Northern Periphery Programme 2007 2013 The challenge of

Northern Periphery Programme 2007 -2013 The challenge of communication in a large programme area OPEN DAYS - Workshop “Communicating Cohesion Policy Together” (07 C 07 ) 7 October 2008, Brussels

Overview § § § § § Introduction Background NPP 2007 -2013 Programme Area Characteristics Communication Challenges NPP Approach Roles and Responsibilities Examples of Solutions NPP Website Conclusions

Introduction § Northern Periphery Programme 2007 -2013 Programme Secretariat Strandgade 91, 4 th floor DK-1401 Copenhagen K, DENMARK www. northernperiphery. eu § Kirsti Mijnhijmer Programme Manager for Information & Communication Tel. +45 3283 3784 E-mail: kirsti. mijnhijmer@northernperiphery. eu

Background NPP 2007 -2013 § § § Programme statement: Innovatively investing in Europe’s Northern Periphery for a sustainable and prosperous future Transnational programme under European Territorial Cooperation Approved: on 28 th September 2007 Budget: € 35. 115 million ERDF and € 10. 155 million ERDF equivalent Status: 17 main projects, 12 preparatory projects. Committed: 42% Priorities: 1. Promoting innovation and competitiveness in remote and peripheral areas 2. Sustainable development of natural and community resources

Programme Area § § Area stretches from Russian to Canadian border EU Member States § § § Finland Ireland Northern Ireland Scotland Sweden Non EU countries § § Faroe Islands Greenland Iceland Norway

Characteristics § Geography § § § Environment § § Low population density Low accessibility, rurality, insularity, peripherality Harsh climate and difficult terrain High quality but vulnerable environment Abundance of natural resources Economic and social § § Flexible and skilled labour force Dependence on single economic activities and public employment Aging population and youth out-migration Rich cultural heritage

Communication Challenges § Large Programme Area § § Low accessibility § § § Area stretches far outside EU borders Different cultural “families” Languages include Sami, Gaelic, Greenlandic Long travel distances and poor connections along latitudes Low broadband connectivity Limited resources § § Small Programme Secretariat Limited financial resources

NPP Approach § § § § Cooperative: communication is a joint responsibility Interactive: not just information but two-way communication Inclusive: widest possible audience, including difficult to reach groups Innovative: new media and technology to bridge geographical distances Sustainable: limiting environmental impact of publications and events Simple: avoiding information overload Value for money: good solutions at reasonable price

Roles and Responsibilities § Programme Secretariat § § Managing Authority § § Official communication with programme bodies and European Commission Regional Contact Points § § § Overall programme level communication to general public, project, programme bodies Promoting programme in countries Assisting applicants and projects in their own language Projects § § Developing mandatory set of communication tools and attending NPP events Reporting on communication indicators and performance Providing and updating online project description Passing on success stories

Examples of Solutions § Programme Secretariat § § § Regional Contact Points § § § Mandatory elements available downloadable picture files for projects Website as virtual meeting place for the NPP community Information presented in digestible amounts Event planning: central locations such as Copenhagen, avoiding Fridays Annual events for project partners from own country Press releases in own language after each event Programme brochure translated in Norwegian Assisting Secretariat when inviting participants for thematic events Projects § Editing rights to own project description on NPP website

NPP Website www. northernperiphery. eu § § Main form of communication Profile system § § § Users: register for newsletters or events Applicants: submit project ideas and project applications Projects: update project description, news and events Regional Contact Points: Add news and events. Programme bodies extranet for document exchange Under development § § News alert service Regional pages (in own language!) Flash animations Statistics monitoring system

Conclusions § NPP approach: communication is a cooperative effort § § § Large programme area Limited resources Using challenges to advantage § § § More ownership of the programme and its results More dynamic and more relevant information Better use of available resources Regional points of information results in more customised communication Projects form the link between the programme and the citizens in the area

Thank You for Listening! www. northernperiphery. eu