Finland’s BSRBCC chairmanship came to its end
In 2024, the Finnish Border Guard served as the chair of the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation (BSRBCC) for the fourth time.
Alongside the Finnish Border Guard, authorities from Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Estonia participate in the BSRBCC cooperation. The goal of Finland's chairmanship was to further strengthen the operational cooperation among border and coast guard authorities in the Baltic Sea region.
Events during the chairmanship
During the chairmanship, the Finnish Border Guard organised 12 seminars and three training events. Additionally, four joint operational weeks focusing on maritime area surveillance were conducted across the Baltic Sea. During the chairmanship, a joint risk analysis for the Baltic Sea region was produced, international courses on air and maritime search and rescue operations were arranged, EU cruise ship border checks were examined, and the latest trends and phenomena in travel document examination were explored.
The seminars held during the chairmanship included:
- 1st BSRBCC Secretariat meeting
- 1st Baltic Border Committee (BBC) experts meeting
- 1st Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) Seminar
- 1st Cruise Ship Meeting
- The Baltic Sea Border Control Cooperation Underwater Seminar 2024
- Seminar of the BSRBCC Document experts
- Aviation Experts Meeting
- 2nd BSRBCC Secretariat meeting
- 2nd Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) Seminar
- 2nd Baltic Border Committee (BBC) experts meeting
- 2nd Cruise Ship Meeting
- BSRBCC Heads Conference
Joint risk analysis for the Baltic Sea region
The annual BSRBCC risk analysis is based on observations made during four Joint Action Weeks (JAW). During its chairmanship, Finland renewed the format of these weeks by assigning a preselected, collaboratively chosen theme related to coast guard operations for each week. Each member state observed and monitored these chosen themes during the Joint Action Weeks, as well as reported on their activities associated with them.
The findings were discussed during the Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) seminar, where representatives of all member states and Frontex provided comments on the ATA risk analysis draft and shared insights on current threats. The ATA risk analysis was completed collaboratively during autumn 2024. Based on the seminars, reporting and written comments from member states, it is evident that BSRBCC member countries share a unified view of the security situation in the Baltic Sea region.
BSRBCC cooperation remains strong
Member states’ active participation in the events during Finland’s BSRBCC chairmanship demonstrates that cooperation among Baltic Sea countries remains strong. Finland’s chairmanship culminated in November with a high-level meeting in Helsinki, where Finland’s achievements during its term were presented, and the development of BSRBCC cooperation was discussed.
The high-level meeting exemplified the Baltic Sea countries’ commitment to deepening and further strengthening their established collaboration. Close cooperation among member states is vital in order to effectively respond to changes in the Baltic Sea region. To comprehensively address identified threats, the BSRBCC should focus not only on maritime borders but also on challenges related to land border surveillance.
Estonia takes over BSRBCC chairmanship in 2025
At the conclusion of the high-level meeting, the BSRBCC chairmanship was handed over to Estonia, which will lead the cooperation of authorities in the Baltic Sea region in 2025. Estonia’s preliminary chairmanship plan includes, inter alia, a Cruise Ship Meeting, a Green Border Experts Meeting, an Underwater Seminar, a Customs and Cargo Ships Experts Meeting, a Seminar of the BSRBCC Document experts , and a Counter UAS Experts Meeting.
External funding supporting Finland's BSRBCC chairmanship
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has granted €135,000 in funding to the Finnish Border Guard for the implementation of the project Development of Baltic Sea Region Coast Guard Cooperation. The project, funded through the Baltic, Barents, and Arctic Area Financing (IBA) from January 2024 to February 2025, aims to support Finland's actions during the BSRBCC chairmanship. Additionally, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, participated in Finland's BSRBCC chairmanship by financially supporting events organised under the leadership of the Finnish Border Guard. Frontex also contributes by providing high-quality expertise to the events of Finland’s BSRBCC chairmanship.
Chief of the Finnish Border Guard, Pasi Kostamovaara, handed over the BSRBCC chairmanship to Estonia. Estonia’s Deputy Director general of Police and Border Guard, Veiko Kommusaar, accepted the chairmanship.
