Sample 1: Written on behalf of Mr. Wolfe, published in the EUSBSR Newsletter.

MAY 2012

News
CONTENT

EDITORIAL Commissions Communication

or the Baltic Sea the first macron Europe. It aims at ation within this large face common chaltogether as well as balanced development

Strengthening In focus - Priority Area 2 communication

Conservation and restoration of salmon and sea trout
In November 2011, the Council concluded that the EUSBSR should work to improve its communication system and visibility. As a result, DG REGIO along with our partners at INTERACT Turku have been working together to transform the communication plan for the Strategy. As the coordinators of the Strategy, it is important to DG REGIO that we provide a more natural and streamlined outlet for the Priority Area Coordinators to spread the good word about their work. For this reason, we recently launched a dedicated EUSBSR website. In conjunction with the website launch, we also launched a dedicated visual identity for the Strategy. Behind the scenes, we have recruited external contractors who will evaluate the current communication plan and make suggestions for the future. As part of these efforts, the EUSBSR newsletter will now be published by our partners at Interact Turku. This will result in a more frequent and comprehensive overview of the work to promote the objectives of the EUSBSR. The culmination of these efforts will make it easier for our partners to find out about our progress towards reaching the key elements of the Council Conclusions, such as establishing a monitoring system and introducing targets and indicators. These efforts will also make it easier for our partners to secure the increased political commitment they need to reach the potential of the Strategy.

gion-strategy.eu

etter is coordinated t Turku with the opean Commission, y. INTERACT Point INTERACT which is e European Regional d (ERDF).

etter has been made nload in pdf format at gion-strategy.eu

be to the EUSBSR tribute to the next ntact eu.net

Colin Wolfe Head of Unit, DG Regio

ACT Point Turku, on RACT Programme.

itta Ahdan, Gabriel pa, Ulf Wikstrm, Catharina Sorensen,

Sample 2: Written on behalf of Commissioner Hahn with input from Mr. Wolfe, published on bsr2012.eu.

Home

About

EUSBSR

Programme

BBA

Venue

Exhibition

Registration

Download

Press

Contact

Welcome by Commissioner Johannes Hahn

published on 20/03/2012 in NEWS

The region need a coherent plan to bring it together

In a rapidly changing world, the EU and its partners must kick-start economic growth and contribute to the sustainable development of the Baltic Sea Region in order to reach Europe 2020 targets. Infrastructure plays a vital role in reaching these goals. Gaps are evident throughout the Region: transportation to the north is underdeveloped; sparse connections along the eastern shore of the Region still reflect the legacy of previous divisions. The region needs a coherent plan, and a robust investment strategy, to bring it together. Public-private partnerships can boost this work substantially. We need innovative solutions for changing Baltic conditions. We should encourage businesses to work with administrations to fill gaps and to provide missing links. The Baltic Sea Region has a long history of transnational cooperation. However, it still has to strengthen synergies between regional and national initiatives and policies. Classical methods of addressing todays regional challenges will not be enough. A smart and green approach is needed. This means, for example, developing young innovative enterprises. It means strengthening Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy, European Union cooperation between clusters and competence centres. Our approach should highlight environmentally friendly infrastructure, taking account of climate change and nature more generally. At the 2012 Annual Baltic Sea Strategy Forum in Copenhagen, titled Connecting Europe Smart and Green Partnerships, I invite you to join me in discovering the smart and green ways we can connect the Baltic Sea Region and incorporate public-private partnerships in our initiatives. I look forward to seeing you! Johannes Hahn Commissioner for Regional Policy European Union The 2012 Annual Baltic Sea Strategy Forum is organised together with the 14th Baltic Development Forums Annual Summit and in close collaboration with: the Danish EU Presidency, the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand

Subscribe
Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates.

Related Posts:
Unreleased digital potential of more than 45 billion EUR in the Baltic Sea region Fruitful matchmaking: Baltic Business Arena is a stepstone to new markets in the Baltic Sea Region Dear participants, dear stakeholders: Good to see you in Malm and Copenhagen EU Commissioner Siim Kallas meets BDF members and strategic partners Demola honored with the Baltic Sea Region Innovation Award 2012

clusters, Commissioner, DG Regio, environment, Europe 2020, infrastructure, innovation, Johannes Hahn, synergies
! Welcome by BDF Chairman Hans Skov Christensen Director General Walter Deffaa: Streamlining the efforts in the Baltic Sea Region "

No comments yet.

http://www.bsr2012.eu/2012/03/20/welcome-by-commissioner-johannes-hahn/

Page 1 of 2

Sample 3: Drafted by me, edited by Mr. Wolfe, published in the BTJ ThinkTank journal.

1/2012 (1), 15 MAY

EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

Think transport | Think energy

One big experiment

By Przemysaw Myszka

The first of its kind

Photo: EC

The Baltic Sea region is like the lonely horseman is Robert Frosts poem Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. The man standstills and looks around, admiring the lovely, dark and deep woods. But the wayfarer cant dawdle too long, as he made some promises and has miles to go before he sleeps.

By Colin Wolfe, Head of Unit, DG Regional Policy, European Commission (EC) he EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) was tabled in felt deserted by politicians who teamed up with financiers in their hunger & Shawnna Robert,exactly the same keep promises that underlain EC money. Maintaining the political momentum is the necessary condition June 2009 to do Programme Manager, DG Regional Policy, for
the very European Union, namely to jointly collaborate in order to keep the promises, as the political will remains indispensable for success. to bridge the differences of heterogeneous and socially, eco- If the BSR Strategy shows real cooperation across boundaries, the citizens will have hard evidence that the Baltic Sea region, along with its inhabitnomically and politically fragmented region. The thing distinguishing alignment of policies and financial resources at the EU, national, and ants, levels. It has helped to develop a common view order to planthe Strategy is that its focused not on the level of the whole EU nor local is a precious commonwealth to all decision makers. Into TEN-T do so, the EUSBSR needs to be better embedded in political and administrative a single country, but encompasses eight EU Baltic states, both old and ning and implementation, enabling the region to speak in a coordistructures, even for instance during the TEN-T review it. It seems has new members. Thus the EUSBSR is an experiment and other European nated manner, in times of austerity and above all despiteprocess. It that facilitated decision making on major network connections, for examproper communication could help win the hearts of ordinary people, not regions are looking forward to seeing its final outcomes. only experts the Europe 2020 inspired the idea European Commission The impulse to crate the BSR Strategy were common challenges ple throughand the BSR Strategys participants. Theof green corridors. fathoms the Baltic, the approach has generated much interest facing the entire region. In the shipping area these are shortcomings in fullyOutside that awareness of the EUSBSR and its results need to be more visible. So much for words, transportation approaches ! safety and security as well as various environmental issues, regarding the from other regions. The now let actions do the talking. of the Danube transport sector. The see is also affected by eutrophication, dwindling fish Region Strategy and the Atlantic Motorways of the Sea draw parstocks, climate change and the risk of oil spills. Economies are waddled by ticular inspiration from Baltic work on mobility in the region and its uneven development, some countries are lingering to fully access the EU multi-modal approach. To work, the Strategy depends on sustained support and coordihe single market as well as are hampered by the lack of enterprise cul- EU S ture, asThe Strategy is down for many years by the iron cur-t r a t e g y nation of resources and programming. With this in mind, the Strategy they were pinned the was recently revised to align more closely with Europe 2020 goals, tain. Smooth transportation is jeopardized by gaps in trans- for becoming a motor for Maintaining the Baltic Sea with an emphasis on innovative and green technology solutions. port connections, when rail and road infrastructure in new new joint transportation political reduce travel time Region (EUSBSR) member countries is nowhere near to overland network is the first of its Closer links with neighbours is also highlighted, to momentum projects, states.has reinforced the energyto take a macro-regional within the Baltic region and waiting time at external borders. is the necessary condikind marin old EU and The same goes for existing projects years of malpractice. StakeholdIn addition, Baltic transportation tion to keep centre stage at issues will take the promdevelopment approach to reket, suffering from by encouraging the alignment thatpolicies ises, as the in Copenhainforcing ers have understood of these obstacles cannot practical cooperation. the 3rd Annual Forum for the Strategy, June 18-19, 2012,political and financial resources at In relation to transportation, it gen. This event will also encourage public-private partnerships and be overcome by single countries acting alone, will remains indispentherefore they started to cast about allies. the EU, national, and local for has already resulted in regular strengthen linkages between regional and national for success. sable decision-making ministerial level meetings and and investments. After almost five years of the worldlevels. planning at the Baltic Sea region Sweden and Latvia are coordinating the transportation activities of the wide financial crisis and nearly three of level, as amplified cooperation, the BSR countries well as a framework for tech- Strategy, facilitating the work of all the partners with the help of a steering committee involving all the national administrations concerned. are in a pretty good shape. nical cooperation at expert level. A safe haFor more information, please visit our newly launched website at venThea Strategy isworld, one could say. for new joint transportation in tumbling becoming a motor projects, and hasdesires true existing projects by encouraging the www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu. ! But if the region reinforced harmony, it needs to continuously increase its competitiveness and cultural wealth. The financial crisis has not only awakened the demons of isolationism and political selfishness, but also harmed the sensitive bond of trust, linking societies with their sov24-26 October 2011 Second Annual Forum of the EUSBSR Gdansk Poland, photo: EU ereigns. Words of unrest broke out, as people

Crucial role of the cities

1/2012 ! BTJ Think Tank ! 1

By Per Bdker Andersen, President, Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC)