“Increase prosperity within the Baltic macro-region, its accessibility and attractiveness, caring for environmental protection and safety, all indicate new directions of activity for the states included in the Baltic Sea Strategy. However, the success of this initiative mainly depends on the extent to which regional and local partners are incorporated in the realisation of the Strategy. Implementation of  innovations, exchanges of knowledge and experience, common scientific research, cooperation between enterprises, integrated activity for the benefit of environmental protection, transport and tourism development – these are indispensable tools in achieving our objectives, these are the areas within which the activities of local and regional authorities shall play a fundamental role”, said Marek Woźniak on 8th, December during the opening of an international conference at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels. The conference was initiated by Marek Woźniak, Marshal of the Wielkopolska Region (Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions), and Bo Källstrand, Governor of the County of Västernorrland, Sweden with which Wielkopolska has been cooperating for many years. The aim of the event was to emphasise the role of regions and local authorities in implementing the Baltic Sea Strategy. This initiative constitutes the first macro-regional strategy of the European Union, and the shape of future EU policies will depend on the success of this Strategy. If, within the framework of the Strategy, it is possible to create a coherent, economically strong and competitive macro-region around the altic Sea, and if it is possible to coordinate activities related to transport, environment protection, development of entrepreneurship nd innovativeness, it will be possible to talk about the success of this enormous, long-lasting project. Hence, it is extremely important to incorporate local partners – the authorities of the region, provinces and communes, those having the best knowledge of their potential and the needs of their citizens, in its realisation.