B4-0730, 0749, 0758 and 0767/96

Resolution on the results of the Visby Baltic Summit meeting

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its resolution of 18 April 1996 on the Summit of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) ((Minutes of that sitting, Part II, Item 6.)),

- having regard to the Commission communication of 10 April 1996 'Baltic Sea Region Initiative¨ (SEC(96)0608),

- having regard to the Baltic Sea States Presidency Declaration on the results of the Visby Conference of 3/4 May 1996,

A. emphasizing the importance of cooperation with and within the Baltic Sea Region not only for the States concerned, but also for the European Union and its relations with Russia,

B. noting with satisfaction that the 'Baltic Sea Region Initiative¨ proposes actions in the following areas: democracy and stability; trade, investment and economic cooperation; infrastructure and transport; energy and nuclear safety; environment; tourism; regional development and cross-border facilitation,

C. emphasizing that special attention should be given to guaranteeing democracy, respect for human and minority rights and stability,

D. 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 timetable and a strategy for the accession of those countries has already been decided upon by the European Council,

E. highly concerned about the environmental situation of the area, where unsafe nuclear installations, both civilian and military, are present, tonnes of chemical munitions have been dumped in the Baltic Sea and outdated production technologies and inefficient use of energy resources are causing enormous potential risks,

1. Welcomes the success of the Visby Baltic Summit meeting in which the Heads of State and Government agreed to intensify cooperation in the areas of 'cooperation between citizens and civil security¨, 'development and economic integration¨ and 'greater environmental protection¨, and to give the CBSS a more decisive role in furthering the aims of prosperity and solidarity in the region and in making it stable and secure;

2. Encourages the Commission and the Council to take an active part in the follow-up of the Visby meeting, starting with the meeting of Foreign Ministers on 2/3 July 1996 in Kalmar;

3. Proposes that the European Union and its Member States, together with the CBSS, arrange a conference on the Baltic Sea Region which would seek to address economic, social, environmental, cultural and citizens' rights issues and in this way provide a forum where security issues in the widest sense could be considered as well;

4. Takes note of the inclusion in the preparatory work of the Visby Summit of a businessmen's summit, bringing together leading business people from all participating States, which resulted in the adoption of 'the Stockholm Declaration on Growth and Development in the Baltic Sea Region¨, presented by its President to the Summit;

5. Underlines in this context:

- the importance of creating improved legal structures, allowing for full implementation of the rule of law, which is essential for consolidating further respect for human rights and democracy and for furthering private foreign investment which is indispensable for long-term economic growth,

- the importance of promoting the full application of partnership and association agreements as a step towards preparing for the accession of the applicant States,

- the decision taken at the Summit to implement close cooperation between the European Union and the countries of the Baltic Region in the fight against international crime, notably by the creation of a special committee, and the resolution of environmental and social problems,

- that all the initiatives should support balanced economic and ecologically sustainable development in the Baltic region;

6. Calls on the Council and the Commission to ensure effective coordination and application of the PHARE, TACIS and INTERREG programmes with regard to the States of the Baltic region and to ensure permanent consultation with the European Parliament; underlines that the EU, as the biggest donor, allocated ECU 950 million between 1995 and 1999 under the PHARE and TACIS programmes and the EU Structural Funds for this region;

7. Proposes furthermore that the EU and its Member States, together with the CBSS, should consider ways and means of associating their Parliaments and the European Parliament with their deliberations;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the Parliaments of the countries involved.