The Northern Dimension brings together EU, Iceland, Norway and Russia as partners on an equal footing. This gives it a potential to pursue activities and produce results that are beneficial for the entire Northern Dimension area. It also underlines that the activities and cooperation within the Northern Dimension must be targeted on addressing concrete challenges, such as climate change, energy efficiency and maritime safety. We maintain that the Northern Dimension should be harmonized with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.

At a recent briefing by the EU Commission to the BSPC on the Northern Dimension, we heard that it has evolved into a functional platform for regional cooperation in Northern Europe, housing a large number of practical initiatives and activities.

We have always been supportive of the Northern Dimension, precisely because we believe that any viable long-term solution to the challenges of the Northern region must involve all stakeholders in the region. We have followed the work of the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership very closely, especially the environmental window which focuses on improving the ecology of the Baltic and Barents seas. The work has yielded very positive results, such as the waste water treatment plant in St Petersburg, but continued efforts are necessary.

We consider the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan to be one of the main tools for the restoration of good ecological status of the Baltic Sea by 2021. The Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership has proven to be instrumental in achieving the objectives of the Action Plan.

The nuclear safety window, which aims at preventing and managing cross-border risks caused by nuclear waste and spent nuclear fuel, is vital. It is of utmost importance to sustain and develop projects within the Partnership to address those problems. We are happy to learn that the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership Fund has recently been extended to continue its operation until 2017.

There are at least three kinds of actions in which parliamentarians bring an added value to Northern Dimension: we can listen to and give voice to the grassroots of our constituencies. We can drive political issues in our parliaments and relevant committees. And we can exert political pressure on governments to fulfill their commitments and obligations, and act as watchdogs to make sure they do.

At the end of the day, the value and success of the Northern Dimension will be judged by its capacity to improve the welfare – in a wide sense – of the citizens of the region. A policy wins credibility both from the sense of participation that citizens experience during its preparation and implementation, and from its ability to deliver tangible and positive results in people’s everyday life. A sincere and expanded dialogue with citizens, NGOs, civic organizations and others should therefore be an integral part of the implementation of the Northern Dimension.

Tal på the 2nd Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum i Tromsö, Norge 22-23.2.2011