Introduction 5 Chapter 1: a description of the organisational structure set up for the implementation of the Strategy 6
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Pillar 4: To make the Baltic Sea Region a safe and secure place
Brief summary of overall progress: The coordination process started in late 2009. It is necessary to recall that this Priority Area did not build on existing structures, thus the efforts to get activities initiated started from scratch. The Priority Area Coordinators, the Danish Maritime Safety Administration and the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications, have established an international Steering Committee to provide advice and assistance. The creation of an efficient Steering Committee with well defined terms of reference can be considered as a good practice for other Priority Areas. It provides added value in creating a multi-national cross-sectoral forum for project-oriented as well as political dialogue among the Baltic Sea States, gathering leaders, experts and generalists from a wide range of different national ministries and government agencies with an interest in maritime safety and security. Therefore, the Steering Committee supplements the existing forums of the Region, which are frequently dealing with a single or a few highly specialised items. So far, three meetings have been held and in future two regular and one thematic meeting are planned per year. The Priority Area Coordinators have also made much effort to establish new networks and ensure as broad participation of stakeholders as possible, e.g. representatives of other Priority Areas or of the BONUS programme are invited to the meetings, and there is regular contact with the relevant Priority Area Coordinator(s) from the Danube Strategy to exchange experience and lessons learned. The Priority Area Coordinators have been trying to actively involve third countries and will continue to encourage the participation of Iceland, Norway and the Russian Federation. It is worth noting, that in late 2010, a major project, which forms a part of the “Motorways of the Sea concept” was approved by the EU Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The project is entitled “Motorways and electronic navigation by intelligence at Sea” (MONALISA) and supports the implementation of two fields of Priority Area no. 13 (re-surveying of major sea routes and e-Navigation) as well as priority fields of Priority Areas 4 and 11. Albeit not formally a Flagship Project of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, it is indeed a contribution to the implementation of the Strategy, for which reason the project has a standing invitation to attend Steering Committee meetings of Priority Area 13 in order to brief about the progress of this project. The main added value of the current set up of the Priority Area seems to be in assisting Flagship Projects in conveying results and recommendations to the political level. By doing so, the Priority Area Coordinators can help to ensure that different projects, including those of other Priority Areas, cooperate and share experience, if relevant. The Priority Area has the potential to identify and make proposals for further cooperation within its area. A new potential Flagship Project proposal was favourably discussed during the Steering Committee meeting in March 2011, namely “BaltWin – Enhanced Ice Navigation in Challenging Conditions of the Baltic Sea” which focuses on finding better and safer ways of handling winter navigation in the Baltic Sea. The main challenges have been funding of the Flagship Projects as well as lack of human and financial resources available to the Priority Area Coordinators. However, the latter problem should be solved by the grant for the technical assistance offered via the Commission's services by the European Parliament. The actions are not reported on separately, but relate to the Flagship Projects. Action: Strategic actions:
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Report: Cooperative actions:
Report: Flagship Projects (as examples):
Report: Leader: The Finnish Border Guard has been confirmed as leader of this Flagship Project which is being implemented through the “Baltic Sea Maritime Functionalities” project. Description: The Baltic Sea Maritime Functionalities project (BSFM) is aimed at developing maritime actors by defining cooperation, conceptualising maritime functions and creating target statuses in relation to them, and demonstrating these functions in the context of the Baltic Sea. The project’s objective is to create the viewpoint of the Baltic Sea Region on European Union’s CISE (Common Information Sharing Environment for the surveillance of the EU maritime domain) project where all the actors are involved. The aim is to depict the maritime functionalities from the viewpoint of one state and to depict their connection to the international exchange of information. However, while conducting the project, the existing development work (e.g. CISE TAG, MARSUNO) should be considered so that all overlapping and possible competition will be avoided. State-of-play: A draft of the project’s written study was produced as part of the Finnish national preparation in March 2011. The parts of the study that are being developed in other projects, such as MARSUNO, are referenced directly from them. The planning of the study demo has started. The idea is to utilise the functionalities of the SUCBAS demo in exchanging surface situational images and to engage it with information exchange entities from different actors using the rules defined in data management and from the viewpoint of the subtext. Implementation of the demo’s design is planned for the EU integrated maritime policy meeting scheduled to take place on 4 October 2011 in Poland. The planning of the study demo has started. Financing: no external financing is foreseen Next steps: As the draft is finished, the participants defined in the preparation phase will be offered a possibility to take part in the study. The final participants finalise the definitions and goals for the functionalities, as well as the requirements of data management. The design of the demo’s details continues after the draft of the study’s written part is finished. Expected finalisation: new deadline has been set – December 2011.
Report: Leader: Swedish Coast Guard Description: The pilot project is a step towards achieving the aims of rendering existing monitoring and tracking systems more interoperable between at least three coastal Member States of the Northern European Sea basins (hereinafter "the project partners"). In particular, the aim is to determine the extent to which this cooperation enhances exchanges of information and enforcement of international, EU and national legislation as well as cooperation that already takes place between the Member States. The objectives of the project are: 1. To test the capacity of project partners to exchange surveillance and monitoring information relating to Coast Guarding activities that take place in the Northern European Sea basins. 2. To test joint maritime surveillance operational procedures between law enforcement authorities. Testing may include joint sharing of existing systems as well as observations and development of procedures for joint operations. 3. To determine the extent to which project partners are potentially able to set up an exchange of information – basic data – mechanism at a cross-sectoral and cross-border level that is viable and durable in time, also concerning cooperation between civil and military assets. 4. To identify legal, administrative and technical obstacles that may hinder the exchange of the above-mentioned information on a long-term basis. 5. To identify – on the basis of the acquired experience in exchanging the information – best practices and/or legal adjustments needed to overcome the obstacles identified. 6. To determine the extent of added value in both qualitative and quantitative terms, and relate this to what already exists from a cross-border/cross-sectoral cooperation perspective. The work is divided into six work groups or so-called "layers": 1. Integrated Border Management – Law Enforcement (IBM-LE) 2. Vessel Traffic Monitoring Information Systems (VTMIS) 3. Maritime Pollution Response (MPR) 4. Search and Rescue (SAR) 5. Fisheries Control (FC) 6. Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) State-of-play: The MARSUNO project has been in operation for 15 months and is following the work plan with some minor deviations. Several groups have finished their first sub-tasks and work has started on five thematic reports of the project’s layers 1-5, summing up the results and recommendations they have agreed on within each work group. A final report will be delivered to the European Commission/DG MARE by the end of December 2011, under the responsibility of the Maritime Situational Awareness layer (work group). During 2010 a lot of effort was made regarding the mapping project partners’ capacity to exchange surveillance and monitoring information, and this is continuing during 2011. It is foreseen that in the autumn of 2011 one of the work groups will perform a demo and examine how the information exchange work can be based on different platform solutions. A gap analysis identifying administrative, technical and legal obstacles will be carried out during March 2011 and the results from this will be used in the project’s further work. The final report will emphasise best practice within different sectors and suggest solutions for identified gaps to improve conditions for information exchange with other EU Member States as well as third countries. Financing: Total budget: €3 047 085; EU contribution: maximum €1 896 810; the grant agreement between the European Commission and the Swedish Coast Guard was signed on 28 December 2009. Each participating authority will contribute a minimum level of financing, as stated in the grant agreement, while the EU Commission will contribute approximately 60% of the specified amount. Next steps: A gap analysis will be carried out within all working groups. Several seminars were scheduled for the spring of 2011. From September to December 2011, the project’s work groups will finalise their work in different reports containing examples of best practice solutions for information exchange, and suggestions of how to improve identified obstacles for information exchange within the different sectors (user communities).
Report: Description: The aim of the project is to speed up hydrographic re-surveys of the Baltic Sea, and thus to contribute to improving the safety of navigation. More specifically, the activity aims at developing and starting implementation of the revised Baltic Sea Re-survey Scheme, to be based on national re-survey plans and to cover the whole Baltic Sea area in a harmonised way. The 2002 Re-survey Scheme, developed by the Baltic Sea Hydrographic Commission (BSHC) following the HELCOM 2001 Copenhagen Declaration, will be revised e.g. taking into account the actual shipping routes (based on AIS) and the new routing measures established or planned in the Baltic Sea. The hydrographic re-surveys are a continuous activity. It has been agreed by the coastal countries that the national re-survey plans, including time schedule estimations, are to be finalised and presented preferably by 2013, but not later than 2015. Motorways and electronic navigation by intelligence at sea - "MonaLisa project" (September 2010 – December 2013): Albeit not formally a Flagship Project, the MonaLisa project is considered to contribute to the implementation of Priority Area 13, in particular Flagship Project 13.3, for which reason a brief description of the project is included here. The project is led by the Swedish Maritime Administration. Its total budget amounts to €22.4 million, of which 50% is co-financing provided by the Trans-European Networks. The MonaLisa project is divided into four activities: 1. Dynamic and proactive route planning – "Green Routes" 2. Verification System for officers’ certifications 3. Quality assurance of hydrographic data 4. Global sharing of maritime information Quality assured hydrographic surveys are urgent due to the increasing number of large vessels navigating with deep draft. Verifying that unknown shoals do not exist between old sounding lines is urgent, and is the reason re-surveys must be performed as soon as possible. Re-survey of HELCOM fairways and Baltic Sea port areas should be carried out as soon as possible by way of modern, quality-assured methods to ensure that hydrographic data is presented in nautical charts and other nautical publications. The activity of re-surveying major sea routes (HELCOM fairways cat. I and II) started in September 2010. The other activities are starting in 2011. State of play: The revision of the Baltic Sea Re-survey Scheme, including its principles, has been agreed on at a political level (HELCOM Ministerial Meeting on 20 May 2010, Moscow). The BSHC committed in September 2010 to implementation of the revised Scheme and tasked its Monitoring Working Group with developing the harmonised scheme by 2013 (2015). Currently, re-surveys have been mainly on the so-called category 1 areas. The amount of re-surveyed areas are increasing, but still there is a lot of re-surveying to be done even on category 1 areas. The re-survey database is available at http://helcomresurvey.sjofartsverket.se/helcomresurveysite/. Next steps: The MWG is planning to have a meeting in May 2011 with the aim being to review the progress, to agree on implementation details and to have a workshop where all can jointly load their re-survey areas into the database. This meeting will also prepare for reporting to IRCC3, EUSBSR, BSHC and HELCOM. The BSHC will report the re-survey scheme and the database to the IHO Inter-Regional Coordination Committee (IRRC) at its 3rd meeting in May 2011 as an example of a regional implementation of the World Wide Status of Hydrographic Surveying (C-55). The EU TEN-T MonaLisa project, which inter alia aims to carry out re-surveys in Finnish and Swedish waters, was approved in late 2010. The BSHC will review the progress of the implementation at its 16th Conference in September 2011. Expected finalisation: The new Baltic Sea Re-survey Scheme is to be fully harmonised and put in place by 2015 at the latest. However, most of the BSHC members have strong intentions to finalise their schemes by 2013. Generally, national re-surveys are a continuous activity according to specific national timetables.
Report: Description: This Flagship Project relates to a work package of the EU INTERREG IV B Baltic Sea Programme project “Efficient Safe and Sustainable Traffic at Sea” (EfficienSea). e-Navigation40 is a concept under development that provides the mariner with the information required to navigate safely and effectively. Information is gathered from a number of sources from the vessel’s own sensors as well as shore-side services, which is processed and presented to the mariner in a single system. In contrast, today information is often presented on a number of different displays onboard that only partially can exchange information. e-Navigation will help to reduce information complexity and thus enhance safety. The aim of the EfficienSea e-Navigation work is two-fold: a) to prepare project partners for e-Navigation through the development of prototype services and the establishment of test beds in the Baltic Sea with vessels, users and infrastructure; and b) to support and assist the global e-Navigation process. State of play: The Flagship Project is progressing well and has completed the preparations for the establishment of e-Navigation trial zones and started work on developing prototypes for several e-Navigation services. A number of prototype services, including provision of meteorological and oceanographic data on routes, maritime safety information presented in the nautical chart and route exchange facilities, are already operational. The prototype services developed will e.g. allow the mariner to be notified directly, if a lighthouse is unlit, a buoy is out of position or waves reach a certain height. The prototype also offers route exchange, allowing two vessels to exchange planned routes, which reduces the risk of collision at sea while also increasing authorities’ possibilities to foresee and warn the vessels against dangerous situations. The actual testing of the infrastructure for e-Navigation onboard a number of vessels was launched in September 2010. One of the objectives of the project is to make the test results available to the international community working with e-Navigation. From 31 January to 2 February 2011 the EfficienSea project, in cooperation with the International Association for Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) and other partners, organised the conference “e-Navigation Underway”. The conference gathered 130 delegates from 21 countries onboard the cruise liner M/S Crown of Scandinavia, one of the vessels in the project’s test fleet. Representatives from the maritime community including international organisations, industry, research institutes and national authorities presented e-Navigation test bed results from all over the world in order to exchange lessons learned and methodology. The conference resulted in 19 concrete recommendations for the e-Navigation process41. The EfficienSea e-Navigation work can be considered a regional contribution to the ongoing development of a future, global standard for e-Navigation within the International Maritime Organization – the UN agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping. Problems encountered and solutions found: while the development of e-Navigation is progressing well, it has become clear, that the testing and full development of the e-Navigation concept will require more time and funding. Funding for the work on e-Navigation beyond the completion of the EfficienSea project by January 2012 is uncertain. Financing: The total budget of the EfficienSea project is approximately €8 million, while the budget of the e-Navigation work package is €1 953 786, of which the EU finances 75%. Next steps: The project runs from 2009 to January 2012. During 2011 the work to test the prototype services as well as the infrastructure will continue. Expected finalisation: The project will be completed by January 2012, but it is foreseen that additional efforts to develop and implement e-Navigation are required.
Report: Leader: The Polish Ministry of Infrastructure has overall responsibility, while the Maritime University of Szczecin has been appointed to lead the project. Description: The aim of the project is to deliver best practices of European maritime training institutions to provide young people with attractive prospects for a life-long career in maritime enterprises / professions and facilitate mobility between sea and land-based jobs, as well as upgrading competences to adapt requirements to today’s shipping industry. The following general steps are planned to be carried out: 1. To establish a European network of cooperative academies and centres of maritime training, supported by representatives of maritime transport and industry; 2. To provide education and training that correspond to the industry's needs and expectations; 3. To create a Joint European best practice model for broad maritime career possibilities; 4. To create a life-long learning system for those who work at sea. The project is expected to run from 2010 – 2012. State of play: An initial international seminar entitled “Create a network of centers of excellence for maritime training” took place on 1 October 2010 at the Maritime University of Szczecin, Poland. Representatives of the European Commission, the EMSA, the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure and nine European countries participated in the event. The seminar defined strategic goals of future work and networks, objectives and steps forward. The project´s website www.c4mt.eu was also launched. Recalling the outcome of the seminar, the Flagship Project Leader has investigated possible ways of financing the project and has established a consortium of 13 Baltic Sea Region maritime training institutions, with the aim being to submit an application to the Baltic Sea Region Programme. Problems encountered and solutions found: the main difficulty is to find suitable EU funds to carry out the project. The consortium created will allow the project proposal flexibility as concerns the opportunity to send a letter of application for calls of other financing programmes. Financing: An application for funding was to be submitted to the 4th Call of the Baltic Sea Region Programme by 31 March 2011. Simultaneously, other ways of financing are also being considered. Next steps: Organising the 2nd seminar of the project (Gdynia on 20 May 2011); Elaborating the best practice model of maritime training. Expected finalisation: The project is planned to be completed by 201
Report: State of play: There is currently no lead for this Flagship Project, which is why the Priority Area’s Steering Committee worked on resolving this during its initial three meetings, and foresees to revert to the topic again at its next meeting. At a meeting of the Steering Committee in March 2011, the representative of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Policy and Fisheries informed that the issue of accidents in fisheries had been discussed at a recent meeting of the Baltic Sea Regional Advisory Council (BSRAC43) whose aim is to advise the European Commission and Member States on matters relating to management of the fisheries in the Baltic Sea. As reported, the BSRAC might have an interest in the Flagship Project, thus the Priority Area Coordinators will investigate this possibility.
Report: Leader: The Polish Ministry of Infrastructure has the overall responsibility, while the Maritime University of Szczecin was appointed to lead a project, which should ideally also involve other interested EU Member States and organisations. Description: It should be noted that this Flagship Project was not included under Priority Area 13 in the original version of the Action Plan, but its inclusion got broad support from Member States and was subsequently confirmed by the EUSBSR High Level Group. The purpose of conducting a risk assessment is to determine any preventive measures and regulations related to security and safety. A formal risk assessment should include interested parties from both the governments and industry in order to develop standard procedures, emergency plans, guidelines and legal incentives. The aim is to perform analysis in order to understand the risks associated with the use of LNG tankers in the Baltic Sea. The possibility of a tanker accident especially in the vicinity of population centres (grounding), when passing passenger ferries (collisions) and crossing under the bridges (a collision with the pillars of bridges, acts of terrorism) should also be carefully assessed. State of play: A kick-off meeting was scheduled to be held in Szczecin, Poland in April 2011, depending on feedback from the Baltic Sea Region Programme. Financing: An application entitled "Marine LNG technology in the Baltic Sea – risk, environmental impact, economical effectiveness" was to be submitted by the Maritime University of Szczecin for the 4th Call of the Baltic Sea Region Programme by 31 March 2011. In this project proposal, one of the work packages (WP 3 Formal risk analysis of LNG carriers in the Baltic Sea) is entirely devoted to Flagship Project 13.7. Next steps: A meeting of stakeholders was scheduled for the first quarter of 2011, its objectives: to create a Steering Committee with a view to submitting a project proposal to the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-13. Expected finalisation: Proposed deadline – 2014.
Brief summary of overall progress: A national preparation meeting on the PA took place in April 2010 to prepare for the macro-regional kick-off meeting in May. It included participants from seven different Danish public authorities. One main focus was trying to find ways of involving partners from other Baltic Sea Region countries as lead partners in the two Flagship Projects without a lead (14.1 "Assess volunteer troops’ capacities regarding maritime pollution response, as well as maritime search and rescue operations”; and 14.3 "Develop scenarios and identify gaps for all main hazards of the Baltic Sea Region"). However, only Estonia and Finland attended the kick-off meeting of 28th of May 2010, and none of the participants had the necessary mandate to take on a lead part in the Flagship Projects. As it is clear that a whole Priority Area should not be the task of one single country, the Commission has initiated work on supporting Priority Area 14. It is believed that part of the explanation behind the difficulties encountered by the Priority Area Coordinator in developing a macro-regional network stems from the fact that the subject area is dealt with by different authorities in different countries (i.e. the Ministry of Defence in one country, the Ministry of the Environment in another country, and so forth). Promisingly, the effort to revitalise the area has already resulted in additional contact points being nominated in Sweden, Finland and Germany. The Commission is also looking at other ways of supporting the development of networks in the area, including the possibility of having an external consultant examine the area. However, there is some progress in two Flagship Projects, namely: 14.2. "Map existing marine pollution response capacities and make sub-regional plans for cross-border response cooperation", led by the Admiral Danish Fleet Headquarters, which is working towards presenting the Region with its first overall risk assessment of pollution caused by shipping accidents covering the entire Baltic Sea area (including Russia) based on a common methodology, and 14.3. "Develop scenarios and identify gaps for all main hazards of the Baltic Sea Region" where the Council of the Baltic States (including Russia) has shown interest in taking the lead. Action: Strategic actions:
Report: Cooperative actions:
Report: Flagship Projects (as examples):
Report: the project has no lead and is not active for the moment. A number of innovative approaches, including expanding the understanding of the term ‘volunteer troops’ in order to widen the field of potential leaderships, have been attempted, but to no avail. The Priority Area Coordinator remains attentive to the Flagship Project, but ideas on how to persuade potential leaderships appear to have been exhausted.
Report: Lead: The Lead Partner of the BRISK-RU project is the Central Marine Research & Design Institute Ltd. in St. Petersburg, and the Coordinator is the Information Office of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Kaliningrad. Description: The main effort is made through the BRISK project, the international project on the sub-regional risk of spills of oil and hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea. This project is developing a risk analysis model with the aim being to map areas with the highest risk of pollution and environmental damage caused by shipping activities. This analysis is the first overall risk assessment to cover pollution caused by shipping in the waters of all Baltic Sea countries based on a common methodology. The BRISK project will build a mutual understanding of the concepts of risk and damage, which is the first step to improve the capacities of the Baltic Sea countries to tackle medium-size and large spills of oil and hazardous substances. The risk analysis model of BRISK takes a variety of risk-reducing measures into account. Risk-reducing measures include preventive measures such as the use of pilots’ onboard ships to assist in navigating through difficult waters as well as relief measures such as the emergency response for spills. This feature provides the possibility to model the effects of different response and prevention activities. The inclusion of risk-reducing measures takes the risk analysis a decisive step forward – from simply describing the status quo into providing support to decision-makers for improving response strategies and planning investments in emergency capacities. Possible future scenarios can be investigated and compared by varying the type, number, location and intensity of more than a dozen different risk-reducing measures. The BRISK-RU project will carry out activities in the Russian Federation complementary to the BRISK activities. State of play: The BRISK project is progressing very well and a risk analysis model including a variety of risk-reducing measures is under development. Financing: The BRISK project’s total budget is around €3.3 million, with approximately €2.5 million to be allocated from the European Regional Development Fund. The BRISK-RU project is financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers. Expected finalisation: April 2012
Report: Lead: The project had been dormant since the kick-off of the Priority Area until very recently, when an initiative facilitated during the Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region in Tallinn in October 2010 resulted in the Council of the Baltic Sea States taking leadership. Description: The project will map those risks, which have macro-regional and/or cross-border dimensions through geographic proximity, functional interdependencies or through other mechanisms, or where clearly joint approaches would bring added value and where assistance capacity is needed. It aims at providing a best practice, which can be used as a model for other EU macro-regions. Funding: An application for the Civil Protection Financial Instrument - Call for proposals: "Projects on prevention and preparedness" was submitted before 18th of March 2011. Expected finalisation: 18 months from the start of the project.
Brief summary of overall progress: The Priority Area Coordinators have chosen to use the existing structures of cooperation, namely Europol and the Baltic Sea Task Force, especially its Operative Committee (BSTF OPC), as a main forum for coordinating the Priority Area. As the BSTF already facilitates cooperation between all the states in the Baltic Sea Region, the Priority Area Coordinators decided not to convene a kick-off meeting for the whole Priority Area. This approach has proved to be a success. On the one hand, the work combined in regular Law Enforcement cooperation did not require any extra financing, and on the other hand, the extra efforts required by the Flagship Projects were easily addressed by Europol, FRONTEX as well as concerned Member States and third countries. The Priority Area content was modified in line with the Priority Area Coordinators' wishes at the High Level meeting on 12 April and 13 December, 2010 held in Brussels and published in the current updated Action Plan (December 2010 version). The Priority Area Coordinators opted for the following division of tasks: Finland took over the Flagship Projects 15.1, 15.2 and 15.4, while Lithuania took over the newly formulated (in December 2010) Flagship Projects 15.3 and 15.5. Links have been established with Priority Area 13 on producing the outcome for Flagship Project 15.2 "To create a single national coordination centre". The Flagship Projects 15.1 and 15.4 are now successfully completed. The other three Flagship Projects are under way, with the work already started. The EU-Russia Law Enforcement cooperation has suffered from the lack of an operational agreement between Europol and Russia. Action: Strategic actions:
Report: The Strategic Actions were reformulated for parts of the Flagship Projects, see below. Flagship Projects (as examples):
Report: Lead: This Project was led by Europol in good cooperation with Member States, the BSTF and FRONTEX as concerns external borders. Europol received high-level contributions from the Member States, third countries (Norway and Russia) and FRONTEX according to the agreed schedule. Description: The Threat Assessment was created in line with Europol’s Organised Crime Threat Assessment methodology concerning organised crime and border security as well as longer term threat assessment of critical infrastructure for the Baltic Sea Region, including the source areas of this criminality. This project was led by Europol in good cooperation with the Member States, the BSTF, the Baltic Sea Regional Border Control Cooperation, and FRONTEX concerning the external borders. Europol and FRONTEX had the first Flagship meeting at Europol in June 2010, where all the Baltic Sea Region States (excluding Lithuania and Iceland) were represented. The meeting discussed the methodology for the material collection. The participating Member States and organisations received the technical requirements for the data collection with contact points, deadlines, etc. State of play: The project was successfully completed two weeks before the deadline and its expected result, namely the Threat Assessment for the Baltic Sea Region (BOCTA), was published before mid December 2010. BOCTA consists of 25 pages of analysis on the collected material. The main findings are: 1. The division of the Baltic Sea Region into a prosperous, highly innovative North and West, and a less developed East and South, is creating opportunities for multiple criminal activities 2. Each country in the Region has its own set of indigenous organised crime groups (OCGs) that cooperate internationally 3. Lithuanian OCGs are key players in the Baltic Sea Region and are involved in multi-commodity crime 4. Estonian OCGs may expand their role as a link between OCGs based in the Russian Federation and those based outside the Nordic region 5. Outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs) are expanding their criminal activities in the Baltic states and Russia 6. Cigarette smuggling remains a major criminal activity of OCGs active in the Baltic Sea area 7. OCGs based in the Russian Federation specialise in the supply of illegal goods to the EU and in a range of economic crimes that include fraud and money laundering 8. OCGs active in cyber crime based in the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Estonia are amongst the most developed in that criminal field. With their advanced hacking skills they pose a significant threat to e-commerce worldwide 9. Nordic countries act as the main destination points for the trafficking of human beings in the Baltic Sea Region On the basis of BOCTA, Finland and Europol took the initiative to invite a Senior Level Police Chiefs’ meeting to discuss and consider the future of the EU-Russian cooperation in various criminality areas. The meeting was held at Europol on 25 January 2011. Seventeen EU Member States, Russia (with a high level delegation), Norway, the Commission and the Council representatives participated in the meeting. The conclusions of the meeting were distributed to the participants and reported to the EU Law Enforcement Structures (COSI, Europol) and BSTF OPC. The follow-up of the meeting in the form of the operative cooperation (led by a single EU Member State) and other fora are currently under consideration. Europol has the possibility to support this cooperation. Financing: The work has been done within the existing structures without any extra financing.
Report: This Flagship Project is linked with and carried out under Priority Area 13 (“To become a leading region in maritime safety and in security”), as are Flagship Projects 13.1 (“Conduct a technical feasibility study on a Baltic Sea Coastguard Network” – "Baltic Sea Maritime Functionalities (BSFM)" project) and 13.2: (“Become a pilot region for the integration of maritime surveillance systems” – MARSUNO project). For more information on both Flagship Projects, please refer to Priority Area 13.
Report: Description: The Flagship Project “Set up common Police and Customs Cooperation Centres” was reformulated in December 2010 at the High Level Group meeting to: “Implementation of the Baltic Sea Task Force on Organised Crime Regional Strategy 2010-14”. The Baltic Sea Task Force (BSTF) sees its mission in supporting the participating countries, their governments and law enforcement agencies in delivering a coordinated overview and initiation of joint activities to meet both the operational and political needs in preventing and combating organised crime in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). The major goals of the BSTF when implementing the BSR are as follows: 1. Strengthening the BSTF and Europol alignment 2. Facilitating operational cooperation to combat organised crime in the BSR 3. Further development of cooperation with other external partners 4. Development of the involvement of Russia in operational activities within the EU and Europol frameworks, based on regional needs. Lithuania started its chairmanship of the Task Force on Organised Crime for the period of 2011-12. The leading of the Flagship Project 15.3 will be done within the BSTF OPC Secretariat. State of play: The very first BSTF operational planning and coordination meeting, attended by representatives from 10 Baltic Sea Region states, Europol and Interpol was held in Vilnius, Lithuania on 24-25 February 2011. Among other issues, new initiatives following BOCTA findings (Flagship Project 15.1) and decisions of the EU-Russia high level meeting were agreed. Financing: Lithuania has allocated certain financing in the 2011 governmental budget to cover the expenses of the presidency. The Priority Area Coordinators have also applied (25.02.2011) for a Technical Assistance grant (€120 000) offered by the European Parliament via the European Commission services. The aim is to use this extra financial support to activate the operative cooperation and common operative projects within the BSTF OPC work in 2011-12.
Report: Description: To more effectively fight serious forms of cross-border crime, such as drug trafficking, the aim is to elaborate the initiative of the cross-use of liaison officers posted to third countries from BSTF countries and enforce the EU Council Decision 2003/170/RIA from 27 February 2003. State of play: The project was prepared by the BSTF Operative Committee (OPC). The first step taken during summer 2010 was to collect information on the Member States’ Liaison Officers posted abroad, both inside and outside the EU. During the meeting in Tallinn (Estonia, September 2010) the OPC agreed to encourage the EU Member States to more efficiently and regularly use the existing Liaison Officers Network for the needs and benefit of all the Member States in the Baltic Sea Region as well as to get the third countries' acceptance of the proposed working method. This decision was finally confirmed by the personal representatives of Heads of the Baltic Sea States (Task Force) in their meeting in Vihula Manor, Estonia (2nd December 2010). Financing: no extra financing
Report: Description: This project aims at identifying the extent of trafficking in human beings (THB) in the Baltic Sea Region as well as at coordinating prevention measures of different governmental and non-governmental agencies. Over the last decade, Lithuania has achieved very good results in this area, receiving international recognition for them. During Lithuania’s chairmanship of the CBSS, the Lithuanian Ministry of Internal Affairs together with the International Organisation for Migration (Vilnius Bureau) and the European Migration Network organised a conference on “Prevention and Control of THB – Regional Aspects” in Vilnius in May 2010. The conclusions of the Conference were accepted unanimously in close cooperation with the CBSS Task Force on Trafficking in Human Beings and the Directorate-General for Justice and Home Affairs of the European Commission. Next steps: It is foreseen to bring together a Situation Report produced by the CBSS Secretariat and a Europol Report on THB, which is currently being finalised. On the basis of the recommendations of both reports, suggestions for further actions under this Flagship Project will be made. Financing: Since 2002, Lithuania has been coordinating prevention measures against THB according to the national 3-year programmes adopted, which used to receive considerable governmental financing. The recent national programme of 2009-12 has not received financial allocations due to difficulties of the ongoing economic crisis. With the identification of the concrete needs and objectives of the Flagship Project, Lithuania will apply to the EC for financial support. |