Partner organisations from projects of Interreg Baltic Sea Region and other EU funding programmes developed nine platform proposals together with coordinators of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The aim of future platforms is to capitalise knowledge and strengthen communication of project achievements in the topics important for the region. The funding decision is taken by the Monitoring Committee of Interreg Baltic Sea Region on 6 June 2018.
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Strengthening cooperation in the Baltic Sea region
Lead applicants submitted nine project platform proposals that aim for more intensive use, better durability and transferability of projects’ outcomes in the region. These proposals covered all six topics of Interreg Baltic Sea Region open for application in the first call (see figure). Each platform proposal planned to spend around 1 million euros for their activities during three years.
The platform applications involved more than 70 partners from ten countries. These are mostly core partners of projects from Interreg Baltic Sea Region. In addition, some partners from projects of other EU funded programmes like Interreg Europe, Central Baltic, South Baltic and BONUS got involved.
The platforms were supported by the many coordinators of EU Strategy for the BSR: e.g. from areas of Nutri, Hazards, Bioeconomy, Transport, Ship, Innovation and Spatial Planning.
“We expect that this new instrument of Interreg Baltic Sea Region will strengthen cooperation in the topics very important for the region, like boosting blue growth and enhancing maritime safety. We believe it will make many organisations in the region aware of good results achieved by regular projects so that they will start to use new good practices, not available for them before”, says Elena Kolosova, project officer at the Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat (MA/JS).
Starting platforms in autumn 2018 and preparing for the new competition
The applications are now being assessed by the MA/JS in the upcoming month. On 6 June 2018, the Monitoring Committee selects platforms for funding. The successful platforms shall start their activities this autumn and run, in most of the cases, till June 2021.