Speech European Youth Parliament, Baltic Sea Regional Session, Stockholm 22 April 2008
Cecilia Malmström, Minister for EU Affairs

Speech at the European Youth Parliament's Baltic Sea Regional Session

Madame President, vice presidents, dear friends

Thank you very much for the opportunity to address you here today. I know you have been working hard for five days and it is indeed an honour to meet so many young people engaged in European politics. the EYP is a fantastic possibility to discuss European Issues and meet friends from other countries. I understand that you have ha four fantastic days and I want to congratulate you for the work you have done.

I know that the theme for this session has been Migration and Integration- Working for a better Europe. I also know that the Swedish Minister for Migration, Tobias Billström, has visited you during the weekend and I assume he spoke about your theme and the Swedish view of EU and migration policy.

From your programme I have seen that apart from Migration and integration, you have also dealt with an impressive number of key issues on the European agenda, ranging from foreign affairs and the conflict regarding Serbia-Kosovo, the climate change package, intercultural dialogue, the water supply in Europe, trade, the German Russian pipeline in the Baltic sea and the free movement of labour.

By discussing these issues, compromising, finding conclusions and learning from each other you are in fact already shaping the future. I know you will send your resolutions to the European Parliament. I have also got a copy of your final resolutions. I will study them carefully Maybe you can help us to provide inspiration and some solutions!

I have seen that Open borders - Open minds has been leading words in your committee work. I thought I would concentrate on speaking about how I think you can contribute to this and why it is important that young people are engaged in politics.

I also plan to say a few words about the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region since this is an important matter and one of the priorities of the upcoming Swedish presidency. It also has a natural connection to this 2nd Baltic Sea Regional Session and also to several of the issues you have discussed in your committees.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Promoting the active participation of young women and men in the democratic life of Europe is one of the overall objectives of the EU-cooperation in the youth field. This is also a perspective that is strengthened in the new Lisbon treaty. Promoting young people's participation is also an objective in the Baltic Sea cooperation, and of Swedish national youth policy.

Young people should be given the possibility to influence politics at all levels - from the local, regional and national level to EU and international level.

Active participation of young women and men is important for various reasons:
First of all - young people have the right to participate.

Secondly, young people are a resource. Decision makers can, and should, benefit from the knowledge and experiences of young women and men.

Thirdly, political decisions will be more well founded if as many points of views as possible are taken into account, and they will also be more legitimate.

It is not unusual to hear that young people are not interested or engaged in politics. You and I know that this is not the case. Your work here today and within the European Youth Parliament is a good example proving that this is not true. You certainly should not underestimate the importance of your work during this session.

Looking at Sweden, we know from various studies that young people are engaged and that they do care a lot about what is happening in Sweden and in the rest of the world. I have witnessed that by my numerous visits in schools all over the country. However, young people don't always necessarily want to participate in the traditional organisations and structures of older generations, such as political parties.

Young people should be welcomed in the traditional structures of representative democracy. And at the same time we must also support young people's own, and sometimes new, forms of organisation.

One of the most important instruments of the Swedish Government to support young people's participation is the state subsidy to youth organisations. This year, approximately 20 million Euro has been allocated to 91 national youth organisations.

Furthermore, it's important to support the international cooperation of young people, of youth organisations and young people's participation in international meetings and organisations.

International cooperation and exchanges enriches individuals as well as organisations. In this context it is worth highlighting the EU Youth in Action programme. It is an important tool to support youth exchanges, voluntary activities, democracy projects and political cooperation.

When the predecessor of Youth in Action - the EU Youth Programme - was evaluated in Sweden the results were very positive. The young people that had participated said that their knowledge of languages and understanding of other countries and cultures had improved, and that their employability had increased. They also said that they had become more active in their local communities and felt closer and more connected to other young people in Europe. By meeting people from other countries, you expand your mind and broaden your own perspectives. I know that very much from my seven years in the European Parliament where I had colleagues from 26 other countries with whom I interacted on a daily basis

Dear friends

During the autumn of 2009 Sweden will be holding the Presidency of the European Union. We are right now busy preparing this both politically and logistically. It will be an exiting time because 2009 is the year with elections to the European parliament, a new commission and a new Treaty.

Our most important priority will be climate and energy and make sure that the EU can act as a strong and united partner when we sit at the international conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. The world must agree on a post-Kyoto agreement. It is important for Sweden, for Europe and the whole world. It is only if Europe acts in a united way that we have a chance to convince our other partners from the US, China, India, Russia etc.

In the youth field, we will be working on a decision on a new framework of cooperation from 2010. To prepare this decision, every Member State will during 2008 evaluate the cooperation so far, and come with suggestions for the future.

It is crucial that young people take active part throughout this process. We know that the European Youth Forum is very active regarding this issue, and in Sweden we have already initiated a close cooperation with our National Youth Council. in order to come up with suggestions for the future.

There will also be a number of activities at EU-level to involve young people in the discussion of the future framework of cooperation, for instance the European Youth Week in the beginning of November 2008.

The Baltic Sea Strategy
As I just said, an EU Baltic Sea Strategy is one of Sweden's top priorities for our EU Presidency in the second half of 2009. We are very pleased that the European Council in December invited the Commission to present a strategy for the Baltic Sea region at the latest by June 2009. Our aim is that the Strategy will be adopted by the European Council by the end of the Swedish Presidency.

Why an EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea area? The short answer is that an EU Strategy will help the region make fuller use of the fact that eight out of nine Baltic Sea states are now members of the EU. It is also a fact that in a Union of 27 member states many challenges will have to be addressed on a regional basis. Our hope is therefore that a Baltic Sea Strategy will also serve as an inspiration and an example that other macro regions in the Union will want to emulate. An important point about an EU Strategy is of course that it is a Strategy that the whole Union supports, even those who are not littoral states. because the Baltic Sea is important for the whole Europe, just as the Mediterranean is.

The purpose of an EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea region is first of all to contribute towards a closer integration of the region, and between the region and other parts of the Union. That requires agreement on a set of clear objectives for the region and also on appropriate actions to meet the objectives. I want to emphasize that the idea is not to create any new institutions or to provide new resources.

The added value of the strategy will rather be to assist existing actors to focus on "the right things", and to facilitate an effective and efficient use of the resources that already are available at different levels - at EU- national and regional levels, and also at the International Financial Institutions.

Let me mention three objectives that my government sees for the Baltic Sea region. First, the Baltic Sea area should be Europe's strongest area of economic growth. Second, the ongoing environmental degradation of the Baltic Sea must be halted and third, the Baltic Sea area should be a safe and secure place where effective measures are taken to stem the rise in cross-border crime in the region.

These are all ambitious and challenging objectives. Progress will closely depend on how well we can cooperate in the region and how well we can take advantage of the opportunities provided by our membership in the European Union.

I want to give you a sense of just a couple of elements of a Baltic Sea Strategy as I see them:

To ensure sustainable economic growth we need to strengthen the foundations of the region's competitiveness. An important source of competitive strength is a correct and consistent application of the rules of the internal market. Much can be done on a regional basis to make sure that countries in the region agree on the interpretation and application of the rules of the internal market.

A key issue is how to improve transport infrastructure within the Baltic Sea region and between the region and the rest of Europe. Here I see a big potential in closer cooperation in the planning of transport investments to secure a more consistent regional perspective on which transport solutions would best serve the region and the EU as a whole.

The Baltic Sea region is strong on many of the criteria of the Lisbon Agenda, e.g. innovation. If we want to remain in the forefront of innovation activities cooperation in research and development in the region must be strengthened.

The need for more and closer cooperation is constantly increasing because of the dramatic increase in competition that comes in the wake of globalization. The Strategy should therefore promote closer cooperation between funding agencies for research and development with a view to stronger regional cooperation in the development of science-based innovations and clusters.

The biggest challenge facing the Baltic Sea region has to do with the degradation of the Baltic Sea itself. Eutrophication, overfishing, hazardous substances and invasive species are all factors that have created extreme pressure on the Baltic Sea.

Key to the success of a Baltic Sea strategy is broad and strong commitment to implement the actions agreed in the Strategy. The Commission is also working hard to get the broadest possible involvement in its preparation of the Strategy. The Commission is planning two major stakeholder events and four conferences focusing on each of four themes around which the Strategy will be organised.

The first stakeholder event will be held in Stockholm at the end of September and the second event somewhere else in the region in the beginning of next year. The idea is to invite a broad spectrum of society representing counties and cities, business, academia, NGOs and of course youth. I strongly urge you, and all parts of society having an interest in furthering sustainable development and economic growth in the EU, to contribute to this important and innovative endeavour.

Once again, thank you for inviting me and congratulations to your important work!

Thank you.