Northern eDimension – Prospects for Regional Activities

1. Northern eDimension – Prospects for Regional Activities • Information Society in Border Regions • Ms Satu Ahonen • Project Director • Region of North Karelia, Finland

2. eKareliaMap of the Euregio Karelia region

3. Euregio KareliaBackground • eEurope Action Plan • Northern eDimension • Euregio Karelia • Interreg Karelia and Tacis CBC programmes

4. Euregio Karelia – model • New cooperation model across the border • Founding documents signed in Feb 2000 • Decision making mechanism – Euregio Karelia Management Committee • Euregio Karelia as application of eEurope and Northern eDimension • Sub programme for Information Society dimension of Euregio Karelia / ”Our common border” • Concrete pilot for the matching of Interreg and Tacis funding in Euregio Karelia region

5. Euregio Karelia Objectives • to promote closer cooperation between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Karelia and various European structures • to make interaction across the border easier, to improve the well-being of the population on both sides of the border and to promote democracy • simplification of border crossing procedures, improvement of border infrastructure & security • increase of cultural cooperation • more effective model for project financing • clarifying the concept of Northern Dimension from the regions’ point of view by developing models for regional cooperation on the external borders of Europe

6. Euregio Karelia ProgrammeAction lines • Economic development; media production, trade, logistics • The intellectual bridges formed by culture and know-how; networking of know-how & skills, recording tradition, information society and civic society • Daily border crossings; border administration

7. IS focusing areas in Euregio Karelia • focusing area related to communications and skills, with the aim of developing new knowledge-based economy in the area covered by Euregio Karelia • focusing area related to citizens´ society with the aim of accelerating the development of new structures with the means provided by IS, in both the three regions in Finland in question and the Republic of Karelia

8. eKareliaConcrete objectives during 2001-2006 • Development of knowledge based economy through the creation of virtual learning platforms/environments in the fields of commerce, culture and health care • Cooperation in skills across the border in existing common strengths in the regions of Euregio Karelia • Development of eCommerce so that a new digital network environment/platform will be created • Getting the skilled, graduating ICT workforce to stay in the Euregio Karelia regions and supporting incoming migration in order to ensure continuous development • Progress of the civic society in Euregio Karelia regions for strengthening the direct interactions between citizens, civic organisations and other organisations with the help of the tools provided by IS • Prevention of threats concerning border crossing

9. eKarelia Action lines and measures • Action line 1: Knowledge based economy crossing borders • Measure 1.1: Virtual learning platforms crossing borders • ICT, ’know how centre’ of Oulu • Culture & music, ’know how centre’ of Kuhmo • Forests & Wood processing, ’know how centre’ of Joensuu • Measure 1.2: eCommerce crossing borders • eCommerce on timber trade • eCommerce concerning tourism and travel • Measure 1.3: Jobs of the Information Society • for example Call Centres

10. eKarelia Action lines and measures • Action line 2: IS Development concerning Civic Society • 2.1. Citizen Information Networks • example: Learning Upper-Karelia model • 2.2. Cooperation between Civic Organisations • example: Prevention of drug abuse and prostitution • 2.3. Direct interaction between Young people

11. eKareliaFunding possibilities • Interreg III A Karelia –programme • Tacis / CBC –programme • Small project facilities • Finnish funding for neighbouring area cooperation • Conversion of Russian debts to Finland for this purpose? • Euregio Karelia Fund • Banks • Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) • Europe’s Reconstruction Bank (EBRD)

12. Current situation • big project proposal (budget around 5 MEURO) for Tacis / CBC is under preparation • a few proposals are prepared for Tacis / CBC Small Project Facilities Call • more information about Euregio Karelia at website http://www.karjala-interreg.com/euregio

13. LEARNING CENTRAL KARELIA, OUTOKUMPU AND POLVIJÄRVI PROJECT • Background • administered by the North Karelia Vocational Adult Education Centre • based on the training model created in the Learning Upper North Karelia project • involves the training of local unemployed people to become trainers and support persons of the community network, teaching the citizens how to make use of information technology and networks in their everyday life.

14. LEARNING CENTRAL KARELIA, OUTOKUMPU AND POLVIJÄRVI PROJECT • Training • System is based on “local educators” (former local unemployed persons) and extensive, free of charge system for training of basic IT skills • 16 students will be elected to work for the project as trainers of citizens in their area, either in the IT kiosks or in small groups in other facilities • This training will be free of charge and open for all citizens • thousands of people trained already

15. LEARNING CENTRAL KARELIA, OUTOKUMPU AND POLVIJÄRVI PROJECT • IT kiosks • 35 free access information kiosks in the area • Community network • based on FirstClass software, which is very easy to use. It offers its users e-mail, forums for news, chat, electronic shopping and, for enterprises, a venue for marketing their products. • Funding • European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)

16. CONTACT • LEARNING CENTRAL KARELIA, OUTOKUMPU AND POLVIJÄRVI PROJECT North Karelia Vocational Adult Education Centre Länsikatu 15 FIN-80110 JOENSUU FINLAND Project Director, Ms Satu Ahonen tel +358-13-244 2586 mobile +358-50-347 3532 e-mail satu.ahonen@pkky.fi