The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,

having regard to the fact that:

The European Union Member States of the Baltic Sea Region are the home of approximately 147 million people, which makes up 30% of the total population of the European Union, and create 25% of the gross domestic product of the European Union; the Baltic Sea Region is among the most dynamic regions of Europe, however, its competitive potential is not fully exploited yet;

the Baltic Sea is a continental sea and one of the most polluted seas in the world; it is highly sensitive to pollution, which is acknowledged worldwide;

it is necessary to co-ordinate actions and decisions of all states around the Baltic Sea in order to provide conditions for a secure and balanced development of the region protecting the economic and social environment,

welcomesthe initiative of the European Parliament to develop an EU Baltic Sea Strategy, which would become the internal pillar of the Northern Dimension; this new policy of the European Union would promote a close co-operation of the eight European Union Member States in the areas of environmental protection, economy, culture and education as well as security involving in this co-operation Russia’s Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg regions; 

supportsthe initiative of the European Parliament to provide for and allocate funding for the Baltic Sea Strategy under an own EU budget line; invites the Council of the European Union to recognise the development of the Baltic Sea Region as one of its priorities and to support this proposal of the European Parliament by adopting appropriate decisions;

notesthat all required actions and decisions must be taken at the national, regional and international levels in order to implement this strategy; the Baltic Sea states should provide for sufficient funding of programmes and actions in the Baltic Sea;

urgesnational parliaments of the Baltic Sea states to actively join and participate in the shaping of the parliamentary policy of development and implementation of the Baltic Sea Strategy;

statesthat particular attention must be devoted to improvement of the catastrophic ecological condition of the Baltic Sea and prevention of new ecological catastrophes in the Baltic Sea; invites all the states carrying out activities in the Baltic Sea to comply with the principles of justice and joint responsibility;

notes that it is necessary to promote a mutually beneficial exchange of experience and working practice between the regions of the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea thus comprehensively strengthening the European Union neighbourhood;

invites all the Member States of the Baltic Sea Region to actively participate in the implementation of the Baltic Sea Strategy and, in conjunction with the European Commission and the EU Presidency, to ensure the adequate funding of the Baltic Sea Strategy.

 

 

 

 

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS                                                           VIKTORAS MUNTIANAS