2YEARS6 Baltic Sea BSPCParliamentary Conference Innovative Science, Sustainable Tourism – Participation and Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region 26th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference 26 Innovative Science, Sustainable Tourism – Participation and Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region 26th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Hamburg, 3 – 5 September 2017 2 Innovative Science, Sustainable Tourism – The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) Participation and Cooperation in the was established in 1991 as a forum for political Baltic Sea Regione dialogue between parliamentarians from the 26th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Baltic Sea Region. BSPC aims at raising aware- ness and opinion on issues of current political interest and relevance for the Baltic Sea Region. It promotes and drives various initiatives and Text: Malgorzata Ludwiczek efforts to support a sustainable environmental, Editing: Bodo Bahr social and economic development of the Baltic Sea Region. It strives at enhancing the visibility Layout: Produktionsbüro TINUS of the Baltic Sea Region and its issues in a wider European context. Photos: Susanne Ahrens, BSPC gathers parliamentarians from 11 Hamburgische Bürgerschaft national parliaments, 11 regional parliaments and 5 parliamentary organizations around the Baltic Sea. The BSPC thus constitutes a unique parliamentary bridge between all the EU- and non-EU countries of the Baltic Sea Region. BSPC external interfaces include parlia- mentary, governmental, sub-regional and other organizations in the Baltic Sea Region and the Northern Dimension area, among them CBSS, HELCOM, the Northern Dimension Partnership in Health and Social Well-Being (NDPHS), the Baltic Sea Labour Forum (BSLF), the Baltic Sea States Sub-re- gional Cooperation (BSSSC) and the Baltic Development Forum. BSPC shall initiate and guide political activities in the region; support and strengthen democratic institutions in the par- ticipating states; improve dialogue between governments, parliaments and civil society; strengthen the common identity of the Baltic Sea Region by means of close co-operation between national and regional parliaments on the basis of equality; and initiate and guide political activities in the Baltic Sea Region, Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference endowing them with additional democratic Bodo Bahr legitimacy and parliamentary authority. Secretary General The political recommendations of the +49 171 5512557 annual Parliamentary Conferences are [email protected] expressed in a Conference Resolution www.bspc.net adopted by consensus by the Conference. The adopted Resolution shall be submitted to the governments of the Baltic Sea Region, the BSPC Secretariat CBSS and the EU, and disseminated to other c/o Schlossgartenallee 15 relevant national, regional and local stake- 19061 Schwerin holders in the Baltic Sea Region and its Germany neighbourhood. 3 INTRODUCTION Ladies and Gentlemen, the Town Hall of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg set the scene for our 26th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. Hamburg Port – the largest sea port in Germany – is well connected with the Baltic Sea Region. The good hinterland connections closely link trade, culture and policy. Therefore, it was indeed a fit- ting location for the BSPC. Over 180 parliamentarians, government represent- atives and esteemed experts from the Baltic Sea Region and beyond gathered for three days of political deliberations, pertinent presentations, educating excur- sions and, not least, stimulating social interaction. I am convinced that through dialogue and debate, we can gradually forge joint political positions and requests and convey them to our governments for action. By working together, our com- bined impact gains strength and influence. The reports and political recommen- dations of our Working Groups are a convincing case in point. Our role as par- liamentarians is to assume responsibility for, and do our best to promote democ- racy, peace, freedom, environmental sustainability and social welfare for our cit- izens. Therefore, I believe that with the conference topics “Democracy”, “Sci- ence” and “Sustainability”, we chose forward-looking themes, which will deter- mine the strength of our societies in the future. In times of globalisation, rapid social changes, migration challenges and the influence of social media, we need to reconsider the ways to present and communicate policies and engage with the voters. Only an engaged citizenry with a stake in the political process will ensure a stable democracy. Therefore, I am grateful that we managed to agree on a res- olution full of concrete demands, relevant ideas and recommendations. With this year’s resolution, we have addressed a number of current issues, including 4 Democratic Participation and the Digital Age, Innovative Science, Sustainable Tourism as well as Participation and Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, and by launching the new BSPC Working Group on Migration and Integration the migration challenges. Let me thank all the speakers and participants who attended the Conference and contributed to its success – the First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Mr Olaf Scholz, for the warm welcome given to the conference participants. I also would like to express my gratitude to my superb staff – the administration of the Hamburgische Bürgerschaft – for the perfect preparation and execution of the conference, Johannes Düwel, Florian Lipowski and Friederike Lünzmann for their distinguished support during my presidency, and last but not least the BSPC Secretary General, Bodo Bahr, for his profound expertise and engage- ment as well as for his close and excellent cooperation. I have had the privilege of presiding over the BSPC for one year. The support and cooperative spirit of my colleagues in the Standing Committee has been indispensable, and I warmly thank them all. Entrusting the BSPC Presidency to Mr Jörgen Pettersson, I wish him all the success in steering the BSPC all the way up to the 27th BSPC in Mariehamn in August 2018. Carola Veit BSPC President 2016 – 2017 and President of the Hamburg Parliament 5 Contents Opening of the Conference ............................ 7 Session one Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region .................... 11 Session two Democratic Participation and the Digital Age ............. 29 Session three Science and Research ................................ 41 Session four Sustainable Tourism ................................. 53 Session five Migration and Integration ............................ 67 Closing session ...................................... 75 Annex Conference Resolution ................................ 81 List of Participants ................................... 89 Programme . 100 Impressions ....................................... 108 6 Opening of the Conference Opening of the Conference 7 Opening of the Conference Carola Veit, President of the Hamburg Parliament and President of the BSPC 2016-2017 Ms Veit welcomed the participants of the conference, extending a particularly warm welcome to the BSPC Vice Presidents, Prof Jānis Vucāns, MP from Latvia and the BSPC President of 2015- 2016, and to Jörgen Petterson, the incoming BSPC President. She drew the attention of those present to the grand and elabo- rate architecture of the Town Hall of the City of Hamburg which, during the Wilhelmine German Empire, had served to demon- strate a functioning and viable state as well as the state’s power. Ms Veit highlighted that the thematic range of the conference had been attached to the challenges facing citizen’s participation in the political processes. Dwindling numbers at the polls, decreasing trust in politics, and weakened involvement in public debate might affect the basis of a stable democracy. Ms Veit men- tioned a number of possible causes of those worrisome trends, for instance uneven distribution of wealth, competition of labour on global market, pressure on pension systems and influence of social media. Therefore, all those issues needed debate on ways to strengthen democratic participation in the digital age. She con- cluded by wishing the participants a very successful conference and by yielding the floor to the First Mayor of the Free and Han- seatic City of Hamburg, Mr Olaf Scholz. 8 Opening of the Conference Words of welcome Mr Scholz extended his welcome to the conference and under- lined that Hamburg, as a Hanseatic City, had been closely linked with the Baltic coastal states for many centuries. The Baltic Sea Policy had been highly significant for the Hamburg Senate, with the importance of regional and transnational coordination always one of the key priorities, and great value assigned to the dialogue between the Baltic regions on all levels. Mr Scholz pointed out that the Hamburg Port was Germany’s biggest sea port, one of the three leading container ports in Europe, ranked at number 17 on the global scale, with many feeder ships connecting the port with the Baltic Sea Region. The good hinterland connections, and especially the Kiel Canal, closely linked trade, culture and policy. Therefore, even though Hamburg was a tidal port of the Elbe, it seemed to be directly located on the Baltic Sea shore. The Mayor mentioned a number of transnational projects closely linking Hamburg to the Baltic Sea Region, e.g. project EMMA - “Enhancing freight Mobility and logistics in the Baltic Sea Re- gion by strengthening inland waterway and river sea transport and proMoting new internAtional shipping services”. Another project, TENTacle, which