15 BSPC Resolution FINAL

[pic]5 September 2006Conference ResolutionAdopted by the 15h Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC)The participants*, elected representatives from the Baltic Sea States and European Parliament, assembled in Reykjavik, Iceland 3 – 5 September 2006, to discuss co-operation in the Baltic Sea Region, the Northern Dimension and European Maritime PolicyRegarding the Co-operation in the Regioncall on governments in the Baltic Sea region, the CBSS and the EU togive coordinated support to the new EU neighbouring countries in building the civil anddemocratic society and to promote reform processes in these countriesCall on the CBSS tostrengthen the interaction between the CBSS and the BSPC by further reinforcing and developing dialogue and information exchangeRegarding the Northern Dimension call on the European Commission and the Governments of Iceland, Norway and Russia topay attention to the results of the Round Table of the Northern Dimension held on 30 January 2006 in Copenhagen and encourage the members of the BSPC Standing Committee to attend the Parliamentary Forum on Northern Dimension, to be organised by the European Parliament in November 2006support and further develop the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP) and Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Wellbeing (NDPHS)work to secure concrete goals and financing mechanisms of the Northern Dimensionaim at filling the four EU-Russia common spaces with concrete contentstrengthen coordination and cooperation between regional organisations in Northern Europeconsider establishing a partnership on Transport and Logistics in the Framework of Northern DimensionRegarding the European Maritime Policy and the Baltic Sea Action Plancall on the governments in the Baltic Sea region, the CBSS, HELCOM and the EU towork for an integrated maritime policy in order to create favourable conditions for a prosperous, socially balanced and ecologically sustainable development of the Baltic Sea regionestablish a balance between the many competing economic benefits of the sea on the one hand, and adequate protection of the marine environment on the other, so as to allow an economically and ecologically sustainable use of marine resourcesinclude marine sciences and technologies for marine resources as priority fields in future research programmesstrive for harmonization of the current variety of political and legal measures, programmes and action plans at European level within the framework of an integrated European maritime policypursue a European fisheries policy that will take into account the particularities of the Baltic Sea and implement the principle of sustainable fisheries by active participation in the Baltic Sea RAC (Regional Advisory Committee)strengthen cooperation in the field of maritime safety and security, especially regarding search and rescue mattersRegarding the proposed North European Gas Pipeline (NEGP), call on the governments in the Baltic Sea Region and HELCOM toensure that the assessment of the feasibility of the proposed NEGP is carried out with a high level of transparency and in compliance with all applicable international obligationsRegarding the serious situation of abnormal algae blooming and lifeless areas of the Baltic Sea seabed call on the governments tostrongly support all kinds of measures and instruments designed to further reduce pollutant and nutrient inputs from agriculture, municipalities, shipping and industriessupport HELCOM activities in the full catchment area in order to fight the eutrophication in the Baltic Seatake active part in the planned April 2007 CBSS conference of ministers of environment and ministers of agriculture, in order to optimize their contribution to a less eutrophicated Baltic Sea and to present the results of this conference at the 16th BSPC-Conference in Berlin 2007Furthermore the Conference decided toask the Standing Committee to include the Green Paper on Maritime Policy to the Standing Committee work programme, to take part in the discussion on the Green Paper, to discuss the BSPC contribution at the next Extended Standing Committee meeting and to consider the installation of a working group on Maritime Policy in order to monitor the follow-up of the Green Paper processinclude the issue of energy on the future agenda of the BSPC Standing Committee meetingsask the Standing Committee to start discussions on social and labour market issues with labour market partnersacknowledge with satisfaction the new proposals by the CBSS Presidency about co-operation between the CBSS and the BSPCnote with pleasure the decisions by the participating parliaments to contribute to the financing of the secretariat as proposed by the Standing Committeeaddress the European Green Paper on the European Integrated Maritime Policy, labour market issues and social welfare as items at the next Conference in August 2007 in Berlinwelcome with gratitude the kind invitation of the German Bundestag to hold the 16th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference on 27-28 August 2007 in Berlin.*Baltic Assembly, Free and Hanse City of Bremen, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Denmark, Estonia, European Parliament, Finland, Federal Republic of Germany, Free and Hanse City of Hamburg, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Nordic Council, Norway, Poland, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, City of St. Petersburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Sweden, Åland.