Baltic Assembly

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Plenary session of the Baltic Assembly in the meeting room of the Riigikogu in Tallinn 2011

The Baltic Assembly ( Estonian Balti Assamblee , Latvian Baltijas Asambleja , Lithuanian Baltijos Asamblėja ) is an organization established in 1991 to promote closer cooperation between the parliaments of Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania .

history

The Baltic Assembly (BA) was founded in Tallinn on November 8, 1991 , shortly after the three Baltic states regained their independence from the Soviet Union . On June 13, 1994, the parliaments of Estonia ( Riigikogu ), Latvia ( Saeima ) and Lithuania ( Seimas ) adopted the structures and principles of the Baltic Assembly.

content

The Baltic Assembly forms a forum in which the parliaments of the Baltic states try to find common positions on international issues. The focus is on cooperation in the fields of politics, business and culture. The three Baltic states want to increase their influence on the international stage through closer coordination of the content of matters and projects of mutual interest. Examples are the Nordic Council and the Benelux Parliament .

structure

The Baltic Assembly holds its plenary session once a year . It takes place alternately in the three states. Each national parliament sends twelve to twenty members to the Baltic Assembly from among its midst. The members of the national delegation must reflect the distribution of seats between the parties in the national parliament. The decisions of the Baltic Assembly are not binding on national governments.

The national parliaments each designate a head and a deputy head of their national delegation in the Baltic Assembly. These six people form the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly. The chairman of the Presidium is the head of the national delegation in whose country the next session of the Baltic Assembly will take place. The chairs of the other two national delegations are his alternates. The task of the Presidium is to represent and control the work of the Baltic Assembly between the plenary sessions.

The members of the Baltic Assembly can form transnational parliamentary groups depending on their political orientation . A political group has at least five members who must come from at least two Baltic states. There are currently three parliamentary groups in the Baltic Assembly: the conservative / right-wing group, the center group and the social democrats.

Committees

The Baltic Assembly currently has five standing committees :

  • Committee on Economy, Transport and Information
  • Committee on Education, Science and Culture
  • Environment and Energy Committee
  • Legal and Security Committee
  • Social committee

Every member of the Baltic Assembly belongs to at least one committee. Each committee meets at least three times a year. Decisions in the committee are adopted by consensus. In addition, the Baltic Assembly can set up ad hoc committees.

office

The Secretariat of the Baltic Assembly is in Riga . The head of the secretariat is currently Mrs. Marika Laizāne-Jurkāne. The budget of the Baltic Assembly is financed by the national parliaments. The Baltic Assembly has its own flag and symbols. The official languages ​​of the Baltic Assembly are Estonian , Latvian and Lithuanian .

Baltic Assembly Prize

In 1993, the Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature, Art and Science was created. The winners receive a cash prize, a certificate and a statue.

The regulations were changed at the 31st Baltic Assembly by a new regulation on November 9, 2012. Since then, three separate prizes for science, literature and art have been awarded.

Winner of the Prize for Literature, Art and Science of the Baltic Assembly
year author country
1994 Tõnu Õnnepalu EstoniaEstonia Estonia
1995 Uldis Bērziņš LatviaLatvia Latvia
1996 Judita Vaičiūnaitė LithuaniaLithuania Lithuania
1997 Jaan Kaplinski EstoniaEstonia Estonia
1998 Sigitas Geda LithuaniaLithuania Lithuania
1999 Jaan Kross EstoniaEstonia Estonia
2000 Jānis Rokpelnis LatviaLatvia Latvia
2001 Justinas Marcinkevičius LithuaniaLithuania Lithuania
2002 Jaan Tatte EstoniaEstonia Estonia
2003 Vytautas Bubnys LithuaniaLithuania Lithuania
2004 Pēters Brūveris LatviaLatvia Latvia
2005 Hasso Krull EstoniaEstonia Estonia
2006 Nora Ikstena LatviaLatvia Latvia
2007 Marcelijus Martinaitis LithuaniaLithuania Lithuania
2008 Knuts Skujenieks LatviaLatvia Latvia
2009 Inga Ābele LatviaLatvia Latvia
2010 Ene Mihkelson EstoniaEstonia Estonia
2011 Arvydas Juozaitis LithuaniaLithuania Lithuania

In 2013 the Science Prize went to Renāte Blumberga , the Literature Prize to Donaldas Kajokas and the Art Prize to the composer Peeter Vähi .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature, the Arts and Science.
  2. ↑ Decision on the amendment to the statutes on the Baltic Assembly Prizes for literature, the arts and science .
  3. ↑ 32nd Baltic Assembly 2013.

Web links