• Regional Youth Council Schleswig-Holstein
• Baltic Youth Office
• Baltic Times
• Norden

• Partner

• 
• Union of the Baltic Cities
• 
• Commission on Youth Issues
• 
• BSSSC
• 
• Baltic Sea Net

• Council of the
  Baltic Sea States

 

 


Barents Youth Cooperation Office

Meeting 17-18 Oct. 2005 in Stockholm

Meeting of the Baltic Sea Working Group on Youth Affairs
17-18 October 2005 in Stockholm, Sweden

Participants:
Kristina Cunningham (Sweden), Lena Bergström (Sweden), Seija Astala (Finland), Uwe Finke-Timpe (Germany), Bjorn Jaaberg Hansen (Norway), Lise Grette (Norway), Erlendur Kristjansson (Iceland), Katre Merimäe (Estonia), Ardo Rohtla (Estonia), Jens Peter Jensen (RYC SH), Thies Grothe (RYC SH), Jens Kristian Lütken (Baltic Youth Forum), Laura Bacinskiene (Lithuania), Sandra Weidemann (BSSYA)

Denmark and EU Commission not able to attend due to other obligations
Poland not able to attend due to elections and governmental changes
Russia and Latvia – not present

Issues of the meeting
I.Terms of References of the Working Group for Youth Affairs (WGYA)
II.Agreement on the Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs (BSSYA)
III.Financial contributions to the budget of the WGYA
IV.BYF report
V.Work Plan of the WGYA
VI.Report of the Secretariat
VII.CBSS survey on cooperation with Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus
VIII.National reports
IX.Miscellaneous


Monday, 17 Oct. 05

- Welcome by Astrid Utterström (Vice Deputy of the Youth Division)
- Short presentation round of participants

I. Terms of References (ToR) of the WGYA
The terms of reference as presented before the meeting were discussed by the WG members. They agreed upon the wording in annex 1.

In the ToR the set up of an Executive Group is mentioned, the upcoming Executive groups are composed as follows:

Vilnius ‘05 – Stockholm ‘05 Sweden, Norway, Germany

Stockholm – Reykjavik (June ‘06) Iceland, Sweden, Germany

Reykjavik ’06 - Sweden, Estonia as possible candidate

Latvia is possibly the CBSS chair starting from June 2007, however this is not certain. Discussion on who will be the third Exec. Group member after June 2006 will be taken up at the meeting in Reykjavik.

Tuesday, 18 October 2005

II. Agreement on the mandate of the BSSYA 2006-2008
The representatives of the ministries present at the meeting agreed upon the wording in annex 2.

Lithuania points out that the Lithuanian State Council of Youth Affairs is member of the Working Group but not the ministry, thus mentioning of the responsibilities of the ministry in the documents is difficult.

The Regional Youth Council of Schleswig-Holstein states that they as the administrative body of the Secretariat would wish to employ its staff longer than on basis of one year terms, a longer agreement would improve security of planning significantly. While this was thought of being an advantage, budget planning in some WG member states doesn’t allow to promise a financial contribution longer than in one-year terms.

It is decided that the agreement does not need to be signed by the ministries, and will be adopted by the WGYA in a formal letter procedure after the meeting.


III. Financial contributions to the budget of the WGYA 2006-2008 (see annex 3)
The WGYA wishes to have the cooperation from 2006-2008 and the intention to contribute financially to it. However, for some countries it is not possible to give a confirmation for financial contributions for more than one year. Therefore it is decided that in this document a commitment for financial contributions can only be given for 2006.

The administrative body of the Secretariat informs that an amount of 95.000 – 100.000 EUR/ year is sufficient for running the Secretariat. The activities of the WGYA however are another issue.

The countries present at the meeting indicated the following contributions:
Germany 40.000 EUR
Sweden 10.000 EUR
Norway 10.000 EUR
Finland 10.000 EUR
Iceland 3.500 EUR
Estonia 2.500 EUR
Lithuania: 2.500 EUR

The countries not represented at the meeting should make the following contributions
Denmark 10 000 EUR
Poland 7.500 EUR
Latvia                 2.500 EUR
Russia 7.500 EUR (in kind)


Germany states that the level of its annual contributions is linked to having the Secretariat in Germany (Kiel). Thus, it would decrease its contribution in case the Secretariat is put up somewhere else outside of Germany.

Iceland points out that the former contributions of the WGYA members to the budget were made some years ago and a raise in the contributions might be necessary in order to compensate inflation effects.
Iceland is willing to contribute 3.500 EUR for 2006.

A rough calculation of the expenditures (assuming an income of 95.000 – 100.000 EUR) for the Secretariat shows that after payment of fixed expenditures (e.g. personnel, social security costs, administrative costs, travel costs and costs for the WGYA) the WGYA can freely decide how to use an amount of approx. 20.000 – 25.000 EUR/ year for various activities:
e.g. the Baltic Sea cooperation could
be involved in the CoE youth campaign in 2006
produce and distribute copies of the Barents cooperation booklet on visa application procedures

Discussion on the procedure for confirming the financial contribution and on the amount of the contribution.
Decision:
The WG Chair sends a letter to every ministry and asks for a written confirmation of
the amount of money. It’s the duty of the chair to collect the answers.
After the confirmation letter the RYC SH sends out the invoices to the ministries.

The contributions are fixed for 2006.

Potential surpluses can be transferred into the following year.

IV. BYF report
last meeting took place from 6-9 October in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
new member in BYF, Polish Youth Council PRM
discussion of registration of BYF as a legal entity, BYF Secretariat made a paper with the different opportunities, BYF still in the process of the discussion
Discussion on future cooperation with the WG, proposal for a competition (best projects in the field of youth mobility and youth unemployment), award given in the frame of the Baltic Youth Conference in Germany
Role of the WG would be to give finances and take part in the jury for the award winners, proposal to every WG member to contribute 1000 EUR
Also discussion to have other prizes and awards then just money
With this initiative the WG could become more known in the region
BYF Secretariat will be in St. Petersburg in 2006
Next meetings are planned to take place in Tallinn in spring and in Riga in autumn
Discussion of the idea to have a common meeting between the WG and BYF during 2006

V. Work Plan (annex 4)
The work plan only mentions the tasks of the WGYA but it is pointed out that the Secretariat and the Executive Group are instruments for the WG to implement the aims and objectives of the work plan (e.g. WGYA reports to CSO, Sec. drafts the report).

Norway proposes to become active in the frame of the “all different all equal campaign” of the Council of Europe.
A more concrete discussion on this issue shall be taken in Reykjavik.

The work plan was agreed upon as in annex 4. The following clarifications were made:
Proposal on voluntary work:
WGYA should encourage the use of the YOUTH programme, e.g. for larger projects but not conduct these projects itself
it should be discussed with the National Agencies how they are cooperating within the BSR
YOUTH programme should be used in the Baltic Sea Region, WGYA should encourage the NAs to concentrate or cooperate in the region (task rather for the WGYA than for the Secretariat)

Proposal on Youth entrepreneurship and youth employment
exchange information on how we are implementing the Lisbon strategy and European Youth Pact

BYF proposal on competition:
BYF project proposal on competition approved by the WGYA and included in this point, but more detailed information is needed
Proposal to use parts the Secretariats budget 2005 for supporting the award of the competition, how exactly shall be decided by the Executive group. The amount also depends on the level of participation in this competition.
Further financial support, e.g. from EU Commission should be applied for
BYF informs there will be an official announcement of the competition as soon as possible

Proposal on intercultural cooperation
Discussion on organising another Baltic Sea Youth Conference
depending on cost-benefit-relation
investigation on the needs for a conference

The work plan and its contents should become an item for every meeting (go through, discuss and decide changes).

VI. Report of the Secretariat
The Secretariat has send monthly reports to the WGYA members.


It is proposed that the work of the Secretariat should to a greater extent involve the NGOs from the Baltic Sea Region

VII. CBSS survey on cooperation with Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine
The CBSS Secretariat has send out a questionnaire to the Working Groups asking for their cooperation activities with Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine.
The WGYA decides not to answer to the survey.

VIII. National reports
Reports not given at the meeting should be send to the Secretariat after the meeting and then spread to the WG members.

Lithuania:
shall develop policy on non-formal education, youth information centres
Would like to invite WGYA members for a experience exchange in Lithuania in December
Lithuania is asked to send an email with the information of the meeting to the WG

Estonia:
- reports from a survey on youth field training (website of ENTK)
- Youth information fair 1st December in Tallinn, BSSYA could provide some information
material for the event

IX. Miscellaneous
Sweden will send out email with all the documents and papers by 19th October.

Documents should be proofread by professional translators to correct semantic and grammar mistakes.

Iceland offers to host an extra meeting of the WGYA sometime between 29 May – 4 June 2006 (possible meeting dates will be send out by Iceland)

Iceland will send letter via foreign ministry to the absent countries, nominate the members for the WGYA (Secretariat drafts letter)
request to the Secretariat to renew email list, concerning Russian, Polish, Latvian and Danish partners


25.10.2005