Commission launches consultation on Baltic Sea Region Strategy
EU Commissioner for regional policy, Danuta Hübner, announce on November 3rd, the launch of a major on-line consultation on the EU's future strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The main aims of the strategy are to improve the environmental state of the Baltic Sea, to support balanced economic development in the region, and to make it more accessible and secure. Member States, regional and local authorities, NGOs, inter-governmental bodies and the general public are invited to put forward their views on the strategy December 31st, 2008.
The consultation, which is also open to non-EU Member States such as the Russian Federation, Iceland and Norway, will lead to a Commission Communication, formally proposing the strategy, in June 2009. The Communication will be accompanied by an action plan identifying key actors, financial instruments for implementation and a timeframe for completion. The adoption of the strategy will be one of the priorities of the Swedish Presidency in the second half of 2009.
This consultation follows the demand made by Member States to prepare an "EU strategy for the Baltic Sea Region" at the European Council in December 2007. Commission then launched the debate on Baltic Sea Region strategy on the stakeholder conference held in Stockholm on September 30th.
Topics for consultation: four main proposed objectives for the Baltic Sea Region Strategy
- To make the region more environmentally sustainable
- To make the region more prosperous
- To make the region more accessible and attractive
- To make the region safe and secure
As Commissioner Hübner pointed out, “since the 2004 enlargement of the European Union, the Baltic has practically become an internal EU sea. We want to develop the Baltic area into a key region in Europe and world-wide, making it clean and liveable, attractive and safe. To make this strategy a success, we need to work together with Member States, with regions and cities, the private sector, interest groups, and the public. We want as many people as possible onboard and that is why we are launching this online consultation. We need your ideas, your energy, your knowledge and your expertise to help us deliver the best results, for the benefit of all."
Further debates, organised as part of the consultation process, will take place in Gdansk (November 13th), Copenhagen (December, 1st and 2nd), Helsinki (December, 9th) and Rostock (February , 5th and 6th, 2009).