10 years in Brussels

by Ms Eija Nylund

Helsinki EU Office operates as the information, marketing and lobbying agency in Brussels. The office was set up ten years ago, a year after Finland's accession to the European Union. The City of Helsinki cooperates with the Helsinki Region and the University of Helsinki in Brussels. A series of events will be organised in the coming autumn which are linked to the office's 10th anniversary and the Finnish Presidency. The Helsinki EU Office is an active partner within the Lisbon Regions Consortium in organising two seminars and Investor's Café activities during the Open Days Events "Investing in Regions and Cities" in October. In November, a seminar on the urban policy called "Competitiveness through Innovative Partnership and Networking- How are Cities contributing to Growth and Jobs Agenda?" will be organised together with the six largest cities in Finland, followed by a gala reception on the occasion of the 10^th Anniversary of the Helsinki EU Office.

The Baltic Sea Group, which consists of Brussels based offices from the Baltic Sea Region, organises the seminar "Baltic Sea Region Perspectives - Innovation, Mobility, and Integration" together with the Baltic Sea Metropoles Network. The events series will end in December when the Finnish regional offices will organise a traditional Christmas Party.

Helsinki is also a member of the Lisbon Regions Network which is a Brussels-based network, launched in March 2004 and includes 9 European regions with a shared interest in the delivery of the Lisbon Strategy at regional and local level. Other members of the network are: Brussels Capital Region, Region Stuttgart, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Regio Randstad, Valencia Region, Region Stockholm, Riga City and Region and West Midlands. he network functions as a platform in which regions discuss relevant policies and exchange experience about the different tools to achieve the Lisbon objectives.

Another concrete action is a planned EU funded project with the aim of collecting statistical data linked to the Lisbon strategy. The project results will be used to compare and demonstrate innovation and competitiveness in the member regions.