EUROREGION BALTIC

Membership of Gdynia since 1998

On 22nd of February 1998 the Agreement establishing Euroregion Baltic was signed in Malbork. Gdynia, that actively acted and presided over the Group on Programming Policy within the Organising Team, was one of the initiators of the Euroregion's creation. Gdynia is a member of the Communes Association of the Republic of Poland of the Euroregion Baltic, which is a part of the established Euroregion. On 31.12.2006 the members of the Association were 84 municipalities, 5 poviats and 2 supporting members: self-governments of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Pomorskie voivodeships.

Euroregion Baltic includes areas in two regions in northern Poland - Pomeranian Region, Warmia-Masuria Region, regions in south-eastern Sweden - Blekinge, Kalmar and Kronoberg, Bornholm County in Denmark, the Kaliningrad Zone in Russia as well as Klaipeda and the Klaipeda Region in Lithuania.

Euroregion Baltic consists of the following bodies: Council of Euroregion - the most important body, which is responsible for co-ordinating the co-operation within Euroregion, six-membered Presidium, which is appointed by the Council, the President of Euroregion-appointed by the Council for a year, the Secretariat of Euroregion (its headquarter is sequentially changed in accordance with the change of president's term) and Working Groups on the regional development and spatial planning (Tourism and Logistic sub-groups are run by the Polish party), Environment Protection Group, Social Affairs and Culture Exchange Groups. The objective of Euroregion's existence is to find the common solution to the problems connected with the development of the region and crossborder co-operation in the areas of transport infrastructure (motorway building), modernisation and creation of border crossings (ferry terminal, passages and pedestrian crossings), elimination of threats and natural disasters (creation of the mutual warning system), technology transfer, job training, elimination of unemployment problem, building the common system of economic, tourist and cultural information.

Contact addresses:
Association of Communes of the Republic of Poland
of the Euroregion Baltic
Secretariat
Ul. Św. Ducha 3/4
82-300 Elbląg
Phone/fax: + 48 55 235 55 99, + 48 55 236 10 10
e-mail: sekel@eurobalt.org.pl

Euroregion Baltic International Permanent Secretariat
Ul. Św. Ducha 3/4
82-300 Elbląg
Phone/fax: +48 55 641 27 70
e-mail: ips@eurobalt.org.pl

Practical input of Gdynia in the activity of Euroregion Baltic

On April 14th 1998 in the seat of Higher School of International Economic and Political Relations in Gdynia the session of Presidium of Euroregion Baltic took place. During the session Presidium members discussed, among other things, the following matters: Presidium action plan, the terms of the sessions of Euroregion's Council and all the organisational matters concerned with the functioning of Euroregion Baltic. Among other things within the content-relating activities of the Euroregion, the following matters were presented: information about the up-to-date activities and the following publication initiatives of Euroregion: International Bulletin, Quarterly of Euroregion Baltic and others. Furthermore the matter of work division in Presidium of Euroregion in an aspect of organisation of activities of the Euroregion members as well as winning the support of the particular countries and European Union were mentioned.
Presidium of Euroregion Baltic announced the competition for the logo of the Euroregion. Gdynia founded the prize: a weekend long stay in our city for the winner of the competition (the winner of the competition Mr Jonkus from Klajpeda stayed in Gdynia on 14th -15th of August 1998.)
As a result of the co-operation between the Euroregion Baltic and Euroregion Pomerania, four persons from Euroregion Baltic were invited to take part in the seminar on EU. The seminar was organised by European Civil Academy (Europäische Staatsburger-Akademie-ESTA), which keeps in constant touch with Euroregion Pomerania. The representative of Gdynia during the meeting was Ms Lidia Warras - a Germanist from Grammar School no. 7. The seminar, which gathered teachers from four Polish Euroregions and the teachers from Germany, took place in Althof and Berlin from 13th till 15th of November 1998. The program of the seminar included negotiations concerning the opportunity of schools' co-operation, Polish and German student exchange, a visit of European Civil Academy in Europe-Institute, lectures on EU and workshops for politicians.
In 1999 the Association of Communes of the Republic of Poland of the Euroregion Baltic received financial means from Small Projects Fund within the PHARE CBC Programme for carrying out 22 international projects. Gdynia submitted 2 applications. The first application covered the matter of gaining a grant for an integration camp for children; the second one aimed at co-financing the project concerning presentation of the city and region of Liepaja. Both applications were accepted and the international integration camp for children from Kaliningrad, Belarus, Latvia was organised. The camp was set up from1st till 12th of July 1999 by the authorities of the primary school no.10 in Gdynia.
The second project carried out by Gdynia within the above mentioned Fund was the project: "Presentation of the City and Region of Liepaja". Its aim was to make an economic, cultural and scientific presentation of the city and the region of Liepaja.
The City Hall of Gdynia participated in organising the First International Fair called -" Euroregion Baltic Expo 99" which took place in World Trade Centre Gdynia Expo from 12th till 14th of October 1999. The dominant themes of the fair were tourism, ecology, culture and economy. 83 exhibitors took part in the Fair. 59 municipalities represented Poland. Except municipalities' representatives there were also the following stands: the stands of Offices of the Presidents of the Regions of Pomerania, Warmia and Masuria as well as the stands of foreign representatives from Sweden, Russia, Lithuania and Latvia.
In 1998-1999 the late Maciej Brzeski, the vice-mayor of Gdynia took over the position as a chairman of the Association of Communes of the Republic of Poland of the Euroregion Baltic.
Gdynia City Hall participated in the 2nd International Fair of the Euroregion Baltic 2000 in Klaipeda (23-25.10.2000).
Realisation of the project "United Against Drugs" co-financed by the Small Euroregional Projects Fund within PHARE CBC Programme, Poland - Baltic Sea Region (24-26.04.01).
Realisation of the project "Democracy at the Local Self-governmental Level Based on the Example of Gdynia and Liepaja" on 30.05-02.06.2001. The project was co-financed by the Small Euroregional Projects Fund within PHARE CBC Programme, Poland - Baltic Sea Region.
Realisation of the project "Supporting the development of tourism industry on the example of Gdynia and Liepaja" from 1st December 2002 to 31st July 2003. The project was co-financed by the Small Euroregional Projects Fund within PHARE Polish Eastern Border.
Realised between 2003 and 2004, the project "Baltic Summer Stage - New Vision of an Open-air Theatre" was co-financed by the Small Euroregional Projects Fund within PHARE CBC 2001 Programme.
Realised between 2003 and 2004, the urban planning project "ABC - Alliance of Baltic Cities" was co-financed by the Small Euroregional Projects Fund within PHARE 2001 Programme.
Realised between 2004 and 2005, the urban planning project "ABC - Alliance of Baltic Cities II" was co-financed by the Small Euroregional Projects Fund within PHARE 2002 Programme.

Realisation of the project "SebTrans-Link - Modern Ferry Terminal in the Eastern Port as an Important Link in the North-South Transport Corridor" in 2005. The project was co- financed by the PHARE CBC 2002 Programme, Baltic Sea Region, Medium Project Fund - Grant Scheme, Institutional Support.

From December 2002 to March 2007 Mrs. Joanna Zielinska, Vice-chairperson of Gdynia City Council, held the position of Vice-chairperson of the Board of the Association of Polish Communes of the Euroregion Baltic. In March 2007 she was nominated the Chairperson of the Board for the period 2007-2013.

Opublikowano: 26.10.2006 00:00
Autor: Małgorzata Aleksiak ()