“Securing the Future”: CBSS Co-Organising and Co-Hosting at EUSBSR Annual Forum 2025

The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) will take an active role at the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) Annual Forum 2025, to be held on 29–30 October in Sopot, Poland. As a co-organiser, the CBSS will contribute to this year’s Forum, which focuses on resilience and security.

“Security, energy independence, hybrid threats and resilience have become priorities in the Baltic Sea Region,” says Gustav Lindström, Director General of the CBSS Secretariat. “The Forum provides a timely venue for sharing views and continuing the dialogue on how to navigate this new reality, reinforcing shared values and coordinated action.”

The CBSS is closely engaged in shaping the programme of the Forum, themed “Securing the Future: Stronger Together – Building Stability in Times of Uncertainty”. It will be involved in parallel sessions on resilience, security, digital transformation and climate adaptation:

• Connected Capitals: local action, regional resilience in the Baltic Sea Region – co-organised with MSB and the Union of Baltic Cities, focusing on urban resilience and lessons from crises.
• The soft core of hard security – co-organised by the Policy Areas Culture and Secure, highlighting community cohesion, culture, and civil preparedness as foundations of resilience.
• AI without borders – co-organised with the Baltic Sea Region Youth Forum, discussing cross-border cooperation and responsible AI development.
• Towards a Climate-Resilient Baltic Sea Region – co-organised with VASAB and Policy Areas Secure and Energy, showcasing integrated approaches to climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

The forum is hosted by the Pomorskie Voivodeship and organised together with the CBSS Secretariat, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EUSBSR’s Baltic Sea Strategy Point. It is co-funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme and the Pomorskie Voivodeship.

In the EUSBSR, or EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the CBSS jointly coordinates Policy Area Secure with the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), promoting a holistic societal security approach that addresses risks from both natural and man-made disasters.

The EUSBSR Annual Forum is one of the largest pan-Baltic cooperation events in the Baltic Sea Region. It plays an essential role in advancing the strategy’s goals by bringing together stakeholders from across the region to collaborate on addressing common challenges and supporting the implementation of the EUSBSR’s objectives.

Read more about the forum here: https://eusbsr.eu/annual-forum/