Council of the Baltic Sea States

11/08/2026

🏆 BSR Cultural Pearls reaches the 2026 finals!

We are proud to share that the CBSS-led BSR Cultural Pearls project, funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, has been selected as one of the 25 finalists of the REGIOSTARS Awards 2026, standing out among 274 projects from across Europe.

The REGIOSTARS Awards, organised by the European Commission, recognise outstanding EU-funded projects that have a lasting impact on regional development and improve the lives of people across Europe.

From 3 September 2026, everyone will have the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award. We encourage you to support BSR Cultural Pearls and help take this success story even further! The REGIOSTARS 2026 winners will be announced on 14 October.

Read more: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/projects/regio-stars-awards_en

16/07/2026

We're hiring! Join the CBSS Secretariat in Stockholm as a Research Associate for the We-ID Project, funded by the EU's Horizon Europe programme.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to research and policy on democratic resilience, migration, social cohesion, and regional cooperation while collaborating with an international consortium of partners.

Application deadline: 16 August 2026

Learn more and apply: https://cbss.org/careers

15/07/2026

The CBSS is looking for a Part-time Project Assistant for Youth to join our team in Stockholm.

This is an exciting opportunity to support youth participation and regional cooperation across the Baltic Sea Region, contributing to initiatives such as ACTIVATE BSR project, the Baltic Sea Region Youth Forum, the Baltic Sea Youth Dialogue, and other youth-focused activities.

If you're passionate about youth engagement, international cooperation, and making a difference in the , we'd love to hear from you!

👉 Application deadline: 16 August 2026.

Read more: https://cbss.org/careers

08/07/2026

📍Ankara, Summit

On the second day of the NATO Summit, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski began his schedule with a meeting with his Icelandic counterpart, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir. 🇵🇱🤝🇮🇸

The foreign ministers discussed Poland’s recently concluded Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, as well as continued cooperation within this framework.

📍Ankara, szczyt NATO

Drugi dzień szczytu Organizacji Sojuszu Północnoatlantyckiego wicepremier Radosław Sikorski rozpoczyna od spotkania ze swoją 🇮🇸 odpowiedniczką Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir 🇵🇱🤝🇮🇸.

Ministrowie spraw zagranicznych rozmawiali o minionej 🇵🇱 prezydencji w Radzie Państw Morza Bałtyckiego oraz dalszej współpracy w ramach tego formatu.

07/07/2026

From 2–5 July 2026, 44 young participants from across the Baltic Sea Region gathered in Lübeck for the Baltic Sea Region Hackathon 2026 to develop digital solutions for real societal challenges under the theme “Free and secure societies – cooperation in difficult times.”

Bringing together students from diverse fields, the Hackathon highlighted the power of collaboration in addressing issues such as disinformation, security, and resilience. The winning team, “Liberty and Security Dashboard,” created a platform concept to help compare information on freedom and security across countries based on reliable sources.

Beyond the solutions, the event was about exchange, learning, and building connections across borders. It was organised and funded by the state of Schleswig-Holstein.de in cooperation with the Council of the Baltic Sea States and TH Lübeck.

Learn more: https://cbss.org/2026/07/07/baltic-sea-region-hackathon-2026-cross-border-innovation-for-a-safer-future/

📷 Technische Hochschule Lübeck

02/07/2026

🇮🇸 On 1 July, Iceland officially took over the Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States. Over the coming year, the Icelandic Presidency will lead our joint efforts to strengthen resilience and enhance security across the Baltic Sea Region.

“On 1 July, Iceland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States. Iceland will seek to further strengthen the role of the CBSS as a relevant, flexible, and forward-looking platform for cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region,” said Icelandic Foreign Minister, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir. “By placing resilience at the core of its agenda, the Presidency will contribute to enhancing the region’s capacity to respond to current and emerging challenges, while upholding the shared values of democracy, security, human rights, sustainable development, and regional solidarity.”

We look forward to a year of strong partnerships, meaningful dialogue, and fruitful cooperation.

Learn more about the Icelandic Presidency programme and priorities: https://cbss.org/icelandic-presidency-2026-2027/


Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs

01/07/2026

Today, 1 July 2026, Iceland officially assumes the Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) from Poland. Over the next year, until 30 June 2027, Iceland will lead the Council with resilience at the heart of its Presidency programme. Key priorities include strengthening responses to hybrid threats, enhancing maritime security, improving civil preparedness, combating trafficking in human beings, reinforcing child protection, and promoting youth engagement.

The Presidency will be led by Iceland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, who will serve as the CBSS’s main representative and spokesperson throughout the 2026–2027 term.

Read more: https://cbss.org/2026/07/01/iceland-assumes-the-cbss-presidency-with-resilience-at-the-centre-of-its-agenda/


Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs

30/06/2026

As Poland concludes its Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and passes the role to Iceland on 1 July, we extend our sincere gratitude for a highly successful year.

We warmly thank the Polish Presidency team for its excellent leadership and strong commitment to advancing regional cooperation, security, and resilience across the Baltic Sea Region. Your work has made a meaningful contribution to strengthening collaboration among CBSS Member States.

It has been a genuine pleasure to work alongside you throughout the Presidency.


Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych

Rok współpracy dla bezpieczeństwa regionu - dziękujemy! 🇵🇱🌊

Dziś Polska kończy prezydencję w Radzie Państw Morza Bałtyckiego. Dziękujemy wszystkim partnerom za wspólne działania i życzymy powodzenia Islandii, która od 1 lipca przejmuje przewodnictwo.

Do zobaczenia przy kolejnych wspólnych inicjatywach w ramach tria 🇵🇱-🇮🇸-🇸🇪 🤝

30/06/2026

The Baltic Sea is no longer just a sea. It is a space of security, energy, logistics and economic opportunity. 🙌

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, its strategic importance has grown significantly. The Baltic Sea is home to critical energy connections, major ports and terminals, vital supply routes and the rapidly expanding offshore wind energy sector in Poland. ⚡⚓

As Poland assumed the Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States in July 2025, it identified the following key areas for regional cooperation:

🔸 Protecting critical infrastructure
🔸 Combating the so-called “clunker fleet”
🔸 Countering GNSS signal interference

29/06/2026

🌊 A sustainable and prosperous Baltic Sea region requires innovation, collaboration and a responsible approach to the future.

The Polish Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States is advancing this priority across several key areas:

🚢 Green shipping corridors:
These initiatives support more sustainable maritime transport. The Polish Presidency promotes the exchange of experience and best practice across the Baltic Sea region, with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of maritime transport while enhancing the efficiency and safety of shipping.

🌐 Maritime data and digital cooperation:
Building on the work of the Estonian Presidency, Poland is further strengthening cooperation on the collection and exchange of maritime data, while raising awareness of projects and initiatives being implemented across the Baltic Sea region.

⚓ Unexploded ordnance and dumped munitions:
Another key priority for the Polish Presidency is addressing the issue of unexploded ordnance and dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea, which pose risks to safety, the environment and the maritime economy. Poland is fostering dialogue on risk assessment, mapping and coordinated approaches to managing this challenge.