Meeting and Roundtable in Lübeck

The meeting of the UBC Commission on Environment was held in Lübeck on 4-6 May. It reported and discussed UBC's environmental and sustainable development activities, European Policy Developments (Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment), Baltic Co-operation Processes, BSR and European Projects, preparations for Baltic contributions at the 5th Pan-European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns, Seville, March 2007.

The meeting, during the kick-off roundtable, shaped the new Baltic Cities' Environmental Training Programme for environmental directors and experts.

Knowledge basis for the new program has been created through the Baltic Cities Sustainable Development Survey 2004/2005 and the CAPACITY feasibility study carried out in 2005-2006. The new executive program, to be co-funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers and Finnish Ministry of the Environment, will be open for all UBC members. It is to be implemented in 2006-2008.

The key intention with the roundtable session and working groups at the Lübeck meeting was to involve member cities in the designing and implementating of the training program.

• Report/introduction from the Baltic Cities' Survey 2005 and the CAPACITY study
• Good practice presentations from member cities
• Discussion/mapping of development needs and challenges Four working groups discussed the key topics for the new training program: Air Quality, Noise, Solid Waste, and Climate Protection.

Participants also took part in the study visit to the Environmental Exhibitions at the Trade Fair Centre.