Action Programme 2000-2002

Adopted by Helsinki-Tallinn Euregio Management Committee in March 07, 2000.

Part I Introduction

The Gulf of Finland both separates and unites the two capital cities and the surrounding counties. These neighbouring regions inhabit altogether 2 million people. Today, connections and co-operative relations are already tight and frequent. More than 6 million passengers cross the gulf every year. Uusimaa and Harju regions go in the forefront showing how people, organisations and businesses establish contacts, partnerships and business relations.

Last year the mayors of Tallinn and Helsinki, together with the regional leaders, decided to consolidate their co-operation. With the founding agreement of the Euregio, the new framework for co-operation was initiated. The need of this co-operation comes from recognising the fact of growing interdependence of the two metropolitan regions. Many problems are common, but also possibilities, growth potentials, require close co-operation in the local or regional level.

Estonian EU-membership in future, and the ongoing application process today, create many needs and possibilities of co-operation. Local authorities are in central position, both in implementing EU-regulations, and in promoting local economic development in today’s integrating world. Creating effective urban governance and stronger administrative capacities are key tasks in preparing for EU-membership. The Euregio will contribute in involving local and regional administrations by developing and supporting exchange between Finnish and Estonian municipalities.

Phare 2000+ programme will be the principal funding tool in preparing to Estonian EU-membership. For local administrations the cross-border component (CBC), and especially the small project facility in it, are important. CBC facilitates exchange of experiences and twinning programmes between Estonian municipalities and their closest neighbours in Finland.

Interreg IIIA programme will be an important tool for regional and local development in Uusimaa Region. In many cases the objectives of the two programmes Interreg and Phare could coincide with each other in the project level. But so far there has not been any well functioning mechanism to make these two programmes work together, funding same projects. The Euregio holds a good position to carry out better co-ordination between Interreg and Phare.

Involvement in Interreg IIIA programme, and executing better co-ordination between Interreg and Phare programmes in project level, are the most important tasks for the Euregio in coming two years. Through this work the Euregio is able to contribute in developing interregional relations across the Gulf of Finland.

Part II Launching and developing the Euregio

Euregio, as an umbrella organisation and a partnership, do not have strong organisational capacity, and not even an intention to build new administrative structures. Instead, it concentrates in concrete work and small projects in four themes and tasks:

A. Activities in Interreg and Phare programmes Helsinki-Tallinn inter-regional metropolitan development

• developing and administering a sub-action line ‘Metropolitan development’in Interreg IIIA programme for Southern Finland;
• co-ordination with Phare 2000+/CBC programme.

B. Studies and technical support for preparing joint strategies

• research programme and surveys on growing business and interaction across the Gulf of Finland;
• contacts with Baltic co-operation projects, eg. Baltic Palette, Urban Systems and Urban Networking in the Baltic Sea Region, Via Baltica, Gulf of Finland Growth Triangle, Baltic 21.

C. Development of information and communication technologies (ICT) services to support inter-regional contacts and networking

• developing the Euregio net site into a bulletin board and a partner search forum;
• lobbying for better and cheaper ICT services between the cities.

D. Organising of political dialogue

• yearly conference Euregio Forum;
• ad hoc workshops on issues of current interest.

Part III Priorities for interregional metropolitan development

• expresses Euregio partners’ common opinion on priority tasks in interregional development for next few years;
• sets objectives and tasks to be supported through Euregio preparing and implementing Interreg IIIA and Phare 2000+/CBC programmes;
• this list of priorities will be offered, in slightly modified form, to the Uusimaa Region to be included in the regional Interreg IIIA programme, as section 1.1 Metropolitan development.

1.Development of business environments Objectives:

• promote development of stable and functioning business environments;
• increase functional networks between businesses;
• increase cross-border joint-ventures in SME sector;
• develop co-operation in business promotion Examples of activities: transfer of experiences in business development;

co-operation and cohesion in security policies;

common information services to SME’s;

networking and co-operation between SME’s.

Co-operation between research, technology and development centres Objectives:

increase understanding of growing interaction between the two regions;

analyse effects and policy development in relation to Estonia’s EU membership;

increase networking between technology centres Examples of activities:

research co-operation;

exchange of know-how and technology.

Exchange and co-operation in education Objectives:

improve the quality of education;

increase and intensify trans-border contacts;

increase working and studying in neighbouring region;

achieve savings in education;

strengthening common regional identity through educational;

programmes Examples of activities:

co-operation between universities and schools;

exchange of students and teachers;

production of material and creation of common modules in educational programmes;

improve language skills.

Developing local and regional administrative capacities and interregional connections Objectives:

preparing municipalities in Harju County for Estonian EU-membership;

cohesion of local administrative procedures, especially in relation to services for enterprises;

developing twinning relations between municipalities and NGO’s;

Examples of activities:

exchange and training in issues related to the Single Market and acquis communautaire;

short term placements of specialists in local administrations and utility companies;

awareness raising on European affairs;

supply of information and consultation in EU contacts & project opportunities.

Protection of the environment Objectives:

improvement of solid waste management;

harmonising environmental standards;

improving environmental risk management;

environmental awareness raising Examples of activities:

exchange and consultation in waste management plans, regulation and training;

co-operation in rescue services;

exhibitions, campaigns.

Transport connections and tourism Objectives:

development of rapid communication by sea and flight, especially for safety and low prices;

development of cultural tourism, environmental tourism and farm tourism;

exploiting complementing strengths of the two cities in tourism development;

controlling and utilising spin off effects of tourism Examples of activities:

development and marketing of tourism products for international market;

development of sailing tourism through joint activities of coastal municipalities;

marketing of cultural events across the Gulf of Finland.

Telecommunication and development of the Information Society Objectives:

strengthening of competitiveness in telecom markets;

promoting e-commerce across the Gulf of Finland;

effective utilising and development of Information Society Structures in interregional development;

bringing local municipalities and NGO’s into closer interaction through ICT Examples of activities:

evaluate and eliminate barriers of e-commerce development;

create IS strategies for spatial planning;

create Internet communication strategies for local administrations;

support actions for building interregional virtual networks and information systems.

Part IV The first projects to be initiated in the framework of Helsinki-Tallinn Euregio

(The leading Euregio partner named, as well as partners outside the Euregio partnership. Other Euregio partners will participate.)

Activization of the Third Sector in the Fields of Law Enforcement, Public Safety and the Legal System.

Leading Euregio partner, other partners:

City of Tallinn, Urban Research Institute, Estonia;

Legal System Architecture, Estonia.

Subject: The stimulation of citizen initiatives and guiding them toward goals in organising the state’s law enforcement and public safety systems, strengthening the legal system and making them more open to public scrutiny.

Funding: Phare application.

Regional and inter-regional curricula project.

Leading Euregio partner, other partners:

City of Tallinn;

Non-Estonians Integration Foundation;

City of Helsinki Education department.

Subject: Strengthening common regional identity through educational programmes. Minority integration through local identity building and inter-regional integration through inter-regional identity building.

Funding: Non-Estonians Integration Foundation for the initial phase.

Exchange and training in EU matters.

Leading Euregio partner, other partners:

City of Helsinki;

Eurocities East-West Committee.

Subject: Preparing local administration to Estonia’s EU membership

Funding: The project will be planned and implemented in connection to a larger project organised by Eurocities East-West Committee

Development of Information society structures in interregional development.

Leading Euregio partner, other partners:

Uusimaa Regional Council;

Baltic Palette project.

Subject: Survey and development plan for inter-regional information infrastructures and services facilitating easier networking between people and organisations.

Funding: The project is intended to have a connection to the further work organised and funded in connection to future activities of the Baltic Palette project.

Development of regular boat connection and sailing tourism between Western Harju and Western Uusimaa.

Leading Euregio partner, other partners:

Uusimaa Regional Council.

Establishing Carrefour Centre in Harju County.

Leading Euregio partner, other partners:

Harju County Government;

Carrefour Uusimaa.

Developing co-operation between small and medium size enterprises (SME’s) in Uusimaa and in Harjumaa.

Leading Euregio partner, other partners:

Harju County Government;

Esmeralda project.

Subject: Similarly to Esmeralda project, which creates concrete co-operation between municipalities of Rapla and Uusimaa Counties.