Today the European Commission presents its proposal for an EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. BDF warmly 
welcomes the Strategy that rise high expectation for a deeper integration of the Region.
Chairman of Baltic Development Forum, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen states that “this EU Strategy embodies the vision for a more prosperous, competitive and cleaner Baltic Sea Region that has continuously been my guiding star for the Baltic Sea Region. The Commission has done a very good job. Now the governments and the Council of Ministers need to finish the job by giving the Strategy the full support that it deserves”.
Hopefully, 10 June will become an important marker in the history of the Baltic Sea Region. Today’s presentation of the Commission’s EU Strategy for the Region gives rise to high expectation for a deeper integration of the Region. It also brings unique opportunities to both solve some of the specific problems of the Region – not least pollution of the Sea – and exploit the economic potentials that the Baltic Sea Region possesses.
Baltic Development Forum has for more than 10 years worked hard to promote regional integration and EU co-operation. Now the two are brought closer together within a single and coordinated framework. The chapters of the Strategy are all very important: environment, prosperity, attractiveness and security are all highly relevant subject matters.
The timing of the Strategy is perfect: 20 years after the fall of the Berlin wall and five years after enlargement of the EU towards the East. It is also timely in view of the economic crisis and the current challenges of energy and climate change.
“Baltic Development Forum will work hard to ensure that this Strategy becomes a success. It is necessary to bring together regional stakeholders – that are the backbone of the re-establishment of the Baltic Sea Region – and the EU machinery. Only though a perfect match between a bottom-up and top-down approach will it be possible to create a common framework that will last for many years in developing the Baltic Sea Region”, states Director Hans Brask. BDF offers its well-established platform and meeting place as a venue for bringing the different actors together in making the Strategy a success. The BDF Summit 5-6 October in Stockholm will be the first occasion.
Associate director of Baltic Development Forum, Jørgen Christensen participates as a speaker in a seminar that the Commission’s delegation is organising 10 June in Copenhagen. Similar seminars are organised in the other eight EU capitals of the Baltic Sea Region countries.