The Monitoring Committee of Latvia–Lithuania Programme recently held its fifth meeting in Bauska. Representatives from Latvian and Lithuanian national and regional authorities, an NGO from the Latgale region, the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Programme’s Managing Authority, Audit Authority and the European Commission (DG REGIO) took part in the meeting.
The two-day event was filled with productive discussions. The agenda covered the current status of the Programme, project achievements, upcoming tasks for the second half of 2026, and preparations for the 2028–2034 programming period.
EU funding allocated to 14 new projects
During the meeting, the Monitoring Committee approved the results of the 3rd Call for Proposals, selecting 14 projects under Priority 2 “Green, resilient and sustainable development”:
- Specific Objective 2.1. “Adaptation to climate change” – 6 projects,
- Specific Objective 2.2. “Protection of nature, biodiversity, and green infrastructure” – 8 projects.
The total EU funding approved for the new projects amounts to EUR 10.537,733 ERDF (European Regional Development Fund). An overview of the projects and their activities will be provided in the upcoming Programme news.
Looking Ahead: next call for proposals and 2028-2034 programming
The Monitoring Committee discussed plans for the second half of the year and approved a new call for project proposals to be launched in autumn 2026. The Programme team will elaborate the concept and details of the call in the upcoming months.
At the moment, 45 projects from the first and second calls are being implemented, and 21 have already been completed. Everyone is invited to attend public events organised by our ongoing projects this summer. You can find a list of events on the Programme website: https://latlit.eu/eventlist/
During the meeting, the Monitoring Committee committed to starting work on the new programme, thus launching the programming process. Members agreed to meet again in November 2026 to begin initial thematic discussions and agree on next steps in preparation for full programming work in 2027.
Looking ahead, the Monitoring Committee discussed priorities for the next planning period. They agreed on the importance of improving quality of life in border areas. Key priorities include improving civil security, supporting strong and resilient communities, promoting entrepreneurship and tourism, and strengthening the resilience of the EU’s external borders.
Project visits: cooperation in action
The second day of the MC visit focused on project site visits, highlighting key results of cross-border cooperation in the area.
The visits started in Jelgava Municipality with a Lingo Key project at Eleja Secondary School, where Project partners jointly have developed a unique non-formal Latvian-Lithuanian language course for schoolchildren that is now applied across 8 schools in Latvia and Lithuania. The project aims to engage wider communities in language learning activities to foster cross-border communication and cultural exchange. More about the project https://latlit.eu/theprojects/lingokey/ .
During the further visit the participants had opportunity to visit two objects of the new tourism map with digital innovations “Reclaimed History in Zemgale and Northern Lithuania. What once was lost, now is reclaimed” jointly developed by 8 partners within the project Reclaimed History. At Lielplatone Manor participants experienced a unique digital installation – an autonomous piano accompanied by visual projections. The installation illustrated 19th-century compositions by Franz Liszt and recreated historical sheet music through animated page-turning. In Bauska Town Square, the project’s augmented reality solution allowed visitors to view a 3D reconstruction of the former Bauska Synagogue, enriched with sound effects and historical context.
The visit continued at Bauska Castle, where Bauska Municipality, an active Programme partner since 2007, presented eight ongoing projects of the Programme and showed how long-term participation in cross-border cooperation supports regional development.
In Bauska Town Square, participants were introduced to practical outcomes of cooperation, including specialised equipment acquired through the SAFE RESPONSE project. The visit also provided an opportunity to engage with municipal police representatives and learn about their daily work and cooperation challenges in a cross-border context.
A highlight of the visit was the INCLUSIVE project, showcased through the arrival of a mobile library “Bibliobus” operated by the Pasvalys Marius Katiliškis Public Library (Lithuania). The initiative demonstrated how partners work together to promote social inclusion by delivering books, digital tools, and educational activities directly to communities. The mobile library is designed to reach groups with limited access to services – including older people, children, and socially vulnerable groups – offering opportunities for digital literacy, learning, and community engagement across the Latvian–Lithuanian border.
A Heartfelt Thank You
The Programme team would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of our project partners from Jelgava Municipality, Bauska Municipality, and the Zemgale Planning Region. Thank you for your incredible commitment, wonderful support, and help in organizing Monitoring Committee’s meeting and planning project visits!
