Association of Polish Communes
The Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic is an organization established to support foreign cooperation of local self-governments, including cross-border cooperation.
The Association of Polish Communes of Euroregion Bałtyk is a membership organization associating 41 communes of northern Poland. We are a politically controlled organization and our management board is made up of elected representatives from our member municipalities. We are a unifying force that enables our members to express one voice in relation to the region, state and international environment. We conduct activities that create value for member municipalities and promote strategic cooperation between municipalities. All work takes place in close dialogue with and anchored with municipalities and strategic networks.
We are an umbrella organization for the project activities of local government units of the Warmian-Masurian and Pomeranian province. We conduct activities that create value for member communes and promote strategic cooperation between local governments/regions in the country and abroad.
All our work is carried out in close dialogue and anchored with municipal authorities and strategic networks such as the informal network of the Baltic Euroregion.
OUR MISSION
The main idea of our activities is the slogan: "CLOSER COOPERATION, THE IDEA OF SELF-GOVERNMENT, SOCIETY AND THE BALTIC SEA", setting strategic goals through:
Thanks to the efforts of our Secretariat team, member communes can speak with one voice in relation to the external environment and foreign partners. We focus on promoting the idea of self-government and the internationalization of activities by transferring local initiatives to a new dimension of intersectoral and cross-border cooperation.
This means that the Association unites the communes of northern Poland and conducts joint work as an advocate in cases where the representatives of local government units are united.
We focus on work that creates value in 41 member municipalities based on the interests of our members and the need for development. All our work is anchored in our member municipalities, both among leading politicians and officials. For example, an association must facilitate cooperation where there are clear benefits that create added value for the municipalities and their inhabitants. By promoting the cooperation of the Association, we promote cooperation between the communes of the Pomorskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie province through strategic networks that have clear tasks from the municipal authorities. Networks are both temporary and permanent in order to solve a specific task.
Through many years of experience in international work manifested in project bravery, we use to the greatest extent possible European initiatives that are planned in various programs concerning this part of Europe. By continuing and developing new project initiatives, we are actively working to improve the living conditions of the population living in the area of the Association's activities, with particular emphasis on border areas.
MEMBERS
The Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Bałtyk is an organization that brings together local governments from the Pomeranian and Warmian-Masurian provinces, including Gdańsk, Gdynia, Elbląg and Olsztyn.
AIMS
We support local development by using instruments of international cooperation.
We discover and connect the potentials hidden in people, organizations and local governments from different countries and regions. We release creative energy and create opportunities for cooperation. We build bonds and relationships, help to gain new contacts, knowledge and experience while creating a space for cooperation and intergenerational and intercultural dialogue.
TASKS
We fulfil the objectives of the mission through:
We support the development of the region through:
STG ERB VISION
A leading centre of knowledge about the possibilities of cross-border and international cooperation and the dissemination of good local government, economic and social practices.
We strive to:
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR MISSION OBJECTIVES IS POSSIBLE THANKS
The Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Bałtyk (STG ERB) is a non-profit organization associating 38 members of local government organizations (cities and communes) from the Pomeranian and Warmian-Masurian voivodeships. It operates on the basis of Polish law, in particular the Law on Associations (similarly to other NGOs) and the Law on Volunteerism and Public Benefit.
The authorities of the Association are:
The main body is the General Assembly, but the executive body is the Management Board (which consists of 9 members, i.e. representatives of the members). The Audit Committee (consisting of 5 members) is appointed to control the activities of the Association. The Director of the Secretariat manages the daily activities.
Thanks to the implementation of the EDIS system (in 2005), the structure of the Secretariat meets the requirements for the implementation of grant programs co-financed from EU funds. Contract, monitoring and project teams have been set up, as well as its ERB International Permanent Secretariat and accounting department.
According to the statute, the management board of the Association is made up of representatives of local self-governments (including cities such as Olsztyn, Elbląg, Gdańsk, Gdynia), but the decisions made in the Association are fully sovereign and independent of any government or authorities.
Thanks to such a structure, the Association has the direct possibility, on the one hand, to act as a public benefit organization, ensuring greater flexibility of activities and functioning, and on the other hand, the participation of local authorities guarantees the involvement of local decision-making entities and their subordinate public units.
We constantly and actively communicate through various channels (media, social media, resources and our own contacts) with citizens by informing them about EU projects implemented by our organization or our partners, or by engaging a wide group of beneficiaries' indirect actions. In local communities, we have implemented a number of national, international and cross-border projects, involving directly or indirectly residents of local communities (especially Elbląg) representing various social and professional groups, as well as institutions and organizations (including civil society organizations). Our stakeholders include, among others, young people associated in youth organizations (Youth Councils of Towns and Communes, Clubs, Youth Centers, formal and informal associations of children and youth), elderly people (representatives of the University of the 3rd century, clubs of e.g. rural housewives' clubs), social institutions civic (Elbląg Association for Supporting Non-Governmental Initiatives (ESWIP) and Elbląg Consultation Council for Disabled People (ERKON) - participating in our SB PIN project., UBC, CBSS), gaining their support and political support for EU initiatives (over 80% of our local governments took an active part in EU projects: as a partner or associate partner or simply a participant in project events).
A wide range of possibilities for action through interdisciplinarity and knowledge of the local, regional and international specificity. Our employees are versatile specialists who have many years of experience in conducting independent activities, both as project coordinators performing entrusted tasks or managers of large project consortia (such as multilateral international projects involving partners from Poland, the EU and countries outside the Schengen area.
We have experience in shaping and creating local initiatives (such as the Hidden Treasures of Powiśle network created by us, a network of youth groups in the form of ERB Youth Board) or international initiatives (STG ERB own projects: Umbrella, LYC SB) with the participation of local entities. We implement projects that fit into the annual priorities for 2021 (European Green Deal - SMILE projects (under the LIFE program - counteracting climate change using blue and green infrastructure), SB PIN (cooperation in the field of green and blue growth of South Baltic local governments).
We have managed to create successful communication mechanisms with the society and the surrounding environment based on traditional means (such as press, radio, television) or modern media (such as social media, STG ERB websites) using traditional tools and advanced digital tools and promoting their use among our collaborators: social, political, etc. We often create entire communication and promotion systems for many projects). We have a wide base of local, regional and international contacts, which we are constantly improving with new reliable and proven entities that we acquire as part of new project initiatives. We are a member of the international organization Euroregion Baltic and a member of the NIBOR network. We also work with many Baltic organizations, such as the Union of Maritime Cities and Communes - UBC and others. Currently. The Association consists of 38 local governments from the Pomeranian and Warmian-Masurian provinces (including large cities such as Gdańsk, Gdynia, Elbląg, Olsztyn) and both Marshal's Offices - as supporting members.
Thanks to the high qualifications and dedication to many years of work of our employees, we have managed to develop a wide range of domestic and foreign contacts, participate in a number of networks and support many EU initiatives. It contributed to STG ERB's reputation in the field of public communication and transfer of knowledge and information, gaining for him the statute of an organization responsible for communication (co-communication officer) in a number of implemented projects (e.g. in CONTRA, INTERCONNECT, CASYPOT). Our activities focus mainly on building competencies and increasing the capabilities of local governments and other organizations in our area in international cooperation within the European Union and its programs (this is achieved by projects such as Local Youth Councils in the South Baltic Region or South Baltic Project Innovators Network, implemented in as part of the South Baltic INTERREG).
ASSOCIATION STRUCTURE
The Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Bałtyk (STG ERB) is a non-profit organization that brings together 38 members of local governments from the Warmian-Masurian and Pomeranian voivodeships.
Our organization operates on the basis of Polish law, in particular the Law on associations and the law on volunteering and public benefit.
HISTORY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF POLISH COMMUNES EUROREGION BALTIC
Organizational work on the establishment of the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic was undertaken by the Organizing Committee of the Euroregion Baltic (originally - Jantar), which was established at the first international conference devoted to the Euroregion on February 28 - March 1, 1997. The founding meeting of the Association was held on November 17, 1997, attended by 53 representatives of municipalities from the Elbląg, Gdańsk, Słupsk and Olsztyn provinces. The meeting adopted the Association's Statute, appointed a 6-person Founding Committee, which was granted the power of attorney to conduct activities related to the registration and commencement of the Association's activities.
ESTABLISHING AN ORGANIZATION TO LIVE
This committee submitted to the Provincial Court in Elbląg, 1st Civil Division, a list of 17 communes - the founders of the Association. They were: Koczała, Ustka (city), Braniewo (commune), Postomino, Miastko, Stegna, Przechlewo, Czarna Dąbrówka, Orneta, Płoskinia, Gdynia (city), Smołdzino, Słupsk, Parchowo, Główczyce, Sztutowo and Elbląg (city). The temporary seat of the Association was in Elbląg, street St. Ducha 19. By the decision of the Court of 22th of December 1997, the Association was entered into the Register of Associations under number 513. From that date, our organization received legal personality.
THE YEAR 1998
After completing all formalities, the Founding Committee on 30th of January 1998 convened the 1st General Meeting of Members, at which the authorities of the Association were appointed, the budget was determined, and the membership fee was set at 10 grosz per one inhabitant of the commune per year. On March 9, the Provincial Court registered the first Board of the Association (9 people) composed of: Witold Gintowt-Dziewałtowski (Elbląg-city) - Chairman, Maciej Brzeski (Gdynia) - Vice-chairman, Eugeniusz Wyrzykowski (Sztutowo), Jadwiga Semmerling (Młynary), Zbigniew Galek (Postomino), Jan Klasa (Czarna Dąbrówka, Marek Świeczkowski (Gdańsk), Bożena Cebulska (Iława), Andrzej Helbrecht (Górowo Iławeckie - town).
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