55th Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic - Experience, the Future and New Forms of Cooperation

Nursecoast II, the future of local government cooperation, preparations for the Association’s 30th anniversary, and new approaches to youth engagement – these were the key topics of the 55th Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic, held on 22 September 2026 in Mierki near Olsztynek.

The meeting was designed not only as a formal event of the Association, but above all as a space for discussing what has already been achieved and how the experience gained in recent years can contribute to future joint initiatives. The two-day agenda therefore combined project and organisational matters with the exchange of experience, planning of future activities, and exploration of new methods of cooperation.

Nursecoast II – from experience to future projects

One of the first and most important parts of the meeting was the presentation of the results of the Nursecoast II project, which addressed a specific challenge: the seasonal pressure of tourism on wastewater treatment systems. In tourist destinations, the number of people can increase several times during the high season, while the infrastructure is primarily designed to serve the permanent population.

The project responded to this challenge through six pilot investments in Denmark, Poland, Latvia and Finland, testing different ways of adapting technologies to changing seasonal conditions. These included, among others, constructed wetland solutions, nanobubble aeration, monitoring and remote management, as well as the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation.

A common conclusion from the pilots is also highly relevant from the perspective of local authorities: there is no single universal solution for wastewater treatment systems operating under seasonal conditions. The technological response should depend on the timing, scale and duration of peak loads. Outside the high season, energy efficiency, stability and automation may be more important, while during peak periods the focus may shift towards process intensification, buffering and monitoring. As highlighted in the presentation of the project results, system resilience to seasonal fluctuations depends just as much on appropriate control and design as on the resources available.

The results and recommendations presented were therefore intended to demonstrate not only what had been developed within the project, but above all how this knowledge could be taken forward. Nursecoast II delivered not only pilot results and good practices, but also valuable experience in assessing and transferring solutions and exploring their potential application in other locations. This knowledge became a starting point for discussions on future initiatives within Euroregion Baltic – particularly those related to the green transition and the search for solutions addressing real local challenges.

30 years of the Association – an anniversary as the beginning of a new chapter

Another important item on the agenda was the preparation for the 30th anniversary of the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic, which will be celebrated in 2027.

However, the aim is not simply to organise anniversary events. Participants were invited to jointly develop the concept for the celebrations and, above all, to consider how the anniversary could serve as an impulse for defining new directions of cooperation.

For this reason, co-creation was at the heart of this part of the meeting – jointly designing future activities. Discussions focused on what events should be included in the anniversary programme, how to involve the Association’s members and partners, and which initiatives should become particularly important in 2027.

The 30th anniversary is therefore intended to be more than a summary of the Association’s history to date. It is also an opportunity to look ahead and consider what kind of local government cooperation Euroregion Baltic will need in the years to come.

D-effect and YDF – democracy through participation and joint action

The final major element of the first day was an introduction to the YDF – Youth Democracy Festival methodology, implemented within the D-effect project.

Participants were introduced to an approach based on co-creation, dialogue and active participation. One of its key principles is moving away from a model in which young people are merely recipients of activities prepared for them. Instead, they become part of the process – taking part in discussions, co-creating events, and contributing their own ideas and perspectives.

This approach fits well within the broader discussion about the future of local cooperation. Local governments do not operate in isolation from their communities. Involving different groups, listening to their needs and creating opportunities for joint action can help build more active and engaged local communities.

For this reason, the presentation of the YDF methodology was not merely a theoretical part of the programme. The very next day, on 23 September, participants had an opportunity to see the approach in practice during a study visit to Olsztynek.

YDF in practice – study visit to Olsztynek

On the second day, participants moved from the meeting room into spaces where they could see the practical effects of the YDF approach.

The study visit began with participation in the International Democracy Festival in Olsztynek, whose official opening was combined with a panel discussion on youth participation in local governance.

Participants then explored local initiatives and good practices connected with the D-effect project. The programme included workshops organised around several thematic tracks, including activities related to 3D printing, handicrafts and the work of local Rural Women’s Associations.

The subsequent parts of the visit demonstrated that discussions about democracy and civic engagement can extend far beyond traditional meetings or debates. The programme also included a visit to the Municipal Social Welfare Centre and a free psychological counselling service for young people, as well as a walk through Olsztynek and joint herbal workshops at the Museum of Folk Architecture.

In this way, the second day became a natural continuation of the first: on 22 September, participants were introduced to the principles of the YDF methodology, while on 23 September they could see how the ideas of dialogue, co-creation and active participation translate into concrete local activities.

From experience to the future

The two-day meeting in Mierki and Olsztynek brought together several perspectives – experience gained through project implementation, planning of future initiatives, preparations for the Association’s 30th anniversary, and the search for new ways of engaging residents and young people.

The common denominator across all these topics was cooperation – cooperation based on experience gained through project implementation, cooperation needed to develop future initiatives, and cooperation that requires openness to new ideas and new groups of participants.

The 55th Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic was therefore more than a meeting devoted to current matters. It also provided an opportunity to look ahead – from future projects and the green transition, through the Association’s 30th anniversary, to cooperation with the younger generation and new ways of building active local communities.