The Baltic Sea Region is the first region in the world that has adopted common regional goals for sustainable development. These goals pave the road towards the region’s sustainability and include an overall goal, goals for each of the eight Baltic 21 sectors and a goal for spatial planning. The east – west responsibility axis, sector targets and sector implementation provide the foundation for the realisation of ambitious goals. Sector goals are based on the Vision of a Sustainable Baltic Sea Region 2030.

The Baltic 21 Action Programme addresses the three dimensions of sustainable development – the environmental, the social and the economic aspects – and includes goals and indicators. It features thirty different actions, both sectoral and cross-sectoral, which are mostly of pilot and demonstration character and address the transition to sustainable development in the Baltic Sea Region.

The emphasis is on regional co-operation, and the work is focused on seven economic sectors (agriculture, energy, fisheries, forests, industry, tourism and transport) as well as on spatial planning and on education. 

The process was initiated in 1996 by the Prime Ministers of the Baltic Sea Region and involves the eleven countries from the Baltic Sea Region (the members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, CBSS), the European Commission and a number of intergovernmental organisations, international financial institutions and international non-governmental networks. 

Baltic 21 Secretariat
P.O. Box 2010
SE-103 11 Stockholm, SWEDEN
Phone: +46 8 4401920 (switchboard)
Fax: secretariat@baltic21.org
Mr Risto Veivo (Head of Unit), tel. +46 8 440 1930

01/01/1996

policy

Urban Policy > Urban environment

Environmental sustainability