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!
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Per Bodker Andersen
President of UBC
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Kolding, April 2009
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