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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.

The current BSPC Secretary General, Jan Widberg, is leaving on 30 September. We are now looking for his successor. See the vacancy announcement under “About BSPC/The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference”. Please note that the deadline for applications is 19 September.

The BPSC Working Group on Innovation in Social and Health Care convened its third meeting in Birstonas, Lithuania, on 19-20 June 2014. The meeting itself was preceded by an extensive study tour of the balneological and rehabilitational resort of Birstonas, with several sanatoriums and a wide range of high-quality recreational, rehabilitational and medical services (see www.visitbirstonas.lt). The WG meeting received initial greetings from the Mayor of Birstonas, Ms Nijole Dirginciene, who is also President of the Lithuanian Association of Resorts. Her introduction was followed by a presentation on The Role of Resorts in the Baltic Health Tourism Sector by Ms Jurgita Kazlauskiene, Vice President of the European Spas Association. The WG meeting primarily engaged in deliberations over the WG Mid-Way Report, to be presented to the 23 rd BSPC in Olsztyn on 24-26 August 2014, and its first set of Political Recommendations. The WG agreed on a draft report, to be revised and then submitted to the 23 rd BPSC. The next meeting of the WG will be held in Denmark in fall 2014.

“Solidarity and cooperation is needed to revive the European economy as a whole. The economic recession has struck Europe hard, and the crisis has not fully abated”, said Ryszard Górecki, President of the BSPC, in his address at the 43 rd PABSEC General Assembly in Athens 13 May. “The economic crisis has caused a decline in industrial activity and a rise in unemployment. Social cohesion has been fractured. The sinister undercurrent of the crisis is that it is also a fertile breeding ground for populism, national extremism and xenophobia. Strong and committed measures are necessary to combat such trends. The open and tolerant society must be safeguarded”, Górecki declared. ”The Baltic States were badly battered by the economic recession”, he continued. “However, stern and determined measures, with sometimes painful consequences for the citizens, have managed to turn the tide, and the Baltic Sea Region States now show among the highest growth rates in the EU. This confirms that concerted and earnest measures are necessary to rebuild economic policies and structures in a way that prevents the emergence of new crises. Creative initiatives are needed to modernize industry and to secure competitiveness in a globalized marketplace”. “In this context”, Górecki concluded, “I would like to stress the huge potentials for innovation in emerging markets for cleantech, energy efficiency, green and blue growth, and ecological and cultural tourism. This presents an opportunity to build cutting-edge industrial competence and competitiveness. This will bring jobs, a sounder environment and better health.”

“We in the BSPC congratulate you on your important decision to establish permanent structures for parliamentary cooperation in South-Eastern Europe. We wish you all success in your forthcoming efforts to develop efficient instruments and methods for your activities” said Ryszard Górecki, President of the BSPC, in his address to the inaugural session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the South-East Europe Cooperation Process, which took place in Bucharest 10-11 June. “Parliamentary cooperation can contribute to democratic, transparent and inclusive political processes. People-to-people contacts constitute the basis for political and socio-economic development”, he emphasized. “It is therefore important to involve civil society, NGOs, and – not least – youth in the political cooperation structures and processes. A central part in the development of an organization is to build networks and confidence. Many of the issues and challenges facing a political organization are complex and have different repercussions for different countries. A parliamentary forum can provide an arena where diverging views are brought to the surface for a candid political debate,” Górecki stated. “Good, sincere and reliable relations contribute to an open and permissive atmosphere in which members can debate conflicting positions in a constructive manner, and also rejoice at joint achievements. That, in my opinion, is a fundamental condition for finding compromises and moving forward towards joint solutions.” The South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) was founded in 1997, upon Bulgarian initiative, and aimed at establishing a new forum of regional cooperation after the emergence of new independent states on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The importance of parliamentary dialogue among SEECP countries is mentioned in the Charter on Good Neighbourly Relations, Stability, Security and Cooperation in Southeastern Europe, signed in Bucharest in 2000. At the meeting in Bucharest on 10 May 2014, the Speakers of Parliaments of the SEECP countries decided to launch a SEECP Parliamentary Assembly equipped with procedural rules and an organizational support structure.

Johan Linander, MP, Sweden, BSPC Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings (THB), was keynote speaker at the Knowledge Forum on Trafficking in Human Beings, arranged by the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Estonia on 24 April. Linander stressed the availability of a wealth of information about THB, and what is needed now is concrete action on all fronts. He recapitulated the political recommendations of the BSPC WG on THB and reaffirmed the political support from the parliamentarians of the Baltic Sea Region in combatting this modern expression of slavery. The seminar displayed a broad line-up of practical expertise in dealing with THB, which showed that the fight makes headway, but need continuous resurces and political support. The following day, Linander moderated a trilateral seminar on THB under the auspices of Baltic Assembly, Nordic Council, and the Benelux Parliament. Highlighting the 10 concise and concrete political recommendations of the BSPC Rapporteur on THB , he concluded that we have knowledge about the problem, we have knowledge about possible means of dealing with it, and we have knowledge about the political and economic support needed to sustain the fight: ”we do not need more reports and studies; what we need now is solid action on the ground”.