Three Seas Young Leaders Academy - Poland

Only five days left till the deadline: apply to our summer academy! More information: https://www.facebook.com/threeseasyoungleaders/photos/a.111848981580635/111848871580646/
What is Three Seas Initiative?
" Three Seas is an initiative that brings together 12 EU Member States between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic seas: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
History has dealt these Central and Eastern European nations very different hands, and their cultural and religious backgrounds are similarly diverse. Nevertheless, the stories of all 12 countries have one chapter in common: the Iron Curtain, which split Europe in two and stifled natural development, economic growth, and international unity in the region for half a century.

Whereas the nations of Western Europe are linked by roads and railways, power lines, and oil and gas pipelines, countries in Central and Eastern Europe remain comparatively disconnected from one another in terms of modern infrastructure. The deficit is particularly acute along the region’s north-south axis.
Lack of investment
Although the common economic and customs space of the European Union has paved the way for the stable development of the continent as a whole, countries in Central and Eastern Europe continue to stand out from their counterparts in Western Europe for their economic disparity and outdated infrastructure. Despite the collective policies of the European Union, the gap that developed in the latter half of the 20th century has yet to be bridged. The shortfall in investments in the infrastructure, energy and digital fields is estimated to have grown over the years to as much as 1.15 trillion euros. Eliminating this deficit would give an enormous boost to development in the region and make Europe stronger and more united as a whole.
The birth of the Three Seas initiative
Attention was drawn to Europe’s disparity in development in 2014 by a US think tank, the Atlantic Council, in a report entitled ‘Completing Europe’. This inspired the then heads of state of two countries – President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović of Croatia and President Andrzej Duda of Poland – to launch an initiative, which has gone on to attract more and more senior figures and leading players from the worlds of business and politics. Each year, the Three Seas story gains a new chapter that looks to the future.

To date, Three Seas Initiative summits have been held four times at the presidential level. What started out as a platform for the exchange of thoughts among the presidents of the countries involved, has expanded to include an annual business forum and the launch of an investment fund operating on a commercial basis. Politicians at executive levels of power in the 12 countries are also becoming increasingly involved in the initiative, and both Germany and the United States have become partners to it.

From the outset, the Three Seas was designed to complement rather than compete with the European Union. This is reflected in the close involvement of the European Commission in the initiative and its participation in all of the most recent summits.
Untapped potential
By area, the Three Seas countries represent almost a third of the European Union and are home to 111 million people. However, figures from 2018 show that their average GDP per capita is just 78% of the EU average. At the same time, the average economic growth in the 12 countries from 2015-2019 was 3.5% compared to 2.1% in the European Union. The IMF forecast that the Three Seas countries would post an average economic growth of 2.9% in 2020, compared to an average of 1.6% for the European Union as a whole."

Picture: Three Seas Summit, Sofia 2021, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA)

"The Three Seas Initiative’s (3SI) member states have granted Ukraine participating partner status to the group and supported its efforts to join the EU, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced at Monday’s 3SI summit in Riga.

Unlike a strategic partnership, which links the Three Seas countries with the US, UK, or the European Commission, the new form of partnership is addressed to potential EU member countries. Ukraine is the first country to join but other countries are also welcome.

“We decided to establish a new, special kind of partnership, other than a strategic partnership,” said Duda. “Today, we granted it to Ukraine, but we believe the same type of partnership may also be granted to other CEE non-EU countries that aspire to the bloc,” he explained, quoted by TVN24 broadcaster.

The partnership with the Three Seas Initiative may be quite disappointing for Ukraine, which counted on a full 3SI membership. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was invited to participate in the summit as a guest via video link, said that his country should join the Three Seas Initiative noting that arms deliveries to Ukraine travel through the 3SI member countries.

Duda stressed, however, that the format is by principle reserved for the EU members. According to the Polish president, countries that would obtain an EU candidate status or be on their best path to obtain it would be able to apply for the 3SI participating partnership.

The Three Seas Initiative was founded in 2016 by Duda and his then Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović as a platform of economic cooperation between Central European EU countries. It counts twelve states in the European Union, running along a north-south axis from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic and Black Seas, hence the name.

As a 3SI participating partner, Zelenskyy said Ukraine could develop cooperation with the initiative’s members on energy, join the Via Carpathia transnational highway network project and integrate its railway system with the European railway network.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | EURACTIV.pl)"

Overarching Goals

"The Three Seas Initiative aims at stimulating more rapid development of the region stretching between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas. This is to be achieved through both high level and multi-stakeholder commitment to boosting connectivity among Member States, with special focus on infrastructure, energy and digital interconnectivity.

The improvement of the infrastructure connections of the 12 states is an essential condition for building an area of stability and prosperity, which in turn can greatly contribute to wider EU stability and prosperity. Setting a new dynamic of cooperation among the countries lying at the Eastern border of the EU on the North – South Axis will advance economic growth and help to bridge the East – West economic gap, within the EU.

The overarching pillars of the Three Seas Initiative are threefold - economic development, European cohesion and transatlantic ties.

Firstly, the Initiative seeks to contribute to the economic development of the Central and Eastern Europe through infrastructure connectivity, mainly, but not only on the North-South axis, in three main fields — transport, energy and digital.

The second objective is to increase real convergence among EU Member States, thereby contributing to enhanced unity and cohesion within the EU. This allows avoiding artificial East-West divides and further stimulate EU integration.

Thirdly, the Initiative is intended to contribute to the strengthening of transatlantic ties. The US economic presence in the region provides a catalyst for an enhanced transatlantic partnership."
http://three-seas.eu/about/

for the First Three Seas Young Leaders Academy
(Poland, August 7th – 14th, 2022)

If...

- You come from Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Turkey or Ukraine,
- You are 18 to 31 years old,
- You speak excellent English,
- You are creative and ambitious,
- You are interested in international cooperation on the regional and European level,
- You would like to know more about the Three Seas concept as well as economy,
infrastructure, energy, and civil society in the region,
- You feel you can do something significant for your country in the future,
- You would like to meet fellows, develop networking and make useful contacts,

.. then our summer academy is for you!

Apply to our fully covered First Three Seas Young Leaders Academy that will take place in , on August 7th – 14th, 2022 (Warsaw, Gdańsk, Cracow).

The Polish initiative Kongres 590 (Congress https://kongres590.pl/en/about-us/) has served as forum for debate between policymakers, high ranking officials, politicians, as well as representatives of private business, global corporations, and the media since 2016. The name of Kongres 590 comes from the bar code prefix used to mark goods manufactured or distributed by Polish enterprises. Its main goal is to release the potential of the Polish economy and to promote Polish products and services. Each year it is officially opened by the President and Prime Minister of Poland and hosts the heads of states of other countries.
In June 2022 the leading topic of the 7th Kongres 590 (https://kongres590.pl/en/7th-edition/) has been the international cooperation of the Three Seas countries. It is a region that reveals dynamic economic development, which contributes into an increase in the general well-being of its people. The cooperation among the Three Seas countries brings tangible benefits including the implementation of joint infrastructure projects, new business initiatives, and academic and cultural exchange.
is a part of the Kongres 590 initiative. The participation of the young from the region will be fully covered. The School will launch a platform for the young leaders from the region. The aim of this platform is to exchange views on current global economy, international relations and cooperation. During the program we will arrange specialized lectures, debates, as well as official meetings with , high ranking officials and study visits to main cities of Poland: its capital Warsaw, Gdansk and Cracow.
If you would like to join us this summer in Poland and share your perspective and thoughts with 20 fellow young leaders, please apply via link https://forms.gle/SJbAkwcyYxZQ5R8C6 . You will be asked to explain your motivation, your interests, future plans, and justify your participation in the as well as upload your CV (better in the Europass format).