Jurmala in Brussels

by Ms Ilze Borovska

Jurmala is represented in European Union by the Riga City and Riga Region Office in Brussels that is open since September 2004. The official partners of the office are: Association of Latvia's Local Governments and Association of Latvia's Big Cities. The organisational administration of the office is carried out by Riga Region Develoment Agency. The office is working with quite a wide range of institutions, including 74 local governments, regional enterprises and the Association of Latvia's Big Cities.

The office is dealing with popularising projects that helps to develop region's cultural potential, economic and social environment, assists with the action of EU institutions' offered fund resources, and coordinates information exchange processes, represents interests of local governments and entepreneurs, implements the tasks defined by the Association of Latvia's Local Governments, etc.

Some of the Jurmala activities in cooperation with Riga City and Riga Region Office in Brussels are:

• In 2005 presentation of Jurmala tourism materials during the Information Day in Brussels. The representative of Jurmala City Council's Department of Tourism and Foreign Affairs offered a presentation about the city.
• In 2006 a traineeship programme of 5 weeks was implemented
• 2 participants of Jurmala City Council's Department of Economics and Development participated in this programme. Also, two-week image development campaign was carried out in the European Parliament before the ice hockey championship that took place in Latvia in 2006.

Tourism brochures, booklets were available, and special tourism routes around Riga, Jurmala, and Latvia of 3, 5 and 7 days were promoted. Cooperation is becoming stronger and stronger. Several activities to increase the competence about the EU activities, and to help attracting new partners will be carried out.