On 31 January 2022, the Lithuanian Presidency of the National Coordinators Group (NCG) of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) and the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme Managing Authority/ Joint Secretariat held an information session for the potential applicants of the Baltic Sea Strategy Point (BSP). 

The organizers shared information about the application and selection procedure, timeline and the expectations for the BSP. The new function will be responsible for administrative tasks, internal and external communication, coordination of the cross-cutting issues and capacity building. The BSP will be guided by and accountable to the NCG and will work closely with the EUSBSR Member State, holding the Presidency of the NCG.

“The Baltic Sea Strategy Point is set to become a support structure that will contribute to more efficient implementation of the Strategy. Lithuanian Presidency is so glad to see that so many potential applicants are interested in making the EUSBSR more fit for new challenges. The NCG is ready to provide guidance for this new function in order it becomes fully operational in the 2^nd half of 2022. The Presidency will work to ensure smooth establishment of the structure” – Robertas Bružilas, Chair of the NCG, said.

The call for the BSP will be launched very soon, on 8 February, while the final decision on one selected proposal by the Monitoring Committee of the Interreg BSR programme is expected in June 2022. 

The revised Action Plan of the EUSBSR, adopted on 15 February 2021, provides for the establishment of a function, called the Baltic Sea Strategy Point, providing administrative and technical support for EUSBSR management, development and communication. The Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme will provide funding to the Baltic Sea Strategy Point under Programme objective 4.2 Macro-regional governance. The Programme is subject to the approval by the European Commission (expected mid-2022).