Baltic Sea Region
As an integrated part of the Nordic Council policy in the Nordic adjacent areas, the Council gives strong support to the Parliamentary Baltic Sea co-operation through the annual Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) and its permanent committee, which co-ordinates co-operation between the conferences.
The co-operation is a contributory factor to the politicians in the region being able to speak with one voice on subjects of common interest. The political development in Europe after the end of the Cold War has created a new political framework and conditions for new co-operation models in Europe.
The BSPC has a new structure and a stronger organisation with the establishment of an enlarged permanent committee with a wider remit.
Reports, thematic reports and working groups have become part of the BSPC's working methods to a much larger extent than in the past. For instance, there have been working groups on eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, on energy and climate change, on trafficking and on labour market questions.
The BSPC has a good dialogue with the governmental co-operation in the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS).
The Nordic Council is a strong player in this co-operation. The BSPC's Secretariat is associated with the Nordic Council's Secretariat, and in this way can help to create added value for the Council.
