Conduct a threat assessment for the Baltic Sea Region in line with the Organised Crime Threat Assessment methodology, concerning organised crime and border security, and longer term threat assessment of critical infrastructure. Achievements: The Threat Assessment was created in line with Europol’s Organised Crime Threat Assessment methodology concerning organised crime and border security as well as longer term threat assessment of critical infrastructure for the Baltic Sea Region, including the source areas of this criminality. This project was led by Europol in good cooperation with the Member States, the BSTF, the Baltic Sea Regional Border Control Cooperation, and FRONTEX concerning the external borders. Europol and FRONTEX had the first Flagship meeting at Europol in June 2010, where all the Baltic Sea Region States (excluding Lithuania and Iceland) were represented. The meeting discussed the methodology for the material collection. The participating Member States and organisations received the technical requirements for the data collection with contact points, deadlines, etc.The project was successfully completed two weeks before the deadline and its expected result, namely the Threat Assessment for the Baltic Sea Region (BOCTA), was published before mid December 2010. BOCTA consists of 25 pages of analysis on the collected material. The main findings are:• The division of the Baltic Sea Region into a prosperous, highly innovative North and West, and a less developed East and South, is creating opportunities for multiple criminal activities • Each country in the Region has its own set of indigenous organised crime groups (OCGs) that cooperate internationally• Lithuanian OCGs are key players in the Baltic Sea Region and are involved in multicommodity crime• Estonian OCGs may expand their role as a link between OCGs based in the Russian Federation and those based outside the Nordic region• Outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs) are expanding their criminal activities in the Baltic states and Russia• Cigarette smuggling remains a major criminal activity of OCGs active in the Baltic Sea area• OCGs based in the Russian Federation specialise in the supply of illegal goods to the EU and in a range of economic crimes that include fraud and money laundering• OCGs active in cyber crime based in the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Estonia are amongst the most developed in that criminal field. With their advanced hacking skills they pose a significant threat to e-commerce worldwide• Nordic countries act as the main destination points for the trafficking of human beings in the Baltic Sea RegionOn the basis of BOCTA, Finland and Europol took the initiative to invite a Senior Level Police Chiefs’ meeting to discuss and consider the future of the EU-Russian cooperation in various criminality areas. The meeting was held at Europol on 25 January 2011. Seventeen EU Member States, Russia (with a high level delegation), Norway, the Commission and the Council representatives participated in the meeting. The conclusions of the meeting were distributed to the participants and reported to the EU Law Enforcement Structures (COSI, Europol) and BSTF OPC. The follow-up of the meeting in the form of the operative cooperation (led by a single EU Member State) and other fora are currently under consideration. Europol has the possibility to support this cooperation.