Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Black Sea Synergy — A new regional cooperation initiative
Date: 2008-02-07
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: Black Sea, cooperation policy, cross-border cooperation, migration policy, regional cooperation, regional development

C 105/46

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

25.4.2008

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘Black Sea Synergy — A new regional cooperation
initiative’

(2008/C 105/10)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

— welcomes the European Commission's intention to make regional and local development measures
more effective through the Black Sea Synergy initiative, harnessing local and regional best practices
and promoting their dissemination, exchange and networking actions, but feels that the importance of
the local and regional level for the successful implementation of the strategy should be highlighted
more clearly;

— welcomes the recent progress of the enlargement process and the accession of Bulgaria and Romania
to the EU on 1 January 2007 as a step forward for the democratic and stable development of the
Black Sea region, ensuring increased stability, security and prosperity both for the European Union
and the Black Sea region countries; similarly, the accession negotiations with Turkey mark another
step forward in this direction;

— supports the creation of a maritime identity for the Black Sea region, for all those involved in various
maritime activities. Efforts to overcome environmental problems and to develop tourism must be
taken into account, provided that traditional cultures are supported and maritime cultural and natural
heritage is preserved more effectively;

— calls on the European Commission to strengthen the role of transport in the framework of the future

maritime policy, as transport is one of the most important and cross-cutting maritime activities;

— emphasises the importance of including local and regional authorities from the Black Sea region in
framing and implementing Community policies linked to migration, with a focus on better manage-
ment of migration flows so that, with due regard for human rights and public safety, extensive,
focused cooperation between law-enforcement agencies and other such bodies ensures that migration
takes place in full compliance with the law;

— voices its support for the emerging Black Sea Euroregion intended to promote cooperation at local
level between the countries of the region and to support democratic stability, good

and regional
governance and sustainable development

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Rapporteur: Krasimir MIREV (BG/PES), Mayor of Targovishte

Reference document

Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: Black Sea Synergy —
A new regional cooperation initiative

COM(2007) 160 final

Policy recommendations

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

General policy recommendations

welcomes the European Commission's intention to make
1.
regional
effective
and local development measures more
through the Black Sea Synergy initiative, harnessing local and
regional best practices and promoting their dissemination,
exchange and networking actions, but feels that the importance
of the local and regional level for the successful implementation
of the strategy should be highlighted more clearly; these should
be given fresh impetus as Community policy instruments for
economic modernisation, greater competitiveness and bringing
the European Union closer to citizens;

2.
welcomes the recent progress of the enlargement process
and the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU on
1 January 2007 as a step forward for the democratic and stable
development of the Black Sea region, ensuring increased stabi-
lity, security and prosperity both for the European Union and
the Black Sea region countries; similarly, the accession negotia-
tions with Turkey mark another step forward in this direction;

emphasises the importance of

3.
the regional and local
perspective on the enlargement process and acknowledges the
key role of regional and local policy in ensuring domestic stabi-
lity, which crucially depends on basic democracy;

stresses its support for the accession process, the European
4.
Neighbourhood Policy and the strategic partnership with the
Russian Federation and supports its involvement and of the
other European institutions with a view to supporting the part-
nership in the Black Sea region, along the lines of the partner-
ships in the Euro-Mediterranean region, the Baltic region and
the North Sea region;

notes that regional and local authorities of the Black Sea
5.
region play a key role in the following areas: the process of
democratic transition and good governance; administrative capa-
city building; consolidating peace; inter-cultural and inter-faith
dialogue; migration; fighting crime; energy; transport and infra-
structure planning; urban planning and rural development; and
also notes that cooperation between local and regional authori-
ties and civil society in all these areas can play a positive role in
serving the interests of communities;

6.
emphasises that the Black Sea Synergy initiative ties in
directly with its' institutional role; feels therefore that it is essen-
tial to make use of its capacity to act and participate; urges that
its role in ensuring unified representation of regional and local
systems of the European Union be utilised;

7.
agrees with the European Commission that in spite of
significant positive development over the last few years, dispari-
ties remain between the countries of the region in terms of the
pace of economic reforms and the quality of governance;

8.
is aware that the Commission's initiative is not intended as
a new strategy for the Black Sea region; rather, it is envisaged as
a process of building on the EU's main guidelines for developing
learning, cooperation and dissemination of best
the region,
practices at regional and local
level, by means of territorial
cooperation, with a view to achieving the Lisbon and
Gothenburg objectives; however, feels that the regional dimen-
sion must be strengthened in political terms if the initiative is to
succeed;

Environment, transport, energy and maritime policy

9.
draws attention to the critical state of the environment in
the Black Sea region, in particular in the Danube Delta and the
other nature reserves in the Black Sea region, and especially to
growing eutrophication (i.e. an increase in the primary produc-
tivity of any ecosystem), with adverse effects on biodiversity,
wetlands and fisheries, and to pollution caused by petrol and
sewage;

10.
points out that more in-depth analysis of potential envir-
onmental threats to the Black Sea region (and to rivers flowing
into the region) is needed; these threats arise, amongst other
things, from climate change and the resulting risk of natural
disasters. In view of this, adequate responses must be identified
and cross-border
co-funded by the
cooperation projects,
European Union and intended to improve the management of
civil emergencies, must be supported;

calls on the European Commission to support the use of
11.
renewable energy sources, such as wind power and wave power;
there should also be support for additional research activity and
innovation in this field;

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12.
calls on the EU and national governments to strengthen
efforts in respect of the development of scientific and technolo-
gical breakthroughs in the field of marine research, such as
‘blue’ biotechnology (marine and aquatic applications of biotech-
nology), navigational guiding systems and tourist activities,
thereby addressing present and potential future threats particu-
larly with regards to climate and other change, dwindling fish
stocks, unsustainable tourism and the changing demographic
patterns within coastal populations;

21.
proposes to the EU and national governments to regulate
the extraction activities of traditional maritime energy resources
such as oil and gas on the basis of well defined environmental
security standards, to implement effective monitoring of such
activities, to support initiatives aimed at upgrading or improving
port facilities for reception of oily waters and to favour techno-
logical innovations in shipping and the handling of oil also by
use of land pipelines;

13.
draws attention to the need for better preservation of the
maritime heritage, taking into account a possible growth in
tourism linked with the development of traditional cultures;

supports the creation of a maritime identity for the Black
14.
Sea region, for all those involved in various maritime activities.
Efforts to overcome environmental problems and to develop
tourism must be taken into account, provided that traditional
cultures are supported and maritime cultural and natural heri-
tage is preserved more effectively;

that

recommends

European Commission and
15.
the
the creation of an accurate
national governments support
regional data base using existing information and detailing
economic and environmental aspects of
individual maritime
resources and their impact from a social perspective;

and

evaluating

coordinating

recommends

16.
specific
strategy plans, along the lines of those established within the
Thematic Strategy on the Protection and Conservation of the
Marine Environment advocating the setting up of wider marine
regions, particularly for semi-enclosed sea basins such as the
Black Sea; these should be prepared by the Member States on a
proposal from the European Commission;

17.
calls on the European Commission to strengthen the role
of transport in the framework of the future maritime policy, as
transport is one of the most important and cross-cutting mari-
time activities;

18.
calls on the European Commission to spur Member
States to implement a more attentive environmental monitoring
the state of pollution on the main maritime routes and
of
thinks that the new GMES technology could be successfully
employed for this purpose;

19.
proposes to reinvigorate the efforts for completing the
sea terminals, starting from those with clear inter-modal charac-
teristics particularly as the realisation of some TEN-T projects
affecting the maritime dimension are lagging behind;

20.
recommends to strengthen the role of the strategic ports
as a priority for the development of the future maritime policy
and in parallel to commission a study on the inter-connections
between major and secondary ports and on the possible deloca-
lisation and de-concentration of certain port activities towards
smaller centres;

22.
recommends that maritime routes be better secured and
that investigations be made into the possibility of introducing
ships with
mandatory pilotage for oil
dangerous cargo as well as general mandatory pilotage in
narrow shipping passages;

tankers and other

23.
notes the need to undertake measures to decrease green-
house gases and supports the scheme for trading of pollution
permits;

24.
recommends to develop scenarios for coastal protection
measures that may be necessary, based on the various forecasts
for the rise in sea levels and changing weather conditions;

25.
calls on EU and national governments to coordinate and
assist the marine regions in identifying ways for the successful
protection of
the existing environment and in particular in
establishing trans-regional and/or trans-national marine protec-
tion zones and developing concrete proposals for the significant
reduction of radioactive discharges, of pollution caused by ships
(in particular the gases emitted, discharges and ballast water),
and to support efforts ensuring the quality of coastal and
off-shore ecosystems and habitats, also keeping in view the
significant impact which economic activity can have on the state
of the marine environment, particularly through the discharge
of nutrients into the sea;

Education, cultural diversity and inter-faith dialogue

emphasises the key role of local and regional authorities
26.
in supporting and celebrating the cultures of communities in
the Black Sea region and calls on the European Commission to
assist local and regional authorities in participating in new EU
cultural programmes (Culture 2007);

27.
takes note of the social and economic benefits which the
development of culture and its diversity brings to the countries
of the region, thus contributing to achievement of the Lisbon
objectives;

emphasises that inter-cultural cooperation and inter-faith
28.
dialogue need to be stepped up to make use of cultural diversity
as an instrument bringing people together in a multilingual,
multicultural Europe;

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29.
notes the need for focused efforts at regional and local
level for building trust in the region and the peaceful resolution
of ‘frozen conflicts’ through special programmes for coopera-
tion;

region with the EU with added European value, such as the
Danube Cooperation Process, with emphasis on territorial and
thematic complementarity;

30.
reiterates the need to maintain a multilingual approach
in an enlarged Europe, as this is a vital tool for including citi-
zens in the common European political project;

31.
calls on the EU and national governments to support
programmes and projects targeted at interregional youth coop-
eration at local and regional level;

Migration, employment and social affairs

the

emphasises

32.
including local and
importance of
regional authorities from the Black Sea region in framing and
implementing Community policies linked to migration, with a
focus on better management of migration flows so that, with
due regard for human rights and public safety, extensive,
focused cooperation between law-enforcement agencies and
other such bodies ensures that migration takes place in full
compliance with the law;

endorses EU political

instruments supporting activities
33.
aimed at
through
integration of migrants
programmes specifically targeted at local and regional authori-
ties;

fostering social

welcomes

34.
initiatives planned by the European
Commission to combat illegal immigration and the support for
exchange of best practices in that sphere;

the

35.
supports inclusion of local and regional authorities of
the Black Sea region in developing and implementing Com-
munity migration policies, and notes that
the framing of
common migration policy programmes at local and regional
level may ensure future economic development, with stronger
economic growth and greater prosperity in regions;

welcomes the EU initiatives on equal opportunities at
36.
local and regional level and calls on national governments to
provide support in this respect;

Good governance, regional initiatives and networking

37.
values what has been achieved in the region since 1989
by initiatives such as the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
(BSEC) and the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation (PABSEC);

38.
emphasises the need to develop and coordinate the
experience of existing regional initiatives linking the Black Sea

39.
recommends improved coordination between the various
initiatives at national and regional
in the region, and
respective spheres of
wherever possible definition of
activity, in order to avoid overlap and to achieve specific results;

their

level

recommends disseminating existing regional and local
40.
best practice
examples, particularly with regard to local
economic clusters, research networking, public-private partner-
ships, spatial planning and good governance, and encouraging
and supporting local and regional authorities from the countries
of the Black Sea region in developing such examples of best
practice;

agrees with the approach emphasised by the European
41.
Parliament and the Commission concerning the role of local
and regional authorities in communication, enabling public
consensus
transparency and
accountability;

and contributing to greater

individual countries,

welcomes all appropriate EU measures to help the devel-
42.
opment of
for example in combating
corruption and organised crime, and in assisting the establish-
ment of effective administrative structures, a process which
inevitably also has to involve the regional and local levels; in
this context, also welcomes any appropriate initiatives
to
support the autonomous development of political and economic
cooperation in the region;

43.
calls on the EU and national governments to support
programmes and projects for regional and local administrative
staff mobility as a tool for the establishment of closer contacts,
exchange of experience and better performance;

44.
recommends involving organisations that bring together
locally elected representatives and represent their concerns in
talks
the ongoing political dialogue
between the EU and the countries of the region;

scheduled as part of

45.
calls on national governments in the region to respect
the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-govern-
ment;

Cross-border and inter-regional cooperation

emphasises

the potential positive role of

local and
46.
regional authorities and in particular of mayors in developing
civil society in the region, particularly in territories where
national authorities lack strong democratic traditions;

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voices its support for the emerging Black Sea Euroregion
47.
intended to promote cooperation at local and regional
level
between the countries of the region and to support democratic
stability, good governance and sustainable development;

notes that

48.
there is scope for collaboration with the
Council of Europe, within the framework of cooperation agreed
on by the two institutions;

highlights the role of its established working groups as a
49.
useful
instrument for supporting pre-candidate and candidate
countries' local and regional authorities in their efforts to open

up opportunities and develop the necessary political dialogue
between the EU, pre-candidate and candidate countries;

appreciates the European Commission's proposal that the
50.
initiative should be locally organised in the region, with partners
assuming shared responsibility for its implementation; advocates
inclusion of local and regional authorities in this process, given
facilitate continued development of contacts
that
between Black Sea cities and municipalities, universities, cultural
operators and civil society organisations,
including consumer
organisations.

this will

Brussels, 7 February 2008.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Luc VAN DEN BRANDE