Kick-off of the 11th Baltic Sea Strategy Annual Forum with Commissioners Ferreira and Sinkevičius

Commissioners Ferreira and Sinkevičius will participate in the 11th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) that will take place tomorrow, 20 October, in a fully virtual mode under the headline ‘Our Region, Our Future – Towards a Decade of Innovation and Sustainability’. Ahead of the Forum, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is an important platform for cooperation that prepares many initiatives beneficial to the lives of our citizens. The 11th Annual Forum of the EUSBSR will be a crucial step for innovation and sustainability of the area and for the European Union as a whole. We are committed to make it a continued success because of its strategic added value for the economic development and growth in the region.” Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, added: “One of the objectives of this Strategy should be to develop regional cooperation in responding to crises such as the coronavirus one and inclusive climate action. It is especially important for the Baltic region as the Baltic is choking with nutrient run-offs, suffering from unsustainable fishing practices and facing marine litter problem. This forum will give us the chance to strengthen cooperation in addressing the Baltic Sea pollution as committed recently in the declaration signed at Our Baltic conference.” The European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is the first macro-regional strategy in Europe. The Strategy was approved by the European Council in 2009 following a communication from the European Commission. It involves 12 countries: eight EU Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden) and four neighbouring countries (Belarus, Iceland, Norway, Russia). More details in the Annual Forum 2020 programme.