Union of the Baltic Cities


Union of the Baltic Cities is a voluntary, proactive network mobilizing the shared potential of over 100 member cities for democratic, economic, social, cultural and environmentally sustainable development of the Baltic Sea region.

Origins

The Union of the Baltic Cities was founded in Gdańsk, Poland in September 1991, by 32 cities, with the aim of developing cooperation and exchange between its member cities. Inspired in part by the historic example of the Hanseatic League and supported by the European Union's Interreg programs to stimulate regional cooperation within the EU, it was one of the first formal institutions established to bolster the Baltic as a cohesive region within Europe. The city of Kalmar in Sweden took the initiative in founding the organization, but Gdańsk was chosen as the organization's headquarters to emphasize the desire to break down historic barriers between Western and Eastern Europe. Anders Engström, who was in office from 1999 to 2001, was the first President of the UBC. Since 2001 the office has been held by Per Bødker Andersen.

Aims

The Union states its aims are to:
In 2014 the Union comprised over 100 cities from ten countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden.