Congratulations on the adoption of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region!

The adoption of the Strategy is a landmark for regional cooperation and opens great opportunities for
the future. However to become a success, the Strategy implementation demands active participation
of all the stakeholders including European and regional organizations, as well as the ability to better
coordinate the activities within this policy framework.

As the largest regional networking organization in the Baltic Sea area, Baltic Development Forum will
take its share of responsibility in improving the regional dialogue and coordination. This also includes
those regions that are not part of the EU.

The EU's Heads of State and Government made the following statement when adopting the EU Sstrategy
as proposed by the European Commission:

This Strategy constitutes an integrated framework to address common challenges, i.a. the urgent
environmental challenges related to the Baltic Sea, and to contribute to the economic success of
the region and to its social and territorial cohesion, as well as to the competitiveness of the EU.
The European Council calls upon all relevant actors to act speedily and ensure full implementation
of the Strategy, which could constitute an example of a macro regional strategy. It invites the
Commission to present a progress report to the Council by June 2011.

Read the extracts of the conclusion made by the Council of Ministers on the adoption of the EU Strategy
for the Baltic Sea Region here.