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  Baltic Sea States

Meeting 3 September 2008 in Berlin

Meeting place: Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth of Germany, Berlin

AGENDA

1. Opening of the meeting
Uffe Sveegaard from Denmark opens the meeting at 9:50 a.m. and welcomes all participants. Estonia: Ardo Rohtla; Finland: Seija Astala; Germany: Uwe Finke-Timpe, Andreas Böhm; Lithuania: Sandra Jancauskaite; Norway: Lise Grette, Björn Jaaberg Hansen; Russia: Nadezhda Karkach, Roman Alexandrov; Sweden: Michael Haglund; Regional Youth Council Schleswig-Holstein: Thies Grothe; Jens-Peter Jensen; Baltic Youth Forum: Jari-Pekka Kaleva; Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs: Helge Hellberg
Excused: Iceland, Latvia; Absent: Poland

2. Adoption of the agenda
The agenda was adopted.

3. Introduction of the Danish Ministry for Education, Department of Primary, Lower, Secondary and General Adult Education

Denmark took over the Chair of the CBSS with July 1 and the Chair of the CBSS- Baltic Sea Working Group on Youth Affairs (WGYA). In chairing the WGYA Denmark will give technical and practical support for the reform process of the CBSS and its Working Groups, based on the CBSS- Malmö and Riga Declarations. By the 15th ministerial summit of the CBSS (spring 2009) the CBSS shall agree on restructuring its Working Groups. Denmark will work for developing the WGYA into the future CBSS- Expert Group on Youth Affairs; the WGYA already meets all criteria for this.

For a final agreement on the documents for 2009-2011 a meeting of the WGYA in November 2009 in Denmark is suggested.
Denmark plans to organize a youth conference in spring 2009 with the topic “Youth Empowerment” as one of the three priorities of the Danish CBSS- Chairmanship. 100 to 150 participants are thought to attend; planning is still going on. The WGYA will be informed about the progress.

4. The Baltic Sea Working Group on Youth Affairs in the period 2009 to 2011
- Terms of reference
- Working plan 2009-11
- Agreement on the Secretariat

Sweden:
Asks for the status of the reform process of the CBSS, for the added value of the cooperation in the youth policy field in the Baltic Sea region and for the achievements the WGYA brought to the member countries in the last three years. When the working group is reviewing the framework of cooperation in the youth field it could be useful to, instead of going through proposed changes in the steering documents, first have an open general discussion regarding what should be the tasks and objectives of the Working group and the Secretariat, and which should be the future forms and content of the Baltic Sea cooperation in the youth field. This should be based on what has and has not been achieved during the period 2006-2008. There is a need to evaluate what has been implemented 2006-2008 before going into a discussion on the proposed documents. We have to ask ourselves which is the added value of the Baltic Sea cooperation in the youth field.

Denmark:
This meeting is starting a process. The process shall lead to the prolongation of cooperation in 2009-2011. The countries present in Berlin can not decide for the countries absent, but it is needed to go on with the discussions and to come to decisions. The achievements of the cooperation shall be evaluated with a short review of the Work Plan 2006-2008 during this meeting.
           
Norway:
Supports the idea of starting to discuss the Terms of Reference, the Work Plan and the agreement on the Secretariat. The basic question is what the WGYA is going to do in the future: How could the WGYA contribute to a more concrete cooperation involving different youth groups from different countries in the Baltic Sea region? Concerning the WGYA structure we should discuss how the Executive Group has functioned in relation to the intention. The connection to the CBSS is a separate element and subject to a definition by the WGYA itself. It is recommended to proceed with the work along the reform proposal of the CBSS, but it is questionable if there is much meaning in the reform process itself.

Denmark:
Doesn’t see that the Executive Group has been working separately. The Executive Group agreed at the meeting in Copenhagen on 8th of May 2008 that the countries present would continue the cooperation and would influence the reform process of the CBSS by changing the WGYA to an EGYA.

Denmark:
Sweden and Lithuania are asked to introduce their remarks and questions sent in. The Latvian remarks are introduced shortly as there is no Latvian representative present.

Sweden:
Refers to the questions sent in to the Executive Group and included in the material of the Berlin meeting. Relevant questions to be asked when considering future priorities are: Which is the added value of the cooperation in the youth field in the Baltic Sea region? Has the cooperation worked well so far? Which results have been achieved? Has the Working group been steering the Secretariat in Kiel in a clear and appropriate way? Which should the priorities be for the future cooperation? What can be achieved with the budget we have at hand? The proposed working plan is, with some minor changes, a continuation of the present working plan. There is a need to evaluate what has been implemented so far and a need to update priorities for the future cooperation.It is important to follow the reform process of the CBSS. As far as we understand, the ministries responsible for youth affairs in the Baltic Sea countries are responsible for the WGYA.  There should be strong links between the WGYA and the Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs. The WGYA should be aware that there is no extended project support possible as the budget of the WGYA is small. We have to take into account what can be achieved with the budget we have at hand.

Lithuania:
Asks for the strength of the relations between the WGYA members. It is needed to have strong contacts in the WGYA and it is needed to give more decision power to the WGYA Executive Group.

Denmark:
Asks if the WGYA’s ambitions have been too small in the last years.

Finland:
Doesn’t see the ambitions as too small, but instead as too big. The Work Plan 2006 - 2008 brought too many goals to achieve. Finland is sceptic towards a stronger position of the Executive Group, but suggests a stronger role of the Chairmanship leading the WGYA. Finland emphasized the need of clarifying the mandate of the Executive Group and disseminating of information both before and after the Executive Group meetings.

Baltic Youth Forum:
The Baltic Sea Secretariat has been working on grass-route level; this is very much appreciated by the youth organisations and youth councils as it is difficult to directly get in touch with the national ministries. BYF supports a “Youth Mainstreaming” in the CBSS and in other Baltic Sea networks.

Estonia:
Wants to have more results to be achieved by the WGYA members.             

Regional Youth Council of Schleswig-Holstein (Thies Grothe): There have been multiple advantages of the work of the Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs in the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC), the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperation (BSSSC) and many of the other Baltic Sea cooperation networks. Outcomes can be seen in the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) with a strong representation of BYF, a further important political outcome is having realised the position of youth representatives in BSSSC as full board members with all voting rights.

Norway:
There is the need of some more ideas for concrete multilateral projects of young people. As the Baltic Youth Forum is missing some national youth councils at present, the WGYA should also cooperate with the UBC and BSSSC for involving national NGOs and youth groups. More information is wanted about the actors and their participation in meetings and conferences of BSSSC and UBC. Norway refers to the BSSSC-Working Group on Youth Policy meeting in Oslo in January, where the Norwegian Ministry of Children and Equality was invited and got a positive impression of the work, even if the participation could have been broader. Concerning the Danish proposal of organising a larger conference during their Chairmanship, Norway sees the possibility of facilitating contacts and discus future initiatives. We are however missing a dialogue between the Danish Ministry and the members of the working group on the initiative. There are certain dangers when the Chairmanship is developing such an idea separately without proper consultations with the partners in the Baltic Sea Cooperation on youth questions.

Denmark:
The idea of a youth conference has come up in the talks between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and the Ministry of Education of Denmark. It has been the idea to involve both the WGYA and the Nordic Child and Youth Committee to a strong intense.

Germany:
Different levels of cooperation are described in the Work Plan 2006-2008. The cooperation on ministerial level could be intensified.

Sweden:
Refers to point 6 of the CBSS- Riga declaration. There should be synergies with other Working/Expert Groups, concrete tasks and a time limited working mandate for the Expert Groups.

Norway:
Asks if the restructuring of the CBSS-Secretariat in Stockholm will have any consequences for the WGYA/EGYA structure, and is particularly referring to a “youth unit” in the CBSS Secretariat.

Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs (BSSYA): Anitra Jankevica as Senior Adviser at the CBSS Secretariat in Stockholm is responsible for the liaison with (among others) - the BSPC, - the Baltic Sea NGO Forum, - the Baltic Sea Ombudsman institutions, - the Council of Europe, - OSCE, - UN and with the WGYA and the Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs. (www.cbss.org). Contacts between Ms. Jankevica and the BSSYA are close.

Sweden:
Asks for the actual state of the cooperation in the Baltic Youth Forum.

Baltic Youth Forum:
The Norwegian Youth Council LNU, the Swedish Youth Council LSU and the Danish Youth Council DUF are not having Baltic Sea cooperation as main priority due to limited working and financing capacities. The Finish Youth Council Allianssi, the Estonian Youth Council ENL, the Latvian Youth Council LJP, the Lithuanian Youth Council LiJOT, the Round Table for Children and Youth of the Regions of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad, the Russian Youth Council and the Regional Youth Councils of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein (delegated by the Youth Council of Germany) continue with their cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. Successful examples are the participation of LiJOT, ENL and Allianssi at this year and the last years Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferences (BSPC), the meeting of BYF in St. Petersburg and the conference of Allianssi, ENL, LJP and LiJOT in Riga this spring.

Norway:
Regrets that LNU is not active in BYF. There is the need of involving the local and regional level for the youth councils and their cooperation, like the Barents Regional Youth Council is doing.
Sweden: It is problematic that not all youth councils are represented in the BYF.

Regional Youth Council of Schleswig-Holstein (Thies Grothe): Difficulties in answering why the Scandinavian Youth Councils are not cooperating in BYF. Content-based cooperation is working well for the regional level.

Russia:
Saw the development of Baltic Sea cooperation from the beginnings. The Baltic Sea dimension has been the first and most important cooperation in the past. During the last decade the European Union and the European Free Trade Association became more important. Russia is not a part of these other cooperation units and while all other Baltic Sea countries are members Russia is not, this leads to specific challenges. The Barents cooperation is having strong regional impacts; the same applies for the Black Sea cooperation. For all those reasons the Baltic Sea cooperation is of special value for Russia. It is needed because of its good traditions and because it brings together the national ministries on an equal level. It is an important addition to the Council of Europe. Russia contributes to common projects in the Baltic Sea region like the Euro Faculty Project in Pskov and should fulfil the responsibility of contributing to the WGYA budget, too. A possibility of realizing the contribution in 2008 is a translation of the “UBC-Book of Possibilities”.

Denmark and Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs: Introduce summaries of the work in the years 2006/2007/2008, based on the reports of the BSSYA and included in the material of the Berlin meeting. The WGYA appreciates the results.

Norway:
Need to include Russia closer, strategies needed of involving Russian youth to volunteer activities as Russia is not participating directly in EU-“Youth in Action”.

Norway:
General need to have a feeling of “ownership” of projects the WGYA is supporting. This should be in focus for the Danish proposal of a youth conference in 2009. The WGYA would like to be informed and be asked for their position on such a proposal. Norway would like to have this conference working for better contacts between youth groups in the Baltic Sea region.

Denmark and WGYA: Proposal of a new “Work Plan 2009-2011” and review of the WGYA/EGYA “Terms of Reference”, “Agreement on the Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs 2009-2011” and the “Financial Contributions to the budget of the WGYA/EGYA 2009-2011”. The WGYA will agree on the meeting in November on the documents.
The documents - as discussed in Berlin - are attached to this Minutes.

5. Accounts 2007
The Auditors report has been sent out in spring 2008 by Regional Youth Council Schleswig-Holstein to the WGYA. Suggested conclusion of the Executive Group included in the minutes of the Executive Group’s meeting in Copenhagen, May 8, 2008, sent out to the WGYA by the Latvian Chair on May 26:
“The Executive Group of the Baltic Sea Working Group on Youth Affairs welcomes the financial report of the Regional Youth Council Schleswig-Holstein for 2007. The members of the Executive Group recommend the WGYA to accept the financial report and audit report for 2007. The Executive Group sees the budget spent respectfully and according to the guidelines given by the WGYA Work Plan 2006 - 2008. The Executive Group sees the surplus from previous years spent in respectful way with examples in the support of projects with the UBC and BSSSC.”

WGYA accepts the suggestion of the Executive Group.
           
Norway: Points out the need for being more precise in the terms “budgets” and “accounts”.

6. Accounts 2008 - January to June

The accounts for January to June 2008 are accepted. The WGYA will take a look into the accounts for January to September on the meeting in November.

7. Miscellaneous
Sweden: Asks if there has been any discussion about the placement of the Secretariat in the past.

Norway:
As Germany is contributing to the biggest parts of the WGYA’s annual budget we believe the Secretariat is expected to be placed in Germany. This is a routine standard for international institutions and their working structures. Norway asks for the Swedish interest in placing the Secretariat in Stockholm and for the possibility that Sweden in that case would contribute to a bigger extent to the WGYA’s budget.

Sweden:
Points out that no investigation has been done yet on this possibility.

Russia:
Underlines the advantages of having the Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs serving the WGYA alone. As soon as the BSSYA will be combined with other institutions, like the CBSS- Secretariat in Stockholm, there is the danger that the Secretariat will have to concentrate on other duties and responsibilities than on the work for the WGYA. Having the BSSYA in Germany seems further appropriate because of the reasonable relation of the WGYA’s budget and the salaries for the Secretariat.

Germany:
In case that the BSSYA will not be placed in Germany, Germany would reduce its contributions.

Denmark:
Introduces the proposal for a support of the youth project “Tolerance Trip”.

WGYA: As the budget is unclear, project support can not be granted. The Chair should get in contact with Mathias Larsson from Kalmar to clarify the profile and budget of the project. Based on the results, the WGYA will discuss the proposal on the next meeting.

• Date and place of the next WGYA meeting

The WGYA will meet on 11th and 12th of November in Denmark.

Deadline for contributions to the documents for this WGYA meeting: Friday 17th of October.