5 September 2006

 

 

Conference Resolution

Adopted by the 15h Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC)

 

 

The participants*, elected representatives from the Baltic Sea States and European Parliament, assembled in Reykjavik, Iceland 3 – 5 September 2006, to discuss co-operation in the Baltic Sea Region, the Northern Dimension and European Maritime Policy

 

Regarding the Co-operation in the Region

call on governments in the Baltic Sea region, the CBSS and the EU to

give coordinated support to the new EU neighbouring countries in building the civil and

democratic society and to promote reform processes in these countries

 

Call on the CBSS to

strengthen the interaction between the CBSS and the BSPC by further reinforcing and developing dialogue and information exchange

 

Regarding the Northern Dimension call on the European Commission and the Governments of Iceland, Norway and Russia to

pay attention to the results of the Round Table of the Northern Dimension held on 30 January 2006 in Copenhagen and encourage the members of the BSPC Standing Committee to attend the Parliamentary Forum on Northern Dimension, to be organised by the European Parliament in November 2006

 

support and further develop the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP) and Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Wellbeing (NDPHS)

 

work to secure concrete goals and financing mechanisms of the Northern Dimension

 

aim at filling the four EU-Russia common spaces with concrete content

 

strengthen coordination and cooperation between regional organisations in Northern Europe

 

consider establishing a partnership on Transport and Logistics  in the Framework of Northern  Dimension            

 

 

 

Regarding the European Maritime Policy and the Baltic Sea Action Plan 

call on the governments in the Baltic Sea region, the CBSS, HELCOM and the EU to

work for an integrated maritime policy in order to create favourable conditions for a prosperous, socially balanced and ecologically sustainable development of the Baltic Sea region

 

establish a balance between the many competing economic benefits of the sea on the one hand, and adequate protection of the marine environment on the other, so as to allow an economically and ecologically sustainable use of marine resources

 

include marine sciences and technologies for marine resources as priority fields in future research programmes

 

strive for harmonization of the current variety of political and legal measures, programmes and action plans at European level within the framework of an integrated European maritime policy

 

pursue a European fisheries policy that will take into account the particularities of the Baltic Sea and implement the principle of sustainable fisheries by active participation in the Baltic Sea RAC (Regional Advisory Committee)

 

strengthen cooperation in the field of maritime safety and security, especially regarding search and rescue matters

 

Regarding the proposed North European Gas Pipeline (NEGP), call on the governments in the Baltic Sea Region and HELCOM to

 

ensure that the assessment of the feasibility of the proposed NEGP is carried out with a high level of transparency and in compliance with all applicable international obligations

 

Regarding the serious situation of abnormal algae blooming and lifeless areas of the Baltic Sea seabed call on the governments to

 

strongly support all kinds of measures and instruments designed to further reduce pollutant and nutrient inputs from agriculture, municipalities, shipping and industries

 

support HELCOM activities in the full catchment area in order to fight the eutrophication in the Baltic Sea

 

take active part in the planned April 2007 CBSS conference of ministers of environment and ministers of agriculture, in order to optimize their contribution to a less eutrophicated Baltic Sea and to present the results of this conference at the 16^th  BSPC-Conference in Berlin 2007

 

Furthermore the Conference decided to

ask the Standing Committee to include the Green Paper on Maritime Policy to the Standing Committee work programme, to take part in the discussion on the Green Paper, to discuss the BSPC contribution at the next Extended Standing Committee meeting and to consider the installation of a working group on Maritime Policy in order to monitor the follow-up of the Green Paper process

include the issue of energy on the future agenda of the BSPC Standing Committee meetings

 

ask the Standing Committee to start discussions on social and labour market issues with labour market partners

 

acknowledge with satisfaction the new proposals by the CBSS Presidency about co-operation between the CBSS and the BSPC

 

note with pleasure the decisions by the participating parliaments to contribute to the financing of the secretariat as proposed by the Standing Committee 

 

address the European Green Paper on the European Integrated Maritime Policy, labour market issues and social welfare as items at the next Conference in August 2007 in Berlin

 

welcome with gratitude the kind  invitation of the German Bundestag to hold the 16^th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference on  27-28  August 2007 in Berlin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Baltic Assembly, Free and Hanse City of Bremen, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Denmark, Estonia, European Parliament, Finland, Federal Republic of Germany, Free and Hanse City of Hamburg, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Nordic Council, Norway, Poland, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, City of St. Petersburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Sweden, Ã…land.