1st May 2004 Poland joined the European Community with all the consequences of this fact. They include also, or maybe first of all the Polish–Russian relations, putting a new complexion on them. It is connected especially with the distinct stabilisation of the role of the Kaliningrad oblast as a pilot region in the relations between Russia and the European Union. It means that Kaliningrad oblast will be included in the Baltic economic area on a larger scale. It also creates many possi-bilities to animate economic relations between Poland, Kaliningrad and Baltic Sea countries. However, comprehensive analyses and brave decisions are neces-sary to realise it.
The 750th anniversary of Kaliningrad founding and the 60th anniversary of the Kaliningrad oblast setting are coming soon. The opportunity should be taken to use these events to promote Warmia and Mazury Region and to intensify the activities connected with the co-operation with the Kaliningrad oblast.
The scope of the bilateral co–operation between Warminsko–Mazurskie Vo-ivodship and the Kaliningrad oblast was defined in the agreement signed 19th September 2001 by Marshal of Warminsko–Mazurskie Voivodship Andrzej Ryn-ski and Governor of the Kaliningrad oblast Wladimir Jegorow. Nevertheless, ana-lysing the content of this document it is easy to understand that not all the possi-bilities resulting from the agreement were turned to good account. On the other hand the distinct boom in the co–operation in the second semester of the previo-us year was noticed and can be considered optimistic. The boom refers to varioprevio-us spheres of life. Activitiy of municipalities and border towns is being slowly inten-sified on the both sides of the border; the whole process is stimulated by the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Kaliningrad. Despite of the com-plaints and endless discussions, the trade exchange with the Kalinigrad oblast amounts to more than 300 mln USD now and would be even bigger if the infor-mal trade exchange was taken into account. 26 institutions, organisations and companies representing business, education, culture, science, infrastructure and tourism maintain permanent relations with the Kaliningrad oblast. “Friendly Neighbourhood Forum”, the initiative of Stefan Batory Foundation, can be consi-dered as a particulary valuable. The initiative is realised by the Cultural
Commu-nity “Borussia” and the Elblag Association for Support of Non–Governmental Initiatives.
Economic co–operation is very important but makes only a part of the vast opportunities of development of relations between Warmia and Mazury and the Kaliningrad oblast. Its efectiveness depends on how well the communities of both regions know each other. That is why an important role in the intensification of mutual relations play such activities as:
• common structural projects co–financed by the European Union;
• co–operation on the field of infrastructure, including roads, border crossings, communication etc.;
• cultural exchange;
• co–operation between universities and scientific institutes, either on the field of teaching or research;
• exchange of experience on the education of young people;
• cross–border co–operation.
It is also important that in the Kaliningrad oblast live about 5 000 people of Polish origin. They expect our cordiality and help. It can be also an essential factor to promote Polish presence in the Kalinigrad oblast. Environment protection is a field of special importance. It refers either to formulation of bilateral programmes or to looking for possibilities to finance their realisation. Another important fields of co–
operation can be preservation of cultural heritage and restoration of historical mo-numents.
Following activities should be considered as priorities in further co–operation with the Kaliningrad oblast in 2004:
• implementation of activities planned in the „Agenda of co–operation between Warmińsko–Mazurskie Voivodship and Kaliningrad oblast”;
• organisation of the Warmia and Mazury Days in Kaliningrad with the trade fair, regional touristic offer, sport events etc.;
• providing Poviat Information Centres with knowledge on the Kaliningrad oblast and on the implemented activities;
• elaboration of guiding principles for organisation of the Regional Office of Warmia and Mazury in Kaliningrad; the office could play role of the Center of Information on the Region and in the same time would also help in contacts between institutions, organisations, companies and private persons from War-mia and Mazury and the Kaliningrad oblast. In the future the office should enlarge its operational scope on Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
The above presented proposals result immediately from the “Strategy of social and economic development of the Province of Warmia and Mazury” ratified in 2000. The strategy gives priority to co–operation with the Kaliningrad oblast.
Development of the co–operation of Warmia and Mazury with the Kalinin-grad oblast and its intensification require good co–ordination of the activities undertaken, informing all the subjects interested in the co–operation with the
Kaliningrad oblast and helping them to co me into bilateral contacts. European Integration and International Cooperation Department of the Office of the Mar-shal of Warmińsko–Mazurskie Voivodship is going to play that role.
Introduction
Profound socio–economic transformations exert an important influence on demo-graphic processes. This relates especially to matrimonial and procreational con-ducts which depend mostly on the sole decision of the individual (E. Gołata, 1995).
The decision to contract a marriage and especially to set up a family is to an increas-ing extent dependant on the temporarily deterioratincreas-ing economic situation. This can be acutely observed on the job market, in which unemployment poses a substantial threat to women. The main cause seems to be the possession of offspring (the lack of availability due to the nurturing of children, difficulties in raising qualifications as well as the difficulty of balancing motherhood with a career).
In new economic situation there is also increase of diversified needs, whose wide range was not accessible in the previous system. The possibilities of satisfy-ing them, in the light of economic difficulties and the disappearance of the wel-fare role of the state, are becoming more attractive than matrimonial or procreational commitments, which are postponed or set aside altogether. More-over, the deterioration of traditional norms and values, which accompanies sud-den social changes, is conductive to the decrease of fertility and changes in nuptiality (J. Dorbritz, 1995).
Lower fertility as well as increasing mortality, also determined by the deterio-rating economic situation, result in depopulation which is observed in most of the former European socialist countries that are undergoing conversion from cen-trally–planned to market economy. The most severe decrease of population is observed in those European countries that constituted a part of the USSR until 1991 (P. Eberhardt, 2002b).
This paper is an attempt to analyse the changes in fertility and nuptiality that have occurred in the post–soviet part of Baltic Europe in the years 1990–2001. The employed data present the situation just before the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 as well as the changes observed during the first ten years of the countries’
independence. They include, therefore, the period in which socio–economic re-forms were introduced. In accordance with the delimitation proposed by M. Dutkowski (1996), the research area includes the territory of Latvia, Lithuania Renata Anisiewicz