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October 1, 2012
The Swedish ESF Council's strategy for transnational cooperation with a particular focus on the Baltic Sea Region
The Swedish ESF Council's strategy for strengthening transnational cooperation in the ESF was decided in June 2010. The strategy has in many respects been remarkably successful. The share of projects including transnationality has increased significantly, from 7 percent 2010 to 37 percent in 2012. Regional ESF offices and project support consultants have conducted a systematic effort to inform and mobilize project actors, three regional projects for skills development and capacities building in this area have been launched and a special project to develop transnational cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region has been initiated. In cooperation with the Polish implementing body of the ESF five so-called partner search forums have been organized.[1]
The probably most important, long-term effort to support and further develop the transnational cooperation within the ESF, is the implementation of the special project in the Baltic Sea Region. The project, funded by the Swedish Institute, is based on a previously established informal network between the Managing authorities of the Member States, and has been very well received. It is also carried out at a very timely moment:
· transnational cooperation in the ESF will be further developed and strengthened in the new programming period post 2013[2];
· the so-called macro-regions (the Baltic Sea Region and the Danube) have been highlighted by the European Commission as new strategic areas for development and transnational/cross-border cooperation;
· complementarity between the Structural Funds shall be achieved to a greater extent in the new programming period;
· the EU's Baltic Sea Strategy (EUSBSR) will be revised by the Member States and the Commission, clear targets and indicators will be introduced and the so-called flagship initiatives have to be financed more efficiently and from different funds, including the ESF (alignment of funding);
· in several of the Member States concerned there is an expressed interest in strengthening the social dimension of EUSBSR;
· the Swedish Government's new mission to ESF Council (and 35 other Governmental agencies, including i.a. the International Programme Office and the Swedish Board for Youth Affairs) to better support the implementation of the objectives for the EUSBSR.
The above mentioned project BSN-ESF (Baltic Sea Network - ESF)[3] is implemented by Sweden in cooperation with the other Member States in the region. It aims to prepare the ESF and the Member States to meet these new challenges. Common thematic and coordinated calls, analysis and validation of projects/best practice and close collaboration with the public authorities, organizations and experts in the relevant priority areas of the EU Baltic Sea Strategy are crucial to this work.
The project aims to stimulate transnational cooperation in the Baltic region, to strengthen the social dimension of the EU Baltic Sea Strategy and contribute to a greater complementarity between the various EU programs, all in order to optimize the added value of transnational cooperation.
A future transnational cooperation in the ESF in Sweden and in the region is proposed to build on the positive experience gained within the framework of the ESF Council's strategy and the project BSN ESF, by:
· participation in the EU Commission proposed common framework for the implementation of transnational cooperation, but also allow for transnational cooperation in other ways;[4]
· promotion of a qualitative use of transnational cooperation in the ESF;
· concentration of transnational cooperation to a small number of priority areas/themes in the Operational Programme and/or special calls for proposals in strategically selected topics;
· giving transnational cooperation with the Member States in the Baltic region particular priority in the Operational Programme and as a result support the implementation of EUSBSR;
· consolidation and development of the network of Managing authorities and other actors involved in the project BSN-ESF and thus establish an arena for long-term development and analysis of systems and policies, having as one starting point the Member States' transnational cooperation in the ESF (and flanking programs) in relation to EUSBSR.
[1] The Forum provides an opportunity to project promoters for virtual and real life meetings in order to find and establish transnational partnerships.
[2] See COM (20122) 607 final.
[3] The project is initiated by the Swedish ESF Council in cooperation with the Managing Authorities and the Implementing Bodies for the ESF and flanking programmes in the Baltic Sea Region.
[4] The Member States will, as to the proposal for the new ESF regulation, be able to choose between different options when implementing the transnational cooperation in the ESF.