European Economic and Social Committee

In order to stimulate business cooperation and internationalisation through exchange of best practices and to identify practical and applicable proposals, the Employers Group of the European Economic and Social Committee under the patronage of its President, Henri Malosse, organised a thematic meeting on cooperation in the Baltic Sea region entitled "The Baltic Sea Region and Business, a Model for European Macro Regions?" on 14^th-15^th June 2012.

The meeting's conclusions were drafted in a  Statement on the Baltic Sea Region  which was presented at the 14^th Baltic Development Forum Summit and the European Commission’s 3^rd Annual Forum on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, taking place in Copenhagen on 18-19 June 2012.

The key discussion topics included:

• European Macro Regions as a tool for European Integration
• How To Promote Business-Friendly Conditions And Investments?
• Infrastructure Inter-operability
• the Relations with Russia and the Northern Dimension
• Cross-Border Business Development

The event took place in Helsinki (Symphony Ferry, Port of Helsinki, Olympia Harbour) and Stockholm (Representation of the European Commission, Hamngatan 6).

You can find  the statement  after the event,  the press release,  the programme,  the photo gallery,  as well as the presentations below.

For more information, contact the Employers' Group at  gr1@eesc.europa.eu