The “Baltic Sea Conference 2013 – Blue Growth, Sustainability and Water Industries” successfully gathered 300 participants in Copenhagen on 3 October, to engage in inspiring discussions on how to create a Baltic Sea Region which is both sustainable and prosperous and puts the blue and green economies in focus. Coming from the private sector, the European Commission, NGOs, international financing institutions and government, the participants represented a broad mobilization of knowledge and perspectives on the Baltic Sea.
A conference report is now being developed, capturing the outcomes of the event. In the meantime you can access the speeches and presentations on the Conference website, and find photos from the day on our flickr stream. You can also read the background report for the Conference: Setting_the_Scene_Background_Reading_BSC2013
Thank you to everyone who joined the discussions, we hope to see you again next year!
Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said: “The Baltic is one of Europe’s most competitive and innovative sea basins. The maritime economy here thrives on sustainability and innovation to ensure the long-term sustainable development of its maritime economy. The region should build on the assets it has – leading innovation and research, strong maritime clusters, a proactive approach towards marine environment challenges, and well-established cooperation.” (Read the full speech)
Anke Spoorendonk, Deputy Prime Minister, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, stressed that Schleswig-Holstein has a long maritime history and is strongly engaged in the maritime economy. She explained that they have developed – among other things – a maritime policy, a maritime strategy and a maritime cluster, and that they would be happy to share their experience and co-operate with other actors in the Baltic Sea Region.
Lowri Evans, Director-General for Fisheries and Maritime Policies, EU Commission said, while explaining the Blue Growth policy that the Baltic Sea Region holds leadership in the blue economy and this needs to be kept – “If you can’t do it, no one can.”