City International Policy

For Szczecin entering the EU means first of all new development impulses and good motivation for faster modernisation. The enlargement brings increased competitiveness, infrastructure upgrade, attracting foreign investors, new jobs, better education and career chances for our youth. Szczecin's new geopolitical position brings unprecedented political, legal and financial conditions, as well as offers new challenges and chances for development. With the Baltic becoming the EU's internal sea and part of the Regional Policy, Szczecin, will be no longer peripheral in the EU.

In the eve of Poland's accession to the EU, the City International Policy has been developed. It aspires for Szczecin to become a leading European city in the south Baltic coast on the Polish-German border, effectively using opportunities to become pan-regional cross- border centre for international activities. As a Polish gateway to Europe and the world, Szczecin should enable people to benefit from their European citizenship and to exchange ideas and information with leading and comparable cities in Europe and beyond. These exchanges include learning from other port-cities and understanding those processes, both physical and institutional, that have helped create an urban renaissance in similar or comparable cities. To be a leading city in the Region, Szczecin needs to be a competitive city and be responsive to the changing nature of the economy. Investment has occurred in recent years including numerous housing, office and commercial developments, yet Szczecin continues to experience slow development. Although the city is the driving economic force of the area, there remain pockets of serious deprivation and Szczecin is a city of contrasts. Initiatives seek to strengthen and develop the economy in key areas. Policy efforts in Szczecin already address many of the problems affecting European cities.

It is clear that new efforts are necessary to restore the role of the city as a place of social and cultural integration, as source of economic prosperity and sustainable development, and as the base of democracy. Here the challenges related to urban development provide an opportunity for the city to become a more meaningful body for its citizens by bringing tangible benefits to daily lives in the enlarged EU. It also recognises the importance of local democracy and the level of political authority closest to the citizen. In particular, some attention is given to the youth questions, especially as the Szczecin's Youth City Council actively wants to join the UBC Youth Network offering numerous projects and ideas.