Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union and of the countries of the Black Sea area
Kyiv (Ukraine), 14 February 2008
Speech delivered by Emin Yeritsyan, (Armenia, EPP-CD) Vice President of the Congress of Local and regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BLACK SEA EUROREGION
In 2006, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe launched the initiative to establish a Black Sea Euroregion (BSER). National governments of the Black Sea area (Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia (as Observer), Turkey, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Greece) declared their strong political interest to proceed with the Euroregion. Three international conferences, during which potential partners were consulted, have demonstrated the widespread desire to ensure this initiative becomes reality.
Over recent months, the initiative has gained increasing support at international level. Many actors of key importance in the region have recognised that the initiative can help promote practical cross-border cooperation By the final declarations, local and regional authorities of the Black Sea basin expressed the wish of increasing their cross-border and interregional co-operation projects in order to contribute to reinforcing prosperity, stability and security in the area knowing that interregional co-operation can help to create favorable conditions for the consolidation of democratic practices, good governance and sustainable development of the region. Local and regional authorities wished to create a structure- the Black-Sea Euroregion capable of responding to present needs and guaranteeing the sustainable future of the riparian populations. This proposed structure is thought as a forum enabling the regions bordering the Black Sea to get together, to contribute to a sustainable management of the resources of the basin while meeting their specific needs of the local populations. The main idea is that Local and regional authorities united in the framework of a Black Sea Euroregion could successfully launch initiatives for specific cooperation projects.
The overall objective of the Euroregion is to obtain closer transborder cooperation. The Euroregion should help ensure experience-sharing and, eventually, common solutions to common problems regarding matters of interest for local authorities.
The Euroregion could concretely offer the following:
• monitor current cross-border and inter-regional co-operation opportunities in the Black Sea area;
• provide training plan for professionals in administrative, financial and project management skills for co-operation activities at cross-border and inter-regional level;
• encourage an exchange of information, human resources and know-how;
• provide political and strategic plans on priority themes and provide the BSER partners with technical support;
• prepare and implement communication and information strategies.
The final beneficiaries of the project activities would be local and regional bodies, professional associations, chambers of commerce, non-profit bodies and associations, public and private schools and universities, academic institutions.
As project proposing bodies, municipalities and regions will be directly involved in the organisation of activities which can produce a real added value. The proposed structure will be able to streamline practices and results achieved at political level, and provide the opportunity for discussion between policy-makers and local stakeholders.
We expect the co-operation of the national governments of the Black Sea countries and of the European Commission