Northern Dimension and the New Neighbours

Northern Poland was chosen as the focal point of this book both for its fascinating and dramatic history and, more incisively, because of its progressive and future-oriented present day situation. This stance offers a good opportunity for dialogue, confidence building and networking among the many actors of the Baltic Sea states, Belarus and Ukraine in the new era after the May 2004 phase of EU enlargement.

The focus is on the Northern Dimension and the New Neighbours, and the aim is to enhance and inspire cross-border projects and to identify the mechanisms for more active, honest and equal work in different areas. The authors, who represent a wide span of concerns, discuss and present a range of specific political options in the areas of economic co-operation, civic security, maritime safety and civil society.

ISBN 951-9150-09-9

Published by STETE

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Ambassador Jozef Wiejacz

Adviser Gunnar Lassinantti

Lessons from the Northern Dimension for the New Neighbours

Prime Minister of Poland Marek Belka

Political will is key
Deputy Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, MP Ilkka Kanerva

NATOs contribution to strengthening regional co-operation
Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Ambassador Alessandro Minuto Rizzo

Polish CBSS Presidency 2004-2005
Under-Secretary of State, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Poland Sergiusz Najar

The Northern Dimension and European Neighbourhood policies
Director, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Christer Persson

Russia-EU Relations
Director, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Russia Vladimir Seregin

The Baltic Strategy
Finland’s Ambassador to Poland Jan Store

Economic stability

Introduction to the Lisbon Strategy
Director of Pan European Institute, Professor Kari Liuhto

Cross-border integration of banking supervision
Deputy Chairman of Gdansk Institute of Market Economics, Professor Leszek Pawlowicz

Case study: Ukrainian-Polish economic co-operation
Counsellor of the Ukrainian Embassy in Warsaw Andrii Deschytsia

Baltic Sea and civil protection

Civil protection co-operation
Desk Officer of the Swedish Ministry of Defence Lennart Johansson

How to listen to early warning messages?
Director of SIPRI Alyson Bailes

Challenging disasters - what is the threat?
EU Affairs Manager of Aleksanteri Institute Timo Hellenberg

Maritime safety on the local and regional level
Member of the Regional Council of Blekinge Bo Löfgren

Case studies:

EUROBALTIC – Regional Civil Protection Programme for Emerging risks in the 21st Century
Advisor, National Headquarters of the State Fire Service Barbara Polak

Environmental remediation as a tool of European integration - lessons from more than a decade of know-how transfer to CEEC
Dr Alex Jakubick, WISMUT Gmbh & Managing Director of Abc-Associated Business Consultants Gmbh Bernd Vels

Citizens and security across borders

NGO legislation in the Baltic Sea countries
Writer of the BSPC report, MP, Vice Chair of STETE Outi Ojala

Case studies:

Belarus: the role of civil society
Chair of Charity Foundation "Nasa Veza" Inna Kulej

Imatra-Svetogorsk: an example from the field
Chair of STETE, MP Sinikka Hurskainen

Appendixes