Baltic Sea Network

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Baltic Sea Network is an initiative put forward by the European Movement Germany Network (EBD), its institutional partner, the Foreign Office (AA) and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (HK), to revive the interest of German politics, business and civil society in the Baltic Sea region. The aim is to make German and European politics more aware of the importance of the Baltic Sea region and make it more sustainable.

Background of the initiative

The EU enlargement in 2004 made the Baltic Sea almost an inland sea of ​​the European Union (EU). In December 2007 the member states asked the European Commission to present an “EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region” by June 2009. With the adoption of a common strategy for the Baltic Sea region at the meeting of the European Council in Brussels at the end of October 2009, the EU decided to take account of the increased importance of the Baltic Sea region and to develop its own regional strategy.

The EU strategy had four main objectives:

1) Improving the environmental state of the Baltic Sea region, the largest brackish water - ecosystem in the world. The priorities include the protection of the enormous biological diversity and the expansion of risk prevention.

2) Increasing prosperity in the Baltic Sea region by supporting balanced economic development: promoting innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises, supporting the region in the full implementation of EU law and in particular the internal market rules.

3) Increasing the accessibility and attractiveness of the region for its residents, their workers and for tourists. The region needs better transport connections and more energy security through interconnected power grids and gas pipelines.

4) Increasing security in the region, e.g. B. through increased cooperation between the Member States within the framework of the European Police Office Europol .

Another aspect is the development of a clearer identity for the Baltic Sea region along the lines of the Mediterranean region. The strategy should also include practical cooperation with Russia , the only country bordering the Baltic Sea that is not part of the EU. Other non-EU countries had also expressed their interest in the strategy.

The resurgence of interest in the Baltic Sea region

Nevertheless, from the point of view of the EBD and the HK, the northernmost part of Europe is still underestimated in its economic dynamism and importance for the whole of Germany and European integration according to the EU Baltic Sea Strategy. In political Berlin in particular, the newly initiated Baltic Sea network is intended to create more attention and interest in the Baltic Sea region. According to the EBD network, the Baltic Sea region not only shows very high growth potential within the EU, but also exudes strong integration potential. Both are to be made more consciously and sustainably present in terms of their importance in German and European politics.

The EBD network, its institutional partner AA and HK are therefore initiating a Baltic Sea network that aims to revive the interest of German politics, business and civil society in the Baltic Sea region. The EU consists of a number of regional agglomerations, some of which work closely together politically and economically. The Baltic Sea region is proving to be particularly promising here: The Baltic Sea is the inland sea with nine neighboring countries, all of which, with the exception of Russia, belong to the EU. Around 147 million people live in this region.

The enormous potential of the countries bordering the Baltic Sea was particularly evident in the recent economic crisis. While the Mediterranean area revealed serious weaknesses, particularly in the area of ​​over-indebtedness in public finances, the countries in the Baltic Sea area showed, despite severe losses, above all better management of the crisis. Just as pragmatically as the reconstruction of Eastern Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain , the governments there tackled reforms against the economic crisis.

HWWI Study: Future of the Baltic Sea Region: Potentials and Challenges

The core of the initiative of the EBD, the AA and the HK is a macroeconomic study on the economic importance of the Baltic Sea region in the European Union, which is being carried out under the scientific direction of the Hamburgisches WeltWirtschaftsInstitut (HWWI). The study aims to highlight and promote the exemplary effect of Baltic Sea integration in the EU.

In the study, different facets of the Baltic Sea region are presented in order to illustrate the initial situation and the potential of the region. In addition to the historical and cultural dimension of the Baltic Sea region, the following four aspects are particularly addressed:

  • On the importance of trading with the "Mare Balticum"
  • Demography and labor market integration
  • Baltic Sea innovation area
  • Cities as initiators for the development of the Baltic Sea region

In addition to future challenges, the study shows strategies for action that can make a positive contribution to improving labor markets and reducing the shortage of skilled workers in the region. In addition, the potential for knowledge-based structural change in the Baltic Sea region in particular should be worked out.

On March 3, 2011, stakeholders in the Baltic Sea area met in Berlin to discuss the first point of the HWWI study. It became clear that the (economic) importance of the Baltic Sea region is still often neglected at EU level. The Baltic Sea is a region with great economic potential that has well-trained specialists and a high potential for innovation. Nevertheless, it is necessary to make the Baltic region, which is still characterized by high-flyers and latecomers, more homogeneous.

With this study on the Baltic Sea region, a partnership network for the Baltic Sea region is to be created from companies, institutions and associations that recognized the potential and challenges of the Baltic Sea region at an early stage and would like to have a lasting impact on both. The aim is to network politics, business and society through diverse series of events and background discussions.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ec.europa.eu
  2. europa.eu
  3. europaeische-bewegung.de  ( page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.europaeische-bewegung.de  
  4. Future of the Baltic Sea Region: Potentials and Challenges. (PDF; 3.1 MB) Hamburg Institute of International Economics, accessed on April 19, 2011 .
  5. Abendblatt.de