In September 2004 the association of the Hanseatic Parliament was founded in St. Petersburg. It has a non-profit structure and no commercial goal of its own. Members of the association are more than 45 Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Chambers of Skilled Crafts and other institutions who promote small and medium-sized businesses from all Baltic Sea Countries (Germany, Poland Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark).

• Strengthening of the economic competitiveness of the Baltic Sea region and development of an intensive cooperation with a high spatial identification
• Support of the medium-sized economy and the skilled crafts, in particular all transnational activities and international cooperation’s
• Promotion of the vocational training, excellent education of businessmen and executives of the medium-sized economy in form of dual bachelor studies as well as further training
• Furtherance of the economic and cultural developm ent in the partial regions of the Baltic Sea Region as well as support of the experience exchange and a cooperation orientated on regional strengths.

How we work

The Hanse-Parlament overall goal is to strengthen the small and medium-sized enterprises. We work in a centralised way and act as a think tank for our member chambers. Local challenges are worked on an international scale, while the solution is implemented again in the local company. The illustraiton to the left gives an overview:

1. A local company faces a challenge.

2. Usually the first contact point is the local business chamber. In many cases, the colleagues can help the company and provide the required service.

3. Sometimes a broader approach is needed. The different chambers from 12 countries inform the Hanse-Parlament.

4. We locate the right partners or experts to work on the challenge or simply gather information from other countries, that already solved the identical issue.

5. We forward the solution to the respective chamber

6. The local chamber informs the company and supports the implementation in the area.