The Programs will ensure further development of cross-border cooperation and the implementation of jointly developed activities that were launched under the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) Programs for 2007-2013.
Projects implemented in St. Petersburg are aimed mainly at the support and development of small business, innovation and information technologies, environmental protection, cooperation in educational, cultural and social spheres and they made a significant contribution to the development of the cross-border cooperation in the region.
As part of the almost completed cross-border cooperation programs, 36 projects worth over 30 million EUR have been implemented involving organizations of St. Petersburg.
Programs are co-financed by the Russian Federation and the European Union. The Russian co-financing of "Russia - South-East Finland" program will amount to 18.07 million EUR and its total budget is more than 72 million EUR. The Russian budget will allocate 8.4 million EUR for the program "Russia - Estonia" with its total budget of 34.2 million EUR. The Russian co-financing of "Russia - Latvia" program will amount to 7.9 million EUR and its total budget is about 27million EUR.
The projects implementation in the following areas will be possible as the part of the Programs:
CBC Program "Russia - South-East Finland":
1) Development of entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises development (hereinafter – SME);
2) Support of education and scientific research, development of technologies and innovation;
3) Environmental protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation;
4) Promotion of border control and security, mobility and management of migration.
- CBC Program "Russia - Estonia":
1) Business and SME development;
2) Promotion of border management and security, mobility and management of migration;
3) Environmental protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation;
4) Support to local and regional good governance.
- CBC Program "Russia - Latvia":
1) Business and SME development;
2) Environmental protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation;
3) Promotion of border management and security, mobility and management of migration.
In the future programs’ period, St. Petersburg plans to take part in implementation of the projects including large-scale (infrastructure) ones in the framework of the priorities of the CBC.
The list of the large-scale projects of St. Petersburg, received the support of St. Petersburg profile Committees in the City Administration and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation on CBC program "Russia - South-East Finland", includes the following projects:
1. Reconstruction of a regular sea multi-border checkpoint of the Russian Federation in the seaport, St. Petersburg Passenger Port;
2. Center for dynamic tests of transport industry;
3. Russian-Finnish Pharmaceutical Research and Production Park.
The next step of the Programs should be the conclusion of the Financial Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the European Commission.
The first round of the project applications is expected to be launched at the end of 2016.
Cross-border cooperation is an integral part of the policy to promote sustainable development in the border regions of the Russian Federation, as well as the Russia-EU cooperation and it ensures the implementation of the Strategy of socio-economic development priorities for the North-West Federal District of the Russian Federation.
More information about the implemented projects, as well as the text of a joint program document of CBC Programs 2014-2020 "Russia - South-East Finland", "Russia - Estonia" and "Russia - Latvia" is available on the official website of the Programs: http://www.southeastfinrusnpi.fi/ru/ and http://www.estlatrus.eu/