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Finnish MP Christina Gestrin represented the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) at the XVI International Environmental Forum “Baltic Sea Day” in St. Petersburg on March 18-20, 2015. Gestrin emphasised the need to continue the environmental cooperation, despite political tension around the Baltic Sea. “The constructive environmental cooperation must continue even in politically difficult times. The Baltic Sea Day is an important component of the efforts to promote a sustainable, green growth in the Baltic Sea Region”, said Gestrin. “At BSPC’s conference last August we, the parliamentarians, urged the governments to proceed with strong efforts and dedicated resources for the continued improvement and modernization of the waste water treatment capacity throughout the entire Baltic Sea Region. In opinion, the waste water treatment facilities in Kaliningrad have to be finished before the end of 2015, and that requires a continued cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region”, said Gestrin. In her speech to the Forum “Baltic Sea Day” Gestrin reminded the Baltic Sea states to honour their commitment to prohibit discharge of sewage from passenger ships. “In order to comply with stricter threshold values agreed by HELCOM, the Baltic Sea governments need to ensure continuous work to upgrade reception facilities for sewage in passenger ports in line with the Special Area Status of the Baltic Sea under Marpol Annex IV of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). We, the parliamentarians from all the EU-Member States of the Baltic Sea, share the opinion that the original dates for the prohibition of the discharge of sewage from passenger ships should be maintained.” Christina Gestrin is a long-standing member of the Standing Committee, co-observer of the BSPC at HELCOM and former chairman of the organization. For more information: Christina Gestrin, +358 50 511 3121

The BSPC Working Group on Innovation in Social and Healthcare came together for its fifth meeting on invitation by the Finnish Parliament in Tampere on 16-17 March. The meeting was preceded by a study tour of Tampere University Central Hospital and expert presentations on the prevention of diabetes & cardiovascular diseases and on electronic reporting linked to operations planning & budgeting at the communal level. The Clinical Nutritionist in Pirkanmaa Hospital District briefed the WG members on a program for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in Finland. The program has shown the magnitude of the diabetic epidemic in Finland, and has since been adopted in most Finnish health care centers for screening and interventions, has been included into local and regional prevention care protocols, and has further been adopted for the prevention of other non-communicable diseases. Most importantly, the project has shown that large-scale screening and effective lifestyle intervention for preventing type 2 diabetes are possible also in primary healthcare settings. The Chief Physician at the Centre of General Practice in Pirkanmaa Hospital District then briefed the WG members on electronic health reporting. The expert demonstrated that only when the promotion of welfare becomes an integral part of the operational and financial planning of local authorities and is linked to the preparation of the local budget, do local strategies and strategy work underlining the importance of welfare become serious politics. At Tampere University Central Hospital, the WG members received presentations about diabetes research and vaccine development at the hospital against type 1 diabetes. The insights gained in Tampere will be considered for the Final Report of the WG, which will be further elaborated during the remainder of the mandate of the Working Group, to be presented at the conference on 30 August – 1 September in Rostock-Warnemünde. The Working Group debated extensively over the overall content of the report and agreed to focus especially on innovation, cooperation, prevention, health economy, treatment, ethics & values. The sixth and final meeting of the Working Group will be held in Mariehamn on 11-12 June.

As another follow-up to the Standing Committee Meeting in Brussels by the initiative of the Aland delegation, the BSPC’s Observers at HELCOM, current Chairman Sylvia Bretschneider and Christina Gestrin, have addressed a letter to HELCOM concerning the implementation of the IMO Resolution MEPC.200 (62). The resolution defines the Baltic Sea as a so-called Special Area with the aim to prevent the discharges of sewage from ships in the Baltic Sea. Christina Gestrin personally handed over the letter at the 36 th HELCOM Commission Meeting in Helsinki, 3 – 4 March, and tabled it on the agenda of the meeting. Christina Gestrin strongly expressed that the parliamentarians from all the EU-Member States of the Baltic Sea share the opinion that the original dates for the prohibition of the discharge of sewage from passenger ships should be maintained. She declared: “We, the majority of the parliamentarians from around the Baltic Sea find it very disappointing that the states are not able to honour their commitments.” Christina Gestrin also drew attention to the 23 rd resolution of the BSPC, which asked the governments in the region to “proceed with strong efforts and dedicated resources for the continued improvement and modernization of the waste water treatment capacity throughout the entire Baltic Sea Region, in compliance with the stricter threshold values agreed by HELCOM, and to ensure continuous work to upgrade reception facilities for sewage in passenger ports in line with the Special Area Status of the Baltic Sea under MARPOL Annex IV of the International Maritime Organization.” The content of the letter was also discussed between BSPC Chairman Sylvia Bretschneider and HELCOM Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz in the margins of the Pan-European Dialogue in Cruise Tourism, which took place in Brussels on 4-6 March.

As a follow-up to the Standing Committee meeting in Brussels, the current BSPC Chairman, Ms Sylvia Bretschneider, has informed Commission President Juncker and the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Ms Corina Cretu, about the BSPC’s serious concerns over initial ideas by the Commission’s DG REGIO to strike “health” out of the Action Plan of a revised EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The BSPC has identified health policy as its main priority in its Work Program 2014/2015 and will focus this year’s annual conference in Rostock-Warnemünde on 30 August – 1 September on this field. DG REGIO’s proposals of adapting the Action Plan of the Strategy was also discussed at the January meeting of the Standing Committee in Brussels, where the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis, was also present.

“We as Baltic Sea parliamentarians have always tried to bring together economic and ecological aspects, as much as possible. Cruise Tourism constitutes an important pillar for our economic development. With more than 5 million passengers annually, the ferry and cruise shipping constitutes an important economic pillar, it contributes significantly to the economic and social development. Passenger numbers in the past 15 years have gone one way: up. This fact can be a mixed blessing. A major challenge for cruise tourism in the Baltic Sea is the set-up of port reception facilities e.g. for waste water. For this reason, we asked the governments in the Baltic Sea Region with last years resolution to proceed with strong efforts and dedicated resources for the continued improvement and modernization of the waste water treatment capacity throughout the entire Baltic Sea Region in compliance with the stricter threshold values agreed to HELCOM, and to ensure continous work to upgrade reception facilities for sewage in passenger ports in line with the Special Area Status for the Baltic Sea under MARPOL Annex IV of the International Maritime Organization. Just some days ago I have expressed this position again in a letter adressed to HELCOM. There are some uncertainties in the implementation of this. But we shall not give up. From my personal point of view we need an EU-wide concept for the set-up of port reception facilities and a launch of corresponding European funding programmes. And we need a political-strategic frame for the operative approach of cooperation between stakeholders in the tourism sector like the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum: with a view to the future strategic direction of the international Baltic Sea cooperation the previous activities require a continous further development. The transformation of projects into a steady and long-term cooperation and the commitment of the national political representatives and the national tourist associations are fundamentally important for this process. An also the first Pan-European dialogue between cruise operators, ports and coastal tourism stakeholders fits in this context and shall be continued.”

Intensifying cooperation in health care – Standing Committee meets European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy at its session in Brussels The Standing Committee came together for its first session of the year at the premises of the European Parliament in Brussels on 23 January by the invitation of Jorn Dohrmann, the European Parliament’s new Chair of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. The meeting was chaired by Sylvia Bretschneider, President of the Landtag Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and this years BSPCs Chairperson. Members from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, the Russian Federation, Denmark, Finland, the Åland Islands, Norway, Sweden, the German Bundestag, the Baltic Assembly, and the Nordic Council attended the meeting. Traditionally, the Standing Committee opens the year with a round of progress reports and briefings by experts and BSR stakeholders, aiming to increase BSR visibility at the European level and closer aligning BSPC actions with European policy. The main presentation of the day was given by the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, Mr. Vytenis Andriukaitis. With a view to cross-border health threats, the Commissioner strongly emphasized the need to cooperation, particularly in border areas, putting a strong focus on joint initiatives with the EU’s eastern neighbors. Mr. Andriukaitis welcomed that idea behind the BSPC’s 24 th annual conference, with its main focus on innovation in social and healthcare. The Standing Committee also received a progress report from the Chair of the CBSS Committee of Senior Officials, Raul Mälk. Mr. Mälk outlined the priorities of the Estonian presidency and provided details on the CBSS’s streamlining process that effectively changes the organization’s priorities from five to three (Regional Identity, a Sustainable and Prosperous Region and thirdly a Safe and Secure Region). The CBSS also welcomed the resolution from Olsztyn, particularly with a view to coherence in BSR cooperation, youth affairs, environmental legacy, cultural heritage, and innovation in social and healthcare. The members were also briefed by the Director of the Secretariat of the Northern Dimension, Mr. Marek Maciejowski. Mr. Maciejowski proposed to hold a NDPHS event back-to-back with the 24 th BSPC conference in Rostock-Warnemünde. The aim of the event would be to present the latest evidence regarding the importance of health for economy and other sectors of the society, and to show the examples of policy measures in the field of health leading to savings and benefitting economies in general. The Standing Committee welcomed the proposal but will still have to give formal approval. Furthermore, the Chairman of the meeting, Mrs Sylvia Bretschneider, expressed her concern over an initial proposal from the European Commission’s DG Regio to take the policy field “health” out of the EUSBSR Action Plan. She intends to initiate a formal statement of the Standing Committee on this issue. Finally, the members were briefed by the chairman of the ScanBalt network, Wolfgang Blank. ScanBalt is a network composed of the health and bio economy communities in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden, northern Germany, northern Netherlands and north-western Russia, which is a non-governmental, member-based, non-profit organization located in Denmark with the primary goal of promoting the development of ScanBalt BioRegion as a globally competitive health and bio economy. The meeting otherwise decided to task a political scientist with the scientific evaluation of the follow-up responses of the governments to past resolutions of the BSPC. The Standing Committee also discussed the topic of a future Working Group and the possible appointment of a Rapporteur on Cultural Affairs. Furthermore, the Standing Committee approved the Financial Report for 2014, as well as the use of the means for 2015. Chairman Sylvia Bretschneider also briefed the members on the preparations for the annual conference in Warnemünde. Finally, the BSPC co-rapporteur on Integrated Maritime Policy, Jochen Schulte, updated the SC members on new developments since his written report from August 2014.

The BSPC Working Group on Innovation in Social and Healthcare came together for its fourth meeting on invitation by the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen on 13-14 November. The meeting was preceded by an extensive study tour of Steno Diabetes Centre. The members received presentations and discussed a wide array of topics, including the effectiveness and outcomes of diabetes management at Steno, pathways of patient care, public-private partnerships, patient education, and community-based diabetes prevention. The meeting was held at the premises of the Danish Parliament, where the WG members were first briefed on innovation and cooperation between the public and the private sector by Medtronic’s Hospital Solutions Director for Northeast Europe Vincent Giele. Medtronic is the world’s largest medical technology company, offering innovative therapies to fulfill a mission of alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life. The meeting also met with former Swedish minister Bo Könberg, who has elaborated an independent report on ways in which the Nordic countries can work more closely together on health over the next 5-10 years. The report includes 14 concrete proposals and the WG members discussed among others how these insights could be applied to the whole Baltic Sea Region. The next meeting of the Working Group will be held in Finland on 16-17 March 2015.

On Friday, November 7, 2014 the Standing Committee of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference met in the Landtag Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel. Participants of the event were representatives of national and regional parliaments of Åland, Baltic Assembly, Federal Republic of Germany, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Nordic Council, Norway, Schleswig-Holstein and Sweden. Other invited guests and experts were representatives of the Baltic Sea Youth Secretariat (BSYS) in Kiel as well as a representative from the Ministry of Justice, Culture and Europe Schleswig-Holstein who is responsible for the North and Baltic Affairs. The Vice President of the Landtag Bernd Heinemann opened the meeting. The meeting was chaired by the Vice-President Janis Vucans. The representatives from the BSYS reported on the current status of the Secretariat and its plans for the future. The BSYS has submitted an application for the Erasmus+ Programme, “Strategic Partnership”. The major goal of the project is to settle a Baltic Sea Youth Forum on a regular basis which guarantees that youth is involved in the decision-making process of the region. The Secretariat for Youth of the West Pomeranian Region, the youth organization from the Norden Association (FNUF) and the Ungdomsskolen Kolding have joined this project. The speakers expressed their wish to arrange a BSYF back-to-back with the annual conference in Rostock-Warnemünde. This could test the concept. The Vice-President Janis Vucans suggested to think about ways to support the BSYS until the next Standing Committee Meeting in January 2015. The representative from the Ministry of Justice, Culture and Europe gave an introduction about the cultural dialogue in the Baltic Sea Region. Co-coordinators of the new Priority Area on Culture in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) are Poland and Schleswig-Holstein. The aims are the promotion and presentation of culture in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), preservation of cultural heritage, a common cultural identity and efficient framework for BSR cultural cooperation. The importance of a strong parliamentary support and involvement in the Baltic Sea Region Cultural Dialogue was emphasized. Furthermore, the Standing Committee Meeting inter alia agreed on the draft Work Program 2014-2015. The ambition of the Work Program is it to focus on a few priorities, with innovation in social and health care at the top. This will also be the main topic at the 24 th BSPC in Rostock-Warnemünde, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern from 30 August – 1 September 2015. The meeting resolved to restrict the number of rapporteurs on the next BSPC to give the audience enough time for political discussions. It is planned to divide the subject health care into two sessions, details will be clarified at the next SC meeting in January.

emphasizing the deep connections between the Nordic Council and the BSPC and pointing out the utmost importance of parliamentary dialogue in times of crisis: „The cooperation between the Nordic Council and the BSPC has been a true success story. From the very beginning the Nordic Council has been a driving force for the BSPC and its work. The BSPC provides our countries with a political platform for parliamentarians from countries both within and outside the European Union to meet and form opinions, make use of political influence in relation to questions of regional importance, and organize a variety of joint political activities. I believe it is this pan-European approach that makes the BSPC so unique and so worthwhile to be its member.Deep connections between the Nordic Council and the BSPC are visible by the fact that many members of the Nordic Council have been very active in the work of BSPC“, Vucans pointed out. “One step of utmost importance” in times of crisis as we have currently in the eastern neighborhood of the Baltic Sea Region, “is to continue the dialogue. This can best be done by focusing on those issues that bind all actors together. The Nordic Council and the BSPC, for instance, are deeply connected through a host of issues of common interest. We have dealt and are dealing with energy policy, climate change, research and development, human trafficking, welfare and culture. This years` annual conference of the BSPC in August in Olsztyn also put culture center-stage under the overall heading “Quest for Harmony”. There was plenty of room to voice concerns regarding the developments in the eastern Ukraine; however we also used cultural issues as a means to reflect on those elements that bind all members of the BSPC together – including Russia. Let me quote this years´ BSPC final resolution. We expressed our deep concern over the crises in Ukraine and we were welcoming all steps that contribute to a peaceful solution of the crises. We also stressed the importance of continuing and developing cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, including Northern Dimension, and of perpetuating the open, broad and trust-building dialogue within our networks and institutions” he continued. “There are countless fields, where cooperation is possible and where it can yield results. The Nordic Council and the BSPC have proven that such cooperation can be very fruitful for the development of our common region. It is my hope that we can transfer this experience to the entire Baltic Sea Region and to thereby keep up the dialogue and conduct active peace policy. Let us jointly face this challenge.” Janis Vucans concluded.

“Especially in difficult political times like these, the BSPC serves as a useful platform to continue the existing channels of dialogue. Also the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum faces its challenges, and I congratulate you for the ongoing success of this forum”, Bretschneider pointed out. “The Baltic Sea is as diverse as it is exceptional. With its sandy beaches that run into the sea, its dunes, its unique landscape or the chalk cliffs, the Baltic Sea is a jewel at the heart of Northern Europe. The importance of this inland sea for the development of the people that live with and of the Baltic Sea is enormous. The Baltic Sea unifies regions and promotes identity. The existence of a common history and the preservation of the cultural heritage is a common element of the entire Baltic Sea Region. Against this background I welcome your objective to identify innovative approaches and best practices to better link and market tourism offers between our countries. Our common cultural heritage is one example of how this can be done. And cultural tourism is one of the themes this Forum will focus on in the next few years to come”, she continued. “At the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference we also dealt with this issue at our 23 rd annual summit in Olsztyn, Poland in August this year. We were for example talking about how much regions value the contribution of culture to economic development. The sector is an important catalyst for innovation in other areas, for instance in tourism. There are examples, which show how transnational cooperation can work and how a focus on those elements, which bind us together, can contribute to our economic development, including the field of tourism. Therefore, I support the Forum’s new orientation towards cultural tourism. This is also in the interest of the BSPC”, Bretschneider stressed. “Tourism in the Baltic Sea Region is a growing business. Besides the strong, established tourist destinations, there are rapidly growing markets, such as in the Baltic states. Here we have growth rates of 5 to 10 percent. The development of tourism in the region has seen remarkable progress. Efforts to prolong the tourist season are well under way as well as measures to further internationalization. Conferences, such as the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum, are important to identify these developments and to respond. The difficult economic situation has also left its impact in our region, but tourism in the Baltic Sea Region is still growing more rapidly than in other parts of Europe. We should focus on the challenges and chances that lie ahead of us, which are – among others – possibilities to diversify tourism products, access to new markets, the long-term development of the sector, or the better international cooperation. With your focus on rural, maritime, cultural and cruise tourism, as well as on new governance structures in support of the forum, you have picked forward-looking and challenging topics for your discussions”, she concluded.

The BSPC Standing Committee has appointed Bodo Bahr, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as the new Secretary General of the BSPC. Bahr, who has long and wide-ranging experience in Baltic Sea Region issues, will assume his new position on 1 October. “I warmly congratulate Bodo on his new assignment” says Jan Widberg, who resigns as Secretary General on 30 September to take up the position of Director of the Nordic Council of Minister´s Office in Riga. “Bodo and I have worked together for many years over a variety of issues. I know that Bodo is passionate about the Baltic Sea Region and that he has the experience and the committment that will guide the BSPC to new and exciting achievments” says Widberg.

“International parliamentary cooperation is vitally important, especially in times of crisis”, said Sylvia Bretschneider, President of the BSPC, in her address to the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments in Oslo on 11-12 September. “The BSPC was established in 1991, in a period of dramatic events and profound political change. The primary goal was to establish the Baltic Sea as a sea of freedom and cooperation. BSPC was based on the conviction that cooperation and dialogue are central means to prevent conflict and promote joint progress”, she recalled. “I think this is worth keeping in mind now that we see the eastern neighborhood of the Baltic Sea Region being ravaged by dramatic and violent events”, she continued. “We must make all efforts to solve conflicts by political dialogue and not by armed forces. Parliamentary cooperation is a powerful lever for transparent, democratic and fruitful political processes to handle contentious issues”, Bretschneider concluded. For a report in german language use the external link to the Landtag Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.