Oder River Corridor

Berlin - Szczecin Corridor or "The Oder River Corridor" has enormous strategic meaning for the economic development of the whole South Baltic Arc Region.

The XV Committee of the Polish-German Committee on Regional and Cross-border Cooperation recognized the economic development and regional infrastructure as a common priority. We read in the official communiqué "Both sides have agreed to exchange experiences and update themselves on the infrastructure planning, private investment and innovation support, in particular". This is also related to further modernization and extension of border rail, road, air and water links, as well as new border crossing points. This cross border cooperation is of course supported through projects co-financed by the INTERREG IIIB.

For example INTERREG IIIB "Baltic+ Project focuses on improvement of the infrastructure accessibility. Szczecin is a major partner in the project, particularly interested in development of the communication in the axes: Berlin/ Brandenburg, ports in Mecklemburg Vor Pommern, Szczecin-Scania, with the whole BSR and St. Petersburg remaining important elements of the whole system.

From Szczecin's experiences it seems worth stressing that there is a need for concrete and close cross border cooperation to contribute to the BSR development. Also, creating regional alliances may be a relevant tool in such a process. Modernisation of railways and adjusting them to the European standards of fast connections, upgrading the Oder and Hohensaaten - Friedrichsthal waterways, expanding the network of roads on the Polish side of the border and new ferry connection between Scania and Mukran/Sassnitz or Œwinoujœcie remain among the most urgent projects to be developed.

The Oder Region urgently needs attention in such fields as infrastructure, public transport, ports' infrastructure upgrade, environment, culture, innovations and tourism. Having said that, new chances appear as a result of close linkages between a prosperous Öresund/South Sweden with Berlin/ Brandenburg and common economic region of the Oder Region.

There is also a need to make "this region" well connected with the CEE countries, especially as they experience dynamic development processes and have increasing transportation needs. Such an approach will contribute to making this region more competitive in the European context, and possibly in the future equipped with a more intensive grid of infrastructure.