The BDF Secretariat closed as all staff members travelled to Tallinn to participate in the first annual forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region 14-15 October.
The Forum is organized by the European Commission and includes a presentation and discussion of the first draft implementation report that the Commission will present later, as well as updates on the various Priority Areas that are included in the Strategy. Around 500 persons involved in Baltic Sea Region matters have arrived to joint this open exchange of views on the status and future of the Strategy.
As a warm-up to the Forum the Baltic Sea States the Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC) held their 18th BSSSC Annual Conference in Tallinn as well, inviting the participants with the theme Qualification – chances, challenges and changes towards a knowledge-based society 12-14 October. The conference was enriched by two interesting side events, the BSSSC Youth Event and a Project Idea Café hosted by the Baltic Sea Region Programme. The idea behind the latter was to create a creative meeting place for sharing project ideas and finding project partners across the Baltic Sea.
Photo: Opening speeches by Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia, Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy, European Commission, and Mercedes Bresso, President of the Committee of the Regions