One of the most visible signs of the disarmament wave that followed the end of the Cold War in the Baltic Sea Region was the closure of literally thousands of military bases which then became available for civilian reuse, especially in the eastern part of Germany, Poland and the Baltic States. While the after-effects of this post-Cold War closure wave are still being felt in many affected communities, the restructuring of armed forces in all
countries of the region have led to a second wave of closures since the mid-1990s, with hundreds of bases currently
being closed. As the restructuring processes have only just begun, more closures will follow in the upcoming years, leading inevitably to the question of how to reuse them.

While giving the municipalities and regions a remarkable chance for development of the areas, base conversion is a complex and difficult process, especially for areas hitherto heavily dependent on the military. Negative impacts of base closures include:
- Reduction in jobs and purchasing power coupled with a reduced tax base
- The often serious environmental problems on many sites
- Open legal questions concerning ownership, availability, and reuse options
- Difficult reuse of the infrastructure that has been “inherited”
- Many of the former military sites are in structurally weak areas
- Costly planning and management activities.

The central objective is to create a strong transnational network of local, regional and national actors in the field of converting former military bases to civilian uses in the Baltic Sea Region. The network will:
- facilitate the flow of information and the exchange of know-how between the partners
- define and document best practices
- aid the partners in solving conversion-related problems
- help the partners formulate a coherent conversion policy
- further sustainable regional development, especially in structurally weak areas (e.g. coastal zones)
- strengthen transnational co-operation in the Baltic Sea Region by expanding the network
continually once it has been consolidated.

Within the framework of the network concrete projects will address the needs of the partners in four areas of conversion:
- former military sites in the framework of spatial planning and urban renewal
- former military towns- regional development
- and former forts and fortifications.
The results and experiences of the work will be discussed and lead to the formulation of a Regional Conversion Action Plan, outlining policy goals and necessary support mechanisms, especially for the candidate countries.