CREWS at the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2025 in Sopot

The CREWS project was represented by the District Office of Altona at the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2025 in Sopot, which gathered around 600 experts, policy makers and practitioners from across the Baltic Sea Region to discuss resilience, preparedness and cross-border cooperation.

Participants attended keynote speeches and sessions across all policy areas of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, including contributions from researchers, public authorities and policymakers whose work aligns closely with CREWS objectives. Notable examples included Gotland’s “Stark Socknen” initiative, demonstrating how communities can strengthen local resilience from within, and insights from Warsaw’s crisis management authorities on coordinating spontaneous volunteers during the 2022 refugee influx.

The forum also provided opportunities for professional exchange, including discussions with representatives of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), the German Federal Foreign Office and emergency management authorities from Poland and other Baltic Sea states. These contacts broadened the project’s network and will support future cooperation within the CREWS framework.

A central message emerging from the forum was the importance of a whole-of-society approach to resilience and preparedness, balancing security, sustainability and affordability at a time when individual preparedness remains low across Europe.

The CREWS project welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the discussions in Sopot and looks forward to continued collaboration across the region.

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