Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for EU Affairs and Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs Discuss Implementation of Baltic Sea Region Strategy

03.03.2010

Nr 70-E
 

On Tuesday, 2 March, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for European Union Affairs Kaja Tael met with Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs Birgitta Ohlsson, who is on a visit in Estonia. At their meeting they discussed the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the EU’s renewed competitiveness strategy “Europe 2020”, and issues of gender equality.

Undersecretary Kaja Tael and Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs Birgitta Ohlsson agreed that the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is off to a good start and that Estonia and Sweden’s co-operation is going very smoothly, for example in concrete projects in the internal market sector. “The goal in the near future is to successfully tie the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region to the key policies of the European Union, such as cohesion, regional and budget policies, but also to common agricultural policy. The Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is a natural means for implementing the upcoming ‘Europe 2020’ strategy,” said Tael.

Tael explained that the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region can, among other things, remove bureaucratic obstacles to regional development, that affect things like the realisation of the principle of the free movement of good, services and people. All of this will increase the competitiveness of the entire union. The successful start to the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region suggests that regional strategies will be increasingly important in the future.

In talking about the formulation of the renewed strategy for the European Union “Europe 2020”, Estonia clarified its position on how the renewed strategy should first and foremost help raise the competitiveness of the EU through further developing the union’s internal market. Swedish Minister for EU Affairs Ohlsson emphasised the need to include the issue of gender equality in the topic of employment.

Other topics discussed at the meeting were Estonia’s candidacy to be the location for the EU IT agency for justice and home affairs and EU budgetary reform. Both Estonia and Sweden are of the position that the EU budget requires comprehensive reforming and updating.