Established following a decision of the Heads of Government at the Baltic Sea States Summit meeting in Visby held in May 1996. Mandate extended in December 1998 until the end of the year 2000. Structure: Composed of special representatives of Heads of Government of CBSS Member States, of the Presidency of the European Union and of the European Commission. Reports directly to the Heads of Government. Operative Committee (OPC) established in February 1998 under…

Following a decision that the Heads of Government of the States represented in the CBSS should meet on an informal basis, the first of these meetings was held in May 1996 in Visby, Sweden. The second was held in January 1998 in Riga, Latvia, during the Danish presidency. The third summit took place in Kolding, Denmark, on 12-13 April 2000. The 4th Baltic Sea States Summit meeting is scheduled to take place in St.Petersburg,…

The Baltic Business Advisory Council (BAC) was established in 1996 with the aim of speeding up the process of privatising and restructuring enterprises in the countries in transition and to promote small and medium-sized enterprises. The BAC is considered an important speaker for business in the region and adviser to decision-makers. The secretariat of the BAC is presently located in Stockholm.

At the Second CBSS Ministerial Session in Helsinki in March 1993, it was decided to establish the EuroFaculty. The EuroFaculty statutes were adopted at the Third Ministerial Session in Tallinn in May 1994. The aim of the EuroFaculty programme is to assist in reforming higher education in Law, Economics, Public Administration and Business Administration at several universities in the Baltic Sea region. The EuroFaculty Directorate is located in Riga, Latvia. The Directorate operates the…

In May 1994 a Commissioner on Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Including the Rights of Persons belonging to Minorities was appointed. Since 1994 the office has been held by Professor Ole Espersen, Denmark. A revised mandate was adopted in 1997 and Mr. Espersen was re-appointed for another 3-year term. At its 9th Ministerial Session in Bergen (21-22 June 2000), the Council took note of the Commissioner’s annual report and expressed its satisfaction with his…

The Council consists of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of each Member State and a member of the European Commission. Chairmanship of the Council rotates on an annual basis. The role of the Council itself is “to serve as a forum for guidance and overall co-ordination among the participating states” (stated in the Terms of Reference). The annual session is held in the country currently in the chair. The Foreign Minister of the presiding…

The Committee of Senior Officials consists of high-ranking representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Member States as well as of the European Commission. Inter-sessional discussions and preparations take place in the Committee, which serves as a discussion forum for both practical and other matters related to the work of the Council. The Committee of Senior Officials can designate specific tasks to the three Working Groups. Chairmanship of the CSO follows the…