SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS Seventh Application Round 14 February – 14 March 2005 REPORT Joint Secretariat to Steering Committee PROGRAMME PART-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION (ERDF) APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 1 SEED MONEY PROJECTS - SEVENTH ROUND 2005 The seventh seed money call for applications for the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Neighbourhood Programme was launched in the period 14 February – 14 March 2005. The call was open to all measures, including – for the first time – measure 3.2 on bilateral maritime co-operation. In total 58 projects applied for the ERDF or Norwegian national fund. Similar to previous rounds, priority 3 proved to be most popular again, representing almost one third of all applications (16 applications). However, unlike earlier rounds, also priority 2 measures were well addressed, together taking up 55% (32 applications) which may well make visible the applicants endeavour to cover the missing themes communicated by the Joint Secretariat. In contrast to this, priority 1 has only modestly been targeted, although with 4 proposals in measure 1.1. 1 proposal addressed measure 3.2 for the first time. Again comparable to preceding rounds, the majority of Lead Applicants came from westBSR countries, namely Finland (16), Germany (15) and Sweden (10), followed by Latvia and Denmark (4 in each case), and Estonia, Lithuania and Poland (3 each). Comparable to last round, again Estonia was active as second obligatory partner (10 projects); and notably, for the first time possible, Russia (6 proposals). The Joint Secretariat approved 12 out of the 58 received applications on behalf of the BSR INTERREG III B Steering Committee. 11 proposals (or 19%) were not eligible, mostly due to ineligibility of the LP and/or second obligatory partner, or because of a too narrow partnership insufficient to meet the minimum criterion for seed money projects. All 30,000 € from the Norwegian funds have been committed in the previous rounds, and no Norwegian-led project applied for funding in the 7th round. In total, EUR 120,000 of the ERDF earmarked for seed money projects are committed for this round, leaving a residue of EUR 145,000. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 2 SEED MONEY PROJECTS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 Proj no Proj title 170 171 178 179 181 186 190 192 206 211 213 218 Sustainable management of angling tourism in Natura 2000 and other sensitive areas M LP ERDF applied for 2nd (EURO) JS Decision 2005.04.2 5 estimated main project budget (EURO) therof ERDF estimated rate, EURO) 2.3 DE SE 10,000.00 Approved 1,500,000.00 750,000.00 2.2 FI LV 10,000.00 Approved 1,500,000.00 750,000.00 2.3 DE PL 10,000.00 Approved 1,500,000.00 750,000.00 1.1 DE RU 10,000.00 Approved 600,000.00 300,000.00 3.1 SE DK 10,000.00 Approved 780,000.00 390,000.00 Strengthening the Contribution of Small-Scale Private Forestry to sustainable regional Development in the Baltic Sea Region 2.3 DE EE 10,000.00 Approved 1,200,000.00 600,000.00 Preservation and Re-use of Lighthouses and Seafortresses in the Baltic Sea Region 2.3 FI EE 10,000.00 Approved 1,750,000.00 850,000.00 DE FI 10,000.00 Approved 2,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 LV EE 10,000.00 Approved 1,000,000.00 750,000.00 10,000.00 Approved 2,000,000.00 1,500,000.00 Logistics Efficiency through IT Interfaces in the Baltic Sea Region Soil protection in the frame of the management of NATURA 2000 sites at the Baltic Sea Coastline Under the Paradigm of Globalization: Identifying and Connecting Macro Regions for the Structural Empowering of the BSR Nuclear Installation in the BSR Combining Human Health with Environmental, Energy and Poltical Security HERMES - Developing Regional 2.2 Airports in the Baltic Sea Region Network of stakeholders in chemicals 3.1 management around the Baltic Sea Railway station development in the Baltic Sea Region 2.1 Interregional Communication and Information Network Mobility Culture in the Baltic Sea Area EE DE 2.2 SE DK 10,000.00 Approved 1,000,000.00 500,000.00 2.1 DE LT 10,000.00 Approved 3,700,000.00 1,850,000.00 APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 3 TOTAL REMAINING AFTER 7 ROUNDS ERDF (€) Total Budget Top-up budget allocation by SC Total Approved Total Approved 7th Round Total Remaining 500,000 Norw Nat Fund (€) 30,000 EU MS Interest Fund (€) 80,000 300,000 - - 655,160 30,000 80,000 120,000 - 144,840 0 0 SUMMARY ALL ROUNDS 1-7 Applied Projects Projects 18 11 55,000 5,000 12 9 50,000 0 Not available 32 16 25,000 5,000 80,000 21 10 99,500 10,000 Not available Fifth Round 43 20 184,000 10,000 Not available Sixth Round ** 34 15 131,660 4,000 * Not available 58 12 120,000 0 Not available 218 93 655,160 30,000 80,000 First Round Second Round Third Round ** Fourth Round Seventh Round Total Approved ERDF (€) Norw. Nat fund (€) Interest Income fund (€) Not available Period 4 Feb – 1 Dec 2002 1 Juli 2002 – 1 June 2003 3 Feb – 1 Dec 2003 24 Jun 2003 – 1 May 2004 9 Feb – 30 Nov 2004 6 Sept 2004 – 6 May 2005 14 Feb 2005 – 1 December 2005 - * remaining from unused Norwegian funds ** call focused on selected measures APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 4 POTENTIAL FUNDING VOLUME IN THE SEED MONEY PIPELINE – 7TH ROUND TOTAL 1,1 600.000 1,2 0 1,3 2,1 2,2 2,3 3,1 0 5.700.000 4.500.000 5.950.000 1.780.000 3,2 0 SUM 18.530.000 ERDF 300.000 0 0 3.350.000 2.250.000 2.950.000 1.140.000 0 9.990.000 (estimated) SEED MONEY PROJECTS IN FIGURES – SEVENTH ROUND 2005 7th Seed Money application round, spring 2005 assessment result 11 12 did not pass eligibility check did not pass quality assessment approved N = 58 35 7th Seed Money Application Round, Spring 2005 Number by Measure / Priority 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 16 2 12 10 10 2 4 4 3 4 1.1 1.2 14 1 0 1 4 3 0 8 1 8 7 0 1 1 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 Measure / Priority N=58 applications rejected APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 approved 5 7th Seed Money Application Round, Autumn 2004 Number of approved projects approved Seed Money projects after 7 rounds 26 30 17 20 2 15 3 4 17 5 1 15 7 3 10 5 2 19 25 14 24 11 2 0 0 1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 Measures approved after 6 rounds 7th round 7th round Seed Money approved projects, Spring 2005 by LP and 2nd obligatory partner 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 1 1 2 2 FI SE 6 DE Lead Partner 3 2 1 1 LV DK NO 1 1 1 1 PL EE LT RU BY 2nd obligatory Partner APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 6 FORMAL AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Date of submission: All applicants had to submit their application forms in one e-mail copy at the latest on 14 March 2005, as well as one “original” hard copy, post-sent and post-stamped, on 14 March 2005. Partnership: Projects have to have – being in line with the eligibility criteria set for the seed money facility – at least two partners already on board when applying, the lead partner (LP) and the second obligatory partner. The appointed eligible lead partner is taking part and securing the implementation, and assumes the full responsibility of the project partnership towards the programme’s institutions. By signing the application form this obligation is affirmed. In the application form, applicants are asked to distinguish related partners as “already involved” or “will be involved” (envisaged) in the seed money project. The second obligatory partner - “already involved” - confirms his status by attaching a letter of intent to the application form. (A standard format of this letter of intent is provided for applicants.) Applicants must have a wider partnership envisaged when applying. Completeness and eligibility: The entire application form has to be complete. All sections have to be filled in or ticked and be consistent with each other, and a letter of intent for the second obligatory partner has to be attached. Additionally, a wider partnership involving min. 3 countries has to be envisaged when applying. A few projects failed to provide all information, i.e. to appoint a contact person, or missed to complete all contact data in Annex I of the Excel file. Several projects were asked to replace the ineligible lead partner by an eligible one. All these projects were given the opportunity to complete the missing information or to eliminate the flaws. However, 11 applicants failed to comply with the eligibility criteria. 4 projects were approved on the condition to improve and revise the activity plan which bore insufficient detail. Project theme: Project proposals have to comply with the specific eligibility criteria set for the seed money facility (among others but foremost, project ideas have to be in line with the BSR INTERREG IIIB programme objectives, priorities and measures). In order to obtain sufficient information from the applicants, all applicants are asked to complete an application form. In the first part applicants are asked to describe their main project idea (problem to be addressed, central objectives and location of activities and expected outcome). This part since the 6th round supplemented by three sections, providing information on the transnational value, the relevance for spatial planning and/or regional development, as well as an estimated project budget. In the part on the seed money project, applicants are asked for a concise description of the activities and achievements planned, thus facilitating a well prepared main INTERREG III B application. Recommendations to approved projects: In the decision letters, approved seed money projects are given recommendations and guidance for further project development. The applicants are recommended e.g. to consider a programme priority/measure other than indicated in the application form, or to relate to other relevant planned or running BSR projects, in order to exploit synergies and to avoid overlaps, or to consider expansion/diminution/balancing of its partnership, or to revise the activity plan towards more realistic scheduling or the strengthening of conceptual activities as opposed to a sequence of pure organisational/technical steps of implementation. In the 7th round, the issues related to the missing themes and how to address them have particularly been stressed in the recommendations. All approved projects were invited to the forthcoming Partner Search Forum being held on 23-24 May in Vilnius. General remarks: The interest in the seed money facility in the seventh round exceeded everything previously experienced in number. This may not least be on account of the efforts deployed by pro-active measures to mobilise project potentials in the BSR. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 7 TIMETABLE Seventh Seed Money Application & Implementation Round 14 February 2005 – 1 December 2005 Application Forms Available 14 February 2005 Deadline for 14 March 2005 Application Date of Approval 25 April 2005 Last date of Project Start 30 May 2005 Project Implementation Project closure 25 April 2005 – 30 September 2005 30 September 2005 Reporting Deadline 31 October 2005 Payment Deadline * 1 December 2005 * provided the report is flawless APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 8 APPROVED PROJECTS – DESCRIPTION AND REASON FOR APPROVAL A0170 Sustainable management of angling tourism in Natura 2000 and other sensitive areas S-MAN 2000 Lead partner: Municipality of Rehna in DEUTSCHLAND. Adress: Freiheitsplatz 1, D-19217 Rehna Phone: +49 38872 Fax: +49 38872 92922, amt@rehna.de Contact person: Volker Jödicke Second obligatory partner: Sjuhärad Region Association of Local Authorities in SVERIGE Address: Skaraborgsvägen 21, 506 30 Borås Phone: +46 33 480956 Fax: +46 33 480959, marie.ostblom@sjuharad.se Contact person: Mari Östblom Envisaged partners: Municipality of Tamsalu, Tamsalu-Linn, ESTONIA; Association for Rural Development Karhuseutu Maailmalle, Pori, SUOMI/FINLAND; Suwalki Chamber of Agriculture and Tourism, Suwalki, POLAND; North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve, Salacgriva, LATVIA; Schaalsee Biosphere Reserve, Zarrentin, DEUTSCHLAND; University of Rostock, Hansestadt Rostock, DEUTSCHLAND; Mecklenburg-Schwerin Region Association of Tourism, Ludwigslust, DEUTSCHLAND; University of Göteborg, Göteborg, SVERIGE; University College of Borås, Borås, SVERIGE; MELICA environmental consulters, Göteborg, SVERIGE; Indicative Measure: Enhancing good management of cultural and natural heritage,valuable landscapes and natural resources Reason for approval: The project is recommended for approval. The problem addressed in the proposal is in line with objectives of BSR INTERREG IIIB NP Programme's measure 2.3. In order to ensure sustainable development of the 'green structure' of the BSR there is a need for efficient tools, means and measures. One of these could be the regional strategies combining tourism recreation with nature protection, based on profound analysis of the subject. It should be pointed out that in order to be effective such strategies should be developed with strong involvement of the respective authorities capable to implement the strategies. The involvement of local small entrepreneurs (being the engines of local development) as well as specific groups of interests (e.g. NGOs/associations of anglers) is also of high importance. By involving all actors in the preparation of the strategies a sense of ownership is to be built so that the strategies can be realised. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that during the Seed Money project the regional and local public authorities as well as all other above mentioned groups of stakeholders in the respective regions being in focus of the proposal are approached. The project promoters are encouraged to attend the Partner Search Forum, which is going to take place in Vilnius on 23-24th May, 2005. The project promoters are also asked to consider participation in the Individual Projects Consultations organised by the Joint Secretariat in the beginning of the each Call. Please observe the Programme's website to learn more about the exact dates. The costs of participation in PSF and IPCs can be financed from the seed money project budget. Main Project - problem and objectives: Because of the natural conditions, and especially because of the abundance of lakes and rivers in great parts of the BSR, nature conservation and regional development in the BSR face similar problems. The key question is: How will a sustainable management of the most sensitive areas look like, and how can the various conflicts between utilization and protection of these areas be solved? In the EU part of the Baltic, an additional challenge has recently emerged by the Natura APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 9 2000 (N2000) network and the Water Framework Directive (WFD), espeacially the limnic water systems. The varying, sometimes lagging-behind socio-economic conditions in sparsely populated regions of the BSR and different approaches of regional policy with regard to the desired touristic and economic development make easy solutions seem farther away than ever. Especially the new EU members are confronted with this situation. The project is aimed at exploiting the tourist potential of the N2000 areas in a sustainable way, mitigating conflicts between nature conservation and tourism economy. The project will support the sustainable management and utilization of angling waters under consideration of the economic features in N2000 areas. Current problems with the enlargement of the N2000 network in the new EU-countries can be avoided, and a common policy regarding angling in N2000 areas can be developed. > Developing sustainable management strategies of angling tourism (limnic water systems) in N2000 and other sensitive areas in the BSR to create compatible tourist offers and business development concepts in the countryside and integrate this in spatial planning and regional developmentprocesses in the BSR. > Protection of nature conservation and wildlife and bird protection areas (N2000) by focussing on the biological prerequisites and ecological sustainability. > Increase the numbers of eco-tourists and develop the sustainable tourist business in rural areas without harming the resources and values of the environment. Compilation of the knowledge about angling as a spreader of aquatic alien species. > Offer organisations involved with angling and water management the opportunity to market their areas. > Spreading of information and knowledge of the role and necessity of the network of N2000 areas. > Developing methods and a management for preserving, development and promotion the network areas of N2000 and the possibilities of sustainable tourism in the perspective of the BSR. > Stimulating biodiversity and creating a green infrastructure for social recreation and tourism All activities will be carried out on a local and regional level. Results outcoming from this level will be transformed to a transnational state. > Digital map work and appropriating databases based on a geografical information system with extensive data for water based eco-tourist utilisation. > Dynamic cross-country Internet portal with handbook and maps in several languages. > A scientific report about angling tourism as e risk moment for spreading of aquatic aliens; Brochures in several languages with popular account of the scientific report. > Survey of supply and utilisation of the water catchment areas as well as a diversion of a nature compatible visitor leading system. > A clear and convince overview of possibilities for angling, overnight stays and acquiring locally produced foodstuffs. > Stimulate local smale-scale business and associations. > Increase knowledge about legislation among tourists in each partner region. A common marketing concept for angling in N2000 and other sensitive areas in the BSR will be developed as well as a adapted marketing conceps for each partner region. Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: The seed money project will mainly deal with the following tasks - establishment of a transnational partnership and developement of the main project application.The aim is to involve partners from local and regional authorities, universities, regional and local actors from the private, tourism and NGO sector. This will be realised by the work of an existing transnational working group consisting of representatives from an ongoing partnership between Rehna and Sjuhäräd (Leader+). Several meetings and conversations with interested partners will take place. Furthermore the working group will appear the project at different seminars, meetings and fairs. A first conference with potential partners will be initiated to present the idea of the main project, the main objectives and the necessity. A second conference APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 10 will take place to discuss and agree the objectives and tasks of individual partners as well as project management structures, the timetable and the financial contributions. After that clarifying conference and with a clearly defined partnership, the main project application will be filled for submission. Experience from related IR3B BSR projects and applications will be exploited, e.g. High Quality Tourism. The seed money application shall lead to a stable and well informed transnational partnership, it also give us the opportunity to clarify necessary questions to prepare a high quality application to the main BSR INTERREG III B Neighbourhood Programme. The expected achievements of the seed money project activies are: > A transnational, democratic partnership, where all partners are truly committed to the common objectives and the common timetable will be established. > National, local and regional partnerships will be established. > A short analysis about the relevant N2000 and other sensitive areas in the partner regions which will be involved in the main project. > The objectives, working methods and strategies, the themes of the main project will be clarified and according to these achievements work packages of the main project would be planned. > A management structure that ensures a successful project will be confirmed. > A framework of exchange of experiences and of out coming results between the project partners will be established. > The submission of a well-prepared main project application. A0171 Logistics Efficiency through IT Interfaces in the Baltic Sea Region LogOn Baltic Lead partner: Turku School of Economics and Business Administration in SUOMI/FINLAND. Adress: Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, 20500 TURKU Phone: +358 2 481 481 Fax: +358 2 481 4280, lauri.ojala@tukkk.fi Contact person: Ph.D. Lauri Ojala Second obligatory partner: Logistics and Customs Brokers Association of Latvia in LATVIA Address: Kr. Valdemara 123-2, 1013 RIGA Phone: +371 7800070 Fax: +371 7800077, aivars.taurins@schenker.com Contact person: LMBA Chairman Aivars Taurinš Envisaged partners: ICT Turku Oy, TURKU, SUOMI/FINLAND; Transport and Telecommunication Institute, RIGA, LATVIA; Estonian Logistics Association, SAUE, HARJU COUNTY, ESTONIA; Blekinge Institute of Technology, Department of Computer Science, RONNEBY, SVERIGE; Rostock Business and Technology Development GmbH, ROSTOCK, DEUTSCHLAND; FDT Association of Danish Transport Centres, Aaborg, DENMARK; Kaliningrad Regional Development Agency, Kaliningrad, RUSSIA; Regional public authority, ., POLAND; Registered association, ., POLAND; Regional public authority, ., LITHUANIA; Indicative Measure: Creating sustainable communication links for improved spatial integration Reason for approval: The project is focused on capacity building in co-operating institutions and provides only a minor insight into the spatial features of the areas. However, as the project reveals a potential of developing the theme viable for measure 2.2, it should be approved on the condition that the activity plan will be revised to reflect a desired direction of the actions toward contribution of the planned ICT solutions to regional and spatial development through exemplary case studies. Besides, the project should better describe the field of expertise the ICT solutions will be applied to and consequently - the profile of SMEs selected as target recipients. Also, the role and assignments of the bodies responsible for APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 11 maintaining the results and translating them to policy-making in the field of public-private ICT interfaces should be better elaborated. Main Project - problem and objectives: The pace of economic development varies greatly among different parts of the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Here, differing levels of logistics efficiency across regions is a likely hinder of development, yet no comparative data on this exists. The extent to which Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has been adopted by firms varies a great deal too. While knowledge on ICT utilisation exists, too little is known on what type of IT interfaces between the private and the public sector are needed. Yet, effective use of ICT is bound to add value and save costs in business (B2B), in the public sector (G2G), and between the two (B2G). Publicprivate ICT projects can easily be misdirected and lot of resources wasted if user needs and organizational or practical constraints are not well understood. Technology itself seems less of a problem. Especially SMEs do not receive adequate support to improve their ICT knowledge. The use of logistics related ICT need to be intensified on many areas, and the IT interfaces (e.g. B2G) need to be understood better. These issues were also identified by a Trade and Transport Facilitation Audit of The Baltic States that Lead Partner (TSEBA) experts prepared for The World Bank that was released at the 3rd Baltic States’ Transport Minister seminar in February 2005. LogOn Baltic addresses these issues by (i) evaluating the level of logistics efficiency and performance in selected BSR regions, (ii) by assessing the scope of ICT use, IT interfaces and constraints related to these, and (iii) suggesting concrete actions for regional and local public sector bodies. Results are disseminated in local language by skilled and wellconnected Partners. LogOn Baltic defines how to produce value added services based on logistics information systems for BSR SMEs. This effort supports the e-Europe Challenges 2010 improving the exploitation of ICT by businesses, and links to Northern Dimension Action Plan. LogOn Baltic provides an overview of logistics efficiency and logistics information systems and their exploitation in order to improve the interaction between SMEs and other public/private actors. The identification of logistics interfaces between industry, commerce, services and authorities will contribute to further integration of the BSR. The main activities take place in selected sub-regions of BSR such as Blekinge (SE), Östergötland (SE), Kaunas (LT), Jutland (DK), Katowice (PL), Harju (EE), Riga (LV) and SW Finland, Russian sub-regions may include Kaliningrad, St.Petersburg or Pskov. The tasks are executed by local responsible bodies under supervision of the LogOn Baltic management. Dissemination is done locally as well as BSR-wide. The expected outcome of LogOn Baltic is to present solutions to improve SMEs competitiveness in the BSR. The transfer of knowledge on logistics information systems will accelerate the learning in the New Member States and contribute to their integration in BSR business activities. Partners of the public and private sector already carry out a wide range of “best practices”, especially ICT applications used locally, that can be adopted by other partners with similar needs. The public sector in each participating country will use the results to develop the domestic business environment but also in cooperation with other national or regional development agencies improving the BSR’s transport flows. The identification of logistics interfaces will be a first step towards harmonisation and standardisation of these interfaces and enable the creation of electronic linkages that facilitate daily logistics operations. In April 2005, TSEBA finalises a pilot study related to this issue with extensive interviews followed by a survey sent to 4,000 firms in South-West Finland. Based on this pilot study a number of ICT and SCM development needs have been identified and addressed. The Ministries of Transport in the Baltic States have been informed of the Logon Baltic preparations. They have warmly endorsed it, and may consider joining the main application. This way the results would be disseminated to Governments too. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 12 Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: The first activity is to define the starting point for LogOn Baltic. That means activating the partners to examine their own strengths and weaknesses and pulling together further ideas and suggestions for the implementation of the main project co-ordinated by the lead partner. After that the project management team produces more specific and detailed proposals for action based on the collected ideas and introduces them to the partners on-site in the local country or via phone and e-mail. The management team also discusses ideas and negotiates with the partners for national co-funding of the main project. The partners providing additional funding confirm the amount of funding and commitment. The participating organisations conduct preparing workshops where the tentative working plan is prepared and fields of know-how are defined. The management team invites suitable partners to join the consortium and experts and representatives of enterprises to join a steering committee. The committee completes the project plan and compile a draft proposal taking into account the arising ideas of the partners which again will be evaluated by all partners. The management team will draft the final application and collect all additional appendices needed and prepare the documents for submission. The LogOn Baltic project is initiated and a closed circuit work plan for the project has been prepared. Detailed material for partners is produced by the management team. The partners have confirmed their participation and achieved national co-funding after presentations organised by the management team in each country. The key individuals of each participating organisation are strongly involved and committed to the project. There is a workable LogOn Baltic consortium and an expert steering committee has been set up. Workshops are organised in the participating organisations to produce needed information for the draft proposal. The LogOn Baltic concept is sharpened and the activities are divided into work packages. Special project workers have prepared draft proposals with support of the management team. The consortium and key partners have had the possibility to meet and re-examine the draft application. The consortium is well prepared for the LogOn Baltic main project and they have a solid network comprising the BSR. The tentative application is prepared and finally the completed application with annexes has been submitted. A0178 Soil protection in the frame of the management of NATURA 2000 sites at the Baltic Sea Coastline SOILNAT Lead partner: Technische Universität Berlin, Institute of Ecology in DEUTSCHLAND. Adress: Salzufer 11-12,, 10587 Berlin Phone: +49 30 31473527 Fax: +49 30 31473548, fritzi.lang@tu-berlin.de Contact person: Friederike Lang Second obligatory partner: Agricultural University Warsaw, Department of Soil Environment Sciences in POLAND Address: Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw Phone: +48 2259 32610; e-mail: kaczorek@delta.sggw.waw.pl Contact person: Danuta Kaczorek Envisaged partners: Environmental Center for Administration and Technology, Kaunas, LITHUANIA; EUCC The Coastal Union Germany, Rostock-Warnemünde, DEUTSCHLAND; University of Gdansk, Institute of Oceanography, Gdansk, POLAND; Center of Agriculture Landscape and Land Use Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, DEUTSCHLAND; National Environmental Research Institute, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Silkeborg, DENMARK; Ecotourism-Info Lesnoj, Kaliningrad Oblast, RUSSIA; Regional Forestry Board of Oestra Goetaland, Linkoeping, SVERIGE; Administration of the Curonian Spit National Park, Klapeida, LITHUANIA; BTE-Tourismusmanagement, Berlin, DEUTSCHLAND; Warsaw University, Institute of Botany, Uppsala, POLAND; Indicative Measure: Enhancing good management of cultural and natural heritage,valuable landscapes and natural resources APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 13 Reason for approval: The project is recommended for approval as the idea of harmonising soil protection with the goals of habitat protection in the field of integrated planning and spatial development of the BSR coastal zones is in line with measure 2.3 of the Programme. Having in mind the central objectives of the main project the Joint Secretariat would like to draw attention to the most crucial preconditions to be fulfilled in order to achieve such a goal. That is, since the enhancement of the dialog between regional and local authorities, scientists and stakeholders is in focus of the main project, the involvement of all these groups of interest in the project from the very beginning is deemed necessary. Meanwhile, from the Seed Money project activity plan one can hardly see that any attempt in this direction will be done during the preparation of the main proposal (apart from activity 3 to some extent). For that reason the project promoters should be asked to revise the activity plan in order to ensure that some concrete actions enabling involvement of new partners will be undertaken. The Joint Secretariat would like to invite the project promoters to Partner Search Forum, which is going to take place in Vilnius on 23-24th May, 2005. The project promoters are also asked to consider participation in the Individual Projects Consultations organised by the Joint Secretariat in the beginning of the each Call. Please, observe the Programme's website to learn more about the exact dates. The costs of participation in PSF and IPCs can be covered from the seed money project budget. Main Project - problem and objectives: Coastal zones are among the most sensitive and endangered areas of the world. In Europe different measures are planned for the protection of coastal areas. The declaration of coastal regions as NATURA 2000 sites is one of that matters. These sites are areas with a cross-border approach of nature protection in the EU and therefore of high relevance for future EU nature protection politics. The soils of coastal regions are the link between the sea and the land. Soils of coastal areas are endangered by erosion induced by increasing sea level, pollution and by the improper use of coastal areas or river deltas. Soil protection strategies have been demanded by the European Commission (2004). However guidelines for the consideration of soils in the management plans of NATURA 2000 sites are missing even in coastal areas where soil protection is of special relevance. For sustainable soil protection, synergisms between nature conservation, agriculture, forestry and tourism have to be recognized. Management plans have to guarantee for a fruitful cooperation of land use and soil protection. A harmonization of the soil protection strategies of different countries and the harmonization of soil protection with the goals of habitat protection in the field of integrated planning and spatial development is needed. The central objectives of the main project are: -to enhance the dialog between regional and local authorities, scientists and stakeholders in questions of soil protection -to harmonize measures of soil assessment, evaluation and protection of different countries, in frame of different directories(NATURA 2000, WFD) -to develop a new method for feasible soil mapping and evaluation including remote sensing and GIS -to enable regional environmental development of tourism and agriculture which is in agreement with environmental protection of coastal areas -to link different projects and studies to make use of synergetic effects The overall objective of the main project is the development of networks dealing with soil protection for environmental planning instruments like e.g. EIA and SEA and the implementation of soil protection in the frame of NATURA 2000 management plans of coastal areas. The activities will be carried out at four sites which are representative concerning the biotope types and environmental threats of the southern Baltic region. Result will be transferable to the complete BSR. The expected outcomes of the main project are: -a pan-Baltic approach to a joint management on the implementation of soil strategies in APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 14 land use and nature conservation policies -guidelines for the ecological implementation of soil protection in the management plans of NATURA 2000 sites of coastal areas -a method for soil evaluation and mapping which is transferable to the complete Baltic sea coastline -a GIS-based internet platform for soil protection of the NATURA 2000 sites in national languages via the portal of SOILNAT -a prototype of a management plan at one of the studied sites with special consideration of soil protection -integrated concepts for tourism, social recreation, forestry, agriculture and the protection of coastal soils -a dialogue board of BSR countries in questions of soil protection in general -strategies to improve the efficiency of impact mitigation instruments e.g. the habitats directive impact assessment the environmental impact assessment by use of this soil information in the coastal regions -a marketing concept of NATURA 2000 as an economic factor for green-tourism strategies -dissemination of project results to local communities of NATURA 2000 sites Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: The products of the main project (see1.3.1) are elaborated based on the results from four pilot-areas which are representative for the BSR (temperate zone, exclusively) concerning soil units, biotope types and environmental threats. The first step of the seed money phase will be to definitely identify these pilot areas. For our decision we will consider already existing ecological data, running projects to guarantee for optimal networking, and the preparedness for cooperation of local authorities and further, envisaged partners. The second step will constitute our planned main project with all partners, concretise the frame of the project and define the working packages. We will create an internet platform for exchange of information for the partners as well in parts for the public. At an advanced point of the project we will hold a partnership meeting with all partners. We invite also stakeholders, private business and authorities not involved in the project for a special information exchange. In the last months of the seed money project the proposals of the different partners will be composed. We will coordinate the creation of working packages and care for the networking between different partners. We will harmonize the work of the single partners to realize a sound and promising proposal. Whitin the seed money project we expect: -to draw the attention of scientists, local authorities and stakeholders on the implementation of soil protection in the frame of NATURA 2000 management of coastal areas, including impact migation aspects e.g. the habitat directive impact assessment -to constitute an efficient transnational and transdisciplinary partnership -integration of authorities into our project -the development of working packages -the dissemination of the achieved thematic foci for the main project ( including the application for the main project with time table and financial table) APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 15 A0179 Under the Paradigm of Globalization: Identifying and Connecting Macro Regions for the Structural Empowering of the BSR ICMR Baltic Lead partner: University of Lüneburg (UL), Center for the Study of Democracy, 21332 Lüneburg in DEUTSCHLAND. Adress: Scharnhorststraße 1, 21335 Lüneburg Phone: +49-4131-78-2462 Fax: +494131-78-2462, meyer@uni-lueneburg.de Contact person: Dr. Holger Meyer Second obligatory partner: Delegation for German Economic Affairs in Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg in RUSSIA Address: W.O. Bolschoj Prospekt 10, 199034 St. Petersburg Phone: +07-812- 323-7991 Fax: +07-812-323-0470, service-ahk@spb.hk24.biz Contact person: Dr. Stefan Stein Envisaged partners: Baltic Sea Forum incorporated society (BSF), Brodschrangen 4, 20457 Hamburg, Hamburg, DEUTSCHLAND; Union of the Baltic Cities (UBS) Secr., Waly Jagiellonskie 1, 80-853 Gdansk, Poland, Gdansk, POLAND; Baltic 21 Secretariat, P.O. Box 2010, 103 11 Stockholm, Stockholm, SVERIGE; Baltic Sea Chambers of Commerce Association (BCCA), Skeppsbron 2, SE 211 20 MALMÖ, Malmö, SVERIGE; Baltic Development Forum (BDF), Valkendorfsgade 13, P.O.Box 1127, 1009 Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DENMARK; CBSS Secretariat, Strömsborg, P.O. Box 2010, 103 11 Stockholm, Stockholm, SVERIGE; Indicative Measure: Supporting joint strategies and implementation actions for macro-regions Reason for approval: The project embarks on a very relevant topic for the measure 1.1 and is highly ambitious regarding the desired scope of a pan-Baltic partnership. The objective to identify structural elements on creating and strengthening macro-regional frameworks within the BSR makes it rather research-focused, a fact that should be strongly accompanied by - and embedded in - the current practice of macro-regional co-operation in the BSR. For this reason, the project's main weakness is the missing reference to (1) its relevance for the Lisbon and Gothenburg process that is in the future becoming of utmost importance for territorial co-operation, and (2) macro-regional projects running or completed in the INTERREG III B programme, which should result in the involvement of key actors representing these. Content-wise, the socio-economic analysis of functional macro-regions should be complemented by aspects of sustainability/quality of life/environment (Gothenburg agenda) on the one hand, and a political dimension of more strategic character (i.e. history of co-operation, political willingness to co-operate, etc.) on the other. The "modelling with all partners" as an important part of the objectives needs careful design and decription when submitting the main Application Form. The project is approved in connection with the expectation to adjust the project's focus in the direction pointed out in the aforesaid, and is asked to establish close contact to the Joint Secretariat, i.e. by attending the upcoming Partner Search Forum on 23-24 May 2005 in Vilnius (cf. www.bsrinterreg.net). Therefore, the approval is granted on the condition to revise the activity plan and include the work on establishing relations to the Lisbon/Gothenburg strategy as well as to the running or completed INTERREG III B projects from measure 1.1. Main Project - problem and objectives: While the globalisation of economic decisions moves on, the competition intensifies for the most attractive business locations. This development can be observed within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) but also between its subunits and the rest of the world. In this context, the dimensions of decentralisation and regionalisation gain influence, whereas the basis for BSR macro regions is set up. However, macro regions within the BSR bear the risk of unsufficient representation on the European level. Additionally, due to a lack of transboundary governance structures the BSR subunits are very often overstrained with specific structural or thematic problem situations. According to the most important socio-economic indicators for the NUTS II and III-level, the sub-regions of the BSR differ a lot from each other (cf. EU Regions: APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 16 Statistical Yearbook 2004). Therefore, macro regional cluster groups have to be identified by a set of the most important socio-economic indicators. This will give the opportunity to built up new and enhance existing macro regional governance structures which are geared to different subject matters. The identification of diverse macro regional cluster groups will be the first step for a systematic and much more fruitful inter and intra macro regional cooperation. This approach will provide multiple options for the diffusion of best practice examples, patterns of growth and policy learning. It will be a sound basis for a deeper integration. First of all, it is the central objective to identify the different types of macro economic regions within the BSR. There is a huge gap in knowledge about the size and importance of the different macro regions which form the BSR. Up to now, the regional policy of the EU is based on a very narrow data basis taking only economic variables like the regional gross domestic product or the unemployment rate into account. For a more realistic regional typology, it is necessary to include much more socio-economic indicators as time series. These activities of data gathering must be carried out by all partner institutions throughout the BSR and closely coordinated by the lead partner. During this process it will be of great benefit to discuss the different types of indicators and their usefulness for the modelling with all partners, as well. Once, sufficient data for the NUTS II and III-level is available, cluster analysis will show which adjacent areas add up to functional entities. The next step will be to identify the best performing centres of development. As we know from other regions worldwide, these high potential cores will be in all probability the driving forces for their surrounding macro region as well as the whole BSR. In times of globalisation it will be utmost important to connect official and economic authorities of these macro regions to a network of excellence. The hosting organization for this network will be the BSF and BDF. The main theme of the project is to empower the development cores of the BSR in a network of excellence for the specific demands of Globalisation. Considering the predicted concentration of EU cohesion policy during the next planning period 2007-2013, the project will be a strategic approach to strengthen regional competitiveness and increase employment within the BSR. On a larger scale it will enhance marketing efforts for the whole BSR by an easy accessible web site. As a precious source of information, it will be the main communication platform for the network members including an interactive database about the different macro regions within the BSR. Managerial staff will be able to use the database online as an exploration tool to get detailed information about the development zones within the BSR. Thus, this economic atlas will be extremely helpful to find the most attractive locations for production sites, markets or business partners in short time. European territorial cooperation is one road towards convergence. The network of excellence will be a sound basement for fruitful regional partnerships of the next generation. The distinctive features of these regional partnerships will be a structural or a thematic orientation. In general, both factors guarantee a long-lasting partnership, while cooperation based on individual contacts is comparatively weak. A strategic networking of the macro regions must be determined in a code of conduct. Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: While the seed money project is going on, it will be extremely important to screen the BSR for existing strategic network associations. The project starting partners (BSF, BDF and UL) will use this time for an analysis of the different networks within the BSR. Gathering information about potential partners and their capacity and knowledge will be extremely important to identify the most powerful regional players. Over all, the project starting partners are aware of the fact that the success of the proposed project will profoundly depend on the integration of these players. Thus, it will be necessary to define the precise project outputs and stages of project development in cooperation with all partner institutions. In addition, the fivemonth-period will be used to discuss the project outline with scientific and economic experts. Especially, interviews with regional experts and statistical offices will provide an excellent feedback for the choice of indicators and data sources. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 17 After all potential project partners will have made a statement about their share of allocated resources for the project, it will be necessary to set up a work-flow-scheme indicating each partner’s duty. The work-flow-scheme will be of great importance for the calculation of the total project costs and each partner’s share. In the end of the seed money period the main project application will be completed and double checked by all partner institutions. The proposed main project is an ambitious venture to combine scientific and economic expertise for the empowering of the macro regions within the BSR. Under the paradigm of a globalized economy the starting project partners are convinced that it will be necessary for the wealth of the BSR to form new tandem excellence partnerships between “old” and “new” EU macro regions. However, regional players within the BSR have to be convinced about this new approach based on structural regional data and cluster analysis results. Therefore, the five-month seed money period will be extremely important to find further partners to share this view of next generation partnerships. An open discussion process will be needed to display the great project surplus and to bring all potential partners together. Additionally, many scientific and administrative questions have to be tackled during this period. In sum, this spadework is crucial for the success of the main project. A0181 Nuclear Installation in the BSR - Combining Human Health with Environmental, Energy and Poltical Security NIB-HEEP Lead partner: Lund University, Centre for Sustainability Studies in SVERIGE. Adress: Box 170, 22100 Lund Phone: +46 46 2220511 Fax: +46 46 2220475, Lennart.Olsson@lucsus.lu.se Contact person: Lennart Olsson Second obligatory partner: Risoe National Laboratoy in DENMARK Address: PO Boks 49, 4000 Roskilde Phone: +45 4677 4677 Fax: +45 4677 5688, sven.nielsen@risoe.dk Contact person: Sven Poul Nielsen Envisaged partners: Stockholm Environment Institute, Tallin, Tallin, ESTONIA; Indicative Measure: building Promotion of transnational institution and capacity Reason for approval: The project idea is very interesting and has not been covered by the projects approved within the BSR INTERREG III B neighbourhood programme so far. Therefore the project is recommended for approval with strong recommendations to enlarge the current partnership towards public authorities from various administrative levels and private sector institutions thus to ensure a more comprehensive approach to the topic depicted and produce outcomes that are employed by respective stakeholders. It is also strongly recommended to extend the partnership involving other BSR countries apart from the currently only 3 countries represented thus to cover the whole BSR area where the 40 nuclear reactors are located. Main Project - problem and objectives: The BSR contains over 40 nuclear reactors contributing to energy security but also posing a potential threat to human, environmental and political security. At present there is little coordination of the knowledge necessary to promote security in these four fields of security. Both the scientific and the societal organisation of knowledge is fragmented within countries, let alone between countries. With increasing political, economic, cultural and physical (in terms of energy infrastructure) integration, the region needs to take a comprehensive approach to create adequate structures for managing risks and thereby promote security. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 18 The aim of the project is to integrate the four fields of security (health, environment, energy and political) by analysing awareness, preparedness, responsibilities and decision making related to nuclear installations. Important questions to be raised are for example: what necessary trade offs are required in order to maintain energy security while at the same time minimising the risk for nuclear terrorism, reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and to protect the population from radiation hazards. The project will apply a portfolio of methods such as: • Multiple Criteria Analysis of policies and institutions. • Stakeholder workshops. • Systems analysis for scenarios and projections. • GIS and spatial modelling for data and information management. These methods will be able to deliver outcomes such as: • Institutional mapping of awareness, preparedness, responsibilities and decision making. • Identification of synergies and conflicting structures. • Analysis of potential threats using scenario analysis. • Analysis of barriers to cross-border and cross-authority cooperation. • Network of stakeholders. Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: The seed money will be used to make a very preliminary mapping of the most important stakeholders in order to involve them in the full proposal. This will require one person to screen policy documents from the countries we would like to involve (apart from the ones in this proposal, also Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Belarus and Finland. Interviews with key stakeholders would also play an important role. Finally, we also plan to organise a workshop in Tallin for the key partners in the full proposal. The seed money in themselves will result in a stakeholder mapping related to the four fields of security in the form of a report that will be published. The report will not only contain the formal structures but also some insights into the informal aspects. There will also be a network of potential and interested stake holders. We hope that the seed money activities themselves will promote certain awareness of the problems. A0186 Strengthening the Contribution of Small-Scale Private Forestry to sustainable regional Development in the Baltic Sea Region PRIFOR Lead partner: Heidmark Forest District (Chamber of Agriculture), Germany in DEUTSCHLAND. Adress: Delmser Dorfstr. 5, D-29643 Neuenkirchen Phone: +49-5195-97252-11 Fax: +49-5195-97252-40, FoA.Heidmark@Lawikhan.de Contact person: Dr Alexander Rosenberg Second obligatory partner: Estonian Private Forest Center in ESTONIA Address: Erametsakeskus; Viljandi mnt. 18B, EE-11216 Tallinn Phone: +372-6281543 Fax: +272-628-1513, jaanus@eramets.ee Contact person: Mr Jaanus Aun Envisaged partners: Swedish National Board of Forestry (Skogsstyrelsen), Jönköping, SVERIGE; Swedish Regional Planning Authorities (Länsstyrelsen), nn, SVERIGE; Regional Planning Authority (Landkreis) Celle, Germany, Celle, DEUTSCHLAND; Finnish Central Union of agric. producers and forest Owners MTK, Helsinki, SUOMI/FINLAND; Norwegian Forest Owners’ Association, Oslo, NORWAY; Latvian Cooperative Society of Forest Owners KSMAA, Salaspils, LATVIA; Latvian Forest Research Station SILAVA, Salaspils, LATVIA; PolishCentral Union of Forest Owners’ Associations, Kamienica 420, POLAND; Danish Forest and Nature Agency, Köbenhavn, DENMARK; Lithuanian Ministry of Environment, Vilnius, LITHUANIA; Indicative Measure: Enhancing good management of cultural and natural heritage,valuable landscapes and natural resources APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 19 Reason for approval: The project is recommended for approval as it represents a unique approach to natural resources management in the BSR. The private forest resources being in focus of the proposal need to be incorporated in the overall pan-Baltic management scheme. Therefore the initiative of active integration of small-scale forestry into regional development and spatial planning is of value for the BSR. The project promoters envisage a very broad partnership concerning the involvement of the small-scale private forestry representatives from all the BSR countries. This might be of importance as the success of the main project lies within its pan-Baltic scale; however, the sheer willingness of the co-operation between small forests holdings in the context of the fundamental political changes might be not enough in order to achieve such an ambitious goal. Therefore, it is recommended that the dialogue between the state and regional forest administration in all Baltic countries should be started by the project, this process should lead to the elaboration of recommendations for future national and EU forests policies. The project promoters are encouraged to attend the Partner Search Forum, which is going to take place in Vilnius on 23-24th May, 2005. Main Project - problem and objectives: The Baltic Sea Region is characterised by a high proportion (appr. 50%) of forests, thus representing one of the most important forest regions in Europe and in the northern hemisphere. A large part of the forests appr. 40% -is owned and managed by small- and medium scale forest holdings, which makes the forest as a limited resource hardly accessible as a component for regional development, spatial planning and sustainable maintenance and improvement of commercial and non-commercial functions. The problem was addressed at the BALTIC21Forestry session, St.Petersburg, February 2005. Creation and development of Forest Owners’ Associations (FOA) and of an efficient extension system (EXT) represent an important, often still underestimated resource and tool for achieving a broad range of objectives as identified under the BSR INTERREG CIP, at the same time relevant goals for the EU Forest Strategy, by creating a joint Baltic and Nordic approach. The important role, also in global scale, of small-scale forestry was also referred to in the Draft Commission Working Document on the implementation of the EU Forestry Strategy (EFS-DRAFT), as submitted to a broad stakeholder consultation process in August 2004. Most of aspects and goals, as addressed in the mentioned document, will face significantly different conditions in small-scale forestry as a resource of spatial relevance, than it is the case in state- or company-owned forest holdings. The main project will aim on a wide range of aspects under the focus of their significance for small-scale forestry: 1) Multiple-use of small-scale forestry, concerning non-timber production, as creation and protection of nature and cultural values, recreation, tourism 2) Integration of afforested former farmland into FOA/EXT systems to ensure balanced development 3) carbon-sink strategies through afforestation and use of bio-energy 4) balanced sustainable use of forest as a limited resource through forest resource inventories, suitable logistic systems and a joint forest certification process for strengthening the BSR forestry in European and global scale 5) Creation and strengthening of FOA and EXT systems in the Baltic Sea Region as a tool for achieving the above mentioned goals. Location of activities will mainly depend on individual conditions in the participating regions: FOA development in the new member states will probably be in a starting phase, whereas nordic countries have stable and efficient structures with long tradition and development; on the other hand, afforestation of farmland will gain much more importance in the south and east part of the BSR, as the northern partners already have a high proportion of the land area under forest use. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 20 The setting-up of a co-operation network will result in a main project, which will, depending on the assessments and partner opinions, cover the following aspects: 1) The Forest Owners’ Associations and Extension component may provide basic information about opportunities and restrictions for achievements in the specific subtopics; RESULT: Guidelines for creation and development of FOAs from a benchmarking process. 2) A forest multiple-use component would cover non-timberproducing functions of forests and enhance the implementation of EU environmental directives and the integration of small-scale forestry into integrated regional development through spatial planning. RESULT: Recommendations and awareness creating for the integration of nontimberproductive functions into management procedures, also based on joint activities of FOers in the framework of FOAs. 3) The Forest inventory and logistics component would develop recommendations for EU-wide and national assessment of forest resources and their sustainable use; here, also the subjects of afforestations and bio-energy could be integrated; assessments and recommendations in the field of forest inventories will contribute to the implementation of the European Forestry Information and Communication System (EFICS). RESULT: Recommendations and technical guidelines for all addressed topics. Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: Based mainly on project ideas as discussed during the BALTIC21Forestry Session and on this meeting’s representatives as a core of potential partners, the need for concrete, project-related, reliable cooperation was identified.. A wide range of project components will be compiled and submitted to potential partners for comments, further suggestions and proposals for compiling components to the main project. Simultaneously, partners will be asked to invite more partners in their countries/regions to express their interest. Particularly regional development, environmental and employment agencies are needed as additional partners. Thus, broad implementation of main project’s results on national levels will be ensured. Close contact will be kept to the JTS in order to assure that all requirements are considered also from updated programme recommendations and documents. In a further step by regional workshops, project scope will be finalised and all final partners will have to express their firm preparedness to participate, also indicating their status as potential lead partner, co-partner or other functions. After that, and based on a consultation with the JTS, a project application conference will be organized. In a last step, the lead partner will be assisted in issuing the main project application for submitting for approval. A1) Identification of topics and possible project components from partner consultations. A2) Assessment of main project´s contribution to EU policies and spatial development. A3) Compilation of components to main project subjects. A4) Establishing project-related partner networks for main project, including non-forest authorities and institutions, responsible for spatial planning, environmental issues etc. A5) Determination of specific partner functions (particularly the Lead Partner). A6) Assistance in budget calculation and preparation of main project application for call Autumn 2005. A7) Project application with all required documents is submitted to JTS. B1) Actual information about the BSR INTERREG concept, prodedures and documantation is available in all preparation phases. B2) information on current developments in and aspects of general and specific EU policies, as far as relevant for the project, are available. B3) project-related knowledge and innformation is transferred to partners and between partners and the JTS. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 21 A0190 Preservation and Re-use of Lighthouses and Seafortresses in the Baltic Sea Region PRO Light Lead partner: University of Turku in SUOMI/FINLAND. Adress: Yliopistonmäki, FI-20014 Turku Phone: +358 2 333 5872 Fax: +358 2 333 6331, ari.koski@utu.fi Contact person: Ari Koski Second obligatory partner: Maritime Cultural Society of Saaremaa in ESTONIA Address: Lossihoov 1, EE-93815 Kuressaare Phone: +372 45 39671; e-mail katrin@muuseum.tt.ee Contact person: Bruno Pao Envisaged partners: The Swedish Lighthouse Society, Nacka Strand, SVERIGE; Wilson Marin Commandite Company, Rosala, SUOMI/FINLAND; University of Latvia, Riga, LATVIA; Pultusk School of Humanities, Frombork, POLAND; Hannas Horisont Utö Lighthouse, Utö, SUOMI/FINLAND; Vilsandi National Park, Kuressaare, ESTONIA; Indicative Measure: Enhancing good management of cultural and natural heritage,valuable landscapes and natural resources Reason for approval: The project is recommended for approval as the idea of networking of BSR lighthouses for the creation of a tourism product is innovative and as such worth interest. There are many objects of this kind around the whole Baltic Sea coast. This implies a larger scale of the potential project than is currently envisaged by the promoters. As such the project might produce pan-Baltic outcomes. However, as the maintenance and management of fortresses is a subject of one ongoing project approved in the 6th round (BaltFortRoute) the project is asked to focus mainly on the lighthouses. However, the contacts between the two projects should be established in order to find synergies and areas of possible co-operation and complementing action. As a starting point, the main project should also identify the best practices and gather existing knowledge in the field of sucessful managament of lighthouses; the examples of good public-private cooperation could constitute the basis for the development of a pan-Baltic strategy and the establishment of a pan-Baltic tourism product. For this purposes, already during implementation of the Seed Money project the collaboration between all relevant stakeholders should be established. At the moment, the partnership of the project is too weak in its anticipated capacity to achieve the objectives, with no other partners envisaged. Therefore, during the Seed Money project the promoters should put more attention to broadening the consortium towards the owners and administrators of the lighthouses and tourism operators. Partners from business and marketing sectors in the respective pilot regions should also be involved in the project. The Joint Secretariat would like to encourage the project promoters to attend the Partner Search Forum, which is going to take place in Vilnius on 23-24th May, 2005. Main Project - problem and objectives: The most valuable historic and cultural environments of the BSR should be maintained and preserved. Special attention should be given to cultural heritage, which plays an important role in social and regional development. The aim of the BS Heritage Co-operation, started in 1997, is to promote actions for safeguarding the cultural heritage in the BSR as a profound basis of a sustainable region, where mutual understanding and awareness of common history exists. The lighthouses, which have marked the sea routes along our coasts for centuries, and the seafortresses, have been a part of the BSR history for hundreds of years. They are integral parts of the cultural heritage and landscape of the BSR. However, in recent times many lighthouses and seafortresses have been taken out of use or abandoned, which is why some of them are in urgent need of repair. Others are still in relatively good condition, but in danger of deteriorating rapidly, if they are left empty and cold. The lighthouses and seafortresses should not be allowed to deteriorate due to abandonment, because if that happens the BSR looses some of the most important monuments of it´s cultural heritage. At the same time the automatization and the abandonment mean, that APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 22 many work places in sparsely populated areas will be lost. This worsen regional development in regions, that suffer already from depopulation and economic depression. 1. The central objective is to preserve the Baltic Sea lighthouses and seafortresses, which have played a central role in the BSR history, and are historically irreplaceable and an organic part of the BSR cultural heritage and landscape. 2. Create new job opportunities and support the regional development in sparsely populated coastal areas and islands by taking the abandoned buildings into new use, marketing them as tourist sights and deepening the cooperation between museums, travel agencies, universities, different foundations etc. As sights and public monuments and by producing publications, brochures and exhibitions the lighthouses and seafortresses can in the long run be maintained and preserved by the tourist money and the proceeds from the produced material. 3. Strengthen the cooperation, networking and benchmarking of the BSR lighthouses, seafortresses, museums, universities and other relevant stakeholders in the field of repair and re-use methods and best practices concerning the lighthouses and seafortresses. 4. Promote and disseminate knowledge, knowhow and best practices of lighthouse and seafort restoration in the BSR and in Europe. The activities take place around the BSR(FI,EE,LV,PL,SE) coastal areas and islands in the partner regions and chosen sites. 1. Preserved, maintained, saved and restored lighthouses and seafortresses in the BSR. 2. Enhanced understanding in the BSR of the lighthouses´ and seafortresses´ as an integral part of the common cultural heritage of the BSR. 3. New job opportunities and entrepreneurship ideas in the remote coastal areas and islands. 4. Strengthened and established cooperation, benchmarking and marketing network between the BSR lighthouses, seafortresses, museums, travel agencies, universities and other relevant stakeholders. 5. Pilot restoration projects in the chosen lighthouses and seafortresses. 6. International meetings and seminars concerning the preservation, re-use, restoration and cultural historic role of the lighthouses and seafortresses. 7. Promoted knowledge and knowhow of the best restoration methods for lighthouses and seafortresses in the BSR. 8. Growth of tourism in the areas, where tourism is essential for economic growth and regional development and for the future existence of the local communities. 9.The BSR lighthouses and seafortresses tourist route. The main idea of the project is to produce preconditions for the preservation and maintenance of the lighthouses and seafortresses, so that these monuments of the BSR cultural history and heritage can be maintained in good shape for future generations. Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: The main task during the seed money project is to confirm the project´s partnership and partners commitment to the main project. Each partner has to arrange and confirm the national co-financing, which takes time. It is also important to choose the lighthouses and seafortresses, that will be taken into new use and renovated as example sites. In order to plan a feasible main project it is necessary to arrange partner meetings, gather information from different stakeholders, discuss intensively with partners and stakeholders and prepare the ground for the future cooperation. During these activities the goals, objectives, methods, work packages, budget lines etc. of the main project will be agreed upon and the financial and personnel commitments needed to attain the goals of the project will be confirmed. An important task is to divide the work tasks and responsibilities between the partners and elect the persons in charge. Whithout the seed money facility it is impossible to gather the required information, arrange the necessary international meetings and prepare the detailed and feasible main project application. 1. Project partners, project-organisation and partners´ co-financing will be confirmed. 2. The objectives, working methods, work packages with named persons in charge, project budget and pilot and example sites of the main project will be clarified, planned and confirmed. 3. The timetable of the main project and the work distribution between partners will be agreed upon. 4. The cooperation and interaction between project partners and other relevant stakeholders will be started, thus they are ready to start APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 23 working after the approval of the main project application. 5. The contacts between the representatives of the lighthouses and seafortresses and their background organisations, universities and other partner institutions will be tied and the understanding of the project´s meaning for the future development enhanced. 6. The end result and achievment is a well-prepared, concrete and feasible main project application. A prerequisite for a good application is a properly done groundwork, which can be achieved only with the help of the seed money. A0192 HERMES HERMES - Developing Regional Airports in the Baltic Sea Region Lead partner: County of Cuxhaven in DEUTSCHLAND. Adress: Konrad-Adenauer-Allee 1, 27472 Cuxhaven Phone: +49 (04721) 599620 Fax: +49-(04721) 662040, m.krohn@afw-lk-cux.de Contact person: Michael Krohn, Head of the Business Development Division Second obligatory partner: City of Mariehamn in SUOMI/FINLAND Address: P.O. Box 5, FIN - 2210 Mariehamn, Aland Phone: +385 18 531 250 Fax: +358 18 531 246, jan.westerberg@mariehamn.aland.fi Contact person: Jan Westerberg, Head of the Environmental Department Envisaged partners: Baltic Energy Forum e.V., Mallentin, DEUTSCHLAND; County of Parchim, Parchim, DEUTSCHLAND; Regional Innovations e.V., Mallentin, DEUTSCHLAND; City of Swidnik, Swidnik, POLAND; City of Lublin, Lublin, POLAND; Helicopter Works of Swdinik, Lublin, POLAND; Airport of Lublin, Swidnik, POLAND; Latvia Culture, History and Nature Heritage Development Foundation, Riga, LATVIA; Pärnu County Government, Pärnu, LATVIA; Airport of Odense, Odense, DENMARK; Indicative Measure: Creating sustainable communication links for improved spatial integration Reason for approval: The project explores one of the missing themes in measure 2.2 by considerations towards the unlocking of local and regional development potential through better air connectivity of regional centres located away from main TEN-T network nodes. The consistent description of the envisaged actions makes the project recommendable for approval with the following suggestions: (1) extend the partnership to include national/regional authorities responsible for transport plans and programmes on respective territories, (2) supplement general analyses at the pan-Baltic level with studies on positioning of the network of regional airports in the BSR in the context of EU transport and cohesion policies, inclusive of accessibility questions as well as on relations of air traffic to sustainable development in the BSR, (3) provide supply and demand analyses when elaborating on plans to construct new commercial airports (one of the project central objectives). In order to avoid overlaps, a reference upon planning the activities should also be made to the running project 'First Class Industrial Park Network' as well as to the INTERREG IIC project 'SEABIRD'. Main Project - problem and objectives: The project aims to tackle two main problems at the same time: 1. insufficient air transport versus increasing transport demant especially in the new member states 2. insufficient local and regional development because of inadequate air transport in the new and in the old member states. Regional Development programmes in the new member states, particularly the SOPT of Poland, set priority to the development of the main (TEN) road and railway axes, to combined transport and to the development of the ports. This means that air transport is still concentrated toward the capitals Regional cities thus are hampered by inadequate flight connections or non-existing flight corridors which in turn obstacles the development of business in regional cities. On the other hand many of APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 24 the regional cities are not tied to the TEN-network. Again the development of regional cities is negatively affected by inadequate transport infrastructure. Therefore it is of absolute necessity to develop air transport aside the main routes, connecting regional cities which each other, develop shuttle services to the main national hubs and above all to interconnect regional cities of the new member states with the regional cities in the old member states thus contributing to economic and social cohesion, balanced and sustainable development of the European territory. 1) To harmonize planning procedures of regional airports with a view to existing European framework legislation 2) To build new air ports or convert former military airports in order to developing efficient and sustainable transport systems - to plan new airports as part of efficient transport systems - to initiate investments in new or reconstructuring airports 3) To have regional airports to contribute to local and regional development of landlocked and peripheral regions - to undertake business development studies - to undertake tourism development studies 4) To have regional airports to contribute to local and regional development of landlocked and peripheral regions - to undertake business development studies, - to undertake tourism development studies 5) to network between air ports - in order to strengthen their position, - to create flight routes among them 6) To contribute to the sustainable devolopment of the BSR area The objective of HERMES - Developing Regional Airports in the Baltic Sea Region is to overcome obstacles of the transports systems in the new member states, to overcome obstacles in local and regional development by inadequate transport infrastructure and to overcome obstacles of international cooperation. Therefore strategic solutions will be developed on a Pan-Baltic basis but also on individual local and regional level. The overall scientific study will be concerned with (1) sustainable development, (2) different national and international regulations of air transport, (3) different practices and facilities of airports, and (4) the different needs and interests concerning spatial planning with regard to airports. The study aims at harmonising and implementating a joint and sustainable airport policy in all participating and non-participating regional airports of the Baltic Sea Region. This will be achieved by developing a cooperation agreement good practice models. On the regional and local level airport feasibility and pre-investment studies will be executed which will lead to public-private-partnerships for the development of regional airports. The airports again will be centres of local and regional development, therefore business development and tourism development studies will be carried out thus contributing to durable and sustainable regional development and of that of the Baltic Sea Region in total. Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: The project group is already in agreement to apply for funding of a mainstream Baltic Sea Region Interreg-III-B project. However, many of the participants have neither been engaged in European Commission funded projects yet nor in IR3B projects. Therefore there is considerable need for information, be it on the formalities of IR3B, contractual questions, issues of further funding by the mainstream ERDF programmes especially in the new member states but also in the old memberstates. Therefore the focus of the seed money project lies on getting the partners acqainted with IR3B and its formalities, the benefits for each partner, the obligations of the partners and to speek about the project, to discuss it and to agree on common actions and to come to a common understanding of the project structure. Therefore main activities of the Seed Money project are 2 partnership meetings for the preparation of the application and reaching democratic decisions in the local and regional APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 25 bodies concerned. Furthermore the project plan and the application will be elaborated and presented to the project members for signature. The See Money project endeavours to achive common understanding between the future project partners, understanding how European programmes and projects function, in particular with regard to the Baltic Sea Region Interreg-III-B programme, agreement on the further application procedure, the necessary commitments. Furthermore the application of the mainstream BS-IR3B-project will have been professionally elaborated according to the requirements of the programme and the needs and expectations of the project prartners. The Seed Money proejct is intended to achieve a go for a subsidy contract. A0206 Network of stakeholders in chemicals management around the Baltic Sea BaltChemNet Lead partner: Vides projekti in LATVIA. Adress: Pils Street 17, LV–1050 Riga Phone: +371 7503137 Fax: +371 7214274, liga.brunina@videsprojekti.lv Contact person: Liga Brunina Second obligatory partner: Balti Keskonnafoorum (BEF-Estonia ) in ESTONIA Address: Ravala 8-40, EE-10143 Tallinn Phone: +372 6604 766 Fax: +732 6604 766, kitty.kislenko@bef.ee Contact person: Kitty Kislenko Envisaged partners: Baltijas Vides forums (BEF-Latvia), Riga, LATVIA; Baltijos Aplinkos Forumas (BEF-Lithuania), Vilnius, LITHUANIA; Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, Teterow, DEUTSCHLAND; Swedish National Chemicals Inspectorate, KemI, Sundbyberg, SVERIGE; The Association of Latvian Chemicals and Pharmaceutical Industry, Riga, LATVIA; ANO “Tsentr Transgranichnogo Sotrudnichestva - Sankt Peterburg”, St. Petersburg, RUSSIA; Latvian Environmental, Geological and Metereological Agency, Jurmala, LATVIA; State Sanitary Inspectorate, Riga, LATVIA; State Environmental Service, Riga, LATVIA; Indicative Measure: building Promotion of transnational institution and capacity Reason for approval: The project is approved with the strong recommendation to envisage a cross-sectoral partnership involving respective public authorities, private sector and academic sector thus to employ a more comprehensive approach to deal with the problem addressed by the project. Main Project - problem and objectives: Chemicalisation of environment has reached dramatic dimensions effecting consumer activity and business operations on a very wide scale. # As result ordinary consumer and workers in many fields exposed to a cocktail of numerous hazardous chemicals every day. # For the majority of chemicals in circulation no environmental and human risk assessments available. # Negative effects cascade down the supply chain. # Baltic States in particular, also other BSR countries are vulnerable as their role in the supply chain is predominately that of “downstream users” meaning that they are also at the end of the information chain.# Public authorities currently burden the task of chemicals risk assessment, risk control and guidance # But lack the capacity to apply the information resources, coordinate assessment, enforcement and guidance.# Access to high-quality information and skills to apply it the key to sustainable chemicals management and to the implementation of coming EU legislation. Since establishing an information and assessment system “from scratch” is neither financially viable not desirable in the context of an enlarged Europe the project aims to establish a regional Baltic Sea cooperation and thereby transfer and furtherdevelop pro-active chemicals management in the Nordic states and Germany to the wider Baltic Sea Region APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 26 # Activate and enrol companies in the chemicals supply chain (producers, importers, distributors, commercial users, trade associations) # Establish supply chain communication/information exchange network involving state authorities (central and regional enforcement authorities) # Prioritise high-risk product groups (such as biocides, plant protection prep., industrial chemicals) / industrial sectors and assess risk areas (environment, workers’ health, consumer health) # Access stakeholder-specific information gaps with regard to the chemicals risks, develop information format and dissemination strategies to enable effective risk management # Pool existing and newly accessed information on chemicals into a dynamic internet tool, Baltic Regional Chemicals Information Guide with enhanced stakeholder networking functions; test the Guide, disseminate information to identified target groups, initiate ongoing training activities (industry, regional authorities, consumers). Activities take place in the countries bordering the Baltic Sea # Activation and institutionalisation of chemicals supply chain network together with administrative and monitoring stakeholders as platform for sustainable chemicals risk management # Prioritization of chemical product groups of high concern (environment and health) in the Baltic Sea Region # Identification and closure of chemicals information gaps from multi-stakeholder perspective (targeting both - central & regional authorities and industry & trade) # Delivery of internet-based Baltic Regional Chemicals Information Guide with enhanced stakeholder networking functions as cornerstone of sustainable chemicals management in the Region # Initiation of joint actions (information dissemination, risk containment, substitution strategies) to combat identified risks # Long lasting network among stakeholders in chemicals management # Skilled regional and local authorities in order to achieve goals of the chemicals and environmental policy adressing hazardous substances Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: The purpose of the SEED project is to intensify long lasting partnership among stakeholders in the chemicals management (national and regional authorities, trade & industry in the chemicals supply chain) among countries bordering the Baltic Sea and develop a joint project BaltChemNet. Due to the complexity of the issue and cross-sectoral policy field (chemicals, environmental, water), the finding of the right balance among interests and needs of the stakeholders involved is crucial in order to develop an useful project application. The policy concerning hazardous substances and chemicals, is undergoing significant changes. The assessment of the information and capacity building needs among stakeholders shall consider the demands of the developments of this changing policy, as well as necessity to integrate chemicals issue more in the spatial development policies. The best practice examples in chemicals management shall be explored in order to design targeted know-how transfer. # The intensified long lasting partnership among stakeholders in the chemicals management (national and regional authorities, trade & industry in the chemicals supply chain) among countries bordering the Baltic Sea # The assessment of the information and capacity building needs among stakeholders considering the demands of the developments of the future environmental and chemicals policy and necessity to integrate chemicals issue more in the spatial development policies # Documented commitments on behalf of a cross-sectoral project community to promote the trans-regional project strategy # Finalized main application with match funding, project management structure and international role distribution in place APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 27 A0211 Railway station development in the Baltic Sea Region Baltic station Lead partner: Estonian Railway Inspectorate in ESTONIA. Adress: Lastekodu 31, 10113 Tallinn Phone: +372 605 7408 Fax: +372 605 7410, rinsp@rinsp.ee Contact person: Hannes Saarmets Second obligatory partner: Berlin-Brandenburg public transport association (VBB) in DEUTSCHLAND Address: Hardenbergplatz 2, 10623 Berlin Phone: +49 - 30 - 25414-210 Fax: +49 - 30 25414-112, wagner@vbbonline.de Contact person: Petra-Juliane Wagner Envisaged partners: German Railways JSC, Station infrastructure manager, DEUTSCHLAND; Local governments and citizens´ initiatives, DEUTSCHLAND; Polish Railways JSC, Real Estate manager, POLAND; Region of Western Pomerania, POLAND; Westpomeranian Businessschool, POLAND; Local governments and citizens´ initiatives, POLAND; Railway undertakings, ESTONIA; Local governments and citizens´ initiatives, ESTONIA; other, LATVIA. Indicative Measure: Promoting balanced polycentric settlement structures Reason for approval: The proposal addresses a topical theme that is highly relevant for the strengthening the role of rail transport in the urban and regional context. Yet the description needs extensive clarification on the transnational relevance on the one hand, and spatial-functional focus of the rationale on the other (rural or urban areas; medium-sized or other cities; public urban transport, or city-surrounding (public/private regional) transport; or urban-urban (city network) transport, etc.). It is suggested that the project emphasises on strengthening the development potentials of small and medium-sized cities, secondary city networks, with a focus on the regional dimension. The central objectives and envisaged outputs are very relevant, especially as regards the multi-sector involvement in the strategy development, the financing concepts and the transferable results derived from these. However, a desirable aspect would include the spatial transnational dimension of the project, e.g. defining strategies to better interlink secondary cities, thus integrating the national and regional functional urban systems into a transnational network. In this context, the results especially on models for the financing, management, marketing (e.g. of cross-border regional transport), railway station upgrade, services development and interregional integration through, for example, complementary business facilities, should be at the centre of the project. Moreover, meeting the project's own objectives would make the enlargement of the partnership indispensible, as it is planned by the applicants. However, the partners need to be carefully selected as regards their role in the project in order to ensure a consistent methodology (i.e. for producing meaningful case studies and transferable outputs). The project is recommended for approval on account of the important topic addressed, yet linked to the expectation that the project develops a sound rationale that makes visible the transnational dimension and relevance. Attention should be drawn on the opportunity to attend the Partner Search Forum in May in Vilnius (www.bsrinterreg.net). Main Project - problem and objectives: In 1990-s countries in Eastern Europe have encountered a huge decrease of the number of passengers using public transport. It is not only the rising of car traffic, but also the lack of investment in the railway infrastructure and especially the train stations and its surroundings that is turning people away from using rail transport. Many railway station buildings have lost their function as ticket offices and lounges. Furthermore, the timetables of public (rail and bus) transport are often not well co-ordinated and information and marketing for this environmentfriendly means of transport are poorly developed, thus hampering sustainable tourism, acces to remote areas and the growth of the local economy of the regions. Projects conceived with the aim of improving this situation are so far mostly located in APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 28 large densely populated urban areas and concern railway lines and stations with a big number of passengers, where all parties involved can expect a good return on investments. Small and medium sized railway stations in the countryside however are often neglected, and good financially sustainable concepts are missing. The project´s aim is to discuss and implement innovative strategies for the development of railway infrastructure which are suitable to promote the development of the regions involved. We suggest to discuss and implementing various pilot projects concerning different fields of a railway station: (1) Neglected and abandoned station buildings may be rehabilitated in order to make them a highlight of the settlement and the region, (2) a mobility and tourist center may be established in the station, offering services for locals and visitors as well as regional products, (3) the arrivals and departures of the local and regional trains may be co-ordinated by timetables and (4) the platforms and the surrounding of the stations may be rehabilitated according to the needs of the visitors of the towns and regions. Other objectives: * Development of strategies how the numerous institutions involved in the station development (station management, railway untertakings, property owners, municipalities) can cooperate with each other. * Development of new financing concepts for the development of railway stations * Evaluation of the pilot projects * Examination of how the results of the projects can be transferred to other regions * The pilote projects to be carried out are innovative, because no such actions have not yet been discussed for small and medium-sized railway station buildings * The project regions will become more attractive for its visitors as well as locals by offering services at railway stations to those arriving or departing by train. The using of train as a means of transport will increase, the economic activity in the regions will grow hand in hand with the sustainable tourism * elaboration of the best practice catalogue of successful station developments in the participating countries * closer cooperation between the municipalities and railway infrastructure managers of the regions and different countries involved about the options of a sustainable development of the station infrastructure * practical model how the pilot projects can be implemented in other project regions Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: During the next months our aim is to contact further partners in order to set up a coherent structure of the important key and local partners of the main project from at least three participating countries. In order to achieve this aim, it will be helpful to participate in partner seach conferences, to attend national or international meetings of the potential partners or to contact them directly. At the same time, a draft paper of the project contents should be discussed with key partners and the Programme Secretariat, enabling us to judge if all workpackages foreseen are really relevant to the project. After a certain number of partners have confirmed their commitment to the project idea, we are going to propose a common first meeting with all potential partners giving everyone the opportunity to suggest about the common structure, budget, timeframe and possible next steps. In the final step of the project the application will have to be particularized in cooperation with all partners, and some practical steps will also be taken (collecting of letters of intent, making all partners agree on the contents of the final version, sending of the application form to the programme secretariat in time). We know from our previous experiences, that the steps described are time consuming and partly require professional assistance. Since we cannot assure the necessary amount of money for this, we ask for assistance by means of seed money. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 29 * a good mixture of partners from all countries participating is found, combining key actors (acting on national/ regional level) and locally committed partners (municipalities and citizens´ initiatives) * the partners have confirmed that their expectations are met by the project * the partners can assure the national cofinancing of the project * a sound structure of work packages and actions is found, ensuring the objectives of the project are met for each milestone * a well prepared application form is delivered to the programme secretariat by the leading partner in time A0213 Interregional Communication and Information Network i-COIN Lead partner: West Sweden/Svenljunga Municipality in SVERIGE. Adress: Kronhusgatan 7, 411 05 Göteborg Phone: +46 31 612517 Fax: +46 31 131890, haleh.lindqvist@westsweden.se Contact person: Mrs. Haleh Lindqvist, Project Director Second obligatory partner: North Denmark EU-office in DENMARK Address: Rendsburgsgade 6, 9000 Aalborg Phone: 0045 99311530 Fax: 0045 99311535, sbn@aalborg.dk Contact person: Mr. Stig Berg Norsk Envisaged partners: Tamasalu, ESTONIA; Rehna, DEUTSCHLAND; Poland, POLAND; University College of Borås, SVERIGE; Competence partner e-Inclusion, SUOMI/FINLAND. Indicative Measure: Creating sustainable communication links for improved spatial integration Reason for approval: The project is recommended to be approved on account of its potential valuable contribution to sustainable development of the disadvantaged areas in the BSR by means of ICT. The critical issue is the initial stage of the partnership consolidation, which may prevent the project from setting up a satisfactory composition of partners upon the submission date. Therefore, the project is requested to fulfil the condition of refocusing the activity plan to establishing local clusters of partners in a number of selected of disadvantaged areas instead of broad searching for institutions willing to co-operate. It should also further develop the methodological means of encouraging the ICT stakeholders to joint developing and delivering of the regional policy-making procedures. Main Project - problem and objectives: ICT sector is relevant to regional policy in terms of e-government, spatial planning, sustainable development, social cohesion. Partners are going to deal with a range of issues relevant to these policy areas. A stakeholder analysis that shows key common development priorities and ensures a learning curve is established by the project. Svenljunga municipality and Norddanmarks EU-kontor are dealing with cross-border R&D flows and need to ensure complimentarity of development of ICT services. Others have already prioritised ICT cluster development, but have not considered the full potential of the contribution of the traditional ICT sector and communication with the stakeholders to achieve economic development and social cohesion. Svenljunga municipalitiy would like to gather partners that are located in regions that are relatively disadvantaged in geographic, demographic, social, economic and ICT terms and would be interested in exploring how ICT sector knowledge investment can be used to contribute to a building up of economic competitiveness and public-private partnerships with participation from different stakeholder groups. Awareness raising, exchange of interregional solutions to joint challenges of globalisation, diversification, affordability and product development will be an essential part of the projects. The project will be based on inter and intra-regional engagement of common themes and issues explored in network events/workshops and policy forums. In this context, the overall objective of the project is to share experience and create new APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 30 learning that strengthens the capacity and confidence of regional administrations to effectively engage the ICT sector in the design and delivery of regional policy relating to e-governance, public-private partnerships and social cohesion, thereby securing a sustainable polycentric development. To improve access to ICT based on eEurope Initiative/ i2010 including telematic services for structurally weaker areas, 3-4 pilot projects as a tool for development and promotion with focus on various subjects, (e-inclusion, e-governance, e-learning, e-accessability) will be developed and implemented through the network in the partner areas The results will be the transfer of knowledge, experience and best practices for monitoring, redeveloping the concept of ICT between regions, as well as better local and regional policies and practices. Design and delivery of effective participatory knowledge sharing and learning events around several core knowledge themes such as e-inclusion, e-governance, education & research, employment and technological development. To ensure democracy and good governance through improved access of ICT to the citizens. Communication links, spatial integration. Lessons learned from pilot projects. Integrated Computerised Business Administration, Planning and Registration System for egovernance: Identification and contract with local software company, who will take part in the project focusing on analysis, local adaptations, user manual and day-to-day support. Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: Svenljunga municipality and Norddanmarks EU-kontor is interested in developing a partnership consisting of local authorities, regions, Public-Private-Partnerships as well as competence partners, who could contribute with competence on e-inclusion and information transfer. The first activity is a meeting between the initiators of the project to finalise a draft project plan to be presented for future partners. The second activity will be a presentation and promotion of the project at the Directoria in Vilnius in order to attract new relevant partners. In order to establish a better knowledge and understanding between the partners a partner meeting will be arranged in one of the partner countries. An on-going task for the existing and potential partners will be to contribute to the knowledge sharing programme. The activities will ensure the creation of a partnership that is relevant to the overall objectives of the project. It is also vital that a deeper knowledge and understanding between the partners involved and their specific characteristics have been reached, in order to create a trustful and efficient co-operation. Furthermore, the creation of a knowledge sharing system where all partners will contribute with their knowledge and experience will ensure that an advanced starting position of the project has been reached. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 31 A0218 Mobility Culture in the Baltic Sea Area MoCuBa Lead partner: City of Bremen in DEUTSCHLAND. Adress: Ansgaritorstr. 2, D 28195 Bremen Phone: +49.421.361.6703 Fax: +49.421.361.10875, michael.glotz-richter@umwelt.bremen.de Contact person: Michael Glotz-Richter Second obligatory partner: Klaipedos Keleivinis Transportas / Klaipeda Municipal Public Transport in LITHUANIA Address: Kalnupes g. 1, LT-92118 Klaipeda Phone: +370-8-46-420124 Fax: +370-8-46366865, andrius.samuilovas@klaipedatransport.lt Contact person: Andrius Samuilovas Envisaged partners: Karlstads Kommun, Karlstad, SVERIGE; City of Gdansk, Gdansk, POLAND; Odense Kommune, Odense, DENMARK; Foundation for Civil Engeneering Development, Gdansk, Gdansk, POLAND; City from further Baltic country (Latvia) e.g. Riga, LATVIA; City from further Baltic country (Estonia) e.g. Tallinn, ESTONIA. Indicative Measure: Promoting balanced polycentric settlement structures Reason for approval: The project addresses a relevant topic from an interesting angle. The project rationale is clear and can be further developed in this direction. In order to ensure a true transnational character of the project it is, however, essential to design the showcase examples in a way that they complement each other and their accumulated results represent a transferable (universal?) value for other regions, or to place them into a strategic planning context of spatially contiguous areas (i.e. problems posed by, and solutions proposed for transboundary mobility) rather than merely exchanging experiences and learning between regions. It is furthermore crucial to elaborate on the potential contributions to a polycentric urban system on regional, national and transnational scale that derive from a new mobility culture, and what implications it would have for other policy fields (cross-sector approach; urban lifestyles concerning housing, spatial relations between functions such as travel-towork, consumption patterns, recreation, inter-urban relations, etc.). Other key aspects in a main application to address should be also the position that the mobility concepts proposed would take in the national, regional and international agendas (e.g. implications for intermodality strategies; relation to Urban Thematic Strategy of the 6th Environmental Action Programme), and to illustrate the tangible results that will be produced (esp. in the showcases). As regards the project's potential influence on the policy at the relevant levels (policy recommendations!) the strategy as to how to channel the recommendations and how to access the relevant decision-makers and stakeholders (involvement of regional and national authorities! Better regional partnerships as to be defined in no. 3 of the activity plan!) should be further developed. The project is recommended for approval with the requirement to closely follow the advice given. The project is furthermore encouraged to attend the Partner Search Forum on 23-24 May in Vilnius (www.bsrinterreg.net). Main Project - problem and objectives: All BSR cities suffer under transport problems. Most of existing strategies focus on mainly technical aspects. ‘Mobility Culture’ describes the rather non-technical aspects: image of certain transport modes is at least as important for the choice of transport modes as the technical infrastructure –not yet sufficiently subject of transport planning and urban development. Especially in the new member states the role of the car as symbol should not be underestimated. Many strategic plans and also political papers address the behavioural aspects of modal choice in the analysis as a need for further actions. The needs of (potential) customers includes more than the physical transport itself. There are many emotional aspects to be considered - also to strengthen walking, cycling and Public Transport. Car-Sharing is very successfully developed as a key supplement to Public Transport in Germany, etc. –still difficult to transfer due to rather emotional barriers and lack of information. Intermodal cooperation within environmentally friendly modes requires overcoming “old” APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 32 understanding of the (competitive) role of transport operators. Many decision-makers / stakeholders are not fully aware about ‘mobility culture’ and therefore do not integrate sufficiently these aspects into strategic planning decisions. Problems like congestion, air quality, accidents, costs of transport infrastructure, urban sprawl, dependence on mineral oil, CO2 emissions etc. require new mobility culture The project wants to develop transnational learning by developing showcases with practical experiences. The experience shall be presented to local decision-makers, stakeholders but also journalists through direct exchange and workshops, seminars etc. in the project sites along project meetings / meetings of workpackages. The focus is especially in the field of non-technical and organisational aspects of soft modes and Public Transport. There is some experience already gathered to use more emotional factors, image transfer, and better (intermodal) organisation to develop the environmentally friendly modes to an emotionally accepted system – together as alternative to the private car. The different starting points in the state-of-the-art in the different represented BSR countries is seen as a chance for an exchange of best practice and experience in general. The project group ‘Mobility Culture’ brings together cities from different regions of the BSR, which are ambitious and interested in an intensive transnational exchange process. The lead partner Bremen is an advanced city, wanting to enhance the own development and to share the experience with the partner cities. The project group wants to develop transferable results and shall be composed to allow a trustful exchange - involving stakeholders, decision makers, but also transport operators etc. The project will achieve awareness and examples for new mobility culture. There are three workpackages envisaged (WP1 Mobility Culture in Strategic Planning; WP 2 Mobility Culture for soft modes; WP 3 Mobility Culture for Public Transport) with own showcases to be implemented / developed on the local or regional level. At project meetings with thematic seminars / workshops the showcases will be visited and/or presented and further discussed. “Fact sheets” serve as showcase descriptions, “Recommendations for stakeholders” as conclusions - to be developed, discussed in the project meetings and disseminated via website and also as printed material at project meetings. The partners will present their showcases and experience in thematic seminars and workshops to involve local experts, stakeholders, politicians and journalists. Co-operation with national TAEIX transport experts, with UBC, UITP etc. is planned to develop further synergies for disseminating. Presentations are planned also in conferences and seminars to further spread out a better understanding of the needs and methods of mobility culture for sustainable transport. Seed Money - Activities and Expected Results: The approach of ‚mobility culture’ is quite innovative and describes the rather non-technical, user-orientated aspects of transport choices. The project group wants to 1. collect material and prepare an understandable definition of ‚mobility culture’ 2. set up a website, which gives basic information about project idea and involved partners (with weblinks) and envisaged showcase projects 3. involve partners from further cities / regions to achieve good geographical balance within BSR 4. have a first meeting to develop adequate internal and external communication structures for a later project consortium 5. define appropriate showcases as a focus of transnational exchange in a later project 6. set up themes in the focus of ‘mobility culture’ for a series of thematic seminars / workshops which shall be linked to project meetings – in order to discuss and disseminate the information of the project to external (local stakeholders, media etc.) 7. have a meeting of lead partner (and others) with secretariat 8. preparation of the main project application. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 33 The seed-money project will bring together a project group in a size representing all main BSR areas, with public authorities from the municipal or regional level, public transport operators and further related partners. The composition and structure of the group is not aimed at achieving the highest number of partners, but to achieve a good regional balance and an optimal internal communication structure (with site representatives and further partners). Trustful cooperation within the consortium but also with the BSR secretariat is a crucial aspect for the later project coordination. A workplan will be drafted and internally discussed. The external communication structure will involve local/regional stakeholders, media etc. to achieve maximal dissemination on local/regional level. The early setup of a website and envisaged cooperation with UBC, TAIEX and others will create already in the preparatory period synergies. It will benefit from the innovative term ‘mobility culture’. Altogether is the starting point for a beneficial development of the main project to contribute to sustainable development via better mobility culture in the Baltic Sea Area. APPROVED SEED MONEY APPLICATIONS SEVENTH ROUND 2005 34