Conference Report

omslag 1 19/03/02 16:21 Sida 1Civil Society.A Political Model BetweenVision and RealityThe 10th Baltic Sea ParliamentaryConferencegreifswald · 20012002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 1The 10th Baltic Sea ParliamentaryConferencegreifswald · 3–4 september 2001.Civil Society.A Political Model BetweenVision and RealityKim Eskildsen AaltonenKristina Eskildsen Aaltonen2002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 2The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference is an The Nordic Council was formed in 1952 to promoteannually organised conference where parliamen- cooperation between the parliaments and govern-tarians from both national and regional parliaments ments of Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.in the Baltic Sea region participate. According to its Finland joined in 1955. At the sessions held by theobjectives BSPC shall aim at strengthening the Council, representatives from the Faroe Islands andcommon identity of the Baltic Sea Region by close Greenland form part of the Danish delegation, whileco-operation between parliaments. BSPC shall ini- Åland is represented on the Finnish delegation. Thetiate and guide political activities in the region and Council consists of 87 elected members – all offurther regional co-operation especially towards the whom are members of parliament. The NordicCouncil of Baltic Sea States. The Conference is a Council takes initiatives, acts in a consultativeforum for debate and information exchange capacity and monitors cooperation measures. Thebetween parliaments and other organisations in the Council operates via its institutions: the Plenaryregion. Assembly, the Presidium and standing committees.www.bspc.net www.norden.orgThe Nordic Council Secretariat in Copenhagen functions as secretariat for the BSPC.Nordic CouncilP.O. box 3043, DK-1021 Copenhagen K. Phone (+45) 33 96 04 00. Fax (+45) 33 11 18 70.The 10th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. Civil Society – A political model between vision and realityANP 2002:702 © Nordic Council, Copenhagen 2002. Print: Aka-print a/s, Århus 2002. Photos: Degen-hardt Appenrodt. Cover/design: Kjell Olsson – NMR/PUB. Copies: 700. Printed on paper approved by541 312the Nordic Environmental Labelling2002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 3ContentsForeword 7Opening of the Conference 8first sessionRegional Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Area 11Civil society 11The BSPC – 10 years of work 12Past achievements and future tasks 14Closing remarks 15Report on behalf of the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS)– Perspectives of the actual CBSS Presidency 16Question and Answer Period 20second sessionSafety of ships and sea lanes 25Preventing and Combating Marine Accidents, Improving Safetyon Sea Lanes 25Plenary Discussion 29third sessionProfile and contours of a civil society designed by young people 35Youth Policy as a Cross-Sectional Approach to Politics 35Participation of Young People in Decision-Making Processes– Statement 37Participation of Young People in Decision-Making Processes– Statement 40Plenary Discussion 44fourth sessionCivil Society – Backbone of Stable Democracy 48A Flexible Approach Towards Civil Society 4832002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 4Ties Between Citizen and People, State and Native Country 48The Values of a Civil Society: Orientation and Changes 51Plenary Discussion 56Political and Legal Foundations of a Civil Society 60Democracy and Good Lawmaking 60Minorities and Human Rights 63Civil Rights and Civil Duties – Grass-Roots Work in Non-Governmental Organizations 65Political Challenges and Contributions 69Plenary Discussion 73Adoption of the resolution 76Adress from the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative (AII) Member States 77Closing of the Conference by the Actual and ComingHost of the BSPC 78Annex 1 79Annex 2 8542002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 5ForewordForeword by the Chairman of the Standing Committee andthe President of the hosting ParliamentThe 10th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference was held in Greifswald onSeptember 2nd – 4th 2001. Here parliamentarians from all countries inthe Baltic Sea Region focused on two main issues – Civil Society andSafety of Ships and Sea Lanes. On behalf of the Standing Committee wehave the honour of submitting this report on the work of the conference.Ten years of BSPC laid the foundation towards the anniversaryconference in Greifswald where – as has been emphasised by the par-ticipants – yet another step forward was taken in terms of establishing theBSPC as a contributory political factor in the region. For the first time theConference agreed not only on a more or less general resolution, but alsoon specific political messages addressed to the governments of CBSSMember States. The BSPC has thus become a second pillar of co-operation around the Baltic Sea – a complementary co-operative partnerto the CBSS. This places an emphasis on the self-understanding and onthe abilities of modern democracies, where both good government anddedicated political and legitimising function of elected parliamentariansare desirable and essential.The Conference also received a clear political signal from the delegatesfrom Italy, Greece and Croatia, which are members of the Adriatic-IonianInitiative, a new parliamentary co-operating structure around part of theMediterranean Sea. The Initiative is interested in establishing contactswith other parliamentary organisations and for them the BSPC is anexample of well-functioning and solid sub-regional parliamentarystructure. This external appraisal acts as a reward for ten years of BalticSea parliamentarians’ working together, but it is also regarded as anencouragement for the future of the BSPC.Heinz-Werner Arens Hinrich KuessnerChairman of the Standing Committee President of the State ParliamentPresident of the State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomeraniaof Schleswig-Holstein52002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 6Opening of the ConferenceMr Hinrich Kuessner, President of the State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaIt is an honour to welcome you at the tenth Baltic Sea ParliamentaryConference in the hanseatic city of Greifswald, Mr Kuessner introducedby saying. When the first conference was held ten years ago in Helsinki,then Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had only just begun to developdemocracy, he continued.During the last ten years, Mr Kuessner related, the basis for parlia-mentary democracy was established and deeply founded. Mr Kuessnercontinued by relating that time has come for Mecklenburg-WesternPomerania to expand its horizon and to reach beyond the borders of thestate and to participate actively internationally.The Baltic Sea is the region in which Mecklenburg-Western Pomera-nia is embedded. Furthermore Mr Kuessner related that the constitution,which was ratified by a popular vote in 1993 explicitates in article 11: TheLand Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania acts within the frames of itscompetencies to promote European integration and increase cross-border cooperation, especially in the Baltic Sea Region.The Baltic Sea Region is one the most economically dynamic areas inEurope, continued Mr Kuessner.We have a common interest in the Baltic Sea Region to further pro-mote our traditional multiple economical, historical, and cultural links toPoland, to the Baltic States, to the Scandinavian States, and also to theRussian Federation, he related.The accession of Sweden and Finland to the EU was of great impor-tance also in relation to the Baltic Sea Region cooperation, and it will alsobe of great importance when the Baltic States and Poland join the EU, MrKuessner emphasized. He added that a fast and smooth enlargement ofthe EU is very much in the interest of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.Looking back at European history the enlargement of the Union in thedirection of the Mediterranean area was in focus, Mr Kuessner pointed to.The southward enlargement was a great economical, and political-democratic success, he said. Beforehand the Mediterranean Sea was the62002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 7focal point, now focus has changed towards the Baltic Sea Region – TheNorthern Dimension, Mr Kuessner continued. Many parliamentariansare participating and even colleagues from the Mediterranean area areparticipating: From the Adriatic cooperation participants have come allthe way from Greece, Italy and Croatia.The peaceful European expansion is successful and has to be con-tinued. The situation in the Balkan area proves that peace and security isnot something that can be taken for granted, Mr Kuessner said. There-fore, he continued, it is of high importance to further promote andfacilitate the enlargement of EU with the Central and Eastern Europeanapplicant countries.He continued by saying that Europe is changing due to the Eastwardexpansion, and on both sides of the Union there is fear for the conse-quences. Within the Union there is fear that more people would becomeunemployed in the would-be member countries, as well as there is fear ofdominance from the old members of the EU, Mr Kuessner related. MrKuessner emphasized the need to take serious the fear of the population,and make sure that the consequences of the enlargement are carefullyexplained to the citizens on both sides.We have in the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania uni-laterally decided to expand the parliamentarian cooperation with ourPolish neighbouring provinces of Wojewodschaft Westpomerania. Sep-tember 14 a partnership agreement was to be signed in Stettin by the twoparties. The idea is, related Mr Kuessner, to expand cooperation and part-nership in areas of youth, business, mutual linguistic training, scientific,and cultural as well as in the area of sports.In connection to this, Mr Kuessner heartedly welcomed his colleaguesof the Seim of Westpomerania and Pomerania, and furthermore for thefist time the neighbours from Wojewodschaft.Speaking out of local experiences Mr Kuessner sent an appeal for ahelping hand to the new members of the EU, like his region received atthe crucial turning point some ten years ago.Mr Kuessner continued by quoting the major German newspaper“Der Spiegel”, which had been talking to Leszek Miller who is the front-runner for the Polish SLD – electorate Union. He spoke in favour of anexpansion of the Polish and German cooperation. Mr Kuessner eulogisedthe 1000-year-old cooperation between Poland and Germany. He alsoemphasized Poland’s decisive role together with the Hungarian and72002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 8Czechoslovakian republics when East Germany was liberated. Further-more Poland played a constructive role in the process of reunification andthereby in the healing of the European division, Mr Kuessner thankfullyreminded.Poland was the victim of Hitler’s aggressions 62 years ago, a move thatinitiated the Second World War. Yesterday 100 people representing theNeo-nazi party NPD was demonstrating “for peace”, but more than 2,000people of Greifswald refused the demonstration, he told. Mr Kuessneronce again emphasized the fact that today Germany and Poland areinterlinked partners in a merging Europe; and he added, the furtherimprovement of this cooperation is an aim.Mr Kuessner urged the EU not to lose sight of the historical dimensionof this Eastward enlargement and to seize the opportunity to reunite acontinent haunted by so many wars, and assure peace and prosperity.Geopolitically, Mr Kuessner added, Poland is placed exactly betweenGermany and Russia. If we want long-term stability, Kuessner reiterated,countries outside the EU have to be included; we have to cooperate andwork together especially with Russia the great country that has an impacton us all, he underlined. Russia is connected to all of us via the Baltic Sea,Mr Kuessner reminded. The relation to Russia is not only due to the tragicWorld Wars, and he pointed to the fact that Europe has been workingtogether with Russia culturally, trade wise etc. for centuries.Mr Kuessner emphasized the mutual benefits of the Russian-Germancooperation since Peter the Great of Russia, and expressed hopes that thepotential in cooperation between the countries would be revitalised.Russia is now taking over the presidency at the Baltic Sea Council. Theoverall theme, Mr Kuessner reiterated, is the development of the conceptof civil society. The cooperation concerning youth, democracy, civil rightsin all countries around the Baltic Sea are important, Mr Kuessnerunderlined.Mr Kuessner expressed satisfaction with the fact that the aim at the9th BSPC Conference in Malmö; namely to put the safety issue on theagenda had been fulfilled. Since all member countries are maritimecountries the issue is of great importance. The Presidency, the StandingCommittee, and also the Danish members have been working hardon a resolution proposal containing concrete measures, Mr Kuessneremphasized.82002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 9first sessionRegional Cooperation in theBaltic Sea AreaReport by the Standing Committee for the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC)Mr Heinz-Werner Arens, Chairman of the Standing Committee,President of the State Parliament of Schleswig-HolsteinCivil societyIn the first part of his speech, Mr Arens focused on the main theme of theconference: Civil Society. He believed that the term “civil society” hasbecome almost the buzzword of the year.Mr Arens used The Economic and Social Committee’s of the EuropeanUnion definition on “civil society” in his speech to create a common frameof reference concerning the concept at this year’s Baltic Sea Parlia-mentary Conference.According to this definition four key aspects characterize modern civilsociety:1. Institutions that are more or less formalized shape civil society. Theseinstitutions fulfil various functions in the economic, religious, culturaland social sectors and represent a link between the individual citizenand the state. Civil society therefore is a place of collective formationof will and civic representation.2. Individuals join the institutions of a civil society on their own and freewill.3. The framework of a civil society is founded on the sum of the existinglegal norms. Thus, a civil society is independent of the state, but by nomeans a sphere without any laws.4. Civil society creates an area of subsidiarity permitting different levelsof power to be built that are independent of the state but yet recog-nized by it.92002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 10In Western Europe and the United States the focus is primarily on theissue of how citizens could develop more public spirit and social bondsonce again. He used the former president of the Unites States, John F.Kennedy’s statement “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask whatyou can do for your country” to underline this point.In contrast to this, Mr Arens is of the opinion that, building a civilsociety in the Central and Eastern European States first of all involvesremoving something, namely removing the state’s omnipotence andomnipresence as the legacy of the Communist systems.Mr Arens stated that he expects an especially lively debate on howpolicymakers can contribute to supporting this social model due to theparticipants of this conference very varied experiences and angles on thesubject “civil society”.Mr Arens believed that one should try to strike a balance betweenunrestrained individualism and authoritarian order.Issues within the matter of “civil society” which are of concern to theBaltic Sea Region also concerns the European Union, Mr Arens under-lined.Recently Mr Prodi, President of the European Commission, presentedthe White Paper on “European Governance”. In this document advance-ment of civil society as one of the key priorities of political reform is listed.Mr Prodi has said that everyone needs to face a paradox in their respectiveposition: on the one hand, citizens expect the EU to do more and to do itmore efficiently, but on the other hand they are losing confidence in theEU’s institutions or are not interested in them at all. For this reason, MrArens thought it necessary that politics should aim to involve the citizensto a greater degree. He expressed his expectation that the participants ofthe Baltic Sea Parliamentarian Conference will use this year’s conferenceas a stepping-stone to achieve that aim.The BSPC – 10 years of workThe other part of Mr Arens speech concerned the last ten years of workwithin the framework of BSPC, future structures and working methodsand future tasks for the BSPC.Mr Arens thought it important to use this years ten years anniversaryof the BSPC as an occasion for self-critical stocktaking and for con-fronting some matters, even if they seem a little unpleasant: “How well102002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 11known is the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference?” and “Which struc-tures and working methods have evolved? How can we improve them?”was among the questions Mr Arens believed important to raise in thiscontext. In his speech, Mr Arens dealt with some of the importantquestions.On the occasion of the 10th anniversary a new website on the BSPChas been introduced and a booklet entitled “BSPC – 10 years of work” hasbeen published, Mr Arens informed. This publicity campaign’s aim hasbeen to present the work of the BSPC to a wider public within and beyondthe Baltic Sea Region.A cooperation between the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII) and BSPChas taken place this year, and delegations from AII member countriesGreece, Italy and Croatia participates as guests on this years Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference. On behalf of BSPC, Mr Arens welcomed thewish to cooperate laid down in the declaration of Zadar, adopted April 272001.Mr Arens underlined that cooperation within the Baltic Sea Regionhas been increasingly recognized outside parliamentary circles over thepast few years. This applies to both governmental levels (CBSS) and toNGOs.Mr Arens described the development of priorities within the BSPC inthe last ten years. In the early years coming together and getting to knoweach other were top priorities. Now we have gotten to know each other,Mr Arens said. The personal contacts or even friendships represent avalue in itself since they embody the continuing and lasting element ofour work. The continuity of the group of people attending the conferenceis conducive to increasing professional competence, Mr Arens concluded.He proposed the possibility that as a result one might some day drawthe conclusion that the participating parliaments appoint standingdelegations to the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference for one electoralterm.Mr Arens thought it important to look at the future perspectives of theparliamentary cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. He believed that theparliamentary dimension of Baltic Sea cooperation must be boosted onthe whole.The CBSS’s ten years anniversary is also an appropriate occasion toreflect on and discuss possible ways of changing the work procedures, MrArens said.112002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 12He underlined that consensus is the principle characterizing the workin the BSPC. Mr Arens discussed the representation, which he found notcompletely balanced, since it is not in proportion to the respectivepopulations. But an arithmetic approach would not be of much help,which is why we deliberately chose a pragmatic approach: our guidingprinciple is that we want to be as close as possible to where action is andto the people living in the Baltic Sea Region who gave us our parliamen-tary mandate, Mr Arens said.Within this context, Mr Arens told the participants at the conferencethat the Standing Committee has dealt with concrete proposals con-cerning representation in the Standing Committee. As a result they haveformulated and introduced a motion for the decision of the participantsat the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference that would alter the BSPCrules of procedures in such a way that the Standing Committee could beenlarged accordingly. Mr Arens welcomed any comments there might beon this issue at the “Question and Answer Session” following the reports.On behalf of the Standing Committee, Mr Arens gave an accountconcerning the death of Mr Juris Sinka, Member of the Latvian Parlia-ment and representative of the Baltic Assembly. Mr Sinka passed away onApril 4. He was known for his untiring work for his home country, and heworked for many years in the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference.Together with Mr Arens all participants at the conference held amoment of silence in memory of Mr Juris Sinka.Thereafter Mr Arens warmly welcomed Mr Romualds Razuks, mem-ber of the Latvian Parliament and Vice-President of the Baltic Assemblyas the Baltic Countries new representative on the Standing Committee.Past achievements and future tasksMr Arens presented the interim results of the conclusions proclaimed atlast year’s conference in Malmö:• Baltic Sea Youth Fund:Mr Arens told that it was not possible to set upa Baltic Sea Youth Fund until now. Instead such a Baltic Sea Youth Fundwill stay on the agenda as a long-term objective. The draft resolution,that participants at this year’s conference received, refers to the BalticSea Youth Assembly (which had it’s first meeting in Kalmar, Sweden inOctober 2000), calling on the governments and parliaments around122002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 13the Baltic Rim to support this project. The resolution also appeals to allgovernments in the Baltic Sea Region to take on joint support of theBaltic Sea Secretariat of Youth Affairs. Until now only a few countrieshave contributed to the funding of this institution.• International Summer Academy:This is held under the joint auspicesof the CBSS and the BSPC. The idea for the Academy dates back to the5th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. The Institute for PeaceResearch at Kiel University took up the idea. This year’s summeracademy dealt with “The Baltic Sea Region in the New Europe”. MrArens wished the International Summer Academy a good start, goodluck and a promising future.• Promotion of university cooperation around the Baltic Rim: A networkof university cooperation was established by Turku University inFinland. The partner universities offer undergraduate or graduateprograms in for example Baltic Sea Studies. The transfer of know-howand experience is primarily achieved by an exchange of visiting lecturesbetween the participating universities. This, Mr Arens said, is to ensurethe best possible output of a tight budget. The BSPC StandingCommittee intends to hold talks with the departments of Education inthe Baltic Sea countries in order to develop proposals for a network ofuniversity cooperation with other players in the Baltic Sea Region• Maritime safety:The resolution approved by last years conference inMalmö calls for measures to improve the safety of ships and sea-lanes.Maritime traffic in the Baltic Sea is projected to increase substantiallyin the next few years. The Parliament of Mecklenburg-WesternPomerania conducted an international hearing and compiled a com-prehensive report, which proposes a number of measures to improvethe safety of ships and sea-lanes. The result have been integrated intopart II of the draft resolution; the report forms an annex to theresolution.Closing remarksCooperation in the Baltic Sea Region is a major endeavour and a tremen-dous challenge. Progress is made step by step and there is still a long wayto go, Mr Arens said.He concluded by underlining the importance of getting into closercontact with the players of the civil society. At this conference we are132002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 14adding the most important dimension to the network of the Baltic Seacooperation, namely the inclusion of and dialogue with the people livingin this region, Mr Arens emphasized.Report on behalf of the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS)– Perspectives of the actual CBSS PresidencyAmbassador Alexey Obukhov,CSO-chairman of the CBSS, RussiaMr Obukhov expressed appreciation, on behalf of the Russian Chair, forgetting the opportunity to address the annual conference of Members ofthe Parliament from the participants of the CBSS. Democratic trans-parency is increasing and the dialogue is expanding in the North ofEurope and, therefore he said, that the conference goes in line with thatpositive development. Russia has taken over the Chairmanship at ahistoric moment namely at the 10th anniversary of the establishment ofthe institution.Mr Obukhov paid tribute to the previous Chair, and expressed hopesthat the Russian Chair would be able to do the same.The speaker focused on the importance of international cooperationand the Nordic Dimension of it. He added that the last decade haschanged a lot; it was a period of self-assertion, growth, identification ofits profile, diversifications and specifications of the CBSS’ profile.Now, Mr Obukhov deducted, it is quite possible to say that inter-national cooperation in the North of Europe has been transformed intoa system of strong and sustainable contacts in which both states andrepresentatives of private business, political and public figures, andNGO’s participate. This, he continued, helps strengthening the continuityin this region of the continent transforming it into a centre of economicgrowth.Mr Obukhov emphasized the importance that the CBSS has parti-cipated in the development of creating a stable region and therebyfacilitating the development of democracy and human rights. TheCommissioner for Democratic Development, the esteemed Ms HelleDegn, was presented as an example of an important liability of the CBSS.Some of the main features of the CBSS, Mr Obukhov, revealed are the142002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 15many different special working groups, including several senior mem-bers. He emphasized the importance of the highly qualified staff of theCBSS permanent secretariat in Stockholm signifying the increasing im-portance and respect in connection to the CBSS. It has been transformedinto a full-scale international cooperation.Due to the fact that four organisations are operating in the North ofEurope, the need for coordination is urgent the speaker underlined. As aconsequence there was to be held a coordinating meeting for the chair-men of these four organisations September 14 in Norway.Russia sees the principal goals of its presidency to uphold continuityand developing the cooperation, Mr Obukhov underlined. The CBSSshould develop its role as coordinator and initiator of initiatives. Theregular meeting of ministers for trade and cooperation will take place inMoscow. There is focus on the area of facilitating cross border trade andeasing up boarder control, underlined Mr Obukhov.The ministerial session of the CBSS in Kaliningrad will be entirelydevoted to the 10th anniversary of cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region,Mr Obukhov emphasized.The Northern Dimension policy by the EU establishes a frameworkfor cooperation. We count on the support of the EU-Members states, headded.The meetings of the Baltic Prime and Foreign Ministers in Kalinin-grad are of symbolic value due to the development of a multilateralcooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. These meetings and futuremeetings of ministers of defence, culture, transport, trade and economy,communications and information, integrated planning, etc. are to be heldin the framework of the CBSS in 2001–2002 will also facilitate thedevelopment of a Baltic sub-regional identity, Mr Obukhov underlined.He added that another objective of the presidency is to consider theeconomic component of the Baltic cooperation by creating conditions forlarge-scale investment projects. Mr Obukhov found that time was rightto further economic development in a sustainable and balanced manner.Particular attention should be paid to solving the problems of theKaliningrad region due to its geographical location, he emphasized.A framework and a lifeline to support Kaliningrad should be developed.Instantly a lot of positive developments in the area of Kaliningradbetween Russia, Poland and Lithuania have been experienced, MrObukhov related.152002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 16The Kaliningrad region should be provided with necessary conditionsfor a normal unhindered development and life support; and heunderlined the importance of solving the Kaliningrad challenge. MrObukhov also said: That it is a matter of record that the EU and Russiaare engaged in a dialogue on this issue. Furthermore, Mr Obukhov added,that he would like the Kaliningrad region to be transformed into a pilotproject of the long-term interregional cooperation between Russia andthe EU.What is particular important is to secure a stable power supply for theBaltic Sea countries that is economically and environmentally sound. TheRussian Chair will secure the facilitating of this by establishing a fund forsub-regional funding, Mr Obukhov underlined.Norway and Denmark have announced the willingness to contributeto this fund, he added.The Russian Chair, Mr Obukhov underlined, will prioritise the issuesof development of democracy, including human rights, and respect forminorities. He further explained that Russia is looking for constructivecooperation on the issue of human rights. The speaker revealed thatRussia intends to work closely together with the Commissioner onDemocratic Development, which will include participation in the pre-paration of a conference of human rights Ombudsmen of the Baltic SeaStates in Russia in the spring 2002.All in all, Mr Obukhov was very clear in his expression of constructivecooperation from the Russian Chair on issues of security, democraticdevelopment and human rights around the Baltic Sea.He reminded that the Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov had suggestedthat the Black Sea agreement on a multinational naval cooperationBLACKSEAFOR should be looked upon by the CBSS. The idea is to gaininspiration by the Black Sea cooperation intended to act in emergencysituations, to carry out particularly peaceful and civil tasks – search andrescue activities, sea mine clearing, humanitarian operations etc.Mr Obukhov emphasized that: We are assuming that future economicdevelopment, and cooperation in the Baltic Sea should be built on thebasis of environmentally adjusted models, and tested mechanisms ofinteraction between the Baltic States aimed at preventing and eliminatingthe consequences of possible emergencies and major industrial accidents.In essence he wanted some sort of task force to prevent disasters in thefuture.162002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 17Russia will continue the work of its predecessors in the Chair of theCBSS aimed at safer navigation in the Baltic Sea and cleaner marineenvironment, Mr Obukhov revealed, turning to the subject of maritimesafety. He pointed to the oil spillage that resulted from the collision of atanker with another vessel March 29 near Denmark, as an example of theurgency connected to the development of these measures.Russia will continue the efforst of its predecessor in the post of theCBSS Chair aimed at safer navigation in the Baltic Sea and cleanermarine environment. The oil spillage resulted from the collision of atanker with another vessel March 29 near Denmark attest to the necessityand urgency of these measures. Russia would like to hope that theforthcoming ministerial meeting of the HELCOM member countries inCopenhagen will become a setp towards a safer maritime navigation.In this area Russia as the CBSS Chair intends to rely on the activity ifthe existing specialized regional insitutions. An important place amongthem belongs to the Helsinki Baltic Marine Environment ProtectionCommission.The Russian side as Chairman of the CBSS will contribute in everypossible way to strengthen the cooperation between ministries anddepartments of the region’s states, Mr Obukhov added.Furthermore he revealed that Russia will focus the attention onupgrading the transportation flows in the region. The Ministers ofTransportation will hold a meeting on the subject in Gdansk.The enhanced interaction in the Baltic Sea concerning non-militarysecurity was another important issue forwarded by Mr Obukhov, an issuethat Poland as initiating state mostly is working on.A topic that the speaker believed is linked to the quality of people’s lifeis the protection of citizens from illegal actions. Russia intends toparticipate in the work of the prime ministers task force on organisedcrime. Another high priority, he revealed, is the creation of a system ofnotification of the emerging seats of infectious deceases, especially thefight against the spread of HIV and tuberculosis, and to set up a Baltichealth care school was given priority.Mr Obukhov pointed to the tax system where he found a betterinteraction should be provided.A new dimension of the CBSS is the forum of NGO in the Baltic Sea,which is being developed, Mr Obukhov emphasized, and he added: Weshould not be losing sight of this dimension.172002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 18He continued by underlining that a streamlining of the institution isof importance and the Troika seemed to be a good initiative in thisdirection, which also provides a good forum for consultation.The Russian chair of the CBSS receives special attention from thePresident, the Prime Minister, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, andMr Obukhov underlined that Russia views this CBSS as an importantinstrument of collective responses to the new challenges that Europefaces.Mr Obukhov ended his speech by saying that the Russian Chair countson the contribution by all member states including such an importantsocial and political component as the forum of parliamentary commu-nities of the member states.Question and Answer PeriodMs Sinikka Bohlin, SwedenIt is with a certain amount of pride that we are able to hold the 10th BalticSea Conference, Ms Bohlin introduced by saying. It is my belief, shecontinued, that this work has been of great value to all who live aroundthe Baltic Sea. She added that for her personally it had been of great valueto build the networks and get to know people, and that also included thecivil servants supporting the work.Ms Bohlin emphasized that the invitation by the German FederalPresident Mr Rau to our President Mr Arens regarding the plannedround trip to three Nordic countries, which in her eyes could be seen asrecognition of the work done, and as a link to the Nordic Parliaments.Ms Bohlin expressed the notion that things were handled well, but thatsomething could be handled even better. She had the feeling thatsometimes things were being handled twice at conferences and in theStanding Committee. Therefore Ms Bohlin gave the advice that futureorganising and structuring of the work would be reconsidered. Sheconsidered the Conference as a catalyst for political discussions and forthe democratic discussion as well.Ms Bohlin emphasized that in her eyes the important part of theConference was the link between the conference and the local parlia-182002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 19ments, because, as she explained, it is back in the Parliament and inmeetings with civilians that the basic work has to be done.Ms Bohlin underlined the importance of continuity regarding thedelegations representation at the conference. I am not going to say thatSweden is the best country: Regarding the continuation of presence onthe conference since we every year have selected a new delegation. Eventhough some of our represents have been here more than once, Ms Bohlinsaid, and emphasized that Sweden are trying to improve their degree ofcontinuity.Therefore she underlined the necessity to improve on the work, forinstance she pointed to the possibility that parliamentarians could beselected for a whole period to participate.Furthermore, she pointed to the element of “take it or leave it” inconnection to the resolution, which she was not fully satisfied with.She supported that the Nordic Council is taking part in the conferenceas great contributor and “midwife” of the project.My proposition therefore is that it should be considered to enlarge theStanding Committee in order for all member countries to be able toparticipate in it, Ms Bohlin said.Mr Gustavo Selva, Official representative for the President ofthe Cameira dei Deputati, ItalyMr Selva introduced his speech by delivering his opening remarks inGerman. In name of the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies inRome, Mr Cassini, and in name of the opposition leader Luciano Violantewho has worked hard and cleverly in order to establish the Adriatic andIonian Parliamentary Initiative. I am, he continued, the leader of theCommittee for Foreign Affairs in the Italian Chamber of Deputies and asyou know there was general election in Italy May 30.We Italians have elected a strong government composed of centre-right parties gathered in the so-called House of Freedom led by Mr SilvioBerlusconi. This government builds on excluding both right wing and leftwing extremists, he said. The Italian foreign policy is based on a strongsupport of the European Union and the enlargement of it, and in thatcontext to further development of the Baltic – Adriatic and Ioniancooperation, he underlined both on a governmental and parliamentarianlevel.The dialogue and democratic growth is a shared objective of The192002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 20Baltic Sea Conference and the IIA, he pointed to. The formula of thisconference is very interesting – the formula of equal cooperation, MrSelva emphasized. Local parliaments can cooperate on an equal footing,he said. He emphasized that he very much supports the cooperation onmaritime safety. Furthermore he pointed to the improvement of themaritime environment as another high priority, which includes an Italianproposal on the issue.Among other topics of importance that Mr Selva pointed to were anincreased international cooperation against organised crime.A central theme that Mr Selva related to was that of cultural, scientific,and university cooperation, which in his eyes should also be followed byyouth exchange.He also underlined the priority of achieving equal dialogue andremoving the risk of new barriers when EU is enlarging. New sub-regional organisations are increasing in numbers, he pointed to.The quality of legislation is a further topic where the work of ourparliaments can be further enhanced, Mr Selva related. In that connec-tion he underlined the necessity for adjusting sector based legislation toEuropean Union legislationMr Selva finished his speech by emphasising the need for dialogue topreventing the building of new barriers.Chairman, Mr Kuessner, President of the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaWe will see in the future how the dialogue between our regions willdevelop, and dialogue, the President emphasized, is always important. Hethen gave the word to Mr Hovmand President for the Nordic Council.Mr Svend Erik Hovmand, President of the Nordic Council, DenmarkAs President of the Nordic council, which helped initiate this project Iwould like to thank the two initiators of this session: Arens and Kuessner,he said. Mr Hovmand put emphasis on their focus on the historicdevelopment in our part of the world.We all have reason to pride ourselves with the fact that this is the tenthBSPC Conference, he underlined. It is 40 years ago in these days that theBerlin Wall was erected, but the people tore it down in November 1989,202002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 21he pointed to. Mr Hovmand himself experienced the building of the Wall,and it made a very big impression on him. He revealed that in his beliefthe youngsters of today should know that story. Therefore he was happythat Kuessner and Arens told the story. Mr Hovmand emphasized thegreatness of meeting in the former East Germany 12 years after therevolution there and ten years after the revolution in the Baltic countries.The cooperation has developed into a very practical cooperation e.g.regarding modern law making and the common environment, he said.The Standing Committee already four years ago suggested that the BalticSea Cooperation would pilot the Kyoto agreement. Mr Hovmand pointedto that it would be more efficient to put a new filter on a more pollutingchimney in the East of the region rather than putting filter number 23 onone in the Western part. That probably would help our common environ-ment the most, he said.Mr Hovmand turned to the issue of energy cooperation: “the BalticElectricity Ring”, which is a very important option for cooperatingtogether for the people and countries around the Baltic Sea.The common cooperation on fighting international crime was anotherimportant issue for Mr Hovmand, since that is a common problem. It isthe prerequisite for more free trade between the countries in the region,he emphasized.Youth exchange is another example of cultural development in theregion, he pointed to.Maritime safety was the last important issue Mr Hovmand turned to;an issue the governments have to take serious. Among the potential toimprove is the technical composition of the vessels, he added, andemphasized that the cost are lower than the risk of an oil disaster.As the President for the Nordic Council, it pleased him to observe theimprovements on the maritime area. The Nordic Council is a coopera-tion, which has human beings as the centre of its work he underlined.He offered the service of the Nordic Council regarding the develop-ment of the Nordic Dimension.Mr Hovmand finished by saying that the success of bringing all thedifferent countries around the Baltic Sea together was a great success,and expressed the hope that the next ten year would develop positively aswell.212002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 22Mr Heinz-Werner Arens. President of the Parliament of Schleswig-HolsteinMr Arens related that he coincided with what Mr Hovmand said, andthanked the Nordic Council for the cooperation, and added that withoutthe support from the Nordic Council the BSPC would not have been ableto exist. In response to Mr Selva, Mr Arens said that we have two identicalmaritime cooperations in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the BalticSea cooperation. Mr Arens emphasized that in his opinion the twocooperations were not competing, but rather were in a situation wherecommon challenges could be shared and experiences exchanged.Regarding the comments from Ms Bohlin, Mr Arens underlined acommon interest in the strengthening of the Standing Committee.When we prepare our resolution we should go a little bit longer MrArens emphasized and noticed that the principle of consensus should notbe a hindrance for further development. On the other hand, Mr Arens wasnot convinced that every region or even country should be able to blockthe cooperation. We should prepare carefully for the next conference,which has always been our tactics, he emphasized.We are well represented perhaps over represented he said, referring toMs Bohlin.222002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 23second sessionSafety of ships and sea lanesPreventing and Combating Marine Accidents, ImprovingSafety on Sea LanesMr Stig Östdahl, Chairman of the Conference of Peripheral MaritimeRegions (CPMR), FinlandMr Östdahl introduced by saying that he was grateful for being invitedand he considered it a good start for future cooperation. He recognisedthat the participants are working at different levels, personally he isworking more on a regional level and they on the state level. Mr Östdahlrelated that his position was that of Chairman of the CPMR, which is theConference of Peripheral Maritime Regions. The organisation has 146member regions from 26 countries, not only from EU countries, but alsoaccession countries and neighbouring countries, Östdahl revealed.Our main goals is the new regional policies after 2006, new gover-nance, which is very important on the regional level and in regardsto maritime issues, since as Mr Östdahl emphasized, we are a lobbyorganisation.The CPMR is organised in a very decentralised way including sevencommissions. The Baltic Sea mission has 26 members. MecklenburgPomeranian is also a member.Mr Östdahl revealed that he is also the president of the East Bothniaregion in Finland, which is a very beautiful area.Mr Östdahl introduced the maritime subject by showing a map inFinnish. In 1984 there was a major accident polluting the Bothnia areanear the town of Vasa, he said. Hundreds of people were voluntarilyhelping out. It was manual labour that was needed in order to clean upthe beaches; up to 800 people were helping out daily. Mr Östdahlconcluded that it is the local people who are suffering and that must cleanup. It was a hard and primitive job to clean it up.232002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 24The problem of preventing accidents and increasing maritime safetyis complex and not easy to overcome, underlined Mr Östdahl. In order tofight the problem a multilevel effort is needed.The battle against the pollution therefore has to be fought at manylevels: the global, the EU, the national, the regional and the local level.He continued by saying that he would try to analyse the efforts fromthe point of view of the CPMR.The news, Mr Östdahl continued, only speaks of unusual phenomenaand information that is likely to touch the public emotionally, visually, orpersonally. Maritime safety is no stranger to this rule, and the emotionalone, accompanied by vivid pictures, regularly brings to the fore the issueof oil spills. This has been the case over the past months with the Erikaand Ievoli Sun disaster off the coast of Brittany and Normandy in France.These two disasters led to questions being raised on the very organisationof world maritime regulations, the methods of compensation for thevictims and the organisation of relief operations, Östdahl added.On this occasion, Östdahl continued, everyone became aware of boththe complexity of the issue, and the quantity of red tape – not to mentioninertia – that prevails when it comes to the way in which maritime safetyis organised. It also became clear to everyone how far removed thestructures in charge of making and implementing decisions are fromthose bearing the economic, ecological and human consequences of thesedisasters, he insisted.Yet, he continued, it would be possible to give the regions the powersboth in regards to traffic management as well as matters for regulationthat would allow them to carry out the role effectively. We might see theUS Coast Guard as one such example of this. Of course it is hardlyforeseeable, nor indeed desirable to transpose such a model to Europe.However we might at least take inspiration from it. An increasing numberof voices are being raised today to demand the institution of a EuropeanCoast Guard something that those currently in charge do not deemnecessary, Mr Östdahl said. Why this shortcoming, why this hesitation,Mr Östdahl asked rhetorically. Surely there is an ambition of sufficientcooperation at the European level and a real will to tackle the issues ofmaritime safety. We are relying far too much on the IMO, he stated. Justthink about how quickly the Americans reacted, when they had the bigdisaster in Alaska. It took about two to three years then they had new242002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 25coast guard regulations fixing the problem for their part, he emphasized.In Europe it takes very long time, he underlined.It must never the less be acknowledged that things are starting tochange, Mr Östdahl reassured. Very gradually to be sure, he continued,but to a largely insufficient extent in my view, he underlined. But theregional level can no longer be ignored at it has been until now.He reported that some evidence of the change has been traced atCommunity level whether it be at the political level through the meetinghe had earlier in 2001 with Ms Loyola de Palacio at her request. Sheassured Mr Östdahl that the issue of regions is being taken into accountin certain EC financial programs.Mr Östdahl had a number of explanations behind the change. Hestarted by referring to the shortcomings, and sometimes inefficiency ofthe methods for coordination and oil pollution control. The problembeing, he pointed to, that there is no one to take over at the ground.He highlighted the experience of Erica, which showed that themobilisation on the ground was due to the impetus of local and regionalleaders, which brought about rapid, appropriate, and sustainableoperational assistance.He emphasized that there is a general movement underway in Europeto give more responsibilities of the sub-state levels in line with the newgovernance debate a development, which he deemed very positive.Furthermore Mr Östdahl depicted a third factor resulting from the gen-eral awareness of the need to progress towards a new way of organisingsafety in a broader sense, in this case the safety of maritime transport.This awareness, continued Mr Östdahl, exist among professionals,politicians and above all the public opinion. He finished the point byemphasising that the pressure of populations in maritime regionsconstitutes a determining factor in bringing pressure to bear on thedecision makers.Mr Östdahl elaborated on initiatives undertaken by CPMR regardingreinforcing the role and place of maritime regions: We formulated arequest – to which we are awaiting the reply – for the European regionsto be involved in existing international bodies, as well as greatercooperation between the regions themselves. The hope is, Mr Östdahlremarked, that the CPMR would gain observer status in bodies such asthe International Maritime Organisation or the International Oil252002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 26Pollution Compensation fund. For that project to succeed he appealed forthe support from the CBSS.Mr Östdahl expressed hopes that the Maritime regions would use theINTERREG III B instrument in order to include in operational programsany action capable of increasing regional capacities in accidentalpollution prevention and control. Furthermore he emphasized the needto take action against the so-called operational pollution, whose impactthough diffuse and less visible is as damaging as those of the big oil spills,he said.He mentioned as an example of INTERREG III A project the commonpurchase of rescue helicopters in the Gulf of Bothnia.He did recognise though that the regions do have some weaknesses interms of know-how and practises. Therefore the CPMR intends to makeuse of stand C of the Interreg instrument to promote the exchange ofexperiences and good practises in maritime safety, Mr Östdahl under-lined. Furthermore he mentioned a new cooperation with DG Environ-ment of the European Commission on the regional level regardingmaritime safety.Mr Östdahl emphasized the need for a development model in order forthese initiatives to become efficient. A model aimed at sustainability andbased on the principles of an integrated approach.Mr Östdahl praised the model of sustainability adopted by theEuropean Council in Göteborg in June, but it was very far-off on terms ofconcrete implementation, he said. We know where we are heading, weknow how to get there, and we know the needs and conditions that weneed to pursue. It is now a question of political will.Our assessment of the situation is by no means indulgent, he said. Wefeel that the principles of the integrated approach are not being madesufficiently known and we maintain that the current governing of how thestructural funds are implemented are not likely to ensure a widerdissemination or a large-scale implementation of these principles, heunderlined.He continued by emphasising that for that reason the CPMR isin favour of taking advantage of the current period of programming2000–2007 to publicise these principles in order to disseminate success-ful experiences, adapt the rules and procedures and allow the producersof information and statistics to adjust their working programmeaccordingly.262002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 27We address the Commission and the member states to support actionsin this direction, he emphasized. Mr Östdahl finished by saying that it isonly on that condition that the declaration of political intent will take onthe full meaning and become a reality.Plenary DiscussionDr Henning Klostermann, Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaThe ecological situation in the Baltic Sea and also in other European Sea’slike the Mediterranean have shown how urgent that accidents at sea, MrKlostermann underlined, are prevented via measures taken in regard toimproving safety on sea through determined precautions.Mr Klostermann emphasized the importance of improving the safetyat sea, which is one point, and at the same time prevent oil-spills that isan increasing problem. Therefore, he told, it was decided at the con-ference in Malmö to demand action taken from the parliaments andgovernments involved. The accident concerning the Baltic Sea Carrieropened the eyes of the public regarding these problems and showed thatthe focus on the issue was relevant, he said.Regarding the thematically reporting, we have delivered a report,which is connected to the second part of the draft Resolution, which Ihereby refer to, he said.The “Baltic Carrier” accident revealed our vulnerability as coast regionhe related, and underlined that a big accident could undermine theexistence of a coastal region. Therefore measures have to be taken inorder to avoid a serious incidence and make the Baltic Sea a safe area, MrKlostermann emphasized.Mr Klostermann said that a total prevention of accidents in the BalticSea is not possible, but measures have to be taken in order to improve,develop, and qualify the broadest possible efforts in each unit so that it allcould add up to a minimisation of risks.Furthermore Dr Klostermann expressed gratitude that in the pre-paration of the conference it had been possible, in cooperation withDenmark and the Standing Committee, to work out a draft resolution,which contains the necessary elements regarding security improvements.He appealed to the members to vote in favour of the draft resolution.Since the commitment in Malmö 2000 it has been possible to movethe subject further despite the complexity of the subject, Mr Klostermannexplained.272002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 28It is also very important that all member states of the Baltic SeaConference work determinedly together on this issue in the IMO, he said.This means that we will be able to propose to the IMO in London acommon Baltic Sea proposition for instance regarding mandatory use ofa pilot in the Western Baltic Sea, Dr Klostermann underlined. A commonvoice at the IMO conference would make it possible for us to become amodel region, he emphasized.We need an adequate and common maritime safety culture in theBaltic Sea, without asking why and when, he underlined.At the end, Dr Klostermann appealed for solidarity in order to ensurethe safety of the Baltic Sea.Folke Sjölund, ÅlandMr Sjölund initiated by saying that we on the Åland islands are glad thatone of the issues of this conference regards the cooperation within thearea of maritime safety and protection of the maritime environment. Forthe people of Åland living in the middle of the Sea dependent on a wellfunctioning transportation system operated by ships and ferries it is ofutmost importance that the safety on sea is the best possible, he under-lined. And he continued that the shipping transport is not allowed topollute the seawater. It is a matter of great importance for everybodyliving around the sea to protect the environment, and therefore, he con-tinued, that the Nordic countries have suggested two amendments. Thefirst one is, he quoted: To protect the environment by prohibiting all dis-charges from ships especially oil and sewage by all traffic in the Baltic Sea.Over a period of ten years the amount of wasted oil by washing tanksand the like is bigger than the amount of oil getting out in the Baltic Seaby accident, he said.The second amendment goes: To promote an obligatory reportingsystem for navigation in the Gulf of Finland and the main parts of theBaltic Sea.There is another aspect regarding safety at sea that has not beenemphasized enough, Mr Sjölund underlined and this is the competenceof the crews of the ships. Experts have estimated that as much as 80 percent of the accidents at sea are caused due to the human factor, humanerrors. Therefore he spoke in favour of upgrading competencies amongcrews. This led him to talk about the level of the education at relevantschools, which has to be considered.282002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 29Carina Ohlsson, SwedenIt is of utmost importance that we together, for instance via legislation,forcefully are attempting to prevent oil spills, she said. The environmentis very vulnerable in the Baltic Sea, she pointed to. For instance birds andfish are very exposed to oil pollution in the Baltic Sea, which also couldlead to severe economic consequences. Only a few gram of pollution persquare meter could have fatal consequences, she said. This autumn in theSwedish Parliament a new proposal regarding the fighting of illegal oil-spill is going through the first reading, she said. The proposal dictates thatSwedish legislation is going to include foreign ships in the economic zoneof Sweden. The regulation of extended jurisdiction is therefore proposedto be complemented by a rule on limited right to prosecute, sheexplained, and added that it is tricky to catch the polluters. It isrecommended that the Cost Guard shall have the opportunity to initiateand prosecute inquiry in cases of crimes of discharges, she related. Thiswould in principle give the coast guard the same authority as the police.Furthermore an authority has to have the overall responsibility, she said.Mr John Dale, NorwayMr Dale introduced by saying that the reports recited in the morning leftthe impression that the Baltic Sea Region is still in process of change andtransition. The situation can be characterised by a number of factors, hesaid. We noticed that the very extensive network involving all levels ofcivic institutions, and segment of public government structures, andbusiness societies have been established. The network is constantlygrowing, he pointed to, and further related that economic growth iscontinuing, but is uneven. Impressive growth and a smooth structuralchange have taken place in the Baltic countries, Poland and the formerDDR, he remarked. The situation in Russia is more complicated, he said.From a Norwegian point of view some points should be highlighted;we hope that regional cooperation will be strengthened in the years tocome, and in particular cooperation in the Northern part of Europe. TheNorthern Dimension is a EU project, he related, and it has the potentialto become an important instrument in this respect provided thatcountries involved engage seriously in the process. Some progress hasbeen traced recently in this respect, he said. The CBSS has developed ahigh profile as a contributor to the regional policy within the initiative ofthe Northern Dimension and confirms its intention to play an active role292002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 30for its further development and implementation; he quoted the Hamburgcommuniqué saying.It is important to have a balanced relation between the regionalinstitutions therefore Norway has initiated a summit on that issue, hestated. The main focus of the CBSS must naturally be on efforts to developadequate financing instruments. A specific proposal has been initiated,originally put forward by Denmark, which aims at providing money forcooperation between local and regional levels in two or more memberstates. The sub-regional organisations are in favour of establishing sucha fund hoping that it will become a flexible and un-bureaucratic instru-ment, he related.Denmark and Norway have promised to contribute, and when 3million Euros have been reached the fund will be opened for signatures.Safety on Sea is an important issue, he conceded. The proper answer tothe challenge regarding accidents at international seaways is inter-national rules initiated via IMO. He noticed that Stig Östdahl proposedthat regions should have observatory status in the IMO, that couldpossibly help to secure that global regulations would be implementedlocally, he said. The text of the draft solution, in his opinion, does notinclude enough about the combat against the spread of communicablediseases. He appealed for the Conference to support a stronger wordingon this subject.Professor Dr Peter Ehlers, Chairman of HELCOM, GermanyWithin a week in Copenhagen there will be a meeting on the MaritimeSafety with the Ministers for Traffic and Environment from the Baltic SeaStates under the auspices of the Helsinki Committee, he related. Themeeting is a reaction to the Baltic Sea carrier accident. This resolution’sparagraph on the issue is probably a very good starting point for theministers, but it will provide that the problems of maritime safety arebeing dealt with seriously, he said. The demands of the parliamentariansshould be taken on board by governments, he related, and shared thebelief that it probably would.We cannot always wait for a worldwide solution even though that ispreferable; instead we sometimes have to take measures regionally eventhough international law does not always provide a frame, the speaker302002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 31said. This is a balancing act between international law, and the rights ofthe coastal states to stay free from pollution, he pointed to.We have to remember that the maritime safety aspect is not the onlyone; our Swedish colleague told us that illegal dumping still happensthough it has been prohibited for twenty years, which is a very bigproblem. In this regard it is important that the Baltic Sea states work stillcloser together on prohibiting these breaches, he related. One aspect toconsider is the economical incentives that have to be cut in order toprevent deliberate pollution, Mr Ehlers pointed to.The most difficult problem is the overload of phosphor and nitrites;there is a lot of input from the agricultural sector and traffic. This prob-lem, he revealed is not easy observable and therefore it does not touch theemotional string that big oil spills with the characteristic pictures do.We are in need of a safety and environment culture in the Baltic Seaarea, because rules and resolutions cannot do it alone, he pointed to.Everybody has to be conscious about the environment and safety in thedaily life and that only happens via societal processes and due to theefforts in a pluralistic society, he emphasized. Parliaments have animportant role, and we have to work together in the future in order toreach these aims, he finished by saying.Dr Dorothee Stapelfeldt, President of the Free and Hanse Cityof HamburgIn regards to the theme of protecting the environment, I would like to addsomething, Dr Stapelfeldt introduced by saying.Hamburg has proposed an amendment that we should drop portdues. If they are paying – the ships – less for ports they will have moremoney for environmental measures. Ships that are friendly towards theenvironment would be charged lower rates.Hamburg has in July 2001 introduced a system that according to fourcriteria reward vessels that behave environmentally responsible, she said.The criteria integrate different systems that reward ships like the SwedishGreen system and the Green Reward system. This green shipping systemis an attempt to integrate a cleaner environment with the daily businessof companies, Ms Stapelfeldt said.She asked for the participants to consider the initiatives for theresolution.312002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 32Mr Manfred Ritzek, Schleswig-HolsteinIn the Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein there has been a lot of talkingabout maritime safety.In the Northern parts of the Baltic Sea there is annually 425.000vessels passing. There is annually 45 incidents at sea, he pointed to.Therefore the theme is urgent.We have an increasing number of ferryboats in our waters and thisshould be included in our resolution since the problem does not onlyconcern product carriers, but also ferryboats, he related. Another prob-lem concerns wind plants off shore terminals. Which should have a toppriority, since the seaways are getting increasingly narrower, he revealed.We should not create new dangers.Mr Wilfried Töpfer, BremenMr Töpfer initiated by admitting that the audience might find it curiosthat a Bremer would take the word on this issue, but he said that a Bremeris also engaged due to the North Sea proximity.He pointed to the challenges concerning the relationship to Kalinin-grad, which he agreed with the Russian colleagues should have a highpriority.The North Sea has no cooperation like the CBSS and he expressedfears that increasing measures in the Baltic Sea will further the pressureon the North Sea, he pointed to, even though he supported the themes.Mr Töpfer would like the parliamentarians to support the issue of IMO.Mr Töpfer appealed to his colleagues in order to have their support inthe work of having TBT prohibited, which already was decided in theBundestag, he revealed.Chairman, Mr Hinrich Kuessner, President of the Parliamentof Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaMr Kuessner stated that he believed that it was a very important discus-sion and expressed hopes that it can contribute to move the issues of theresolution forward.322002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 33third sessionProfile and Contours of a Civil SocietyDesigned by Young PeopleYouth Policy as a Cross-Sectional Approach to PoliticsMr Leif Linde,National Board for Youth Affairs, SwedenMr Linde thanked the BSPC for putting this important issue on theagenda. He thought it was very wise, because it is important to promoteactivities so youth can participate more in politics and youth exchangeprogrammes etc. It was important for Mr Linde to stress that workingwith youth is not only a matter of the future but also a question aboutlistening to the youth and to take decisions which is also good for youngpeople.The speaker’s task was to describe the new national system for youthpolicy in Sweden, which started two years ago.Mr Linde described the culture and environment in which youngpeople between 16-25 years in Sweden live under.Among young people, 8 out of 10 are organised in one or another kindof organisation, mostly sport organisations and trade unions.As in other countries, there is in Sweden a tradition to be independentat a very early age. The most important thing in the youth field is that wehave very independent municipalities, Mr Linde said. Decisions in themunicipalities’ Councils often have very big effect on young peoples dailylife. Therefore it is of great importance to cooperate with the munici-palities when working with youth politics, Mr Linde underlined.There is a trend in youth policy in Sweden to work with some kind ofpublic management ideology rather than regulations by law.Youth trends in Sweden during the 1990ies are to some extend similarto the youth trends in some other countries. One of the youth problemsis defined as: It is difficult to be adult. Unemployment is one of the332002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 34reasons for this while also the need to remain in the educational systemlonger time than earlier seems to be an explanation (demands on highereducation).There is a decrease in traditional political participation, but also inother political activities outside the parties. There were social differencesbetween young people in the 1990ies, especially between men and womenand the part of the country they where born in. Mr Linde emphasized thata majority of the youth thought Sweden to be a good place to live in andwere optimistic about the future.In 1999 the Parliament agreed on a new youth policy and decided threegeneral objectives:1. Independent life2. Influence and participation3. Young people as a resource, not a problemThe government identified 41 objectives in addition to this.Every year the National Board of Youth Affairs should collect resultsfrom 15 other state’s authorities, for example the Agency of Education,labour market etc. and the national board then analyse it cross-sectorialand formulate suggestions to the government – but it is also aboutexamples of good practice.This also implements active follow up at a local level, Mr Lindeemphasized.It is an important task to stimulate the development of youth activities.To reach this goal the National Board of Youth Affairs cooperates withrelevant authorities.In addition to this the National Board is responsible for the EuropeanUnion’s Youth programme and also for youth exchange programmes inthe Baltic Sea Region.342002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 35Participation ofYoung People in Decision-MakingProcesses– StatementMr Renaldas Vaisbrodas, Lithuanian Youth CouncilHe started by saying that he wondered why, when the discussion comesto young people the smile on people’s faces hang on. He continued bysaying that we are young, we are motivated to do something that’s is whywe are encouraging you to work and to do something for us, and thankyou for that.Mr Vaisbrodas thanked the organisers of the conference for theinvitation on behalf of the Council of Lithuanian Youth Organisations(LIJOT) for getting the opportunity to participate and present hisstatement. Human beings, he continued, are used to estimate past fromthe current positions, men compare present with past especially when wespeak about happenings, which cardinally change understanding ofmillions of people about different societal phenomenon or processes.Mr Vaisbrodas looked back at history and pointed to the end of lastcentury, which brought different changes to the life of Europe and theworld. These changes made us revise our values, it accelerated the rise ofdemocracy and changed socio-economical, political, and cultural rela-tions between people and countries, he emphasized.Mr Vaisbrodas reminded the audience that the BSPC Conferenceshows that representatives from different countries around the Baltic Seahave gathered for the tenth time because they have a common perceptionof different realities. He emphasized that the Baltic Sea does not anymoreseparate, but unite us for the common work.The speaker referred to Pythagoras who in his “Golden Poems”admitted: Lots of different ways exist for realisation of human abilities,lots of them are bad, lots are good, but firstly we must envisage reality. Hecontinued by saying that possibilities to envisage reality have not onlyexperienced politicians or public figures, but also young people whounderstand their mission and are ready to take over responsibilities.The experiences of the Baltic Sea Youth Cooperation shows that youngpeople around the Sea are motivated to take over responsibilities, hepointed to. Mr Vaisbrodas’ experience of the close youth cooperation352002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 36within the countries concerned led him to his next point, the state ofaffairs in Lithuania; as an example.Mr Vaisbrodas underlined that representatives of Lithuanian YouthOrganisations feel that Lithuania has finished the school of democracy,and that they are now ready to enter University. He continued byunderlining that to guarantee stable further progress there is a need toensure steady work of NGOs. NGOs are the key elements in the civicsociety, which give guarantees and support, he emphasized.Returning to the present situation of youth policy in Lithuania:Structures, actors, and young people are in focus. The state, he pointed tohas recognised youth organisations as an equal partner in the decisionmaking process. The LIJOT is an umbrella organisation that unites thebiggest youth organisations, he said. Representatives from differentministries who are connected to the youth face them. Together these twobodies create a co-managed structure: the State Council for Youth Affairs,which is constituted by 50 per cent from each partner, Mr Vaisbrodasrevealed. The State Council for Youth Affairs is responsible for realisationof youth policy in Lithuania, he said.The co-managing structure is unique and has helped promotingresults in the area of youth culture. Mr Vaisbrodas furthermore said thataccording to the Lithuanian youth survey the participation of youngpeople in youth organisations has increased from 4 to 13 per cent from1994 to 2000. That result proves on the one hand that the structures thatexist are efficient, but on the other hand the figure is quite low and leavesroom for action, he said.During the first years of independence it was very important to solvethe problem of the first step, he related; steps towards openness, active-ness, cooperation, and mutual understanding. These steps, he under-lined, are closely interlinked with expectations from the government,which dictate that youth should be educated, active, motivated, andshould stay in the country for studies, work and living. On the other handhe pointed to the perspective of the youth that is different: Governmentis supposed to give credit of trust, to show that the youth has theopportunity to decide itself on all questions directly related to the youth.A step Mr Vaisbrodas deemed very important because after the declara-tion of its vision the youth organisations took a long step forward.But, does that mean that if we change structure we are sure that fromthat moment we have a youth, which actively participates in decision-362002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 37making processes, he rhetorically asked. It is the State Council for YouthAffairs that is deciding on Lithuanian Youth Found programs and whichallocate means to different projects. There is a group of experts createdon the principles of co-management that is revising projects submittedby youth organisations, he explained. The Agency of International YouthCooperation also provides support. The national Board of this EuropeanCommission programme agency consists of 3 people from the Council ofLithuanian Youth Organisations, 3 people from the State Council forYouth Affairs and 3 people from the Ministry of Social Affairs, he related.Furthermore Mr Vaisbrodas told that a legal basis is important andtherefore in 1996 the Seima adopted the State Youth Policy Concept,which is being revised at the moment. The new law on Youth is in itscreation phase, which also involves the youth. Even though the youngpeople are getting involved in affairs concerning it, there are still problems he emphasized, which concern youth. Young people in the ruralareas, political passiveness, and unemployment of young people arechallenges, he underlined.Moving to his conclusions Mr Vaisbrodas stressed that internationalparticipation can provide good practice experience and that opennessand cooperativeness can give feed back. The international structures thatare supporting international cooperation in the Baltic Sea cooperation inthe Baltic Sea Region are very important for us because they give exper-tise; show a broad spectrum of ideas and perceptions. The Lithuanianyouth policy serves as an example because it was created after strongcooperation between youth organisations on the international level. Heemphasized that they took over experience, rectified mistakes andadjusted it to their realities. He finishes by underlining that youth as atopic on the agenda of the conference showed commitment of parliamen-tarians to look seriously towards the existing problems and make a goodstep forward towards youth involvement, activeness and participation.With a cordial wish that the topic always would be on the agenda, MrVaisbrodas thanked for the attention.372002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 38Participation of Young People in Decision-MakingProcesses– StatementMs Katrin Hünemörder, Baltic Sea Youth Project, Mecklenburg-PomeranianMs Hünemörder introduced herself by explaining that her participationin the conference was due to her being a representative of the Baltic SeaYouth Project, a common democratisation project of all national andregional Youth Councils around the Baltic Sea. She expressed hergratitude for getting the chance to present her view on youth participationand the importance of international youth policy in the Baltic Sea Region.Youth policy, Ms Hünemörder explained, has developed into a keyword, especially pushed through by the process of the white paper of theEuropean Commission. Youth is an important subject in connection tounemployment and education.Ms Hünemörder underlined that in her view youth policy is more thatthe topic itself, which should be found in all parts of politics. Therefore itis wrong to see youth as a separated topic. It should rather be integratedin social politics, economical politics, environmental politics and so on,she said.Young people in Europe who constitute about one fifth of the popu-lation have an extreme impact on the development of our society. As thecarriers of tomorrows economy and policy they should learn betteryesterday than today, how to take part in decision-making processes.That is why Ms Hünemörder underlined involving young people is abasic condition for a working democracy and a functioning system. Wedemand a real and serious participation at all levels of politics, we wantto be asked, either if a community decides about a new parking lot or aschool that is to be closed, or if it comes to a topic like the educationsystem, the enlargement of the EU, or the mission of the army in Mace-donia, Ms Hünemörder underlined. She continued by emphasising thatthe only way to give us a real feeling of responsibility is to give us a serioustaken voice when it comes to any kind of decision.Ms Hünemörder emphasized that as young people: We demand trustin our ideas, our commitment, and our ability to work by ourselves. Thistrust is lacking in so many parts, in families, in schools, and in commu-nities, she added.382002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 39The speaker related that the youth needs support to be able toparticipate. That would include starting to know the rights that differentkinds of youth participation have as for example in student associations,which would provide better cooperation in schools, she said. Furthermoreshe requested technical support for youth initiatives like offices and officesupplies, thereby giving the youth a feeling of realistic chance to havesuccess. The speaker pointed to the option of giving local participationprojects a seat in local government and community assemblies by law,which she deemed important in order to establish a natural conscious-ness for young people taking part.Ms Hünemörder underlined that youth is not non-political, they justdo not always agree with existing structures. Like for instance first to haveto be president of some organisation to be taken seriously by admini-stration and politicians is highly de-motivating for young people that justhave an idea they want to put into practice, she said.The speaker pointed to topics like youth unemployment, environmentissues and globalisation, which are very much discussed amongst youth,as could easily be seen in the protest actions in connection to atomic trashthat is being transported through Germany, or at the G-8 summit inGenoa.Ms Hünemörder simply was of the opinion that what is needed is aforum for the youth to express its opinion in a non-violent way, andwithout administrative barriers.That led to the demands that youth will be a permanent topic at theBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference and in other assemblies, becauseyouth and everything that concerns youth is determining the future.She pointed to the fact that the Baltic Sea Region is called the futureregion of EU, but that there is yet no feeling of a Baltic identity in thehearts of the citizens of the Baltic Sea Region. She emphasized thatidentity is important. The speaker continued by telling that there is achance to really create a socially connected region, as a part of the worldwhere people can grow together through their own commitment and thesupport of governments.Ms Hünemörder introduced three examples of good youth coopera-tion in the Baltic Sea Region, as examples of the many other projectsgoing on.The Baltic Sea Youth Project initiated by the Baltic Youth Forum withgreat support from the national Youth Council of Swedish youth organi-392002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 40sations, which has since 1998 organised annual international trainingcourses for multiplicators in the Baltic Sea Region, Contact Forumswhere youth organisations can meet and get into contact with similaryouth organisations in other Baltic Sea countries including study visitsand national training seminars for the Baltic countries, Poland andRussia.Through the Baltic Sea Project, she emphasized, more than 2500active youngsters go through the high-quality training in organisation,methods, and financing of projects and therefore got in contact with eachother, Ms Hünemörder said.Another example regarding youth participation was the Baltic YouthAssembly, which took place in Kalmar, Sweden in the fall 2000, sherelated. 70 young people from youth organisations around the Baltic Seacame together for four days to discuss issues that concern them as youngpeople. The speaker continued by saying that the Baltic Youth Assemblywas a great chance to get to know different participation forms in dif-ferent countries, and how they work. The Assembly will take place nextyear again here in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Ms Hünemörderrelated.The third example she introduced was the Baltic Youth Cruise 2001,which is still going on in the Baltic Sea; 100 young people from all overEurope, but mainly from the Baltic Sea Region are sailing together on asailing boat in four different workshops, which topics are respectively: forpeace and tolerance in the Baltic Sea, youth participation, photo work-shop, and creating a musical, Ms Hünemörder revealed.She pointed to the success of the projects, but also to the need forfurther promotion by financing for instance from the Baltic Youth Fund,which she believed would be able to distribute, not only the costs, but alsothe common responsibilities for those projects.Ms Hünemörder discerned that the interest in the Baltic Sea region,and in general for other cultures and countries is mostly based on per-sonal experiences. Therefore she reasoned: To create contacts with youngpeople from other countries is a very important measure in order toprevent prejudices and hostility against foreigners.Ms Hünemörder suggested that there should be a program for Youthexchange in the Baltic Sea Region, which should also include a schoolexchange program, since the school is for most youngsters an importantpoint of reference and has a big impact on their development as respon-sible citizens.402002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 41The implementation of the Baltic Sea Youth Ferry ticket, that givesreduction to groups when going by ferry is another possibility forsimplifying youth exchange in the Baltic Sea Region, she underlined.In order to make an effective international youth program govern-ments and youth organisations need to work closely together. One of thebiggest problems, she emphasized, is the complicated administrationthat support for international programs causes. Most youngsters aresimply overtaxed with those applications. The application forms have tobe made more user friendly, she underlined. Furthermore Ms Hüne-mörder pointed to the problem that the procedure of getting support bye.g. the YOUTH program is much too long. The money for the projectsometimes comes even after the project has taken place, she told. A youthinitiative or a small organisation is not able to pay in advance, she said.A lot of chances and a lot of youth power exist in our region, MsHünemörder said. The speaker told that now is the time to start creatingan identity of the Baltic Sea Region. You should not hesitate, she pleaded.The youth wants to cooperate with you as parliamentarians, as the peoplewho today have the instruments to change the situation. Ms Hünemörderconceded that the youth will be there with its creativity, innovative ideas,and power. But the youth needs the help of the parliamentarians, shereiterated. As a countermove we need your trust and help, and by givingus a voice here at this conference you signalised an interest in our view,and I am thankful for that, she said. Let deeds follow, she urged.Ms Hünemörder summarised her main points as following:1. We demand to have “youth” as a permanent topic on the agenda of theBaltic Sea Parliamentarian Conference2. To create a common fund of the Baltic Sea countries for financingtogether international youth exchange projects named the BalticYouth Fund3. To help promoting the Baltic Sea Youth Ferry Ticket as a possibility forcreating a common identity and to set a sign for more mobility in theBaltic Sea Region4. To suggest as the Baltic Sea Parliamentarian Conference a simplifi-cation of the administration of international youth programs likeYOUTH412002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 42Plenary DiscussionMr Lars Gunnar Lie, NorwayMr Lie was very happy that young peoples participation in the decision-making process was on the agenda for this year’s Baltic Sea ParliamentaryConference. He thought it of great importance to have the young people’sperspective on the decisions-making processes at all levels. It is alsoimportant that young people participate in organisations in order to learnabout how democracy works, he said.Mr Lie underlined that it is very difficult to get youth actively involvedin politics. In Norway only 1/3 of first time electors voted at the lastelection in Norway. The level of participation at elections is decreasing –this is a big challenge, Mr Lie said.He gave an example from a Norwegian municipality, Porsgrunn, werethe youth is participating in the decision-making processes in a largescale. The municipality has a developed cooperation between the pupilcouncils and the local politicians. The pupil councils are consulted inpolitical questions concerning their daily life but they are also forwardingpolitical proposals. In addition to this, youth representatives get anamount of money, which they can grant to activities they think important.Some young people are even represented in the municipality council.Porsgrunn’s way of working with youth and youth policy has worked as aninspiration for other municipalities in Norway.Mr Lie emphasized that today’s youth prefers single topics, as combat-ing racism or protecting the environment, instead of traditional politicalwork. Therefore a lot of municipalities in Norway have youth councilsdealing with political questions relevant for youth. They consist of youthfrom a lot of different organisations. The councils give advice to politi-cians on a local level. Some places they even arrange lobby-courses foryouth where they learn how to present a case and about information andmedia.There is an increasing interest among youth in international ques-tions. Mr Lie underlined that different kinds of cooperation in the BalticSea Region may stimulate young people to work with politics. To succeedin this field, good communication across borders is of great importance.If we succeed it can help our national democracies and it may bear fruitsin the future, Mr Lie concluded.422002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 43Ms Anne-May Pehrsson, ÅlandIt was really inspiring to listen to the youth today and listen to how muchwork youth is doing in the area of politics. It is clear that the youth musttake part of the decision-making process, Ms Pehrsson underlined.Most people think it is important to improve the environment that weare handing over to the youth. At the same time we are all aiming athigher standards of living, without thinking of the consequences for ourenvironment, in this case the Baltic Sea. It is difficult to change habits,concerning environment as well as politics, but it is necessary.We do not have time to wait for a cleaner environment – we have to actnow, Ms Pehrsson emphasized. We have to use all power to stop keep onmaking crisis for the environment. We already have destroyed bigsurfaces at our planet.The nature strikes back when we destroy the environment – we aregambling with our own future.We have to learn to listen more to our heart than to our mind. We haveto use our intuition to aim for a better environment, Ms Pehrsson said.The speaker underlined that in order to improve the environment theyouth is an important and a big resource – and that the youth is thefuture.Dr Dorothee Stapelfeldt, HamburgMs Stapelfeldt talked about the Baltic Sea University Ring. She told thatin the resolution from last year’s conference in Malmö, the establishingof a University Ring was mentioned. Mr Wittbrodt followed up on theUniversity Ring in the Standing Committee and Ms Stapelfeldt did thesame in Germany. In her research, Ms Stapelfeldt has discovered thatthere is already a large scale cooperation in this area; for example univer-sity networks. There are also cross-border bi- and trilateral universitypartnership. The cooperation is working very well and it seems that thereis no need for a Baltic Sea University ring, she said.The European Union’s European Credit Transfer System is alreadyused in a lot of the universities in the Baltic Sea Area and is an importantstep towards closer cooperation.With the annual Conference for Baltic University Rectors we have aregional cooperation in the university area for the Baltic Sea Region.We were aiming at the right thing with a Baltic Sea University Ring,432002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 44but it seems that a new institution is not necessary when looking at thelarge scale of cooperation in the university area, Ms Stapelfeldt concluded.Mr Franz Thönnes, GermanyMr Thönnes thanked the Standing Committee for putting the youththeme on the agenda for this years’ conference. Especially he liked tothank Mr Arens for securing that this question was also discussed inten-sively at the Baltic Sea Council.But we also have to ask ourselves what we have done in our countriesconcerning this matter, Mr Thönnes said.Contact between young people in the Baltic Sea Region is a bridge forpeace in the region. Therefore it is of great importance that we in ourresolution argue for supporting the youth secretariat, Mr Thönnes under-lined. Today it is Finland, Sweden, Germany and – as I learned today alsoNorway – which is financing it. Iceland is about to support it too, but thisis something we all have to work for. Mr Thönnes emphasized that we alsoshould support the Baltic Sea Youth Assembly.The speaker thought it positive that the issue: Youth participation wason the agenda at this conference; this should be the case every time wemeet, he emphasized. A delegation from the Youth Assembly shouldtherefore participate at the annual Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference,Mr Thönnes argued.Mr Thönnes called on the participants to discuss the youth issue withparliamentarians at home and with the Minister of Finance to secure theeconomical support to the Baltic Sea Youth Assembly.Mr Panayiotis Sgouridis, Vice President of the Greek ParliamentMr Sgouridis talked about how they in Greek involve young people indecision-making. Every year 300 young people between the age of 16 and17, the numbers match the numbers of MPs in the Greek parliament, areselected to be “parliamentarians” for three days. They are divided into thesame parliamentary committees as the parliament consists of. In thecommittees they choose which subject they like to discuss. The con-clusions of these committees are being discussed at the last day during anopen debate in the plenary session of the Parliament.The important thing is that the President of the Greek Parliamentsends the conclusions to the minister responsible for the subject. Until442002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 45now the ministers corresponded positively, Mr Sgouridis emphasized,and proposed that something similar could take place in the EuropeanParliament.Ms Susanna Huovinen, Finland“The youth is our future” is a very used slogan, Ms Huovinen said. But thisshould not only be a mantra or a nice phrase, it should be sincere. Sheemphasized that a lot of young people are frustrated with the politicalsystem. Ms Huovinen mentioned the youth’s reactions at the EU Summitin June in Gothenburg as an example.She agreed with Tony Blair that these youngsters have no mandate.But the young people are entitled to hopes for the future. Young peoplethat visit Ms Huovinen in Parliament are not interested in politics, butthey say that they are interested in nature, the future, family etc., whichare all political issues.Ms Huovinen hoped that all parliamentarians at the conference takethe message of youth back home. In the Finnish Parliament they have aCommittee on Future. Under this Committee they have a Youth Forum,which they mainly communicate with via Internet. This is to promoteyouth participation in the decision making process, Ms Huovinenunderlined.Mr Romualds Razuks, Baltic Assembly, Member of the StandingCommittee, LatviaOur colleague, Mr Hovmand, mentioned the ten-year period for theBSPC and the ten years since the Wall fell.One of our biggest successes in the youth area is this day, when wehave youth participating at our conference, Mr Razuks underlined.The Nordic Council and Denmark have had some fine projects as theproject called Youth Tourism.Mr Razuks underlined that legislation on youth policy has no value ifthe youth is not allowed to participate where decision-making takesplace.Young people should have the possibility to participate all over theplace. Lets continue this tradition on inviting the youth to the BSPCconferences, Mr Razuks concluded.452002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 46fourth sessionCivil Society – Backbone of StableDemocracyA Flexible Approach Towards Civil SocietyTies Between Citizen and People, State and Native CountryLord Russell-Johnston, President of the Parliamentary Assembly ofthe Council of EuropeLord Russell-Johnston was asked to talk on the subject “Ties BetweenCitizen and People, State and Native Country”. He introduced the subjectby discussing the words in the title.“Ties” can mean many things in English. It can mean somethingnegative, a bond, chain, something that ties you down. But it can alsomean something positive, something willingly entered into – a positive,lasting relationship. The speaker preferred the latter meaning.The word “citizen” or “burgher” we know, but “people” is tricky inEnglish, Lord Russell-Johnston continued. You can talk about a people,“ein Volk” – but it can also mean people, persons, as in German “Leute”.The speaker goes for this last meaning, because the word “people”,meaning “Volk”, at least in English gets confused with native people,which our motion mentions separately.The word “state” stands for the political organisation of a territory.Finally the last word in the title “native country” means “one’s owncountry”, in the case of those who were born or raised there. But it can alsomean “another country”, namely for foreigners, who have moved theremore or less recently.Lord Russell-Johnston underlined that people move about a lot inEurope and that in future there will be even more such migrationrequired by economic development and fostered by ever greater contactsbetween Europe’s people, and indeed peoples. People who move some-462002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 47where else will of course encounter a culture different from their own, heemphasized. Lord Russell-Johnston was of the opinion that movingwithin Europe will become more accepted and will happen increasingly.Lord Russell-Johnston offered some examples on how for instanceGerman, Scottish and Norwegian culture can be understood and howthey differ from the more complex cultures that really are behind thesecomprehensions.Everything depends in democratic terms on whether a culture iswelcoming to others, and how those others accept and adapt to thatculture if they decide to stay within it. Culture requires tolerance fromboth natives and “guests who come to stay” – There must be give and takeon both sides, Lord Russell-Johnston emphasized.The Council of Europe has a wonderful slogan for this, used in acampaign against intolerance a few years ago. It went “all equal – alldifferent”. Lord Russell-Johnston underlined this as the essence in whathe had to say about “ties Between Citizens and People”.The ties between citizens and people on the one hand, and the stateand native country on the other were another theme in Lord Russell-Johnston’s speech. In this part he presented the organisation, which herepresents at the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference: The Council ofEurope – and some of the things they do and try to do.It was Lord Russell-Johnston’s conviction that the realisation ofdemocracy, human rights and the rule of law in Central and EasternEurope would have been far less complete and far less rapidly achievedhad it not been for the Council of Europe and the work it has done since1949.In this he believed the Parliamentary Assembly has played a uniquerole. It is not subservient to governments: its members speak their mind.Parliamentarians now from 43 countries come together and express theiropinion on what they conceive to be right. That is how it differs from theMinisterial Council, which controls it, because they represent theinterests of the government. The Parliamentary Assembly cannot forceanything, of course, but the moral influence is great, Lord Russell-Johnston underlined.There is also the Council’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities,which work for these aims at the regional and local level. Finally, there isthe European Court of Human Rights, which tries to give full meaning tothe European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Free-47Bildsidor 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 1Svend Erik Hovmand, President of the Nordic Council, Heinz-Werner Arens, President of the Schleswig-Holstein Parliament, ValeriyN. Ustyugov, Member of the Council of Federation, Russia, Jürgen Schöning, Director of the Schleswig-Holstein Parliament, RomualdsRazˇuks, Vice-Speaker of the Latvian Parliament, Hindrich Kuessner, Speaker of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Parliament.Hell Degn, Commissioner of the Council of the Baltic Sea States. Alexey Obukhov, Ambassador, Chairman of the CBSSCSO, Russia.Bildsidor 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 2Trivimi Velliste, Member of Parliament, Estonia, President of the Baltic Assembly.Hindrich Kuessner, Speaker of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Parliament.Bildsidor 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 3Lord Russell-Johnston, President of the Parliamentary Assembly Katrin Hünemörderof the Council of Europe.Dorothee Stapelfeldt, Speaker of the State Parliament of the City of Hamburg, Franz Thönnes, Member of the Bundestag and AnkeSpoorendonk, Member of the Schleswig-Holstein Parliament.Bildsidor 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 4Heinz-Werner Arens, President of the Schleswig-Holstein Parliament.Henning Klostermann, Member of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Parliament.2002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 48doms. Lord Russell-Johnston emphasized that for the cost of a postagestamp and individual can challenge his government, if he thinks hisgovernment has treated him unfairly.Lord Russell-Johnston summed up everything the Council of Europeis doing by saying that it is trying to get Europeans to get along in friend-ship and harmony with each other.The speaker returned to the basic questions; that it seemed to him thatthere is two intertwined problems.Firstly, the problems in former totalitarian countries, where freeassociation, for whatever purpose, was forbidden by the Communistregime because it was seen as a threat to the control which, to the party,was essential. The challenge is now on the existence of an open criticalmedia to enable their opinions to be disseminated and so become part ofthe collective, informed evolution of attitudes, which is the aspiration ofa democratic society.Secondly, there is the problem of enabling the happy and productiveinterpretation of individuals and groups into a state whose dominantculture they do not share.We have yet to develop an effective and understanding response toasylum-seekers, whether they are Afghans or Somalis and even withinEurope, Bosnians and Albanians, and that is a problem, Lord Russell-Johnston emphasized.There is the legacy both of the last war and of Communist times.Kaliningrad was East Prussia and saw a ruthless ethnic cleansing ofGermans. That cannot be reversed now, although it is warning to registerthe developing economic cooperation between Kaliningrad and Ger-many. But more immediate and concerning are the Russian new minori-ties in Estonia and Latvia, Lord Russell-Johnston underlined.When one recalls that the last major Soviet purges in both thesecountries, when thousand upon thousands of their elite were expelled bythe Soviets in an awful way, was as recently as 1949, which coincided withthe foundation of the Council of Europe, one can understand that feelingsare often still raw and bitter, he said. But differences got to be resolvedfairly and peacefully – and none of that is easy.Lord Russell-Johnston underlined that it is often seen that politicians,press and NGOs preach tolerance and cannot get along with the peoplenext door. He emphasized that problems are always easier to resolve inthe abstract or if they are far away.482002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 49Minorities and immigrants and those who reject the declared objec-tives of the state, provided they are not violent people, must accept it andthe state in turn must protect their rights and their freedom. LordRussell-Johnston underlined that you cannot take away from someonehis or her love of his or her native land or its language or its song. Youshould ensure that they preserve it.The borders of the Baltic Sea have seen much blood shed but now it isso very different that one can feel that it will hold and it is durable. Theregion as a whole has among the highest growth rates in Europe. Thisreflects stability. Four states bordering the Baltic are candidates to jointhe European Union.Lord Russell-Johnston celebrated the fact that this is the 10th BalticSea Parliamentary Conference with a wish to see things better. Wantingto seek cooperation is in itself a sign of deep and positive change, he said.We members of the Parliamentary Assembly are warmed and happyat the direction in which things are moving but always stand ready to helpwhere it is necessary, Lord Russell-Johnston ended his speech.The Values of a Civil Society: Orientation and ChangesMr Wolfgang Thierse, President of the Federal German Parliament,Deutscher BundestagMr Wolfgang Thierse introduced his speech by expressing his delightwith so soon after his visit to the Council of Europe: That we once againhave a good cause to fight for. He continued by saying that nobody seemsto doubt that civil society; the subject of our discussion today is a goodcause. But, he stated that in accordance with his impression that at leastup until now everybody understands something different by the term.Mr Thierse pointed to that even in Germany there are widely differingviews as to what really constitutes, or should constitute, a civil society –or a civic society. The disparities between different countries of Europe asa whole are even greater, he related.Mr Thierse’s first experiences with civil society were experiences ofcivil disobedience. In the former GDR, he pointed to civil societymanifested itself in the solidarity displayed by many citizens in the faceof the dictatorial power of the state. He mentioned Poland and the Czech492002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 50Republic where the cohesion grew gradually into a protest movement,which finally as a citizens movement wrote history. Who could forgetthose happy moments in 1989 when the citizens achieved its goal,winning freedom and democracy without loss of blood, he asked.After the fall of the iron curtain, Mr Thierse said, we had to realise thatit is difficult to keep alive the immense power of a citizens’ movement ina democratic civil society. He continued by saying that commitment,fighting spirit, obstinacy, and civil courage – such virtues seem toevaporate rapidly in the ardous business of everyday democratic life. Itwas not long after the revolution that the standing of democracy began toshow signs of wear and tear.Mr Thierse offered one explanation to what brought about the devel-opment, which he emphasized vary so much from country to country. Thebreaking of so many firmly cemented borders speeded up the pace ofglobalisation to a huge extent, he underlined. He pointed to the fact thatbeing in the Baltic Sea Region there was no reason to explain what thechange meant for the countries of the former eastern block: While peoplewere still all preoccupied with mastering the transition to anothereconomic system, they found themselves exposed to rapidly mountingpressure from international competition, he emphasized.For many people in the countries of Eastern Europe the gain in termsof political freedom was offset by a loss of social security, he pointed to.The deep fall into poverty or unemployment made it difficult for manypeople to identify with the new form of government. But, as he pointed to,even in the established western European democracies people are makingincreasing demands of the state, while that state has long since reachedthe limit of what it is financially able to provide.Furthermore the democratic state has problems keeping pace with therapid economic changes, and there is a suspicion that democratic politicscan no longer do what is necessary, he deducted.Mr Thierse expressed concern about tendencies of democratic apathy,and it would be an unbearable irony of history after democracy hastriumphed so magnificently in Europe, if more and more people were toloose faith in democracy, Mr Thierse said. The attempt to strike a newbalance between state activity and civic activity must therefore bemeasured in terms of the need to re-anchor and strengthen democracy, heemphasized.The term civil society, it was emphasized by Mr Thierse, triggers502002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 51different associations with two extremes. The one extreme is dictatingthat civil society is an opponent of what they regard as an inflatedbureaucracy that has become too far removed from the needs of thepeople, he explained. The other extreme is that some understand it as aneasy way of absolving the state.Both extremes stem from the fatal misunderstanding that state andactivity is a zero sum game, a notion that Mr Thierse did not share at all.Mr Thierse underlined that in a democracy the state and the peopleare mutually dependant. From bitter experience Mr Thierse made thepoint: That we know that it is precisely the undemocratic countries inwhich civil society is able and allowed to function and organise itself onlyon an atomised and fragmented basis. Democratic states, by contrast hesaid, have a vital interest in facilitating and encouraging their citizens tobecome involved.The social safety net within the free market economy has been animportant element in ensuring the success of the European democraciesand securing the approval and trust of the people, he emphasized.However much in need of reform it may be, the social state is one ofEurope’s greatest cultural achievements, he said. Our democracy is basednot only on freedom, but also on solidarity. I cannot, Mr Thiersecontinued, imagine a way of strengthening civil society without anacceptance by the state of its social responsibility, since it is precisely thesocial net that ensures that all have comparable opportunities forparticipation.Mr Thierse emphasized that even though he supports a welfare state,a state cannot function if the citizens are provided with everything fromthe cradle to the grave. In fact in our affluent societies people are in-creasingly adopting a consumerist attitude towards state service, and bythe same measures individuals seem to become less and less prepared towork for the common good.Mr Thierse turned the focus on work, which is an essential conditionnot just of material security, but also of a successful life. He emphasizedthough that a person is more than a homo economicus. He continuedthat if economic success becomes the most important guiding precept insociety it is going to have implications for the canon of common values inthe society.Thus the central question in the debate about civil society is: Whatholds society together? It is a matter of, no more and no less, the basic512002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 52rules at play of human co-existence, the rules of what can, in plain andsimple terms, be called civilised society, he said.Mr Thierse is shocked by the spread of extreme right-wing violence, heexplained, not only in Germany but also in other countries. What movesyoung people to harass, beat up, or kill foreigners, and homeless people,he asked rhetorically. He further explained that even animals have amechanism of restraint, but this mechanism no longer seems to functionwhere some young people are concerned.Mr Thierse asked, if democracy has an educating force, as a guidingprinciple of how to act in daily life not developed the necessary power.There is no lack of values that bind us and are binding on us in oursocieties: Our society is also an ethical consensus, he underlined.Mr Thierse related that for the sake of the coming generations who atsome stage will have to support and shape democracy, it is crucial toencourage civic participation and strengthen civil society. He underlinedthat in Germany alone: There are 22 million people working in thevoluntary sector and even today there are still many young people who arewilling to work for the public good. But most of them are unwilling to doso within traditional organisations.The German Bundestag has established a Study Commission on the“Future of Civic Activities”, he explained, which remit is to analyse the“civil infrastructure” in Germany and examine the possibilities fordevelopment in this field. He underlined that it is not only the state thatneeds to open itself up for greater civic involvement, companies can alsodo a great deal by releasing employees for voluntary work, for instance.Mr Thierse made the point that if citizens are to assume moreresponsibility in society, they must also be able to have a greater say thanbefore. Civic society, he underlined, demands more transparency from thedemocratic state and greater involvement in it. We are looking for a newsocial contract, a new relationship between the state and civil society, hesuggested.The notion of a social contract goes back to the great philosophers ofthe enlightenment – Locke, Montessquieu, and Kant. The vision of civilsociety is therefore a deeply European concept, he explained, just as thefundamental values that support it are common in Europe.In order to ensure that Europe remains, in the best sense a “civilised”society, we have a shared duty to protect and strengthen these basicvalues, he claimed: freedom and human dignity, non-violence and522002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 53tolerance, justice and solidarity, and today as well, the protection of theenvironment and conservation of natural resources – a subject ofparticularly urgent relevance here in the Baltic Sea Region.Turning to the subject of a European Constitution he related that itwould be the right place in which to anchor the participation rights ofcitizens and thus to emphasize the importance of civic activity fordemocracy and solidarity in Europe.Active civil societies, which support the basic goals and values ofEuropean democracy can also help creating a European public sphere, hestated. Already now it is the various players in civil society – first andforemost the non-governmental organisations which are becominginvolved beyond the framework of the nation-state.However important civil society is for democracy everywhere inEurope, it will not be able to solve all the problems, he admitted. Inparticular strengthening civil society will not help to speed up democraticprocesses.Democracy, he pointed to, will continue to require the ability totolerate frustration and accept trials and disappointments.But by strengthening civil society it will be easier to make peopleaware of the purpose and values of this arduous process and increaseacceptance of democracy – particularly also in the young democracies ofEastern Europe.It will not, he added, be easy for the young democracies, which onlysome ten years ago were given the chance to create sovereign nation-states, to cede competencies to supranational structures as the EuropeanUnion. It is therefore more important to ensure that parliaments, whichafter all are the core of democracy, are not passed over, he emphasizedParliaments are also very important forums for intensifying publicpolitical discourse beyond borders, he said. European democracy,European civil society is unthinkable without the European public arena,he added.Mr Thierse finished by saying that it represents a promising step inthis direction that parliamentarians from all the Baltic States are meetinghere to discuss the values and goals of the international “civil society”. Ifsuch an invent were to take place regularly and in many other places, I amconfident that it would become apparent to us Europeans what can beachieved by strengthening civil society and what makes it appear soimportant beyond national borders: The strengthening of fundamental532002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 54values and democracy in Europe, which is a good cause I will be happy tofight for in the future, Mr Thierse finished.Plenary DiscussionMr Ingvald Godal, NorwayMr Godal emphasized the importance of looking at the health situationin the Baltic Sea Region. He saw the rapid spread of communicablediseases in the eastern part of the region as a serious barrier to increasedtrade, travel, cooperation and further integration. The speaker mentionedthis as the reason why the eleven prime ministers in the Baltic Sea Region,and the European Commission established a Task Force on Communi-cable Disease Control at the Baltic Sea Summit in Kolding, Denmark,12–13 April 2000.The Task Force has described to Mr Godal the health situation inRussia and the three Baltic States: The overall number of tuberculosiscases in the Baltic Sea Region has increased by 40% during the last tenyears. In Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania the prevalence of multi-drugresistant tuberculosis is the highest in the world.In Africa, AIDS has become a catastrophe and is considered a threatto stability, security and even peace, Mr Godal underlined. In parts of theBaltic Sea Region, the HIV epidemic is exploding like when it started inAfrica 12–15 years ago. The countries affected must now take this problemmuch more seriously. According to the information Mr Godal hasobtained, the budgets for prevention of HIV are very insufficient. It seemslike the national health authorities implicitly or explicitly rely on inter-national assistance in combating HIV, Mr Godal said and asked to becorrected if this was not the case. It is better to prevent than to cure, thespeaker emphasized.Increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a major concern in allof our countries. It is certain that hospital infections increase morbidityand mortality, and results in heavily increased costs of the health caresystem in the countries, Mr Godal said.The Prime Ministers and the President of the European Commissionearly this year endorsed the Task Force recommendations documentcalled “Healthy Neighbours”.The initiative has also been confirmed through the Northern Dimen-542002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 55sion Action Plan. In the “Full Report on Northern Dimension Policies”from the meeting of the Council of the European Union in Gothenburgin June this year, it is stated that: “the CBSS Task Force (...) should takea leading role with regards to control of communicable diseases”. MrGodal emphasized that this initiative might have a direct bearing forthose countries, which are applying for membership in the EuropeanUnion.National health authorities must always stand behind the bulk ofactivities to limit infections, but there is ample scope for gains throughconcerted international collaboration. There are intolerable differencesacross our region regarding the burden of disease, uneven contributionof resources and varying approaches to monitoring, preventing andtreating communicable diseases, Mr Godal said. It is not only a moralimperative for concerted action that neighbours assist each other, it isalso in the best interests of the richer part of the region to prevent furtherspread of these diseases and to reduce the obstacles for increased tradeand travel in the region. The challenge is to turn the spiral; medicalintervention can limit the spread of infections and facilitate economicgrowth that again will reduce the burden of communicable diseases, MrGodal argued. The response from society must therefore not be a medicalresponse alone; medical intervention must operate in parallel with socialmobilisation and the strengthening of Civil Society. As members ofparliaments we have a heavy responsibility for the future health of ourpopulations. Health should certainly be on our agenda today and the TaskForce deserves our support, Mr Godal concluded.Mr Panayiotis Sgouridis, Vice-President of the Greek ParliamentMr Sgouridis introduced by expressing his gratitude for the invitation toattend the 10th Parliamentary Conference by bringing the salute ofApostolos Kaklamanis who is the speaker of the Greek Parliament andthe best wishes from all the members of the Greek Parliament for thesuccess of this summit.He continued by sending the best wishes from the members of Parlia-ment of Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, andthe Yugoslavian Federation since Greece has been holding the presidencyof the Adriatic and Ionian initiative since March 25, 2001.Mr Sgouridis emphasized that four months ago in the city of Zandarin Croatia at the Parliamentary Conference of the Adriatic and Ionian552002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 56Initiative we had the honour to have among us the distinguished dele-gation of the Initiative of the Baltic Sea countries. He pointed to the factthat there is a big truth lying behind such diplomatic courtesy ofexchanging invitations. I believe that this mutual update of experiencesand the exchange of information contribute to the achievement of ourgoals, he said.Mr Sgouridis underlined that the globalisation of economy, knowl-edge, information, and labour has created fluidity in our world, which hasreached acceptable levels. National frontiers have become more symbolicand therefore more easily penetrable. And he added, as a result of thatmany problems of different kinds have arisen. Therefore he deduced thatuntil international law provides the mechanism of dealing with this, andit has been implemented, those problems can or should only be solved onthe negotiation table. Unfortunately, he remarked, this is not alwaysfeasible. An experience that we have had, and still have in the Balkans, headded. But, Greece as a EU and NATO member state, and centre ofpolitical, economic and defence stability is doing its best regarding apeaceful resolution of the FYROM issue, he emphasized. The initiativeof countries, which share a common characteristic, to set up a groupopens the way to talks through which their common interests could bepromoted.Mr Sgouridis supported the fact that countries participate in morethan one initiative on the base of its geopolitical characteristics, and heexpressed the belief that it is positive because it could contribute toconcert the various initiatives in such a way that they could multiply thedynamics and achieve their aim without wasting their resources.Greece believes that it should not seal its efforts, but instead he said;we should dedicate it to the well being of our peoples and the develop-ment of our respective countries through collaboration and interaction ofthe initiatives.That is why Greece proposed at the Parliamentary Conference inZandar, and we will try to bring this into effect during the Greek Chair-manship in Athens, a classification of the results reached and the stepsscheduled for every multilateral intergovernmental initiative bestirred inSouth East Europe. Naturally, he said, the database that will be createdwill be enriched with the conclusions of all scheduled and unscheduledconferences of each regional initiative.562002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 57Greece participates in the following initiatives:–The Black Sea Cooperation–The Inter Balkan Cooperation–The Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation,–The Adriatic and Ionian InitiativeThe declaration of the latter, although the text has become ambitious dueto the extent of collaborators, by no means aspires to create a newregional organisation. Mr Sgouridis emphasized that the shared view ofthe member states concerning the initiative is to acquire the character ofan organisation, which can deal in a practical way with urgent andmedium-dated issues of common interests like: Economy, tourism, trans-portation and technical assistance, sustainable development, protectionof the environment, and the fight against criminal and illegal activities.Furthermore he referred to the objective of aiding the countries thatare not yet members of the EU and to prepare their integration into theEU. Only Greece and Italy are members of the EU.During the Greek Presidency of the IAA the following events have beenplanned:September: Round table for Culture, meeting for High Officials, roundtable for Education and Inter-University CooperationOctober: Round table on Economy and TourismNovember: Round table on TransportationThe latter mainly in order to discuss the building of the road to connectIgoumenitsa with Trieste, which will pass through all the countries of theinitiative, he underlined.Mr Sgouridis emphasized that he had shared all that information inorder to stress the practical importance that they attribute to thosemeetings. The ambition is that the meetings would be more than justdeclarations of good intentions, but rather to be useful and effective.There is obviously enough going to be scheduled a meeting for thespeakers of the Parliaments of the member states of the Initiative,because Greece believes that Parliamentary Diplomacy can play adecisive role in the understanding of the problems between countries.Those groups of friendship operating on a bilateral base in the Parlia-572002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 58ments can perfectly contribute to all levels of international politics, heemphasized.Mr Sgouridis finishes his speech by thanking the hosts for theirgenerous hospitality in this lovely place. He assured that: We look forwardto extend your hospitality in Athens. By this I mean, he added, an openinvitation to the Baltic Sea countries Initiative, which will be sentformally.Political and Legal Foundations of a Civil SociteyDemocracy and Good LawmakingMs Helle Degn, Commissioner of the CBSS on Democratic Development,DenmarkMs Degn opened her speech by posing the question: “Why is democracyso important?” For Ms Degn the answer is at least twofold.Firstly – democracy is based on universal values and constitutes acentral element in the development of sustainable societies, which canprosper and enjoy the benefits of future economic and social develop-ment.Secondly – democratic governance has proven itself best in relation topeaceful management of conflicts within countries and among demo-cratic countries.Ms Degn stated that pluralistic democracies have formally set rootthroughout the Baltic Sea Region, but still there remains a lot to be donein the development, protection and strengthening of democracy anddemocratic institutions.In her 27 years as a member of the Danish Parliament – Folketinget –Ms Degn has noticed that through the last couple of years old demo-cracies have tended to grow “lazy”. She underlined the importance of nottaking democracy and respect for human rights and values for granted.In her speech, Ms Degn listed some of the disturbing tendencies shesees in our societies: democratic deficit at all levels, egoism and self-sufficiency, people fighting for single issues instead of contributing to the582002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 59work of the representative democracy. That goes along with the in-creasing globalisation, which requires more trans-national cooperationand strengthening of the regional cooperation among neighbouringcountries.Ms Degn is of the opinion that the young democracies have problemsof a special nature. These countries are expected to undergo transfor-mation with an unprecedented speed. What took some countries morethan 150 years has to be accomplished by the young democracies in a fewyears. She underlined the difficulties in establishing a society based ondemocracy. It cannot just be imported. It has to take root throughout civilsociety and it is a balance between vision and reality.A country needs political maturity to establish and cope with demo-cracy, Ms Degn said. The society and the politicians have to be prepared.Democratic traditions must be made to get it into the blood of the people.Ms Degn underlined that in order to achieve a whole society instead ofsmall individual autonomies one must compromise – it is a game of giveand take, she said.On the one hand people have to take ownership of the democraticprinciples and values in their daily life. But this on the other hand meansthat governments, politicians and the administration must work hard tosecure a non-corruptive system, which people can have faith in.Ms Degn said that parliamentarians should serve as good examplesand see to that a transparent political and administrative system isworking, and support institutions such as the Parliamentary Ombuds-man in his or her works. Controlling bodies are not enemies if youremember to act with political decency and good governance.Ms Degn’s office has in close cooperation with the parliaments ofEstonia, Latvia and Lithuania and the Regional Duma of St. Petersburgconducted seminars on Good Lawmaking and is preparing a seminarwith the State Duma to take place in Moscow this autumn. The experi-ences from the seminars are summarized in a handbook “Benchmarks forgood lawmaking” available at the office’s website. She mentioned some ofthe topics, which were discussed during the seminars:• Legislation as a means to solve problems, arguing that legislationshould be compared to other ways of dealing with possible problems.• Preparation of legislative drafts, including the involvement of interestedsocial groups and outside experts.592002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 60• Reading bills in parliaments and the work carried out in parliamentarycommittees.• The specific and increasing demands arising from the internationaldimension of national lawmaking.The handbook also focuses on the importance of openness, politicaltransparency and public involvement in lawmaking. Ms Degn thoughtthis highly relevant especially for the high number of first time electedparliamentarians one meets these years.Ms Degn underlined that the democracy consist of universal valuesand ideas, such as free and fair elections, respect for human rights, theexistence of political parties and a free press spread on several owners.Even though the challenges we face differ among the 11 Baltic Seastates, we also have many in common, Ms Degn said. She mentionedglobal transactions in the financial markets, the media and internationalmarkets which can develop new monopolies and structures over night asissues affecting all the countries in the Baltic Sea Region because it opensup for unregulated and endless power games that exclude people sociallyand discriminates minorities and undermines equality between womenand men. This presents a new agenda for us, Ms Degn underlined.She defined her main task as the CBSS Commissioner to support andstrengthen the democratic reform processes and institution building.Thus it is a pleasure for me that the Russian Chairmanship has decidedto focus on democratic development in the CBSS, Ms Degn said.In an article on Civil Society around the Baltic Rim in “SCHIFF-Texte”edited on occasion of this conference, it is stated that we face three gapsin the transnational civil society cooperation, which concern: “Parlia-ments, Russian participation and Multilateralism”. Ms Degn focused onthe first topic.Results in the field of democratic development can only be obtainedthrough close cooperation between governments, parliaments, inter-national organisations and NGOs. We face common challenges and mustdeal with them accordingly, Ms Degn stated.She considered it to be of the utmost importance to secure andpromote democracy in our own CBSS institution. Therefore the role ofthe Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference must be strengthened in thedecision-making processes to reduce the democratic deficit also visible in602002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 61the CBSS. You must take the role as watchdog and counterpart to thegovernments as well as to the NGOs, Ms Degn said.The latest figures from Transparency International shows that the 11CBSS countries range from number 79 to number 1, where countries withwell established controlling bodies such as ombuds-institutions are doingvery well. Ms Degn proposed within this regional cooperation to shareideas and knowledge also in this field. She mentioned the progressLithuania has made and the willingness it has shown to improve thesituation and combat corruption by establishing the Special InvestigationService, as a good example in this context.Ms Degn stated that the problem concerning female representation inthe parliaments is an important issue. She mentioned some recent figuresof the number of elected women in the national parliamentary assem-blies: Russia 7,4%, Lithuania 10,6% and Poland 13,4%. Estonia andLatvia have progressed positively with almost 20% female represen-tation. And Sweden manages to elect 42,7% women to parliament. Butshe underlined that the minority representation in the parliaments in theBaltic Sea Region is even worse.Ms Degn concluded that democracy is the way ahead. It is by farsuperior to other ways of organising the governing of nation states ifdemocracy is implemented in a broad sense. It is in fact a guarantor forthe development of sustainable and stable societies that can prosper andenjoy the benefits of the future economic and social development. Inaddition to this democracy is making the world a more peaceful place tolive.Ms Degn wished the participants a successful outcome of this year’sParliamentary gathering.Minorities and Human RightsMr Henryk Kroll, Vice-chairman of the Sejm Committee on Nationaland Ethnic Minorities, PolandMy predecessor talked about democratisation, Mr Kroll said, but un-fortunately democratisation contains certain dangers for minorities.Minorities have no chance to make majority votes; therefore it is of612002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 62utmost importance that majorities give minorities a chance. A furtherdifficulty concerns human rights and minorities, therefore he pointed tothat the subject could be discussed for hours.I would like to give you a general idea by using an example from thePolish context, Mr Kroll said. Mr Kroll had been Member of Parliamentfor ten years as a member representing the German minority in Poland.That is in itself a good example for other countries, he said. Regardingminority rules; a differentiation could be made between different inter-national institutions.Some rules tend to be declaratory and other nationally binding, herevealed. As an example he mentioned the frame convention from theEuropean Council 1995, which is a good regulation, but has to be turnedinto national legislation.If we are talking about national legislation in Poland we have minoritylaws that allow minorities to organise themselves, he emphasized. He saidthat the minorities are well off knowing that the majority gives them a fairchance. Mr Kroll told about a Polish Minority Law that has been underway for ten years. Within Poland legal steps have been taken for instanceregarding the right to organise (already in 1988), and not least in the areaof education and language, which is important. A whole range of oppor-tunities where provided the minorities e.g. for them to study theirlanguage, he said.Also provisions that makes it possible for minorities to enter parlia-ment without having to pass the five per cent threshold are of importance.The German and Belarus minorities are the only two that are able topass the threshold.There are two Germans and two Belarus members; the prerequisite isthat they are many and living in certain areas (close together). Theminority parties sometimes get the chance to be elected on party lists,which they are grateful for, Mr Kroll pointed to.The minority law in Poland is very comprehensive and is included inthe new constitution that also includes language privileges. This gives theminorities opportunities to use their language in official connections, MrKroll added. The Preamble originally started “We the Polish People”....Was changed into “We the Polish People, all citizens of the Polish Repub-lic” on the suggestion by Mr Kroll. By this, Mr Kroll said, the nation isdefined by its people.At this conference, I am grateful that minorities were included. I622002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 63believe that minorities play a very positive role regarding bilateralcontacts, because the minorities can work as the best Ambassadors for acountry, Mr Kroll underlined. There are always consultations with Polishminorities when Polish MP’s goes abroad, he said.Civil Rights and Civil Duties – Grass-Roots Workin Non-Governmental OrganizationsMr Jan af Sillén, former ambassador, Member of the Steering Groupof the Swedish Helsinki CommitteeMr Sillén thanked the Standing Committee for inviting a grass-rootorganisation as the Swedish Helsinki Committee to talk about humanrights.The Swedish Helsinki Committee is a small but rather efficient non-governmental organisation, which specializes in advanced work and pilotprojects on human rights issues, which are not necessarily undertaken bygovernments.In the last years of the Soviet Union the Swedish Helsinki Committeewas rather active and achieved some results in the human rights sectors,he said.Today they concentrate their efforts in the Balkans where they havesome 70 projects and to a small extend in Belarus.In their own country, Sweden, they follow the applications on humanrights. They also monitor the police and the practical application of socialregistration etc.Mr Sillén's experiences on this very broad subject of grass-rootactivities are mainly from the Balkans. The conclusions to be drawn arerather universal and applicable to a number of cases where democracyand civil rights are challenged or should be refined, he said.Mr Sillén told about two memories from Yugoslavia concerning thehuman rights situation.One of them concerned the war in Bosnia. In 1994, Mr Sillén wasasked by his government to go there and prepare a report on howto promote democracy, human rights and reconciliation in formerYugoslavia.632002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 64Mr Sillén’s report’s main conclusion was that in order to obtain thesefundamental goals you had to concentrate your efforts not on Bosnia buton Serbia and Croatia. Only by having more understanding there fordemocracy and human rights you could stop the war in Bosnia. HisStockholm superiors thought this very interesting. They had expected MrSillén to advocate in the first place for more special aid for Bosnia.Today Mr Sillén can say that he was right. With new governments inCroatia and Serbia there is also a more peaceful situation in Bosnia.Mr Sillén concluded that in war there are very slim chances to educatepeople to honour or respect the principles of a civil society.Peace has first to come, you should see the end of the tunnel before youengage yourself in the building up of a civil society and do never forget thelong-term perspective, Mr Sillén emphasized. He believed strongly in thepossibilities and strength of the work of non-governmental organisations.But we also have to be realistic and see our limits and our dependence ongovernments.Mr Sillén emphasized that it is easy to say that fundamental principlesof our modern democratic societies should be adhered to and accepted,but that history, tradition and ethnic differences can blur the picture forthe ordinary man. With projects that are at the grass-root level anddirected to the individual outside the deciding political society orgovernment the message might be better spread, better understood andmore easily accepted.The Swedish Helsinki Committee differs from the very big ones likethe Red Cross or the Save the Children or those affiliated to politicalparties. It is a small organisation with a governing board and a few 100members mainly drawn from rather influential groups in the societyoutside the government administration. The committee has a small goodorganised staff and – which is essential – a good local base where theefforts are concentrated in the Balkans.Sometimes the NGOs are called GONGOs – Government orientednon-governmental organisations – as many of them get most costscovered by governments. Mr Sillén told that in their case, they have anunderstanding government, which has an insight in their activities butdoes not interfere in their work. All projects are their own projects. Thisreciprocal diplomacy of respect is absolutely essential for our efforts andfor our image as a non-governmental organisation, he said.642002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 65The Swedish Helsinki Committee has concentrated their efforts onfollowing areas:• Elections• Media• Judiciary• Women and youth organisationsMr Sillén presented the committee’s work in these areas:ElectionsParliamentarians have a very important role to play in monitoring tasksconcerning elections, Mr Sillén emphasized. They have the directknowledge of free and fair elections in their own country.Local municipal elections are in many ways as important as thenational elections in changing societies. Local politicians and admin-istrations need training. They are easily forgotten in the lime-light ofcrucial national elections covered by the international press, Mr Sillénunderlined.MediaThe Swedish Helsinki Committee has a long experience of support tomedia. And generally they have a reputation of being fair and tenaciousin their efforts, which inter alia led the Commission of the EuropeanUnion to ask the committee to handle the collective aid of EU to mediafor some time.Mr Sillén emphasized that media is often under special control bypolice and security in closed and semi-closed societies. You sometimeshave to use rather unorthodox methods to get through with the aid,which can consist of news print, printing machinery, information dataand direct aid in form of contributions, he said.Mr Sillén also mentioned training of young journalists as an impor-tant area for aid.The speaker underlined that when the situation in a country slowlyturns to the better the NGO should persuade the receiver of the supportthat time has come to continue the work without foreign aid. It is ofcourse important that the non-governmental organisation does not652002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 66interfere with the free political debate in a country, where civil duties areemerging, Mr Sillén concluded.JudiciaryTraining of lawyers, advocates, prosecutors and judges is essential. Theconcept of a completely independent legal system is often far from beingunderstood and surprisingly enough also among those of the professionitself – nota bene if they have had their education under a one-partysystem.Mr Sillén mentioned seminars or training courses on civil rights asgood eye-openers for many lawyers from the Balkans. Likewise possibil-ities to take part in international seminars and get acquainted withcolleagues from Western societies can stimulate new thinking and newviews on their own legal system.Mr Sillén was of the opinion that prosecutors and prison wardens areimportant groups of people in the legal system that would benefit fromnew experiences and contacts with colleagues from the democraticsocieties in order to develop a more humane approach to penalties etc.Support to women organisations, youth clubs and farmersMr Sillén underlined that there is a lack of equality between men andwomen in some of the countries from where he has his experiences, andwomen’s participation in the political life is often almost non-existent. Atthe same time women bear a very heavy burden during war times oftenlosing home and husband, many being maltreated or raped with lifelongdamages to their health.Mr Sillén believes that in developing societies women, children andyoung people in general have to have special attention and support. TheNGOs are here especially well placed to help, educate and train, he said.Farmers and farmers organisations, often the most poor anduneducated in a developing country – far from the big agglomerationsand therefore often sceptical to changes and unknown developments.They often need better access to new ideas and information in order tounderstand the fundamental advantages of the civil societies, the speakeremphasized.In his conclusion, Mr Sillén said that on the international level thework of the NGOs is expanding and promising and the cooperationbetween NGOs on a national and regional basis is becoming more andmore intense.662002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 67But NGOs also have an important role when things become better ina country, Mr Sillén underlined.But he also described the risk that local NGOs might be to many in acountry on the way to become a civil society, which makes the choicebetween them more difficult. If too much foreign aid money all of asudden is released in a promising situation it could lead to that certainpersons find it lucrative for their own purpose to work for a civic societyfor more obscure reasons.Mr Sillén described a non-governmental organisation at its best ascost-saving and fairly cheap, having a direct and down to earth relation-ship with the receiving side and is sponsored by a government, which cansee the benefits and the results of the aid. In the end the results of theNGOs depend on their voluntary members and deciding bodies, MrSillén emphasized.To build a civil society based on the rule of law and the respect forhuman rights is indeed a long-term job. Long after peacekeeping soldiershave left and reconstructing aid and relief efforts are ended the efforts tobuild a sophisticated society of democracy, and its legal institutions willhave to continue. The NGOs should move to new areas, as a radicaladvanced group with pilot projects should continue into new and morerefined areas – areas where poor countries might have financial difficul-ties to provide the necessary assistance. Mr Sillén was here thinking of thesocial dimension of a society or the societies’ openness and access toinformation.It is to be hoped that we will have the understanding and support ofparliamentarians and governments to this long time approach, Mr Sillénsaid as his last words in his speech.Political Challenges and ContributionsMr Trivimi Velliste, Chairman of the Baltic Assembly, EstoniaMr Velliste introduced by thanking for the invitation and the opportunityto speak. Furthermore he praised the organisation of the conference,which he summarised with the words: Punctuality and order. He startedhis speech by delivering a personal note. Mr Velliste revealed that the cityof Greifswald brought back sentimental memories. A quarter of a century672002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 68ago Greifswald to Mr Velliste seemed the Promised Land. At that time, heexplained, he lived behind the so-called Iron Curtain, and studied Englishat one of the oldest Universities in Europe – the University of Tartu. MrVelliste explained that in order to learn a foreign language, the only optionwas to listen to the radio. There was one exception though, to studyGerman, and one part of Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union, andGreifswald was a city where it was possible to study German.Mr Velliste explained that his main subject never was German, and thesecretive city of Greifswald stayed a dream to him. Now, he continued, hisdream had been fulfilled; he finally came to Greifswald.The main theme of this Conference and debate is civil society – thepolitical model between vision and reality. He complimented the title.Since Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia are celebrating the tenth anniversaryof re-independence. Therefore he pointed to the relevance of looking backand compare past visions with present realities.During the eighties he revealed, the Estonians were confronted witha serious challenge. The Estonians had survived the struggles for freedomduring the forties and fifties and experienced the upheavals in Hungary1956, Czechoslovakia 1968, and Poland 1980/81. The Soviet Empires wasstressed, emptied, and was forced to loosen the grip. The destiny of theSoviet Leader was called “Glasnost and Perestroika”. The leader of thegame could not predict that the spectators ran to the field and wanted totake part of the game, not withstanding the rules dictated, he added.The Wall fell in 1989, but already in 1988 the people of Estonia,Lithuania, and Latvia had flied the prohibited national flags, he empha-sized.The leadership in Kremlin had not calculated that the spirit of theBaltic States was still alive and that the civic society resisted even afterfifty years of suppression, Mr Velliste underlined.For years Moscow had suppressed the Estonian culture and a greatpart of Estonian culture was destroyed, and cultural personalities weresilenced, he told. From 1986 the Estonians rediscovered those persons.Mr Velliste expressed the belief that the judicial nuances of theEstonian re-independence – especially at the grass rot level – would be ofinterest for historians. In those early days, he pointed to, the fight was proPerestroika since the hope was that the Soviet Union would be demo-cratised from within.But, even though a people is under foreign control, that its legitimate682002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 69government was overthrown and erased, that does not mean that thestate does not exist, since both the territory and people still existed eventhough some of the people had been killed or deported, the speakerpointed to.In 1989 the Movement of Estonian Citizens erected and one year laterthe Estonian Congress was founded. Estonia, he pointed to, could havetried the Soviet legal system in order to break up with the Soviet Union,but instead Estonia chose to free itself from the occupation like theDanes, Czechs, and Dutchmen had done after the second World War.A main reason for my state to have succeeded in continuing the legaltradition is very much due to the fact that the US and the Westerndemocracies never recognised the Soviet occupation of Baltic States, MrVelliste related. Furthermore the civil society was maintained, and alsothe legal self- understanding played an important role, he revealed.Therefore it was natural that the first constitutional legal Parliament afterthe Second World War in year 1992 was deemed the seventh Assembly,since six Parliaments had gathered prior to the war, he explained. Hetherefore believes that today the Estonian people can pride themselvesthat they made the right decision politically as well as legally. A modelwhich has helped the country and has evolved from a vision into reality,and furthermore this reality has remained, he explained.But, has Estonia developed into what we believed it would have tenyears ago, he asked rhetorically. The answer is difficult to answer becauseon the one side progress has emanated, he related. Legally and business-wise progress can be traced, and the successful negotiations with the EUregarding accession confirms this, he believed.On the other hand a lot of Estonians are not sure that this is theEstonia they longed for, and some even feel that there is no coherentEstonia anymore, he revealed. The Caravan of the future has been dividedinto those who long for development and have fine jobs and a belief in thefuture in the front line, and those in the back who have little or nothingand survives from the dunghill of the well-off people, he said.In the Soviet days people were all equally poor, and the commonpoverty had a certain effect of solidarity, he explained. The Estonianliving literate legend, Jaan Kross, has recently showed that even in theEstonian vocabulary words like thy neighbour, the next, and charity havedisappeared, and have been replaced by words like “cool” and “point”. (Mypoint is cool!), he revealed. Feelings of solidarity and social consciousnessare disappearing.692002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 70Regarding the unemployment a lot has been inherited and is markedby local losses of business. A lot of the problems are structural, and thefurther away from the capital, especially in North and Southeast, thehigher the rate of unemployment.In some areas there is a lack of skilled labour, but there is also stillpeople left who think that working is only about going to the job, notabout actually working.Regarding the educational world competition is increasing and theyoungsters have understood that getting an education is a must.A major problem to the Estonian society is the low level of fertility. Themass of inhabitants is decreasing, he said. People are asking themselveswhy so few women want to become a mother, he revealed, and in Parlia-ment stimulating measures are being considered.Mr Velliste believes that the explanation behind the lack of reproduc-tion could be explained with the expression “zeitgeist” (spirit of the time).Because, he explained, the trend is materialistic and hedonistic – peoplewant to enjoy and gorge. So where is the room for children, he rhetoricallyasked.There is a price though, he revealed that drogue and alcohol abuse isincreasing, and intoxication is the new world of our children, he solemnlydeclared. The youngsters want to have immediate success and are com-paring their situation to that of the neighbouring Sweden and Finland,but tend to forget that the wealth of the Western neighbours of Estonia isbuild by generations of hard work, as he explained.People are talking a lot about a good education, but less about cultiva-tion and upbringing, he underlined. What really bothers Mr Velliste isthat people are not talking about the classical deeds such as politenessand being good. As if polite and good children are created automatically,he related.One of the primary goals of Estonian foreign policy is to access the EU.It is only natural that the issue is debated, Mr Velliste said. Soon thepeople will have to decide, but in his eyes the EU could contribute with alot of those values missing.It is time to fund local groups that can engage people in the issue of theEuropean Union, he pointed to. So that people can make a consciousdecision, he added.A civil society is invaluable like freedom is, he told. The concept offreedom was not developed over a night, but gradually like over a long702002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 71period together with the development of human thinking and being. Onecan put an equation between democracy and civil society, he emphasized.It has to be clear to citizens that they live in an appropriate and acceptablelegal entity, he explained. It is also important the people at the bottom ofsociety share that impression, he added.I believe that old democracies like Great Britain and Iceland, or alsoScandinavia are good roll models regarding civil society, Mr Velliste said.The Estonian civil society has despite its short story developed rapidly, heexplained. The preconditions for that can be found in Estonian history.Today in Estonia it is time to reform the administration, which is alsoa very hot issue, he explained. What tasks should for instance themunicipality take over, he asked. The ranking of the different adminis-trative levels is a challenge, and the self-rule of villages is contested forinstance.I do not know whether we in ten years will have fortune the possibilityto meet again in this city of my juvenile dreams, he said.Would it be a reality in 2011 then he hoped that the discrepancybetween dreams and reality would not be too severe. It is important tocontinue to build the wall of the centuries long tradition of civil society bylaying the bricks of legal and political substance. Via these stones wedeliver our heart warmth to the dreamers of the future. Mr Velliste said:Let in each dream Greifswald be a part; and he further wished that thesuccessful outcome of the conference would sum up to another brickstone for the “wall” of civil society. But, may God protect us from futureBerlin Walls he finished by saying.Plenary DiscussionMs Tuija Brax, FinlandThe speaker underlined that we should not take human rights forgranted.Ms Brax thought it very useful that the European Union has produceda European Charter of Fundamental Rights. She was a member of thecommittee working on the charter and commented on some of thearticles in it.It took a long time for the Finnish Delegation in the committee toconvince the other members that the right on good administration shouldbe a legally binding right. But in the end we agreed on what you can read712002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 72in article 41, which emphasizes that everybody has got the right to goodadministration. Ms Brax underlined that access to correct information isan important part of the meaning with this article together with the rightto get precise answers from the authorities within a reasonable time. It isalso important that you get the answer in a language, which you under-stand. And here she not only meant in the native language of the citizen,but also a non-bureaucratic language.Ms Brax thanked Mr Kroll for his speech. She underlined the impor-tance of protecting minority rights. She emphasized that the EuropeanCharter of Fundamental Rights does not acknowledge the minority rightssufficiently. The French Chairmanship for the European Union (in 2000)was not interested in going into details on this subject when working onthe charter, Ms Brax explained.The cooperation with the NGOs on European level was good enough– we simply did not have time enough to hear what they were saying, MsBrax said. The cooperation with the NGOs in the home countries wasthen far better for most of the national delegations. In Finland they hadmore time to listen to the NGOs and Ms Brax was of the opinion that theNGOs were more involved in the decision making at this level.Mr Velliste’s speech on the historical perspective of the Baltic SeaRegion was really good and important, Ms Brax said and emphasized thatthe closed cities and countries during the Cold War should not becomereality again. She compared this with the youth using drugs today andhaving no positive expectations for the future.Professor Dr Vataniar Yagya, Vice-President of the Saint PetersburgLegislative AssemblyMr Yagya underlined the importance of discussing the future to have theright perspective on it. He emphasized the importance of having a goodBaltic Sea identity.The next Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference is going to be held in St.Petersburg – which Mr Yagya is representing.One of the subjects of next year’s conference could be the state’s role inthe Baltic Sea Region, Mr Yagya suggested. Next year it is ten years agoMr Yagya held his speech on this subject on the second Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference.Concrete content is important, otherwise it is only empty words –which is often the case because the economic fundament is not present,Mr Yagya said.722002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 73There are a lot of investments taking place in the Baltic countries, butthere should also be investments in the North-Western part of Russia, MrYagya emphasized. In 1995 the Northern Dimension was a hot topic, andthe President of Finland, Mr Martti Ahtisaari said that one should notforget Russia.Mr Yagya was surprised that there was almost no talk at this confer-ence on legislation and legislative initiatives.The speaker thanked Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for a well-organised conference and welcomed all to the next years Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference in St Petersburg.Mr Rolf Fischer, Schleswig-HolsteinThe speaker thought it of great importance that this year’s conference hashad the question of minority problems on the agenda.Minorities often live in the border area. This makes minority politicsproblematic because it is often not only a national challenge. Cross-border pilot projects on minority problems can stabilize these problems.We cannot leave these problems to the governments alone, but shouldalso do something about this in the parliaments, Mr Fischer underlined,and emphasized that the parliamentarians themselves can choose whatdirection to go in this question.In Schleswig-Holstein both the geopolitical and the theoretical policyon this subjects is considered important, but most importantly they con-sider the minorities to be enriching the country, Mr Fischer emphasized.Ms Anke Spoorendonk, Schleswig-HolsteinMs Spoorendonk began her contribution speaking in Danish, which isthe language she prefers to speak. The minorities speak the borderlanguages best while the majority in the area is just about to learn theborder-languages, Ms Spoorendonk said. With the European Charterof language we are now beginning to understand the importance oflanguages.Ms Spoorendonk emphasized the importance of the two paralleldeclarations from Bonn and Copenhagen from 1955. The contents of thedeclarations are important. One cannot question the right to use onesnative language and it is not possible to remove the civic rights fromthe citizens. These are rights, which are used by the minorities. The Bonnand Copenhagen declarations are also human rights declaration, Ms732002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 74Spoorendonk underlined. They content individual rights as well ascollective rights. The strong part or the weakness, one could say, of thesetwo declarations is that they are only good if the respective governmentssupport them. The intentions in the declarations are dependent on theeconomy. In Schleswig-Holstein, and in Germany in general there is nofinancial support, Ms Spoorendonk said. The reliability of the minoritypolicy is dependent here on. We cannot use the Bonn and Copenhagendeclarations to come further concerning the minority policy when thereis no financial support, the speaker emphasized.Ms Spoorendonk concluded by quoting the former Danish PrimeMinister H. C. Hansen on his words: You can judge a country’s demo-cratic development by measuring the way it treats its minorities.Mr Wolfgang Börnsen, GermanyThe question of minorities has been a big question at this conference. Weparliamentarians have a responsibility to see to that rights of minoritiesare secured, Mr Börnsen said. He thanked the Standing Committee forputting this important question on the agenda.Unsolved minority problems are causing conflicts and war. Yugoslaviais an example on this, the speaker said.The minority question is a subject relevant for all of us. This subjectcan contribute to how we can prevent war.There are 17 organisations in Schleswig-Holstein, which safeguard theminorities’ interests.Mr Börnsen requested that when the parliamentarians return to theirparliaments they consider the possibility to enter the European Instituteof Minorities. This to ensure a positive outcome of the work with minorityproblems, Mr Börnsen said.Adoption of the resolutionThe resolution was adopted unanimously.742002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 75Adress from the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative (AII)Member StatesMr Zlatko Tomcic, President of the Croatian Parliament – SaborAllow me to be somewhat emotional, Mr Tomcic introduced by saying.Because I am a guest here as a member of and representative of ourcooperation, and sent dedicated and very special greetings from theIonian Initiative and the Croatian Parliament. Mr Tomcic explained thatCroatia arranged the first AII initiative as a young democracy. In ourquickly globalising world regional cooperation is very important, headded. While the world is being globalised the future lies in regionalcooperation, Mr Tomcic pointed to. We who have cherishing regionalcooperation realise that we have to do it in a European context, heemphasized.Mr Tomcic explained that we are living in a still more complex world,which prescribes further and closer cooperation, and life conditions haveto be improved. Furthermore the regional and sub-regional cooperationhas to be improved, he underlined. He focused on the similarities anddifferences. He truly believes that the Greek presidency will furtherpromote the cooperation. But, he added, that we have to remain differentand original, but develop solutions together.He reiterated the hope that during the Greek presidency of AII it willbe possible to develop structures that promote cooperation.The topic of civil society has at its highest representative the parlia-ments, which are to overlook the governments, he underlined. Therepresentative of the parliaments are the ultimate representative of theelectorate and thereby the civil society, he continued.A permanent and informal dialogue is important, Mr Tomcic said. Heexpressed the hope that the young people should participate as much asthey can.Croatia is now a pupil he said, but once in the future he hoped it wouldbe seen as a resourceful country. And finally Mr Tomcic pointed to theamendment, which was proposed due to Croatian initiative, which hehoped would be accepted.Mr Tomcic expressed gratitude for being invited to the 10th Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference.752002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 76Closing of the Conference by the actual and cominghost of the BSPCMr Arens thanked the host, Landtag Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,for a good conference as well as the employees from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Landtag and the interpreters. Furthermore, herecommended that the State Parliament of Meclenburg-WesternPomerania would chair the working group on maritime safety.As a symbol Mr Arens presented the flag to the succeeding chairmanfrom Russia. Mr Ustyugov expressed his great pleasure with thediscussions at this year’s conference. He suggested that Kaliningradwould be discussed next year. St Petersburg is preparing for its 300 yearsanniversary in 2003. Mr Ustyugov welcomed everybody to the 11th BalticSea Parliamentary Conference in St. Petersburg.762002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 77Annex 1R E S O L U T I O NP A R T Iadopted bythe 10th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC),assembled in Greifswald, Germany, September 3rd–4th, 2001The participants of the Conferenceconcentrating onPOLITICAL AND LEGAL FOUNDATIONS OF A CIVIL SOCIETYas backbone of a stable democracy including the inter-active civic participation in politicaldecision-making on all levels in the Baltic Sea areataking into account–the proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union onDecember 7th, 2000 in Nice–the NGO Conference in Copenhagen organised by the Copenhagen NGO-initiative onMarch 24-25th, 2001 and the 1st Baltic Sea NGO Forum under the auspices of the CBSSheld in Lübeck, May 28th-29th, 2001–that the region building process in the Baltic Sea Area should be based on a regional civilsociety and its active participation in public lifecall on the CBSS and their own parliamentsto support the development of a stable civil society and to strengthen the sense ofcitizenship and democracy in the Baltic Sea Regionespecially by•granting fundamental rights, comprising civil and social rights as well as new rights such astechnology change, the growing awareness of environment and demographic develop-ments•good administration and governance, demanding to provide legal assistance, promotingpublic trust in democratic institutions and guaranteeing the rights of citizens•promoting human rights at the legislative level and the implementation thereof, toconsolidate democratic development, including the division of power and the rule of law,and the protection of political freedoms in the CBSS Member states. In this regard theinstitution of the CBSS Commissioner remains an essential instrument. Thus the CBSS and772002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 78the parliaments in the Baltic Sea Area are called on to establish close working contactsbetween national and regional parliaments and the CBSS Commissioner on DemocraticDevelopment•underlining that the Region building process has to be based on a bottom-up approach,avoiding at the same time power structures misusing civil society engagement by means ofa top-down approach•strengthening the cooperation with Non Governmental Organisations in order to supportthe ongoing socio-political transformation process of a civil society, making use of theirengagement and know-how concerning the control of state power, political education, thepromotion of values and standards and input for reforms•promoting youth policy, calling on the governments of all Baltic Sea countries to support theBaltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs•establishing the Baltic Sea Youth Assembly as an initial multinational project for youthexchange, paving the way for a Baltic Sea Youth Fund as well as participation of Baltic YouthAssembly delegates in the BSPC annual conferences•developing procedures for a dialogue with existing and emerging regional civil societystructures•fostering measures of mutual understanding by means of research, teaching and documen-tation of the common features and differences in political culture and communication in theBaltic Sea Region•initiating and supporting an observatory for the development of civil society structures inthe Baltic Sea Region•supporting the idea of a “Baltic Sea Youth Ferry Ticket” (price reduction for youth groups)to set a sign for more mobility in the Baltic Sea Region and to promote youth exchange•stressing the need for a simplification of the administration of international youth programslike “YOUTH”•creating favourable conditions for interregional youth cooperation, meaning that especiallyon the local level multilateral meetings between youth NGO's should be supported andencouraged•establishing the practice of consulting all Baltic Sea States on important issues•close cooperation with relevant institutions, such as the UN, the OSCE and the Council ofEurope, applying their standards and expertiseagree to•charge the Standing Committee with identifying in close cooperation with the CBSSCommissioner on Democratic Development and with the CBSS Working Group on Demo-cratic Institutions a selected number of key issues in order to follow up the various aspectsof the discussion how to develop a civil society•further charge the Standing Committee with discussing the future composition of theStanding Committee782002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 79•charge the Standing Committee in close cooperation with the secretariat of the CBSS TaskForce on Communicable Disease Control to identify development in public health andcontrol of infectious diseases to be discussed as one of the key issues for future Baltic SeaParliamentary Conferencescelebratethe 10th anniversary of the BSPC by presenting the booklet “BSPC – 10 years of work” andby opening officially the BSPC homepage (www.eyekey.de/bspc)acceptwith pleasure the offer of the Adriatic Ionian Initiative (AII), expressed in the conclusionsdrawn at the 1st meeting of the Presidents / Speakers of Parliaments in Zadar, 27th April2001, to co-operate with other parliamentary dimensions of European regional initiativessuch as the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference and ensure the interest of the BSPC toestablish an exchange of information especially with regard to the development of civilsocietywith gratitude the invitation of the Russian Federal Parliament to hold the 11th Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference in 2002 in St. Petersburg.792002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 80R E S O L U T I O NPart IIadopted bythe 10th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC),assembled in Greifswald, Germany, September 3rd–4th, 2001,The participants of the Conferenceconcentrating onSafety of Ships and SeA Lanesconcerning the resolution, approved by the 9th BSPC in Malmö, calling on their parliamentsand their governments to encourage multilateral cooperation in order to prevent and combatcatastrophes and to organise international disaster controltaking note of•the efforts made by the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) at its conference on•7th June 2001 to grant high priority to maritime safety in the Baltic Sea and to support anumber of measures to be implemented at international level•the decision by the IMO NAV-Subcommittee at the beginning of July 2001 to approve theextension of the deepwater route North East of Gedser (DW 17m) 5 nautical miles insidethe Traffic Separation south of Gedser (the Kadet fairway) and the endorsement of theSubcommittee that Denmark and Germany initiate an early implementation of theamendment in January 2002•the regional work of the Helsinki Commission ́s expert group preparing for the extraordinaryministerial meeting in Copenhagen on 10th September 2001•the appended report on current problems with regard to maritime safety on the Baltic Sea,presented by the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Pomeranian at the request of the StandingCommittee of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferencecall on the CBSS and their own parliamentsto continue to fundamentally improve the prevention and control of shipping accidents, aswell as the safety of ships and navigation, and international cooperation in this field –especially in the Baltic Sea – and to grant high priority to maritime safety, by establishingsolidarity and a common culture of maritime safety in view of the potentially catastrophiceffects of accidents802002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 81especially by•initiating a review at international level with the aim of designating the Kadet fairway as aParticularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) and investigating the benefits of designating furtherparts of the Baltic Sea Area as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area•jointly trying to convince the IMO of the need for an international agreement on theestablishment of mandatory pilotage and of a Vessel Traffic Management and InformationSystem (VTMIS) in the Route T, the Sund and the Kadet fairway•adopting suitable measures to ensure that, when ships arrive at Baltic Sea ports, theircaptains will be given a leaflet informing them about the navigational peculiarities ofparticularly dangerous traffic areas (the Kadet fairway, the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf ofBothnia) and, where necessary, updating nautical charts, which may also be done in theframework of the port state control•jointly making efforts at international level to codify a port-of-distress law so that aprocedure for directing distressed ships to a port of distress can be laid down in law•adopting similar initiatives with the aim of transforming EU standards – in particular thoseenvisaged with the “ERIKA I and II packages” – into legally binding rules in the frameworkof international agreements at the level of the IMO•improving safety and pollution prevention measures in the Gulf of Finland•protecting the environment by more effectively enforcing the prohibition of all dischargesfrom ships, especially oil and sewage, in all traffic in the Baltic Sea•additional measures to ensure improved hydrographic services and to promote the use ofElectronic Navigational Charts (ENC)•the enhanced use of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS)•promoting an obligatory reporting system for navigation in the Gulf of Finland, the Kadetfairway and other main parts of the Baltic Sea•phasing out the use of single hull oil tankers in the Baltic Sea Area up to 2015•carrying out port state control on the basis of either the 1982 Paris Memorandum ofUnderstanding on Port State Control or Council Directive 95/21/EC, as amended•promoting a safety and environmental culture through the establishment of a commonprocedure for the investigation into marine casualties•promoting the implementation of economic incentives as a means to encourageenvironmental protection in maritime transport by, for example, granting lower port duesfor ships complying with certain environmental standards•ensuring adequate emergency capacity (fire-fighting, emergency lightering and emergencytowing capacities)•basing the development of the Baltic Sea Region on cooperation of the Baltic Sea States inorder to prevent the catastrophic effects of accidents and technogenic catastrophes•urging the governments of the Baltic Sea Region to co-operate and assist each other duringshoreline clean-up operations•realising an observer status for both the Conference of the Peripheral Maritime Regions ofEurope (CPMR) and the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) at the InternationalMaritime Organisation (IMO)812002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 82call on the participants of the extraordinary ministerial meeting on10th September 2001 (Helcom Extra 2001)•to reach a mutual agreement on the above measuresagree to•establish a working group on the topic of “Maritime Safety on the Baltic Sea” for whicheach parliament that participates in the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference can send arepresentative and which will prepare additional resolutions for adoption during the nextBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference.Appendix: Report on current problems with regard to maritime safety on the Baltic Sea,presented by the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Pomeranian at the request of theStanding Committee of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference822002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 83Annex 2Participants at the 10th Baltic SeaParliamentary ConferenceSpeakersDegn, Helle Lord Russell-JohnstonHünemörder, Katrin af Sillén, JanKroll, Henryk Vaisbrodas, RenaldasLinde, Leif Velliste,TrivimiObukhov, Alexej Östdahl, StigParliaments and legislative assembliesBaltic Assembly Parliamentary Assembly of the CouncilOviir, Siiri (representing also Estonia) of EuropeRazminovics, Arnis Lord Russell-Johnston(representing also Latvia) Adam, UlrichRazuks, Romualds Torbjörn, Kjell(representing also Latvia) Zapfl-Helbling, RosmarieSprindzuks, ,Maris(representing also Latvia) Parliament of Finland, EduskuntaVelliste, Trivimi Brax, Tuija(representing also Estonia) Gestrin, KristinaRongelep, Ene, Secretary of the Estonian Huovinen, SusannaDelegation Hyssälä, LiisaZilliacus, Patrick, Secretary of theParliamentr of Bremische Bürgerschaft DelegationMützelburg, DieterOppermann, Karl Uwe Parliament of Free and Hanse CityTöpfer, Wilfried of HamburgBrüning, BarbaraParliament of Denmark, Folketinget Bühler, AxelKaalund, Per Heusel, WernerHoffmann-Riem, UlrikeParliament of Estonia, Riigikogu Machaczek, BettinaOviir, Siiri (representing also the Baltic Stapelfeldt, DorotheeAssembly)Velliste, Trivimi (representing also the BalticAssembly)Rongelep, Ene, Secretary of the Delegation832002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 84Federal German Parliament Klostermann, HenningBörnsen, Wolfgang Kuessner, HinrichGünther, Manfred Labs, DianaDeichmann, Christel Lambrecht, FrankHiller, Reinhold Linthe, CarolaLucyga, Christine Loscher, BerndMeier, Silke Müller, UweSchernkes, Barbara Neumann, KarstenSteenbrecker, Andrea Peters, GerlindeThierse, Wolfgang Pád, GeraldThönnes, Franz Richter, CaludiaVollrath, Sven Rudolph, WernerVoss, Sylvia Röhl, WolfgangSkalei, PetraParliament of Iceland, Althingi Steinhagen, MariaGudjon Gudmundsson Strampe, DörteSträtker, GeorgParliament of Latvia, Saeima Stölzer, GittaRazminovics, Arnis Tauch, Peter(representing also Baltic Assembly) Tebben, ArminRazuks, Romualds Walendowski, Britta(representing also Baltic Assembly) Zapfe, DirkSprindzuks, Maris(representing also Baltic Assembly) Nordic CouncilSticenko, Ingrida, Secretary of the Hovmand, Svend ErikDelegation Prusti, RiittaSigridur JohannesdottirParliament of the Republic of Lithuania, Hagemann, HenrikSeimas Henriksen, MereteKlisonis, Audrius Forslund, Britt-MarieRamanauskas, Alvydas Lindroos, PäivikkiJankauskaite, Renata, Secretary Nikolajsen, MadsNokken, Frida, Secretary GeneralParliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Myhre-Jensen, KjellBahr, Bodo Pakarinen, HeikkiBockholdt, Heinz Selander, ArneCaffier, Lorenz Smekal, Evade Boer, Hendrik Sørensen, TorkilFoerster-Baldeius, Inge Toropainen, UllaEwert, Silke Vargö, LarsFranke, Bernhard Wennberg, SandroDenski, Andrea Widberg, JanDiedrich, Uwe Zilliacus, PatrickHolznagel, Renate842002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 85Parliament of Norway, Stortinget St Petersburg Legislative AssemblyDale, John Vagya, AtanyarDalheim, ErikGodal, Ingvald Parliament of Schleswig-HolsteinLie, Lars Gunnar Arens, Heinz-WernerNistad, Astird Marie Behm, JoachimSkulberg, Andreas Fischer, RolfPlieske, MaxParliament of Poland Ritzek, ManfredPuzyna, Wlodzimierz Spoorendonk AnkeJanuszewski, Andrzej, Secretary Steenblock RainderHanninen, ErjaFederal Assembly of the Russian Köhler, JoachimFederation Schöning JürgenFederation Council of the Federal Parliament of Sweden, RiksdagenAssembly of the Russian Federation Bohlin, SinikkaKhripel, Gennady Ohlsson, CarinaKorobeynikov, Anatoly Olsson, KentShilnikov, Vladimir Sköldestig, BerndtUstyugov, Valeriy Stenarv, GunnarDakhova, Nadezhda, Secretary Söderdahl, WillyÅberg, Mats, AmbassadorState Duma of the Russian FederationChurkin, Gennady Legislative Assembly of AlandKosachev, Konstantin Erlandsson, RagnarPivnenko, Valentina Pehrsson, Anne-MayZaitseva, Arina, Secretary Sjölund, FolkeSvensson, HasseObserversCommission of the European Union Council of the Baltic Sea Statesde Largentaye, Bertrand Degn, HelleObukhov, AlexeyCamera dei Deputati Sokolov, SergueiStefania Baldi, MonicaBorelli, Paola Parliament of GreeceCaselli, Federico Chambouris, GiorgosGrazian, Giampaolo Sgouridis, PanayiotisDuca, EugenioSelva, GustavoTrezzani, Claudia852002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 86Parliament of Croatia GERDES Elektronik GmbHAbramovic, Boris Eggert, KlausTomac, Zdravko Schulze, VolkerTomcic, ZlatkoHistorisches Institut Nordische GeschichteParliament of Croatia Götz, NorbertPavlinic, Andrina Hackmann, JörgVitas-Zubi, JasnaNational Board of Youth AffairsParliament of the Pomeranian Region Linde, LeifGrzelak, GrzeforzGalach, Marek Baltic Sea Youth ProjectHünemörder, KatrinSejmik Voivodeship Western Pomerania Werner, InaMalanowski, AndrzejRewaj, Tadeusz Baltic Sea Chambers of CommerceWegrzyn, Renata Ipsen, BjörnKoopmann, WernerHELCOMaf Sillén, Jan Schleswig-Holsteinisches Institut fürEhlers, Peter Friedenswissenschaften, SCHIFFWellmann, ChristianBSSSCSynak, Bruno Italian Embassy, BerlinWrobiewska, Krystyna Peano, FrancescoVerracchia, StefanoRegion SkåneTufvesson, Rolf University of LüneburgThaysen, Uwe Prof.Conference of Peripheral MaritimeRegions, CPMR Special guestsÖstdahl, Stig Scharlemann, Wilm, GermanyTrade Union Cooperation in the Baltic-SeaRegion/NFSDeutschland, PeterGrundheber-Pilgram, AlfonsSidorov, EvgeniSurin, AnatolyVaigur, Kristjan862002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 87Interpreters PressAurand, Ralph Ewald, Rüdiger, GermanyFleischhacker, Karin Goos, Diethart, GermanyDix-Kuessner, Brigitte Jung, Frank, GermanyHalanek, VeraHansen, Karen RapporteursJohnson, Catherine Eskildsen-Aaltonen, KimNiessen, Martina Eskildsen-Aaltonen, KristinaRepin, AlekseiRitter, Claus872002-702 Baltic Sea... 19/03/02 16:20 Sida 88omslag 2 19/03/02 16:21 Sida 1The 10th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceCivil Society. A Political Model BetweenVision and RealityThe 10th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference wa held in Greifswaldon 2–4 September 2001. Parliamentarians from the Baltic Sea Regionfocused on two main issues – Civil Society and Safety of Ships andSea Lanes.Baltic Sea co-operation is coming of age. Since 1991 it has beenobvious that the regional parliamentary perspective is a strong factorin the development.The 10th Conference was an evidence that theparliamentary democracy has been established and deeply foundedin the Region.ANP 2002:702