From a Baltic Point of View

Transcription

1 From a Baltic Point of View Opinions on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Poland: We need to develop a Baltic Region identity page 5 Estonia: A boost for the whole region page 7 Lithuania: Things won t happen unless we act together page 8 Latvia: Coordination is key to change page 10 THE BALTIC SEA STRATEGY HOW IT STARTED 2 WE NEED TO INVOLVE RUSSIA 6 A NEW APPROACH FOR COOPERATION 13 A REGION COMMITTED TO COOPERATION 14 MODEST HOPES FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE 15 A REGION WITH FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES 16

2 Connecting the Baltic Sea Region It has been on the agenda for some time, shrouded in speculation, hope and some misunderstandings, but now it is finally here for everyone to admire, discuss and implement. The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is designed to deliver a more prosperous, environmentally sound, accessible and safe region. But what do people actually think about the strategy and what is needed to make it work? We at the Sida Baltic Sea Unit set our sights on finding out. Our findings from talking to people involved in forming the strategy and those affected by its implementation are available in this one-off issue of From a Baltic Point of View. The magazine explores the opportunities provid ed by the strategy and what individuals around the Baltic Sea expect from the collaboration. And, like the region in itself, the responses, feelings and hopes connected to the future of the strategy are very diverse. Hopes are generally high, but are they too high? We believe not and agree with one of our respondents who maintained that the hopes entailed in the strategy are modest hopes compared to the advances already made in recent decades. At the same time, it can be maintained that contacts across this new Mare Nostrum of the EU are not yet intense enough. This is worrisome because contacts are key to generating awareness and fencing off ignorance. In its turn, awareness is a prerequisite for reaching a stage in which we intuitively think regionally. However, at present we still do not know our neighbours well enough to make them a natural first choice when faced with a need or situation of some kind. Clearly, if thinking and acting regionally is to become the rule rather than the exception, continued attention must be paid to the role of contacts and unprejudiced awareness of the opportunities available in the region. Connecting the Baltic Sea Region thus remains a high priority issue also in the years to come. The Baltic Sea The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is the first macro region strategy to be decided upon by the EU. But who brought it to us, what was their objective and who is responsible for its survival? The process was set in motion through an initiative by a group of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who shared an interest in the region and its fate and set up the Baltic Europe Intergroup in the European Parliament.* According to the Chair of the Intergroup, Christopher Beazley (UK), the motivation for their initiative sprung out of a realisation that EU Accession was not enough. Rather, in the minds of the Intergroup to offset 50 years of division [ ] a strategy was required. To that effect the group published a strategy paper in November 2005 which was adopted by the European Parliament in November However, an initiative like this needed top level national support. Intense efforts during 2007 by the Swedish Government (among others), wanting to make it a priority for its 2009 presidency, resulted in the European Council (December 2007) asking the European Commission to draw up a strategy. When the proposal was finally made public in June 2009 it had thus been preceded by some 18 months of preparations, led and coordinated by the Directorate General for Regional Policy (DG Regio). A vital instrument in this work was a series of stakeholder conferences and public consultations. The Baltic Sea Strategy Timeline Lobbying period FOTO: STIG HAMMARSTEDT FOTO: MATILDA DAHL May 2004 EU enlargement eight of the nine bordering countries are now members of the EU November 2005 strategy paper presented by the Baltic Europe Intergroup November 2006 report adopted by the European Parliament Team Director Dr. Mikael Olsson Project Leader * Among its members can be mentioned Alexander Stubb (FIN), Michael Gahler (DE), Toomas Ilves (EE), Satu Hassi (FIN), Girts Kristovskis (LV), Henrik Lax (FIN), Vytautas Landsbergis (LT) and its chairman, Christopher Beazley (UK).

3 Strategy how it started The process resulted in a Communication and an accompanying Action Plan to be endorsed by the European Council in October But then again, such an adoption of the strategy is only the beginning. As pointed out by a longtime observer of our region, Sweden s Ambassador to Poland, Dag Hartelius, the key to its success is the political will and the signals to all institutions that we now need to think regional when we plan. However, political support alone is not likely to suffice. Popular support is of the essence and Beazley, as a politician, concludes that if the public fails to support the proposal or is disappointed by its outcome we shall have failed. DENMARK SWEDEN FINLAND Helsinki ESTONIA LATVIA RUSSIA LITHUANIA RUSSIA First and foremost this is an EU Strategy conforming to the original idea of establishing the reunification of the European Family. Christopher Beazley, MEP, Brussels, Belgium Berlin GERMANY POLAND THE STRATEGY IN BRIEF In June 2009 the European Commission presented its proposal for a European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. An Action Plan containing some 80 different concrete actions is an integral part of it. The strategy addresses four main challenges that will have to be met in order to make the region: Read more at: ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/baltic Consultation and preparation period Adopting and anchoring the strategy Implementation and development December 2007 European Council invites European Commission to present strategy September 2008 February 2009 stakeholder conferences, roundtables and public consultations about the strategy June 2009 proposal for a strategy made public July December 2009 Swedish Presidency September 2009 meeting in Stockholm as part of the Swedish Presidency October 2009 the European Council adopts the strategy July December 2011 Polish Presidency This publication draws on more than 25 interviews and meetings across the Baltic Sea Region. The Sida Baltic Sea Unit would like to thank all of you who have participated in this work and shared some of your valuable time with us. This being said, the opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily shared by Sida or by all of those interviewed. 3

4 Why the Baltic Sea Strategy? FOTO: MARIA EVERTSSON Pia Kinhult, Deputy Governor of Region Skåne, Kristianstad, Sweden We are several different countries, and we have several different ways of doing things, different cultures, different habits. [ ] But we are all becoming increasingly aware of that we cannot do things on our own. FOTO: ANKI WOOD Joanna Held, Chief Expert, Department of Structural Policy Coordination, Ministry of Regional Development, Warsaw, Poland I think that the Baltic Sea Strategy is a great opportunity to bridge the East West divide in Europe. FOTO: ANKI WOOD Hans Brask, Director, Baltic Development Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark The strategy will help bring about a more integrated region that is built on a sound environment and also new possibilities for prosperity and greater competitiveness; they are very high ambitions, but I think that they are realistic. FOTO: ANKI WOOD FOTO: JOEL NILSSON Anders Lindholm, DG Regional Policy, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium It provides a much better awareness of the co-dependency that we actually have in the region, and this goes across all the sectors, both for environment, the most obvious, but also for prosperity. Dag Hartelius, Sweden s Ambassador, Warsaw, Poland This is actually what the whole strategy is about: to make this region stronger and more competitive. 4

5 WHO: MALGORZATA KALUZYNSKA WHAT: National Coordinator for the Baltic Sea Strategy in Poland WHERE: Ministry for European Affairs, Warsaw, Poland FOTO: ANKI WOOD We need to develop a Baltic Region identity The peoples around the Baltic Sea do not have a strong regional identity, and they do not know very much about each other. This is why we need to brand the region and develop a Baltic Sea Identity, explains Malgorzata Kaluzynska, National Coordinator for the Baltic Sea Strategy in Poland. She compares to the strong brand of the Mediterranean region, with the sun, the food and holiday spots. She concludes that the Baltic Sea Region states need to put much effort into creating the same strong images, and they will have to begin with their own countries. Poland began its work with the Baltic Sea Strategy in spring 2008 by conducting a public survey into the Polish people s opinions of the region. The survey showed that only 25 per cent of Poles recognised the Baltic Sea as something they can relate to. Malgorzata got the idea for a survey after seeing a Swedish poll showing how negatively Poland and other newcomers in the EU were being perceived in Sweden. I thought it odd that several years after the enlargement there were still so many negative connotations. This is when I realised there was a need to exchange more information about each other and that we need to find new forms of communication. The survey proved to be a very useful document; in September 2008 Poland was one of the first countries with a vision of what the strategy should look like, and that it should include branding the Baltic Region. By promoting a Baltic concept and a Baltic identity, the integration and cohesion of the region will go much faster. The fact that the Commission decided to include the Baltic identity in the Action Plan is a great step forward for us. explains Malgorzata. What are the most important aspects of a Baltic identity? First of all we need to relate to the region and know who our neighbours are. We then need to let everybody else in Europe know what we are good at, that this is the best place to spend their holidays, that there are sports, music and cultural events. In ten years I hope [ ] that we will know much more about each other and that the Baltic Region brand will be recognised not only in Europe, but throughout the whole world. By promoting a Baltic concept and a Baltic identity, the integration of the region will go much faster. Malgorzata Kaluzynska, Warsaw, Poland 5

6 WHO: ERIK TERK WHAT: Director of the Estonian Institute for Future Studies (EIFS) WHERE: Tallinn University, Estonia FOTO: ULF JOHANSSON We need to involve Russia A lot of Finnish and Swedish companies come here for cheap production input and cheap labour, but how can Estonian companies get onto Swedish and Finnish markets? It s not about formal access, perhaps a special support policy is needed followed by training and development. According to Dr. Erik Terk there is still a very clear East West divide between the countries around the Baltic Sea, with the high value added production kept in the West. He sees many important priorities in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, but the most difficult part will be moving from a strategy to hands-on implementation. The mobility of the labour force is one of the central issues. Erik Terk is the Director of EIFS, a non- The Finnish tourists are coming and companies are investing here to get economy in input prices. Now we need to say that we are happy for these tourists and investments, but we need more. Erik Terk, Tallinn, Estonia profit organisation that offers advice to the Estonian Government, institutions and private enterprises on development and future issues. He has also been an advisor to the EU Commission on the Baltic Sea Strategy. What do you think is needed for the Baltic Sea Strategy to be taken seriously? It needs some high level meetings between the leaders of the countries with somebody from the European Commission there to talk to each Prime Minister, to persuade them to take this matter seriously. I personally think it has been difficult convincing countries of the importance of this type of document. Erik regards the official framework of the strategy as good, but in order to avoid the usual we have heard it before there needs to be proof of results achieved. Measuring progress in these fields is central. The problem is that the strategy focuses upon too many different things. Some sectors, like fisheries, are overemphasised. What is the most important issue for Estonia? One thing that I discussed with the EU Commission was how to include EU-Russian economic relations and tie it in to the strategy. The strategy does include this but in very general terms. It s the task for the European Commission to speak to Russia and explain that this strategy may not be a first priority for Moscow, but it could be very important for other regions like St Petersburg and Novgorod. 6

7 WHO: KITTY KUBO WHAT: Head of Foresight Division WHERE: Estonian Development Fund, Tallinn, Estonia FOTO: ULF JOHANSSON A boost for the whole region When Kitty Kubo first heard about the Baltic Sea Strategy, she was sceptical as to its value. My first impression was just another paper. What s the point of doing this at EU level when, from what I understand, there were bilateral, regional and other initiatives underway. However, on further reading I soon realised that it wasn t actually an additional thing at all but an attempt at coordinating the already existing initiatives, add missing bits and boost the visibility of the whole region within the EU. Kitty says that talking about cooperation requires joint interests and equal partners, but the present strategy consists of a diverse set of countries where some are world leaders in innovation, while others are still catching up. As countries differ, it is important for them to share a future vision. I think innovation could be the common denominator for the Baltic Sea Strategy; being renowned as a region where new solutions are tested and standards created with the ultimate aim of improving life for all European citizens. The strategy covers a considerable market in which we can develop and experiment in new ways of doing things through IT, in private and, more importantly, public sector services. What is most important in achieving positive development in the region? We need to make this region attractive, not only for our citizens to stay and tourists to visit, but also for foreign talents and capital looking for the best place to innovate and grow. I have three children of my own and I hate thinking about their future in Estonia consisting of folk dancing or singing to Asian tourists. But if we are not able to compete with Asia, that is our reality. When asked what the optimum outcome would be from the Baltic Sea Strategy from Estonia s point of view, Kitty says to be careful not to limit our view to the Baltic Sea corner of the world. If we want to grow further and ensure that some parts of manufacturing and services still remain in this part of the world, we need a more proactive approach towards the BRIC* countries. Maybe we could cooperate more in entering the BRIC markets, but also in attracting capital from them. *BRIC is an acronym referring to Brazil, Russia, India and China. I have three children of my own and I hate think ing about their future in Estonia consisting of folk dancing or singing to Asian tourists. Kitty Kubo, Tallinn, Estonia 7

8 Cooperation across borders can be a good way to find solutions for waste management and other environmental challenges in Lithuania, some of them originating from the Soviet period. FOTO: SUSANNA WASIELEWSKI AHLFORS LITHUANIA: Things won t happen unless we re all in it together Involving municipalities through local commitment, collaborating with non-eu neighbours Russia and Belarus, and changing people s mindset are some of the main items on Lithuania s agenda for the Baltic Sea Strategy. But the message is clear; if things are to happen, it has to involve all levels. communicated across the board. The message must be very simple so that everyone understands what is to be achieved, something the municipalities have an important role in. In Klaipeda for example, the country s Roma Zakaitiene is the Director of the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania. Previously a minister in the Lithuanian government, she is clearly aware of the long-going struggle between what should be performed on a national contra a local level. And for the strategy to become more than a paper product and achieve results there has to be a local commitment and it has to be FOTO: SUSANNA WASIELEWSKI AHLFORS 8

9 biggest port, they have a traditional Baltic Sea celebration every year with carnivals and music. This event could be a good opportunity for the municipality to communicate what the Baltic Sea Strategy is about and what is to be achieved from it. The Baltic Sea with its environmental problems is one of the most urgent areas for cooperation according to Roma, and this involves all countries around the Baltic Sea. Although the Baltic Sea Strategy only comprises EU members, it depends on Russia for success. All of us must have the same strategies to assure that we work on the ecological issues together. I hope the strategy can help here and improve the sustainable development. Increased knowledge, investments in wastewater treatment plants and the closure of old industries solved many of the major environmental problems from the Soviet era. Today the environmental challenges are more connected to lifestyle and increased consumption. Laura Dzelzyte is special advisor to the Minister of Environment in Lithuania and she says that real change must start with the citizens: Waste is one of our major environmental issues, and it s mainly about changing people s mindset when it comes to recycling. We re trying to set trends now, to make it fashionable to be green. With regard to the chances of success for the Baltic Sea Strategy Laura points to several important factors, the main one being the interaction between politicians around the Baltic Sea Region, where they actually get together and talk. Media is very important here in putting across what is being achieved to the public, and if politicians feel that people find the strategy important, they will prioritise going to these meetings. Getting stakeholders to commit to the Baltic Sea Strategy is one thing, but if the strategy is to actually change things, monitoring and reviewing the progress is the most FOTO: ULF JOHANSSON important aspect according to Laura: All the nations must meet regularly and determine the key indicators for success and if we are doing enough to achieve them. Just like Roma Zakaitiene and several other people interviewed in Lithuania and Latvia, Laura sees the financing of the measures in the Baltic Sea Strategy as a vital issue, to get the politicians to make a real commitment. But she also sees a great opportunity in combining economical and environmental considerations, and involving the private sector: We are all talking about sustainable development but to achieve that you need harmony between environment, economic growth and corporate social responsibility. We as a government have a role in showing the private sector that it needs to change its approach and learn from those who are already sustainable, such as Sweden and other Baltic Sea regions. Professor Juras Banys is Pro-Rector for Research at Vilnius University. Exploiting the full potential of the region in research and innovation is one priority area in the Baltic Sea Strategy. He says cooperation within research is good, for example with Latvia, Estonia and Lund in Sweden. But to catch up on the competition with the rest of the world, he feels that far more money needs to be invested in education and research. And for research to actually lead to innovation, regulations need to be simplified: There is too much bureaucracy here, which can kill the very best ideas. I think more decision making should be given to the universities and institutions, but a lot of political will and strength is required to change things. FOTO: SUSANNA WASIELEWSKI AHLFORS 9

10 LATVIA: Coordination between all levels is key to change and success FOTO: SUSANNA WASIELEWSKI AHLFORS Travelling along the European Route 67 from Vilnius to Riga is a pleasant drive, passing through endless green landscapes of hills and groves of broadleaved forest. The EU-financed road from Warsaw to Tallinn, known as the Via Baltica, is a flagship example of transnational cooperation in the Baltic Sea Strategy, and coordination together with collaboration seems to be the key in going from strategy to action. We have more nature than in the rest of Europe and with global warming and rising temperatures, it s possible that more people will want to live in the north. Sarmite Pika, Chair of the Riga City Development Committee is convinced that the Baltic Sea region has the potential to become the lungs of Europe within the next 20 years, and of becoming an environmental role model within the EU. In a short-term perspective for the city of Riga, she sees collaboration between cities across national borders as crucial and the Baltic Sea Strategy as a good framework for achieving it. She already has a number of colleagues working together with partners in Stockholm and St. Petersburg, so the willingness is there, but the next step with this strategy is to define specific programmes in which to cooperate. Without that you cannot begin real actions. If we focus on crossborder communication, the ferry traffic would be one example, involving companies in Latvia, Sweden and Finland. The Riga City Development Plan contains the ambitious goal of becoming one of the leading cities in the Baltic Sea Region in years, competing with Stockholm and Helsinki. The core economic base for the development is the Freeport of Riga. We want Riga to become the new Silk Road from China to Europe, competing with ports like Amsterdam and Hamburg. Yes, we are ambitious here, but when everything else went down with the crisis the Freeport kept accumulating economic activity. For a Baltic Sea Strategy to succeed the time period has to be as long as years or things will not happen, and the East West income differences will not be bridged. This is the opinion of Morten Hansen, Head of the Economics Department at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga. He sees the timeframe as a potential problem for some of the actions in the Strategy, but adds that ministers often find it easier to deal with short projects with a clear exit. For Andris Jaunsleinis, Chair of the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, the project timeframes are not that important. Like his Lithuanian colleague, he mentions the importance of coordination between all levels and he sees the connection between local and national policies as key in achieving the Baltic Sea Strategy, especially within the environmental field where more coordination between the 10

11 Crossing the border between Lithuania and Latvia entailed hours of queuing just ten years ago but EU membership in 2004 put an end to that, and today the border point looks deserted. FOTO: SUSANNA WASIELEWSKI AHLFORS FOTO: SUSANNA WASIELEWSKI AHLFORS FOTO: SUSANNA WASIELEWSKI AHLFORS state and municipalities is required with regard to water purification, focusing on the sea as well as the rivers from Belarus. We have a transition period up to 2015 to comply with all EU regulations but with a number of old wastewater plants from the Soviet days, that will be costly. Making the Baltic Sea Region a safe and secure place is one of the four pillars in the strategy, and when talking about security in Lithuania it is often connected with energy security. For Andris, this means being less dependant on energy from Russia and aiming at self-sufficiency. One priority for all the Baltic states is to connect with new energy systems and networks. The first step is a cable connection with Sweden. Renewable energy and energy saving are two ways of decreasing the dependency on Russia. The latter is also good from an environmental and economic perspective. We have a large number of old housing systems in Latvia that need to be renovated, and we support the municipalities in carrying out this renovation and insulation. However, if the strategy is to be a success it needs to be put into a bigger perspective, says Andris and the interests in south Europe also need to be considered: The EU needs to create a Mediterranean strategy as well. Finding alliance partners will make it easier to get support and resources for the Baltic Sea Strategy. And here he puts a lot of hope to the Swedish EU presidency: This can be used to demonstrate the potential of the Baltic Sea Region. 11

12 What area within the Baltic Sea Strategy is most important? FOTO: SUSANNA WASIELEWSKI AHLFORS FOTO: ANKI WOOD FOTO: JOEL NILSSON FOTO: ULF JOHANSSON Maris Lauri, Chief Economic Analyst at Swedbank, Tallinn, Estonia I think it is the energy, in short term, that is definitely very important and urgent. And of course, also in a short term, it is the question of economy, how the connections will work out and the environment. Colin Wolfe, Head of Unit, DG Regional Policy, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium Cleaning up the Baltic Sea, that s crucial for many countries. And transportation is very important also, especially in countries like Lithuania and Latvia. Agnieszka Kowalcze, Director, Scandinavian- Polish Chamber of Commerce, Warsaw, Poland Environmental issues are important for us, but as a developing country, we are still putting economic issues first. Polish companies are interested in Nordic countries. They are looking for business partners. Roma Zakaitiene, Chair of the Association of Local Authorities, Vilnius, Lithuania I must stress the energy issue for the region and see what links we can share with the other countries, Sweden, Poland, to assure the energy security for Lithuania. Next year, the 2 nd unit of Ignalina will be closed down, which makes us feel very insecure now about our future energy. 12

13 FOTO: ANKI WOOD WHO: PIOTR SERAFIN WHAT: Deputy EU Minister of Poland WHERE: Ministry for European Affairs, Warsaw, Poland WHO: PIOTR ZUBER WHAT: Director of the Structural Policy Coordination Department WHERE: Ministry of Regional Development, Warsaw, Poland FOTO: ANKI WOOD A new approach for cooperation The creation of a macro region around the Baltic Sea enables neighbouring countries to pool their efforts to reduce marine pollution, remove trade barriers and fight cross border crime, etcetera. In Poland, coordination and financing have been two important aspects during the work with the strategy: There are lots of opportunities to contribute for everybody, not just for member states, but also for NGOs and organisations already active in the region, says Polish Deputy EU Minister Piotr Serafin. In many areas a single member state is too small to make a difference, whereas the entire union could be too big to agree on a specific issue. In a macro region, countries with a common goal work together. The EU Baltic Sea Strategy is a pilot for this new approach. For the more recent EU members, the economic challenges remain a priority. Can the Baltic Sea Strategy help bridge the East-West divide within this region? That is happening already and is going to be the source of strength for the region. I m convinced that the way to competitiveness lies in cohesion. Piotr has great hopes for Sweden s EU presidency and he and his ministry are already preparing for the Polish presidency in The task for the Swedish presidency will be to find owners to each of the flagship projects and initiatives. Under the Polish presidency we plan to review the implementation progress of the strategy. However, there is no additional funding attached to the strategy. One important option is to use the structural funds. Poland, for example, has large structural funds from the EU, over Euro 50 billion in , and is now analysing how they can be used. We are now in the process of adapting those programmes to the Baltic Sea Strategy. It is possible to use structural funds for transborder projects, but it is not easy. But the most important part is the will of the countries that wish to do so. I think that the Baltic Sea Strategy gives us an opportunity to combine structural funds with other sources, coming from Brussels or from national sources, explains a Polish expert on this issue, Dr. Piotr Zuber, Director at the Ministry of Regional Development. There are lots of opportunities to contribute for everybody, not just for member states, but also for NGOs and organisations. Piotr Serafi n, Warsaw, Poland 13

14 WHO: ULF SAVBÄCK WHAT: Desk Officer WHERE: Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications, Stockholm, Sweden FOTO: JOEL NILSSON A region committed to cooperation There is a great deal of commitment for cooperation in the region, and this strategy will ensure commitment from the whole of the EU and the Commission as well. It will be easier to influence EU policies and to ensure they are, to some extent, adapted to the specific circumstances of Baltic Sea Region. In Sweden, Ulf Savbäck at the Ministry of Enterprise has been involved in the process of developing the Baltic Sea Strategy since the early discussions. He is very optimistic to the possibilities of the strategy actually leading to tangible results, which he bases on the discussions and input from people in the region. The Commission realized very early on that this kind of initiative needs to be firmly anchored in the region and that the implementation of the strategy will depend on the engagement and interest at the regional and local levels. Through a number of stakeholder conferences 80 actions were identified and are now part of the Action Plan accompanying the strategy. The added value of having a strategy is to identify our common priorities and channel our cooperation in the same direction, and to identify the priorities that are most suited to being handled on a transnational level. Region and I think many of them are relevant for financing this strategy. We need to think in a new way and improve coordination between programmes. Ulf not only sees the structural funds as being important for the strategy, but research and agricultural programmes as well. He says that all the EU programmes are relevant, adding that if we cannot find financing for this, then it is a failure! The important actors here are the ones in the region who should realise the projects. Hopefully it will be easier to initiate joint projects in the Baltic Sea Region with the defined Action Plan in the strategy as a starting point. What is the role of the European Commission in the realisation of the strategy? The commission has a central role because we are talking about the implementation of EU directives; financing from EU programmes and the many EU policies that have an effect on the region Ulf underlines the role of the Commission by calling it a key player also with regard to potential future adaptation of EU policies to different territorial circumstances. But there will be no extra funding for this strategy, so where will the money come from to realize it? We already have a variety of EU programmes for the structural funds in the Baltic Sea 14

15 We want the strategy not only to be known to politicians but also to the general public. Malgorzata Kaluzynska, Warsaw, Poland With this strategy, we have political commitment on an absolutely top level. Colin Wolfe, Brussels, Belgium FOTO: GLOBAL REPORTING Modest hopes for a bright future I grew up during the Cold War when the region was divided and it was impossible for me to go to the Baltic countries or Poland. Now that it s all opened up, I believe there is a very solid basis for achieving a regional identity. In 10 years time I hope that we will be further along the road than we were when we were hit by the crisis. I look forward to a situation where a lot of the barriers have been removed and where the environment has improved to allow us to once again catch codfish of the size that I did some 25 years ago. I also hope the Russians will behave in a more forthcoming way towards their neighbours. These are my modest hopes. I say modest because when I presented my visions on the FOTO: ANKI WOOD region back in the early 1990s, I talked about seeing independent Baltic States, about seeing the countries around the Baltic Sea as members of the EU and NATO, and look what happened! So if you look at the wild visions I had in those days and how they have all been fulfilled, why shouldn t this modest vision of a better future for all of us around the Baltic Sea Region be fulfilled? Uffe Ellemann- Jensen Chair of the Baltic Development Forum, and Former Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs

16 FOTO: STIG HAMMARSTEDT A region with fantastic opportunities The Baltic Sea has seen a remarkable transition. Twenty years after the fall of the iron curtain and five years after the enlargement of the European Union, eight of the nine states around the Baltic Sea are free democracies and functioning market economies. With this in mind, I dare to say that our region has fantastic opportunities. My 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. It is vital to ensure that that the measures taken to boost growth in the Baltic Sea Region do not counteract the actions to transform the Baltic Sea into a sustainable inland sea. I see the key to a successful Baltic Sea Strategy as being twofold. On the one hand, we need true commitment, we need to work hard at all levels and we need an even closer cooperation between our countries. The preparatory work done by the Commission, the high level of interest, participation and contribution at the stakeholders meetings in the region, leaves me secure in the fact that the necessary commitment will continue to be broad and sustainable. On the other hand, the strategy will only work in practise if we make it work. Here, I consider the Action Plan to be a cornerstone to ensure both a continued broad commitment and to make sure that the abstract strategy melts down to concrete, visible and tangible projects. All countries across the region have pledged to take lead responsibilities for certain issues, thus demonstrating a broad ownership not only in the formulating but also the implementing phase of the strategy. Again, the Baltic Sea Region has undergone a tremendous development the recent decades. A closely integrated Baltic Sea Region has been a clear vision for our generation, and it is now high time for us politicians to take integration and cooperation even further. I think the Baltic Sea Strategy can and will serve as a model for regional cooperation in Europe. The Sida Baltic Sea Unit The Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) Baltic Sea Unit was created by the Swedish Government in 2005 to develop relations between diverse actors in the Baltic Sea Region. In the Government s Letter of Appropriation 2009, Sida was tasked to facilitate the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Read more at 16 Dr. Cecilia Malmström, Minister for EU Affairs, Sweden Baltic Sea Unit Box 1271, SE Visby SWEDEN Phone: +46 (0) PUBLISHER: SIDA BALTIC SEA UNIT PRODUCTION: GLOBAL REPORTING EDITORS AND WRITERS: SUSANNA WASIELEWSKI AHLFORS, ANKI WOOD AND MIKAEL OLSSON GRAPHIC DESIGN: LISA JANSSON PHOTO COVER: DAN LEPP/JOHNÉR PRINT: EDITA, 2009