of the Sound and once a week a thematic half an hour programme is presented. This project is believed to be important for the cultural understanding and identity process in the region. 
Other examples of projects are: Europe's Maritime Development Centre, Statistics Øresund, Viking tourism, Medicon Valley Academy, Øresund business integration, Digital Geographic Management System, The Environmental Programme, Benchmarking of the Region, The Birth of a Region, International Marketing, Library cooperation, INFOTEK, Radio co-operation, Mermaid region, Regional food heritage, Social cohesion, Territorial Employment Pact, Education, Public Transport, Hotline. 
Although the final call for applications is October 1999, the programme is expected to continue in a new structure under The Community Initiatives 2000-2006. A working group has been established in order to prepare the new programme.

City of Malmö Joins Copenhagen EU Office in Brussels

From 1 August 1999 the City of Malmö will open an office in Brussels which will be located in the same premises as Copenhagen EU Office.

Denmark became a member of the European Union in 1973. A significant result of the EU membership, which has affected Copenhagen, is the result of the programme INTERREG II Øresund. In 1995, an application (including the socio-economic analysis) was submitted within the framework of The Øresund Committee, with participation of its member organisations on both the Danish and the Swedish side of the Sound, including Copenhagen. 
The Fixed Link, the preparation of the 16 km long coast-coast link between Copenhagen and Malmö is well under way. The new bridge will be opened on 1 July 2000. The INTERREG II Programme, as an important instrument for fulfilling the goals of integration and business development between the Greater Copenhagen Region in Denmark and the Scania Region in Sweden into a coherent Øresund Region, stimulates co-operation within many fields. These are: regional competence and integration; business development and tourism; research, development and university education; environment, planning and infrastructure; media, culture and education. 
Together with the regional authorities and interested parties about 30 million Euro will be invested in cross-border co-operation through the year 2001. The Øresund Committee

administers the Øresund Region Program in the period 1996-99. During the last two years the Committee has been in contact with more than 700 organisations that are interested in applying for the INTERREG II support. The number of contacts is a good sign because it means that different organisations in the region have a strong interest in cooperation across the Sound. This in turn has resulted in more than 100 approved cross-border projects. The financially largest project is the cooperation between Copenhagen and Swedish TV channels. Every day it is possible to see news items from the other side