High-level annual forum of European Union Baltic Sea Strategy will be held in Tallinn

  • 2018-04-18
  • EUSBSR/TBT Staff

TALLINN - The ninth annual forum of European Union Baltic Sea Strategy will take place on June 4–5 in Tallinn Creative Hub (Kultuurikatel), which will host nearly 700 participants from Estonia and Europe. The main subject of the annual forum is the Baltic Sea region after the year 2020.

At the forum, the study „EU Baltic Sea Strategy after 2020“ commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be introduced, which analyses the activity of networks and projects of the Baltic Sea Strategy (BSS) and the effectiveness of fulfilling the goals of the strategy.

Additionally, the forum will discuss the contribution of the strategy to improving the condition of the Baltic Sea ecosystem and will be looking for possibilities to develop the region as a global digital centre. 21 themed seminars will be held at the forum in the key areas of the strategy, for example the protection of the sea environment, safety, energy and transportation sector and digital development of the region.

„The annual Baltic Sea Strategy forum will look for solutions to the three goals of the strategy: how to improve the living environment of the Baltic Sea, unite the Baltic Sea region and increase its well-being. I can personally assure that the governments of the Baltic Sea countries are co-operating in order to promote a sustainable, inclusive and environment-preserving economy,“ said Sven Mikser, the minister of foreign affairs of Estonia.

The strategy goals will be carried out through international and national projects. The action plan has more than 100 flag projects with the total budget of nearly 300 million Euros. Estonian partners are participating in more than seventy projects. Estonia is the leading partner in seven flag projects – in the policy fields of culture, energy, innovation and coping with climate change.

„The contamination of the Baltic Sea diminishes the quality of life of all of us, but we will be able to improve the situation through the co-operation between governments, businesses, researchers, environment protectors and people. Estonia is interested in continuing the current good co-operation,“ said Siim Kiisler, Estonian Minister of the Environment.

The Baltic Sea Strategy is the first macro-regional strategy of the European Union, which has three goals: to protect the Baltic Sea, unite the region and increase the well-being. The strategy concerns 80 million people (17 per cent of the population of the EU) and eight EU member states – Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Germany.

Registration to the annual forum is open to the participants of the Baltic Sea strategy framework, its networks, project partners, institutions of the European Union and international organizations operating in the Baltic Sea region.

The annual forum is organized by Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Baltic Development Forum and other partners in co-operation with the European Commission. The annual forum is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund program “Interreg – Baltic Sea Region“.