European Union

On 8 February, the Delegation of the European Union to Russia is organising a conference in Saint-Petersburg to present ten grass-roots initiatives in the Baltic Sea region and to make an overview of the current EU-Russia cooperation under the Northern Dimension. 

These ten new projects have been selected by the EU Delegation to Russia following the 2011 call for proposals that was aimed at local authorities and non-state actors in the Baltic Sea region. They fall under priorities of the Northern Dimension in the area of energy efficiency, transport, culture, health and social wellbeing and will be implemented by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and universities from Russia and the EU. The projects will support the cooperation between the EU and Russia in this important region by encouraging local stakeholders to participate more effectively in addressing common challenges and exploiting common opportunities. The total budget of the actions is 3.5 million euro.

Keynote speakers of the conference include Mr Michael Webb, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Russia; Mr Tunne Kelam, Member of the European Parliament; Mr Anders Lindholm, Directorate General for Regional Policy, European Commission, and Mr Olli Perheentupa, Consul General of Finland in St.-Petersburg. The conference will be attended by representatives of the Northern Dimension Partnerships for Transport, Energy, Health and Social Wellbeing and Culture, Russian and European NGOs, Russian and EU officials, experts and EU MS Consulates in St. Petersburg.

Date and time: Wednesday, 8 February 2012 from 13h00 to 18h00
Venue: Sokos Hotel Olympic Garden (3A, Bataiskyi pereulok, St.-Petersburg)

The media are invited to cover the conference.

For media accreditation, please, contact Press and Information Section of the EU Delegation to Russia by tel.: +7 (495) 721-20-41/09, fax: +7 (495) 721-20-20, or e-mail: delrus-pressoffice@eeas.europa.eu 

Background:

The Baltic Sea region plays a strategic role in the EU-Russia relations being the main gateway from Russia to Europe. Its prosperity, safety and security are of crucial importance not only for neighbouring regions and countries but for the whole of Russia and the EU. In 2010, based on an amendment by the European Parliament, the European Commission adopted a 20 million euro action plan to finance activities in support of the external dimension of the EU Baltic Sea Strategy. Most of the activities and projects take place in the framework of the Northern Dimension policy. This policy was initiated in 1999 with participation of Norway, Iceland, EU Member States and the Russian Federation. It provides a common framework for dialogue and concrete cooperation, promotes economic integration, competitiveness and sustainable development in Northern Europe.