39^th UBC Executive Board Meeting in Vaasa

The 39^th UBC Executive Board Meeting was held in Vaasa, Finland, on 5-7 March 2004, at the invitation of Mr Markku Lumio, Mayor of Vaasa.

The Mayor of Parnu, Mr Vaino Hallikmagi, sent a letter to the UBC President applying to host the UBC General Conference in Parnu in 2007. Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Norway has not yet hosted the UBC General Conference. The Board endorsed the application from Parnu, but reminded that the decision about the venue can be taken only by the General Conference. The next GC will be held in Turku, Finland, in October 2005.

The Board re-elected Mr Pawel Zaboklicki as UBC Secretary General for the next four-year period.

Mr Tiit Naber, Chairman of the Council of Baltic Sea States Committee of Senior Officials, informed about a joint project with the Nordic Council of Ministers aimed at enhancing cross-border cooperation at the external EU borders in the BSR. The goal of the initiative is to encourage local actors, authorities, private sector, NGOs, to establish a dialogue and cooperation on both sides of the external border. CBSS invited other Baltic Sea organisations including UBC to participate in the project.
Mr Jan Odegaard, Kristiansand, informed about Norwegian contribution to economic and social cohesion in new EU-member states, as a result of EEA agreement. In the period 2004-2009 Multilateral EFTA Financial Mechanism will provide annual contribution of 120 million eur (94,5% from Norway) and Bilateral Norwegian Financial Mechanism will provide annual contribution of 113,4 million eur. The two new financial arrangements will enter into force on 1 May 2004.

Mr Pawel Zaboklicki presented the draft of UBC Action Plan 2004-2005. The Board authorised the President to set up a working group responsible for the preparation of the action plan.

President Per Bedker Andersen informed about Atlantic Arc Cities (CAAC) proposal on joint statement on European Commission proposal to hold annual consultations on EC policy with local authorities associations. First meeting with Commissioner Michel Barnier was already held in Brussels on 23 February. UBC was invited and was represented at the meeting by Vice-President Gundars Bojars. UBC called for such consultations in the resolution from the General Conference in Klaipeda, October 2004. EC responded positively in a letter of 27 January from Commissioner Barnier to Secretary General Zaboklicki. UBC Board shared CAAC opinion that these consultations should take a form of a dialogue, not only one-way com-munication.

Mr Esa Kokkonen, Tampere, presented the draft Action Plan 2004-2005 of the UBC Commission on Information Society. The action plan was compiled jointly by Tampere and St.Petersburg. The document was sent out for comments to all member cities.

President Andersen reported from the Council of Europe's conference "The role of Baltic local authorities in responding to major oil spills" held in Helsinki, 9 February 2004. The cities message to the conference was that in case of major oil spills the local authorities are ready to cooperate closely in rescue action with respective state services.

Secretary General presented the financial report for 2003. The Board approved the report. The next UBC Executive Board meeting will be held in Kristiansand on 16-17 May 2004.