General
The CBSS – Council of the Baltic Sea States
was established by the conference of the BSR Foreign Ministers (with the participation of the EU) in 1992 (plus Iceland who joined in 1995) as a response to the geopolitical changes occurring in the BSR with the end of the Cold War. The CBSS focuses on the need for increasing cooperation among the BSR countries and attempts in the main to secure democracy and to achieve balanced economic development. Its main aim is to identify political goals, create action-plans, initiate projects and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas in respect of regional issues of common interest. Secretariat: Stockholm. www.cbss.st
BSSSC – Baltic Sea States Sub regional Cooperation
is a political network for decentralized authorities (sub-regions) in the BSR, founded in 1993 with strong cooperative links with other BSR and European organizations. Its mission is oriented to permanently strengthening the BSR image in order for it to become an important player in the broader European scenario. As a Pan-Baltic organization it is open to all BSR regions without distinction. By making use of its political status and by being a close partner to the CBSS, it intends to promote regions, decision makers, national governments, EU and even global interests. Secretariat: Hamburg. www.bsssc.com
BSPC – Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference
is the parliamentary forum of the BSR. Its main aim is to increase cooperation between the parliamentary institutions of the BSR both on a regional and a national level in order to facilitate the bases for the discussion of major regional issues. In their annual sessions, the presidency of the CBSS actively participates by presenting the work programme of that organisation. Secretariat: Copenhagen. www.bspc.net
Baltic Sea Forum
is a private non governmental organisation which works together with a number of governments as well as with state-wide, regional and local institutions. It possesses a representative network of members from the business world, politics and administration and is oriented to promoting economic and cultural cooperation; to support the EU's Northern Dimension Action Plan and EU projects; to provide an independent scenario for the exchange of ideas; to improve information flows within the region; and to consult political institutions on how to reduce obstacles to regional cooperation. Led by an international executive board, it maintains offices in all BSR countries, plus Brussels and Switzerland. Main office: Hamburg.
www.baltic-sea-forum.org/en
CPMR's Baltic Sea Commission
is the geographical Commission from the CPMR or Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe in charge of the Baltic Sea Region. The CPMRs main objective is to achieve a more balanced territorial development and regional competitiveness throughout regions across its area of competence. It was created in 1996 anticipating further EU enlargement as a way to guarantee and promote cooperation with the new Member States and Russia. www.balticseacommission.org
Sub Regional and/or Urban
VASAB
is an intergovernmental network of 11 BSR countries promoting transnational cooperation specifically focused on spatial planning with a clear vision on sustainable and balanced development. VASAB was created in 1992 by representatives from the National and Regional Ministries responsible for environmental protection and spatial planning in cooperation with international organisations. It was then decided to jointly prepare a document on the spatial development concept 'Vision and Strategies around the Baltic Sea 2010'. VASAB's working body is the Committee of Spatial Development (CSD-BSR) with each member state represented by a senior level civil servant. This group meets four times a year with the CSD-BSR deciding on the topics which should become issues in the VASAB process. Secretariat: Riga, Latvia. www.vasab.org
BaltMet – Baltic Metropoles Network
is a forum of large metropolitan cities around the BSR including Berlin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Malmö, Oslo, Riga, Stockholm, St.Petersburg, Tallinn, Vilnius and Warsaw. Its goal is to promote attractiveness and competitiveness across the whole BSR by grouping major cities and academic and business partners on the basis of the already strong cooperation between them. In parallel, the network promotes learning and experience exchanges. Its main focus areas include innovation policies, the promotion of labour mobility and integration and identity building across the Region. The network is coordinated and administratively run by the chair city in cooperation with two vice chair cities for two years. The chair city also hosts the secretariat of the network (Stockholm until 2009). www.baltmet.org
B7 – Baltic Sea Seven Islands
is the network of the seven largest BST islands, Bornholm (DK), Gotland (SE), Hiiumaa (EE), Rügen (DE), Saaremaa (EE), Åland (FI) and Öland (SE). Established in 1989, it has an annual rotating Chairmanship and Secretariat which moves from island to island. Its mission is to encourage the social, economic and spatial development of the islands using their common strengths to promote strategic goals for the islands. It intends to highlight their uniqueness, to promote common cultural understanding and to create an appropriate platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences. Secretariat: Rotating annually. Currently: Öland (SE). www.b7.org
UBC – Union of the Baltic Cities
established in 1991, has a network of over 100 member cities from 10 BSR countries The Union aims to promote and strengthen cooperation and the exchange of experience among BSR cities, to advocate for the interests of the local authorities in the region and to act on behalf of the cities and local authorities in common matters of interst in respect of regional, national, European and international bodies. It also intends to increase the BSR's sustainable development profile in relation to European principles of local and regional self-governance and subsidiarity. Permanent Secretariat: Gdansk, Poland. www.ubc.net
Environmental
Baltic 21 – an agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region
established in 1996 by the heads of governments of the BSR States, it is a multi-stakeholder forum for sustainable development. It includes all CBSS members, the EU Commission and other intergovernmental organisations, international financial institutions and international non-governmental networks. It was founded on the idea of accelerating the work being undertaken on sustainable development in the BSR and to oversee the regional implementation of Agenda 21. Work focuses on seven economic sectors (agriculture, energy, fisheries, forestry, industry, tourism and transport) as well as on spatial planning and on education. Secretariat: Stockholm. (Since January 1, 2001, the Baltic 21 Secretariat has become an administrative unit of the CBSS Secretariat). Budget: 15 million Euros (for three years implementation); Permanent staff: 3. www.baltic21.org
HELCOM
is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area" usually known as the Helsinki Convention, signed by all of the countries bordering on the Baltic Sea and by the EU. Its vision includes the creation of a healthy Baltic Sea environment with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable economic and social activities. It works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental cooperation between all BSR States plus Russia and the EU. Secretariat: Helsinki. www.helcom.fi
ASREC – Baltic Sea Region Energy Co-operation
was created in 1999 during the Helsinki Conference of Energy Ministers of all BSR countries as a tool to enhance and strengthen cooperation in the field of energy. The EU is represented by DG Transport and Energy while the grouping also involves the CBSS and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The aim is to develop a platform capable of building up a regional view of energy policy strategies. The intention remains to create a better understanding of the possibilities and actions necessary to develop the framework conditions for the energy market. At the same time also reducing the environmental impacts of the energy sector in terms of production, use and transmission. Secretariat: Stockholm as part of the CBSS. www.basrec-extra.net
Others
Clean Baltic Sea
Baltic Nest Institute
Baltic Sea Experiment
Coalition Clean Baltic
Economic
Baltic Development Forum
is an independent non-profit networking organization oriented towards the development of new initiatives, public-private partnerships and international contacts as a way to stimulate growth, innovation and competitiveness in the BSR. Its mission is to develop the BSR as a global centre of excellence and to establish the region internationally as a strong and attractive place brand with a dynamic business environment. Members include a wide range of partners including large companies, major cities, institutional investors, regional organizations, research and media institutions and business associations across the BSR. Secretariat: Copenhagen. www.bdforum.org
BCAA – Baltic Sea Chambers of Commerce Association
founded in 1992, serves to unite the Chambers of Commerce of the BSR countries, giving the business community of the region a united voice for common concerns. The threefold task is to protect and uphold the interests of private entrepreneurship by advising policy-makers on business related affairs, offering services to the business community and providing facilities for contacts, debates and meetings in the region. The BCCA represents more than 450,000 companies belonging to all sectors of the Northern and North-Eastern European markets. Secretariat: Malmö. www.bcca.de
BASTUN – Baltic Sea Trade Union Network
is an independent network of 22 member trade union confederations. The network has an annual rotating presidency that changes in accordance with the CBSS presidency. Established in connection with the ETUC European Trade Union Confederation it is financed in part by EU DG Education and Culture and partly by the Nordic Trade Unions and the German DGB. Its main aim is to influence BSR political decision makers by putting forward joint demands in areas such as employment, education and social policy as well as developing network cooperation between member organisations. Permanent Secretariat: Stockholm.
www.bastun.nu
Others
Policy making: Centrum Balticum
Ports: Baltic Ports Association
Culture, Tourism, NGOs
ARS BALTICA
was created in 1991, as a network of cultural collaboration, on the initiative of the Ministries of Culture across the BSR. It is also part of the CBSS. It intends to shape a common BSR cultural policy by promoting Culture at a regional level as a tool to increase its significance. It supports Project Leaders in finding financial support as well as expanding the Baltic scope of the events, developing contacts and promoting collaboration with similar networks (such as leading European cultural organisations); and in general promoting the BSRs cultural life outside the region. Rotating Secretariat in Gdansk since 2004. In 2009 it will move to Kiel. Budget: 22600 EUR. Country contribution: 1900 EUR (except host country which contributes with 7400 EUR). Permanent staff: 3 www.ars-baltica.net
BTC – Baltic Sea Tourism Commission
is the only tourism organisation covering all countries of the BSR aiming to promote sustainable tourism in the region. It is a non-profit making organisation open to any firm, company, other organisation or individual willing to accept and support the Commission's aims and objectives. Its main aim is to improve the BSR's image as a viable tourist destination, promoting the region's identity, marketing its potentials, encouraging the development of sustainable and responsible tourism, and promoting projects of all types. Secretariat: Stockholm. Budget: 20.000 € membership contributions mainly for marketing purposes. Permanent staff: 1. www.balticsea.com
Baltic Sea NGO forum
has as its main purpose support for the civil society in the BSR by bringing together NGOs from all countries of the region and from various fields together at a place where they are able to offer the opportunity for dialogue not only between themselves but also with the public authorities in respect of future perspectives of cooperation in the BSR. Every year the country that holds the chair of the CBSS arranges a forum to evaluate and co-ordinate the annual activities that are to be delivered for further consideration to the CBSS and other institutions on the regional and European level. A specific Secretariat is yet to be established. Budget: For the year 2008 the Sida Baltic Sea Unit made a staff contribution of 25% to enable the network to develop a project-network. Permanent Staff: 1 www.bsngoforum.org
Others
Culture and Heritage: Baltic Heritage Co-operation www.baltic-heritage.net
Education, Biotech, Health
BUP – The Baltic University Programme
is a network of 225 universities and other institutes of higher learning throughout the BSR, coordinated by the Baltic University Programme Secretariat as part of the Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development (Uppsala CSD) at Uppsala University. BUP supports and promotes regional and international cooperation and networking between the corresponding members by coordinating undergraduate and master level programmes as well as developing joint research projects related to common subjects of concern for the entire region. Secretariat: Uppsala. www.balticuniv.uu.se
ScanBalt
is a network of knowledge networks including universities, biotech/life sciences companies, research institutes, hospitals and other actors in the biotech/life science area. Its main purpose is to ensure that North European Life Sciences and Biotechnology realises its potential for global competitiveness. It intends to promote regional economic development through knowledge, education R&D innovation and technology transfer within life sciences and related social sciences, providing support to its members in order to enhance innovation, meet cross border regional needs and become a forum for discussion. It intends to achieve a new 'meta-regional' structure, which brings together regional and national expertise into one coherent, transnational organisation. Secretariat: Copenhagen. Budget: ND; Permanent Staff: 4 www.scanbalt.org
The Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being (NDPHS)
was established in 2003 with the aim of promoting sustainable development in the Northern Dimension area by improving human health and overall social well-being. It represents the cooperative effort of thirteen governments, the European Commission and eight international organisations. It intends to intensify cooperation in general, assisting partners and participants in respect of capacity building and promoting coordination between international activities or initiatives in the region. Secretariat: Stockholm hosted by the CBSS. www.ndphs.org
Others
Health: Baltic Region Healthy Cities Office
Education: Baltic Network for Adult Learning
Sources: Organisational WebPages and Baltic Sea Portal / Budget and staff: Secretariats
The overview is compiled by: