Diana Wallis MEP attends Northern Dimension Ministerial Meeting

10.13.25am GMT Wed 30th Nov 2005

Diana Wallis MEP attended the Northern Dimension Ministerial Meeting in Brussels on 21st November. Foreign Affairs Ministers of the European Union states, the Russian Federation, Norway and Iceland, and the European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy met to discuss the means to shape the future of the Northern Dimension policy after 2006. The new Northern Dimension concept will provide a stable and permanent basis for this policy, as opposed to the previous three-year action plans.

The Meeting agreed on "Guidelines for the development of a political declaration and a policy framework document on the Northern Dimension". These new basic documents for the Northern Dimension will be jointly drafted and adopted in 2006 jointly by the EU, the Russian Federation, Norway and Iceland in order to replace the current Northern Dimension 2nd Action Plan which is due to expire on 31 December 2006.

The future Northern Dimension policy will be the regional expression in the North of Europe of the four Common Spaces and their road maps, agreed at the May EU/Russia Summit. Additionally the Northern Dimension will retain its specific characteristics, notably the full membership of Norway and Iceland and objectives of specific relevance in the North including its fragile environment, indigenous peoples' issues, health and social well being, etc.

The Northern Dimension will focus increasingly on North West Russia and in its particular challenges, affecting also the other parties.

In presenting the European Parliament's resolution on the Northern Dimension approved on 16th November Diana Wallis MEP said:

"It is important that as we approach International Polar Year that we use the opportunity to take new initiatives together with the Arctic partners, including Canada and the United States in particular, as regards the work on a 'Charter for Arctic Governance'."

The participants in the Meeting agreed that the Northern Dimension enters a new reinvigorated phase in which all parties share ownership and attachment to its principles, structures and activities.

Finland informed partners of its willingness to host a Senior Officials Meeting during its EU Presidency in the autumn of 2006 in Finland, where progress in the joint drafting of the Northern Dimension political declaration and framework policy document will be reviewed.