Prospects for maritime developments in the Baltic

Considerable change has occurred in the Baltic basin over recent years as a consequence of the re-unification of West and East Germany, political change in Polandd, the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the emergence of the independent Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuniania and Estonia. This paper reflects on the nature of the impact of these recent changes and considers trends and developments that may emerge for the future, by concentrating on the eastern Baltic regions(Poland to Russia). It is concerned more with general maritime markets and the ports and shipping interface than with the shipping industry and shipbuilding sectors of these regions. Much of the background material for the paper has been derived from participation in projects for the CIS, in Latvia and in Poland and for which the EBRD, EC (PHARE Programme) and World Bank are respectively acknowledged as the project instigator and funding agencies.