iBSG Informal Baltic Sea Group EU Strategy for Baltic Sea Region Progress

1
iBSGInformal Baltic Sea GroupEU Strategy for
Baltic Sea Region- Progress PerspectivesColin
WolfeDG Regional Policy

• iBSG Strategy Workshop Brussels, 22 April 2008

2

• EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region
• Commission to present EU strategy at the latest
  by June 2009
• Inter alia help to address the urgent
  environmental challenges
• The Northern Dimension framework provides the
  basis for the external aspects of co-operation

iBSG Strategy Workshop Brussels, 22 April 2008
3

• Emerges from discussions, existing analysis,
  existing co-operation, is need
• For action-oriented EU Strategy
• To be straightforward
• Not to compartmentalise
• To discuss widely and be open to ideas
• To exploit the potential post-2004 enlargement
  and to move from security perspectives.

iBSG Strategy Workshop Brussels, 22 April 2008
4

• Leading to a framework as follows
• 4 overall objectives
• To make the Baltic Sea region an environmentally
  sustainable (clean?) (healthy?) place
• To make the Baltic Sea region a prosperous place
• To make the Baltic Sea region an (accessible
  and?) attractive place
• To make the Baltic Sea region a safe (and
  secure?) place.

iBSG Strategy Workshop Brussels, 22 April 2008
5

• With a view to
• Align policies/funding (how does it contribute
  to strategy?)
• Implement fully the acquis
• Brand the region (common identity)
• Use best EU relations with Russia, Belarus, etc.

iBSG Strategy Workshop Brussels, 22 April 2008
6

• Following a timetable
• Two stakeholder summits Stockholm, Sept 2008
• 
  Rostock, Jan 2009
• Four major roundtables environmentally
  sustainable
• prosperous
• accessible attractive
• safe secure
• Further roundtable expert discussions Open
  Days 2008
• 
  Regions events
• etc.
• Launching or implementation events
• 
  e.g. Gottland
  event Summer 2009

iBSG Strategy Workshop Brussels, 22 April 2008
7

• And formalised via
• Communication, European Commission to European
  Council (March May 2009)
• Short Communication text
• Action plan (rolling, with timetable)
• Annex of contributions, analyses, recommendations

iBSG Strategy Workshop Brussels, 22 April 2008
8

• Outcome
• Rolling EU Action Plan for Baltic Sea Region
• Actions, results required
• Actors responsible
• Timetable
• Reviews, with new actions possible
• Alignment of funding implementation of EU
  acquis clearer Baltic identity optimal use of
  EU-third country frameworks

iBSG Strategy Workshop Brussels, 22 April 2008
9

• Outcome
• Better Baltic is better for whole EU
• Better approach for
• Other macro-regions
• (Alps, Danube basin, North Sea region
  etc.)
• Other seas
• (Mediterranean, Adriatic, Black Sea,
  etc.)
• An integrated regional policy/territioral
  cohesion.

iBSG Strategy Workshop Brussels, 22 April 2008
10
Thank you !
iBSG Strategy Workshop Brussels, 22 April 2008