EUSBSR Annual Forum 2024

The Annual Forum is the yearly gathering for collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region within the framework of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, which has been held since 2009. This year, we welcome stakeholders to Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden. The Forum takes place over two days on 30 and 31 October, with an optional side event on 29 October. With the overall themes of Sustainability, Resilience, and Security, the Forum aims to deepen our understanding and enhance collaborative efforts in these areas.

This year’s Forum is structured around four elements.

Engagement: The side event on 29 October is an opportunity for not yet engaged stakeholders to get acquainted with the Strategy and learn how the Strategy can support their strategic objectives. Participants are welcome to present their initiatives and to discuss them with 8 of the 14 policy area coordinators. The target groups for this day are civil society, youth organisations, the business sector, local authorities and Ukrainian stakeholders.

Co-creation: Interactive workshops, panel discussions, and seminars invite participants to discuss challenges and to elaborate on solutions. These sessions emphasize cross-sectorial, transnational, and multilevel collaboration, designed to generate practical outcomes, and foster ongoing cooperation. All activities are related to the Action Plan of the Strategy and ongoing processes or projects in the 14 Policy Areas.

Policy Dialogues: Central to the Forum are policy dialogues addressing the strategic objectives of the EUSBSR. These discussions range from large plenary sessions to focused panels, each tackling key aspects of the Strategy and exploring solutions to enhance the Baltic Sea Region’s development.

Networking Village: The Networking Village serves as a social hub for informal exchanges and spontaneous connections. Located at the heart of the Forum, it’s a place for participants to meet between sessions, start new conversations, and spark collaborations. The 14 Policy Areas, Pan-Baltic organisations, the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, the Swedish Institute, and other financial programmes will be represented.

Building on the successes of past forums, we aim for a more connected, prosperous, and sustainable Baltic Sea Region. The Forum will continue building relations with Ukraine following the initiative taken by the Swedish EUSBSR Presidency. We invite you to connect with other actors and stakeholders, join discussions, and shape our shared future.