Gulf of Bothnia Cooperation Council (GBCC)

Overview

The Gulf of Bothnia Cooperation Council (GBCC) is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union. Member States consist of all countries of the Gulf of Bothnia: Arnland, Bothnia, Framland, Otso, and Torrike; Donovia has Observer status.

GBCC History

• 1990. Gulf of Bothnia Cooperation Council (GBCC) was formed in Tyr, Torrike by the leaders of Torrike and Bothnia.
• 23 September 1997. GBCC economic framework was established. All GBCC members except Arnland are signatories.
• July 2001. Treaty of Good‐Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation was signed
• 2001. Arnland joined GBCC
• 2003. Interbank Association of the GBCC formed; First joint military exercise overseen by GBCC
• 26 October 2005 GBCC Interbank Association was established. The Association united authorized banks of the member states; Torrike Econombank, Bothnia Development Bank, National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity of Arnland, Olvana State Saving Bank.
• 2006. Bothnia's Premier proposed a long‐ term objective to establish a free trade area in the GBCC
• 2008. Eurasian Development Bank became a partner of the GBCC Interbank Association
• 2014. Arnland publicly announced it will leave the GBCC, but takes no action

GBCC Politics and Governance

• Supreme Council. The Supreme Council is the highest authority of the organization. It is composed of the heads of the Member States. It is the highest decision-making entity of the GBCC. The Supreme Council sets the vision and the goals of the GBCC. Decisions on substantive issues require unanimous approval, while issues on procedural matters require a majority. Every Member State has one vote.
• Ministerial Council. The Ministerial Council is composed of the Foreign Ministers of all the Member States. It convenes every three months. It primarily formulates policies and makes recommendations to promote cooperation and achieve coordination among the Member States when implementing ongoing projects. Its decisions are submitted in the form of recommendations to the Supreme Council for its approval. The Ministerial Council is also responsible for preparations of meetings of the Supreme Council and its agenda. The voting procedure in the Ministerial Council is the same as in the Supreme Council.
• Secretariat General. The Secretariat is the executive arm of the GBCC. It takes decisions within its authority and implements decisions approved by the Supreme or Ministerial Council. The Secretariat also compiles studies relating to cooperation, coordination, and planning for common action. It prepares periodical reports regarding the work done by the GBCC as a whole and regarding the implementation of its own decisions. The Secretary General position is rotated every 7 years among the Member States.
• Monetary Council. The Monetary Council is the overall head of the Interbank Association of the GBCC. The Interbank Association focuses on supporting regional economic cooperation. The Monetary Council is also charged with coordinating and developing a single currency for the union.
• Patent Office. Patent applications are filed and prosecuted in the Bothnian language before the GBCC Patent Office in Brahea.
• Standardization Office. This office works to establish standardization of economic and political processes within GBCC. This includes finance, trade, customs, tourism, legislation, and administration.
• Industrial Consulting Office. The Office is formed by Member State representatives appointed by their governments and report to the Secretariat General.
• Regional Anti‐Terrorist Structure (RATS). RATS is the primary vehicle for implementation of Member State security cooperation. Its function is to coordinate the activities of GBCC Member States’ law enforcement structures and special services.
• Economic Cooperation Office (ECO). The ECO addresses friction points in the Member States economic areas. These include fisheries management and the exact location of exclusive economic zones (EEZ) in the Gulf.

GBCC Goals and Objectives

The Supreme Council set the following goals:

• Customs union
• Common market
• Common currency

Other stated objectives include:

• Formulating similar regulations in various fields such as finance, trade, customs, tourism, legislation, and administration
• Fostering scientific and technical progress in industry, mining, agriculture, water and animal resources
• Establishing scientific research centers
• Setting up joint ventures in business and law enforcement
• Encouraging cooperation of the private sector
• Strengthening ties between their people
• Support for all peoples "who are struggling against imperialism and colonialism"

The GBCC members have an established security cooperation agreements with Donovia. The agreement ensures annual training and exchanges with a focus on equipment, military doctrine, counterterrorism, arms control, and broader government cooperation. The GBCC is currently working with Donovia and other western countries on buying counter UAV technology, robotics, and training.