News&Events

23.04.08
Enhancing networking in the Baltic Sea Region

Conference "Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013: new partnership opportunities for Russian and Belorussian regions" was held Saint-Petersburg.

On 16-17 April BEN-East project partners interested in working out new project ideas took part in the conference devoted to the new European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) that will substitute the Tacis Neighbourhood Programme. Being an integrated element of the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007 - 2013, it will bring new opportunities of transnational cooperation for Russian and Belarusian partners with the European Union and Norway.

During the conference the results of 28 projects being successfully implemented under the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Neighbourhood Programme were presented. Three projects' coordinators and representatives of partners' network got an opportunity to speak about achieved outputs and difficulties that they faced during projects' implementations. BEN-East was among these three projects selected for being presented.

Managers of Joint Secretariat of BSR programme held reports on new procedures of preparing applications within European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument provided the audience with information about the 1st call for project proposals launched on February, 25 that will last till May, 30 2008.

A "Partner Search Cafe" offered participants a possibility to present their project ideas in order to attract partners from Belarus, Russia and EU countries who could take part in the future network. These project ideas were published in the leaflet issued by organizers.

In the conference venue there was held a project exhibition illustrating how cooperation works in practice. Besides, the prospective applicants got an opportunity to consult experts from the European Commission Delegations on the current projects and the Joint Secretariat of INTERREG programmes on new project idea.

More than 400 representatives from national, regional and local authorities, educational institutions, and NGO's from Russia, Belarus, Norway, and the European Union took part in the conference that was held in Hotel Park Inn Pribaltyskaya in St. Petersburg.

Read more about the 1^st call for project proposals: http://eu.baltic.net/How_to_apply.62.html?