groteski, tekijä sivustolla SEFR CBC

How to prepare St. Petersburg’s wastewater system for a changing climate?

13.4.2021 by groteski

RAINMAN project press release

As part of the RAINMAN Project, SUE “Vodokanal of St.Petersburg” together with other project partners identified conditions that can cause flooding of the wastewater disposal system. The performance of the system has been assessed in four typical development zones: new construction, green areas, existing and historical built-up environment.

With the help of hydraulic modelling, the partners developed recommendations to adapt the system to increased rainfall and to improve urban environment. The suitability of the recommended measurements was assessed. The work resulted and a list of engineering solutions to reduce flooding of the wastewater disposal system.

A summary of results is available at the webpage of SUE “Vodokanal of St. Petersburg”.
English version: http://www.vodokanal.spb.ru/files/documents/rainman/rainman%20results%20eng.pdf
Russian version: http://www.vodokanal.spb.ru/files/documents/rainman/rainman%20results%20rus.pdf

Visit also http://projects.gtk.fi/rainman.

Contact: Johannes Klein, Geological Survey of Finland
Email: [email protected]

Steps towards 2021-2027 Programme

by groteski

The South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020 Programme has started the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process for the upcoming programme period 2021-2027. Hearing of the relevant authorities on the scope for the SEA, with regards to the upcoming evaluation of the environmental implications of the proposed programme, is ongoing.

Invitation to tender for advertising services

29.3.2021 by groteski

Managing Authority of the South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020 Programme has opened an invitation to tender for advertising services until 30 June 2024. Competitive tendering includes service entity that will support to the Programme’s communication and to versatile information services for all target groups of the Programme. Service contract shall also include designing material related to the preparation of the next programming period.

Tendering closes on 23.4.2021 at 16:00 (EEST).

TENDERING DOCUMENTS
Invitation to tender (PDF-file)
Annex 1, Price grid (Word-file to be filled in)

The Green InterTraffic project Final Conference was held

28.3.2021 by groteski

Green InterTraffic project press release

On March 25, the Green InterTraffic project Final Conference was held, where the results of its implementation were summed up.

Dr. Ludmila Karelina, Project Leader, vice-president of the SPbCCI, introduced the project partners and thanked them for their contribution to its implementation. Harri Pietarila, Local project manager, FMI and Dr. Olli-Pekka Hilmola, Local project manager, LUT, welcomed the partners and participants. Eini Arponen (Managing Authority) and Ekaterina Kuznetsova (Branch Office) welcomed the participants from the South-East Finland – Russia CBC Programme.

The project partners made presentations in the areas that they implemented within the framework of the project. Representatives of companies and organizations that are part of the project’s target group shared their opinions of working together. Full version: https://en.greenintertraffic.ru/greenintertraffic/news/novosti-kompanii_125.html

Contact: Ludmila Karelina
Email: [email protected]

Springtime services

24.3.2021 by groteski

During the spring 2021, services of the South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020 Programme are available with some exceptions due to Finnish and Russian holidays and still continuing national instructions and restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our personnel in the Managing Authority (MA) and Branch Office (BO) continue working mainly remotely, the MA having regular office duties in Lappeenranta on Monday-Friday at 9.00-14.00. The best way to get in touch with our experts is by telephone or email, and by agreeing on the appointment. Our contact information is made available at Contacts

Our offices are closed for the national holidays as follows
Managing Authority in Lappeenranta on 2. and 5. April and 13. May.
Branch Office in St. Petersburg on 3. and 10. May.

Reporting Webinars for funded projects

by groteski

The Managing Authority organizes series of on-line Reporting Webinars in April and May 2021. Webinars are targeted for the cross-border cooperation projects funded by the South-East Finland – Russia CBC Programme, at all states of their implementation. Sessions are designed to provide best practices in filling in the reporting templates in the PROMAS, give guidance for good content and answer to most frequently asked questions.

These webinars are addressed, in particularly, for the projects personnel in the lead partner and partner organisations whose tasks are directly linked to the financial or narrative reporting of the project. Webinars’ language is English.

REPORTING WEBINARS

Financial reporting 28.4.2021 at 13.00-14.30 (EEST)

Instructions for fluent financial reporting
Reporting templates
Payment procedures

Registration link for financial reporting webinar is open until 20.4.2021.

Interim reporting (narrative part) 5.5.2021 at 13.00-14.30 (EEST)

Instructions for reporting by PROMAS sections
Verification of reported indicators
Annexes, what to include?

Registration link for interim reporting webinar is open until 28.4.2021.

Final reporting (narrative part) 12.5.2021 at 13.00-14.30 (EEST)

Instructions for reporting by PROMAS sections
Project results and impacts
Sustainability of project results

Registration link for final reporting webinar is open until 5.5.2021.

While filling in the registration form, please use the optional column for submitting open question or comment of the most interesting topic. The feedback will help us designing the webinars content to meet with your expectations. Webinars are conducted by using Zoom. Before the session, the registered participants will receive a reminder with the Zoom link and password.

The partners of the Bringing Together project have developed the Analysis of web based Investment and Business Support Platforms in Finland and Russia

22.3.2021 by groteski

Bringing Together project press release

The main tasks of this work were to collect information on existing web based investment and business collaboration platforms operating in Finland and Russia and to select best solutions for its integration into the Common Cross Border Digital Space created within Bringing Together Project.

The project partners reviewed the resources and services of existing platforms, studied the opinions of experts from both countries received during the workshops, analyzed the project’s target groups and the functions that will be most in demand by users of the Bringing Together Investment Platform.

The full text of the Analysis of web Platforms in English is available at the link: https://en.bringingtogether.ru/about/materials/documents/

Contact: Ludmila Karelina
Email: [email protected]

INCROBB project is pleased to invite companies to a seminar on 31.3.2021

16.3.2021 by groteski

INCROBB project press release

The South-East Finland – Russia CBC programme funded INCROBB project is pleased to invite companies to a webinar «Typical mistakes of foreign companies when penetrating the Russian market place»

SEMINAR INFO

Date: 31.03.2021 (Wednesday)
Time: 11:00 – 13:00 (MSK)
Place: Zoom
Language: Russian with simultaneous translation into Finnish

In case your company is interested to participate, please register by the 29.03.2021: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMNso4LWoWBwY-yRauFeJ7J_obLXj97hu_p9fmMe2kMabBVg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0&usp=mail_form_link

Some basic mistakes in finance, legislation, logistics that foreign companies make penetrating the Russian market place will be discussed illustrated by cases.

The speaker Vladlena Varshavskaja the senior Partner of «Varshavskij and Partners» consulting company. Vladlena delivers consultancy in the areas of taxation, accounting, data analysis and control for commercial and non-commercial organizations since 1998.

For more information of the INCROBB project, go to project website

We invite you to the Final Conference of the Green InterTraffic project on 25.3.2021

15.3.2021 by groteski

Green InterTraffic project press release

On March 25, starting at 12 a.m. (Moscow time) the Final Conference of the Green InterTraffic project will be held. The conference will be held in an online format (Zoom). The offline part will be organized at the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

AGENDA

Welcome to the Conference – Dr. Ludmila Karelina, SPbCCI; Harri Pietarila, FMI; Ekaterina Kuznetsova, South-East Finland – Russia CBC
Mitigating impacts of air pollution through cross-border cooperation in air quality monitoring – Harri Pietarila, Director of Expert Services, FMI
Lidar sounding of the atmosphere along the Scandinavian route – Dmitry Samulenkov, SPbU
Enhancing the road safety through сross-border cooperation in road weather services – Jani Poutiainen, Head of Group, Traffic and media, FMI
Improve transport safety by improving meteorological support – Mark Vinogradov, IRAM
Green Roadmap of the E18 St. Petersburg-Helsinki – Vladislav Pavlov, TI
Road traffic emissions calculation and analysis – Oskari Lähdeaho, LUT
The Roadmap of the Intelligent Transport System of the E18 Saint Petersburg-Helsinki – Yury Popov, TI
Feedbacks from the project target group

To participate in the event, you should send the completed Participation form to the e-mail: [email protected] (Ludmila Karelina, project manager, vice-President of SPbCCI). A link to participate in the conference will be sent additionally. Event information at the project website.

My CBC Story – Tuula Heino

11.3.2021 by groteski

Administration officer
Managing Authority
South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020

Tuula’s career in international projects and programmes started back in 1995, only few months after Finland joined the European Union. This lengthy experience gives valuable knowledge in the CBC Programme team, including know-how both from financial and operational work with projects’ and programmes’ implementation. Current tasks as the administration officer consist of planning and follow-up of Programme’s technical assistance use, travel and event arrangements, archiving and administrative work in the Managing Authority’s office in Lappeenranta, Finland. Also, support and cooperation with the staff in St. Petersburg Branch Office are part of her weekly routines.

Evolving cross-border cooperation

Collaboration between Finland and Russia, having circa 1 300 kilometres of joint border, started in a consistent manner in 1992 by the Agreement on neighbouring areas cooperation between Finland and Russia. From the Russian side the cooperation included the regions of Murmansk, Republic of Karelia, St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast. During around 20 years, Finland allocated in total ca. €330 Mio for development projects, which contributed to the socio-economic growth of the border regions and the reform of governmental and legal acts (https://um.fi/suomen-ja-venajan-yhteistyo, in Finnish). From this progress, we still follow the cooperation path, but have evolved into joint financing instruments like ENPI 2007-2013 and ENI 2014-2020 Programmes where European Union, Finland and Russia all invest together and expect jointly beneficial results from over 120 projects in case of South-East Finland – Russia Programmes. One interesting question is, how has the cooperation changed over the past years, and decades?

” In the long run, I would say that we’ve had some progress in decreasing bureaucracy and in reaching truly joint structures, for example in selecting projects for funding. Also, the administration of the financing instruments has entered closer to the people and project actors living in the border regions and away from unnecessary strict control of central levels and Brussels” says Tuula Heino, Administration officer of the South-East Finland – Russia CBC Programme Managing Authority, and considers this as a right direction fostering efficient implementation of the programmes and reaching good results.

Building and holding-on to the mutual trust has not always being easy during the times of cooperation, and like everything in society, also the cross-border actions have to adapt its ways with many changing factors in the global environment. People working in the Programme’s administration see the value of well-functioning joint tool very clearly, while witnessing positive outcomes in funded projects and joint partnerships on a daily basis. Therefore, and with good energy, we also work for the future Programme 2021-2027, which will mark third round of joint funding and implementation.

Covid-19 pandemic as a learning process

As an obvious outcome, the business travelling and organising events has also stopped about a year ago due to pandemic and the restrictions caused by it. This has had direct impacts to Tuula’s work as a staff member responsible for travel and event arrangements. Cooperation as a true essence of cross-border programmes had to find new tools to keep the wheels rolling. Tuula participated with the rest of the CBC team to the assessment of Covid-19 impacts in the South-East Finland – Russia CBC projects, and her thoughts are also encouraging: “Despite of the difficulties, people working in CBC projects are really flexible and innovative, and have managed to get things done even in such challenging circumstances”. We, working in the Programme administration, shall take all this and everything we’ve seen as a learning process for the future.

… and other good practices.

While mentioning the CBC projects, it’s also worth underlining the benefits of the cooperation between the programmes. The current ENI CBC 2014-2020 family include programmes from the North to South points of EU’s external border. For those implemented with Russia, so-called Northern Cluster (coordinated by the TESIM project) was set up some years ago to facilitate finding answers to joint questions, and to common development processes. ”Since the number of people working in these external border programmes is relatively small, this kind of network is truly useful. It brings opportunities to share good practices and find common solutions in a very concrete level”, states Tuula and recalls several joint gatherings with the CBC colleagues, both on-site and on-line. She also points out the value of face-to-face interaction between people; “Even the on-line tools have proven to be very efficient, they cannot replace physical meetings with people”.

And now, as a universal fact, nothing lasts forever and Tuula Heino has started to pore over a new chapter in her life. Having her professional working career officially at its ending phase, she has made a decision to retire before launching of the next programme. As an active person enjoying outdoors and camping around the beautiful Lake Saimaa, cycling, knitting, reading and good food, Tuula is excited and looks forward years as an elderly citizen. By this article, she wants to pass her positive mind-set on to the younger colleagues, with an advice to search for a reasonable level of personal selfishness and to look also other values in life, beside the work and career. Cherish the time with your love-ones!

Editor: Sari Loisa