Press releases

The North Ostrobothnia Regional Cooperation Group held an electronic meeting on Thursday, 4 March 2021. Preparation of the implementation plan for the Regional Programme 2021-2022 and REACT-EU funding The Regional Cooperation Group approved the allocation of REACT-EU granting powers and technical support as well as the implementation plan for the Regional Programme 2021-2022. The implementation plan for the provincial programme and the related financial plan for the structural funds programme for sustainable growth and work 2014-2020 for 2021-2022 are drawn up every two years. In practice, the Northern Ostrobothnia COVID-19 action plan 2020-2021, drawn up in autumn 2020, is the action plan of the regional programme, which includes a COVID-19 recovery plan. The timeliness of the document has now been revised to meet the needs of 2021-2022. The financing plan will be prepared for REACT-EU funding. The funding will run from 2021 to 2022. The REACT-TU funding for Northern Ostrobothnia amounts to EUR 29.4 million (ERDF EUR 20.575 million). €, ESF 8.818 million (€) The funding will support regions in repairing the damage caused by the COVID-19 crisis. The funds will lay the groundwork for a green economy,…

The secretariat of the Northern Ostrobothnia Provincial Cooperation Group held an electronic meeting on Wednesday 24 February. The meeting provided an update on the state of play of the preparation of the EU's regional and structural policy and the CAP27 plan. The Regional Programme Implementation Plan 2021-2022 and REACT-EU funding for the distribution of REACT-EU granting powers and technical support, as well as the Regional Programme Implementation Plan 2021-2022, will be submitted to the Regional Cooperation Group for approval. A plan for REACT-EU funding has been developed. The funding will run from 2021 to 2022. This is an addition to the financial envelopes of the Structural Funds programme 2014-2020. The Government decides on the allocation of the granting powers after the adoption of the supplementary budget. The sum of North Ostrobothnia reported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment would be EUR 29.4 million (ERDF EUR 20.575 million, ESF EUR 8.818 million). (€) REACT-EU funding supports regions to repair the damage caused by the COVID-19 crisis. At the same time, the funds will lay the groundwork for a green, digital and resilient recovery of the economy. Northern Ostrobothnia…

Preparation of Interreg programmes underway The Provincial Government held a discussion on the preparation and priorities of Interreg programmes. Efforts have been made in the next programming period to reduce the number of programmes. Under the guidance of the EU Commission and the ministries of Finland, Sweden and Norway, it was decided to merge two cross-border programmes. The Interreg North programme for Northern Ostrobothnia will be transformed into the new Interreg Aurora programme, which includes the current Interreg North and Interreg Botnia-Atlantica programme areas. The regulations of the EU's regional and structural funds package, including the Interreg regulation, are expected to enter into force in May 2021. Subsequently, the Commission fixes the financing of the various programmes, as well as their geography, by means of separate implementing regulations. After the entry into force of the regulations, all programmes have to be sent to the Commission for approval within a period of nine months. Prior to this, the programmes must be approved nationally. Finland prepares to approve programmes in summer…

The secretariat of the North Ostrobothnia Regional Cooperation Group held an electronic meeting on 27 January 2021. The meeting reviewed the preparation of the EU's regional and structural policy for the 2021-2027 programming period and the current situation of the rural programme, the state of play of business development grant funding (ERDF) granted by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia for the period 1 January-31 December 2020, and the current state of play of the EAFRD. The Smart Specialisation Strategy for Northern Ostrobothnia 2021-2024 aims, among other things, to transform research and knowledge into innovations by responding to the needs of business and industry and to make more efficient use of digitalisation. The strategy focuses on a regenerative and prosperous North Ostrobothnia, a climate-smart North Ostrobothnia and a networked, attractive and international North Ostrobothnia. The success and effectiveness of the implementation of smart specialisation is measured by monitoring the development of RDI activities and livelihoods, as well as the effectiveness of project activities. Preparation of the Regional Programme Implementation Plan and REACT-EU funding plan 2021-2022 Regional Programme Implementation Plan and …

The regions of Eastern and Northern Finland have put together a joint proposal for Finland's sustainable growth programme and the use of EU recovery funding. The proposal includes 30 key projects that have a major impact not only regionally but also at the national level. With the proposed and already budgeted key projects, the stimulus measures would mobilise EUR 6.2 billion in investments in Eastern and Northern Finland. Including the other key measures and reforms put forward, we are talking about an overall investment of around EUR 7 billion, which would be triggered by the recovery. This would be of tremendous importance for the development of Eastern and Northern Finland. In addition to these key projects, there are plenty of other investments and measures under preparation in each region," says Markus Hirvonen, Regional Director of North Karelia. Recovery funds need to boost productive investment that contributes to the green transition. Such as …

At the beginning of the meeting, Jouko Luukkonen, Project Director of the POPsote project, presented the state of preparation of the North Ostrobothnia Welfare Region, focusing on financial issues. The financing of the wellbeing services counties is based on generalised imputed state funding, as well as payment and sales revenue. In the first stage, welfare areas do not have the right to tax. The needs assessment, which is the financing basis, has changed many times during the preparation, weakening the financial position of the North Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county. The changes made endanger the well-being area's ability to respond to the rapid growth in demand for services related to the ageing of the population. According to Luukkonen, the calculations will be updated several times before 2023, and the actual situation is impossible to estimate. This complicates the strategic planning of the wellbeing services area. The Regional Government approved the ICT service agreement to be concluded with Kuntien Tiera Oy and the agreement on the ICT transfer project, and authorised the Regional Director to sign the agreements. Outsourcing aims to secure …

The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia is applying for funding from the Finnish Structural Fund Programme for Sustainable Growth and Jobs 2014-2020 (Finnish Structural Fund Programme for Sustainable Growth and Jobs 2014-2020). The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia finances measures under priority axes 1 and 2 of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which target the implementation of the Northern Ostrobothnia Corona Action Plan 2020-2021 in the region. ERDF applications will be accepted for Priority Axis 1 "Competitiveness of SMEs" and Axis 2 "Production and exploitation of the latest knowledge and know-how". In addition, the applications are required to implement the objectives and measures set out in the coronavirus action plan. In the application round, a maximum of EUR 2,100,000 will be granted in total. As a general rule, the maximum amount of aid (ERDF and State funding) granted to an individual project is EUR 400.000, but no more than 70% of the total costs. The project must be completed by 31 December 2022. Applicants may be research and …

The Northern Ostrobothnia Just Transition Plan is being prepared for the 2021-2027 EU regional and structural policy programming period, and a new Just Transition Fund (JTF) will be introduced alongside the ERDF and ESF funds. The Fund will support regions facing socio-economic challenges in the EU’s transition to a climate-neutral economy by 2050. According to the EU Commission's country report, JTF funding in Finland should focus on the challenges and regional economic impacts of reducing the energy use of peat, especially in Eastern and Northern Finland. The use of JTF funding is conditional on territorial just transition plans. The counties will prepare draft transition plans by February-March 2021. The Just Transition Plan for Northern Ostrobothnia is approved by the regional cooperation group. The Smart Specialisation Strategy for Northern Ostrobothnia 2021-2024 was adopted and the Smart Specialisation Strategy for Northern Ostrobothnia has been prepared in cooperation with stakeholders over the past year. The strategy aims to transform research and knowledge into innovations…

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Euregio Karelia's cooperation area and cooperation forum. The most recent example of the power of cooperation is the tourism road maps between the Republic of Karelia and North Ostrobothnia and Kainuu, as well as between the Republic of Karelia, North Karelia and South Karelia. Euregio Karelia has served as a model for cooperation on the EU-Russia border. There is a great demand for similar cooperation in the world.   To mark the anniversary, a commemorative seminar was organised under the theme ‘The importance of regional cooperation in Finnish-Russian dialogue’. The webinar, held remotely on Tuesday 15 December, was attended by more than 120 people interested in cross-border cooperation from Finland and the Republic of Karelia. The seminar was opened by Timo Korhonen, Chairman of the Kainuu Regional Government. "Euregio Karelia has become a cooperation structure where the border is a gateway to dialogue; The border is the bridge and enabler of cooperation.…

The North Ostrobothnia Regional Cooperation Group held an electronic meeting on 18 December 2020.  At the beginning of the meeting, Tapio Fabritius from the University of Oulu presented the Printable Intelligence as an enabler of a safe food chain project. Päivi Keisanen from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia told about the anticipated timetable for the preparation of the EU's regional and structural policy for the 2021-2027 programming period. The planned start of the implementation of the programme will take place on 1 September 2021.  For the JTF, the Just Transition Fund, a draft transition plan for Northern Ostrobothnia will be prepared in early 2021. The plan is approved by the regional cooperation group. In addition, the European Union is earmarking temporary REACT-EU funding for COVID-19 recovery, for which two new strands will be added to the Structural Funds for Sustainable Growth and Jobs 2014-2020. Timo Lehtiniemi from the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia told about the preparation of a regional rural development plan for Northern Ostrobothnia, which will proceed during the winter with surveys and …