NORTHERN DIMENSION—LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Letter from Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP, Minister
for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Chairman
I am writing to let your Committee know of the
Finnish Presidency's plans to take forward their "Northern
Dimension" regional co-operation initiative.
The Northern Dimension, launched under the first
Finnish Presidency in 1999, is designed to promote dialogue and
co-operation, respect for the environment, economic co-operation
and integration, and sustainable development in Northern Europe.
In practice, particularly after the 2004 enlargement of the EU,
the Northern Dimension has focused its activities on Northwest
Russia. The latest two-year Action Plan expires 31 December 2006.
The new policy framework will make it a permanent shared, policy
between the EU, Russia, Iceland and Norway. It will look to develop
the work of the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership and
the more recent Northern Dimension Partnership for Public Health
and Social Affairs. Projects are funded by donations from individual
countries, regional bodies, and international financial institutions,
such as the Nordic Investment Bank and the European Investment
Bank. There is no dedicated EU funding. However, to date, Northern
Dimension projects have bid successfully for funds to a number
of European Community funding streams (for example, the European
Regional Development Fund) and from 2007 they will be able to
bid for European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument funding.
Examples of successful projects include the
Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership-supported St Petersburg
Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant, completed in 2005, which
is expected to significantly reduce the pollution of the Baltic
Sea. The Northern Dimension has also facilitated HIV/AIDS public
information and prevention projects in Kaliningrad, which is one
of the most HIV/AIDS affected regions in the Baltic Sea region.
The Northern Dimension Partnership for Public Health and Social
Affairs will look to build on this and other work to treat and
prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Both of these projects
are examples of constructive co-operation between the EU and Russia
on issues that have a cross-border impact. The UK is not an active
participant of the Northern Dimension process as it is a regional
initiative. However, we support the initiative and particularly
its efforts to increase co-operation between the EU and Russia.
The Finnish Presidency have worked to develop the policy further
and have agreed with the Northern Dimension partners a new political
declaration with a framework document outlining the basis for
practical implementation. They have also expressed their wish
to make the Northern Dimension a "regional expression"
of the EU-Russia "Four Common Spaces" roadmaps for increased
cooperation. They intend to adopt this at a Northern Dimension
meeting to be held on 24 November, in the margins of the EU-Russia
Summit. The Russians have told us that the Northern Dimension
is one of their top six priorities for working with the EU going
into the German Presidency.
I enclose the Common Guidelines submitted to
the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 13 November
for your Committee's information.
21 November 2006
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