First the “whats” and the “whys”.

1. In an increasingly globalized economy countries need to pay more attention to their competitiveness and their possibility to attract people and businesses. The Baltic Sea countries, with three exceptions relatively small, could use the region as a common base and leverage, thus making themselves more known and more attractive to countries in Europe and throughout the world.

Regions being part of countries, e.g. in Germany, Poland and Russia could in a similar way make use of the combined strength that the Baltic Sea Region provides. As a strong complement to the national structures and the EU-27, it highly likely that problem solving within the EU could benefit from a stronger Baltic Sea Region.

2. The Baltic Sea Region could be described at a region of common interest. But there is obviously more than such interests that keep the countries in the region together. There are also values and historical links that make it reasonable to talk about a region tying the countries around the Baltic Sea together.

3. Reasons for cooperation between countries in the region can be found in numerous areas – and for various reasons. It may be a common environmental concern for the state of the Baltic Sea or the need for creating a larger critical mass in science or finance.

A key challenge is to define where Baltic Sea cooperation adds a special value to the existing national and/or the EU structures, and what that cooperation should achieve.

With these tentative answers on the “whats”, the question is “how”.

1. There was a general agreement that cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region must be based on a sense of rationale. Thus, structures for cooperation – however open to all – must be based on cooperation among the willing.

2. It was also pointed out that Baltic Sea cooperation is not necessarily cooperation between all countries or parties but rather a net of different partnerships each one tailored with regard to specific needs. Cooperation should be demand driven and seen in the context of increased global competition.

3. It was acknowledged that the Swedish government is pushing for a EU Baltic Sea strategy. Thus, a clearer link between Baltic Sea cooperation and the EU when it comes to government cooperation in the region could be established.

Such an EU umbrella could serve as a centre point under which different regional initiatives could be taken. It was stressed that regional initiatives should be streamlined and focused according to the above-mentioned goal of regional competitiveness.

4. The idea of establishing a Baltic Sea Region Competitiveness Council was mentioned. Such a council should focus on formulating cross-sector demands in relation to globalization and providing effective input to the decision making process. An important challenge is to attract talents to the region.

5. Within a new structure for Baltic Sea Region cooperation – with an EU based umbrella and various more focused initiatives from different actors in the region – there is a clear need for an institution that can provide ideas and initiatives from both a private and a public perspective. This was acknowledged as a key challenge for the Baltic Development Forum (BDF).

No other institution has a similar standing in the region. If BDF shall be successful in taking on such a task, the annual summits and other activities already carried out by the BDF, could be supplemented with a more continuous process. Such a process could benefit from a BDF advisory council that could digest stakeholders’ ambitions into suggestions to various public and private actors across the Baltic Sea Region.


You can download the participation list below.