BSPC Contribution to the Consultation on EU Baltic Sea Action Plan 2008

Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceStanding CommitteeCopenhagen, 17 December 2008 |[pic] | |European Commission Consultationon the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea RegionViews of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceThe Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) was established in 1991. The BSPC gathers parliamentarians from 11 national parliaments, 11 regional parliaments and parliamentary organizations around the Baltic Sea. The BSPC thus constitutes a unique parliamentary bridge between all the EU- and non-EU countries of the Baltic Sea Region. Between the annual BSPC conferences, activities are carried out by a standing committee, in parliamentary working groups and by parliamentary rapporteurs. The next annual BSPC conference will be held in Nyborg, Denmark, in fall 2009. The Chairman of the BSPC in 2008-2009 is Ms Christina Gestrin, MP, Finland.Since 1991 the BSPC has passed numerous statements and resolutions addressing the issues raised in the draft EU Baltic Sea Strategy. During the last seven years in particular, starting with the 10th BSPC conference in Greifswald 2001, maritime and environmental matters have been at the heart of parliamentary cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region (resolutions can be found at http://bspc.net).A BSPC input to the EU Baltic Sea Strategy consultation process was discussed at the last BSPC Standing Committee meeting in November 2008. The BSPC welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the process of elaborating an EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The BSPC has, at this stage, chosen not to delve into the details of the envisioned strategy. The BSPC Standing Committee would, however, like to submit a consolidated input to the consultation process, based on positions and proposals expressed in BSPC resolutions. The overarching policy positions presented below should, in the opinion of the Standing Committee, be taken into account in the subsequent development of the EU Baltic Sea Strategy.The BSPC will continue its deliberations over the EU Baltic Sea Strategy. The issue will next be raised at the convention of the BSPC Extended Standing Committee in February 2009, which is a gathering of all member parliaments and parliamentary organizations of the BSPC. The BSPC Standing Committee expects that the European Commission will keep all relevant stakeholders continuously updated about the progress of the elaboration of the Baltic Sea Strategy. Moreover, BSPC Standing Committee expects that the voices and views of the stakeholders will be listened to also in the subsequent process leading up to the actual adoption of the Baltic Sea Strategy.• Promote Coordination, Avoid DuplicationWithin the Baltic Sea region, there are numerous organizations and activities that are committed to promoting the development of the region. The good news is that this diversity bears witness to a broad-based commitment to the development of the region, and to the access to substantial resources. The bad news is that it entails a risk for duplication and waste of resources. But everyone must not do everything.There is need for coherent and targeted leadership in order to drive the issues of the Baltic Sea Region. Such a mission and mode of cooperation will certainly contribute to capacity-building and a combined impact of various efforts. It will also strengthen the influence and heighten the visibility of the Baltic Sea Region issues in a wider European and even global perspective. The Nordic Council of Ministers and the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) are central actors in the region on the governmental side.Governance issues should be regarded as a coming priority area by the BSPC and other actors in the Baltic Sea Region. Since the idea of developing a Baltic Sea Strategy emanates from parliamentary initiatives, it is both natural and necessary to develop the parliamentary dimension of the Baltic Sea Strategy as well as the interaction between parliamentary and other stakeholders in the Region. This can be seen as a necessary precondition for efficient cooperation and fruitful synergies and a contribution to leadership and good governance in the Region. Not least, it adds to the democratic legitimacy of the Strategy. In this respect, it is worth noting that the CBSS has already made great efforts and gained experiences from coordinating inputs to the elaboration and implementation of the EU Northern Dimension policy.The Baltic Sea Strategy should aim at bolstering the vertical and horizontal dialogue between stakeholders and actors of the Region. A closer synchronization of the actors would strengthen both their individual and their combined impact. Cooperation in the Region should be strengthened by building networks, not institutions. The sub-regional level should be given proper recognition. The Committee of the Regions has set up an Interregional group on the Baltic Sea Regions. Organizations like the Baltic Sea States Sub-Regional Cooperation (BSSSC) and Union of Baltic Cities (UBC) are important drivers at sub-regional level.• Align the Baltic Sea Strategy with the Northern DimensionThe Baltic Sea Strategy must be closely coordinated with the new Northern Dimension. The Northern Dimension provides a joint overall framework for mutual cooperation on an equal basis between EU, Russia, Iceland and Norway. In order for the Baltic Sea Strategy to be efficient, it needs to be aligned with the Northern Dimension policy. This bond can become an important tool for mobilising resources for development of the Region and for enhancing its position in a wider European context. Existing and emerging Partnerships within the Northern Dimension should be fully supported.A situation in which the EU Baltic Sea Strategy and the Northern Dimension evolves along diverging tracks is not conducive to cohesion, resource mobilization or growth in the Baltic Sea Region, and must at all costs be counteracted. The Baltic Sea Strategy and the Northern Dimension – as well as an evolving EU Arctic Policy – should be viewed as complementary and mutually reinforcing strategies.• Bolster the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action PlanThe EU Baltic Sea Strategy should recognize and support the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea action Plan (BSAP). The HELCOM BSAP is a central tool for restoring good ecological status of the Baltic Sea by 2021. The innovative way in which the Plan is crafted, with attainable goals, measurable commitments and agreed timetables, enables an objective follow-up of its implementation.Governments and Parliaments of the member countries should fully commit themselves to the implementation of the HELCOM BSAP and the work of the BSAP Implementation Group, for instance by unreserved compliance of the nutrient reduction objectives in each sub-region of the Baltic Sea, and by developing national programmes of action to be considered by the HELCOM Ministerial meeting in 2010 at the latest. Active measures should be taken against eutrophication.• Strengthen Energy Cooperation, Efficiency and SecurityThe Baltic Sea Strategy should contribute to the strengthening of Baltic Sea regional energy cooperation. An integrated and optimized regional approach to the energy issues in the Baltic Sea Region should be promoted, taking into account the various energy mixes of the countries in the Region. The countries of the Baltic Sea Region have long and internationally acknowledged expertise in environmental research and development, and that asset could be multiplied by enhanced cooperation. More effective actions – by means of e.g. technology transfer, research and development, and vocational training – should be promoted to develop renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy savings in all sectors in the Baltic Sea Region. Initiatives to exploit the positive research, job and business potentials of environmentally friendly technologies should be encouraged. The funding mechanisms of the EU, such as e.g. the structural funds, the EBRD and the EIB, should be directed towards promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy production in all sectors of the Baltic Sea Region.More knowledge is needed about climate change, its consequences for society, and our preparedness and capabilities to adapt to change. The extensive experiences in the Region of environmental campaigning and public awareness activities should be further widened. Measures should be taken to ensure that thorough environmental impact assessments are conducted for all energy infrastructural projects in accordance with international obligations, taking into account the energy supply security requirements of the whole Baltic Sea Region• Make Baltic Sea Region a Role Model in Maritime Policy and Maritime SafetyThe Baltic Sea Strategy should support the progress of the Baltic Sea Region into Europe’s model maritime region. Maritime policy must be seen within an overarching framework of sustainable development, environment, marine spatial planning, safety at sea and intermodality, according to IMO (Law of the Sea) and EU maritime policies. Existing international conventions on marine environmental protection should be ratified by all countries.Global regulation with regard to safety and marine environmental protection should continuously be supported, thereby ensuring that all ships that sail through the Baltic Sea comply with the same high level of safety and environmental standards, irrespective of flag. Concrete and effective steps should be taken within the framework of IMO to ensure binding regulations for maritime safety, safety of navigation and security, considering among other things the rapidly increasing number of oil transports in the Baltic Sea and the severe winter conditions especially in the northern parts of the Baltic Sea. This can be achieved by, for instance, improving coastguard practices and promoting new navigation technologies.Transport and infrastructure projects that minimize environmental risks and strains for the Baltic Sea, such as intermodal maritime-based logistic systems, should be supported.• Develop a Cohesive, Flexible and Secure Labour MarketThe Baltic Sea Strategy should contribute to the transformation of the Baltic Sea Region into an integrated labour market. The pockets of economic recession, obsolete industrial structures and unemployment should be eradicated by promoting and facilitating integrated, cross-border labour markets in the Baltic Sea Region. Fair, clear and accessible ground rules should be established for labour mobility and business establishment and provision of services, for instance by securing transparency regarding rules and regulations in various countries and by expanding the already existing network of info-centers in the northern and eastern parts of the Baltic Sea Region.Great care should be taken that economic development does not cause imbalances in the labour market or undermine the welfare and social security systems. An active policy should be pursued against youth unemployment, for harmonization of vocational training programmes, and for strengthening the dialogue between social partners.• Combat Crime, Strengthen Civil SecurityThe Baltic Sea Strategy should promote efforts to enhance security and safety of its citizens. Organized crime is among the worst threats confronting the region today. It is manifested in trafficking in human beings, in the narcotics trade, in corruption, and in many other activities. Organized crime is a fundamental threat against civil security and democracy. Moreover, there are undisputable links between organized crime and terrorism.Trafficking in human beings is usually not a problem of a single country and cannot be solved within one country; therefore, the fight should involve countries of the victims’ origin, transit countries and recipient countries. It is particularly essential to coordinate cooperation of the institutions involved in the fight against human trafficking on an international and national level. The capacity and knowledge of professionals from the Schengen area should be strengthened in order to prevent human trafficking in a timely way, and to implement cooperation initiatives. Experience and information exchange among legislatures, governments and NGOs, should be promoted.The cohesion of society is fundamentally conducive to security and safety. If groups of the population are marginalized or perceive of themselves as ignored by society, the risk for frustration and violent antagonism grows.• Involve CitizensNGO ́s like the WWF, Coalition Clean Baltic and many others are committed, experienced and skilful. They play an invaluable role both as opinion-makers and independent experts. Their views, warnings and advice should be taken very seriously and form an input in the development of the Baltic Sea Strategy.• Strive for Outreach, not IntrospectionRegional cooperation is increasingly important for strengthening the comparative advantages and joint assets of the Baltic Sea Region. Thereby the Region will be better equipped both to benefit from and contribute to processes on a wider international and even global scale. Globalization offers a possibility to influence – and be influenced by – a wider community than the own immediate region.The region should therefore also be outward-looking. The Baltic Sea Strategy should strive at developing interfaces with, for example, EU:s Eastern neighbours, the Arctic and Barents region, and the EU:s southern regions and its neighbours. The Arctic Council, the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, and the Barents Euro-Arctic Council are among the important players in the northernmost region.The cooperation culture and structures that have evolved in the Baltic Sea region can be something of a role model or export commodity when it comes to propagating parliamentary democracy, civic society, good governance, environmental awareness, responsible enterprise and public outreach. Communication and cooperation between regional organizations in a wider Europe is important. A great deal can be learned from a mutual exchange of information and experiences. To a large extent, the challenges the organizations are facing are similar. There is no contradiction between the East and the West, or the North and the South. Rather, it is more reasonable to assume that all parties win by sharing best practices and getting encouragement from each other’s achievements.(