Report to the 18 BSPC by Christina Gestrin, BSPC Chairman

31 August 2009Report by Christina Gestrin, Chairman of the BSPCStanding Committee,at the 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference,Nyborg, 30 August-1 September 2009Honourable Guests,Dear Colleagues,It is a pleasure to see so many people here in Nyborg to participate in our 18th Conference, where we will be discussing urgent Baltic Sea issues. By exchanging experiences and ideas, you can help to promote sustainable ecological, social and economic development in the Baltic Sea Region.Firstly, I would like to direct warm thanks from the BSPC to our host, the Danish Folketing, and especially to the Speaker of the Folketing Thor Pedersen, and to Niels Sindal. The decision to hold our conference at Nyborg seems very appropriate. From here we have a view over one of the most beautiful bridges in the Baltic Sea Region – the Great Belt Bridge – and it can be said that bridge-building is the very core of our work.We are many who enjoy the Baltic Sea environment, and we want our children to be able to enjoy it too. I read recently that some 350 cruise liners visit the Baltic Sea every year. This benefits the Region in many ways, but it is absolutely incomprehensible and unacceptable that a majority of these vessels discharge their sewage, untreated, directly into the sea. If we are to make use of our shared environment, we also have an obligation to protect and take care of it. We all have a responsibility to use the Baltic Sea’s resources in a judicious and sustainable way.Chairman,In a global perspective, the Baltic Sea Region lies at the forefront in terms of, for example, economic development, social welfare and environmental initiatives. There is great potential for further progress. But if we are to make use of the opportunities, we must also manage the challenges, imbalances and problems in the Region. Furthermore, we find ourselves in an economic crisis that has a major impact on the Region.We parliamentarians can and will influence public opinion and drive the political debate about the Region’s challenges. In our resolution from last year’s conference, we directed a series of urgent requests to the governments in the Region.We emphasised, for example, that the EU’s emerging Baltic Sea Strategy must be coordinated with the Northern Dimension. Furthermore, governments must fulfil their pledges to implement the objectives of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, including the preparation of national action plans ahead of the Ministerial Session in May 2010. Regional energy cooperation must be strengthened, and more powerful measures taken to develop renewable energy and improve the efficiency of energy use. Safety at sea and environmental protection relating to maritime transports must be improved, not least because oil transports are increasing. In terms of labour market issues and social welfare, we stressed the utmost importance – from the perspectives of both security and competition – of setting up clear, fair and accessible regulations on mobility of the labour force and establishment of businesses. The work of voluntary organisations in the Region must be strengthened, particularly in terms of information and dissemination of knowledge about environmental issues.Has our voice been heard? Yes, I think we are involved in driving the issues of the Baltic Sea Region onwards. A lot is happening in the Region, and it is important that we, as elected representatives, can support various initiatives and ensure that they lead to practical results for our citizens. Furthermore, parliamentary dialogue has an intrinsic value that promotes transparency and insight into the issues. Many of the participants at the BSPC have taken different types of initiatives in order to exert political pressure in connection with Baltic Sea issues. They have initiated debates in parliaments and committees, submitted questions and resolutions to governments, arranged hearings and conferences, participated in debates and other activities, written articles and appeared in the media. For me, it is clear that, when parliamentarians from all the parliaments in the Baltic Sea Region join forces to express a position and make proposals, it is a united voice that is heard.Chairman,It is also important that we develop our working methods to ensure they are appropriate and efficient. For a couple of years we have been using political working groups as instruments to produce political recommendations in various areas. The working groups have been able to deliver politically substantial contributions to our draft resolution, and their recommendations and standpoints have also been put forward and have been well received in other contexts. The present working groups will be presenting their final results later today, and I would like to see that we appoint one or two new working groups here in Nyborg.The resolution from Visby called for a review of the BSPC organisation. We have discussed this at length in the two meetings of the Enlarged Standing Committee held earlier this year. We have agreed that, in the coming year, the Standing Committee will be open to observers from national and regional parliaments that are not represented in the Standing Committee. I feel that we should now wait and evaluate the experiences of this arrangement before we decide on any further amendments to the organisation forms.The joint financing mechanism for the BSPC secretariat was set up in 2007. It is pleasing to note that most of the grants for 2009 have been paid, and that some retroactive payments for 2007 and 2008 have also been paid. This means that we can, much more than previously, fund various types of activity and events in all BSPC bodies using common funds. The common financial resource also reduces costs incurred by the individual member parliaments, such as costs relating to BSPC-related meetings.The work to renovate our homepage is now in its final phase. Our aim is to produce a graphically attractive, effective and user-friendly site that will provide a platform for information and news and serve as a portal to our archive.Chairman,As you are well aware of, we are not the only organisation engaged in Baltic Sea issues, and so we are working to develop our network with other actors in the Region.We have regular contact with the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) at various levels. We also consider the Council’s long-term priorities when we determine our own working programmes. Civil security is one example of a working area that will be one of our priorities next year. We were invited to the 15th CBSS Ministerial Session in June, and there we emphasised, for example, the importance of developing a more structured and regular dialogue between the actors in the Baltic Sea Region. It was therefore pleasing to hear the comments of the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre, on the necessity to strengthen contacts between parliamentary cooperation and government cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region.BSPC has been an active participant in the work of HELCOM. We will be returning to this with separate reports later today. The parliamentary influence on the Northern Dimension is important, and we welcomed the European Parliament’s arrangement of the first parliamentary forum about the Northern Dimension. EU’s new Baltic Sea Strategy is a commendable initiative that looks as if it will be an effective instrument for developing the Baltic Sea Region. Our view is that the Baltic Sea Strategy must be coordinated with the Northern Dimension in order to ensure full participation and influence of all countries in the Region.BSPC is a partner in the Baltic Sea Labour Network (BSLN). This project was started in 2009 with the aim of strengthening interaction and dialogue between labour market partners in the Baltic Sea Region. In addition, we have contacts and exchanges with organisations such as the Baltic Development Forum (BDF), the Joint Platform for energy and climate issues, the Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC), and the Baltic Sea Region Energy Cooperation (BASREC).We have often stated that NGO’s play an important role in and for the development of the Region, so we value greatly our invitation to the 8th NGO Forum in February.Chairman,Let me conclude my address with three short appeals:• Firstly, the prevailing economic crisis must not be taken as an excuse for cutting resources or delaying timetables for environmental work. International cooperation and solidarity are more important than ever in order to withstand all the effects of the economic crisis;• Secondly, it is of fundamental importance to the status of the Baltic Sea that countries in the Region now completely fulfil their commitments to implement the goals and objectives of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan;• Thirdly, the safety and security of citizens are of fundamental importance to the democratic, social and economic development in the Region. This requires a comprehensive view and greater regional cooperation on civil security in order to prevent and avert current threats against society.With that, I hope we enjoy lively debate and have a rewarding time together here in Nyborg. Thank you.