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The BSPC Working Group on Migration and Integration held its second meeting on the premises of the Swedish Parliament on 19 March. Delegations from the Baltic Assembly, Nordic Council, Åland, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hamburg, Latvia, Lithuania, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Norway, Poland, Schleswig-Holstein and Sweden participated in the meeting. The new Chairman of the Working Group Hans Wallmark, Member of the Swedish Parliament and of the Nordic Council Presidium, also gave the participants a profound insight into the work of the Swedish Parliament. Intergovernmental Survey The Working Group discussed in its first meeting common questions to be sent by each delegation to their respective governments. This way, the Working Group wants to obtain a better overview and results regarding the situation in the whole region, learn from best practice examples and develop proposals to improve cooperation in the integration of migrants. BSPC Vice-President and WG Vice-Chair Ms. Carola Veit – who had summarized the questions and developed a list to be sent to the respective governments as homework assignments – informed the group at the beginning of the meeting on the preliminary results of the survey of the WG and the first answers of the governments. By the time of the meeting in Stockholm, the survey had been answered by the governments of Åland, Denmark, Hamburg, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden. Carola Veit briefed the WG about first reactions which included detailed answers. A comprehensive comparison of the responses received will be submitted to the next meeting of the WG in Copenhagen. Expert presentations The meeting was provided with a number of very informative expert presentations and had a lively discussion with the experts. Mr Bernd Hemingway , Deputy Director-General of the CBSS Secretariat, reminded his audience that migration was back on the agenda of the Council of the Baltic Sea States with the ministerial declarations of Warsaw and Reykjavík. These had been basically a reaction to the events of 2015. This focused more on the topic of refugees rather than migration governance. He pointed out that migration fits into all long-term regional priorities of the CBSS, because migration in itself is a horizontal policy area. Migration is also related to security management, it is part of social politics, of education politics, of health politics, of foreign affairs regarding migration flows and part of development cooperation and many other areas. He noted that this led to the disadvantage that migration policy often has no specific home. In governments, it is most commonly the responsibility of the ministries of the interior. For the CBSS, it is important that the migration area should not be left in the hands of populist politicians. Furthermore, Mr Hemingway referred to a couple of activities by the CBSS in this policy area and to the results and recommendations by the soft security conference in Helsinki. He especially mentioned the recommendation to implement one-stop shops where migrants are able to receive all necessary services in one place. Mr Marco Roman Loi and Mr Björn Bergström , specialists at the International Affairs Department of the Swedish Migration Agency, gave detailed information on the development of migration. In addition, they spoke about the numbers of asylum seekers from 2010 to the present day in Sweden and the shares of the individual countries of origin as well as migrant labourers, approved work permit applications and guest students. Mr Per Aldskogius from the Swedish Ministry of Employment informed the Working Group on the reception and integration of newly arrived immigrants in Sweden. He underlined the principles of the Swedish migration policy. The goal is to ensure equal rights, obligations and opportunities for all, irrespective of their ethnic and cultural background. The reception of newly arrived refugees is a shared responsibility on a national, regional and local level. The policy objective is work, education or training normally within two years after the issuing of a residence permit during the introduction programme. These objectives are to be achieved primarily through general policy measures, supplemented by targeted support for the introduction of newcomers. In his presentation, Mr Aldskogius pointed out both the main challenges and opportunities. He mentioned as main challenges: prolonged waiting times; a lack of housing – uneven reception and settlement between different regions and municipalities -; insufficient capacities in society, e.g. a lack of teachers and interpreters; an early and efficient access to the labour market and education for those granted asylum and, finally, increased segregation. He highlighted as opportunities: a strong economy; a high employment rate and relatively low unemployment; a high demand for labour meets a labour shortage in many professions: many newly arrived migrants are young and well educated; job opportunities are good. Mr Aldskogius also informed the Working Group about the main integration measures between 2016 and 2018 in Sweden, specifically: increased state funding to municipalities; a new reimbursement system for reception of unaccompanied minors; early measures for asylum seekers; a new law forcing all municipalities to settle migrants granted asylum; several new initiatives in labour market policy, e.g. fast tracks, employment support as well as several new initiatives in most policy areas, e.g. education, social and housing policy. Mr Aldskogius further briefed the WG about a 2-year introduction programme for new arrivals, coordinated by the Public Employment Service, including an individual introduction plan, based on the person’s needs and previous experience. As part of this programme, he noted that the Public Employment Service and the social partners were also implementing tailor-made “fast tracks” for occupations with labour shortages. He pointed out that this was a new concept created in close collaboration with employers. It included tripartite talks with the social partners, the Public Employment Service and other relevant government agencies regarding the employer’s needs, validation of skills, vocational training and work. The first fast track had been presented in 2015, creating opportunities for chefs, and extended to fast tracks in 14 industries by October 2017. Mr Arion Chryssafis , Deputy Mayor for Social Services of the Solna municipality in northern Stockholm, reported on the special situation in Solna. This was characterized by 35 percent foreign-born adult residents. 98 percent of the population lived in flats, a typical suburb with the resulting challenges. The history of Solna, he said, had been shaped by high unemployment, social problems and high costs for social benefit. Today, it was a city with low taxes, a good economy and known for being business-friendly etc. Mr Chryssafis informed the Working Group about the ‘Solna Model’ including systematic efforts to assist Solna residents on income support to become self-sufficient through work, self-employment or studies. The ‘Solna Model’ was characterised by good cooperation with the local enterprises, good knowledge of each participants’ experiences and by further efforts to find a way into the labour market, and it was seen as a model allowing the municipality to fight unemployment, especially among young people. He mentioned as success factors of the ‘Solna Model’: coaching – “Identify and overcome all obstacles on the way to get a job” -; training; good relations with local and regional employers; education; matching employers and employees as well as the speed of delivery of workforce. He noted that Solna was affected by the refugee flow in the short term since temporary housing was needed – there was limited housing space available –, the demand for more and new municipal services and increased diversity. In the long-term, effects included changes in the work force as well as growing tax revenues and diversity. The reception for adults and families with residence permits allotted to Solna according to national/regional quota included housing, settlement support, civics orientation, Swedish for immigrants training, pre-school and school education as well as social services support if needed. Those moving to Solna on their own received Swedish for immigrants training, civics orientation, pre-school and school education as well as support by social services if needed. Mr Chryssafis considered as main challenges the very long, often inactive, asylum process period – affecting the motivation and well-being of asylum seekers – as well as the severe lack of housing in the Stockholm region. Further obstacles to overcome were the involvement of a large number of authorities and stakeholders where smooth collaboration was needed, where temporary solutions were required as well as strategies on how to move from temporary to permanent housing. He added that employment measures during the first two years should be seen as a national responsibility rather than a municipal task, that it was difficult to organise efficient school education for newly arrived youths due to extreme variations in educational backgrounds and that temporary residence permits made it difficult to work with long-term integration initiatives. Ms Lillemor Lindell from the Swedish Sports Confederation gave a very insightful presentation about the structure, funding and efforts of sports in Swedish society and how the field was handling integration. In order to achieve an environment where everyone, regardless of age, gender, social class, religion, cultural and ethnical background etc., felt that they belonged, she pointed out the necessity of an intersectional perspective. She explained intersectionality as a theoretical idea and an analytical tool used to understand how different norms and power structures together create inequality, discrimination and oppression. She also highlighted sports as a way toward inclusion, enveloping people in the community. She provided detailed insight into the lessons so far and also spoke about ASPIRE, an international collaborative project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, seeking to find out how to best support migrants and refugees, building on the wide popularity of sports and other forms of physical activity. ASPIRE could serve as a pioneer in the long-term perspective, offering a positive, evidence-based response with the help of sports to the many problems of inclusion related to the current migrant and refugee crises, during and after the settlement of migrants and refugees with regard to facilitating the access of refugees to social services All presentations are attached below. During a tour of the Swedish Rigsdagshuset, the members of the Swedish Parliament Hans Wallmark and Pyry Niemi shared details of the parliamentary practice with the Working Group members. Further procedure and next meeting The Working Group agreed furthermore on the main contents of its Midway Report. In addition, initial recommendations for the 27 th BSPC are to be worked out in the upcoming meeting. The next meeting will take place in June in Copenhagen. Documents Reception and integration of newly arrived immigrants in Sweden , Per Aldskogius Soft Security and Migration in the Baltic Sea Region, Bernd Hemingway SWEDEN – a sporting nation City of Solna – Diversity and inclusion, Arion Chryssafis Swedish Migration, Björn Bergström and Marco Roman Loi

BSPC President Jörgen Pettersson underlined at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting on 6 March 2018 in Brussels that parliaments and parliamentary organizations around the Baltic Sea would continue to support the timely implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, but he also demanded an implementation on schedule by the governments. He additionally called for more regular HELCOM Ministerial Meetings, to bring the issues of a clean Baltic Sea more deeply into the political debate. The BSPC, he said, was supporting HELCOM as the coordinator of the regional implementation of the UN Agenda 2030 through strengthened implementation of the HELCOM BSAP. Jörgen Pettersson also had an intensive conversation with the European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella. In particular, he emphasised: “Since the beginning of our cooperation, the 27 parliaments and parliamentary organizations of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) have actively supported the work of HELCOM and called on our governments to give HELCOM the political support it needs to execute the necessary measures. “We do this because the people who elected us expect us to provide them with a clean and healthy Baltic Sea. The environment is similar to peace on earth. It’s the foundation of all human life. “That is why it is so important to achieve the goals that we have set ourselves with the Baltic Sea Action Plan and to do so within the very time frame set in the plan. We are in a hurry, 2021 will soon be here. “I myself come from Åland, the self-governed, neutralised and demilitarised Islands of Peace as we are called. We have 6,700 larger islands, and we are situated in the middle of the Baltic Sea. For us, the sea is a central lifeline and living space. We see it every morning and say good night to it every evening. “Therefore, we consider it necessary to keep emphasizing the political will regarding a clean Baltic Sea. It calls for action rather than talk. “For that reason, I am glad about this ministerial meeting happening here today. Such meetings generally lead to more forceful follow-up actions. That is why we call for these ministerial meetings to happen regularly every year, as we have also asked of the CBSS, making HELCOM more politically powerful again. “As early as 5 years ago, at the last HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Copenhagen, the BSPC reiterated its appeal to governments for forceful efforts to implement the Baltic Sea Action Plan. “Apart from all the progress achieved by HELCOM in the meantime, the current situation shows us that appeals alone are not enough. We must act more widely and stringently and make greater efforts. The priorities from our point of view also include eutrophication, marine litter, hazardous substances and underwater noise. “Dear Ministers of Environmental Affairs, “like you, we support the agreements in the new ministerial declaration and the path you are taking on this basis. At the same time, however, we call for stricter action at the national level to guarantee the achievement of the objectives that in our mind are necessary in order to reinstate the health of the Baltic Sea. “The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Åland on 26-28 August 2018 will offer dialogue, debate, solutions, friendship and a strong will to increase cooperation, prosperity, sustainability and a healthy environment in the region. “I invite you all to come to the conference. Let us – parliaments, governments and societies – strengthen our efforts working toward a good environmental status of our Baltic Sea, which is a lifeline for all of us. “You all are welcome to participate in order to fulfil the will of all people depending on the health of the Baltic Sea!” BSPC President Pettersson also had an intensive conversation with the European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, on the ocean-related UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, on the particular situation of sea islands, on topics related to the environment, maritime affairs, the impact of Brexit, especially in regard to fisheries policies and hunting issues. He further spoke with the Finnish Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing, Kimmo Tiilikainen, in view of the upcoming 27 th annual conference of the BSPC on 26-28 August 2018 in Mariehamn as well as with HELCOM Chair Marianne Wenning, HELCOM Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz, Ambassador Hans Olsson, Chairman of the CBSS Committee of Senior Officials, as well as Deputy-Director of the CBSS Secretariat Bernd Hemingway. Document Statement by BSPC, HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, 6 March 2018, Brussels https://portal.helcom.fi/meetings/HELCOM%20MINISTERIAL%202018-507/MeetingDocuments/Statement%20by%20BSPC.pdf

Under the Chairmanship of BSPC President Jörgen Pettersson, the BSPC Standing Committee gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels on 22 February 2018 to inquire about the latest issues of European policy, to exchange information about current common issues with partner organisations and to prepare the upcoming Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Mariehamn. Representatives and delegations of the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of the Baltic Sea States, HELCOM, Interreg Baltic Sea Region Managing Authority , and of the BSPC members from the Åland Islands, the Baltic Assembly, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, the German Bundestag, Hamburg, Latvia, Lithuania, the Nordic Council, Norway, the Russian Federation and Sweden participated in the meeting. The Standing Committee was greeted by Mr Jørn Dohrmann, the Standing Committee member and Chair of the EP Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area Joint Parliamentary Committee. Mr Dohrmann emphasized the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation and political dialogue in the Baltic Sea Region as can only be achieved by a joint effort common goals. He mentioned that the European Parliament had also hosted the Fifth Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum where President Pettersson had represented the BSPC. The participants of the Fifth Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum had adopted a statement highlighting the importance of practical regional cooperation in sustainable development, public health and social well-being, culture, environmental protection, logistics, connectivity and transport. The statement had also mentioned the huge importance of addressing the urgent environmental challenges of the Baltic Sea Region and called on all the Baltic Sea states and the EU to take measures and actions to improve the quality of their waste-water effluents and to clean up the heavily polluted sea. The Impact of Brexit on the Baltic Sea Region Mr Werner Kuhn, MEP, in his presentation The Impact of Brexit on the Baltic Sea Region – in Particular with Regard to Fisheries Policy , reminded his audience of the referendum held on Thursday 23 June 2016 to decide whether the UK should leave or remain in the European Union. ‘Leave’ won by 51.9% to 48.1%. The referendum turnout had been 71.8%, with more than 30 million people voting. As the result of that, Article 50 of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty had been triggered, starting negotiations over a withdrawal agreement. The UK was expected to leave the EU in March 2019. The negotiated draft deal would have to be approved by the European Council, requiring the approval from at least 20 countries with 65% of the population. The next step would be the ratification of the draft deal by the European Parliament. Mr Kuhn pointed out that the primary objective for the Brexit negotiations was the protection of the good future of the remaining EU27. The anticipated impact on the industrial sector might manifest as GDP depreciation, less investments and a slowdown of domestic demand in some areas. A high impact was predicted for such branches as automotive, chemicals, paper energy, machinery and equipment, agri-food, construction; moderate and low impacts were predicted for IT services, pharmaceuticals, aeronautics and transport. Another challenge was related to the fact that 51.4% of British goods were headed to the EU, while 6.6% of the EU goods were exported to the UK. Among the countries that might be affected most were Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland. Another issue was the migration of skilled employees, as approx. 600,000 skilled workers were planning to ‘brain drain’ out of the UK, most with a view to go to Germany. The next issue of great importance was payments requested and offered in connection with the UK leaving the EU. The opening request by the EU was 60–100 billion Euro, against 40-55 billion of the UK government’s offer. During phase 1, three main issues had been negotiated by Michel Barnier, European Chief Negotiator for Brexit: the UK’s outstanding financial obligations – „the UK bill“ –, the rights of EU27 citizens in the UK versus the rights of UK citizens in the EU27 and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. With regard to fisheries, Mr Kuhn noted that the situation was still unclear. After Brexit, EU-UK relations would be governed by international law, such as for instance UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea –1982), UNFSA (United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement –1995), and the EU-UK trade relations would be subject to WTO terms. There would be control over territorial waters (200 nautical miles), shared stock management and settlement provisions. Among the biggest challenges of the future EU-UK fisheries agreement, Mr Kuhn mentioned: around 100 shared fish stocks and their joint management, reciprocal access to waters and resources and the impact on the market for fish and seafood. He said that the negotiations were both crucial and difficult because the UK-EU fisheries relationship was very intensive as both sides were each other’s most important partners. Ending his presentation, the speaker underlined that currently at least three possible frameworks for fisheries relations could be taken into account – firstly, SFPA (Sustainable Fisheries Partnership agreement) including buying access and technical assistance; secondly, a Northern agreement enveloping Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, as a loose framework with informal negotiations, and, finally, very informal Coastal State consultations. However, it was also possible that none of the existing EU fisheries agreements would be suitable, concluded the speaker. Progress Report from the CBSS Ambassador Hans Olsson, Chairman of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Council of the Baltic Sea States as well as Ambassador of Sweden, gave an overview of the recent developments within the CBSS’ working areas as well as proposed points of collaboration between the CBSS and BSPC. With regard to Sustainable Development and Climate Change, the Ambassador informed the audience that the Baltic 2030 Unit was currently preparing an analysis on Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on the common challenges and discrepancies across the Baltic Sea countries (including Russia), with the goal of creating a regional dialogue. The speaker proposed an annual CBSS-BSPC event to discuss how to coherently implement SDGs and environmental agendas across the region. In addition, on behalf of Baltic 2030, he invited the BSPC to participate in ReGeneration 2030 – a joint initiative by the NCM and the CBSS, focusing on youth engagement in the Agenda 2030, which will take place on 18-20 August 2018 in Mariehamn. Finally, he invited the BSPC to nominate their representative to the BSR Climate Dialogue Platform. With regard to economic issues including labour, science, research and maritime topics, Ambassador Olsson recommended closer cooperation on labour, employment and migration issues, e.g. reinforcing the BSPC’s interaction with the Baltic Sea Labour Forum, jointly using the Policy Recommendations Paper, including points from the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference’s (25 th BSPC) Resolution, as well as proposals from the BSLF members, taking part in events and projects carried out by the BSLF. He also invited the BSPC to nominate their representative to the renewed CBSS Expert Group on Maritime Policy, focusing on a sustainable maritime economy, the Blue Growth Agenda and a cross-sector approach between governments, academia and businesses. Ambassador Olsson reported that in 2017, a major achievement in the civil security area had been the adoption of the Joint Position on Enhancing Cooperation in Civil Protection Area at the 15 th Meeting of the Directors General for the Civil Protection in the Baltic Sea Region, held in Keflavik (Iceland) on 12 May 2017. The document set out a long-term perspective for enhanced cooperation between national authorities responsible for civil protection in the Baltic Sea region. In the field of culture, education and youth, the speaker remarked that contact with the BSPC in this regard had been established and both organisations might use the opportunity for further cooperation, for instance on cultural heritage which would be a priority of both the incoming Latvian presidency of the CBSS (2018-2019) and the EU (European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018). Ambassador Olsson underlined that the CBSS recognized a great foundation for the development of the dialogue and collaboration between CBSS and BSPC, hoping for a positive response to the invitation for new collaboration points. He offered his thanks for the invitation to the 27 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Mariehamn. Progress Report on the activities of HELCOM Ms Marianne Wenning, Chairlady of HELCOM, presented the current state of the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan 2021 and pointed out that not much time was left for completing the plan. The Action Plan had been structured around a set of Ecological Objectives used to define indicators and targets, including effect-based nutrient input ceilings, and to monitor implementation. To the four main objectives of the BSAP – 1) a Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication 2) a Baltic Sea undisturbed by hazardous substances 3) a Baltic Sea with environmentally friendly maritime activities and 4) a favourable conservation status of Baltic Sea biodiversity –, three new issues were added: seabed disturbance, underwater noise and marine litter. Ms Wenning noted that during the European Union Chairmanship of HELCOM, the State of the Baltic Sea 2017 Report had been presented. This holistic assessment, covering and linking within one conceptual framework all important ecosystem components and pressures from human activities, as well as social and economic analysis, was based on over 30 core indicators. Various ecosystem components had been analysed: pelagic and benthic habitats, fish, seals, birds which had been subjected to various pressures: eutrophication, hazardous substances, alien species, extraction of fish through commercial fishing, marine litter, underwater sound, and seabed disturbance. Regrettably, the graph shown by Ms Wenning indicated mainly a poor state of the Baltic Sea. For instance, the Baltic Sea was still highly affected by eutrophication, even though phosphorous and nitrogen inputs – causing eutrophication – had been reduced significantly. There were some positive signs regarding the status, though, such as a decrease in nutrient concentrations and improved water clarity in parts of the Baltic Sea. That would indicate that several measures to improve the status of the Baltic Sea were operating but might not be sufficiently comprehensive or had not been in place long enough to have an effect. Furthermore, she admitted that the Baltic Sea Action Plan had not yet been fully implemented. About 70% of the agreed joint regional actions in the Plan had been carried out. Regarding actions to be implemented on a national level, the corresponding number was between 35% and 60% depending on the country. If all agreed actions of the Baltic Sea Action Plan were to be taken, this would bring about increased human welfare and economic benefits to citizens in the coastal countries, as evidenced in the State of the Baltic Sea report. Ms Wenning emphasized that total losses due to eutrophication had been estimated at 3.8 – 4.4 billion euros annually for the Baltic Sea region. In other words, citizens’ welfare would increase by this much each year if a good eutrophication status was achieved. Similarly, recreation values would increase by 1 – 2 billion euros each year in a good state of the environment. The speaker noted that HELCOM had been considering the results of the assessment in order to plan further steps. The Ministerial Meeting under the EU Chairmanship in HELCOM on 6 March 2018 would be an opportunity to strengthen existing commitments and determine new important areas of action. Progress Report on the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Mr Peter Schenk from the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission presented a number of assessment reports on the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. He reported that the First Commission Report on the implementation of all four macro-regional strategies had been adopted by the European Commission in 2016 and followed by Council Conclusions in April 2017, the Committee of the Regions’ opinion in November 2017, and the European Parliament resolution in January 2018. The report provided an assessment of the state of implementation of the current strategies and took stock of the main results achieved to date. It presented a number of recommendations on possible developments of the strategies and their action plans, also in the light of the future cohesion policy. Mr Schenk referred to the recent study ‘Macro-regional strategies and their links with cohesion policy’, contracted by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, aimed first at describing the main features of each macro-region (Baltic, Danube, Adriatic and Ionian, and Alpine) through a range of macroeconomic, competitiveness, integration and governance indicators. It assessed to what extent the strategies were contributing to coordination and synergies between European Structural and Investment Funds and other EU policies and instruments. The study looked at the potential of the macro-regional approach to contribute to the future cohesion policy and was composed of five documents: one core report summarizing the main findings of the study and one annex per strategy compiling data and conclusions concerning each of them. The main findings of the study were: the EUSBSR had set the relevant objectives, addressing relevant needs, with meaningful achievements both in terms of content and process. The funding of the strategy projects had been accomplished mainly by Interreg, but also by other EU funding sources. Nonetheless, there was a need for more strategic alignment between the MRSs and ESIF (regulatory framework and programming stages). The recommendations referred to the need for cross-sectoral and cross-territorial coordination in any new EU policy and in EU funds; better support for matchmaking between transnational collaboration proposals and funding (MA networks). Mr Schenk mentioned a number of important events and future initiatives such as a High-level Group meeting on Macro-Regional Strategies in 2017, the ongoing preparation of a 2 nd Commission Report on the implementation of all four macro-regional strategies, to be launched by the end of 2018, ongoing preparation of the Communication “Update and implementation of the Communication Strategy for the EUSBSR”. In closing, he invited the participants to the EUSBSR Annual Forum on 4/5 June 2018 in Tallinn and to the 10 th anniversary of the EUSBSR Forum in Gdansk in 2019. Added Value of Transnational Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region Ms Susanne Scherrer, Director of the Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat in Rostock, Kiel and Riga pointed out that Interreg transnational cooperation programmes had been operational for more than 20 years, implementing actions in the framework of the EU Cohesion Policy. An informal working group including representatives from transnational programmes and interregional programmes had recently elaborated a document identifying the role and achievements of Interreg transnational programmes. Ms Scherrer presented selected examples of the achievements of transnational cooperation particularly relevant to the Baltic Sea region. She informed her listeners that Interreg transnational cooperation as a part of the EU cohesion policy consisted of 105 cooperation programmes with a total budget of 10.1 billion euros of cohesion funds. Interreg Baltic Sea Region was one of 15 transnational cooperation programmes including 74 projects carried out by 1000 partners. Thereafter, Ms Scherrer presented examples of projects which responded to transnational cooperation goals. With regard to the goal of reducing disparity, she mentioned the project Science Link and Baltic Tram which created a network of large-scale neutron and photon labs. The network provided more even access to research and innovation structures. With regard to tackling challenges across borders, the project Baltic InteGrid responded to the need for a better use of offshore wind energy production. Ms Scherrer pointed out that currently less than 15% of its capacity for offshore wind energy production was used in the BSR, due to missing connections between electricity grids, gaps in R&D and insufficient cooperation. Interreg connected energy operators, industry, policy makers, authorities and academia from all Baltic Sea countries. The projects CHEMsea and DAIMON helped authorities to improve their services in dealing with tons of munitions dumped into the sea after WWI and II. Ms Scherrer underlined the fact that Interreg TN funding was decisive for making macro-regional strategies work and enabled cooperation with Russia. She concluded that there was great potential for even more cooperation across the Baltic Sea Region. The 27 th BSPC in Mariehamn The Standing Committee then was informed by BSPC President Jörgen Pettersson on the progress of preparations for the upcoming 27 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. The main themes of the conference would be sustainable societies in the Baltic Sea region, cooperation and integration. As possible subthemes, he mentioned “The Baltic Sea as our lifeline” and the state of the Baltic Sea regarding the environmental state as well as maritime policies – sustainability and circular economics. Mr Pettersson also noted topics being considered for another session: the Baltic Sea labour market challenges in a time of growing urbanization or sustainable energy, smart energy distribution platforms. He also underlined the importance of involving young people and their views in the work of the BSPC. In keeping with the tradition of the BSPC, he will therefore give two representatives of the Youth Summit Regeneration 2030, which was previously mentioned by the CBSS, the opportunity to contribute the results of this youth conference, which ideally will take place from 18 to 20 August 2018 on the Aland Islands, to the annual conference. The BSPC Working Group on Migration and Integration The meeting also discussed the follow-up to the 26 th resolution and the activities of the BSPC Working Group on Migration and Integration. The Standing Committee appointed Hans Wallmark from the Swedish Parliament as Chairman of the WG, who will be represented by Pyry Niemi from the Swedish Parliament if unable to attend. The Standing Committee had also been informed about the first WG meeting in Hamburg and a survey elaborated by the Vice-Chair of the WG, Carola Veit , on the basis of the deliberations in the WG to be answered by the governments. The Standing Committee expressed its appreciation of Carola Veit’s commitment to the Working Group. The BSPC Rapporteur on Culture The BSPC rapporteur on culture, Karin Gaardsted , Denmark, reported on a number of meetings and events conducted mainly in Denmark with a view to learning more about e-sports. She also informed her audience that a short questionnaire had been prepared referring to the government’s involvement in e-sports, the organization of e-sports, talent development, e-sports and the school system, the perception of and view on e-sports, job opportunities in the e-sports business as well as obstacles and challenges for e-sports. The Standing Committee supported that the questionnaire should be sent to the governments. The answers would serve as a basis for the further deliberations on this topic. Documents The Impact of Brexit on the Baltic Sea Region – Werner Kuhn CBSS Briefing to the BSPC Standing Committee HELCOM Priorities under the EU Chairmanship 2016-2018 – Marianne Wenning EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region – Peter Schenk Transnational cooperation in the Baltic Sea region – Susanne Scherrer Presentation of rapporteurship on cultural affairs – KARIN GAARDSTED

27 years after the BSPC was launched on the initiative of the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, Mr. Kalevi Sorsa, BSPC President Jörgen Pettersson pointed out with a view to the upcoming annual conference, that the 27 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Åland on 26–28 August 2018 will offer dialogue, debate, solutions, friendship and a strong will to make the Baltic Sea more prosperous than ever before. He invited to participate in this process. In an article of Baltic RIM Economies he underlined that a fair solution to any challenge can only be achieved by dialogue and cooperation, particularly in times of crisis. He explained on the basis of the history of the Åland Islands how they developed from crisis to the ‘Islands of Peace’. He also emphasized, that the ‘Åland Example’ is living proof of a functional crisis management and the fact that discussions and agreements can be reached even when circumstances are challenging. He also pointed out the crucial foundation of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference as a political platform for cooperation, for commitment and for competence in the political dialogue of parliaments, governments and civil societies in the Baltic Sea region and explained the priority issues for the BSPC during the Åland Islands Presidency in 2018. The whole article can be found here (www.utu.fi/pei. Jörgen Pettersson . From crisis to success , how Åland . became the Islands of Peace . Expert article • 2259).

The new BSPC Working Group on Migration and Integration, which was established by the 26 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Hamburg on 5 September 2017, held its first meeting on the premises of the Hamburg Parliament, the so-called Bürgerschaft, on 5 December. Delegations from the Baltic Assembly, Denmark, Estonia, Hamburg, Latvia, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Norway, Schleswig-Holstein and Sweden participated in the meeting. The President of the Hamburg Parliament, Carola Veit, who chaired this meeting as both Vice-President of the BSPC and Vice-Chair of the Working Group, underlined that migration and integration were among the great challenges and tasks of our time. “This applies equally to all members of the BSPC,” Carola Veit said. “It makes sense to work on the subject together, regardless of any differences.” Mandate, Scope of Work and Work Programme At the beginning of the meeting, a number of key issues for the next two years were discussed. The mandate of the Standing Committee was confirmed, and an extensive work programme was adopted. The first step in said programme is to develop an overview of the different approaches to migration policy and existing integration projects in the Baltic Sea countries. The scope of work covers primarily: a survey on the current situation of migration and integration in the Baltic Sea region, best practice examples and political recommendations. The Working Group plans to discuss the causes of flight and migration, migration policy goals, governance guidelines, demographic development and migration, status and trends in migration, challenges and prospects of migration and of integration. Speeches and presentations Ms Aydan Özoğuz , Minister of State at the Federal Chancellor’s Office and Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration, and Mr Ulrich Weinbrenner , Head of the Staff Unit for Social Cohesion and Integration in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, addressed the WG at the meeting in a round of presentations about integration work in Germany. They provided detailed information regarding the intensive efforts of Germany to integrate foreigners into society. Both provided important background information and answered the numerous questions by working group members about the experiences of the Federal Republic of Germany in the integration of refugees and migrants. Minister Özoğuz pointed out that the BSPC’s decision to focus on migration and integration had been a timely and well-chosen signal. These issues were exerting a significant influence on our politics, our economies and our societies, as well as our day-to-day lives. According to Minister Özoğuz, migration had always been the rule rather than the exception in Europe’s history. It had been the Baltic Sea region where one of the most influential migration processes in human history began. Migration had been normal in the history of all the societies of the BSPC. She underlined the necessity to shape societies in which all can live together peacefully and to develop societies into communities that offer a future to all their members. While she conceded that integrating the large number of refugees was a major challenge, she warned against populism in this context. The minister mentioned that we were facing an extremely emotional debate when it came to migration, making it a lot more difficult to talk about facts and find solutions. She stressed the necessity of both immigration laws making immigration more transparent and a European agreement on how to deal with such situations in the future. She was convinced that a fair distribution key could help all. She appealed to the Working Group not to stop searching for data and facts that help to make migration and integration explainable and understandable. In addition, Mr Weinbrenner gave an overview of integration measures in Germany, specifically the German Integration Act, the integrated management of refugees, language tuition programmes at the federal level as well as additional measures such as migrant advisory and integration projects. He mentioned that 18.6 million Germans had a migrant background (= 22.5 %) – 90.5 % of those living in the former West Germany, 5.5 % in Berlin and 4 % in the former East Germany. He noted the number of applications for asylum filed and decisions taken between 2012 and October 2017 (in 2016: 745,545 applications and 695,753 decisions). Funds for integration courses had increased in 2017 up to 850 million €. The total number of participants in integration courses as well as the percentage of refugees had risen enormously in 2016. This had caused tremendous challenges for integration policy and the integration course system. Mr Weinbrenner also informed the Working Group about migration-specific advisory services – provided by voluntary welfare organisations – complementing integration courses. Further procedure and next meeting The Working Group further discussed common questions to be sent by each delegation to their respective governments. This way, the Working Group wants to obtain a better survey and results regarding the situation in the whole region, learn from best practice examples and develop proposals to improve cooperation in the integration of migrants. The next meeting will take place on 19 March 2018 in Stockholm. Speech by Ms Aydan Özoğuz , Minister of State at the Federal Chancellor’s Office and Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration Presentation by Mr Ulrich Weinbrenner , Head of Directorate of social cohesion an integration at the Federal Ministry of the Interior Mandate and draft Scope of work of the BSPC Working Group on Migration and Integration

As one of the keynote speakers of the 5 th Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum in Brussels, Jörgen Pettersson, President of the BSPC, underlined the fundamental importance of peace and open parliamentary dialogue, highlighted the cooperation and interrelation between the Northern Dimension and the BSPC and informed about the current results of the BSPC work as well as about the priority issues for the BSPC during the Åland Islands’ presidency in 2017 – 2018. In detail, he explained in his speech: ” Honourable First Vice President of the European Parliament, esteemed colleagues, excellences, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to address the 5 th Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum here on the premises of the European Parliament – where the Standing Committee of the BSPC – and I’m very grateful for that – has had the opportunity to hold our annual spring meeting for several years. The BSPC, consisting of the parliaments around the Baltic Sea, was founded in 1991 with the primary goal of creating a platform for open parliamentary dialogue to overcome the cold war and to establish the Baltic Sea as a sea of freedom, prosperity and cooperation. My homeland, the Åland Islands, are particularly aware of the need for and committed to international parliamentary cooperation because of our history. Åland is a great and real example of crisis management. Thanks to international agreements nearly a hundred years ago, we today have guaranteed, neutralised and demilitarised autonomy in the Baltic Sea; Åland is known as ‘the islands of peace’. It is therefore a great honour for us to have the presidency of the BSPC. We hope to inspire others with our history of peacemaking in practice and I can only underline what the Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas, representing the Estonian presidency of the Council of the European Union, pointed out 3 days earlier (in the German Bundestag): “We are living in fortunate times of peace… We must be aware and make others aware of this every day and safeguard what we have created together, which is something remarkable and unique. It seems (to me) we speak too rarely about peace. We take it for granted; however, it is the most important thing. Not just in Europe, but in the whole world.” Considering the current situation within Europe, it is important to remember that a fair solution to any challenge can only be achieved by dialogue and cooperation, particularly in times of crises. We want to live in a free, peaceful and prosperous Baltic Sea region – especially since we are once again, after more than 20 years, in a tense, perhaps an inflamed situation. It is more important than ever to follow our guidelines, to follow our principal basis which is dialogue to resolve critical and tense situations. We must engage proactively in dialogue and cooperation. We have a responsibility towards our societies and future generations to care for our region. Participation and cooperation, which were the sub-heading of our annual conference in Hamburg two months ago, are a common mandate for all of us. The crucial foundation of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference is: We want to be a political platform for cooperation, for commitment and for competence in the political dialogue of parliaments, governments and civil societies in the Baltic Sea region. We should not take for granted that we parliamentarians can always find satisfactory solutions. But we have an obligation to our citizens to contribute to solving conflicts. In order to achieve that, we must strengthen interparliamentary cooperation as well as the influence of parliaments. Their common will is of crucial importance in order to look for answers to international challenges such as the refugee crisis and the threats posed by terrorism. We parliamentarians as representatives of the citizens in our countries need to continuously work on deepening dialogue between countries. We also have to find compromises and cooperation related to the democratic values to face future international challenges and possibilities. We see the need for cooperation not only in the Baltic Sea area but also beyond. We have expressively underlined in our resolution that we want to intensify the cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, including the Northern Dimension , the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and the Strategy for the Socio-Economic Development of the North West Federal District of Russia in addition to other regional actors by identifying common priorities and developing respective regional strategies and action plans in fields of current interest and mutual benefits. One of the BSPC’s objectives in our work programme 2017-18 is also: to promote the further development of the Northern Dimension, including its parliamentary dimension and the European Neighbourhood Policy, for instance by actively taking part in the relevant activities and by exchanging views and positions with relevant bodies of the European Parliament as well as further developing contacts and interaction with the Northern dimension partnerships. This means that today, with this forum, you’re giving us the opportunity to reach our goals in a particularly efficient way. 2 years ago, the main topic of our conference was: Innovation in Social- and Healthcare. We had a very close and very successful cooperation at that conference with the Northern Dimension in Social- and Wellbeing which, in cooperation with the BSPC, had organised at the beginning of our annual conference a special event called “Health is wealth and wealth is health”, providing an overview of the very strong association between health on the one hand and the economy and other policy areas on the other. Last year, we focused on the topic of High Quality Education and Labour and discussed this with the Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr Valdis Dombrovskis, and several Ministers for Welfare, Labour and Social Security. In our Riga-resolution, we called on the governments in regard to the importance of this policy field inter alia to explore the need for a Northern Dimension Partnership for Labour Market and Education. I very much welcome that the Council of the Baltic Sea States has taken up the initiative – in cooperation with the Baltic Sea Labour Forum – to establish a CBSS Expert Group on Labour and Employment – including Russia – based on the declaration of a High-Level Meeting of the Representatives of the Labour Ministries of the CBSS under the Icelandic Presidency in June this year. Since the field of labour and employment has been seen as a crucial focus area and concerted efforts will be essential in meeting the challenges we are currently facing and in the future, it is necessary from our point of view to explore the need for a stronger and more established cooperation in the Northern Dimension, even if some governments are reluctant in this matter to avoid additional costs and staff. Ladies and Gentlemen, despite the significant progress that we have achieved over the past years, tremendous challenges remain. These are challenges which we can only tackle jointly, especially environmental protection, sustainability, the implementation of the 2030 goals, terrorism, migration and economic development. The priority issues for the BSPC during the Åland Islands’ presidency in 2017 – 2018 are therefore: • To contribute to the development of sustainable societies in the Baltic Sea region and beyond in the Northern Dimension region based on democratic values, human rights and equal opportunities for all. • To enhance cooperation and integration for a secure and prosperous Baltic Sea area. We want to further improve and develop means of democratic participation, e.g. through transparency, comprehensive information, government accountability and other instruments of citizen participation. • To find common solutions on the topics of migration and integration based on mutual information and best practices. The issues of migration and integration pose a tremendous challenge as well as a great opportunity for their further development. This calls for intensive dialogue as well as close cooperation and also coordinated policies. Therefore, the BSPC has established a new working group that will analyse and discuss migration and integration. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are confronted with tremendous challenges which we jointly can turn into a bright future by our common efforts. Let us – parliaments, governments and societies – continue working on a peaceful and prosperous common region, let us continue our successful and committed Nordic-Baltic cooperation in the whole Baltic-Nordic region. Let us continue living and achieving the – for me – key message in the conference statement of the 4 th Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum on 12 May 2015 in Reykjavik: Encouraging all the partners to continue regional cooperation, as well as enhancing mutual understanding in the interests of the peaceful and sustainable development of the Northern Dimension Region. This event here and today is a further cornerstone on this path. Therefore, let us renew this message as a promise today, here in the European Parliament. The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Åland on 26-28 August 2018 will continue on this path, and also offer dialogue, debate, solutions, friendship and a strong will to increase cooperation and prosperity in the region. We are the Islands of Peace and we want the whole of the Baltic Sea (and the rest of the world) to follow our example; for the benefit of hope, love and the never ending search for a better life. You all are welcome to participate!” BSPC President Pettersson also had bilateral talks to members of the European Parliament and other member parliaments as well as high level representatives of the Northern Dimension and representatives of other Northern parliamentary institutions on the priorities of the Åland BSPC Presidency and the upcoming 27 th annual conference of the BSPC 26-28 August 2018 in Mariehamn.

The highest Executive Committee of the BSPC, led by the new President of the BSPC, Jörgen Pettersson, held its first meeting under the new Presidency in Mariehamn, the capital of Åland. Delegations from the Åland Islands, the Baltic Assembly, Denmark, Estonia, Hamburg, Latvia, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Russian Federation participated in the meeting. Implementation of Resolutions One focus was placed on the follow-up to the resolution of the 26 th annual conference, which took place in Hamburg from 3 – 5 September 2017, and the reports by the national and regional governments about the implementation of the 25 th BSPC resolution on the basis of political analyses. Follow-up statements to the 25 th resolution have been received from 14 parliaments. They are more and more comprehensive and partially very detailed. The Standing Committee noted that this was a positive development but also pointed out that the statements should focus more on common international projects. All statements are published on the BSPC website. Migration and Integration With regard to one of the priorities in the current BSPC work programme under the Åland presidency and to a new BSPC Working Group on Migration and Integration, Ms Johanna Fogelström, Integration Coordinator of the Government of Åland (Ålands Landskapsregering), and Ms Siv Ekström, Director of the Educational Centre for Adult Learning on Åland (Medborgarinstitutet), addressed the SC members at the beginning of the Standing Committee Meeting in a round of presentations about integration work on Åland. They provided detailed information regarding the intensive efforts of Åland to integrate foreigners into their society. Ms Fogelström pointed out that more than one third of the population has been born outside Åland. 12% of the population – more than 20% of the persons aged 30 to 39 – have another mother tongue than Swedish. 11% are foreign citizens. 64 languages are registered. Focus areas of the integration policy from 2016 to 2019 are i.a. the Swedish language, education, employment, health and access to healthcare, promoting participation as well as good relations to prevent and pre-empt racism and discrimination. All relevant actors – the Åland government, the municipalities, the job centre, Åland healthcare, secondary school and vocational training, the Education Centre as well as civil society – are included. The future direction of the Åland migration policy is to continue and develop language training, assist in getting onto the job market, support entrepreneurs, especially start-ups, support by the civil society, more coordination and cooperation across municipalities as well as strengthening the knowledge in the health sector and access to healthcare services. Ms Ekström gave a detailed survey about the intensive courses in Swedish for immigrants and the funding of the courses with a special view to courses for students with different alphabets or without reading skills, courses for employees and for refugees from the UNHCR’s resettlement programme. A series of questions, which were answered by the experts, and a lively discussion underlined that the topic of migration is of the highest interest for the BSPC members. Culture The new BSPC rapporteur on culture, Karin Gaardsted, Denmark, informed about e-sports in the Baltic Sea region, because e-sports allow online and intercultural communication and meet-ups. Concerning both the topics of culture and youth, this is the world’s fastest-growing sport with an expected revenue in 2017 of $ 696 million. E-sports include a global audience of 385 million people, half of which is aged 21 to 35. 73% of the players and viewers are male. E-sports are still not recognized or accepted on the same level as more ‘traditional’ sports like soccer or tennis, but are instead associated with lazy teenagers in dark basements – a view that is far off from reality. The sport promotes concentration, teamwork, the ability to react fast, a strategic mindset and much more. The Standing Committee underlined the importance of this topic and also had an energetic discussion on that issue, which is important for culture and youth. 27 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Mariehamn BSPC President Jörgen Pettersson informed the Standing Committee about his talks with the former President of Finland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari, the Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä as well as the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, H.E. Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, H.E. Mr. Linas Linkevičius, on the upcoming 27 th annual conference of the BSPC from 26 – 28 August 2018 in Mariehamn. Further topics of the Standing Committee meeting were i.a. a Memorandum of Understanding between the BSPC and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economical Cooperation, which has been signed by the presidents and secretaries general of both institutions, as well as administrative issues. Åland Islands and Lagting As part of a visit to Kastelholm castle and to Bomarsund Fortress, the BSPC Standing Committee was given a deep insight into the history and current situation of Åland. During the visit of the Parliament of Åland, BSPC President Pettersson shared details of the parliamentary practice in Ålands Lagting with the Standing Committee members. Presentation Migration, integration Åland by Siv Ekström Presentation Migration and Integration Åland by Johanna Fogelström Presentation of rapporteurship on cultural affairs

At the 36 th Baltic Assembly, Jörgen Pettersson, President of the BSPC, pointed out the longstanding close cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the BSPC as, the detailed feedback of the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on the implementation of the BSPC resolutions as well as common themes of both parliamentary institutions. Furthermore, he emphasised: ”The Baltic Assembly and the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference have had a very close, very intensive and very efficient cooperation for many years. Our cooperation is based on mutual trust, on reliability and on friendship. Many colleagues of the Baltic Assembly are very involved in the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference work. President Aadu Must as well as Vice Presidents Valerius Simulik and Prof. Jānis Vucāns are very committed members of our Standing Committee. And last year, when both of us were celebrating the 25 th anniversary of our respective institutions, we had the closest possible cooperation: In the same year, Prof. Jānis Vucāns was President of the Baltic Assembly and President of the BSPC. Your governments provide us with very detailed feedback on the implementation of our recommendations and resolutions. Thank you very much for that. We are proud to be able to formulate ideas that can change the future. But it is also very important to have a common dialogue between parliamentarians and governments in the whole Baltic Sea Region, such as the best practice examples in the Baltic Assembly and in the Nordic Council. Therefore, I wholeheartedly invite the Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs, here and now to come to Mariehamn on 27 August 2018 and underline the close cooperation between all parliaments and governments in the whole Baltic Sea region. From my point of view, it is of crucial importance that the Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs will at that time have the chairmanship in the CBSS. At that point, a new vision for the Baltic Sea region will be available for us to discuss. That vision will be developed under the Swedish Presidency based on the decision of the CBSS Foreign Ministers on 20 June in Reykjavik. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Baltic Assembly and BSPC have common goals, we have similar priorities. One common focus in our assemblies this year was finding solutions in the areas of education, innovation and research. At this year’s BSPC Conference in Hamburg, a number of different topics were discussed: The issues of Migration and Integration pose a tremendous challenge to all countries in the Baltic Sea region as well as a great opportunity for their further development. This calls for intensive dialogue as well as close cooperation and also coordinated policies between the Baltic Sea States. Therefore, we have established a new working group that will analyze and discuss Migration and Integration. We also discussed Democratic Participation and the Digital Age as well as Sustainable Tourism. We want to further improve and develop means of democratic participation, e.g. through transparency, comprehensive information, government accountability and other instruments of citizen participation. Regarding Innovative Science and Research, the BSPC sees the necessity to intensify scientific cooperation in the Baltic Sea region in regard with both quality and quantity and to further improve the conditions of the Baltic Sea region in global scientific competition through joint strengthened efforts by increased investments in innovative science and research. Ladies and Gentlemen, my homeland, the Åland Islands, are particularly aware of the need for and committed to international parliamentary cooperation because of our history. Åland is a great and real example of crisis management. Thanks to international agreements nearly a hundred years ago, we today have an internationally guaranteed autonomy in the Baltic Sea; Åland is therefore known as ‘the islands of peace’. The priority issues for the BSPC during the Åland Islands’ presidency in 2017 – 2018 are: Sustainable societies in the Baltic Sea region based on democratic values, human rights and equal opportunities for all Cooperation and integration for a secure and prosperous Baltic Sea area and Migration and integration, finding solutions based on mutual information and best practices. Ladies and Gentlemen, apart from common priorities: The Baltic Assembly and BSPC have had a common vision for more than 25 years. We want to live in a free, peaceful and prosperous Baltic Sea region. This was our main vision in 1991, it is our challenge today and our mutual wish for tomorrow. And especially since we are once again, after more than 20 years, in a tense – perhaps an inflamed – situation: It is more important than ever to follow our principal basis. To never forget the true meaning of life: peace, love and prosperity. We want to be an international platform for cooperation, for commitment and for competence in the political dialogue of parliaments, governments and civil society in the Baltic Sea region. Parliamentarians are responsible for the well-being of the countries, for the well-being of the population, for the well-being of the citizens around the Baltic Sea Area. We want to have freedom, we want to have peace, we want to have peaceful cooperation on a democratic foundation. We want to inspire our fellow citizens to achieve more in their search for a better life. Let’s continue working on making this come true over the coming years, in very close cooperation, with all our energy, with all our commitment, with all our competence. The Baltic Sea is life, love, hope and home. Welcome all to Åland and the Baltic Sea Conference next August! We promise inspiring, wise and doable ideas that will make the Baltic Sea a safer, healthier, happier and more prosperous – and all in all – a better place for us all.” BSPC President Pettersson also had bilateral talks to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, H.E. Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, H.E. Mr. Linas Linkevičius, on the upcoming 27 th annual conference of the BSPC 26-28 August 2018 in Mariehamn.

Jörgen Pettersson, President of the BSPC, reminded that Helsinki was the place, where the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference started 1991 from an initiative by the speaker of the Finnish parliament, Mr. Kalevi Sorsa. Furthermore, he emphasised: ”Presently, both the President of the Nordic Council, Britt Lundberg and I, come from Åland. There is a reason to that – the parliamentarians from the Åland Islands are particularly aware of the need for and committed to international parliamentary cooperation because of our history. Our homeland, the Åland Islands, is a great and real example of Crisis Management. Thanks to international agreements nearly a hundred years ago, we today have a neutralised and demilitarised and internationally guaranteed autonomy in the Baltic Sea; Åland is “the islands of peace”. At this year’s BSPC-Conference in Hamburg a number of different topics were discussed: The issues of Migration and Integration pose a tremendous challenge to all countries in the Baltic Sea Region as well as a great chance for their further development. This call for intensive dialogue as well as close cooperation and also coordinated policies between the Baltic Sea States. Therefore, we have established a new working group that will analyse and discuss Migration and Integration under the leadership of speaker Carola Veit from Hamburg and our Nordic friend Hans Wallmark, Sweden. We also call for action in the field of Sustainable Tourism which is a priority topic of the Nordic Council. Especially in the year 2017, as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, it is important to foster the awareness of sustainable tourism in the whole region. The priority issues for the BSPC during the Åland Islands’ presidency in 2017 – 2018 are: Sustainable societies in the Baltic Sea region based on democratic values, human rights and equal opportunities for all Cooperation and integration for a secure and prosperous Baltic Sea area and Migration and integration, finding solutions based on mutual information and best practices. Welcome all to Åland and the conference next August! We promise inspiring, wise and doable ideas that will do the Baltic Sea a safer, healthier and more prosperous place for us all.” BSPC President Pettersson also had bilateral talks to the former President of Finland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari and the Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä on the upcoming 27 th annual conference of the BSPC 26-28 August 2018 in Mariehamn.

The 26 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Hamburg was a great success. With the unanimous adoption of the resolution on cooperation, democratic participation and digital age, on innovative science and research as well as sustainable tourism, the conference was successfully concluded. By adopting the resolution, the delegates pointed out that the Baltic Sea Region is a role model for innovative science and sustainable tourism as well as for parliamentarian cooperation in the region. The conference appointed Jörgen Petttersson from the Åland Islands as the new BSPC President. Carola Veit from Hamburg was appointed the Vice President of the BSPC. Tourism in the age of acceleration The second day of the conference in Hamburg began with a discussion about new prospects and challenges for tourism in the Baltic Sea Region and worldwide. The topic suited perfecly the fact that the year 2017 had been anounced by the United Nations as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The Vice Chair of the BSPC Working Group on Sustainable Tourism, Sara Kemetter from the Åland Islands, presented the working group’s final report to the conference. The working group had developed eleven recommendations to the governments of the Baltic Sea Region, all of which were included in the 26 th BSPC Conference Resolution. “We will use our work and the recommendations in order to make a contribution that will strengthen sustainable tourism in the whole Baltic Sea Region,“ Ms Kemetter pointed out. The contribution made by the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Youth Forum to the final recommendations on sustainable tourism were presented by two young delegates, Friederike Schick from Hamburg and Elias Lindström from the Åland Islands. Improving education standards and raising the job status in tourism, switching to eco- and agricultural tourism, strengthening sustainable transport and launching a Baltic Sea Summer Ticket, those are just a few of the many ideas discussed by young people with politicians during the meeting of the BSPC Working Group in Kiel. The final report of the Working Group on Sustainable Tourism has been published on the website and additionally distributed in a print version to the conference participants. Mr Molstad, the journalist and advisor on sustainable tourism to international institutions, confronted the listeners with fundamental questions regarding the future of sustainable tourism in a world in which approx. 1.6 billion people travel abroad for touristic reasons every year, in which social media drive the travel industry and change the demand structure. Mr Molstad claimed that tourism needed to move to a low-carbon future by making the business case for meeting targets grounded in climate science. The speaker provided the participants with the example of Norway which had launched a cross-sectoral Green Competitive Initiative as a direct result of the Paris Climate Accord. The Initiative aims to create sustainable travel and sustainable tourism in Norway by 2030. More positive examples of tourism industry efforts towards sustainability came from Dr Monika Griefahn , Chief Sustainability Officer at AIDA Cruises, Alexander Sirchenko , Vice Director General on the Development on Internal Tourism, TUI Russia, and Michael Otremba , Managing Director of Hamburg Tourismus GmbH. More solidarity and more collaboration – the only solution to cope with the migration challenge. With a view to the next working group of the BSPC which has been established by the 26 th BSPC, the conference also dealt with migration and integration. Pedro Roque, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, expressed his conviction that migration was not going away, that it was not something that could be stopped but could only be organized better. The population of Africa numbers some1 billion people today and will reach by 2150 2.3 billion. Every day in Africa, 33 thousand young people enter the saturated labour market. Only 40% of them will be lucky enough to get a job. In this situation, he said, the only way to cope with that was to cooperate closely on the regional, European and global level. Isabel Santos , the Vice-President of OSCE PA and theVice-Chair of the OSCE PA ad hoc Committee on Migration, in her speech “For a Coherent, Shared and Responsible Governance of Migration and Refugee Flows” underlined the fact that some restrictive policies, sometimes hostile public and political attitudes, combined with continuing arrivals and growing protection needs, lead to the suffering of families who choose the fastest rather than the safest route, taking impossible risks. They resort to smugglers, facing exploitation and abuse. They also face violence and are exposed to sickness, hunger and lack of care. Politicians, she noted, needed to start having a dialogue on what type of migration policy can be developed together in Europe. Ms Maira Mora, the Director General of the CBSS Secretariat, announced the establishment of a new ad hoc/expert Working Group on Labour and Employment as a result of the meeting of labour ministers and their high level representatives from the Baltic Sea in Berlin on 15 June 2017. The topics to be addressed by the working group include labour mobility, demographic challenges, youth employment and the integration of migrants. In the following vivid debate, the parliamentarians emphasized that closer cooperation and more action are required from the governments and international organisations, allowing the newly established BSPC Working Group on Migration and Integration to serve as a great platform for cooperation with the CBSS on such an important topic. The conference was concluded with the unanimous adoption of the resolution, along with any changes in the rules of procedure as well as the agreement for the Working Programme 2017-2018. The new BSPC President Jörgen Pettersson invited the parliamentarians to the 27 th BSPC conference at Mariehamn on 26-28 August 2018.

The 26 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Hamburg was a great success. With the unanimous adoption of the resolution on cooperation, democratic participation and digital age, on innovative science and research as well as sustainable tourism, the conference was successfully concluded. By adopting the resolution, the delegates pointed out that the Baltic Sea Region is a role model for innovative science and sustainable tourism as well as for parliamentarian cooperation in the region. The conference unanimously appointed Jörgen Pettersson from the Åland Islands as the new BSPC President . Carola Veit from Hamburg was appointed as Vice President of the BSPC .

BSPC President Carola Veit opens 26 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Hamburg. The President of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, Carola Veit welcomed the participants of the 26 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, parliamentarians, representatives from the BSPC Observers, members of the diplomatic corps, at dinner in the Town Hall of Hamburg, on Sunday evening – prior to the official opening of the conference. In her address she pointed out that Hamburg as the member of the BSPC since 1991 have driven initiatives in the region and identified issues of concern for the Baltic Sea Region. Organizing the conference at the Town Hall of Hamburg was an expression of Hamburg’s appreciation for the parliaments of in the Baltic Sea Region as well as for its joint platform of cooperation: the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. Innovative Science, Sustainable Tourism- Participation and Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region – the debate topic of the 26 th BSPC Conference On Monday Ms Carola Veit President of the Parliament of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and President of the BSPC opened the 26 th Conference stating that: “With our topics “Democracy”, “Science” and “Sustainability” I believe we have chosen forward-looking themes, which will determine the strength of our societies in the future”. In his welcome speech Mr Olaf Scholz, the First Mayor of Hamburg underlined the long history of cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region and gave examples of contemporary projects and initiatives that bring the BSR together. One of them the German Electron Synchrotron, had been visited by the participants of the conference the previous day. Cooperation brings prosperity to the people of the Baltic Sea Region The first session “Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region” brought reports from the Council of the Baltic Sea States the Mr Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson. The outgoing CBSS Chair referred to the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic Sea Region which took place in Reykjavik and pointed out that The Ministers of the Baltic Sea Region countries expressed in the Declaration that had been signed on that occasion, their will to invest in the BSR cooperation, the BSPC including. Mr Hans Olsson , Chairman of the Committee of Senior Officials, Ambassador of Sweden revealed the main catch words of the upcoming Swedish CBSS Presidency 2017-2018 – “ sustainability”, “ continuity” and “ adaptability”. Last part of the session was devoted to the report on the Implementation of the 25 th BSPC Resolution and the speeches of the BSPC Rapporteurs. Prof. Jānis Vucāns the BSPC Vice-President and Vice-President of Baltic Assembly in conclusion of his report stated that “the implementation of measures will help to improve and to strengthen the prosperity in the whole Baltic Sea Region” In their presentations the BSPC Rapporteurs. Jörgen Pettersson on Integrated Maritime Policy, Sonja Mandt on Cultural Affairs and Franz Thönnes on the Baltic Sea Labour Forum gave a brief review of work results of the working Groups they had chaired. The second session brought a lively exchange of different views concerning the participation in decision making processes, role of digital participation and challenges the developments of social media may cause. With the discussion on Science and Research the first day of the conference has been closed. To Celebrate the Centenary of Finland’s independence the exhibition prepared by the Finnish delegation was opened by Ms Veera Ruoho , the chair of Finish delegation to the BSPC. “Finland 100 Anniversary Exhibition” will be accessible for all viewers of the Town Hall during the Conference Days.