About BSSSC What BSSSC did for the Baltic Sea Strategy Future of macroregional strategies
About BSSSC Political network for decentralised authorities (subregions) in the Baltic Sea Region The BSSSC was founded in Stavanger, Norway, 1993. Its participants are regional authorities (level directly below the national level authorities) of the 10 Baltic Sea littoral states. The Board is the decision making body of BSSSC and consists of two members from each country holding a regional political mandate. The Board meets on a regular basis and is responsible for ensuring the ongoing promotion of the organisation and its political objectives.
Chairpersons since 1993 Mr Gerd Walter - Schleswig-Holstein, 1993-1998 Mr Knud Andersen - Bornholm-Denmark, 1998-2000 Mr Edmund Wittbrodt - Pomorskie Voivodeship, Poland February - July 2000 Mr Brunon Synak/Pomorskie Voivodeship, Poland 2000-2004 Mr Uno Aldegren - Region Skåne - Sweden, 2004-2006 Mr Arne Ören - Eastern Norway County - Norway, 2006-2008 Mr Carsten-Ludwig Lüdemann, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg - Germany, 2009-2010 As from 2011 Olgierd Geblewicz, Westpomeranian Region
The Board The decision making body of BSSSC and consists of two members from each country holding a regional political mandate. The Board meets on a regular basis and is responsible for ensuring the ongoing promotion of the organisation and its political objectives.
Key priority areas Science and education Maritime Policy Climate Change and sustainable development Youth Policy Transport and infrastructure
BSSSC and the Baltic Sea Strategy Joint Position paper December 2008 BSSSC, B7 Baltic Islands Network, Euroregion Baltic, Baltic Development Forum, CPMR - Baltic Sea Commission and UBC Union of the Baltic Cities.
Proposal for Flagship Projects: Clean Baltic Shipping Standardised facilities for shore-side electricity supply for ships at berth in preferably all relevant ports of the Baltic Sea region by 2015 Introduction of environmentally differentiated fairway and/or port dues in all relevant ports of the Baltic Sea region Voluntary agreements with cruise ship companies and port organizations in the BSR in order to achieve a voluntary ban of waste-water discharges and the granting of sufficient port reception facilities (Clean Cruising) Awarding best practice prices for exemplary clean shipping projects and trendsetting port performances in terms of environment Introduction of Labels for Clean Baltic Shipping and Sustainable Port Management.
BSS Consultation Process Roundtable on Transport and Accessibility along-side our Annual Conference in Kaunas 2008 Youth Conference We are the future you are planning for! in Hamburg 3 and 4 February 2009
First ever Annual Forum of the Baltic Sea Strategy jointly organised by BSSSC and the European Commission/DG Regio back to back with the BSSSC Annual Conference 13 to 15 October 2010 in Tallinn Estonia
Which future for macroregional strategies? The Baltic Sea was only the pioneering region Danube Region Strategy is already in the making (draft by end of 2010) Many other regions are ready to come up with similar ideas (North Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, the Alps and many others) Commissioner Hahn reluctant about further strategies for the time being!
The three no s: No new legislation No new organisational structures No new money apart from that already dedicated to the region (app. 50 bn Euros from 2007 to 2013)
Macroregional strategies are Bottom up approaches - there has to be a need in the regions Not covering the whole of the European Union what to do with the regions that are not (yet) in this process? so far not in line with regional policy designed for the 2007-2013 period Not yet a coherent policy tool with clearly defined objectives and means to achieve them
If there shall be future for this new way of policy-making these points are crucial: We have to take macroregional policy making into account when it comes to designing post 2013 Regional Policy, i.e. money has to be allocated to the projects. We have to find a satisfactory organisational structure that keeps the regions involved in the long run! We have to prove that there is a EU added value to this in the implementation phase!
The three yes! Yes macroregional strategies have the potential to bridge the gap between the regions and policy-making on European level, even if they are not the solution for all questions as regards regional policy post 2013 and so far not available for all regions in the EU Yes continous work on important pojects like e.g. saving the Baltic Sea environment needs money. If you don t want macroregional policy-making to become temporary fashion you have to underpin it with money in the long run And yes the regions have to stay on board of the process not only in the setting up phase, this needs an innovative organisational structure building up on existing organisations.
Thank you for your attention! Lars.Friedrichsen@hanse-office.de bsssc@sk.hamburg.de www.bsssc.com