“No new funding” is one of the founding principles of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Instead, the existing funding schemes and programmes should be used more effectively.

As cooperating transnationally is crucial for the implementation of the EUSBSR objective, the EU structural funds should better enable transnational components in the projects funded. To answer this need a network of ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Managing Authorities has been established. The ERDF MA-network is aiming at increasing the geographical flexibility of ERDF structural funds, to better contribute to the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.

The network was established in Warsaw on 19 May 2016. Only a year later it has already initiated a pilot project called “Cleaner Growth”. The objective of the pilot is to develop transnational collaboration proposals to help regions implementing smart specialisation strategies focusing on cleantech. The pilot project and the work of the ERDF MA-network was communicated widely for the first time in the 8^th Annual Forum of the EUSBSR on 13-14 June 2017.

The pioneering project collaboration between existing ERDF-funded projects should begin during the autumn 2017. PA Innovation and the ERDF MA-network will inform about the process.

Find more information on the topic on the presentation of Niclas Forsling in the Annual Forum session “Macro-regional Strategies – What’s in it for Cohesion Policy?”

Policy Area Innovation of the EUSBSR is strongly involved in the process of the ERDF MA-network and the pilot project initiative. A blog on the ERDF MA-network can be read on PA Innovation’s website.

Contact PA Innovation Coordinators for more information.