within the new
phase of the transnational EU Interreg
programme in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR
Interreg III B).
Among other general objectives of the seminar
were the following:
- to enhance the understanding of EU spatial and
regional co-operation programmes and of the
VASAB 2010 Plus Strategy among Russian
partners;
- to increase the knowledge of potential project
partners about the objectives and procedures of
the Interreg III B programme for the Baltic Sea
Region (practical guidelines);
- to inform about options and ways for Russian
Regions to get involved in the Interreg III B
programme.
The other practical result of the seminar is setting up of
the new instrument of advisory status – BSR Interreg IIIB
Russian national sub-committee (RNSC). This body
activity aims for involvement of regional and local
authorities responsible for regional and local development
and spatial planning, as well as for involvement of the
economic and social partners and non governmental
organisations in the implementation of the European
Initiative BSR Interreg IIIB. This body has an important
role in carrying out of the proactive approach i.a. through
information and support to project generation and
development.
As it was decided, RNSC will deal with VASAB activity too.
MAKING THE CROSSBORDER
CO-OPERATION WORK
Seminar
20-21.11. 2001
St. Petersburg, Pushkin
(Tsarskoe Selo)
Practical guide on BSR
Interreg IIIB Programme for
potential Russian partners
was published in September
(part 1) in Russian language
as one of practical results.
Project idea of EW Forum,
presented on two Partner
search Forums and other
meetings (including CSD
VASAB meeting in
Stockholm) attracted new
partners including Nordregio
Nordregio project
Small Pilot project aimed at writing a
"state-of-the-art" report on Russian
spatial planning to be published in
slightly different versions in English and
Russian. It should be seen as one step on
the way of preparation for a larger
project.
First Draft
Concept for EWF have been
elaborated with help of
VASAB Secretariat for
TACIS Small CBC
Programme
Objectives
The main objective of the project is to prepare Russian North West stake holders to better
participation in the common BSR co-operation and projects. This should :
  strengthen the grass-root involvement of Russia in the Baltic problems and issues
counterbalancing possible negative results of EU enlargement (the problem of such
possible negative results was pointed out in the speech of the Russian Foreign Minister
Mr Igor S. Ivanov at the 11th Ministerial Session of the CBSS on 5-6 March 2002 in
Kaliningrad),
  contribute to better implementation of the Northern Dimension Action programme of
EU,
  bring new economic stimuli to the development of the North West part of Russia
thanks to increasing face to face international contacts at local and regional level in the
framework of concrete project,
  encourage Russian regional and local decision-makers to change their developmental
patterns and behaviours to the more entrepreneurial ones (orientation towards financial
engineering, acquisition of external grants, inventing/conceptualising and building of
transnational projects).
  ensure involvement of the North West Russia in the economic and social development
of the BSR,
 create better climate among the citizen of North-West Russia towards EU
enlargement and more vivid EU presence in the BSR.
List of target groups
The following groups will be targeted by the project:
 civil servants in the North West Russia (Kalinigrad,
Novgorod, Pskov and
Leningrad, Murmańsk Oblast, Karelia and St. Petersburg)
responsible for regional and spatial development,
 local and regional politicians,
 local experts from North-West Russia able to assist civil
servants and politicians in moving their developmental
approach towards the “project” track.
Through these three groups also the broad public should
be affected and influenced . The project should also influence
indirectly local NGOs and business sector (mainly by teaching
civil servants how to co-operate with this partners).
Reasons for the selection of the target groups
The above mentioned groups were targeted for the following reasons:
 civil servants – they should know how to translate the strategic
objectives of their regions/municipalities into concrete activities with
participation of international partners, they should initiate and facilitate the
process of building of common projects, operate the projects if necessary,
and make conclusions out of them,
 local and regional politicians - they are essential for providing a
political and financial support and for what is the most important for
ensuring that the project result will continue after the project is formally
finished,
 local experts – they are important for conceptualisation of the project
ideas, for avoiding overlaps, for ensuring innovativnes of approach, for
guiding the civil servants with regard to external funds acquisition.
 broad public should be targeted for building the popular support for
decentralised method of implementation of strategic documents of regions
and municipalities.
Relevance of the project to the target groups
The project is relevant for all target groups:
 civil servants – it upgrades their professional skills, it furnishes
them with concrete people to people contacts with colleagues
having similar responsibilities in different BSR countries,
 local and regional politicians - it shows them how to make their
own political success out of international co-operation, it straighten
their influence on over-all development of the BSR (they participate
on equal footing with their counterparts from EU and accession
countries and practically decide about developmental priorities for
the BSR),
 local experts – it strengthen their role in the developmental
process hopefully by that also contributing to better accountability
of the developmental processes in the North West Russia.
Activities
The following activities will be chosen for project implementation
 transfer of knowledge, training of personnel including training of trainers and
study visits
 establishment of best practice and procedures
 establishment of advisory and development functions
 thematic information seminars,
 development of information material
In particular strengthening institutional capacity of the North West Russia requires
training, access to best practices as a point of departure for project development,
establishment of efficient advisory functions with regard to project development,
building up a political support for project based approach to development.
This approach in a natural way will attract public to the developmental processes,
now discourage by the omnipotence of the local and regional authorities.
Methods of implementation
1.Workshops
2.Study visit
3.Pilot projects
Preparation of the political decisions and changing the existing administrative
routines and procedures
Meeting of the North-West Russian
regions (key politicians and experts) with
VASAB representatives (June 21st,2002,
Saint-Petersburg) ;
The main task of that meeting was the
discussion of an issue of North-West
Russia' participation in BSR transnational
activities in the field of Spatial Planning
Minutes
of a meeting of the North-West Russian regions
21 June 2001, Pushkin, Kochubey Palace
Discussion of the East-West Forum Project
Decision made: recognize the critical importance and necessity of
participating in the East-West Forum.
Representatives from northwest regions confirmed their willingness to
participate in the preparation/submission of joint applications to TACIS
Micro and TACIS CBC SPF.
The meeting decided to apply to CSD VASAB 2010: for political and
financial support to the entire project, as well as to its specific elements
(applications to TACIS and Interreg Programs); for aid in selecting
application partners and in project implementation; and for personal
participation of CSD members in forum events.
The workshop expected results:
a) improvement of the East-West Forum
project concept
b) ensuring the CSD/BSR support for the
project application to TACIS and INTERREG
c) better incorporation of the East-West
Russia spatial development priorities into
the CSD/BSR work Plan for years to come.
VASAB Future Activities
- Setting up Task Force for North-West
Russia Regions East-West Forum TACIS
application elaboration (as it was done
for Kaliningrad for example)
- Political support
- Help in partner searching activities getting partners on board
- Expertize transfer from interested
countries - members
- Fundraising activities
Interreg III B
• Seed Money application 2002
• Project Application 2003 - 2004
TACIS
• Micro application 2002
• Small application CBC SPF 2003
TACIS Micro Project application
TACIS Micro will involve
7 North-West regions
and 2 EU-countries – Finland and Sweden with consulting with support
from Nordregio.
Main focus – Regional Planning System and decision making Systems,
including institutions and practices.
The project approaches a group of 14 key persons of North West Russian
Regions who deal with regional planning and prepared of decisions, which
affect widely the social and economic development of the region.
The participants are encouraged to identify the main issues and urgent
needs the North West Russian authorities in reforming and improving the
existing systems of regional development planning, to learn the EU best
practices and experience.
Russian participation in the BSR
INTERREG IIIB projects:
DECEMBER 2001
Out of 40 projects submitted to JS, 13 indicated Russian
partners.
- Steering Committee approved 6 projects and 3 of them
indicated Russian participation in the project.
applications
submitted in
Oct.2001
40
30
20
applications
for
assesment
10
0
IR3B
BEL
EST
LT
LV
RU
PL
applications
approved in
Dec. 2001
Russian participation in the BSR INTERREG
IIIB projects:
MAY 2002
Out of 58 applications submitted to JS, 53 indicted E-BSR partners in the projects:
In 58 submitted
Belarus
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Russia
Number of projects
3
33
27
25
30
28
Number of partners in
total
6
70
45
41
62
53
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
IR3B
BEL
EST
LT
LV
PL
RU
■ Project submitted
■ Project approved
Opening the workshop