1. HELSINKI-TALLINN EUREGIO

Helsinki-Tallinn Euregio is association of five partners: City of Helsinki, City of Tallinn, Uusimaa Regional Council, Union of Harju County Municipalities and Republic of Estonia, represented by Harju County Government.

Mission

The mission of the Euregio is to enhance cross-border integration between Helsinki-Uusimaa region and Harju county.

Role

The role of Eregio is to promote and assist co-operation inside the twin-region.

Euregio supports and promotes inter-regional development and competitiveness, aiming to strengthen the regional knowledge based economic development.

Euregio is:

• A political discussion platform
• An initiator of cross-border and inter-regional projects and networking
• Intermediator in promoting co-operation and cross-use of regional competencies

2. OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

Operating environment of Euregio is characterised by the need to invest more effort from both sides of the Gulf of Finland in common development of the Helsinki-Tallinn metropolitan region, in order to adjust to growing challenges of globalisation. The two regions and cities face the challenge of smoothing and regulating constantly growing interaction of people and businesses.

The role of metropolitan regions is to raise competitiveness of the region and ensure well-being of citizens. In this process size matters, quality of life and availability of high quality services becomes more important. Cross-border networks and functional integration in education, research and companies are essential for gaining competitive strength.

Ageing population, declining labour force, brain drain are presenting the region with challenges, perceived as an obstacles to economic growth. In both cities there is growing need for both high quantity and quality of labour, Cross-border networks and platforms are essential for gaining competitive strength in and between value chains and clusters, facilitating new combinations of knowledge and knowledge valorisation and commercialisation.

The twin-region is already on the track to strengthen knowledge-based economy and innovation environment with a large number of R&D institutions and universities in the region, co-operation between universities and R&D units, educational institutions and enterprises and business clusters. Neighbourhood with Russia (especially St. Petersburg) is our common potential in the long run.

Ecological footprint in our region is a growing concern. In both regions waste management, public transport and energy saving are becoming crucial topics due to tightening regulations and urgent needs for new solutions. The state of the Baltic Sea, in particular its eutrophication, is a matter of high concern. The shared marine environment, the Gulf of Finland, is one of the most endangered sub-regions of the Baltic Sea. Current concerns include environmental risks such as heavy traffic, maritime accidents, gas pipe, chemical and oil transports, emissions of sea traffic and effects of climate change. Cross-border actions are necessary in diminishing environmental challenges.

3. PRIORITIES AND ACTIVITIES

3.1. Increased Interaction in Spatial and Regional Planning

To foster regional development by strengthening knowledge on regional strategic plans of both

sides and increase joint understanding of their cross-border effects

Activities:

• to incorporate ideas of strategic plans of both regions
• exchange of experience in providing public services on the local and regional government level
• creation of cooperation networks between the institutions of the regions’ local governments
• to initiate co-operation in waste management, recycling and energy saving
• to evaluate social-economic feasibility of the Helsinki-Tallinn rail connections

3.2. Creation of innovative and a barrier free region with common well-functioning markets

To work for removing obstacles of free mobility. To support and facilitate developing services for mobile companies and labour.

Activities:

• to activate discussion on barriers restricting mobility of  services and peoples
• to assist in developing public services for mobile people
• to support development of cross-border living lab environments for enterprises

3.3. Development of Twin-region of Arts and Sciences

To facilitate and support emergence of the Twin-Region based on knowledge and culture

Activities:

• to boost the co-operation of universities
• to develop common region of cultural and media services
• to support cross regional new creative industries