EUROPEAN UNION
Directorate for Consultative Work
Commission for External Relations
& Decentralised Cooperation
Committee of the Regions
The Chair
Brussels, 20 October 2009
Memo for the members of the RELEX Commission
Subject:
19th meeting of the RELEX Commission and seminar on Northern Dimension substate cooperation with a particular emphasis on the Baltic Sea Region, to be held on
26-27 November 2009 in Helsingborg, Sweden
Dear colleague,
Please find enclosed a notice of meeting, practical information and an attendance form for the next
RELEX commission meeting and seminar, to be held on 26-27 November 2009 in Helsingborg,
Sweden, at the invitation of Mr Uno Aldegren (SE/PES), Vice-president of the Executive Committee
of Skåne Region.
PROGRAMME
THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2009
Noon
Arrival of participants
12.30 a.m.-1.30 p.m.
Lunch buffet
1.30 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Press point
2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Seminar on Northern Dimension sub-state cooperation with a particular
emphasis on the Baltic Sea Region
7 p.m.
Reception, Helsingborg Town Hall
7.30 p.m.
Bus transport to Sofiero Palace and Gardens
8 p.m.
Dinner at Sofiero Palace and Gardens
FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2009
Meeting of political coordinators (in camera)
9 a.m.–10 a.m.
10 a.m.–1 p.m.
RELEX meeting
1 p.m.–2.30 p.m.
Lunch buffet
2.30 p.m.–4 p.m.
RELEX meeting
Evening
Departure of participants
Yours faithfully,
Istvan Sertö-Radics
CdR 216/2009 EN/o
.../...
EN
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Enc.: Appendix 1:
2009
Appendix 2:
Appendix 3:
Attendance form for the RELEX meeting and seminar on 26-27 November
Registration form for shuttle transfer to the hotels and to the airport +
registration form for dinner/reception
Reservation form for hotel
CdR 216/2009 EN/o
EN
-3EUROPEAN UNION
Committee of the Regions
Brussels, 20 October 2009
NOTICE OF MEETING
COMMISSION FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND DECENTRALISED COOPERATION
SEMINAR
The chair, Mr Istvan Sertö-Radics, and Mr Uno Aldegren, Vice-president of the Executive
Committee of Skåne Region, invite you to attend the seminar on Northern Dimension sub-state
cooperation with a particular emphasis on the Baltic Sea Region, to be held at Dunkers kulturhus,
Helsingborg, Sweden on 26 November 2009, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The draft agenda is as follows:
2 p.m. -2.30 p.m.
Opening session

Opening speech by Mr Istvan Sertö-Radics, RELEX Chairman

Opening speech by Mr Uno Aldegren, Vice-president of the Executive Committee of
Skåne Region

Welcome speech by Mr Peter Danielsson, Chairman of the Executive committee of
Helsingborg

Keynote speech by Mr Gunnar Wieslander, State secretary for Foreign Affairs, Sweden
2.30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Role of local and regional authorities within the renewed Northern
Dimension
Moderator: Mr Henric Borgström, Economy Journalist, Sweden
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EN
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Mr Petteri Vuorimäki, European Commission, DG RELEX

Mr Andrey L. Avetisyan, Deputy Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian
Federation

Mr Alexander Ignatiev, Head of the International Barents Secretariat (BEAC/IBS)

Ms Gunn Marit Helgesen, president of Telemark county council, Norway, VicePresident of the CPMR and chair of CPMR North Sea Commission

Mr. Thordur Skulason, Chief Executive Officer, The Association of Local Authorities
in Iceland

Exchange of views
4 p.m. -5.30 p.m.
Development of the sub-state dimension of the Baltic Sea Strategy
Moderator: Mr Henric Borgström, Economy Journalist, Sweden

Mr Uno Aldegren, CoR rapporteur on the Baltic Sea Strategy

Mr Colin Wolfe, European Commission, DG REGIO

Mr Alexander Kuznetsov, Vice-Gouvernor of Leningrad Oblast and chairman of its
Committee for Foreign policy

Mr Knud Andersen, Board Member, BSSSC

Ms Maarit Lindström, Chief economist, The Central Chamber of Commerce of Finland

Exchange of views
5.30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Conclusions

Mr Istvan Sertö-Radics, RELEX Chairman

Mr Henrik Borgström, Economy Journalist, Sweden

Mr Petteri Vuorimäki, European Commission, DG RELEX

Mr Uno Aldegren, CoR rapporteur on the Baltic Sea Strategy
CdR 216/2009 EN/o
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Reception at Helsingborg Town Hall
7.30 p.m.
Bus transport to Sofiero Palace and Gardens
8 p.m.
Dinner at Sofiero Palace and Gardens
*
*
CdR 216/2009 EN/o
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-6EUROPEAN UNION
Committee of the Regions
Brussels, 20 October 2009
NOTICE OF MEETING
COMMISSION FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND DECENTRALISED COOPERATION
The chair, Mr Istvan Sertö-Radics, asks you to attend the commission's 19th meeting, to be held at
Dunkers kulturhus, Helsingborg, Sweden on 27 November 2009, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The meeting of the political coordinators will be held in camera from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The draft agenda is as follows:
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
1.
Adoption of the agenda (CdR 216/2009)
2.
Adoption of the minutes of the RELEX commission's 18th meeting, held on 24 June
2009 in Brussels (CdR 215/2009)
3.
Statement by the chair
4.
Organisation of future RELEX Commission work
For decision:





Appointment of new rapporteurs
Decisions not to draw up opinions
Proposals for own-initiative opinions
Draft work programme 2010 (CdR 293/2009)
External activities of the RELEX Commission 1st semester 2010
CdR 216/2009 EN/o
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EN
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
Studies 2010
Chairman's end of mandate note (CdR 294/2009)
For information:





5.
Ongoing work programme (CdR 18/2009 rev. 3)
Activities of working groups and JCC
Information about the follow-up of the EaP platforms
Follow-up of RELEX Commission's opinions
CoR Decentralised cooperation Days
Draft opinion on Contributing to Sustainable Development: The role of Fair Trade and
non-governmental trade-related sustainability assurance schemes, COM(2009) 215 final,
CdR 214/2009, RELEX-IV-026
Rapporteur: Ms Kerstin Kiessler (DE/PES)





Presentation of the draft opinion by the rapporteur
Statement by a European Commission representative (to be confirmed)
Statement by Ms Hillary Jeune, Fair Trade Advocacy office
First discussion and adoption of the draft opinion
Opinion due to be adopted at the plenary session in February 2010
1 p.m. – 2.30 p.m.
Lunch break
2.30 p.m.
Resumption of works
6.
Enlargement Package 2009: presentation and exchange of views
 Presentation by European Commission, DG ELARG
 Statements by representatives of the CoR Working Groups and JCC
 Exchange of views
7.
Any other business
4 p.m. End of meeting
Confirmation of the date of the next meeting:
 11 February 2010 (constitutive meeting)
 3 March 2010 in Brussels (1st RELEX meeting of the new mandate)
CdR 216/2009 EN/o
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Working
languages:
Interpreting:
21/21 BG/ES/CS/DA/DE/ET/EL/EN/FR/IT/LV/LT/HU/NL/PL/PT/RO/SK/
SL/FI/SV
9/8 from:
DE/EL/EN/FR/IT/HU/PL/FI/SV (to be confirmed)
into:
DE/EL/EN/FR/IT/HU/PL/SV (to be confirmed)
Amendments must be submitted by email (relex@cor.europa.eu) to reach the commission secretariat
no later than 18 November 2009.
N.B.:
Only members of this commission and alternates appointed to attend the meeting will be
entitled to travel and subsistence payments.
Please return the attached form to the commission secretariat as soon as possible by fax
(+32 (0)2 282 2070), so that interpreting arrangements can be made. This will also
enable travel and subsistence payments to be made.
*
*
N.B.:
Appendix overleaf.
CdR 216/2009 EN/o
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EUROPEAN UNION
Committee of the Regions
APPENDIX 1
ATTENDANCE FORM
Meeting of the Commission for External relations and decentralised cooperation
I, the undersigned, ...................................................................................................................................
being a member of the Committee of the Regions
will attend / will not attend
the seminar on 26 November 2009
yes

no

the meeting on 27 November 2009
yes

no

My alternate:
Mr/Ms .....................................................................................................................................................
will stand in for me at the meeting.
Names of experts who will attend as observers:
.................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
Date: .....................................................................................
Signature: .............................................................................
Please return by fax to the commission secretariat (+ 32 2 2822070) by 13 November 2009.
*
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Venue
Dunkers kulturhus
Kungsgatan 11
252 21 Helsingborg, Sweden
Transport
The organisers will welcome participants at Copenhagen Airport and guide them to the trains to
Helsingborg. The hotels suggested by the secretariat are within walking distance of Helsingborg train
station, where participants will also be welcomed. Please make sure that you specify your flight
arrival and departure times on the registration form (Appendix 2).
Interpreting
from: DE/EL/EN/FR/IT/HU/PL/FI/SV (to be confirmed)
into: DE/EL/EN/FR/IT/HU/PL/SV (to be confirmed)
Hotels
The organisers have pre-booked two hotels. Participants are requested to make their reservation by
30 October 2009, by sending the form attached in Appendix 3 to the Joint Reservations Service
(Fax: +46 42 14 96 16; reservation.helsingborg@elite.se).
Elite Hotel Marina Plaza
Kungstorget 6
SE – 25110 Helsingborg
Elite Hotel Mollberg
Stortorget 18
SE – 25114 Helsingborg
http://www.elite.se/eng/node/711
http://www.elite.se/eng/node/712
Payment
The bill must be settled when you check out of the hotel. In order to secure your reservation, please
include your credit card details on the reservation form.
Official dinner and reception
A reception will be held on Thursday, 26 November at 7 p.m. followed by an official dinner at 8
p.m. (to be reserved using the form attached in Appendix 2).
*
*
CdR 216/2009 EN/o
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EUROPEAN UNION
Committee of the Regions
APPENDIX 2
Surname:
Forename:
 Member of the Committee of the Regions
 Other (assistant, observer, expert, interpreter, etc.)
1) ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF PARTICIPANTS
Arrival airport
Arrival date

Copenhagen
Airport
Departure airport
Departure date
Flight arrival time
Airline and flight
number
Flight departure time
Airline and flight
number

Copenhagen
Airport
2) HOTEL
 Hotel Marina Plaza
 Hotel Mollberg
 Other hotel
Date of arrival:
Date of departure:
3) REGISTRATION for the official dinner and reception (please tick boxes as appropriate)
Dinner: 26 November at 8 p.m.
Reception: 26 November at 7 p.m.

I will attend

I will attend

I will not attend

I will not attend
Please return by fax to the RELEX Commission secretariat (Ms Susanne Neeb, fax + 32 (0)2 282
20 70) by 13 November 2009.
*
*
CdR 216/2009 EN/o
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EUROPEAN UNION
Committee of the Regions
APPENDIX 3
HOTEL RESERVATION FORM
Joint Reservations Service
Fax: +46 42 14 96 16
Reservation.helsingborg@elite.se
(Please type)
Surname:
Forename:
 Member of the Committee of the Regions
 Other (assistant, observer, expert, interpreter, etc.)
Organisation:
Address:
Post code:
Town/city:
Country:
Email:
Telephone (including country code):
Fax (including country code):
Credit card information (holder name):
Credit card information (number/validity date):
Please tick
HOTELS
as
appropriate

Elite Hotel Marina Plaza
Single room rate per night
Breakfast included
 1200 SEK (around 117 EUR)

Elite Hotel Mollberg
 1000 SEK (around 98 EUR)

Other hotel

Type of room (please tick box as appropriate)
 Single
 Double
Name of second occupant: _______________________________
Night (please tick box as appropriate)
 25 November 2009  26 November 2009

27 November 2009
Please book with Joint Reservations Service directly and return a copy by fax to the RELEX
Commission secretariat (Ms Susanne Neeb, fax + 32 (0)2 282 20 70) before 30 October 2009.
_____________
CdR 216/2009 EN/o