The 24th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Successfully Concluded
On 30 August – 1 September 2015 about 180 parliamentarians from around the Baltic Sea, Observers and invited guests gathered in Rostock for the 24th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. The conference resolution gives strong support to ScanBalt and the ScanBalt strategy 2015 – 2018, the EUSBSR flagship Health Region, proposed health economy initiatives and the RIS3 eHealth initiative led by Region Skåne. The conference calls for joint initiatives against multi-resistant bacteria.
The conference under the heading “Baltic Sea Region – A Role Model for Innovation in Social- and Healthcare” focused on Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, Cross-border Cooperation in Healthcare, Health & Economy, the sustainability of the social- and healthcare sectors, and – in line with the title of the respective BSPC Working Group on the issue – Innovation in Social- and Healthcare. The Chairman of the BSPC Working Group presented their final report at the conference, after the group’s 2-year mandate expires with the conclusion of the conference.
The participants were welcomed by the BSPC Chairman, President of the Landtag Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Ms Sylvia Bretschneider, and the Prime Minister of the host state, Mr Erwin Sellering.
Among the speakers were the European Commissioner for Digital Economy & Society, Mr Günther Oettinger, and the German Federal Minister for Families, Senior Citizens, Women & Youths, Ms Manuela Schwesig.
The Minister of Health of Lithuania, the Vice Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, as well as the Vice Minister for Health of Germany, which currently assumes the presidency at the Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being (NDPHS), and the Deputy Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases, Health Security and Environment and Special Representative on Millennium Development Goals and Governance at the WHO Regional Office for Europe presented their priorities in social- and healthcare and highlighted possibilities for cross-border cooperation. Former Swedish Minister of Health Bo Könberg presented his findings on cooperation in healthcare.
Concluding the conference, the Chairmanship was passed on to Latvia, the next host of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference.
The conference resolution gives strong support to ScanBalt and the ScanBalt strategy 2015 – 2018, the EUSBSR flagship Health Region, health economy initiatives and the RIS3 eHealth initiative led by Region Skåne. The conference resolution calls for joint actions against multi-resistant bacteria.
