Main messages

​

​​
 

• BSSSC shares HELCOM’s vision on a healthy Baltic Sea environment connected with a wide range of sustainable economic and social activities, and supports the Baltic Maritime Dialogue - initiated by CBSS - and the ambitions to develop the BSR into a model region for maritime best practise.
   

• BSSSC focuses its work on the need to further mainstream the SDGs at all levels and urges the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament to mainstream the SDGs in all policy fields and believes that implementation of the SDGs should be set in a mix of bottom-up and top-down approach, involving all levels of government and relevant stakeholders. BSSSC stresses that all EU programmes and instruments should be in line with and support the SDG implementation.
   

• BSSSC is aware of the conflict between lower revenue due to Brexit and additional expenditure arising from new tasks of the EU but urges the EU Member States not to reduce Cohesion Policy`s share of the MFF compared to the current budget.
   

• BSSSC appreciates the proposal to fully incorporate former ENI programmes into the INTERREG framework and to treat member states, third countries and partner countries on equal footing in the new INTERREG programmes. BSSSC supports the position of the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions to significantly increase the budget for INTERREG in the MFF 2021-2027.
   

• BSSSC welcomes the Roadmap of the CBSS Reforms, and especially appreciates the emphasis on CBSS as a key actor to bring together relevant organisations and actors to ensure common knowledge and highlight potentials of cooperation.
   

• In light of the ongoing revision of the EUSBSR Action Plan, BSSSC urges the Member States and the EU Commission to better involve local and regional authorities in the governance of relevant Policy Areas and Horizontal Actions, and to strive for better and more continuous involvement of young people in the strategy based on stable and enabling platforms.
   

• BSSSC supports the Baltic Sea Youth Declaration demanding a single youth platform located at the CBSS to connect young people virtually and physically and interact to implement their ideas in the future. BSSSC commits itself to contribute to the platform work.

• BSSSC strongly supports the concrete work of the Northern Dimension Partnerships and recalls the better involvement of the sub-regions in the cooperation.
   

• BSSSC stresses the need for a stronger connection between the maritime policy and the climate policy. The Arctic area is close to the BSR and Arctic issues should play a significant role in the European Maritime Policy in future.
   

• BSSSC believes that the revised TEN-T network should more efficiently facilitate modal shift towards maritime transport. Motorways of the Sea (MoS) must be better integrated in the network, thus BSSSC invites the European Commission to include MoS in the TEN-T maps.
   

• BSSSC appeals to the decision-making bodies at all levels to integrate the protection of the maritime cultural heritage into the planning stage of maritime projects. 

​​