The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) is an overall political forum for the regional intergovernmental cooperation. The members of the Council are eleven states of the Baltic Sea region (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweden) as well as the European Commission.

The region's Foreign Ministers in Copenhagen established the CBSS in 1992 in response to the geopolitical changes that the Baltic Sea region faced with the end of the Cold War. Since its founding, the CBSS has produced a considerable effect on ensuring positive developments within the Baltic Sea region and has served as a driving force for the multi-lateral co-operation.

Since its founding in 1992, the CBSS has accomplished a number of global missions in accordance with its objectives to enhance the development in the Baltic Sea Region.

•One of the major achievements of the CBSS is done in the area of education. The CBSS plays a significant role in facilitating the education in subjects of Economics, Public Administration, Political Science and Law. The organization has brought significant changes into curricula and teaching methods at the three main universities in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and at the Kaliningrad State University by way of the Euro Faculty Program.

•Another significant project was an introduction of the CBSS Commissioner on Democratic Development (1994-2003). The Commissioner assisted in the functioning and development of democratic institutions in the Member States, concentrating on most significant issues, such as democracy, good governance and law making, the strengthening of civil society and promotion of human rights, including the rights of persons, belonging to minorities. The citizens of the Baltic Sea region could apply to the Commissioner with their requests for the assistance to support their situation.

• The Baltic Sea Customs Cooperation (1995-2003) was created in response to more interest in modern, reliable and honest customs administrations as to enhance the trade and economic growth. For this aim, the CBSS speeded up and simplified the cross-border trade; provided traders with up-to-date information on customs rules and contact details; concentrated frontier and inland customs controls on irregular and illegal movements of goods; enhanced the confidence in the work of customs officials.

•Task Force on Communicable Disease Control (2000-2004) was created to intensify the regional cooperation to neutralize the threat to public health, caused by the tremendous increase in communicable diseases, and to work out a joint plan to enhance the disease control throughout the region.

The Council of the Baltic Sea States continues to demonstrate success in different areas. Today, the organization works hard removing regional economic barriers to trade and investment; it improves the nuclear and radiation safety; and promotes confidence building through the promotion of democracy and human rights. Since 1998, the CBSS Stockholm has been serviced as a permanent international Secretariat, funded by the Member States.