Eeva Rantama
Team Leader Programme Unit
Interreg Baltic Sea Region Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat
Germany
eeva.rantama@interreg-baltic.eu
Funding for transnational cooperation in the Baltic Sea region
For more than 25 years, the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme has funded transnational cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. The Programme is one of the European Cohesion Policy instruments driving the transition of the Baltic Sea region to a green and resilient future. It offers European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) for transnational cooperation projects that address shared challenges in the region. In each of the last 7-year programme periods, it has provided around EUR 200-240 million for projects.
The Programme’s priorities have evolved with the needs and political priorities in the region. The Baltic Sea itself and activities related to it have remained central. To date, the Programme has supported around 40 projects fostering a more sustainable maritime industry, with budgets ranging from EUR 0,5 to 8,0 million. These projects address critical issues, including reducing emissions in ports, decarbonising shipping, finding alternative fuels and energy sources, harmonising waste and wastewater treatment in ships, organising the use of marine space, introducing new digital tools, and managing biofouling. Maritime safety is also a major focus, with projects working on reliable navigation and coordinated emergency preparedness at sea and in ports.
More than money
Interreg Baltic Sea Region is more than just a source of funding. The projects create a neutral space for authorities and experts from different fields and countries to collaborate outside their official mandates and think outside the box – and so find the best ideas and solutions to shared challenges. Transfer of knowledge and capacity building across public authorities, industries and local communities have been the core benefits of the projects.
Within the maritime industry, Interreg projects have come up with practical solutions, harmonised approaches across countries as well as policy recommendations and investment proposals that rely on a broad knowledge base. For example, the EnviSuM project provided policymakers and ship owners with sound evidence that strict, global environmental regulations of shipping can benefit human health and the environment without compromising business viability. The ECOPRODIGI project introduced tailored digital solutions for shipping companies, ports, shipyards and their suppliers, making processes more eco-efficient and sustainable. The Baltic LINes project provided recommendations to maritime spatial planning authorities on how to accommodate autonomous shipping, growing offshore services, and changes in shipping patterns. Meanwhile, the ongoing Blue Supply Chains project supports port authorities and operators in decarbonising port operations. Twenty partners from eight Baltic Sea Region countries work together to advance electrification, provide strategies for alternative fuels and set up green transport chains.
Beyond single projects for greater impacts
To amplify the impact of individual projects, the programme connects related projects and links them with other funding programmes through project platforms. For example, CSHIPP project platform brought together knowledge created in projects of Interreg, maritime research programme BONUS and Connect Europe Facility on how to reduce the environmental effects of shipping, make shipping cleaner, and enhance its business potential. Together with the HELCOM Maritime working group, partners identified the next steps toward future HELCOM recommendations for clean shipping in the Baltic Sea.
Interreg projects do not work in isolation but should be linked to policies, development strategies and networks in the region. EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) and its policy areas Ship and Safe provide an important framework for maritime projects. These Interreg projects help the policy area coordinators reach their set objectives, such as making the Baltic Sea Region a model region for clean shipping.
Greater need than ever for transnational cooperation to continue
The demand for Interreg Baltic Sea Region funding remains high. By the end of this year, almost all the current Programme 2021-2027 funds will be allocated to new cooperation projects. At the same time, discussions about the future EU Cohesion Policy including the role of Interreg programmes have started. The need for transnational cooperation for a sustainable region is greater than ever. It is up to all of us who believe in the power of joint experimentation and learning, and well-founded investment decisions through transnational cooperation to advocate for the importance of Interreg programmes. Together, we can ensure that Interreg Baltic Sea Region continues to improve the lives of people in the region for years to come.