Viljandi's Strategic Development Plan

Viljandi, S Estonia, understands the EU integration as the rise in the nation's cultural and state conscience. Economically, it means development to match the democratic market economy. That is why people in Estonia are searching for new solutions in development and planning.
The 'Strategic Development Project 2000-2005' started in November 1998. Total openness during the operation (public discussions & meetings), emphasising the importance of political decision, informing and involving local interest groups and professionals are the project highlights. The plan is to analyse the socio-economic and environmental situation, to identify main guidelines for development and territorial planning, to develop the infrastructure and create favourable investment conditions.
The action plan was developed, a team formed and search for supporters started. 14 theme groups and several subgroups were formed. So far about 140 citizens of Viljandi have participated in the work. The initial situation that involved the background, resources and advantages of development resulted in a conference, and a file of city identities was compiled. Development models and ways to solve the problems have been searched through the SWOT analysis. Discussions evolved around the target group, possibilities to motivate them and two separate development models. The main question was how the future Viljandi will be divided between state institutions and army, administration, agriculture, commercialism, housing, science and culture. The development scenarios for Viljandi were: a sport centre, a gambling hall, pensioners' (children's) paradise with quiet and clean urban environment, a green town with open-air activities, a centre for agriculture, close links with Latvia and Tartu, a summer resort, and the cultural capital of Estonia.

Mariehamn Looking for Regional Maritime Contacts

Mariehamn is one of the UBC's smallest members. Its resources for implementing a comprehensive EU policy are limited, but a number of different projects have been initiated. Mariehamn takes a positive view of the prospects for further cooperation across the Baltic Sea, not least through an enlargement of the EU to comprise the Baltic states.
Mariehamn wants to create new, strong cultural links, especially in the area of sailing ships. The town is home to the fourmasted bark Pommern, the "Cathedral of Sailing", which is now a museum but was once one of the major participants in the Grain Race from Australia to England and part of the large fleet of Gustaf Erikson, whose fame extends far beyond the Aland shores. Next year, Aland will be "Port of Call" in the Tall Ships Race, which is returning to the Baltic.

Project "New Pathways"

New Pathways project is utilising open data centres and Distance Learning for socially excluded people to re-enter them into the labour market. United efforts of private and public organisations have resulted in six recently opened data centres.
All citizens in Nastved can use the centres. This means that if you don't know if the ICT-technology is useful, you can go there and try it -and if you can not manage it by yourself, you can ask for help. The ODC guides will guide you through your work. They are all early retired pensioners and now employed in public sector jobs.
The new system works with the Danish social welfare law. The Danish legislation on maintenance dictates that persons who are unemployed with no work income,

and therefore maintained by the public, social system or the public unemployment insurance are obliged to go for better qualifications in order to get back to work.

Kieler Woche 1999 - a Symbol of Baltic Cooperation

Kieler Woche is the greatest sailing-sport event in the world, and being the largest summer festival in northern Europe. Once again Kiel, the capital of north German state of Schleswig Holstein, expect more than 2,5 million visitors from all over the world for Kieler Woche 1999. The world famous sailing regattas, with more than 5. 000 participants in almost 2. 000 boats, was complemented by a comprehensive programme, featuring panel discussions on social and political topics, cultural events and activities for the summer festival. Talks on social and political questions were as much a part of this as exhibitions, pop concerts and a great windjammer parade. 
"Maritime future - The Baltic Region on its way into the Year 2000" is the motto on which a good many panel discussions focused. A particular highlight were talks on social and political subjects given by Kimmo Sasi, the Finnish Minister of Overseas Trade, and Gunter Verheugen, Secretary of State at the German Foreign Office on "Co-operation in the Baltic: the EU' s Nordic dimension. " Development in the Baltic region was also the theme of a parliamentary meeting, to which the State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein had invited deputies from the Nordic states and from the countries on the Baltic seaboard. The International City Forum concentrated on the topic of urban tourism in the Baltic region. This brought together representatives of Kiel's twin cities and a large number of associated local authorities (especially those of the Baltic region) with experts on tourism and specialists from the worlds of economics and science to discuss the significance of urban tourism for the economic development of the countries surrounding the Baltic.