BSPC Working Group on Integrated Maritime Policy 2009-2011

The BSPC Working Group on Integrated Maritime Policy, especially infrastructure and logistics, presented its Final Report and Policy Recommendations to the 20^th BSPC in Helsinki 28-30 August 2011.

The Working Group was chaired by Mr Jochen Schulte, MP, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; Mr Roger Jansson, MP, Åland Islands, was vice chairman.

The BSPC Standing Committee appointed Jochen Schulte, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Roger Jansson, Åland Islands (later replaced by Jörgen Pettersson), as BSPC Rapporteurs on Integrated Maritime Policy.

The Working Group held its inaugural meeting in Rostock on 21-22 January 2010, in the premises of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. The Working Group was briefed on, i.a., maritime spatial planning, Baltic sea port development, and research on maritime infrastructure. The group also had the opportunity to get a demonstration of the Marine Simulation Centre in Warnemünde.

The second meeting of the Working Group was held on 15-16 April 2010 in the premises of the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions in Brussels. Members of the European Parliament and representatives of the EU Commission and the Committee of the regions gave presentations and opinions on issues such as EU Integrated Maritime Policy, maritime transport, Trans-European Networks and cooperation between EU and Russia on maritime affairs. The European Ports Organization and the European Community Shipowners Association were also represented at the meeting, and informed about their views on port infrastructure, maritime traffic and emissions, and short sea shipping.

Environmental, economic and other perspectives on shipping were at the centre of the agenda for the third meeting of the BSPC WG on Integrated Maritime Policy in Copenhagen on 15 June 2010. The meeting, which was led by WG Vice Chair Ms Lisbeth Grönfeldt Bergmann, included presentations by Mr Niels Bjørn Mortensen, A P Møller-Mærsk Group, Mr Jan Fritz Hansen, Danish Ship Owners Association, Ms Raimunda Liutkeviciene, CBSS Expert Group on Maritime Policy, Ms Jaqueline McGlade, European Environment Agency, and Mr Francis Zacharie and Mr Bjarke Bøtcher, Danish Maritime Safety Administration. The meeting also discussed and fine-tuned the WG's political recommendations to its mid-way report at the 19^th BSPC in Mariehamn 30-31 August.

Jochen Schulte presented a midterm report from the Working Group at the 19^th BSPC in Mariehamn 30-31 August 2010. The report can be found on the right-hand side. Mr Schulte's speech at the Conference can be found on the 19^th Conference webpage.

The theme of the fourth meeting of the WG, held in Tallinn 23 November 2010, was Options for the Reduction of Emissions from Maritime Shipping. Expert presentations were delivered by Ms Ramona Zettelmaier, Lloyds Register Hamburg, Mr Jürgen Friesch, Hamburgerische Schiffbau-Versuchanstalt, Mr Mogens Schrøder Bech, Danish Maritime Authority, Mr Are Piel, Vessel Traffic Services Center Estonia, and Mr Ilmari Aro, Finnish Transport Agency. The WG also commenced discussions about the character and format of the next set of political recommendations, which will be finalized in June 2011 and reported to the 20^th BSPC in Helsinki 28-30 August 2011. The meeting also appointed Mr Roger Jansson, MP, Åland Islands, as Vice Chairman of the WG, succeeding Ms Lisbeth Grönfeldt Bergman who has resigned from the Swedish Parliament.

Ways of improving competitiveness in the maritime sector was the main focus of the fifth meeting of the BSPC Working Group on Integrated Maritime Policy, held in the Parliament of Sweden, Stockholm, on 24^th March 2011. Expert presentations were given by Dr Gernot Tesch, Scandlines, and Dr Martin Kruse, Northern German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (Economic impact of the classification of the Baltic Sea as a sulphur emission control area (SECA)), by Mr Måns Jacobsson, former Director of IOPC funds (Oil spill liability and the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds), by Mr Bernt Stedt, Chairman of HELCOM Response Group (Response capacities to combat oil spills), by Ms Riita Pöntynen, Shortsea Promotion Centre Finland (Measures to improve co-modality), by Mr Pierre Schellekens, European Commission (EC communication on Maritime Spatial Planning), and by Mr Sten Jerdenius, VASAB (Baltic sea cooperation on maritime spatial planning). The meeting was also attended by Mr Lars Almklov, Chairman of CBSS Expert Group on Maritime Policy.

The sixth and final meeting of the BSPC Working Group on Integrated Maritime Policy was convened in Schwerin on 20 June 2011 in the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommen. The theme of the meeting was Port Infrastructure, and expert presentations were provided by Manfred Müller-Fahrenholz, Managing Director, Neptun Werft GmbH, Dr Hans-Jörg Wenzel, Project Manager, P+S Werften, Erik Andersson Pauldin, Public Affairs, Ports of Stockholm, Sten Björk, Project leader Clean Baltic Sea Shipping, port of Trelleborg, and Jörg Sträussler, technical Manager, Clean Baltic Sea Shipping, Baltic Energy Forum. The meeting also included a discussion and exchange of ideas with Lars Almklov, outgoing Chair of the CBSS Expert Group on Maritime Policy, Dietrich Seele, incoming Chair of the CBSS EGMP, and Stefan Musiolik, Chairman of the BSSSC Working Group on Maritime Policy. The Working Group also discussed its final report, which was presented at the 20^th BSPC in August, and finalized the political recommendations, which were included in the final report and submitted to the BSPC Drafting Committee for the 20^th BSPC Resolution.

The presentations from the WG meetings and other background material can be retrieved on the right-hand side.

A link to the CBSS Expert Group on Maritime Policy can be accessed here.

Points of Contact for the Working Group:

Mr Georg Strätker Landtag Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - Verwaltung/Administration Leiter des Sekretariates des Europa- und Rechtsausschusses/ Secretary of the Commission on European and Legal Affairs Lennéstrasse 1 D-19053 Schwerin Telefon +49 385 525 1530 Telefax +49 385 525 1535 mailto:Europaausschuss@landtag-mv.de www.landtag-mv.de

Mr Jan Widberg Head of BSPC Secretariat C/o Nordic Council Ved Stranden 18 DK-1061 Copenhagen Denmark +45 24 699446 jw@norden.org