Committee of Senior Officials

The Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) is central to the daily operations and decision-making processes of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS). As a core coordinating body, the CSO supports the CBSS in implementing its long-term priorities and overseeing its governance.

Role and Responsibilities

The CSO is composed of senior representatives from the Foreign Ministries of each CBSS Member State, with each official bringing expertise in policy and regional matters to guide the CBSS work. The CSO meets regularly to discuss ongoing and future CBSS work, regional priorities, and administrative matters, ensuring that CBSS activities remain aligned with the strategic direction set by the Council. 

Key responsibilities include:

  • Intersessional decision-making: Acting as the primary decision-making body between Council meetings, the CSO is authorised to make operational and policy decisions that support the CBSS’ strategic priorities.
  • Policy Implementation: The CSO translates Council mandates into actionable initiatives and projects that reflect the CBSS long-term priorities.
  • Oversight of the Secretariat: The CSO provides direction to the CBSS Secretariat, guiding project development, resource allocation, and administrative functions to maintain consistency with the CBSS mandate.
  • Coordination of Expert Groups: The CSO can establish and oversee the work of Expert Groups and other CBSS bodies that focus on specific regional issues. Unless specified otherwise, these groups work under the guidance of the CSO.
  • Engagement with Observer States and Strategic Partners: The CSO oversees consultations with Observer States and Strategic Partners, facilitating their participation in CBSS projects and initiatives.
Leadership and Meetings

The CSO is chaired by the Member State currently holding the CBSS Presidency, which rotates annually among Member States. The Chair, a senior representative from the Presidency country, calls for and leads CSO meetings. The Chair’s responsibilities include setting the meeting agenda, facilitating discussions, and ensuring that CSO decisions reflect the collective interests and priorities of all Member States.

CSO meetings, held as needed, focus on practical decision-making and coordination across the CBSS’s broad areas of work, from security and sustainability to fostering a shared Baltic Sea identity. The Chair, along with the CSO members, also ensures that any decisions made by the Council are effectively implemented, with the support of the CBSS Secretariat.

CSO MEMBERS

POLAND (CBSS Presidency)

  • Ms Katarzyna Barcikowska, Chair of the Committee of Senior Officials; Head of the Baltic Multilateral Unit, European Policy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland

DENMARK

  • Mr Peter Wilhelm Linde, Chief Advisor, Department for the Arctic, North America and Nordic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
  • Ms Sissel Sofia Steinholm, Administrative Officer, Department for the Arctic, North America and Nordic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

ESTONIA

  • Mr Tõnis Nirk, Ambassador-at-Large for Baltic Sea Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia

FINLAND

  • Ms Helena Tuuri, Ambassador for Baltic Sea Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

GERMANY

  • Ms Annika Schechinger, Head of Unit Division E21, Northern Europe (EU), German Federal Foreign Office
  • Ms Julia Jacoby, Division E21, Northern Europe (EU), Federal Foreign Office

ICELAND

  • Mr Emil Breki Hreggvidsson, Director, Directorate for International and Security Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland

LATVIA

  • Ms Ieva Jirgena-Krokforda, Counsellor, Baltic, Nordic Countries and Regional Co-operation Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

LITHUANIA

  • Ms Lina Sučilaitė, Chief Counsellor, European Bilateral and Regional Cooperation Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania

NORWAY

  • Mr Finn Christian Nordli, Senior Advisor, Section for Northern and Western Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway
  • Mr Jens Erik Grøndahl, Senior Advisor, Section for Northern and Western Europe, Team for Regional Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway

SWEDEN

  • Ms Eva Areskoug, Deputy Director, Europe and North America Department Nordic-Baltic Section, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden

EUROPEAN UNION

  • Mr Eduard Auer, Head of Division of the Regional Eastern Partnership, Regional Cooperation and OSCE (EURCA.1), European External Action Service (EEAS)
  • Ms Paula-Avril Jatariu, Policy Officer, Northern Dimension, CBSS and BEAC, Directorate for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EURCA.CARO.1), European External Action Service (EEAS)
Legal and Organisational Framework

The CSO operates within the framework outlined in the CBSS’s founding documents, including the Terms of Reference (TORs) for the Council and Secretariat. These TORs provide the CSO with the authority to initiate, implement, and evaluate projects and partnerships, ensuring alignment with the CBSS’s strategic goals and mandate. As a decision-making body, the CSO operates by consensus, reinforcing a collaborative approach to regional cooperation.