Tal
Östersjökonferens i Rostock 5 februari 2009
Cecilia Malmström, EU-minister
The EU-strategy for the Baltic Sea Region under the Swedish Presidency
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour to be here today.
I would like to thank Minister Jurgen Seidel for hosting this conference here in the beautiful Hanseatic town of Rostock.
I would like also to thank Commissioner Hübner for her personal commitment to this file, and my friend and my former colleague Christopher Beazly and his MEP-colleagues for the pioneer work they have been doing on the Baltic Sea within the European Parliament.
It is no coincidence that both the first Stakeholder Conference in Stockholm last September and the concluding conference here in Rostock today, are held in two cities whose destinies and prosperity have so much been formed by the Hanseatic network.
The metaphor with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region of today is obvious. Our cultures and economies still enjoy the fruits of the Hanseatic economic and cultural integration in the Baltic region and beyond.
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Our part of Europe has seen a remarkable transition in the past 30 years. Eight out of nine Baltic Sea States are members of the European Union and have full access to the common market. The Baltic Sea has transformed from being a dividing Sea during the Cold war, into a unifying Sea, once again serving as one of the major trading routes of the world. Indeed, this sea transports some 90 per cent of all trade within the region. In total, some 2000 ships are in transit in the Baltic Sea every day.
The Baltic Sea Region is the home of some of the most competitive companies in the world but also a host to highly renowned universities and research institutes in various fields. The challenge is to make best benefit of what the region as a whole has to offer. This is particularly important in an increasingly globalised world and in a region such as the Baltic Sea Region.
The Swedish idea of a Baltic Sea strategy is an integrated European transnational strategy that will make it easier for the region to prosper, and that will help the region handle its cross-border challenges effectively.
The strategy should not replace or double, but rather be complementary to existing cooperation. The purpose is to support activities that are already in force, to give signals for new initiatives and to identify common priorities. We should work towards increasing the level of ambition in different fields, aiming for a deeper integration. The strategy needs to reflect the specific circumstances of the Baltic Sea Region, but I also believe that it will be able to serve as a source of inspiration to other European regions with similar characteristics.
I mentioned that the strategy needs to be complementary to different forms of existing cooperation. But why do we need the commitment of the European Union in this at all? Well, I believe the answer is quite clear: it's when European and regional resources are pooled that we can achieve a maximum effect - for the Baltic region, but indeed also for the rest of the Union.
When it comes to different elements of the strategy and measures that I believe need to be taken, I will briefly mention a few that I find particularly important.
- We need further integration of the internal market in the Baltic Sea region. This
would contribute to the region's competitiveness and growth, which will not only make the Baltic region a winner, but indeed also contribute to increased competitiveness and fulfilling the Lisbon targets across the Union.
- Another possible role for the European Baltic strategy would be to provide for Member States in implementing key European directives, linked to the functioning and the development of the internal market. It could improve the interoperability of corporate law, social security, labour market and tax rules, by drawing on existing European instruments, such as SOLVIT. The Strategy could also serve as an instrument to make more efficient use of cohesion funds and other European funding available to the region.
-Measures related to the environment must be at the core of the strategy. There are a number of urgent challenges to the survival of the Baltic Sea, which pose serious threats to the marine environment on such a scale that they need to be addressed in a broader European context. Sustainable development, including climate change mitigation and a healthy Baltic Sea, is absolutely necessary if we are to improve competitiveness and innovation in the Region.
In this strategy, we need to draw up a general vision for a European policy for a healthy Baltic Sea, where biological components function in balance, supporting a wide range of sustainable human economic and social activities. One important objective should be to create a Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication and with zero-emissions from national and international transit across the Sea.
-We need a coherent, coordinated and effective strategy for the implementation of existing and upcoming European legislation from different sectors affecting the environmental status of the Baltic Sea.
Moreover, the Strategy should meet the need for further action creating regional specific requirements such as the marine strategy or fisheries.
An important way to promote deeper integration and competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region is through energy, transport and innovation, where we should take stock of existing initiatives and find solutions through joint projects, further implementation of actions and projects already agreed. Also here, the community instrument could benefit from a macro regional approach. The region encompasses many small countries, some having vast areas with very little population and small domestic markets. Sometimes there is lack of modern roads, bridges and railroads connecting the various parts. More coordinated planning with a regional perspective would be particularly useful for cross-border sections of roads and railways - not least in the future revision of the TEN Guidelines.
Likewise, a more regional approach to research funding and projects could be beneficial to the whole Baltic Se Region.
- Cross-border crime in the Baltic sea region has increased continuously over the past few years, just as in other parts of Europe. Trafficking in human beings and drug-related crime are two of the most serious forms of organised crime that are regional problems and that need to be tackled on a regional basis. Close cooperation between crime-fighting authorities could become one of the priorities in the Strategy.
- Last but not least, the rapid expansion of energy transit is a serious challenge calling for action. This concerns in particular oil shipments through the Baltic Sea, which in a few years will double to 150 million tons of crude oil annually. European ability to deal with this must be seen not only as measure to save the environment, but also as a means to strengthen Europe's security. It is essential that preventive measures are taken so as to minimise the risk of a disaster of this kind.
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The list of actions needed to be taken could go on and on, but I will stop here. Because this is what this Conference is all about, to tap the wealth of ideas and inspiration that all of you, the participants of civil society, regional organisations, NGO:s and regions will provide these two coming days.
We do not need to invent the wheel again. Cooperation around the Baltic Sea has been going on for many years by various agents; we do no need to preach the value of collective action to you. Rather we need to use the different experiences, build upon them and include them in a coherent, intelligent and integrated strategy. I am convinced that we can develop a methodology that can be helpful also for other macro regions and maritime areas within the European Union.
My experience is that the Commission has large ears, and are bold thieves of good ideas, so sharpen your arguments and present your thoughts, experiences and visions!
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We have high hopes for this Conference, as it will end the consultation period and the Commission will begin to draft the Communication of this pioneering file, so important to our region.
This file is one of the major subjects for our Presidency in five months from now. We will be strongly committed to the adoption of the Strategy, which was an entrusted task for us according to the 2007 December European Council.
Our Presidency planning is still being finalised, but the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region will be given priority and a conference will be arranged in Stockholm in September.
Thank you for your kind attention