EC announces plan for Baltic Sea region development

BNS

 

The European Commission (EC) published on Wednesday an action plan for the strategy of the Baltic Sea region, which will be aimed at clearing the sea of pollutants, accelerating the construction of energy and transport links, lower trade barriers, promote competition and boost security in the region.

 

Every of the eight countries listed in the strategy will coordinate one or more of the 15 priority areas. Lithuania was commissioned to coordinate the field of internal and external transport connections.

 

The head of the EC mission in Lithuania, Kestutis Sadauskas, says the strategy will enable common solution of issues of concern to the entire region, as well as more efficient use of European Union (EU) money.

 

"Until now individual countries were more focused on solution of their national problems, and looking across the border was rather rare," Sadauskas said while presenting the strategy in Vilnius on Wednesday.

 

The strategy covers the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Poland.

 

"Symbolically, that the European Union managed to work out a positive, incorporating and developing strategy with us, new members, on the 70-year anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact," Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Zygimantas Pavilionis said.

 

The European Council is expected to approve the strategy in October.

 

11-06-2009

 

This publication in full or in part may not be reproduced and/or distributed in any form by mass media and/or internet means without prior written permission of JSC “BNS”.