23 BSPC Resolution ENG

Conference ResolutionAdopted by the 23rd Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC)The participants, elected legislators from the Baltic Sea Region States*, assembling in Olsztyn, Poland, 24-26 August 2014,a. discussing Co-operation in the Baltic Sea Region, Environmental Legacy, Baltic Sea Cultural Heritage, A Sustainable Future for the Baltic Sea Region, and Innovation in Social and Health Care,b. asserting that the parliamentary dimension constitutes an integral part of cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, which can both reinforce the democratic legitimacy of cooperation and provide it with concrete political contributions and support,c. reiterating their support to the CBSS, welcoming the new long-term priorities of the CBSS, as well as the efforts by the Finnish CBSS Presidency to improve coherence in Baltic Sea regional cooperation, and acknowledging the progress and achievements of CBSS in fields such as sustainable development, clean shipping, labour market mobility, cultural heritage, trafficking in human beings, and civil security,d. deeply concerned over the crisis in Ukraine, and welcoming all steps that can contribute to a peaceful solution of the crisis;call on the governments in the Baltic Sea Region, the CBSS and the EU,Regarding Co-operation in the Region, to1. stress the importance of continuing and developing cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, including Northern Dimension, and of perpetuating the open, broad and trust-building dialogue within existing networks and institutions;2. make concerted efforts to strengthen the coherence between the overarching strategies for the Baltic Sea Region, such as the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and the Russian Strategy for Social and Economic Development of the North-West Federal District (NW2020);3. make full use of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and other regional initiatives to deliver on a sustainable Blue growth agenda in the Baltic leading to growth and jobs from the maritime economy;4. take concrete steps to enhance synergy, efficiency, coherence and the combined output of Baltic Sea Region cooperation, by improving information exchange, division of labor and actual coordination of activities, i.a. through the further development of a structured dialogue between relevant organizations and formats; by encouraging e.g. the launching of inter-organizational Task Forces to target issues of common interest; and by working towards a visa-free future of the Baltic Sea Region, providing as many possibilities for people-to-people-contacts and for cross-border-cooperation of the civil society, cultural, economic and scientific sector as possible;5. consider supporting a “Baltic Sea Think Tank” comprising all member states of the BSPC, aiming at creating a broad basis for research on the common history and future of the Region;6. pursue concrete measures to facilitate unhampered people-to-people- contacts and cross-border cooperation of the civil society and the cultural, scientific and business sectors throughout the entire Baltic Sea Region, e.g. by reducing or removing visa restrictions and by facilitating NGO contacts as well as their possibilities to make their views known;7. support the Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs in Kiel and its efforts to launch a Baltic Sea Youth Forum in order to establish and maintain a permanent institution for exchange among youth in the Baltic Sea Region;Regarding Environmental Legacy, to8. fully honour all commitments made under the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan in order to restore good ecological status of the Baltic marine environment by 2021, without any exception or postponement of agreed decisions, as well as the revised country-wise nutrient reduction requirements adopted at the HELCOM 2013 Copenhagen Ministerial Meeting;9. make efforts to mobilize resources for the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan and the 2013 HELCOM Copenhagen Ministerial Declaration and reflect or prioritize the Action Plan's targets in the country specific and co-operation programmes;10. support undertakings that create synergy between strategies and programmes for the Baltic Sea Region and their equivalents for other regions;11. pursue intensified and continuous joint efforts to identify and remove sources of pollution and eutrophication, such as the newly discovered gypsum waste dumps resulting from the production of fertilizers;12. support efficient enforcement of environmental requirements for ships recognizing that this is a vital precondition for the promotion of environmental sustainability;13. proceed with strong efforts and dedicated resources for the continued improvement and modernization of the waste water treatment capacity throughout the entire Baltic Sea Region, in compliance with the stricter threshold values agreed by HELCOM, and to ensure continuous work to upgrade reception facilities for sewage in passenger ports in line with the Special Area Status of the Baltic Sea under MARPOL Annex IV of the International Maritime Organization;14. develop environmentally-friendly cultivation methods and best agricultural practices, e.g. by more precise fertilization practices, closed-circuit manure handling, and recycling of nutrients;15. Support the joint HELCOM-VASAB Regional Baltic Maritime Spatial Planning Roadmap 2013-2020 and make every effort to draw up and apply maritime spatial plans throughout the Baltic Sea Region by 2020 which are coherent across borders and apply the ecosystem approach;Regarding Baltic Sea Cultural Heritage, to16. strengthen the role of cultural heritage as an enabler and promoter of sustainable development of society, economy and environment, thereby enhancing connections between cultural heritage policy and regional development policy at regional as well as national level; by e.g. promoting sustainable cultural and ecological tourism throughout the region17. develop regional cooperation, including teaching, academic research, scientific cooperation and support to joint activities such as the Monitoring Group on Cultural Heritage, Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture, EUSBSR Priority Area Culture and Ars Baltica, on the safeguarding and promotion of the cultural diversity as a regional assert and a basis for an inclusive society and regional development, underlining the significance of art and culture for the economic, social and sustainable development;18. acknowledge the cultural variety of the Baltic Sea Region and of its national minorities as an added value and as an identity feature of this region and to maintain and promote this asset, to strengthen minorities, to preserve regional languages, and to support cultural exchange in the region;19. promote and support the preservation, documentation and dissemination of maritime cultural heritage in museums and by other heritage actors and initiatives; when crafting new regulations and requirements it is important to mind the preservation of traditional shipping, including a close dialogue between the organizations of the owners of traditional shipping as well as support for transboundary cooperation between their organizations;20. support projects which capture and provide traditional knowledge and skills, to promote education and its application as well as to develop educational programs for the future preservation of traditional boat building;21. support projects and activities aimed at protecting architectural monuments, including those which increase energy efficiency in historic buildings without destroying their heritage values;22. encourage dialogue and cooperation in the fields of contemporary culture and creative industries and support cultural operators in innovation and cross-sectoral cooperation;Regarding Innovation in Social and Health Care, to23. develop and implement strategies and action plans to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in social and health care, based on a preventive philosophy and closely involving the health economy, and to consider the social welfare and health care dimension also in the innovative health economy when developing growth strategies;24. strengthen and systematize cooperation within the Baltic Sea Region on social welfare and health care, including e.g. the exploration of the possibilities of elaborating and implementing joint strategies for social welfare and health care, transferable models for the provision of social welfare and health care, public procurement models and quality standards, and joint research and development endeavours;25. further strengthen measures to ensure equitably available health care services, e.g. between urban and rural areas and between socio-economic groups; the development and application of modern communication technologies such as telemedicine is especially relevant in this regard;26. provide continued support to the Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being;Furthermore the Conference Decides to27. welcome with gratitude the kind offer of the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to host the 24th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Rostock-Warnemünde on 30 August – 1 September 2015.*Parliaments ofDenmark,Estonia,Finland,Federal Republic of Germany,Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,Iceland,Kaliningrad,Latvia,Lithuania,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,Norway,Poland,Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation,State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation,City of St. Petersburg,Schleswig-Holstein,Sweden,Åland Islands,Baltic Assembly,Nordic Council.