BSSSC Day of Cities and Regions

This years BSSSC signature event especially targets cities and regions all around the Baltic Sea Region, bringing them together with key actors from the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Under the title "Breaking Down the Silos in Baltic Sea Region Cooperation" it will be focused on enhancing multi-level engagement in Baltic Sea cooperation and on strengthening the exchange and links between different thematic areas and policy-making levels. The program will be moderated by Damian Urbanczyk and begins at 09:00 with welcoming words from Marcin Skwierawski (tbc), Vice Marshal of Pomorskie Region, and Werner Schwarz, our BSSSC Chairman.

Part I: Working in the Engine Room of Baltic Sea Cooperation

The morning session includes a workshop on multilevel governance facilitated by the "We make transition" project (tbc), followed by a coffee break. The Future Lab, hosted by the Interreg BSR programme secretariat, a targeted co-creative workshop will engage participants in shaping the next Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme for 2027–2034.

Part II: Multilevel Governance in Practice

After a buffet lunch, the Regional Leaders Panel will address Baltic Sea Region security issues, with political insights from various regional representatives, including Mieczyslaw Struk (tbc), Werner Schwarz and many other regional and local politicians from the Baltic Sea Region. Post-coffee break, discussions will cover security perspectives from parliamentary, national, and EU levels. The session will also explore youth perspectives on security in the region.

Conclusion and Cultural Evening Event

The day comes to an end with the presentation of a Joint Statement and a crowning conclusion by taking a look into the future of the Baltic Sea Region with the renowned researcher and futurist Florence Gaub. The evening ends with a cultural networking event in Gdansk, celebrating regional culture and cooperation hosted by the Baltic Sea Cultural Pearls project at the St. Johns Church/Event Centre in Gdansk.

The event will take place back to back with the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2025. Read more about the forum and register at www.eusbsr.eu/annual-forum/.

Download the programme: