18 BSPC Conference Report

New Security ChallengesText: Päivikki LindroosSpeeches can be found at www.bspc.netBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Secretariatc/o Nordic CouncilStore Strandstræde 18DK-1255 Copenhagen KPhone (+45) 33 96 04 00jw@norden.orgwww.bspc.netUS 2009:488 Nyborg, Denmark • 30 August – 1 September 200942449_The 18th BSPC_omslag 1 20/11/09 8:30:39)CPSB(ecnerefnoCyratnemailraPaeScitlaBht81■segnellahCytiruceSweN2 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference New Security Challenges 59BSPC SecretariatLindroos, Päivikki Rapporteur, BSPCWendt, Johanna von Coordinator, BSPC SecretariatWidberg, Jan Head of BSPC SecretariatSecretariat of the Parliament of DenmarkAndersen, Bente Head of ProtocolAndersen, Dorte Senior Folketing OfficerCox, Lena Smith Senior ClerkDeleuran, Pernille Head of DivisionDethlefsen, Claus Deputy Secretary GeneralThe Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Kjelgaard, Kamilla Head of Section(BSPC) was established in 1991 as a forum Larsen, Carsten U. Secretary Generalfor political dialogue between parliamentar-Lind, Dennis Barndorph Executive Officerians from the Baltic Sea Region. BSPC gathersMollerup, Frank Inspectorparliamentarians from 11 national parliaments,Pedersen, Kim H. Head of Security11 regional parliaments and 5 parliamentaryorganizations around the Baltic Sea. The BSPC Pedersen, Peder H. Head of Sectionthus constitutes a unique parliamentary bridge Rugaard, Dan Inspectorbetween all the EU- and non-EU countries of Sandø, Jonna Higher Executive Officerthe Baltic Sea Region. BSPC aims at raising Schubert, Torben Senior Usherawareness and opinion on issues of currentSeierø, Elton Inspectorpolitical interest and relevance for the BalticSea Region. It promotes and drives variousInterpretersinitiatives and efforts to support a sustain-able environmental, social and economic Almaas, Elena Interpreterdevelopment of the Baltic Sea Region. It Fleischhacker, Karin interpreterNew Security Challenges strives at enhancing the visibility of the Baltic Jakimowicz, Aleksander interpreterUS 2009:488 Sea Region and its issues in a wider European Catherine Johanson interpretercontext. The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Confer-© Nordic Council, Copenhagen 2009 Krasnowolski, Piotr Interpreterence is the annual general assembly in thePrint: Scanprint a/s Larsen, Stein InterpreterBaltic Sea Region for broad political debate onText: Päivikki Lindroos Peerless, Aase interpreterBaltic Sea issues. The Conference resolutionsDesign: Kjell Olsson/Par No 1 A/Sare political tools which enable the BSPC to Repin, Aleksei interpreterPhotos: Johannes Jansson, NMR,Publication Unit launch and sustain political initiatives, and to Rösch, Antje InterpreterCopies: 300 approach the governments and regional or- Tchekhov, Alexandre InterpreterPrinted on environmentally-friendly paper ganizations on issues of common interest. TheBSPC has a number of working bodies at itsPrinted in Denmarkdisposal, which serve as resources for drivingNORDISKMIØMÆRKNING a tin vdesi.m Ap Sle tam ne dn inti gn gCoB mSP mCitp ter eio ar nit die sana n Ednlo ab rgje ec d-Standing Committee are responsible for the541 006Tryksag follow-up of BSPC resolutions, for identifyingand addressing issues within the BSPC fieldof responsibility, and for preparing the annualBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Conferences. The BSPC Working Groups areJan Widberg political vehicles with the overall objectiveHead of BSPC Secretariat of elaborating joint political positions andC/o Nordic Council recommendations on issues of common inter-Store Strandstrade 18 est in the Baltic Sea Region. BSPC externalDK-1255 Copenhagen K interfaces include parliamentary, govern-Denmark mental, sub-regional and other organizations+45 24 699446 in the Baltic Sea Region and the Northernjw@norden.org Dimension area, among them CBSS, HELCOM,the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperationwww.bspc.net (BSSSC) and the Baltic Development Forum.42449_The 18th BSPC_omslag 2 20/11/09 8:30:39New Security Challenges 3Ms Christina Gestrin, MP, Finland,Chairman of the BSPCForewordThe 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) was held inNyborg, on the Island of Fyn, Denmark, August 30 – September 1,2009. The Conference was hosted by the Danish Folketing, and Iwould like to extend our gratitude to the Speaker of the Folketing,Thor Pedersen, and to Niels Sindal, Chairman of the Danish Delega-tion to the BSPC, for their support and encouragement of the Con-ference. I had the pleasure to welcome the participants to two daysof presentations, debates and networking. The Conference attractedgovernment representatives, parliamentarians and experts, number-ing some 200 persons from the Baltic Sea Region and beyond. Theconference continued to bolster the spirit of the Baltic Sea Region aswell as cooperation between parliamentarians.The Baltic Sea Region is a region of good prospects. The agendaof the Nyborg conference addressed new security challenges andmaritime safety and security. These are issues which can, and shouldbe solved in cooperation.I have had the privilege of chairing the BSPC Standing Committeeas well as the Enlarged Standing Committee since the 17th Confer-ence in Visby 2008. I would like to extend my thanks to the vice-chair of the BSPC, Ms Valentina Pivnenko, to members of the Stand-ing and Enlarged Standing Committees, and to the chairmen andmembers of the BSPC Working Groups for all their efforts in promot-ing the work of the BSPC and preparing the 18th BSPC.My thanks go to our Danish hosts, to the keynote speakers andparliamentarians, to our observers and guests, all of whom have con-tributed to the successful outcome of the conference.Christina Gestrin42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 3 20/11/09 9:07:224 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceContentsForeword ....................................................................................3Opening of the Conference ........................................................7First Session: Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region ..................8Reports from the BSPC Working Groups .................................15Second Session: Maritime Safety and Security .........................25Third Session: Threats to Security ............................................31Closing of the Conference ........................................................38Conference Resolution ..............................................................40Programme ...............................................................................48Participants ..............................................................................5342449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 4 20/11/09 9:07:23New Security Challenges 5Sunday 30 AugustThe 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference was held in Nyborg,Denmark, 30 August – 1 September 2009. On the first day of theconference, participants were offered excursions to Kommunekemi(company for treatment of hazardous waste and waste with an en-vironmental impact) and to Odense Steel Shipyard (Lindøværftet).They also visited Hans Christian Andersen’s House in Odense. Beforethe excursions, the BSPC Standing Committee held a meeting. Theday was concluded with a dinner hosted by Mr Niels Sindal, MP,Chairman of the Danish delegation to the BSPC.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 5 20/11/09 9:07:2542449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 6 20/11/09 9:07:26New Security Challenges 7Monday 31 AugustOpening ofThe ConferenceMr Thor Pedersen, Speaker of the DanishParliament opened the Conference by wish-ing all participants from 15 countries a warmwelcome to the annual parliamentary meet-ing. He underlined that the Danes have fordecades been committed to extensive andbroad cooperation in the region. Mr Pedersen Mr Thor Pedersenreminded that it was in the period 1988-1992that the grounds for cooperation betweengovernments and parliamentarians were laid.It was the then Danish and German govern-ments with Mr Uffe Ellemann-Jensen andHans-Dietrich Genscher as Foreign Ministerswho took the initiative to found the Council ofthe Baltic Sea States, CBSS. He also underlinedthe role of the Nordic Council, which has fromthe very beginning given its practical supportto the parliamentary side of the cooperation.In recent years the bodies of the BSPC – theStanding Committee and the Enlarged Stand- Mr Niels Sindaling Committee – have been more in charge ofthe political content while the secretariat is atthe Nordic Council. Mr Pedersen also referredto the fruitful and profitable cooperation ondifferent CBSS projects, HELCOM ́s Baltic SeaAction Plan, and cooperation with the NordicCouncil of Ministers and EU, especially theprojects under the Northern Dimension.Mr Niels Sindal, Chairman of the Danishdelegations to the Nordic Council and to theBSPC, also wished all participants welcometo the 18th BSPC, to Nyborg and the island ofFyn, which has good connections with Den- Ms Asta Skaisgirytė-mark and the whole Baltic Sea Region. LiauškienėMr Sindal referred to the themes and thedraft resolution of the conference and the finaldocuments of the two working groups. Theresults from the conference must be followedup effectively, especially on the national level,and the governments in the region should beinvited to cooperate on the themes of the con-ference. Mr Sindal regretted that the Swedishgovernment, representing the EU Presidency,had not been able send a representative togive a presentation on the EU Baltic Sea Strat-egy at political level. Mr Mikael Lesko42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 7 20/11/09 9:07:348 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceFirst Session:Cooperation in the Baltic Sea RegionMs Christina Gestrin, MP, Finland, Chairman of the BSPC, startedby directing her and BSPC’s warm thanks to the host, the Dan-ish Folketing, and especially to the Speaker of the Folketing ThorPedersen and to Niels Sindal. In her report from the BSPC Stand-ing Committee, she pointed out sustainable development as one ofthe key elements for the region. As some of the challenges for thefuture activities in the BSPC, Ms Gestrin mentioned free movementof labour as a possibility for the whole region. She referred to thehuge number of cruise vessels in the Baltic Sea. Some 350 cruise lin-ers visit the Baltic Sea every year. This benefits the Region in manyways, but it is absolutely incomprehensible and unacceptable that amajority of these vessels discharge their sewage, untreated, directlyinto the sea. The use of our shared environment also entails an obli-gation to protect and take care of it. Ms Gestrin pointed out that weall have a responsibility to use the Baltic Sea’s resources in a judi-cious and sustainable way.Parliamentarians can and must be forerunners in public opinion,Ms Gestrin stated. In the draft resolution, the Baltic Sea Strategy ofthe EU is mentioned as one of the issues which the BSPC has beenpursuing and which the parliamentarians very much welcome. TheBaltic Sea Strategy must, however, be coordinated with the North-ern Dimension policy. Cooperation in energy policy must also bestrengthened. She underlined that the prevailing economic crisismust not be taken as an excuse for cutting resources or delayingtimetables for environmental work. International cooperation andsolidarity are more important than ever in order to withstand all theeffects of the economic crisis.Ms Gestrin touched upon the internal work of the BSPC, present-ing the amendment proposal to the Rules of Procedure that willallow all participating parliaments to attend Standing Committeemeetings. She reported that the home pages of the BSPC are underrenovation and, when ready, will serve as a new platform for infor-mation and debate. Most of the contributions from the parliaments tothe BSPC Joint Financing Mechanism have been paid and the BSPCnow has a better capacity to finance its activities by its own means.The organisation of the BSPC is ready for new challenges.Ms Gestrin reported from the 15th CBSS Ministerial meeting inJune where the Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs had em-phasised the need for effective cooperation between parliamentar-ians and governments. Contacts with other partners, such as BalticDevelopment Forum and Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation(BSSSC) have been pursued. BSPC supports the new project calledBaltic Sea Labour Network (BSLN), aiming at strengthening the roleand dialogue between social partners. The NGOs play an importantrole in the development of the Baltic Sea region.According to Ms Asta Skaisgirytė-Liauškienė, Vice Minister42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 8 20/11/09 9:07:35New Security Challenges 9representing the Lithuanian chairmanship in the CBSS in 2009-2010, the CBSS is particularly interested in regular dialogue with theBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, which is its strategic partner.She voiced her pleasure that the cooperation has become evencloser, especially in terms of synchronization of priorities, such asnew security challenges and maritime safety and security. She alsomentioned the launch of the first regional EU Strategy for the Bal-tic Sea Region which will open the way to implementing the mosturgent and important measures in a coherent manner. She thoughtit would be valuable for both CBSS and other regional organisationsto explore how they could contribute to the implementation of theStrategy.In her report, Ms Skaisgirytė-Liauškienė outlined the Lithuanianpriorities under the CBSS Presidency. She mentioned three majorissues on which attention will be focused. Firstly, focus is put oninnovations as an essential source of scientific and technological42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 9 20/11/09 9:07:3710 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferenceprogress, which should ensure sustainable development, economiccompetition and a safe and secure social environment. Secondly,cross-border cooperation involving a range of social groups in multi-faceted cooperation should encourage mutual understanding. Andthirdly, a clean and safe environment in the Baltic Sea Region as avital and essential condition for a safe and viable social life is a long-term goal.Civil security has always been one of the CBSS priority areas ascivil security threats have a cross-border dimension, so cross-borderand regional cooperation is needed more than ever, Ms Skaisgirytė-Liauškienė noted. The CBSS has well-developed cooperation in thefield of law enforcement. This includes the Baltic Sea Task Forceon Organised Crime, which is a network of mainly police coopera-tion. There is also the Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation,focusing on maritime policing issues, illegal immigration, traffickingin human beings and smuggling. The CBSS Expert Group on Cus-42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 10 20/11/09 9:07:39New Security Challenges 11toms Cooperation and Border-Crossings Aspects deals with monitor-ing and controlling illegal cross-border activities especially relatedto trade and transport of goods. The CBSS Prosecutors GeneralNetwork discusses various problems related to investigating andprosecuting criminals in a transnational context. The CBSS Senior Of-ficial Group on Tax Cooperation focuses on transnational tax-relatedcrimes and tax evasion. Ms Skaisgirytė-Liauškienė went on to presentthe CBSS expert cooperation in the Task Force against Trafficking inHuman Beings, and a specialized network called CBSS Expert Groupon Children at Risk. One of the CBSS activities is focused on nuclearsafety. The CBSS Civil Protection network brings together the highestlevels of rescue authorities in the region.Ms Skaisgirytė-Liauškienė closed her report by stressing that theCBSS counts on and welcomes full support of the Baltic Sea Parlia-mentary Conference for the CBSS activities and in implementing thepriorities of the Lithuanian presidency.Mr Mikael Lesko, Minister Counsellor from the Embassy ofSweden in Copenhagen, representing the Swedish presidencyin the EU, spoke in his presentation about the Northern DimensionPolicy and about the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Mr Leskoexpressed his concerns about climate change and environmentalproblems but realised at the same time that now there is a great op-portunity to demonstrate the strength of the patterns of cooperationwithin the region. There is a strong commitment around the BalticSea to protect the maritime heritage and the quality of life. As tothe Baltic Sea Strategy, Mr Lesko mentioned that different MemberStates will take responsibility for the different priority areas in theStrategy. Regional organisations can also take the lead. For example,the Nordic countries have a long history of cross-border cooperationand have now seized the opportunity to contribute to this process ofdeveloping the Baltic Sea Region further.Within the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership(NDEP), significant results have been achieved in reducing theamount of pollution discharged into the Baltic Sea. The implementa-tion of major investments with cross-border environmental effectshas been successful in St Petersburg. The severe environmentalproblems in Kaliningrad have not yet been adequately addressed.Mr Lesko underlined that the EU members must continue to developtheir policies and enhance cooperation within the union but, at thesame time, efforts have to be made with neighbours and partners. Hewas pleased to see that progress is being made in the preparationsfor a Northern Dimension Partnership on Transport and Logisticsand a Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture. Mr Lesko con-cluded by pointing out that there is a need for activities both withinthe Union and with the neighbours. The Northern Dimension helpsto further enhance the positive effects of these endeavours by engag-ing in partnerships with the countries neighbouring the EU.Mr Evgeny Nikora, Speaker of the Murmansk Regional Duma,representing HELCOM, gave a report on HELCOM activities, thelatest developments in the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 11 20/11/09 9:07:4012 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceSea Action Plan, and the work focusing on theupcoming HELCOM Moscow Ministerial Meet-ing in 2010. All of these are aimed at achievinggood environmental status for the Baltic Seaby 2021.Mr Nikora spoke about the National Imple-mentation Programmes for presentation at theHELCOM Moscow Ministerial Meeting in May2010 and the coherence between these. Heemphasised the strong interconnection be-tween the work of HELCOM and the work that Mr Evgeny Nikorais carried out at global and European levels.Mr Nikora underlined that, in order to put theinternational agreements into effect, they haveto be implemented at national level. This iswhy the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan statesthat all countries are to develop their NationalImplementation Programmes specifically forthe eutrophication and hazardous substancessegments in HELCOM’s assessment before the2010 Moscow meeting.Mr Nikora reminded that the HELCOM Ac-tion Plan has been acknowledged as the basisfor the environmental pillar of the EU Strategy Ms Sylvia Bretschneiderfor the Baltic Sea Region. The Action Plan is acoherent process that runs parallel with manyother regional and European initiatives to im-prove the quality of the marine environment.The Plan has come at the best possible timeto complement, facilitate and provide input tomajor global and EU instruments, Mr Nikoraconcluded his report.In her report from the Baltic Sea Action PlanImplementation Group, Ms Christina Gestrin,Chairman of the BSPC and BSPC Rappor-teur on Eutrophication and the Baltic SeaAction Plan, stressed the linkage between the Ms Sinikka BohlinEU Strategy and the HELCOM Baltic Sea ActionPlan. She noted that the European Commissionhas recognized that the Action Plan will be im-portant for the EU marine strategy and waterframework directive. The NEFCO/NIB Techni-cal Assistance Fund and donor agreementsby Sweden and Finland have been prepared.Financial institutions (NEFCO, NIB, EDRB) aregiving strong support to the implementationprocess.Ms Gestrin described the dialogue with IMOon enforcing rules for Oxides of Nitrogen(NOx) and Sulphur Oxides (SOx) emissions Ms Berit Brørby42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 12 20/11/09 9:07:47New Security Challenges 13from ships and the legislative work to support usage of phospho-rous-free detergents in Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. She was optimis-tic about reaching an understanding about a proposition to IMO onprohibiting wastewater discharge from passenger ships.She noted that the global economic crisis has not left the BalticSea countries unaffected, but Member Countries that are intention-ally slowing down the implementation process might have difficultyachieving consensus in some cases. Ms Gestrin was concerned aboutfinancial institutions withdrawing their support to the Kaliningradwater treatment facility due to suspicions of corruption and disap-pointment with the entrepreneur; consequently, the Kaliningradwastewater goes untreated into the Baltic Sea.Climate change presents an extra challenge because increased pre-cipitation is forecast, especially in the northern part of the Baltic Sea.Increasing water temperatures lead to increased winter runoff andleaching of nutrients.As her conclusion Ms Gestrin saw, as did Mr Nikora, that the HEL-COM Ministerial Meeting in Moscow in May 2010 is crucial for thecontinuation of the process.Ms Sylvia Bretschneider, President of the Parliament of Meck-lenburg-Western Pomerania, HELCOM Observer of the BSPC,talked about the major results and developments in HELCOM in2008-2009, referring to the work of the Baltic Sea Action Plan Imple-mentation Group. The deliberations of the national Heads of Del-egation and the discussions at the regular HELCOM Meetings havefocused on steering the implementation process of the Baltic SeaAction Plan, on limiting land-based emissions from agriculture andforestry, the harmful effects of fishing, options for reducing munici-pal and industrial effluents, as well as financing measures to improvethe environmental status of the Baltic Sea.She raised the potential organisational dilemma of using the BalticSea Action Plan Implementation Group as a political steering com-mittee of HELCOM, since the same people are taking part both inthe Implementation Group and the meetings of the Heads of Delega-tion. Another problem is that environmental and climate protectionaspects do not play a major role in the negotiations of HELCOM ́sContracting Parties on the budget.Ms Bretschneider mentioned the planned construction of the NordStream gas pipeline and said that the Implementation Group has em-phasised that the environmental impact assessment should be carriedout openly and transparently based on the Espoo Convention and inaccordance with the relevant legislation. The Group does not see anyneed for HELCOM to be officially involved in the process.Ms Bretschneider raised concern about the allocation of adequatefunds for, in particular, the protection of the marine environment.Policymakers should move away from cost-effective thinking and askwhat the costs will be in the future if nothing is done today. BSPCshould continue to give active support to HELCOM ́s work and exer-cise its observer status at HELCOM, Ms Bretschneider concluded.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 13 20/11/09 9:07:4714 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceDebateIn the following plenary debate, Ms Sinikka Bohlin, MP, Sweden,President of the Nordic Council, brought into question the CBSSreorganisation and the role of the very experienced and well-in-formed NGO fora in the CBSS context. She wished that these organi-sations could still, although in a new status, play a role in the CBSS.Ms Bohlin also wished that openness and transparency, which werekey words in the EU process towards the Baltic Sea Strategy, shouldprevail and that parliamentarians could be a part of an ongoing de-bate on the Northern Dimension and the Baltic Sea Strategy.Concerning NGOs, Ms Skaisgirytė-Liauškienė noted that experi-ences of an active NGO forum in the eastern part of the Baltic SeaRegion actually began in the 1990s. Strengthening civic organisationsin the countries with limited experiences of civil society was a verypositive phenomenon that could be used now as a model for the ob-server states of the CBSS. She also referred to the CBSS contacts withthe NGOs and informed the participants about the next NGO Forumin 2010 as well as the Be Young project.Mr Lesko hoped that no-one thought that the process has beenless transparent during the Swedish Presidency but that, on the con-trary, the Baltic Sea Region could be used as an example of opennessfor the other regions of the Union. Mr Lesko promised to see whatcould be done to use existing channels more efficiently so that theregion could be a model for cooperation and good relations arounda common purpose.During the debate Ms Berit Brørby, MP, Norway, interpretedsome worries of parliamentarians in the region. There are a lotof parliamentarians who wish to get results and who do a lot ofpolitical work to develop the region, compromise when formu-lating their reports and convey the voice of the people to thegovernments for the benefit of the people in the region. Neverthe-less, Ms Brørby was concerned about the situation in which theBSPC finds itself today, when only a few representatives from thegovernments are present, e.g. the Lithuanian vice minister whowas present and reported about CBSS activities. The structure ofthe BSPC is weak when the foreign ministers do not participate atthe annual conferences. Ms Brørby argued that the ministers coulddebate the future lines of the CBSS once a year with the parlia-mentarians. Another aspect of this problem is the resolution fromthe conference. Ms Brørby wished that the ministers of ForeignAffairs could become acquainted with it and report back to theBSPC on what has been done. Contact with the implementingparty is essential. The BSPC speaks with one voice, but is it heardor listened to by the governments, Ms Brørby asked. Mr AsmundKristoffersson, MP, Norway and Mr Vladimir Nikitin, MP, StateDuma, Russia, gave their full support to demands to governmentsto participate in the debates with the BSPC and to report backregarding the resolutions. Ms Skaisgirytė-Liauškienė, respond-ing to the question of cooperation between the governments and42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 14 20/11/09 9:07:47New Security Challenges 15parliamentarians in the region, noted thatcooperation between the CBSS and the BSPCbodies has been keen and the contacts good.As an example she named the CBSS minis-terial meetings and summits to which theBSPC is invited. Ms Skaisgirytė-Liauškienėnoticed the issue and said that the CBSS willcontinue to be constructive in its relationshipto parliamentarians and that the exchangeof information is most important althoughshe realised that the BSPC is not in a posi- Mr Asmundtion to exert formal parliamentary influence Kristofferssonon CBSS activities. In reply to Ms Brørby,Mr Lesko said that it is relatively hard for asmall country to be EU president and tackleall the tasks, i.e. representing all the 27member states at the international level andpresiding over all the EU bodies during thepresidency.Mr Vatanyar Yagya, MP, St Petersburg,referred to the report and called for clear con-nections between the Northern Dimension andthe Baltic Sea Strategy. He was concerned aboutthe fact that Russia is not part of the Baltic Sea Mr Vatanyar YagyaStrategy, which is an EU project. Financing theNorthern Dimension was an issue of concern toMr Yagya. He felt that Russia lacked informationregarding available funding. If Russia wants tobe involved in the Baltic Sea Strategy it can andwill be very successful. Mr Yagya wished thatthe Baltic Sea Strategy should not exclude theNorthern Dimension or Russia.Reports fromthe BSPC Working GroupsMr Mart JüssiMr Mart Jüssi, MP, Estonia, Chairman of theBSPC Working Group on Energy and Cli-mate Change, reported about the work andproposals of the working group that has estab-lished close cooperation with many regionalorganisations, e.g. Baltic Development Forum,Baltic Sea Region Energy Cooperation, and theJoint Energy and Climate Platform.Mr Jüssi noted that the challenge concerningenergy and climate change is of great concernfor all the countries around the Baltic Sea. Soci-ety is currently facing increased use of energy,which in turn is viewed in the context of global Franz Thönnes42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 15 20/11/09 9:07:5216 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferencewarming. Climate change has an impact not onlyon people’s physical comfort but also on tradi-tions, culture and behaviour. Climate change hasalso substantial impact on agriculture, fishingand tourism capacities and productivity.Mr Jüssi emphasised that with the growth ofthe economy, it is possible to use less energyif this is managed intelligently with the aim ofattaining and preserving a healthy environmentand sustainability in the region. The Baltic SeaRegion has great potential for achieving remark- Mr Mihail Ordaable progress in energy and climate change,because of its good infrastructure and produc-tion, energy resources and a number of regionalorganisations dealing with energy and climateissues.The Working Group had agreed upon fourmajor political recommendations and 29 pro-posals that are aimed at mitigating the currentsituation. The four key recommendations are:• Develop a coherent energy strategy for theBaltic Sea Region;• Launch actions plans for Combined Heat andPower and Housing Innovation to improve Ms Anita Brodénenergy efficiency and energy saving by spe-cially including big cities of the region;• Use the economic crisis as an opportunity.Global warming also means new businessplans, new markets, new solutions for en-vironmentally friendly transport, and devel-opment of biofuel for transportation andelectricity production;• Establish a regional educational approachwith a common regional training programmethat would strengthen capacities in energyplanning and develop exchange of experi-ences and best practices. Ms Valentina PivnenkoMr Jüssi emphasised that these actions wouldrequire huge financial resources so he arguedthat cooperation is necessary in order to solvethe challenges properly and to allocate finan-cial resources to the project.The countries of the Baltic Sea Region areinvited to develop strategies and measures toreduce vulnerability to climate change and im-prove adaptability to the possible consequencesof climate change, to explore possibilities ofdiversifying renewable energy resources and toencourage the use of low-carbon technologies bymeans of economic and political instruments. Ms Leena Harkimo42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 16 20/11/09 9:07:58New Security Challenges 17Mr Jüssi referred to the promising recent initiative taken by theGovernment of the Kaliningrad Region of Russia. Together with BAS-REC, the regional organisations for governmental energy coopera-tion, the Russian federal authorities, the Baltic Development Forumand the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Kaliningrad Region haslaunched a number of activities and processes to start projects onenergy saving, energy efficiency and renewable energy.Franz Thönnes, MP, Germany, Chairman of the Working Groupon Labour Market and Social Welfare, presented the final report ofthe Working Group, referring to the recent development in this area,in which a growing number of cross-border workers are encoun-tering difficulties in their everyday working life. Mr Thönnes toldthat the reports from institutions in various countries show that thereasons for commuting from country to country are many and varied.As examples, he named freedom of establishment and freedom ofmovement of workers in the EU, demand for labour in some coun-42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 17 20/11/09 9:08:0118 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferencetries, prevention or ending of unemployment, better incomes, betterworking and living conditions, better relations between employersand employees, social security and stability, and better opportunitiesin education, career and employment.Experience has shown that cross-border commuting is often dif-ficult because of lack of information about the new employment andnew country. Some countries and regions have already establishedinformation centres, which the Working Group supports as one ofthe measures to be pursued.Mr Thönnes spoke about the impact of the current global financialand economic crisis and its effect on labour markets. Cross-borderlabour markets improve employment opportunities and can contrib-ute to dynamic regional development, which benefits the economy,business and employees.Barriers to mobility should be identified and efforts made to dis-mantle them. Regular fora should be held for the sharing of informa-tion on the situation of cross-border workers with the participation42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 18 20/11/09 9:08:03New Security Challenges 19of the associations of cross-border workers,trade unions, employers and political decision-makers.Mr Thönnes voiced concerns about youthunemployment, which he saw as a grave prob-lem in the northern and western parts of theregion. The main causes of youth unemploy-ment are the shortage of training places andjobs, difficulties in job orientation and in thetransition from school to work. The introduc-tion of young people into working life must be Mr Paul Rübigfacilitated. Important factors are cooperation,cooperation between schools, the businesscommunity, authorities in charge and minis-tries, Mr Thönnes stated. He also reported onthe problem of lack of information and statis-tics that could be comparable between coun-tries. A common and comparable database isurgently needed.Debate, continued from Session 1Mr Mihail Orda, MP, Belarus, expressed his Mr Kurt Bodewiggratitude to BSPC for inviting the parliament ofBelarus as guest to the conference and hopedthat the relationship would be fruitful. Bela-rus would certainly be interested in develop-ing ties to the BSPC. He named a number ofexamples in which countries in the Baltic SeaRegion on one hand and Belarus on the otherhave been interacting and helping each other.Developing civil society is an area in whichmutual benefits could be reached.He described the Belarusian economy andtrade, which have developed positively inrecent years and become more international. Ms Anke SpoorendonkThe Baltic States are important trade partnersto Belarus. Cooperation with Estonia, Latvia,Lithuania and Poland takes very practicalforms. Trafficking in human beings is a prob-lem that requires concerted measures andcooperation with neighbouring countries. MrOrda mentioned the Northern Dimension asone of the important projects in which Belarushas an active interest.Ms Anita Brodén, MP, Sweden, was con-cerned about the problems in the environmentfield that have to be taken seriously since theyalso involve a security aspect. Parliamentarians Mr Hans Wallmark42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 19 20/11/09 9:08:0920 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferencehave a responsibility not only to discuss but also to raise the issue invarious fora. She claimed that parliamentarians should concentrateand coordinate their efforts and plans, and that the resources shouldbe used in a way that is conducive to saving the Baltic Sea.According to Ms Brodén, three issues are important in the forth-coming work: parliamentarians should not cover too many issuesat one time, efforts must be coordinated, and communication andinformation between organisations is important. Environmental andsustainable development should be the main principles in all activi-ties.Ms Valentina Pivnenko, MP, Russian State Duma, Vice Chair-man of the BSPC, referred to the work of the Standing Committeeand regarded it as a well-functioning body aiming to achieve politi-cal results. Ms Pivnenko described the situation in Russia, which hasbeen severely hit by the economic crisis. In the field of energy, theministers in Russia have launched some new initiatives. She thoughtthat participation of the Russian government in regional coopera-tion such as the Arctic, Euro-Barents and CBSS is of great value. Shetouched upon the EU Baltic Sea Strategy and expressed a wish thatthe mechanisms for participation and influence should be clarified. Itwould also help the BSPC to reach its long-term goals. The HELCOMBaltic Sea Action Plan is a Russian priority, supported by all levels ofthe decision-making bodies. HELCOM has a Russian Chair and a Rus-sian national implementation plan will be presented by May 2010.Nord Stream is also prioritized; the route is not only a major finan-cial investment but also presents a new environmental standard. Intransport and logistics, IMO has a leading role. Ms Pivnenko claimedthat double standards should be avoided, barriers dismantled andthe visa system improved in order to facilitate people’s travel in theregion. We should work for the people in the Region, for the inte-gration of the region and to deepen our cooperation, Ms Pivnenkoconcluded.Ms Leena Harkimo, MP, Finland, stated that, as a member of theWorking Group on Energy and Climate Change, she has become ac-quainted with many other policies with a bearing on climate change,making the work very useful and rewarding. Much remains to bedone, although public awareness is growing. She observed that infor-mation concerning energy saving and energy efficiency is essential.Schools have an important task here. Improved energy efficiency isthe best way to reduce energy consumption and emission of green-house gases. In order to reduce greenhouse gases, focus shouldbe placed on houses and cars. Forests hold immense resources ofrenewable energy, the use of which could be increased, Ms Harkimoproposed.Mr Paul Rübig, MEP, told the audience about his satisfaction withthe Swedish Presidency of the EU, as it is committed to reaching adecision on the Baltic Sea Strategy. It will have many practical con-sequences for the Region. Mr Rübig will actively be working for thedissemination and discussion of the resolution from the conferencein the European Parliament. He referred to the 20–20–20 principle,42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 20 20/11/09 9:08:1042449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 21 20/11/09 9:08:1322 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferencewhich is a package of proposals that will deliver on the EuropeanUnion’s commitments to fight climate change and promote renewa-ble energy up to 2020 and beyond. The EU is committed to reducingits overall emissions to at least 20% below 1990 levels by 2020. It hasalso set itself the target of increasing the share of renewables in en-ergy use to 20% by 2020. The Climate Action and Renewable Energypackage sets out the contribution expected from each Member Stateto meeting these targets and proposes a series of measures to helpachieve them, Mr Rübig said.Mr Asmund Kristoffersson, MP stated that there is now a fulland complete energy plan for the Region including a concrete andconcise policy. It is a demanding and necessary plan in terms ofthe environment. He argued that a well-functioning and integratedelectricity transmission grid is a must. Emissions of greenhouse gasesmust be reduced. Mr Kristoffersson also saw a possibility that theeconomic crisis might generate opportunities for investment and in-novation in better environmental solutions. Education, professionaltraining, and exchange of experiences and opinions are importantinstruments in spreading environmentally friendly approaches.Mr Kurt Bodewig, MP, Germany, stated that the measures in MrThönnes’ report should be applied in the Baltic Sea countries inorder to help unemployed young people. He saw a link betweenthe two Working Groups in the process of promoting sustainabledevelopment in the Baltic Sea Region, since they might result inmajor local projects for new energy savings and efficiency that couldspawn investment opportunities and employment. Wind power andoff-shore wind power farms are necessary in the region and couldprovide possibilities for local employment. Mr Bodewig noticed thatselling energy might also have an impact on the employment situ-ation. When there is a crisis in the energy market attempts shouldbe made to find and make use of the advantages that the situa-tion might present. Households must start saving energy. There isalready a good understanding of and successful methods for energyefficiency, but now the goal must be extended to include renewableenergy.Ms Anke Spoorendonk, MP, Schleswig-Holstein, underlined theskills of workers in the border regions, especially language skills,which can lead to better employment positions and make a differ-ence in the labour market. Ms Spoorendonk underlined the role ofminorities in the border areas and saw them as bridge-builders in theRegion.Mr Hans Wallmark, MP, Sweden, spoke about energy import andexport, which are opposite sides of the same transaction. The Regionneeds a common energy market. He warned of possible conflictsover natural resources, for instance water which could become ascarce resource. There is a lot of modern research that could openthe door to new approaches and methods for energy provision andefficiency. He reminded that defence and security policy aspects arealways present in the energy debate. The economic and environmen-tal aspects must also be considered.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 22 20/11/09 9:08:13New Security Challenges 23Ms Gabriele Dobusch, MP, Hamburg,was also concerned about the lack of dataabout employment figures, which Mr Thönnesmentioned in his presentation. Reliable andobjective figures are always an essential basisif the work is to be carried out and continuedproperly. She also wanted data on gender tobe included in the statistics relating to youthunemployment in the region.Mr Per Rune Henriksen, MP, Norway, wasconcerned about the serious situation in the la- Ms Gabriele Dobuschbour market, which has hit all the countries inthe region hard. Youth unemployment can eas-ily lead to social tensions. He said that workersneed information in order to avoid the risk ofbeing treated unfairly and unequally, leadingto social dumping.He described the situation in the Murmanskarea where the economy is growing and wherethere is a huge need for information for new-comers in the labour market. Mr Henriksenwished that the social partners would be mo-bilised in a campaign against youth unemploy-ment, which is a big problem in all societies. Mr Rolf ReikvamThe strong Norwegian economy has certainlyfacilitated various measures to tackle problems.Norway has established a youth guaranteewhich secures education for everyone.Mr Rolf Reikvam, MP, Norway, was alsoconcerned about youth unemployment which,according to him, is a result of the financialcrisis. He argued that unemployment can haveserious consequences both for the unemployedgeneration and for the following generation.He argued that public services must be organ-ised to help young people find employment.Mr Thönnes concluded by saying that it isunacceptable that one in four young peoplelacks employment. He urged parliamentariansto approach their governments and ministersresponsible for employment and push forstrong measures against unemployment. Healso reiterated the necessity of providing reli-able and transparent statistics on the issue.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 23 20/11/09 9:08:1542449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 24 20/11/09 9:08:19New Security Challenges 25Second Session:Maritime Safety and SecurityMr Per Sønderstrup, Head of Division, the Danish Maritime Au-thority, gave an outline of Danish activities in the field of maritimesafety. He started by characterising the Baltic Sea waters in Denmarkas an area of strong sea currents, high traffic density, head-on situa-tions, narrow fairways for deep draught ships and therefore risks ofgroundings and collisions. He explained how the safety of navigationhas been improved by ‘defence lines’, in which quality-certified ships,proper voyage planning, use of pilots, competent crews and respon-sible ship owners, aids to navigation, seamark lighthouses, electroniccharts, maritime surveillance, port state control, vessel traffic servic-es, state flag inspections, maritime standards, technical standards andequipment, training and education, operational standards and cargoowners play important roles.He informed that pilots are used through the Danish straits in96-98 % of all passages. Vessel Traffic Services monitor ship move-ments, and new traffic routes and inspection of ships in Baltic ports(Port State Control) and phasing out of single-hull oil tankers makesmaritime transport much safer. He called for higher compensationrates for oil spills.Mr Sønderstrup expressed his satisfaction that there is currentlya relatively small number of accidents – fewer accidents in relationto the increase in ship traffic – which means that the situation isimproving. There ought to be a shift of focus from maritime regula-tions for ship construction and equipment to competent crews andoperational procedures (the human element) and environment andclimate (emission from ships). These high standards should be inforce in 2012.Ms Charlotte Wiin Havsteen, Head of Division Danish MaritimeSafety Administration, spoke about shipping and environment inDanish waters. She also stressed the difficulties of managing shipsin the Danish waters that link the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. Thestraits are narrow and relatively shallow. There are a large numberof vessels in transit and they are increasing in size and draught. Theseas are environmentally very vulnerable.In all safety work, focus is placed on prevention of accidents. Theauthority collects and monitors environmental data such as depth,water level and tides, current and its direction and speed, wind,salinity, temperature (air and sea), and waves. It gives forecasts forships using AIS, VMS, VDS and SafeseaNet.Ms Wiin Havsteen also presented the HELCOM survey plan 2003-2011 and the multibeam echo sounder data system which are impor-tant for safety in Danish waters. The land-based AIS system and theSea Track Web oil spill backtracking are also useful when identify-ing illegal polluters. Ms Wiin Havsteen also gave an orientation onthe Maritime Spatial Planning and the new e-Navigation services inwhich information is sent to the ships.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 25 20/11/09 9:08:1926 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceMr Tapio Gardemeister, Head of Division, Finnish Maritime Ad-ministration gave a presentation on the actions of Finnish authori-ties regarding maritime safety and security.Under the Finnish Ship and Port Facility Act the authorities used insecurity matters are the Finnish Maritime Administration, the Police,Border Guard and customs. The division of labour is clear. In a caseof a security incident, the police service is the leading authority. Cus-toms checks the pre-arrival notification and informs other authori-ties if security issues are discovered, and it also assists the FinnishMaritime Administration on request.The main focus in maritime security on board Finnish ships isprotection against illegal trafficking of weapons, drugs and persons.According to Mr Gardemeister, the main security aspect addressedis to prevent organised crime. Piracy has so far not been considereda threat in the Baltic Sea but ships sailing in waters known to besubject to piracy are implementing protective measures. The FinnishMaritime Administration conducts continuous monitoring of securitymeasures in connection with other inspections and maintains a portfacility exercise database and participates in the planning and com-mand of large-scale live exercises. The Administration has a broadparticipation in national Security Strategy programmes as well asmajor national safety and security focused exercises together withother authorities.In terms of maritime precautionary measures, Mr Ulf Bustorff,Deputy Head, Central Command for Maritime Emergencies,(CCME) Germany, took as a point of departure for his presenta-tion the Pallas accident in 1998, when M/V Pallas caught fire off theDanish coast near Esbjerg in stormy weather. Three days later, theburning cargo vessel was stranded two nautical miles off Amrum inSchleswig-Holstein, Germany. Tons of fuel oil and oil sludge spilledinto the sea. The accident led to several precautionary measures inorder to improve safety at sea. The consequences were manifold andthe subsequent measures took many forms. Mr Bustorff mentionedexamples such as the intensification of information exchange be-tween services, extension of presence at sea by joint coordination,cooperation and mutual support, and maintenance of the high stand-ards of safety at sea.Mr Bustorff presented the Network Maritime Safety and SecurityCentre and its contacts with other authorities. An intensification ofcooperation by the maritime safety authorities and shared accommo-dation, including central emergency response and Point of Contact,are some of the steps taken. He discussed the definition of a com-plex emergency situation which, according to him, exists when thereis an extraordinary threat to human life and health or to the environ-ment, when goods of special value are in danger, when the safetyand ease of navigation is threatened, and when the routine emer-gency response services are exhausted. In such a situation, centralcoordination and a unified command structure for the managementof different response services is necessary.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 26 20/11/09 9:08:19New Security Challenges 27DebateMr Kimmo Tiilikainen, MP, Finland, in-formed the audience about the Finnish gov-ernment’s report on the Baltic Sea, which waspresented to the Parliament in June 2009. Thereport is broad and concentrates mainly on en-vironmental issues, although it also has aspectson economic and social welfare improvements.There are some 70 different actions and a gov-ernmental follow-up is included in the report. Mr Per SønderstrupThe report strongly supports the HELCOMBaltic Sea Action Plan. It also tackles maritimesafety, which, it says, should be strengthened.This is natural, given that 75 % of Finnishforeign trade products are transported throughthe Baltic Sea, and some 30 % of the Russianforeign trade uses the sea as its transport chan-nel. An important step is to promote closer co-operation between the ministers of transport.The COFREP system was introduced aboutfive years ago when Estonia, Finland and Rus-sia launched a mandatory reporting system.Since then, no major accidents have occurred, Ms Charlotte Wiinalthough the risk still remains. Mr Tiilikainen Havsteensaid that more practical cooperation is neededand called for increased capacity to combatmajor oil spills. The Finnish government isconsidering a new fee for imported oil as oneway of funding the maintenance and im-provement of the oil spill defence system. MrTiilikainen underlined that delays in improvingmaritime safety and quality of environmentcannot be accepted because of the economiccrisis. On the contrary, he fully supportedthose previous speakers who saw the crisis asa challenge to find new solutions.Ms Kari Lise Holmberg, MP, Norway, told Mr Tapio Gardemeisterthe conference about the recent accident ofm/s Full City in July 2009 in Norway. Thenatural environment close to Telemark is es-pecially vulnerable and the shores, plants andbird life are suffering from the spills of heavyoil used to run the engines. One positive as-pect was that several NGOs mobilised to helpthe authorities. International help was also re-ceived, particularly from Sweden. Nevertheless,it will take months before the coastlines arecleaned up. Ms Holmberg made a reference tothe Stoltenberg report which covers a number Mr Ulf Bustorff42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 27 20/11/09 9:08:2428 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferenceof proposals regarding such accidents and howto prevent them.Ms Marion Pedersen, MP, Denmark, re-ferred to some actual near-accident situations inthe Danish straits. AIS is very useful but it is notyet compulsory for all vessels. Ms Sinikka Boh-lin, MP, was concerned about the draft resolu-tion and called for as concrete a text as possibleregarding safety and security at sea. Mr IngbertLiebing, MP, Germany, acknowledged that a lotof work had been done but that security at sea Mr Kimmo Tiilikainencould still be improved. He expressed the needfor better cooperation and coordination. Heappealed for the high standards onboard to beimplemented also in other seas, such as strin-gent environmental protection standards. Nodumping should be accepted anywhere.Mr Ryszard Gorecki, Senator, Poland, indi-cated that weather conditions might play a rolein search-and-rescue operations. He proceededto ask whether the AIS could be an answer toovercoming the risks of vessel traffic in thestraits of Denmark. He wanted harmonisationin maritime training and education and hoped Ms Marion Pedersenthat universities in the region could get in-volved and make use of their long tradition ofgood cooperation.In his response, Mr Sønderstrup said thatthe icebreakers in Denmark have not beenneeded for several years, although they stillrepresent a capacity. He said that AIS has al-ready been installed in some fishing ships butit is quite expensive and so the Danish authori-ties have tried other solutions. Mr Sønderstrupwarned about excessive concentration oninformation. The burden to report takes moreand more time which could be detrimental to Mr Ingbert Liebingthe actual operation of a ship. Mr Bustorffunderlined the sharp difference between safetyand security. Ms Wiin Havsteen noticed thatnational prevention is based on coordinationof land and sea resources.Mr Gardemeister took as an example thecooperation between Denmark, Sweden andFinland, which collect data and statistics onall accidents reported by shipowners, suchas groundings or equipment failure. This isa way to foster improvement. Still, Mr Garde-meister did not find it feasible to request AISin all 500,000 pleasure crafts sailing in Finland.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 28 20/11/09 9:08:2942449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 29 20/11/09 9:08:3142449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 30 20/11/09 9:08:34New Security Challenges 311 SeptemberThird Session:Threats to securityMr Ingmar Weitemeier, Director of the Criminal Police Office ofMecklenburg-Western Pomerania, spoke about organised cross-border crime in which international cooperation is very intensive.That is also why action against this kind of criminality must beinternational by nature. Mr Weitemeier gave an example in which aGPS-based search for stolen cars had been used. In this case a carwas stolen in Germany, but located and found in Poland with newlicence plates. Two days later the thieves were arrested. Investiga-tions can be very precise nowadays, and cooperation between policein neighbouring countries and the whole Europe is working well.Mr Weitemeier said that criminal groups are increasingly activeacross borders. This region is a haven for cross-border crime andorganised criminal groups because unchecked movement of peoplesand goods is possible, and travel and transport routes traverse theregion, which is densely trafficked and contains many countries thatserve as transit countries. In the Baltic Sea Region there is a marketfor stolen goods. Cigarette and narcotics smuggling are very typicalcrimes; car, property and money thefts, as well as money laundering,are growing, as is credit card fraud. Criminal groups are becomingmore specialised. The damage they cause can be counted in millionsof Euro. Product piracy and smuggling are emerging forms of crime.Unfortunately, Russian-organised crime plays an important role inthe region. Trafficking in weapons, trafficking in human beings toand through the region, and economic crime within the EU are mostoften carried out by organised groups. In the Nordic countries therehas been a trend for smuggled narcotics to be confiscated in largeramounts than previously.Since 2000 more data has been available on the criminal groups.The police in the region must engage itself more strongly againstorganised crime. The Region must also be prepared for internationalterrorism. Police resources are needed for investigations. Mr Weite-meier warned against dismantling police forces in the region becausetoo little is known about organised crime and its impacts on society.Mr Weitemeier said the cruise liners and other passenger ferries inthe Baltic Sea are vulnerable because passengers embark quickly andcannot be properly checked. Explosives could be brought on board.It is extremely important that the police concentrate on monitoringdevelopments in international organised crime and terrorism.Mr Weitemeier underlined the importance of parliaments engagingmuch more on the menace of organised crime and combating its ef-fects. Legislative changes may be needed in the EU and probably alsoin the Baltic Sea Region. Legislation must be more effective. A further42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 31 20/11/09 9:08:3432 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferencestep is to enhance contacts within the region and the neighbouringcountries. Joint investigation groups need to work across nationalborders, information exchange is important, and the police needs toimprove language skills in order to be able to work internationally.Mr Maciej Pisarski, Director of the Department of Strategyand Foreign Policy Planning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ofthe Republic of Poland, agreed that the energy, environment andeconomy fields need closer coordination, as do the new challengesfor security in the Baltic Sea Region. The majority of the new threatsare of a broader and even universal nature with some important lo-cal characteristics. According to Mr Pisarski, Europe remains a stablearea in which military power is not a factor that defines the posi-tion of a country in the international order. Mr Pisarski outlined themost acute problems in the security field. He also observed that theprotection of critical infrastructure relating to transport and energysecurity should be in focus.The proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons ofmass destruction is a threat which over the last years has been grow-ing despite international efforts to eliminate it, Mr Pisarski stated.There is a real possibility that weapons of mass destruction may beacquired by terrorist groups. In order to avert this threat, smugglingof fissile materials must be prevented and financing of terrorist groupsstopped.The restoration of economic growth also requires better securityrelating to energy supplies. There is growing awareness in Europe ofthe need to develop alternative sources and routes of energy sup-plies in order to avoid dependence on a single source. Mr Pisarskiwas also concerned about climate change, which has been stead-ily growing over the past decades. The two problems, diminishingenergy resources and climate change, pose a threat to internationalsecurity by aggravating the rivalry over energy resources and bydiminishing the prospects for economic development.Mr Pisarski reminded about the importance of measures to protectthe Baltic Sea against toxic wastes originating from industry andships. The work should also include cooperation with Belarus andUkraine, because industrial wastes generated there ultimately end upin the Baltic Sea. He was concerned about the Nord Stream gas pipe-line, which could adversely affect the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea.Mr Pisarski saw a new and growing threat in the so-called cybercrimes, where manipulation and cyber attacks can be carried outvery swiftly and with devastating effects. In order to better cope withthis major challenge, we should combine our resources and expertisewithin the Baltic cooperation. Special attention should also be givento preventing the spread of contagious diseases, which constitutes anew type of security challenge.Mr Pisarski was looking forward to the adoption of the EU BalticSea Strategy. While the Strategy is an EU internal project, the NorthernDimension should continue to serve as a framework for cooperationwith neighbouring countries. Moreover, the Council of the Baltic SeaStates should play an active role in implementation of the Strategy.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 32 20/11/09 9:08:35New Security Challenges 33Ms Eva Biaudet, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordina-tor for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, described theobservations from her work on trafficking. The concept of securityhas widened to incorporate human security. Trafficking for sexualexploitation is the most common type of trafficking on a global scaleand also in Europe. Globally, 80 % of identified victims had beentrafficked for sexual exploitation.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 33 20/11/09 9:08:3734 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceShe reported of cases in which foreign work-ers are offered jobs on false grounds, are notpaid, and, instead of work, are exploited forsexual or other purposes. Treating women as acommodity is facilitated by local customs andlegal practices that treat women as property,but it is also perpetuated by the global sexindustry, which normalizes the exploitation ofpeople, mostly women and children.Migration is and will be necessary. It can bevery positive for societies and it can empower Mr Ingmar Weitemeierthe migrating individual. Ms Biaudet under-lined that it is necessary to keep in mind thatlack of knowledge of language and of society’sstructures, together with economic distress andlow level of education, can put people at riskof exploitation. She told about hundreds oreven thousands of missing children, which arenow also documented in various reports. Manyof these children are victims of human traffick-ing.Ms Biaudet warned for several new threats.Organised crime is assuming new forms. Vari-ous illegal activities, such as corruption, terror- Ms Eva Biaudetism and even the business around counterfeitCDs and DVDs, can be linked to traffickingin human beings. At the same time, economicinequalities and the widening gap betweenrich and poor are exacerbated by the economiccrisis, resulting in growing migration flows.Trafficking in human beings threatenspersonal security, social coherence and ba-sic human values. Core issues for solving theproblems are setting up systematic strategiesand structures to improve effectiveness in thefight against trafficking and to enable thesestructures to work in regional cooperation. It Mr Kent Olssonis also important to improve victim supportand international cooperation to assist victims.Particular measures and structures must becreated to prevent child trafficking and to as-sist child victims.Respect for human dignity, equality and so-cial responsibility is worth fighting for, Ms Bi-audet emphasised. Trafficking erodes these ba-sis values. When trafficking occurs, it is alwaysa failure of society. The victim must never beblamed. Ms Biaudet stated that the Baltic SeaRegion is a specific region with good potentialto fight trafficking, and that parliamentarians42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 34 20/11/09 9:08:41New Security Challenges 35are in a key position to place trafficking high on the political agenda.Mr Mantas Adomenas, MP, Lithuania, President of the BalticAssembly, focused on new challenges, threats and vulnerabilities inthe Baltic Sea Region. The concept of security has changed signifi-cantly during recent years. Today’s security challenges are global andcannot be divided clearly into hard and soft security. New threats aremore diverse, less visible and less predictable, such as cyber crimes,climate change and trans-border diseases. The economic and finan-cial recession adds a new dimension to the concept of security. Thebroadened concept of security for the Baltic Sea Region comprisesseveral sectors of security, such as traditional, military and politicalsecurity, internal national security, social, economic and environ-mental security, and also information and communications security.The expanded concept of security cannot be safeguarded through amodern defence system and a wide range of weapons.Mr Adomenas spoke about the conditions that have to be fulfilledin order to guarantee regional security. He pointed out that regionalactors are stable and have no aggressive intent towards their neigh-bours. Actors are predictable and transparent. There is relative homo-geneity and absence of sharp contrasts. Actors share communality ofgoals. Security objectives cannot be achieved when regional coopera-tion is treated as a zero-sum game and cooperation processes andformats are exploited to reach unilateral goals. Mr Adomenas thencharacterised today’s threats. He listed social threats, civil securitythreats, economic threats, energy threats, energy security, envi-ronmental threats, demographic decline, terrorist threats, politicaltensions, pandemic diseases, challenges to democracy and changingpattern of globalisation, but stated that there are currently no imme-diate large-scale threats. Mr Adomenas spoke in favour of expandingand deepening the security area of the Baltic Sea Region by involv-ing the Eastern Partnership countries in the cooperation.It is necessary to have a target-oriented and concrete approach tomanaging all these threats. The involvement of civil society is impor-tant. Security policy today is facing huge financial challenges, andonly open dialogue and open cooperation instead of confrontationimproves capability to meet new security challenges and threatstogether. Mr Adomenas proposed using the framework of the BSPC,the CBSS as well as other Baltic Sea regional organisations to elabo-rate concrete and practical answers on how to meet the challengesmentioned. Mr Adomedas concluded by stating that security is be-coming more complex and a new security agenda could be discussedin the region by the existing organisations.DebateMr Rolf Reikvam, MP, spoke about international crime that under-mines democracies, law and order. He was concerned about organ-ised crime and new types of trafficking in human beings. There isoften a link between prostitution and trafficking. Mr Reikvam de-42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 35 20/11/09 9:08:4136 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferencescribed the Norwegian legislation that bans sexual purchase. It was astep forward but not enough. He demanded several concerted paral-lel actions, such as reducing social differences in society, protectionof vulnerable women, education, creating jobs, and fighting povertyin all countries. Mr Reikvam proposed that the very basics of traf-ficking in human beings must be scrutinised. The victims must gethelp in finding employment so that their resources could be used insociety. There are effective means against prostitution and traffickingthat must be deployed both nationally and internationally.Mr Hans Wallmark, MP, spoke about the new risks of IT crimeand claimed that the countries must be prepared and have a clearstrategy on how to tackle this problem. He referred to the musicdownload systems and wished to see legal alternatives. The Internetcannot be closed down. As to drugs and narcotics, they are endan-gering and undermining social coherence as well as national health.Mr Wallmark also named trade of illegal weapons and illegal moneytransfer and laundering as forms of crime that pose severe problemsin the Baltic Sea Region. Ms Renate Holznagel, Vice-President,Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania, reported on a new dimension toorganised crime. The doors were opened 20 years ago when cross-border mobility became a reality. The dark side of mobility is organ-ised crime, which is closely linked to corruption. She praised thegood cooperation between authorities in neighbouring countries incombating smuggling and trafficking. She also spoke about maritimesecurity, which is important because of the high levels of exportsand imports transported by sea. Improving safety in harbours is im-portant and Ms Holznagel invited the other participating countries tobecome involved in the Galileo surveillance system.Mr Nikolay Churkin, MP, Council of Federation, Russia, saidthat security in its widest sense has global aspects and affects thewhole of society. We need a holistic approach in the Baltic SeaRegion and in the whole of Europe. No area can be excluded. MrChurkin spoke about the risks facing vessels in the Baltic Sea, wheresabotage is always a possibility. Taking a bomb onboard is sim-ple today. He joined those who called for more effective measuresagainst organised cross-border crime. Mr Churkin referred to theRussian decision-making process and said that sustainable develop-ment and security are very high on the agenda. The discussion in theCouncil of Federation and State Duma must be given enough timebefore results and recommendations can be presented to the govern-ment. Protection of the environment and generation of wealth arecompatible endeavours. Mr Churkin was also concerned about thecultivation, transport and trafficking of drugs. Combating distributionnetworks of drugs is an issue that requires joint forces. PresidentMedvedev has stated that strong measures are crucial for improvingthe health of the entire Russian society.Kent Olsson, MP, Sweden, wanted a thorough discussion on traf-ficking, as he saw it as one of the pressing political issues of today. Atthe same time it is a covert activity that is difficult to tackle becauseof its very nature. Cross-border and international police cooperation42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 36 20/11/09 9:08:41New Security Challenges 37must be increased and strengthened. Statistics on crime show thatvery few of the measures carried out, for example, in the Council ofEurope have achieved their intended results. Too little has been done.Ms Marion Pedersen, MP, stated that trafficking in human beingsmust always be high on the agenda. She felt positive that the workcan and must lead to results. Cooperation on information is important.Improved statistics are needed because there are currently no realand comparable figures, only estimates based on information receivedfrom the police.Mr Arkadiusz Litwiński, MP, Poland, spoke about the value ofparliamentarians working on security issues in their own constituen-cies, especially on issues of civil security. He was worried about theacute threat of the chemical weapons on the seabed of the BalticSea, which might be corroded and release toxic agents when thepipeline is built. Vladimir Nikitin, MP, observed that the 1st Sep-tember is the first day of the Russian school year, called the Day ofKnowledge. He congratulated teachers and scholars and urged themto develop society and give good guidance for the next generations.Combating today’s threats and bearing in mind that societies are ina new phase of global competition is of the utmost importance. Achange in Russian foreign policy has been seen, where emphasis isput on humanity and development of civil society. Cooperation canflourish in very many different ways.Ms Eva Biaudet thanked the participants in the discussion. The issueof trafficking is a highly humanitarian one with many aspects linkedto the rule of law. She reminded that all countries participating in theBaltic Sea cooperation are also OSCE members and should combat traf-ficking both at national and international levels.Ms Valentina Pivnenko, MP, was optimistic that the presentationsof problems that have been tackled means that the hard work donehas already had results. Nevertheless, a great deal is still to be doneboth nationally and internationally. She referred to the 1st of Sep-tember also as a day of remembrance for the victims of the Beslanschool massacre in 2004, saying that this is a reminder that the workmust continue very actively in order to avoid any threats in the re-gion.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 37 20/11/09 9:08:4138 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceClosing of the ConferenceMr Franz Thönnes, MP, presented the draft 18th BSPC Resolution.The resolution is directed to the governments of the Baltic Sea Re-gion, the CBSS and the EU, and it also serves as a guideline for forth-coming work in the BSPC Standing Committee, Enlarged StandingCommittee and Working Groups. The resolution, which also includesthe amended Rules of Procedure for the BSPC, was adopted unani-mously by the conference.Mr Evgeny Nikora, MP, did not want to propose any amend-ment to the resolution but he voiced his concern about paragraph9, which could raise unnecessary discussions (e.g. on use of pilots)with organisations outside the framework of the Baltic Sea Regioncooperation. He said that it could lead to overlapping of the activi-ties of international organisations specialised in developing universaltechnical rules and regulations. All decisions in the field of maritimesafety should be made through IMO, which is the acknowledged anduniversal actor in presenting rules and regulations within the sphereof international maritime shipping.Mr Franz Thönnes, MP, announced that the BSPC Standing Com-mittee had unanimously reappointed Ms Christina Gestrin, MP,as Chairman of the BSPC for 2009–2010. It had also unanimouslyreappointed Ms Valentina Pivnenko, MP, as Vice Chairman of theBSPC for 2009–2010. The 18th BSPC unanimously reconfirmed theseappointments.Ms Gun-Mari Lindholm, MP, Åland Islands, welcomed BSPC toMariehamn to conduct its 19th Conference on 29 – 31 August 2010.Ms Christina Gestrin, MP. thanked all participants for the activeinvolvement and constructive debates, and looked forward to con-tinued and intense activities in all BSPC bodies during the comingyear. She reminded all parliamentarians to take the resolution backto their parliaments and governments and urge them to implementits recommendations. She reiterated her thanks to the Danish hostfor inviting BSPC to Nyborg, and to the Danish secretariat for itsskilful and smooth organisation of the Conference. She thanked MsPivnenko for chairing the last part of the conference and for hervice-chairmanship in the Standing Committee. Finally, she closed theconference by wishing the participants welcome to the 19th BSPC inMariehamn, on the Åland Islands in the middle of the Baltic Sea.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 38 20/11/09 9:08:4242449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 39 20/11/09 9:08:4440 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceConference ResolutionAdopted by the 18thBaltic Sea ParliamentaryConference (BSPC)The participants*, elected representatives from the Baltic Sea States,assembling in Nyborg, Denmark, 31 August – 1 September 2009, dis-cussing Co-operation in the Baltic Sea Region, Maritime Safety andSecurity, Civil Security, Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, andLabour Market and Social Affairs,A. emphasizing the significance of a parliamentary dimension andparliamentary involvement in the strategies and efforts to devel-op the Baltic Sea Region, thereby contributing to a broad debate,transparency, legitimacy and support of the work;B. reaffirming the mutually beneficial contacts and exchange be-tween BSPC and CBSS, and recognizing the important role of theCBSS in initiating and coordinating actions against the challengesof the Baltic Sea Region;C. reiterating their support to the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan(BSAP) as a central tool for restoring a good environmental sta-tus of the Baltic Sea by 2021, and underlining that governmentsmust fulfill their pledges to implement the plan according to itsagreed timetable;D. supporting the design and development of strategies and pro-grams for the Baltic Sea Region as important instruments for set-ting priorities, while also maintaining the necessity to coordinatethe strategies with the Northern Dimension policy;E. stressing that the present economic downturn must not be takenas an excuse for lowering environmental goals, cutting environ-mental resources or delaying timetables for environmental plansand projects;call on the governments in the Baltic Sea Region, the CBSS andthe EU,Regarding Co-operation in the Region, to1. define and pursue a common political agenda for the Baltic SeaRegion, e.g. by devising a joint understanding of governance,leadership and division of labour among the leading regional andsub-regional actors in the Region, and by enhancing coordinationbetween them;*Parliaments of Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Federal Republic ofGermany, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Latvia, Lithuania, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,Norway, Poland, Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, StateDuma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, City of St. Petersburg, Schleswig-Holstein,Sweden, Åland Islands, European Parliament, Baltic Assembly, Nordic Council.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 40 20/11/09 9:08:44New Security Challenges 412. proceed with strong and sustained measures to fulfill the overallenvironmental goals and objectives of the HELCOM BSAP, andto assure that the obligations to produce national action plans tothe HELCOM Ministerial meeting in Moscow in May 2010, as wellas to implement them prudently, are honored;3. ensure a close linkage between the forthcoming strategies andprograms for the Baltic Sea Region and the HELCOM BSAP;4. take concrete steps to ensure that strategies and programs forthe Baltic Sea Region, such as the emerging so-called EU Strat-egy for the Baltic Sea Region, are closely attuned to and coordi-nated with the Northern Dimension, in order to secure a mutualcooperation on an equal basis between Russia, Iceland, Norwayand EU, and to incorporate the interests of the non-EU Baltic SeaRegions states in the strategies;5. Support the abilities to develop bankable projects for the imple-mentation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, involving thefinancial support to the project development fund managed byNordic Investment Bank (NiB) and Nordic Environment FinanceCorporation (NEFCO);6. ensure that citizens are kept informed and involved in the plan-ning and implementation of strategies and projects that influ-ence the development of the Baltic Sea Region; NGO ́s play aninvaluable role both as opinion-makers and independent experts,and their views, warnings and advice should be taken seriously;7. take concerted and solidaric measures to deal with the causesand consequences of the current economic recession; a mutuallysupportive and successful regional approach would also contrib-ute to the positive branding of the Baltic Sea Region and to thecredibility and usefulness of regional cooperation;Regarding Maritime Safety and Security in the Region, to8. encourage active cooperation within the International MaritimeOrganization(IMO) on the development of relevant measures toreduce the environmental impacts of shipping in the Baltic Sea,recognizing that IMO rules and regulations are the basis for mari-time development of any region, and that the regulations shouldbe developed according to current challenges;9. promote continuous initiatives, support and concrete measureswithin the field of Maritime Safety, such as increasing the use ofpilots in narrow and difficult international shipping lanes, andenhancing the joint preparedness to tackle spills of oil and haz-ardous substances;10. promote and support concrete projects to implement maritimespatial planning in the Baltic Sea Region, encouraging cross-sectoral and transnational coordination of resources, and therebyholding up the Baltic Sea Region as a model region;11. support the BSSSC Five Point Action Plan “Clean Baltic Shipping”,aimed at, i.a., reducing nitrogen and sulphur oxides emissionsin ports by using shore-to-ship power supply, minimizing sew-age discharge from ships, reducing the environmental load from42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 41 20/11/09 9:08:4442449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 42 20/11/09 9:08:47New Security Challenges 43cruise shipping, encouraging sustainable port management, andstimulating research and development of green and clean mari-time technologies;12. support the designation of the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea,the North-East Atlantic and the Irish Sea as Sulphur EmissionControl Areas (SECA), as is already the case with the Channel,the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, provided the criteria for such adesignation are fulfilled;13. consolidate and further develop the progress made within thefields of maritime safety and ship traffic monitoring, on the onehand with a view to improving monitoring and separation of thegrowing maritime traffic, especially in connection with hazardouscargo and severe winter conditions, and on the other hand with aview to monitoring the Baltic Sea for the purpose of environmen-tal protection, fishing and combating crime;14. join and support the Surveillance Cooperation Baltic Sea (SUC-BAS) with the purpose of improving maritime situational aware-ness across the entire Baltic Sea and its approaches in support ofmaritime safety, maritime security, protection of the environmentand countering illegal activities in the maritime environment;15. contribute to the efforts of the Baltic Sea Region HarmonisationWorking Group on Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) and Ship Report-ing Systems (SRS) established to harmonise and integrate VTSand SRS operation to ensure that all systems assist safe naviga-tion of ships in an optimised and uniform manner;16. join and support the initiatives under the Single Hull Tanker andBanned Vessel monitoring project, developed jointly by HELCOMand the European Maritime Safety Agency, for the purpose offurther improving maritime safety and supporting the Port StateControl authorities with the aim to eliminate the operation of sub-standard ships in the Baltic, and ensure that the maritime transportoperates in a safe, secure and environmentally friendly way;Regarding Civil Security in the Region, to17. enhance cooperation and coordination on civil security issues ingeneral, in order to foster a joint and comprehensive understand-ing of the risks and threats facing the Baltic Sea Region, as wellas strategies and measures to counter them;18. step up strategic and operational cooperation between lawenforcement authorities and other relevant actors in order tostrengthen the joint capacity to identify, monitor and take force-ful action against organized cross-border crime, such as traffick-ing in human beings, drug trafficking, illicit trade, corruption,money laundering, illegal migration, illegal labour, hate crimes,and others;19. intensify cooperation against trafficking in human beings, placingemphasis on, i.a., preventive measures, protection and support –by means of e.g. safehouses – for victims and people at risk, aswell as strategies and measures against the root causes of traf-ficking;42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 43 20/11/09 9:08:4744 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference20. improve and coordinate data collection concerning the scale ofthe problems of trafficking in human beings in order to providea realistic basis for the development of adequate measures tofight the problem;21. carry out the adoption, implementation and coordination ofproper legislation – in accordance with relevant UN and Councilof Europe protocols and conventions of which they are parties– against trafficking in human beings, which targets all forms ofexploitation and includes measures to assist victims;22. strengthen cooperation on crisis management and civil protec-tion against natural, technological and man-made risks and emer-gencies, e.g. by coordinating planning, prevention and resources,and by streamlining existing arrangements within a comprehen-sive region-wide framework;23. take concerted action to reinforce IT security by analyzing, de-tecting and managing cyber crimes, and by launching defensiveand protective measures against the disruption of critical infra-structure systems;Regarding Climate Change and Energy Issues in the Region, to24. actively work for a new international climate agreement, address-ing all relevant climate change risk factors in accordance withtheir impact;25. develop a coherent energy strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, inorder to enhance security of energy supply, increase the use ofrenewable energy, and strengthen interconnection between coun-tries, for instance by interconnected transmission lines that willgradually develop into a smart grid between the countries andthe off-shore windmill parks;26. launch action plans for the propagation of Combined Heat andPower (CHP) and for building renovation and housing innovation,for the purpose of improving energy efficiency and energy-saving;27. use the present economic crisis as an opportunity to promotequalitative growth in the Baltic Sea Region, for instance by direct-ing financial packages, investment plans and subsidies, as wellas international financial resources, towards renewable energyproduction, energy efficiency investments, CHP, efficient districtheating systems and interconnecting the electricity grid;28. establish a common regional training programme to strengthenthe joint capacities in energy planning, for instance by develop-ing the exchange of experiences and promoting best practicesamong officials at local and national level;Regarding Labour Market and Social Affairs, to29. make systematic and coordinated efforts to identify barriers tothe development of cross-border labour markets and mobility,in accordance with the political recommendations in the finalreport of the BSPC Working Group on Labour Market and SocialWelfare, and to carry out practical measures to dismantle andprevent such barriers;42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 44 20/11/09 9:08:4942449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 45 20/11/09 9:08:5146 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference30. make labour market and social welfare issues a priority task onthe agenda of the CBSS, taking into account the work and resultsof the Baltic Sea Labour Network (BSLN);31. strengthen the existing information centres in the Baltic Sea Re-gion and to establish new centres in locations where the number42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 46 20/11/09 9:08:53New Security Challenges 47of cross-border commuting is growing but where centres do notexist; the information centres should have the capacity and man-date to provide comprehensive and official information on socialsecurity, employment legislation and tax legislation in all thelanguages spoken on both sides of the border, including, whereapplicable, minority languages;32. foster regular dialogue between associations representing cross-border workers, trade unions, employers and political decision-makers, and strengthen cooperation regarding cross-borderlabour markets via the establishment of councils for borderregions and the development of networks; likewise, an exchangeof experience should be organised regarding the work of theinformation centres throughout the Baltic Sea Region;33. enhance transport and logistic capacities in border regions,especially as regards public transport, in order to facilitate cross-border commuting and to promote economic growth; effortsundertaken should be compatible with the overall objectives ofthe Northern Dimension Partnership on Transport and Logistics;34. take concerted action to exchange and implement best practicesregarding training and employment of young people in the BalticSea Region, including cooperative activities between schools,social partners, public authorities and civil society, and payingspecial attention to disadvantaged groups;35. begin giving pupils an introduction to the world of work two yearsbefore they leave secondary school, propose agreements betweengovernments and the social partners to ensure sufficient trainingplaces are created, and ensure that, in the case of youth unemploy-ment, the employment agencies offer integration plans and, afterthree months of unemployment at the latest, further training, theopportunity to gain additional qualifications, training places or jobs;Furthermore the Conference36. confirms its support to the CBSS in its transformation towards amore focussed and target-oriented organization, and in realizingthe political and operational priorities of the CBSS, hence looksforward to ongoing cooperation with CBSS;37. agrees – concerning the year 2009-2010 – that the EnlargedStanding Committee should convene twice a year and the Stand-ing Committee convene twice a year with the Standing Commit-tee open for observers from national and regional parliamentsthat are not represented in the Standing Committee;38. asks the Standing Committee to establish a Working Group onIntegrated Maritime Policy, especially infrastructure and logistics,and a Working Group on Civil Security, especially trafficking inhuman beings, to submit reports to the 20th BSPC;39. adopts the amended Rules of Procedure, to take effect after theclosure of 18th BSPC;40. welcomes with gratitude the kind offer of the Åland Islands tohost the 19th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Mariehamnon 29 – 31 August 2010.42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 47 20/11/09 9:08:5348 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceProgramme18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC)Nyborg, Denmark, 30 August – 1 September 2009Venue:Best Western Hotel Nyborg Strand · Østerøvej 2 · DK-5800 NyborgLanguages:English, Russian, German, Scandinavian and PolishSaturday 29 AugustArrival of participantsSunday 30 AugustMorning/noon Arrival of participants08.30 – Registration10.00 – 11.30 Standing Committee meeting(working language: English, interpretation intoRussian will be provided)12.00 – 13.00 Buffet Lunch13.00 – 18.30 Excursion 1: Visit to Kommunekemi (company fortreatment of hazardous waste and waste with anenvironmental impact) and to Hans Christian An-dersen’s House, OdenseorExcursion 2: Visit to Odense Steel Shipyard(Lindøværftet) and Hans Christian Andersen’sHouse, Odense18.30 – 19.30 Optional time for meetings20.00 Dinner, hosted by Mr Niels Sindal, MP, Chairman ofthe Danish Delegation, the Nyborg Strand Hotel42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 48 20/11/09 9:08:54New Security Challenges 49Monday 31 August08.00 Registration08.00 – 09.00 Optional time for meetings09.00 Enlarged Standing Committee meeting as DraftingCommittee (working language: English, interpreta-tion into Russian will be provided)10.30 Opening of the conferenceChair: Ms Christina Gestrin, MP, Finland, Chair ofthe Standing Committee of the BSPCVice-Chair: Ms Valentina Pivnenko, MP, State Dumaof the Russian Federation, Vice-chair of the Stand-ing Committee of the BSPCWelcome by Mr Thor Pedersen, President of theDanish ParliamentMusic:The Fog is Lifting by Carl Nielsen, and four dancesfrom Elf Hill by Friedrich Kuhlau.Flute: Ms Mikela MannHarp: Ms Tine RehlingWelcome by Mr Niels Sindal, MP, Denmark, Mem-ber of the Standing Committee of the BSPC11.00 First SessionCooperation in the Baltic Sea RegionChair of the meeting: Ms Valentina Pivnenko, MP,State Duma of the Russian Federation, Vice-chair ofthe BSPCVice-Chair of the meeting: Mr Niels Sindal, MP,Denmark, Member of the Standing Committee ofthe BSPCReport from the Standing Committee of the BSPC- Ms Christina Gestrin, MP, Finland, Chairman ofthe BSPCReport from the CBSS- Ms Asta Skaisgirytė-Liauškienė, Vice-Minister,Ministry of Foreign Affairs of LithuaniThe EU Baltic Sea Strategy and the Northern Di-mension- Mr Mikael Lesko, Minister Counsellor, the Embas-sy of Sweden in CopenhagenThe HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan- Mr Evgeny Nikora, Murmansk Regional Duma (onbehalf of Mr Igor Maydanov, Russia, Chairman ofthe Helsinki Commission)Report from the Baltic Sea Action Plan Implemen-tation Group- Ms Christina Gestrin, MP, Finland, Chairman ofthe BSPC, BSPC Rapporteur on Eutrophicationand the Baltic Sea Action Plan42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 49 20/11/09 9:08:5450 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferencePresentation of report- Ms Sylvia Bretschneider, President of the Parlia-ment of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, HEL-COM-Observer of the BSPCPlenary debate12.20 Reports from the BSPC Working GroupsFinal report from the Working Group on Energyand Climate Change- Mr Mart Jüssi, MP, Estonia, Chairman of the BSPCWorking Group on Energy and Climate ChangeFinal report from the Working Group on LabourMarket and Social Affairs- Mr Franz Thönnes, MP, Germany, Chairman ofthe BSPC Working Group on Labour Market andSocial AffairsPlenary debate13.00 Lunch14.30 Second SessionMaritime Safety and SecurityChair of the meeting: Ms Christina Gestrin, MP,Finland, Chairman of the BSPCVice-Chair of the meeting: Mr Ryszard Górecki, MP,Poland, Member of the Standing Committee of theBSPCMaritime Safety and Environment- Mr Per Sønderstrup, Head of Division, the DanishMaritime Authority- Ms Charlotte Wiin Havsteen, Head of Department,the Danish Maritime Safety AdministrationNavigation Security- Mr Tapio Gardemeister, Head of Division, theFinnish Maritime AdministrationRescuing and Combating Averages – Maritime Pre-cautionary Measures- Mr Ulf Bustorff, Deputy Head, Central Commandfor Maritime Emergencies (CCME), GermanyPlenary debate17.30 Enlarged Standing Committee meeting as DraftingCommittee (working language: English, interpreta-tion into Russian will be provided)19.00 Departure by coach for Holckenhavn Castle19.30 Dinner hosted by Mr Thor Pedersen, Speaker of theDanish Parliament, Holckenhavn Castle42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 50 20/11/09 9:08:54New Security Challenges 51Tuesday 1 September08.00 Enlarged Standing Committee meeting as DraftingCommittee – if needed(working language: English, interpretation intoRussian will be provided)09.00 Third SessionNew Threats to SecurityChair of the meeting: Mr Franz Thönnes, MP, Ger-many, Member of the Standing Committee of theBSPCVice-Chair of the meeting: Ms Valentina Pivnenko,MP, State Duma of the Russian Federation, Vice-Chair of the BSPCNew Security Challenges in the Baltic Sea Region,Mr Maciej Pisarski, Director of the Department ofStrategy and Foreign Policy Planning, the Ministryof Foreign Affairs of the Republic of PolandOrganized Cross-border Crime- Professor Ingmar Weitemeier, Director of theCriminal Police Office of Mecklenburg-WesternPomeraniaTrafficking- Ms Eva Biaudet, OSCE Special Representative onCombating Trafficking in Human Beings, formerMinister for Health and Social Services, FinlandNew Challenges and Threats to Security in the Bal-tic Sea Area: Regional Answers- Dr Mantas Adomenas, MP, Lithuania, President ofthe Baltic AssemblyPlenary debate12.00 Rules of ProcedureAdoption of resolutionPresentation of next year’s host countryClosing remarks- Ms Christina Gestrin, MP, Finland, Chairman ofthe BSPC13.00 Lunch/departure42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 51 20/11/09 9:08:5442449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 52 20/11/09 9:08:56New Security Challenges 53List of ParticipantsSpeakersAdomenas, Mantas MP, Lithuania, President of the BalticAssemblyBiaudet, Eva OSCE Special Representative on Com-bating Trafficking in Human Beings,former Minister for Health and SocialServices, FinlandBretschneider, Sylvia MP, President of the Parliament ofMecklenburg-Western Pomerania, of-ficial HELCOM-Observer of the BSPCBustorff, Ulf Deputy Head, Central Command forMaritime Emergencies (CCME), Ger-manyGardemeister, Tapio Head of Maritime Inspections Divi-sion, Finnish Maritime AdministrationGestrin, Christina MP, Finland, Chairman of the BSPCHavsteen, Charlotte Wiin Head of Division, Danish MaritimeSafety AdministrationJüssi, Mart MP, Estonia, Chairman of the BSPCWorking Group on Energy and Cli-mate ChangeLesko, Mikael Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Swe-den in CopenhagenMaydanov, Igor Russia, Chairman of the HelsinkiCommissionPedersen, Thor MP, President of the Danish Parlia-mentPisarski, Maciej Director of the Department of Strat-egy and Foreign Policy Planning,Ministry of Foreign Affairs of theRepublic of PolandSindal, Niels MP, Denmark, Chairman of the Dan-ish Delegation to the BSPCSkaisgirytė-Liauškienė, Asta Vice-Minister, Ministry of Foreign Af-fairs of LithuaniaSønderstrup, Per Head of Division, Danish MaritimeAuthorityThönnes, Franz MP, Germany, Chairman of the BSPCWorking Group on Labour Marketand Social AffairsWeitemeier, Ingmar Director of the Criminal Police Officeof Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 53 20/11/09 9:08:5754 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceParliaments andparliamentary organisationsBaltic AssemblyAdomenas, Mantas MP, President of the Baltic AssemblyReirs, Jānis MP, Head of the Latvian Delegationto the Baltic AssemblyReps, Mailis MP, Member of the Presidium of theBaltic AssemblyLaizāne-Jurkāne, Marika Head of the Secretariat of the BalticAssemblyPutniņa, Ingrīda Secretary of the Latvian Delegation tothe Baltic AssemblyRõngelep, Ene Secretary of the Estonian Delegationto the Baltic AssemblyCouncil of EuropeLundgren, Kerstin MP, PACE and Swedish ParliamentEuropean ParliamentRübig, Paul MEPOlsen, Henrik Head of SecretariatFederal Assembly of the Russian FederationChurkin, Nikolay MPNelidov, Andrey MPDakhova, Nadezda Secretary of DelegationNordic CouncilArhinmäki, Paavo MP, Member of the BSPC StandingCommitteeBohlin, Sinikka MP, President of the Nordic CouncilGestrin, Christina MP, Chairman of the BSPCHjörvar, Helgi MPOlsson, Kent MPEnestam, Jan-Erik Secretary GeneralParliament of DenmarkBarfod, Line MPBisgaard, Per MPDahl, Bente MPHolmsgaard, Anne Grete MP, Member of the BSPC workinggroup on Energy and Climate ChangeKofod, Jeppe MPPedersen, Marion MP, Member of the BSPC workinggroup on Labour and Socila WelfarePedersen, Thor President of the Danish ParliamentSindal, Niels MPHagemann, Henrik Head of Division42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 54 20/11/09 9:08:57New Security Challenges 55Parliament of EstoniaJüssi, Mart MP, Chairman, BSPC Working Groupon Energy and Climate ChangeMuravjova, Tatjana MP, BSPC Working Group on LabourMarket and Social WelfareVelliste, Trivimi MP, Member of the Presidium of theBaltic AssemblyReps, Mailis MP, Member of the Presidium of theBaltic AssemblyRõngelep, Ene Secretary of the Estonian Delegationto the Baltic AssemblyParliament of FinlandHarkimo, Leena MPKaikkonen, Antti MPTiilikainen, Kimmo MPHissa, Jaakko Secretary to the DelegationZilliacus, Patrick Counsellor for International AffairsParliament of Free and Hanse City of BremenGünthner, Martin MPMathes, Karin MP, Vice President of Bremen Parlia-mentParliament of Free and Hanse City of HamburgDobusch, Gabriele MPHeintze, Roland MPHeyenn, Dora MPRöder, Berndt MP, PresidentWagner, Reinhard DirectorParliament of GreenlandMotzfeldt, Josef MP, Speaker of ParliamentParliament of LatviaZommere, Ērika MPParliament of Mecklenburg-VorpommernBretschneider, Sylvia MP, PresidentHolznagel, Renate MP, Vice PresidentMüller, Detlef MPReese, Sigrun MPRingguth, Wolf-Dieter MPSchwebs, Birgit MPTimm, Gottfried MPBahr, Bodo Vice Director42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 55 20/11/09 9:08:5756 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceParliament of NorwayBrørby, Berit MPHenriksen, Per Rune MPHolmberg, Kari Lise MPKristoffersen, Asmund MPReikvam, Rolf MPWoldseth, Karin S. MPAndreassen, Bjørn Delegation SecretaryParliament of PolandGórecki, Ryszard Senator, Chairman of the BSPC Del-egationLitwiński, Arkadiusz MPPałys, Andrzej MPWziątek, Stanisław MPKoperski, Piotr Secretary of the BSPC DelegationParliament of Schleswig-HolsteinFranzen, Ingrid MP, Vice President of ParliamentHamerich, Hartmut MPSpoorendonk, Anke MPHolländer, Jutta Schmidt Delegation SecretaryParliament of SwedenBergman, Lisbeth Grönfeldt MPBrodén, Anita MPEriksson, Alf MPLarsson, Jan-Olof MPLinander, Johan MPNilsson, Jennie MPWallmark, Hans MPHjelm, Eva SecretariatSmekal, Eva Head of SecretariatParliament of the City of St PetersburgYagya, Vatanyar MP, Plenipotentiary for InternationalRelationsTerekhovsky, Sergey Chief of External Relations Dept.Parliament of the Federal Republic of GermanyAdam, Ulrich MPBodewig, Kurt MPHappach-Kasan, Christel MPLiebing, Ingbert MPThönnes, Franz MP, Parliamentary State SecretaryWeiland, Anna Waltraud Secretary of Delegation42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 56 20/11/09 9:08:57New Security Challenges 57Parliament of ÅlandGunell, Camilla MPJansson, Roger MPLindholm, Gun-Mari MPSjölund, Folke MPEriksson, Sten Head of SecretariatParliamentary Assembly of the OSCEKofod, Jeppe MPOliver, Spencer Secretary GeneralOllus, Natalia Executive OfficerSchøn, Tina Deputy Secretary GeneralState Duma of RussiaLeotiyev, Georgy MPNikitin, Vladimir MPNyudyrbegov, Asanbuba MPPivnenko, Valentina MP, BSPC Vice-ChairmanSemyonov, Pavel MPShestakov, Vassily MPYazev, Valeriy MP, Vice-Chairman of the State DumaGuskova, Yulia Delegation SecretaryTribunsky, Alexander InterpreterYakhmenev, Pyotr Head of the Committee SecretariatObserversHansen, Hans Heinrich President, FUEN-Federal Union ofEuropean Nationalities.Hyppönen, Kari Chairman of the Steering Committee,Baltic Sea Region University Network(BSRUN)Häkkinen, Mika Executive Secretary/Baltic Sea OfficerJankevica, Anitra Senior Adviser, CBSSLarsen, Asger Regional Councellor, BSSSCLewlska, Katarina Senior Project Manager, Baltic Devel-opment ForumMoldovan, Cosmina Researcher-Archivist, PABSECMunk, Morten Consul, Supervisory Board member,Baltic Sea ForumNikora, Evgeny MP, SpeakerRogin, Marius MP, Vice-President, Head of the Ro-manian PABSEC DelegationSazhinov, Pavel MP, Chairman of the Committee,PANWRSchöps, Alfons Director, State Legislative LeadersFoundation / EuropeShmatkova, Marina Senior Advisor, Murmansk RegionalDuma42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 57 20/11/09 9:08:5758 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceGuestsApsalone, Madara Youth RepresentativeEhlers, Alexandra Youth RepresentativeGermanas, Neris Ambassador-at-Large, Head of Secre-tariatGrinkevich, Andrei Ambassador of Belarus to Scandina-viaGöttel, Sonja Project ManagerHovmand, Svend Erik Chair of the Femern Belt CommitteeMortensen, Søren Kjær Senior DirectorMortiers, Ingrid MP, Regional Parliament in Gronin-gen, the NetherlandsOrda, Mikhail MP, BelarusRibaciauskaite, Rimante Youth RepresentativeRöbbelen-Voigt, Katariina BSLN project managerSchöning, Jürgen Landtagsdirektor a.D.SecretariatsAaltonen, Kristina Party Group Secretary, The SocialDemocratic Group in the NordicCouncilBakas, Ann SecretaryEkberg, Kenneth Senior Advisor, Nordic CouncilEkstedt, Anna Senior Adviser, CBSS Task Forceagainst TraffickingErlendsdóttir, Björg Eva Secretary General for VSG og NGLAFalck, Maj Assistant, Parliament of ÅlandGutzeit, Gerald Head of Division, Parliament ofMecklenburg-VorpommernHerget, Sabine Head of Office, German BundestagJansson, Johannes Photographer, Nordic CouncilKinsten, Silje Bergum Senior Advisor, Nordic CouncilKühntopp, Dietmar Driver, State Parliament of Schleswig-HolsteinLambrecht, Frank DriverLarsson, Fredric Project manager, Nordic Council ofMinisterMüller, Uwe DriverOftedal, Eline Adviser, Parliament of NorwayRasmussen, Jens Nytoft Deputy Director General, NordicCouncilRøder, Susanne Adviser, Centre Group in the NordicCouncilSeip, Marianne Political adviser, Parliament of Nor-waySørensen, Torkil Senior Advisor, Nordic CouncilTikkala, Terhi Secretary General, Centre Group inthe Nordic CouncilWang, Beate Christine Senior Advisor, Nordic Council42449_The 18th BSPC_indhold_v3.indd 58 20/11/09 9:08:572 The 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference New Security Challenges 59BSPC SecretariatLindroos, Päivikki Rapporteur, BSPCWendt, Johanna von Coordinator, BSPC SecretariatWidberg, Jan Head of BSPC SecretariatSecretariat of the Parliament of DenmarkAndersen, Bente Head of ProtocolAndersen, Dorte Senior Folketing OfficerCox, Lena Smith Senior ClerkDeleuran, Pernille Head of DivisionDethlefsen, Claus Deputy Secretary GeneralThe Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Kjelgaard, Kamilla Head of Section(BSPC) was established in 1991 as a forum Larsen, Carsten U. Secretary Generalfor political dialogue between parliamentar-Lind, Dennis Barndorph Executive Officerians from the Baltic Sea Region. BSPC gathersMollerup, Frank Inspectorparliamentarians from 11 national parliaments,Pedersen, Kim H. Head of Security11 regional parliaments and 5 parliamentaryorganizations around the Baltic Sea. The BSPC Pedersen, Peder H. Head of Sectionthus constitutes a unique parliamentary bridge Rugaard, Dan Inspectorbetween all the EU- and non-EU countries of Sandø, Jonna Higher Executive Officerthe Baltic Sea Region. BSPC aims at raising Schubert, Torben Senior Usherawareness and opinion on issues of currentSeierø, Elton Inspectorpolitical interest and relevance for the BalticSea Region. It promotes and drives variousInterpretersinitiatives and efforts to support a sustain-able environmental, social and economic Almaas, Elena Interpreterdevelopment of the Baltic Sea Region. It Fleischhacker, Karin interpreterNew Security Challenges strives at enhancing the visibility of the Baltic Jakimowicz, Aleksander interpreterUS 2009:488 Sea Region and its issues in a wider European Catherine Johanson interpretercontext. The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Confer-© Nordic Council, Copenhagen 2009 Krasnowolski, Piotr Interpreterence is the annual general assembly in thePrint: Scanprint a/s Larsen, Stein InterpreterBaltic Sea Region for broad political debate onText: Päivikki Lindroos Peerless, Aase interpreterBaltic Sea issues. The Conference resolutionsDesign: Kjell Olsson/Par No 1 A/Sare political tools which enable the BSPC to Repin, Aleksei interpreterPhotos: Johannes Jansson, NMR,Publication Unit launch and sustain political initiatives, and to Rösch, Antje InterpreterCopies: 300 approach the governments and regional or- Tchekhov, Alexandre InterpreterPrinted on environmentally-friendly paper ganizations on issues of common interest. TheBSPC has a number of working bodies at itsPrinted in Denmarkdisposal, which serve as resources for drivingNORDISKMIØMÆRKNING a tin vdesi.m Ap Sle tam ne dn inti gn gCoB mSP mCitp ter eio ar nit die sana n Ednlo ab rgje ec d-Standing Committee are responsible for the541 006Tryksag follow-up of BSPC resolutions, for identifyingand addressing issues within the BSPC fieldof responsibility, and for preparing the annualBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Conferences. The BSPC Working Groups areJan Widberg political vehicles with the overall objectiveHead of BSPC Secretariat of elaborating joint political positions andC/o Nordic Council recommendations on issues of common inter-Store Strandstrade 18 est in the Baltic Sea Region. BSPC externalDK-1255 Copenhagen K interfaces include parliamentary, govern-Denmark mental, sub-regional and other organizations+45 24 699446 in the Baltic Sea Region and the Northernjw@norden.org Dimension area, among them CBSS, HELCOM,the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperationwww.bspc.net (BSSSC) and the Baltic Development Forum.42449_The 18th BSPC_omslag 2 20/11/09 8:30:39New Security ChallengesText: Päivikki LindroosSpeeches can be found at www.bspc.netBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Secretariatc/o Nordic CouncilStore Strandstræde 18DK-1255 Copenhagen KPhone (+45) 33 96 04 00jw@norden.orgwww.bspc.netUS 2009:488 Nyborg, Denmark • 30 August – 1 September 200942449_The 18th BSPC_omslag 1 20/11/09 8:30:39)CPSB(ecnerefnoCyratnemailraPaeScitlaBht81■segnellahCytiruceSweN