EU Affairs ministers and representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Investment Bank will meet at Stockholm City Hall to discuss the EU Baltic Sea Strategy as pilot project for future macro-regional strategies.

The purpose is also to strengthen understanding and support for the Baltic Sea Strategy within the EU and to prepare the adoption of the strategy at the European Council in Brussels in October.

This strategy will enable the EU to together tackle the Baltic Sea region’s specific challenges. In the future it is hoped that the same model can be applied to EU cooperation in other regions with their own regional challenges.

Minister for EU Affairs Cecilia Malmström will chair the meeting and after it she will be available for questions in the press centre in the Blue Hall.

Timetable:

9.00–10.00 Session I: Introduction. Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt opens the meeting, followed by the President of Estonia Toomas Ilves, Commissioner Pawel Samecki, a representative of the European Parliament, the President of the European Investment Bank Philippe Maystadt and Karla Peijs, TEN-T coordinator for the Danube region.

10.00–13.00 Session II: Discussion on macro-regional strategies

13.00–13.30 Family photo

13.30–15.00 Lunch

15.00–15.30 Press conference (webcast on the Presidency website)
Location: Blue Hall, Stockholm City Hall

15.30–17.00 Session III: Discussion on the EU’s Baltic Sea Strategy and adoption of a common declaration.