Brussels, 04/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner Chris Patten will represent the European Commission at the annual ministerial meeting of the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) on 5 and 6 March in Kaliningrad (Russia), where the organisation will celebrate its tenth anniversary. The place itself reflects one of the priorities of this meeting: - the question of the future of the Russian enclave situated between Poland and Lithuania, an issue which is all the more urgent as the EU enlargement process is in its very last phase and that the enclave will be entirely surrounded by Community territory from the first wave of accession programmed for 2004. Major problems are to be resolved before enlargement, such as, transit (both civilian and military) between Russia and Kaliningrad, visas (what visa system could be set in place for Russians wishing to go to the Russian enclave, and vice versa?), border control, fight against organised crime and the supply of energy. Commissioner Patten will stress before the CBSS that the EU is willing to give priority to solving all these problems "to ensure that the Russian enclave may benefit from all the new opportunities provided by enlargement of the European Union", it was said on Monday, on the Commission's side. Since 1991, in the context of the national Tacis programme for Russia, the EU has provided direct technical assistance for Kaliningrad amounting to EUR 40 million. The region, moreover, has enjoyed additional aid provided within the framework of the other Community programmes. The EU has also opened a Tacis Support Office in Kaliningrad. The Commission services recalled on Monday that the EU's assistance essentially aims to support development of the private sector with special and priority attention being paid to regional economic development, company restructuring, the development of human resources in the private sector and promotion of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMES). The energy sector has also received special support. In the context of Tacis support in favour of cross-border cooperation (CBC), the EU supported the establishment of two border crossings, one with Poland and the other with Lithuania. Tacis has also financed projects for the protection of the environment, transport, the fight against organised crime, education and health.