The 8th Annual Forum of the EUSBSR will be hosted by the Federal Foreign Office together with the CPMR - Baltic Sea Commission and in close cooperation with the European Commission on 13 - 14 June 2017 in Berlin. About 800 participants from governments, international organisations, NGOs, universities, local and regional administrations and business will discuss a broad range of issues relevant for the Baltic Sea Region.

The theme of the 8th Annual Forum is connectivity. This motto highlights the necessity to intensify contacts throughout the Baltic Sea Region including its neighboring regions and to develop a better awareness of each other’s perspectives. Cooperation in form of mutually beneficial projects may have beneficial spill-over effects and contribute to confidence-building in politically difficult times. Furthermore, connectivity relates to efficient and comprehensive collaboration among all levels of government. Be it in communication, cultural exchange, energy, research activities or transport - connectivity is crucial for modern, network based and outward looking business. 

Background

Since 2010 a yearly forum has been organised to support the EUSBSR. The purpose of the forum is to communicate the work of the Strategy and its objectives, to stimulate policy discussion, promote results, and to provide stakeholders of the EUSBSR with a networking occasion.
The annual forum takes place in one of the eight EU member states in the Baltic Sea Region and aims to attract key stakeholders and active partners of the EUSBSR from local, regional, national and EU level.