46^th UBC Executive Board Meeting

Territorial cooperation within the new EU Cohesion Policy, UBC Antenna Office in Brussels and the Maritime Logistics Policy Paper were the main topics of the 46^th UBC Executive Board Meeting which was held in St. Petersburg - Kronstadt on 9-10 June 2006.

The Board summarised the results of the UBC statements on the new EU Cohesion Policy 2007-2013. Although the European Commission kept the limit of 150 km for maritime border cooperation unchanged, the cross-border cooperation programme for the Southern Baltic Region will be established. The solution is Bornholm located less than 150 kilometres from Sweden and Poland. Apart from Bornholm the southern regions of Sweden and northern regions of Poland will participate in the programme. Probably Kaliningrad Region will also be eligible to cooperate within this programme (10% of the project budget). During its 46^th meeting, the Board decided to adopt the UBC Maritime Logistics Policy Paper. Moreover, the Board authorised the Logistics Task Force to start the work on the UBC s contribution to the Green Paper on EU Maritime Policy. Mr Per Bodker Andersen stressed, that it was very important to inform other city organisations about the policy.

The participants also discussed the goals, tasks and main activities of the UBC Antenna Office in Brussels. The Board authorised the Presidium to make the final agreement with the Stockholm Region Office.

Among the other important matters discussed in St. Petersburg, there was also the establishment of new UBC Commission on Energy. The author of the project - the city of Oskarshamn, prepared the progress report and invited all members for the Energy Forum which will be held in November in Oskarshamn.

The participants also had a chance to listen to the priorities of the Swedish CBSS Presidency July 2006 - July 2007 presented by Mr Kent Härstedt, Swedish Prime Minister's Emissary for the Baltic Sea issues.