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Communication technology has made a great leap forward since the UBC Commission was started. Digital traffic is larger that voice and Internet is supposed to pass traditional traffic in 2004.
In 1991, when the Commission on Communication was established, there was a real problem getting in touch between for example Kalmar and Gdansk. We used the old Telex machine in the harbour office. I also remember the very few international lines connecting St. Petersburg.
In 1999 we are using mobile phone or email. The technological advances has made the Commission on Communications obsolete, which is why it ceased operations at the UBC General Conference in Stockholm.
In 2001 the new Internet2 in US will be 1000 times better than the present Internet. We will be using our WAP-telephones for connecting to the Internet.
Just to give you a small comparison. Download time for a 3,5 minutes video clip using different technologies: 28,8 kbps modem - 46 minutes, 64 kbps ISDN - 10 minutes, 8 mbps ADSL - 10 seconds
This means of course an increasing possibility to build networks, something that UBC is heavily depending on. Baltic Sea Alliance will be reached from our mobile (WAP) phones and the search for partners will thus be enhanced.
In times of an evolving market in the Baltic Sea Region nothing could be more valuable than "networking on line".
This new situation, having direct contact persons to persons rather than offices to offices will loosen up some of the difficulties we have today.
I am looking forward to the Connected Baltic Sea Region where I can discuss ideas with my friends and colleagues and having an eye contact on my picturephone. But of course, there have to be normal meetings and conferences because Internet is nevertheless only a meagre substitute to a personal meeting.
by Lars Malmborg
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The basic model for the European Union on how to support Transfrontier Co-operation was created long before the Iron Curtain disappeared. The problems along internal EU-borders, especially between Germany and the Netherlands, have inspired the basic thinking to a great degree.
When the Iron Curtain disappeared and the Baltic Sea Region became involved in the European union, the basic concepts behind European Union Transborder Cooperation had to be adjusted to new conditions. One problem is that inclusion of maritime borders in the transborder policies has been complicated and leads to program rules that are not feasible.
This became obvious at a conference on Transborder Cooperation, which is regularly arranged by the European Council. This time the conference took place in Timisoara, Romania on 29-30 October 1999. The Project Manager, Juhan Janusson, represented UBC.
The delegates from the Baltic Sea Region submitted a declaration to the editorial board of the conference |
resolution. The declaration highlighted, among others, that countries on both sides of the Baltic Sea are each other's neighbours and thus should be eligible for cross-border support the same way as countries with land-borders in other parts of Europe. The programs should include eligible actions specific for maritime orders, for example support for ferry harbours and connections, as well as flight connections.
The result was that the final declaration included a call to the European Union to pay special attention to the problems of cross-border cooperation in future EU programs, like Phare CBC and Interreg programs. This declaration should be followed-up so the European Union pays more attention to the special cross-border problems in the Baltic Sea Region.
The conference was otherwise influenced by what happened in the vicinity of the conference venue - after all, it was only 120 kilometres from Belgrade and the special cross-border problems they have there. |
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The Swebaltcop program of EU has finally decided to support the UBC EU Coordinators network by financing three seminars and the creation of a section on UBC home page dedicated to EUinformation.
Several cities have installed EU coordinators in their staff and still more are planning or considering doing so in the near future. In general, an EU coordinator is a person who is the main responsible for EU related questions in the city administration. It is essential to work through networks with other cities, authorities and organisations in these issues in order to get and give information, find partners and to formulate strategies and aims for the work.
The main aim for the UBC EU Coordinators network is to create a forum for exchange of information, knowledge and experiences between the EU coordinators. One side effect will be training of the EU Coordinators in the eastern UBC member cities.
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The project activities will consist of three seminars and the construction of a homepage for the EU coordinator network on the Internet. It is highly recommended that participants take part of all three seminars.
The 1st seminar will take place in Tartu, Estonia, in January 2000.
Theme: The role of the EU co-ordinator in the local authority
The 2nd seminar is planned to Nacka, Sweden in March 2000.
Theme: The integration process to the European Union
The 3rd seminar is planned to Gdansk, Poland in May 2000.
Theme: EU-projects
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