News

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”.

The BSPC Working Group on Innovation in Social and Health Care held its second meeting in Tromsö on 27-28 March. The meeting unanimously elected Ms Olaug Bollestad, Norway, to succeed Raimonds Vejonis as Chair of the WG, sine Vejonins was appointed Minister of Defence of Latvia in January 2014. An opening expert presentation was provided by Ms Pille Kink from the Estonian E-Health Foundation. After the meeting, the WG made a study visit at the Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, where briefings were given on coordinated care and demographic challenges in rural areas, telemedicine innovation and implementation, flexible e-learning in health care, homecare and prevention, and barriers and legal aspects of cross border telemedicine. The next meeting of the WG will be convened in Birstonas, Lithuania, on 19-20 June.

“Today it feels timely to reiterate the importance and benefits of the peaceful and constructive dialogue between the peoples of the Baltic Sea Region. The joint agreements and achievements that we have made, for instance in the environmental field, are obvious proofs that it is cooperation – not confrontation – that pays off in the long run” said Christina Gestrin, BSPC, in her address at the XV International Environmental Forum Baltic Sea Day in St Petersburg 20 March. “Environmental cooperation has indeed produced several positive effects. A good example and concrete expression of regional environmental cooperation is the project “Gulf of Finland Year”, which is a joint endeavour between Estonia, Russia and Finland” she said. However, Gestrin cautioned that “the work is far from over. It is, to take one example, worrying that there are still close to 200 waste water treatment plants in Leningrad oblast region in need of urgent renovation.” She stressed that “Clean shipping could evolve into an export sector with strong competitiveness and revenues for the entire Baltic Sea Region. Take the example of the Vasa Region, which is the biggest energy technology cluster in northern Europe: 12% of Finland´s total export originates in Vasa, although only 2% of Finland’s population lives there. If all the states in the Baltic Sea Region decided to explore and exploit the potential of Green Growth and Blue Growth, the entire region could evolve into a global frontrunner, demonstrating that environmental sustainability and economic growth can go hand in hand” Christina Gestrin concluded.

Energy efficiency in the Baltic Sea Region was the highly topical theme for a joint BSPC-CBSS-BASREC seminar hosted by the Finnish Parliament in Helsinki 4 March. The seminar was initiated by the CBSS Finnish Presidency 2013-2014. One of its core priorities is the follow-up of the recommendations of the BSPC Working Group on Green Growth and Energy Efficiency. Christina Gestrin, member of the Finnish Parliament and BSPC, underlined in her opening remarks that “no one dealing with politics and social development can or should avoid discussions about energy resources, energy efficiency and climate change. It is obvious that a sustainable future energy provision in a situation of serious climate change calls for strengthened cooperation and joint international efforts.” Stressing that “the Baltic Sea Region should strive to become a leader in the field of energy efficiency“, she cautioned that “the financial crisis is not an acceptable excuse to postpone measures to combat climate change. That would only mean that the costs for managing the effects of climate change will increase in the long run.” The Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki Tuomioja, commended the interaction between CBSS and BSPC, and recognized the recommendations of the WG as important political levers to promote energy efficiency, not least on the local and regional level. Cecilie Tenfjord-Toftby, member of the Swedish Parliament and Chair of the Working Group, recapitulated the recommendations of the WG. “We are around 85 million people in the Baltic Sea catchment area“, she noted. “Together, we can become a very important player in the field of Green Growth and Energy Efficiency. We have the potential to transform our conventional economy to a green one, in which production and consumption is carried out in an environmentally sustainable manner.” Pointing out the gains to be made by energy efficiency measures, she asserted that “a successful implementation of green growth will boost economic performance, create many new opportunities for businesses around the Baltic Sea, increase security in the supply of essential resources, and support the efforts to curb dangerous climate change”. She concluded by noting that “we are moving in the right direction, but we need to do it at a higher speed in order to avoid serious environmental consequences which will eventually hurt our economies and our well-being. Stringent and persistent policies and actions are needed to realize the potential for sustainable and competitive green economies.”

“Climate change has escalated into one of the most pressing challenges of our times. Urgent and serious action is necessary to avoid future environmental and social disasters. We need stronger efforts to curb climate change, to adapt to its consequences, and to fortify the preparedness to prevent and manage emergencies. International and transborder cooperation is indispensable“, said Christina Gestrin in her address to the 42 nd General Assembly of PABSEC, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, in Tbilisi, Georgia on 18 December. “Green growth and energy efficiency are key tools to contain climate change. Climate smart solutions are good for the environment and for our societies. They also offer opportunities to promote innovation, business development, employment and competitiveness in the growing market of green technologies”, she continued, and commended the so-called “Baltic2 Black” project, which for three years has maintained close contacts between expert networks in the Baltic and Black Sea regions in order to share knowledge and develop new monitoring and assessment methods. “Parliamentarians have a responsibility to keep the political spotlight on environmental and social challenges. International parliamentary cooperation is a powerful political driver of social development and an instrument to safeguard its democratic legitimacy”, Gestrin concluded. More information on PABSEC can be found at: www.pabsec.org

“The Arctic, Barents and Baltic Sea Region all belong to Northern Europe. Although being physically separate, the regions nevertheless share many fundamental challenges. Hopefully, they will also be able to share common solutions to these challenges”, said Laine Randjärv, Chairman of the BSPC 2012-2013, in her address at the 3 rd Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum in Arkhangelsk on 11 November . “Innovation is a key factor in social and economic development. It is a central driving force for the adaptation to new industrial structures, market conditions, and social transformations. Innovation is a means of strengthening economic progress, global competitiveness and social welfare. There is a huge potential for innovation in emerging markets in for instance green growth, energy efficiency and life sciences”, she stressed. Emphasizing that a healthy population is both a strong indicator of social welfare and a necessary condition for socio-economic development and labour productivity, she maintained that “strong efforts must be carried out to deal with the emerging problems caused by an ageing population and an increase in lifestyle-related diseases. The overarching mission of the recently launched BSPC Working Group on Innovation in Social and Health Care is to elaborate political positions and recommendations on innovation in health and social welfare systems and services.” Ms Randjärv concluded by reaffirming that “cooperation between parliamentarians – like in then Northern Dimension Forum – can therefore contribute not only to the relevance and efficiency of the efforts undertaken to develop the region, but, above all, to their democratic legitimacy.”

The BSPC Working Group on Innovation in Social and Health Care (WG ISHC) held its inaugural meeting in Riga on 4 November. The meeting was led by the WG Chairman Raimonds Vejonis. The meeting appointed Olaug Bollestad, Norway, and Wolfgang Waldmüller, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as vice Chairmen. An expert presentation on “Innovation in Social and Health Care – An Ecosystems Approach” was delivered by Thomas Karopka, Project Manager of ScanBalt HealthPort. The presentation can be retrieved at the WG webpage. The meeting was primarliy devoted to a reconfirmation of the WG mandate and deliberations over its scope of work, priorities and mode of work. The next meeting will be convened in Norway in March 2014.

The annual Round Table of the Baltic Sea Labour Forum was convened in Helsinki on 1 November. The keynote speech of the Round Table was delivered by the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Erkki Tuomioja. The Round Table adopted a Resolution which addressed the overarching issues of youth unemployment and mobility of labour. BSPC is a member of the BSLF, and had been actively engaged in drafting the Resolution. The Round Table also adopted an Action Plan on Cross Border Mobility in the Baltic Sea Region, which will be conveyed to the governments and other relevant stakeholders in the Region. The resolution and the Action Plan can be accessed at the BSLF website .