The Baltic Sea region will be in focus as the Baltic Sea Week opens on Monday. Developing the region is one of the Swedish Presidency’s highest priorities. The objective is to adopt an EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea region that will produce a cleaner sea and make the region more economically dynamic.

The Baltic Sea Day opens the week

On Monday 14 September, Europa Direkt Blekinge arranges the Baltic Sea Day in Karlskrona. The busy schedule includes seminars on the Baltic Sea Region and the role Blekinge can play.

On Tuesday 15 September, the week continues with a conference at Kulturhuset in Stockholm as Central Baltic Interreg IV displays examples of cross-border cooperation projects around the Baltic Sea.

On Thursday 17 September Företagarna and Entreprenörskapsforum are holding an international seminar on growth in the Baltic Sea Region.

Members of the public are welcome to visit an exhibition on Baltic Sea cooperation on Skeppsbron in Stockholm between 11.00 and 14.00 on Thursday, 17 September. The brig ’Tre Kronor’ and the Swedish Coast Guard’s ship will also be on display. The Nordic Council of Ministers, the Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF), Helcom and the Swedish EU Presidency will also explain their work to create closer ties in the region.

EU ministers meet in Stockholm to discuss the Baltic Sea

Also on 17 September, the EU ministers will meet on the brig ‘Tre Kronor’ in Stockholm to consider cooperation around and visions for the Baltic Sea.

To round off the Baltic Sea Week, all the EU ministers will meet on 18 September to discuss how the Baltic Sea Strategy can be used to strengthen the region.

The Baltic Sea Strategy is expected to be adopted by the European Council on 29–30 October 2009. It will enable the countries around the Baltic Sea to strengthen the competitiveness of the region, combat human trafficking and rescue Europe’s largest inland sea from environmental collapse.