Nieuwe ambities voor Baltische Zeeregio (en)

Press Invitation: Baltic Development Forum Summit and the European Commission’s Annual Forum on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, Gdansk 24-26 October.

The annual meeting of politics, business and civil society in the Baltic Sea Region, the Baltic Development Forum Summit and the European Commission’s Annual Forum on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, will take place in Gdansk, Poland, 24-26 October. The meeting is organised by Baltic Development Forum and the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional Policy in close cooperation with the Polish EU Presidency, Pomorskie Voivodeship and the City of Gdansk.

Over the last two years the Baltic Sea Region has experienced deep contraction when the crisis hit and a vigorous recovery as the policy response and renewed global demand began to show their effect. The region has been able to procedure new growth - the highest in Europe - but new concerns about the global outlook are appearing. How can new ambitious objectives for the region help safeguard the high innovation capacity, economic dynamism and high competitiveness that characterize the "top of Europe"?

The meeting provides a unique platform for leaders from business, government, media, academia and civil society to discuss the major events and drivers of growth in Baltic Sea Region. Under the theme New Ambitions for the Baltic Sea Region this year’s programme will focus on the practical implementation of the EU macro-region strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, with session headlines ranging from ”Setting Targets for the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region” to ”Business Perspectives”, ”Green Growth: Water” and the relations with Russia.

A vast number of high-level speakers will participate, among them the Prime Ministers of Poland, Estonia Finland and Lithuania, several CEO's of multinational companies in the region, the representatives of the Nordic Investment Bank, European Investment Bank, Nordic Council of Ministers and many others.

The full conference programme can be downloaded here.

Accreditation

To apply for press accreditation, please fill out this electronic registration form no later than 20 October.

Upcoming Baltic Development Forum Reports

Baltic Development Forum will present no less than four brand-new reports at the conference:

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  The State of the Region Report 2011 - the only in-depth economy report on the state of affairs in the Baltic Sea Region, produced annually since 2004 by professor Christian Ketels for the Baltic Development Forum. The Report is sponsored by the Nordic Council of Ministers and the European Investment Bank.
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  A Political State of the Region report - 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union and the independence of the three Baltic states.
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  A report on Baltic Sea Region Identity, edited by Bernd Henningsen of the Humboldt University, Berlin.
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  A Report on Promotion of Trade and Investments in the Baltic Sea Region, commissioned by the Danish Enterprise and Construction Agency.

Further Information

The meeting takes place at the Polish Baltic Frédéric Chopin Philharmonic situated at Olowianka Isle in the heart of the old city of Gdansk. An exhibition area where different actors in the region present their ongoing activities is an integrated part of the conference.

For more information please consult our event website www.bsr2011.eu

Contacts

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  Katarina Tafvelin, Head of Communication and Media, Baltic D evelopment Forum Phone: +45 27 64 80 76, Email: ktn@bdforum.org
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  Ole Aabenhus, Special Advisor, Media, Baltic Development Forum, Email: oa@bdforum.org

About Us

Baltic Development Forum is a high level network for decision makers from business, politics, academia and media in the Baltic Sea Region. It was founded in 1998, and is still lead, by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark Uffe Ellemann-Jensen. Our mission is to initiate and facilitate processes to create sustainable growth and a competitive Baltic Sea Region.