The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.Multilevel governance in action?

Gerhard StahlSecretary General

Annual ConferenceRingsted, 14 October 2009 1

G20 dynamics, EU with reform Treaty, which place for BSR?

2

Sour

ce: W

TO, I

nter

natio

nal T

rade

Sta

tistic

s, 2

007

New governance of globalization and of the EU:preserving common assets, e.g. the Single Market + EURwhile developing multiple powerhouses: e.g. BSR

Europe’s success,key to Baltic

3

Baltic’s success, key to Europe

20y/5y... 2009... 5y/20y

Once upon a time…

4

Today’s BRS strategy. A Vision re-launched 20y ago.

5

At a moment in time when

- Europe was separated by the Iron-Curtain- numerous BSR countries could not cooperate with each other- the Scandinavian countries had not yet entered the EU

Some had a Vision on developingthe BSR Identity and Cooperation

(cfr. Think tank on Baltic Sea cooperationestablished by Schwlesig-Holstein in 1988)

A long path. A grassroots cooperation.

6

1971 – Nordic Council of Ministers 1974 – Helsinki Commission1991 – Union of the Baltic Cities1991 – Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference1991 – Baltic Assembly1992 – Council of the Baltic Sea States1992 – Baltic Sea Chambers of Commers Association1993 – BSSSC1995 – CRPM – Baltic Sea Commission

(established on a ferry boat between Sweden and Finland)

1994 – VASAB 2010 (Tallin Report)1998 – Agenda21 for the BSR2001 – VASAB 2010+ (Warsaw decl.)

Councils, associations, platforms, networks:levers for common identity building and cooperation

7

Baltic Sea Region cooperation gains EU recognition

8

2006 – European Parliament – Initiative Report2007 – Council, Presidency Conclusion – mandate to EC for a Strategy2008 – CoR, Baltic Sea Group – position paper2008 – CoR Opinion: “Role of LRAs within Baltic Sea Strategy”

2009 – European Commission – EU Strategy for BSR + Action Plan2009 – Ministerial Meeting – EUSBSR as pilot for other Macro-region2009 – Adoption expected by European Council, end October

«There are many goals which we cannot achieve on our own, but only in concert. Tasks are shared between the European Union, the Member States and their regions and local authorities»

Berlin Declaration, 25 March 2007European Heads of Stateon the occasion of 50th anniversaryof the signature of the Treaties of Rome

9

Baltic Sea Region: ongoing reform(s) of sub-state levelSub-national level

Number authorities (2007) Expenditure (2005) Capital exp. (2004)

1st level 2nd level 3rd level % GDP % total public exp.

Average2000/05

yearly growth

% of total governmentcapital expenditure

Denmark 98 5 33.0 62.1 +2.6% 67%

Estonia 227 8.1 24.9 +7.2% 42%

Finland 416 (1) 19.9 39.4 +5.0% 61%

Germany 12.312 323 16 20.2 43.1 0.0% 76%

Latvia 527 26 9.3 26.2 +7.3% 52%

Lithuania 60 8.1 24.2 +5.3% 31%

Poland 2.478 314 16 13.1 30.3 +2.7% 63%

Sweden 290 20 (2) 25.1 44.3 +3.1% 50%

(1) Finland has two regions, one is experimental (Kainuu) and the other autonomous (Åland). They are not considered regional level(2) Sweden: includes the two counties currently exprimenting with regional status

Source: Dexia (2008), Subnational Governments in the European Union

EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region ...

11... a case of multilevel governance?

During preparation, efforts have been made

12

In the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

…preparation founded on wide consultation.

…political commitment to action has been emerging at all levels (EU, national, regional, local). Vision and leadership.

…strong cross-policy integrated approach has been adopted

Keep the momentum to lever on this political capital.Wide ownership and engagement when implementing/reviewing,while defining clear roles and responsibilities

However, implementation is still open question

13

In the suggested Action Plan(Commission Staff working doc SEC(2009)712/2)

Out of 78 Flagship Projects… 41 are assigned according to Member States(National or sub-national level ?)

10 are assigned to Intergov. organisations,4 are assigned to EC… 22 are still to be assigned

Some hope, before final Council adoption

14

Joint Ministerial Declaration, Stockholm 18 Sept 09:

“…recognise that existing national and regional authorities and organisations are of decisive importance for the implementation of the Strategy…”

“welcome the contributions of national and regional authorities, NGOs, pan-Baltic organisations and other stakeholders to the formulation of the Strategy and underline the importance of maintaining a high level of involvement and broad ownership among all the stakeholders in the region, and their utmost importance for and key role in the implementation of concrete actions”

a) Encourage participation and ownershipb) Decline territorially major EU policiesc) Deliver real benefits. From words to actiond) Build EU /regional identity of neighbourhood

a) Renew interinst. partnership and dynamicsb) Reinforce efficiency of community actionc) Experiment, test and consolidated) Link up with citizens

Baltic Sea macro-region: win-win ?

15

European UnionStrategy for theBaltic Sea Region

A pilot experience with spill-over effects?

16

EU Strategy for Baltic Sea Region as pilot = successes and failuresValue of experimentation, lessons learnt and shared at EU level(see COM doc “Macro-regional strategies in the EU”)

Raising the game outside the macro-region: EU/world leader in e.g. ship safety, clean shipping, no «beg thy neighbour» recovery plan, «regional ERA», fight to climate change, etc.

Baltic: from enhanced enforcement of EU law into the Regionto initiator of practices/standards/laws for the whole EU

Territorial cohesion and governance in practice?

17

Places and territorial assets (land, sea, rivers, etc.)as a subject of matter and active policy making within EU

Functional macro-regions and upgraded territorial cooperationas cornerstone for integrated policies and pooling of resources

Enhanced and innovative working ways- between EU Institutions (EC role / Council formats / EP role / CoR)- between Commission and national and regional actors- within the Commission (e.g. new REGIO role and inter-DGs)- at macro-regional level

Macro-regions, which place for these “places”?

18

by Esko Antola

No new internal borders, how to cooperate with adjacent EU regions?

«Internal strategy», how to nurture a built-in (hidden?) ext. coop?

Subsidiarity, macro-region as a new testing-level?

Territorial cohesion, macro-regions for territorial impact assessment?

Open Method of Coordination, also between macro-regions?

European Budget, flashing cohesion resources to macro-regions?

CoR, macro-regional cooperation and governance

Interregional Groups(Baltic Sea, Danube, Inter-Mediterranean, North-Sea, etc.)emerging and coordinating their agendas on similar dossiers(e.g. maritime package: maritime transport strategy 2018, maritime spatial planning, revision of Port Directive, etc.)

CoR working with “Regional Cooperation” initiativese.g. Declaration of Common Interest CoR BSSSC, Feb 2007

EGTC Expert Group19

The EU’s Assembly oflocal and regional

representatives

CoR (2009), White Book on Multilevel GovernanceBuilding Europe in Partnership: shared responsibility and interaction

20

13 main recommendations on partnership and functional cooperation in EU policy making (e.g. territorial action plans, experimentation, participatory OMC, etc.)

10 examples where MLG’s added value is emerging(integrated Maritime Policy, EUSBSR, EGTC, Covenant of Mayors, etc.)

Need to keep MLG on EU agenda. Political debate and open process.The CoR launches an open consultation

governance@cor.europa.eu until 30 Nov 2009

...and a hands-on follow up process Action Plan

Give yoursay !

Committee of the Regionswww.cor.europa.eu

governance@cor.europa.eu

21