Nr.2(10) / 2013.gada jūnijs - Par es.gov.lv

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The Baltic Sea Strategy as a Momentumfor Regional Development and the BalticEU Council PresidenciesSpeech delivered at the 15th Baltic DevelopmentForum SummitInga Skujiņa,Head of the Secretariat of the Latvian Presidencyof the Council of the European UnionDear Ladies and Gentlemen, Colleagues,It is a great honour of mine to be on this panel alongside such excellentspeakers. Over the next several minutes I would like to share with you myviews on the importance of the regional aspects of the EU Strategy for theBaltic Sea region in the context of the upcoming Latvian Presidency ofthe Council of the European Union.It is no surprise that the Lithuanian Presidency is planning on de votingsignificant attention to the Baltic Sea Strategy. Taking into account theregional development potential that the Strategy possesses, it is essentialthat our Lithuanian colleagues are successful in finding sustainable politicalsupport for both individual projects and the Strategy in general.The success of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is of crucialimportance for the institutional and political cooperation projects betweenpublic institutions of the European Union countries around the Baltic Sea.The “Baltic Sea Strategy” could become a new landmark for regional publiccooperation within the European Union. Based on adherence to the sameliberal democratic values of tolerance and inclusion, all of the countriesand their administrative apparatuses already share common ground for
8Inga Skujiņacooperation. Thus, the implementation of individual projects and “gettingthe job done” must be the guiding attitude not only among officials, butalso politicians, non-governmental organizations and societies. Differentlanguages or historical experiences, or false stereotypes, should not preventus from achieving economic wellbeing, introducing social and economicopportunities and freedoms, and permanent civic interaction.Thus, within the time left for my presentation, I would like to emphasisethree aspects that we should take into account when thinking about region -alism and regional political development around the Baltic Sea. The first isgaining an understanding of the place of the Baltic region in the changingEuropean Union. The second is the necessity to identify the immediateconcerns of the region and business opportunities therein. The third is thefuture of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region in the context of theLithuanian and Latvian Presidencies of the Council of the European Union.The European Union is at a crossroads. I must emphasise again — theEU is at a crossroads. Traditionally, the European Union has been shapedby the different external or internal processes and challenges it has faced.Challenges have toughened the union and shaped the formation of theeconomic and political community in Europe. The current sovereign debtcrisis and ideas on the Banking Union, Budgetary Union and completing theEconomic and Monetary Union by introducing fiscal coordination methodshave resulted in discussions on the federal future of the EU. European Unioninstitutions naturally seek greater coordination and we can observe an ErnstHaas neo-functionalist “spill-over effect” in the speeches of the Presidentsof the European Union Council and the European Commission.But one aspect is rather obvious: we cannot argue that the EuropeanCommission is not willing to find solutions for the population of the wholeEuropean Union. We cannot say that the Commission does not care aboutall of the regions and countries in the European Union. Its support for theBaltic Sea Strategy and interest in the implementation of regional projectsis clearly stated multiple times. And the ball now is in the hands of themember states, their entrepreneurs, politicians and administrators. It is theresponsibility of the EU member states around the Baltic Sea to demonstratetheir leadership and resolution in utilising the potential for the integrationof historically, economically, socially, linguistically and culturally diversecountries.
Page 2 and 3: 2013/2
Page 4: SatursRedaktora sleja 5Inga Skujiņ
Page 7: 6Redaktora slejaViens no ESSBJR gal
Page 11 and 12: 10Inga SkujiņaWe see that their bu
Page 14 and 15: Eiropas Savienības institūcijas,
Page 16 and 17: Eiropas Savienības Stratēģijas B
Page 30 and 31: Eiropas Savienības politikas, 29.-
Page 32 and 33: Latvijas iespējas ES Stratēģijas
Page 44 and 45: Sadarbība enerģētikas jomā ES S
Page 56 and 57: Russia and the EU Strategy for the
Page 58 and 59:
Russia and the EU Strategy for the
Page 60 and 61:
Page 62 and 63:
Page 64 and 65:
Page 66 and 67:
Page 68 and 69:
Page 70 and 71:
Page 72:
Page 75 and 76:
74Ina StrazdiņaBaltijas jūras, Ad
Page 77 and 78:
76Ina Strazdiņatik tālu tikuši.
Page 80 and 81:
Prezidentūras aktualitātes, 79.-9
Page 82 and 83:
ES Padomes prezidentūras: neizniek
Page 84 and 85:
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Baltijas Attīstības foruma samit
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
show all

Nr.2(10) / 2013.gada jūnijs - Par es.gov.lv

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?