On 30 November the newly created UBC EU-Coordinators network met in Riga, on the Commission on Communication's initiative. Representatives of 23 UBC member cities attended the seminar.

Most cities in the EU countries have now created positions of EU Liaisons officers in their administrations. Also, more and more CEE cities are following.

While opening the seminar, Mr Andris Bcrzios, Riga City Council Chairman introduced the network. Mr. Håkan Gustafsson, Senior Advisor, Swedish Association of Local Authorities, contributed with the local impact of EU membership. The role of the EU co-ordinator and the benefits of building the resulting network, partner-cities' needs in terms of the EU integration are just a few examples of themes tackled during the seminar.

The Riga seminar participants agreed upon a concrete action plan for the coming year. The project will accommodate:

• Three seminars in: Nacka, Sweden; Tartu, Estonia; and Gdansk, Poland, focusing on: EU institutions and their functions; availailable funds and programmes; future development of the EU; methods of collecting and spreading information; how to organise EU related work and how to create networks in municipal administrations; how to create and develop successful EU-projects; how to apply for financial support from the EU; intercultural communication; future development of the Baltic Sea Region; facts and joint visions; follow-up activities in the network

• An Internet homepage devoted to EU-information, translated into national languages of the Baltic states, including Poland and Russia; the bulletin board, the discussion forum, a list of the members, links, documentation from the seminars and a newsletter

• A mailing list for the EU co-ordinators network - (It is already functioning)