The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Commission Representation in Finland jointly organise a conference in Helsinki on 22 and 23 October on "The Baltic Sea Region: the best place to work and do business".
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Commission Representation in Finland jointly organise a conference in Helsinki on 22 and 23 October on "The Baltic Sea Region: the best place to work and do business".
The aim of the conference is to promote more co-operation between countries in the region, including Russia, in order to fully utilise the available potential in terms of labour skills, labour market mobility and entrepreneurial and innovative capacity. The first step in this direction would be for the various political stakeholders to commit to a common framework that could pave the way for new, intensive synergies. The Baltic Sea Strategy is an important tool in this context but a tighter focus on the growth potential of the region is required.
Strenghtening relations in the Baltic is a major concern for the EESC, as Vice-President Seppo Kallio (Various Interests Group - Finland) points out: "Civil society could play a major role by promoting cooperation but also by raising awareness among citizens of the great opportunities that are available".
Finnish Minister for European Affairs Astrid Thors and Swedish State Secretary for EU Affairs Maria Åsenius will participate in the opening of the conference.