Speech European Parliament, Strasbourg 12 December 2007
Cecilia Malmström, Minister for EU Affairs

An EU strategy for the Baltic Sea region

Speech by Cecilia Malmström at discussion with Baltic Intergroup, European Parliament, Strasbourg, 12 Dec 2007

Dear colleagues,
Dear Christopher
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to thank you very much for the opportunity to address you here today. I know many of you from my time here in Parliament, and it's indeed an honour to join you here for a discussion as a representative of the Swedish government.

The Swedish government stated in its declaration to parliament just two months ago that the Baltic area should be Europe's strongest area of growth, and that we should use all possible opportunities to strengthen the cooperation.
This is an ambitious goal, but an important, and a realistic one.

Needless to say to you, the Baltic has undergone a fantastic development during the past fifteen years. We have moved from an area deeply divided by the iron curtain, to the dynamic region we see today, characterized by trade, cooperation and exchange on all possible levels. Today, eight out of nine Baltic sea states are members of the European Union. Finally, the division of yesterday has been replaced by true unification.

In less than two weeks time, the last physical borders will be lifted when Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland will join the Schengen passport union. Give us a few years more, and a majority of states around the Baltic will be full members of the euro zone.

With this in mind, I dare to say that our region has fantastic opportunities. Now it's time that we start making full use of them, by proceeding towards deeper integration and creating a more sustainable region.

Dear Colleagues,
The topic of today's discussion is a European strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.

Let me start by saying that the work that has been done by the Baltic Intergroup is both timely and impressive. As many of you already know, Sweden is one of the strongest advocates for a special EU Baltic strategy, and I am pleased to tell you that the strategy is one of my government's top priorities in the discussions with France and the Czech Republic for our common presidency work programme.

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 environment may be the most obvious example, but a second one is the increasing level of international crime.

The way I see it, the purpose of an EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea region is to create a European framework reflecting the fact that eight out of nine littoral states around the Baltic are EU Member States with full access to the single market.

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, and 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? 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.

I see the key to a successful Baltic Sea Strategy as being twofold. On the one hand, we need a broad agreement on measures that will promote deeper integration and competitiveness in the region, as well as on addressing environmental challenges. On the other hand we need true commitment, we need to work hard at all levels and we need an even close cooperation between our countries.

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.

- 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. A key issue related to infrastructure is the need for improving the mutual access between the region and the rest of the Union.

- 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 the at the core of the strategy. I have noticed that this is also very well covered in the Intergroup's report. There is 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. Another objective should be to create a Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication and with zero-emissions from national and international transit across the Sea. Just as important, the Baltic Sea Strategy should be designed to meet the special needs of the Baltic Sea taking into account the serious environmental situation of the Sea and its unique environment.

-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.

- 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 should become one of the key priorities in the Strategy. But if we are to see results in our own region, the Union as a whole needs to move forward in the field of justice and home affairs.

- 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.

However, the key to success for the Baltic Sea strategy, does not stop with discussing the measures I just mentioned.

Maybe even more important is what we, as government representatives or MEP's, do to gain approval for the strategy. We need commitment. And we need to cooperate closely to make a Baltic Sea strategy a success.

This brings me to my last point today. What do I see as the next step in our work for a comprehensive Baltic Sea strategy?

- We need to build support for the strategy within the region. We have come a long way already and we are pleased with the warm welcome by which these ideas have been received by so far. My government will now continue an open and even closer cooperation with our partners. I am happy to tell you that I am planning a meeting in Stockholm with all Baltic ministers in charge of European affairs next spring, where this issue will be discussed.

- The strategy also needs a broad support by the European institutions and all the 19 other Member States. This is something that the Swedish government will work for in view of our presidency, and where I hope I will be able continue working with you. It seems as if the European Council will give their support to let the Commission elaborate on a strategy. We are very pleased that the Commission already now has started to work on a stocktaking report.

- Even more important is that we need a close dialogue with regions as well as directly with citizens around the Baltic Sea. Local and regional authorities, civil society and the business community all play a role in making Baltic integration a success. I believe that you, as Members of the European Parliament, play a vital role in this work.

Colleagues,
Let me conclude. We need a European Baltic Sea Strategy that can serve as a model for strengthening growth and competitiveness while at the same time acting responsibly in the field of the environment and climate change. I can assure you that my government will do what it can to achieve this, both in the run-up to 2009 and during our presidency. I very much hope that we will be able to continue our cooperation during this process.

Thank you again for inviting me. I look forward to a fruitful discussion!