The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary amidst great praise and some critical self reflection.

The BSPC was established - like so many other institutions in the Baltic region - in the wake of the fall of the Berlin wall and the demise of the Soviet Union. And like some of its siblings or partners, the Council of Baltic Sea States and the Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum to name some of the more prominent, it is to some extent struggling to make a place for itself.

- Much progress has been made and one would never have believed twenty years ago that the Baltic regional cooperation could go this far. But much remains to be done and huge environmental problems are threatening the Baltic Sea, problems that we as parliamentarians need to address, said BSPC chair, Christina Gestrin from Finland.

She also urged participants to support the Helcom environmental action plans despite the current economic crisis.

- We as a region can become a model for the rest of the world, when it comes to investments in renewable energy and promotion of green growth, she concluded in her opening speech.

This, however, requires much more targeted and tangible projects, according to MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament, Diana Wallis.

- There are upwards of 80 projects under the various Baltic Sea programs and I am sure they are all very valuable. But we need key projects that show tangible results, otherwise this kind of cooperation is too difficult to grasp for the public and politicians alike, said Wallis after the opening of the conference.

She mentioned as an example the successful wastewater treatment utility in Saint Petersburg, funded by amongst others the Nordic Investment Bank and the Nordic Environmental Investment Corporation, Nefco – a project that makes a huge difference for the fragile ecosystems of the Baltic Sea.

A number of speakers at the conference called for stronger national involvement in the recommendations from international bodies like the BSPC. Parliamentarians participating in regional cooperation need to bring the discussions and resolutions back to their home countries to speed up implementation and transnational policy development, they urged.

The BSPC brings together 27 national and regional parliaments from ten Baltic countries for discussions on issues like human trafficking, labour relations, maritime policy, as well as energy and climate.

Michael Funch
Phone +45 33960332
Email mifu@norden.org

Jan Widberg
jw@norden.org