The Baltic Connection

Published in Baltic Rim Economies Review 7/2013 (18.12.2013)

Here, in the cold, faraway North, the waters of the Baltic Sea wash the shores of the edge of Europe. Long ago our destiny was to react to outside impulses and events whilst coping with harsh realities dictated by nature. Gradually our position changed from one of isolation and rigid individuality and started attaining a more worldly flavour through trade and commerce. The Middle Ages saw rapid growth in trade that spanned across the Baltic Sea. In the wake of the 20th century, then, the Nordic societies started gradually evolving into welfare states and, especially after WWII, showed signs of rising living standards and a proliferation of new technologies and innovations. Yet another historical milestone was reached, when in the 90’s, the Baltic States regained their independence and the EU and NATO enlarged eastward bringing prosperity and stability to the European North.

The speed of recent historical events has been dramatic. Especially when one thinks that only twenty-four years ago, during the Cold War, the Iron Curtain spanned across the Baltic Sea stretching all the way from Lübeck in Germany to Virolahti in Finland and created a significant gap not only in living standards but also between societies, the rights of the individual and an air of danger through potential military confrontation. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became full members of the EU only a decade after regaining their sovereignty. These decades can and will be branded exceptional.

Today the Baltic Sea Region encompasses nine countries, different cultures and a plethora of histories, yet they all share the fundamental importance of our lifeblood – the Baltic Sea. The enlargement of the EU, now encompassing nearly all the countries in the region, has only added to the importance of the Baltic Sea Region within the context of Europe. There is no doubt that, thanks to political, economic, cultural and social ties and cooperation, the significance of the Baltic Sea Region will only grow in the future. Many barriers between countries have been eradicated and today it is often taken for granted that people can move across borders for travel, education and work purposes. However, there is still a lot of work to be done before the integration processes of the Baltic Sea Region are finished.

The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region aims at improving the marine environment of the Baltic Sea, at increasing the safety of marine traffic and at strengthening economic cooperation in the region. In other words the three main objectives are to save the sea, connect the region and increase prosperity. The aim of the Northern Dimension is to support stability, welfare and sustainable development in the Baltic Sea Region through practical cooperation.

The Baltic Sea is an important area for tourism. As a matter of fact approximately half of all the tourists arriving in Finland come from countries around the Baltic. Equally often these countries are the main tourist destinations for Finnish tourists. The significance of the Baltic Sea Region as a tourist destination will probably grow in the foreseeable future as the greenhouse-effect makes summers in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean too hot to enjoy during summer holidays. The Baltic Sea Region offers a mild climate, clean nature, beautiful archipelago sceneries and also some nice, long beaches. The Sea has immeasurable value in terms of recreation.

Bearing the above mentioned in mind, it is sad to say that there are dark clouds gathering over the recreational use of the sea, since the marine environment of the Baltic Sea is in very bad condition. Every summer blue-green algae rises to our shores. Because of this our children can no longer go swimming. Nowhere else in the world can we find such high levels of nutrient content in the sediments. Nowhere else in the world can we find a seabed with so little life due to lack of oxygen. The main actor tasked with the protection of the Baltic Sea environment is HELCOM, which defines the measures necessary in order to save the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea Action Summit process (BSAS) gathers together public and private bodies in order to implement actions that have a positive impact on the state of the Baltic Sea environment. The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) promotes stability and welfare in the Baltic Sea region. Currently Finland holds the presidency for 2013–2014 choosing a Clean, Safe and Smart Baltic Sea as its umbrella theme.

Saving our sea can be achieved through strengthened cooperation of all the actors and with the help of national parliaments, the European parliament, the Nordic Council and the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC), which provides a political platform for parliamentarians from the Baltic Sea Region to meet, form opinions, exert political pressure in relation to questions of regional importance as well as organise political activities to bring about major improvements in the Baltic Region’s health and prosperity.

Eeva-Johanna Eloranta

MA, MSSc

Member of Parliament of Finland

Member of the City Council of Turku

Member of the Nordic Council