Dear UBC Friends,

  This year for the tenth time we will meet at the UBC General Conference. The city of Kristiansand, Norway, will be playing host to our conference on 24 - 25 September. 100 mayors of Baltic Sea cities, representatives of governments and international organisations, many key actors active in Europe will discuss the theme "Baltic cities for economic and climate solutions - a developed Baltic Sea Strategy".

  Recently, the main focus of the UBC interest has been the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The Union welcomed the EU initiative expecting realistic policy, ambitious in its objectives and responsive to the needs of inhabitants of the Region. However, the real test for the EU Strategy will be its implementation.

  The cities experience nowadays the dramatic turn in their economic situation. Additional environmental and climate change threats make the creation of a good strategy a huge challenge. How does the European Union face the complex problems emerging these days? How do we, the cities, respond to the EU Strategy?

  Cities play a crucial role in the process of implementation of the Strategy. Their particular strength is the closeness to the inhabitants. Understanding the problems of the urban areas is a foundation of the Baltic Sea governance. UBC is of the opinion that the cities can play an important role also in enhancing accountability and transparency of the Strategy.

  This issue of the Bulletin contains a variety of perspectives and points of view regarding the EU Strategy. The cities share with their expectations, present strategic projects and investments, describe visions for development based on the rule of sustainability. All this paints the broad picture of the cities' involvement in the future process of the Strategy implementation.

  Now it is more important than ever to meet and help each other to fight the global problems. Mutual understanding, support and brain-storming may bring positive solutions in the hard times.

  Welcome to X UBC General Conference!

Per Bodker Andersen President of UBC	Kolding, April 2009