Brussels, 07/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - More local participation in the Baltic Sea Strategy, more efficient orientation of the environmental protection funds and those for developing infrastructure, as well as setting up the Baltic Sea European Observatory: this is what the European Parliament is requesting in a resolution drafted by Wojciech Michal Olejniiczak (S&D, Poland) and adopted by a show of hands on Tuesday 6 July in Strasbourg.
The Baltic Sea strategy is the first and, until now, the only strategy to attempt to create a common and sophisticated development strategy for a “macro-region”, a cross border region, which incorporates different territories around common objectives or problems which share common geographical characteristics and conditions. The Parliament is particularly pleased with the fact that this strategy results from a broad consultation of the stakeholders within the member states, not only at the level of the national, regional and local authorities but also with representatives from academia, industry and non-governmental organisations.
MEPs are calling on member states and their regions to use the Structural Funds for 2007-2013 to promote job creation and economic growth in regions most affected by the economic crisis. They highlight the importance of exploiting regional specificity, which would help use Structural Funds much more efficiently and help create added value at a regional level. MEPs also indicate that the four pillars contained within the strategy defined by the Commission aim to promote better use of the Community programmes and national policies for protecting the environment, increasing prosperity in the region and improving access and attractiveness, as well as guaranteeing regional security and protection.
The Baltic Sea is also one of the most polluted maritime zones in the world and MEPs underlined the need for urgent action to tackle serious environmental problems affecting the region, such as eutrophisation, the impact of dangerous substances deposited on the seabed and threats to aquatic diversity, such as the different species of fish under threat. MEPs are therefore highlighting the need to create a European Observatory for the Baltic Sea, and an early warning system in the event of serious cross-border pollution and accidents. MEPs stressed that these objectives will be decisive in maintaining and helping develop the region's potential in terms of tourism. (G. B./transl.fl)