EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Pawel Zaboklicki
EDITING & LAYOUT
Anna Dargiewicz
EDITORIAL BOARD
Risto Veivo
Viktors Buls
Ewa Kurjata
Anna Dargiewicz
Pawel Zaboklicki
PUBLISHER
Union of the Baltic Cities
Secretariat
Waly Jagiellonskie 1
PL-80853 Gdansk
POLAND
tel. +48 58 3010917
tel. +48 58 3019123 fax +48 58 3017637
e-mail: info@ubc.net
www.ubc.net
ISSN 1506-6266
PROOF-READING
Ewa Kurjata
COVER PICTURE
City of Elblag
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Dear UBC Friends,
The
Baltic Sea region is perceived as the most dynamically
developing region in EU and recognised as a forerunner
in many fields. To keep this positive trend lasting,
we cannot rest on our laurels. More than ever we are
now facing the challenge to be most competitive region
in Europe. However, as it was emphasised during our
General Conference in Turku, in the globalised world
the competition is not dominated by the national perspective
any more but by the local and regional one. The cities
play the increasingly important role in ensuring the
welfare of the country and the success of the whole
Baltic Region. The cities are those which develop
as "engines of growth". How do they cope
with the role of economic, cultural and social focal
points? What do they do to attract investors as well
as visitors? Hopefully, we will be able to find all
the answers in this issue of the Baltic Cities Bulletin.
Additionally, many
of these answers were expressed during our VIII General
Conference in Turku, Finland, 29 September - 2 October.
We have been proud of the opportunity to host more
than 270 participants, including representatives of
67 Member Cities, as well as invited guests from governments
and numerous international organisations. Those people
really care for the Baltic Sea Region and they want
it to be more and more competitive. The most visible
effect of this concern was the Memorandum of Understanding
on Sustainable Port and Maritime Policy for the Baltic
Sea Region signed by 15 major Baltic ports and port
cities on 30 September at the General Conference in
Turku. The UBC unanimously endorsed this document.
This is a huge step forward in terms of harmonized
environmental policies and practices for the Baltic
ports.
The theme of the General
Conference was "Towards a New Agenda for the
Baltic Sea Region". Do we really need to look
for a new agenda? Excellent speeches and presentations,
fruitful workshops and discussions confirmed, on the
one hand, that the Baltic Sea cities have now tremendous
opportunities to develop, especially in regards with
the EU enlargement and new financing possibilities.
On the other hand, however, they gave an impulse to
consider the future role of UBC in the region. What
can we do for the benefit of our member cities? The
clear prerequisites to the UBC Action Plan for the
next 2-year period were made by the General Conference
when it adopted unanimously the Resolution. The ideas
specified in this document mark the main dimensions
of further development of the Union. We should support
the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy objectives
at the local and regional level. We should, moreover,
closely co-operate with other Baltic organizations
and do our best to create the one - and therefore
stronger then ever - Baltic voice in Brussels.
The Baltic Sea cities and
region cannot afford to miss out the chance which
has been given to them. I hope that the next year
will be full of successful and fruitful projects which
will further contribute to improvement of our regional
competitiveness.
Wishing You a Merry Christmas
and successful New Year 2006!
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Per Bodker Andersen
President
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Kolding, 1 December 2005
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