Our Structure

The Council, comprised of Member States’ Foreign Ministers and the European Union’s High Representative, serves as the primary decision-making body. It provides political direction and oversees the organisation’s strategic priorities.

The Council meets at the end of each Presidency term or as necessary to address pressing matters. It sets the agenda based on proposals from the CBSS Presidency.

To maintain continuity, the Presidency operates within the Trio format, which includes collaboration with the outgoing, current, and incoming presidencies, ensuring smooth transitions and sustained focus on regional objectives.

The Presidency, rotating annually among Member States from July 1 to June 30, steers the CBSS’s activities and ensures coherence across its initiatives. The Presidency country is responsible for organising Council meetings, setting agendas, and providing strategic direction to advance the Council’s long-term priorities. In addition, the Presidency chairs the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) meetings, guiding discussions and decisions on CBSS activities. Presidencies may also convene sectoral meetings at ministerial or other levels, focusing on specific areas of cooperation.

The Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) consists of senior officials from each Member State and the European Union, who support the Council’s work and oversee intergovernmental cooperation.

Led by a senior representative from the current Presidency, the CSO prepares Council sessions, manages working groups, and provides direction to the CBSS Secretariat. The CSO also decides on third-party participation in CBSS activities and reviews the organisation’s long-term priorities.

The CBSS forms expert groups on a time-limited basis to address specific issues within the CBSS mandate. These groups contribute expertise in areas aligned with the organisation’s priorities, such as regional identity, security, sustainable development, and climate action.

Located in Stockholm, the Permanent International Secretariat of the CBSS, or CBSS Secretariat, provides technical and administrative support, ensuring continuity in CBSS operations. It supports the CBSS Presidency, facilitates information exchange, and implements CBSS communication and project strategies.

Led by a Director General appointed by the CSO, the Secretariat works under CSO supervision. It may include special units focused on strategic projects, subject to approval by the CSO.

CBSS Observer States are non-member states that support CBSS initiatives and can participate in selected CBSS activities. While they do not hold decision-making powers, Observer States can attend relevant meetings, contribute to discussions, and co-organise events that add value to the CBSS and the Baltic Sea Region. The CBSS currently has ten Observer States: France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Strategic Partners are organisations invited by the CBSS to contribute to activities aligned with the organisation’s long-term priorities, particularly in areas where their expertise and resources can strengthen regional cooperation efforts. Although Strategic Partners do not have decision-making powers, they participate in CBSS activities, including project collaboration, consultations, and information-sharing initiatives.