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Baltic Sea Labour Network - A European Model for Improvement of Interregional Labour Policy (BSLN)
Start date: Dec 31, 2008, End date: Jan 23, 2012 PROJECT  FINISHED 

In order to make the Baltic Sea region an attractive place to invest, work & live in (strategic objective of INTERREG IV BSR), actors working on labour marked issues came to the conclusion that the already existing interregional labour market in the BSR has more potential as presently utilised. The interregional labour market is handled by national labour policy actors and stakeholders, which are insufficiently organised on the transnational level. But to realise the „Lisbon-Strategy“ – a strengthening of economic growth, job creation and competitiveness - as well as the „Gothenburg-Agenda“, focusing on sustainable development, joint pan-Baltic strategies to organise the Baltic labour market dimension are required. Innovative concepts and solutions for the labour market are most essential to enable the global competitiveness of the BSR in future with innovative products and services. Therefore, this project aims to improve the management and harmonisation of the common labour market issues in the BSR based on joint transnational strategies. In particular, demographic changes and migration processes will be taken into account. The BSLN objectives are (1) the enhancement of a broad awareness on the importance of labour market issues, (2) the development of the transnational dimension in labour market policies with the establishment of the ‘BSLN-Forum’ and finally, (3) the establishment of joint innovative strategies, concepts and actions addressing mobility, demographic changes and qualification. It is a joint task to develop and promote a ‘Pan-Baltic Labour Policy Agenda’ on labour market issues, which is in line with the ‘Northern Dimension policy aims’, the Lisbon- and the Gothenburg Agenda. The BSLN activities will focus on the development, facilitation and sustainable implementation of a reliable and effective transnational network structure of relevant actors in order to improve socio-economical and regional coherence. By working with politicians, social partners and researchers across the BSR and Europe as well as by integrating established pan-Baltic political structures as CBSS and BSPC, the project seeks to share all experiences in different national contexts. It leads to innovative solutions to common problems, which result in the activation of tremendous potential of labour market resources for the economy by securing high social standards. Finally, this beneficial environment is a precondition to attract qualified workers for the BSR. The human resources will be enlarged and therefore the capability to develop innovative products and services increases. Achievements: The BSLN has established a high-profile, political presence with its transnational Steering Committee, a strategic and political decision-making body consisting of 8 representatives and 8 deputies from all social partners to influence and shape the BS labour market policies. The Committee has agreed and published five statements which were integrated into a final political statement at the end of the project. The SC continues its work until the 2nd round table of the Baltic Sea Labour Forum (BSLF) in October 2012. BSLF was established in November 2011.There was also a ten-person Facilitator Team which, together with the project manager, was the project's operational driving force that coordinated all activities. Also this team continues with the establishment of BSLF in 2012.Mobility of labour was the subject of the first BSLN conference, held on 25 November 2008 in Copenhagen. The results of the conference were integrated into the work at national and transnational levels.The 2nd conference "Working together for sustainable labour markets" was succesfully held on 11 May 2010 in Vilnius. It dealt with the topics of the development of social dialogue, sustainable economic development and labour mobility in the Baltic Sea region. Lively exchanges of politicians, representatives of trade unions and employer organisations, and academics brought up diverse ideas and best-practice examples from which the participants could learn from each other.A research working group was established to coordinate all research and information collection activities within the project. The Latvian and Lithuanian partners focussed on the training on and strenthening of the social dialogue. German and Polish partners developed a concept for a competence centre in the border region and in Finland, Sweden and Denmark the working conditions of migrant workers were studied and anylised.The succesful final conference with around 240 participants was held in Hamburg on 15 to 16 November 2012 and adequately concluded the BSLN project. The participants agreed on a conference resolution and 13 central recommendations for developing strong labour markets in the Baltic Sea Region.The most important achievement was the creation of the permanent tripartite Forum, the BSLF, thus ensuring the sustainability of the project by widening its participation. The forum will commence its work in January 2012 during the German Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS). This Forum will continue after the lifetime of the the EU-part financed project and gather members and experts together at its annual round table.All project results and studies and the political agenda are collected in the final publication as well as comparable data about the region.
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  • 78.3%   2 011 052,37
  • 2007 - 2013 Baltic Sea Region
  • Project on KEEP Platform
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21 Partners Participants