The European Council endorsed the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region in October 2009. The goal of the document is to co-ordinate the efforts by the region's EU Member States, the Baltic regional Organisations, financial institutions, NGOs and stakeholders towards the promotion of a balanced development in the Baltic Sea macroregion.The four cornerstones of the Strategy are to make this part of Europe more:  

1) environmentally sustainable;

2) competitive;

3) accessible and attractive;

4) safe and secure through risk prevention.