B4-0481, 0482, 0490, 0491, 0492 and 0493/96

Resolution on the Summit of the Council of the Baltic Sea States

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Council's conclusions of 29 May 1995 concerning a Union policy towards the Baltic region,

- having regard to its resolution of 14 July 1995 on the communication from the Commission to the Council on the orientations for a Union approach towards the Baltic Sea region ((OJ C 249, 25.9.1995, p. 215.)),

- having regard to the Commission report of 11 November 1995 on the current state of and the prospects for cooperation in the Baltic Sea region,

- having regard to the final declaration of the Fourth Parliamentary Conference on Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Area held in Ronne, Denmark on 12-13 September 1995,

- having regard to the summit meeting of the Council of Baltic Sea States, taking place at the invitation of the Swedish government on 3 and 4 May 1996 in Visby,

A. emphasizing that a joint effort of all the Baltic Sea States is necessary to guarantee a continuing peaceful development in the Baltic region,

B. taking note of the fact that with the accession of Finland and Sweden, with the Europe agreements with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, with Norway and Iceland being members of the European Economic Area, and with the partnership and cooperation agreement with the Russian Federation, the Baltic Sea region emerges as the northern dimension of the European Union,

C. noting that regular meetings between the Governments of the States of the Baltic Sea region and the Commission and the Council of the European Union are necessary to guarantee stability further in the region and to undertake joint actions to stimulate democratic and economic development in the region,

D. emphasizing that, whilst respecting the territorial integrity of all the States in the region, special emphasis should be given to guaranteeing the rule of law and respect for human and minority rights,

E. noting that the further development of security structures in the whole of Europe and especially in the Baltic Sea region is necessary and noting that some states in the region have expressed the wish to become members of security structures that already exist,

F. welcoming the fact that some states in the Baltic Sea region have expressed the wish to become members of the European Union and that a strategy for the accession of those countries has already been decided upon by the European Council and is currently being implemented,

G. whereas it is in the European Union's interest to contribute to the positive and lasting political, economic and social development of the Baltic Sea region,

H. noting that specific actions are necessary to tackle problems that are of concern to all the countries in the region, such as environmental and social problems and combating international crime,

I. whereas the common fisheries policy and the common agricultural policy give the European Union a significant role in the management of natural resources in the Baltic Sea region,

1. Welcomes the initiative of the Swedish Government as chair of the Council of the Baltic Sea States in inviting all the countries of the Baltic Sea region, as well as the Presidents of the Commission and the Council of the European Union, to a summit meeting, and stresses the importance of this meeting for peaceful development in the region;

2. Underlines that it is of prime interest to the EU and other Baltic Sea States to enhance security and foster stable political development, including full respect for human and civic rights and prosperous economic relations in the entire region;

3. Demands to be involved in future initiatives of this kind;

4. Urges the Commission to present to it as soon as possible a comprehensive programme for balanced economic and ecologically sustainable development in the Baltic Sea region, of which the full implementation of the Europe association agreements and the partnership and cooperation agreements concluded with third countries in the region, and the integration of their markets with the internal market of the European Union, are an integral part;

5. Believes that a comprehensive programme for environmental sustainability is needed for the Baltic Sea region for which the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme drafted in the ministerial meeting of the states of the Baltic Sea region could represent a good basis;

6. Calls on the Commission to lay down indicative aid guidelines for the region with a view to integrating regional transport systems into the Trans- European Networks, improving energy efficiency and the interconnection of gas and electricity networks, enhancing environmental protection, not least by means of better coordination of the PHARE, TACIS and INTERREG programmes, and boosting the tourist industry; considers that more emphasis should be given to cross-border programmes and that sea borders must be recognized as borders in such programmes;

7. Demands that the Commission ensure that for large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the Trans-European Networks, strategic environmental impact assessments are carried out;

8. Underlines the need to extend cooperation to areas such as:

- building democratic institutions and strengthening civil society,

- environmental issues, including nuclear safety,

- infrastructure, including transport systems,

- justice and home affairs, including the prevention of cross-border crime;

9. Demands, considering that Northern Europe is the only region where no Trans- European gas network has been included in the list of common interest, that the proposed Nordic Gas Grid, integrating the natural gas grids in the Nordic member states, Finland, Sweden and Denmark, linking the gas resources of Russia and Norway and increasing the security of supply in the Baltic area as well as the whole of northern Europe, be added as soon as possible to the list of Trans-European gas networks;

10. Demands that the European Union set clear-cut objectives for the Union's period of presidency of the HELCOM (Helsinki Committee on the Marine Environment);

11. Stresses the need for the European Union to assist in further improving nuclear safety in the region, taking into account the huge potential nuclear risk from military and civil installations, especially on the Kola peninsula;

12. Emphasises the need for continuing stability in the Baltic Sea region and notes the desire of certain countries of the region to be able to opt independently for integration into the security structures of which most EU Member States are already members; would expect the eventual participation of these countries in the future security arrangements of the European Union to be discussed in the framework of the IGC;

13. Considers it essential that the European Union contribution to the Visby summit takes into account the importance of relations with the Russian Federation as one of the main aspects of Baltic Sea cooperation;

14. Calls on all participants at the summit to commit themselves to full respect for human rights and the rights of minorities in their countries and to comply with the clauses on this important issue included in the Europe agreements and the partnership and cooperation agreements concluded between the European Union and other countries participating at the meeting;

15. Asks the Commission to report back to it on the outcome of the Visby Summit;

16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of all countries participating in the summit meeting on the Baltic Sea Region.