At the annual meeting this year on September 27-28, the European Social Fund (ESF) investment monitoring institutions in the Baltic countries will meet, and this time also with colleagues from Sweden. To share experiences and current events about progress in making investments, planned improvements and challenges that the countries are facing.
This year, Latvia is organizing the ESF meeting hosting the guests on a two-day visit in Kuldīga. ESF meeting is organized every year on a rotating basis between Baltics. The meeting discussed the progress of the implementation of the 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 European Union (EU) funds planning period and the various challenges that have affected the implementation of the projects - the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis. Solutions for organization remote work were also discussed, including the monitoring of EU fund projects. The working groups looked for the best solutions for possible simplifications in project administration and inspection methods.
Elīna Millere, head of CFCA Science Development Projects Department, after the workshop dedicated to the topic of simplified costs, noted that such an exchange of experience is very valuable and useful for adopting the best solutions:
"In the workshop on the experience of simplified costs, I got confirmation that the challenges encountered on the way are similar for all of us, but so are the benefits! The experience of my Swedish colleagues was especially valuable this time. In Sweden 70% of expenses are based on simplified costs - motivating and inspiring, looking for and offering options for simplified procedures in the implementation of EU fund projects in Latvia as well!"
In order to provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the results of EU fund investments, colleagues from neighbouring countries visited the premises of the Kuldīga Needle Factory. Factory was renovated with the support of EU funds, and so a new cultural space has been created in Latvia. This unit is an excellent example of the mutual synergy of EU funds - the municipality of Kuldīgas county with the support of the European Regional Development Fund in the project "Magnets of cultural heritage and artistic creativity of the “Jēkaba ceļš”" has implemented the renovation of the premises of the Needle Factory for several years, while the Academy of Arts of Latvia with the support of the ESF has developed and completed in 2021. Licensed the first service design study program in the Baltic States "Service Design Strategies and Innovations", whose home is in the previously mentioned Needle Factory.
It is planned, that the next meeting will be held in Estonia in 2023.
