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“Enhanced regional cooperation benefits from a free movement of people and enterprises. It is necessary to continue the efforts for a gradual phasing out of the visa regime between the EU- and non-EU- countries in the Region” said Laine Randjärv, President of the BSPC, in her address to the 18 th CBSS Ministerial meeting in Pionersky on 6 June. Speaking directly after the Chair of the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, she stressed that the BSPC “commends the work of the Russian Presidency of the CBSS in 2012-2013. Great efforts have been made to stimulate multilateral cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. Sustainable economic development has been given keen attention. One of the main priorities has been the development of cooperation in the field of modernization and innovation”. BSPC too sees this as a main priority, Randjärv pointed out, emphasizing that “innovation is not confined to industrial production, but should be promoted in administrative sectors and for social governance as well. The challenges of the Region, such as e.g. environmental sustainability, labour market mobility, infrastructure and logistics, and organized crime, require innovative forms of cooperation and governance that transcend physical and organizational borders.” See also the CBSS website, where the Ministerial Declaration can be retrieved: https://www.cbss.org/the-18 th -ministerial-session-of-the-council-of-the-baltic-sea-states-cbss-will-take-place-5-6-june-2013-in-the-kaliningrad-region-of-the-russian-federation/

“The basic mission of BSPC is to raise awareness and opinion on issues of current political interest and relevance for the Baltic Sea Region and its citizens. BSPC shall promote and drive political initiatives to support a sustainable environmental, social and economic development of the Baltic Sea Region. It should, basically, exert political pressure on the Governments. The evolution of BSPC has been characterized by an incremental growth of its political scope and operational functions, in order to keep the organization lean, efficient and at all times well adapted to its political ambitions and practical tasks” said Jan Widberg, BSPC Secretary General, in his presentation at the Danube Floating Parliamentary Conference on 23 May. Widberg was invited to share some of the lessons learned during 20 years of parliamentary cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. The floating conference was a step in the initiative to launch a “Danube Parliamentary Network” with from the national parliaments along the Danube as well as from the European parliament. The idea behind this initiative has been endorsed by German Chancellor Mrs Angela Merkel as natural part of the development of the EU Danube strategy. At the end of the floating conference, the participating parliamentarians signed a declaration to establish a Danube Parliamentary Network. For a video on the conference, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6c8G4uFj3U

The BSPC Standing Committee held its summer meeting in the picturesque university city of Tartu on 27 May. The meeting was chaired by Laine Randjärv, BSPC President 2012-2013 and former mayor of Tartu. The agenda was primarily devoted to the preparations for the 22 nd BSPC in Pärnu 25-27 August, to initial deliberations over the content and format of the Conference Resolution, and to the scope of work of the planned new BSPC Working Group on Innovation. The meeting also included study visits at the University of Tartu, the popular science centre AHAA, and the Estonian Genome Centre of the Uninversity of Tartu.

“International cooperation, at all levels and in different shapes, is a prerequisite for a continued democratic, social and economic development of the region. There are numerous potentials that can be harvested through enhanced cooperation in the region. A fundamental demand, however, is that economic development is pursued in a manner that safeguards social and environmental sustainability” said BSPC Vice Chairman Raimonds Vejonis in his address at the parliamentary Round Table in Syktyvkar, Republic of Komi, 15-16 May. The Round Table is an annual event that gathers parliamentarians from the Nordic Council, the Russian federal Assembly, the Parliamentary Association of North-West Russia, and BSPC. “Cooperation on for instance energy, infrastructure and logistics can improve both the external and internal accessibility of the region, which is necessary precondition for entrepreneurship, economic growth and competitiveness” Vejonis pointed out, and continued by stressing that BSPC has repeatedly called on the governments to make sustained efforts to facilitate mobility for people and enterprises, and to intensify the efforts for a gradual phasing out of the visa regime between EU- and non-EU- countries. “A sincere and expanded dialogue with citizens, NGOs, civic organizations and others should therefore be an integral part of political cooperation and decision-making. It is of particular importance to ensure that indigenous people and youth can be involved in the decision-making processes that are shaping the region, Vejonis stated, and emphasized that “the work of NGOs in the Baltic Sea Region should be supported, facilitated and heeded. The imposition of legislation that restricts international cooperation should be abolished”.

“NGOs can be seen as organizational manifestations of popular engagement in various civil issues. NGOs emerge as a means of safeguarding democratic and human rights and freedoms, building opinion, mobilizing resources, and exerting pressure on decision-makers. NGOs can have many functions that are conducive to a well-functioning parliamentary democracy which is firmly anchored at grassroots level. NGO´s play an invaluable role both as opinion-makers and independent experts, and their views, warnings and advice should be taken seriously”, said Raimonds Vejonis, BSPC Vice President, in his keynote address at the XI Baltic Sea NGO Forum in St Petersburg 16 April. Valentina Pivnenko, member of the BSPC Standing Committee, underlined in her opening words that “people-to-people contacts constitute the basis for regional cooperation and socio-economic development of the Baltic Sea Region. Therefore, it is fundamentally important to remove obstacles – such as visa restrictions – that impede the free cross-border movement of people and enterprises”. Vejonis stressed that it is BSPC´s opinion that “NGOs and their cooperation in the Region should be strengthened, for instance by giving administrative and economic support for the international networking of NGOs, and by supporting the continued activities of the NGO Forum. The imposition of legislation that restricts international cooperation among NGOs and hampers the possibilities to obtain international funding should be abolished”, he concluded. Information and documentation from the NGO Forum can be accessed at: www.bsngoforum.net

“It will become apparent that there are not only cross-over effects between green growth and integrated maritime policy, but also between the different maritime economic activities themselves. Shipyards no longer just build large container ships, but they are drivers for the region’s shift to a green economy”, said Jochen Schulte, BSPC Co-Rapporteur on Integrated Maritime Policy, in his opening address at the Conference on Competitiveness of the Maritime Economy in the Baltic Sea Region. The conference, which was held on 12 April in the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Schwerin, gathered politicians, experts and practitioners to present and discuss issues such as blue growth, challenges for the port industry and the shipbuilding industry, and emerging maritime technologies. The core aim of the conference was to ponder how maritime economic activities could ensure a continued competitiveness of the Baltic Sea Region, and in which ways political decision-makers could promote and bring added value to the process. “When it comes to the delicate balance between economic and ecological aspects, practically every presentation at the conference has shown that the Baltic Sea Region features a maritime industry that has the capability of dealing with such a balance, which would set it apart from other industries around the world”, concluded Schulte.

“There are certain promising signs that the measures taken so far have paid some environmental dividends. However, there are still several cities and municipalities that have no modern waste water treatment facilities whatsoever. Continued efforts and resources must therefore be allocated to the construction of waste water treatment plants and to modernize decaying urban and municipal sewage systems”, said Christina Gestrin BSPC Observer to HELCOM, in her introductory address at the XIV International Baltic Se Days in St Petersburg 21 April. “I would also like to emphasize the need to enhance maritime safety and emergency management capacities”, she said. “We in BSPC have urged our governments to develop real-time maritime surveillance information and e-navigation technologies in order to improve vessel traffic management and augment the joint preparedness against accidents”. She went on to commend the BSAP Technical Assistance Fund, which is managed by NiB and NEFCO. “It is clear that the Fund has served the important purpose of facilitating more than 35 project proposals with realistic goals, viable structures and sound investment plans“, she stressed. “Efforts must therefore be made to retain and refill the BSAP Fund, and I hope that all Baltic Sea countries will contribute“. “Now we hope that the HELCOM Ministerial meeting in October will be a successful manifestation of our governments’ dedication to the BSAP and of their continued commitment to take concrete action to fulfil its goals by 2021”, Gestrin concluded.

On March 15, the Swedish Parliament hosted a seminar on regional cooperation of the police in anti-trafficking work, arranged by the European network Parliamentarians Against Human Trafficking (PAHT). The seminar attracted MPs, experts and NGOs from several European countries. Johan Linander and André Oktay Dahl, BSPC Rapporteurs on Trafficking in Human Beings, and Maria Stenberg, Nordic Council, participated as facilitators and speakers. “Trafficking in human beings is an international crime that requires forceful and coordinated international action” Linander said. “Seminars like this enable useful networking and knowledge exchange” Oktay Dahl emphasized. Stenberg stressed that “it is now necessary to intensify international cooperation and coordination between politicians, experts and NGO´s at all levels”. PAHT aims at developing a European network of parliamentarians working to combat human trafficking in order to promote and develop cross-border cooperation and mutual understanding. Furhter information

Ms Sylvia Bretschneider, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, BSPC Co-Observer to HELCOM, attended the 34 th HELCOM meeting in Helsinki 5-6 March. Addressing the meeting, Ms Bretschneider informed that she and Ms Christina Gestrin, BSPC Co-Observer to HELCOM, have submitted a letter to the HELCOM Chair containing a number of amendment proposals that could serve as input to the process of drafting the HELCOM Declaration due for adoption at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Copenhagen 3 October. The texts in the letter are excerpted from recent BSPC Resolutions and Working Group Recommendations. “I would like to highlight some points”, Ms Bretschneider said. “Combating eutrophication is of crucial importance for the restoration of the health of the Baltic Sea. It is of utmost importance that Governments fulfill all their commitments under the Baltic Sea Action Plan; that the HELCOM Ministerial meeting raises the level of ambition concerning the reduction of discharges of phosphorus and nitrates into the Baltic Sea; that Best Agricultural Practices are developed and introduced in order to reduce the input of biogenic substances into the Baltic Sea; and that international cooperation on vessel traffic management, maritime safety and disaster preparedness is further enhanced. Furthermore, joint objectives in Maritime Spatial Planning should be drawn up, taking VASAB guidelines into consideration”. Ms Bretschneider also mentioned that the HELCOM BALEX-DELTA Exercise this year will take place on 13-14 June in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern close to Rostock-Warnemünde.

The technologies for CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) are evolving, but it is necessary to develop their commercial viability. The fifth meeting of the BSPC Working Group on Green Growth and Energy Efficiency took place at the CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad, Norway, which is the world’s largest facility for testing and improving CO2 capture. Expert briefings were made by Vian Smith, TCM, and Eva Halland, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. The WG released the following statement: “Climate change is a serious threat to the development and prosperity of human society. According to a new report published by the World Bank, the average global temperature could increase by 4 degrees during this century, causing a sea level rise of over 1 meter. The effects would be disastrous. Fossil fuels, the major source of CO2 emissions, are expected to remain the dominant energy source for the foreseeable future. The risk of failure in reaching the goal to stop global warming at 2 degrees Celsius is looming. There is an imminent need to reduce the dependency of fossil fuels, extend the use of renewable fuels, and curb the emissions of climate gases. One important method for this is CO2 capture and storage (CCS). CCS technologies are evolving, but must become commercially viable within a few years. The availability and utilization of CCS depends not only on the technology itself, but also on political and financial incentives to implement the technologies. Currently, the price of CO2 is too low to function as an attractive economic incentive. The functioning of the European Trading System needs to be strengthened in order to support investments, development and implementation of new and sustainable energy technologies. The BSPC Working Group on Green Growth and Energy Efficiency recognises and commends the importance of the CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) in Bergen in developing new and innovative CCS technologies. Furthermore, it welcomes the important initiatives taken by TCM to form an international test centre network for carbon CCS facilities around the world, in order to share knowledge to accelerate the productization and commercialisation of CCS technologies.”

The BSPC Standing Committee assembled at the European Parliament in Brussels on 31 January 2013. The meeting was chaired by Ms Laine Randjärv, Estonia, BSPC President in 2012-2013. Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher, MEP, welcomed the participants to the European Parliament. The meeting included briefings an progress reports on CBSS by Mr Sergey Petrovich, Chair of the CBSS Committee of Senior Officials; on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EU SBSR) by Ms Joanna Kiryllo, European Commission, DG REGIO; on the Northern Dimension by Mr Kalle Kankaanpää, European External Action Service (EEAS); and on EU Integrated Maritime Policy by Mr Haitze Siemers, European Commission, DG MARE. The meeting also deliberated over the modalities for the follow-up of the BSPC Resolutions, and commenced preparing the structure and substance of the 22 nd BSPC in Pärnu in August 2013.

“Tourism is an important driver in and for a positive regional economic development. This is a gratifying tendency with promising prospects for the future. But to reap the immediate and long-term benefits from this development, it is indispensable that the further expansion of tourism in the Region proceeds in a sustainable manner, that can strike a rewarding balance between economic incentives and natural and cultural considerations” said Christina Gestrin, BSPC, in her keynote address at the III. International Conference on the Baltic Sea Strategy, held in Jurmala 22-23 November. Tourism and cross-sectoral initiatives for a sustainable development of the Baltic Sea Region was one of the main themes of the Conference, which was organized by the Embassy of Sweden in Latvia, the Swedish Institute, and the organization Keep Latvia Tidy. “Tourism is clearly associated with relaxation and recuperation. However, it should not mean relaxation from environmental concerns. If you behave environmentally-friendly in your everyday life, you should of course bring those habits along when you go on vacation. Sustainable tourism is not just a responsibility for event providers; it is also a personal responsibility, regardless of where you are staying. Minimizing your ecological footprint will help preserving the natural riches for generations to come. A continued growth of sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea Region is an endeavour that – handled prudently – can contribute both to the socio-economic development of the Region and to the protection and preservation of its natural and cultural heritage. This is, then, a true win-win situation”, Gestrin emphasized.