15th SESSION OF THE BALTIC ASSEMBLY |
Chairman of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly | Vice Chairman of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly | Vice Chairwoman of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly |
Romualds RAZUKS | Trivimi VELLISTE | Laima Liucija ANDRIKIENE |
Republic of Latvia | Republic of Estonia | Republic of Lithuania |
Riga, 4 December 1999
RESOLUTION
On the Procedure for Imposing Excise Taxes in the Baltic States
The Baltic Assembly,
noting the positive development of trilateral cooperation among the Baltic countries during recent years and their common goal âÀ” development of a common economic area in the Baltic region and integration into the European Union;
pointing out that the legislative acts of the European Union pay special attention to introducing excise taxes for three categories of goods âÀ” oil products and mineral oils, alcohol and alcoholic beverages and tobacco products;
regarding that harmonizing of excise taxes in the Baltic states will favourably influence the economic development of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania even before their accession to the European Union,
urges the Baltic Council of Ministers:
to start cooperation in the sphere of excise policy following which the Baltic states should duly inform each other of the introduction or changing of excise tax rates in order to be able to jointly combat continuously growing trade in contraband goods;
to improve the methods of administrating excise taxes through cooperation among the relevant Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian institutions.
RESOLUTION
On a Coordinated Agricultural Policy
The Baltic Assembly,
taking into account the priority set by the Baltic states, namely, integration into the EU common market, supporting the EU joint agricultural and fishery policy and being aware of the key role of rural development in European countries;
taking as a basis the agreement on free trade in agricultural products signed by the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania, which expresses a desire to create favorable conditions for the development and diversification of mutual trade and to promote commercial and economic cooperation based on equality, fair competition and mutual benefit, in common areas of interest;
considering the mutual trust of the Baltic states in relation to the lifting of technical and sanitary trade barriers to products produced in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania;
emphasizing the desire of the governments of the Baltic states to create a common economic area,
urges the governmental authorities of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to intensify their efforts in order to ensure fair competition in trade of agricultural and fishery products by paying special attention to the policy of protection and support of agriculture and to efficient exchange of information about the measures used in regulating domestic and foreign markets.
RESOLUTION
On the Development of Transborder Cooperation
The Baltic Assembly,
emphasizing that transborder cooperation plays an essential role in the movement of the Baltic states to the EU;
acknowledging the necessity to carry out an in-depth study and to eliminate circumstances which hinder the development of transborder cooperation of the Baltic states;
drawing special attention to the need to improve the legal basis for the development of transborder cooperation as determined by mutual agreements between the Baltic states and the EU member states;
considering the Benelux experience in implementing transborder cooperation,
proposes to establish a work team of members of the Baltic parliaments and governments, as well as representatives of the associations of regional and local self-governments, and to assign it the task of working out proposals for improving transborder cooperation.
RESOLUTION
On the Cooperation of the Parliaments of the Baltic States with the US Congress
The Baltic Assembly,
on the basis of the US-Baltic Partnership Charter signed by the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania and the United States of America on 16 January 1998 in Washington;
being guided by the principles of cooperation between the countries as declared in the Charter;
acknowledging the positive development of cooperation between the Baltic states and the USA;
considering the continued and significant support given by the US Congress to the Baltic states' foreign policy efforts; and
emphasizing the need for joint action in order to promote the integration of the Baltic states into international structures,
proposes:
1) to develop regular contacts between the Parliaments of the Baltic states and the Baltic
Caucus of the House of Representatives of the US Congress;
2) to establish a joint body for cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the US Congress.
RESOLUTION
Regarding Situation in the Caucasus
The Baltic Assembly,
voicing concern about the military actions of Russia in Chechnya and a constant escalation of tension in the Caucasus;
condemning any sort of terrorism;
emphasizing that peaceful residents should not be annihilated under the guise of combating terrorism;
considering the fact that because of military actions hundreds of thousands of people have fled the territory of Chechnya and are living under the open skies in conditions of a humanitarian and ecological catastrophe;
upholding the concern expressed by the international community regarding the violations of human rights in the Caucasus and lack of respect for the nations' right to self-determination,
appeals to the representatives of the legislative and executive power and political parties of the Russian Federation urging them to immediately fulfil the obligation confirmed by the declaration, issued by the OSCE in Istanbul and signed also by the Russian Federation, to seek a political solution of the existing problems by means of negotiations;
urges the state authorities of the Russian Federation to take urgent measures in order to create conditions for rendering immediate humanitarian aid to the suffering residents of this region by international organizations.
RESOLUTION
Concerning Preservation of Ethnic Culture in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
Ethnic culture is the essence of the existence, survival and strength of nations and the basis of national culture, which assists in preservation the self-awareness of nations, the independent life of society and the state in the community of European and world nations.
In the Baltic states ethnic culture has suffered and may suffer much future damage and penetration by alien cultures, caused by the twists of history.
The Baltic Assembly,
being aware of the importance of ethnic culture for the preservation of cultural and ethnic traits of nations and states;
taking into consideration the importance of ethnic culture for world culture and the peoples of our states;
expressing concern about the growing vulnerability of ethnic culture today;
emphasizing the responsibility of the present generation for the preservation of ethnic culture created by our ancestors and the need to ensure the continuity of inherited tradition;
realizing that the means of preserving ethnic culture must be diverse,
reminds the parliaments and the governments of the Republic of Estonia, Republic of Latvia and Republic of Lithuania of their responsibility in preserving ethnic culture and in continuing the inherited tradition; and
proposes to develop a set of specific measures and to provide financing for them from the national budgets.
RESOLUTION
Concerning the Return of Personal Files of Political Prisoners and Deportees
During the years of Soviet occupation hundreds of thousands of citizens (residents) of the Baltic states were subjected to repression and deported to various regions of the former Soviet Union. Every person subjected to repression had a personal file which accompanied him/her throughout the entire stay in a prison, camp or place of deportation. These files contained detailed entries of all the facts of imprisonment or deportation: penalties, transfers from one camp to another, character references of the repressed persons etc. Having the originals or copies of these files at one's disposal would provide an opportunity to get to know better the circumstances of imprisonment, conditions of life and exhausting labour of the persons who had been subjected to repression, and thus would also prove valuable as sources for researching Soviet repression.
The Baltic Assembly,
expressing concern over this issue,
urges the governments of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to pursue negotiations with the Russian Federation and other countries concerning the transfer of the personal files (or their copies) on the repressed citizens of the Baltic states to the respective countries.
RESOLUTION
On the Maintenance of Graves or Grave Sites of the Residents of the Baltic States who had been Subjected to Repression
As a result of the mass repression committed by the Soviet occupational regime during the period of 1940-1953, hundreds of thousands of residents of the Baltic states were deported. In various regions of the former USSR terror, harsh and unbearable conditions, starvation and diseases destroyed the majority of people who had been subjected to repression. The places of deportation and imprisonment of the residents of the Baltic States have become their eternal resting places. Not all of these places have been identified and registered and properly maintained. The neglected graves or grave sites and the symbols marking them have been almost obliterated by the elements and time.
The Baltic Assembly,
expressing concern regarding the above-mentioned and emphasizing the need to show due respect to the memory of our countrymen,
urges the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to start negotiations with the governments of the Russian Federation and other CIS countries, with the aim of establishing commissions which would identify, document and mark the places of the graves and the grave sites of the repressed residents of the Baltic states, and to conclude relevant interstate agreements.
RESOLUTION
On the Use of the Baltic Assembly Funds
1. The purpose of the Regulations On the Use of the Baltic Assembly Funds is to regulate the procedure for using financial resources in order to ensure their rational and effective spending.
2. Within the limits of their competence, a decision about the use of the Baltic Assembly funds shall be made by the session, the Presidium, the Budget and Audit Committee or the Secretary of the Baltic Assembly.
3. Funds of the Baltic Assembly shall be used in accordance with the Baltic Assembly Statute, the approved budget of the Baltic Assembly, and these Regulations.
4. The funds of the Baltic Assembly shall consist of the membership fees of the Baltic Assembly Member States, as well as of donations, earnings from economic activity permitted in accordance with the Statute of the Baltic Assembly and from other income included in the budget of the Baltic Assembly by the decision of its Presidium.
5. The budget resources of the Baltic Assembly shall be used for ensuring the work of the Baltic Assembly and its bodies (the Baltic Assembly sessions, meetings of its Presidium, Committees, the Secretariat, etc.) and any events organised by the Baltic Assembly (Baltic Assembly prizes, seminars, etc.) Expending funds for purposes unrelated to the work of the Baltic Assembly shall not be allowed.
Drafting and Approval of the Budget
6. The budget draft shall be planned so as to ensure the work of the Baltic Assembly bodies and the holding of the planned Baltic Assembly events. The budget draft should be itemized and should give a clear and full picture of the intended use of the budget resources.
7. The budget shall be drafted in conformity with the plan of activities of the Baltic Assembly. In developing activity programmes, Baltic Assembly delegations shall submit the estimates of the financial resources required for their implementation.
8. By April of each year, the Baltic Assembly Secretary shall prepare and submit to the parliaments of the Baltic Assembly Member States targeted budget figures for the coming year.
9. The Baltic Assembly budget shall be drafted jointly by the Presidium and the Secretary of the Baltic Assembly. The first draft of the budget should be ready by 20 September and should be submitted to the Budget and Audit Committee. The Budget and Audit Committee, jointly with representatives of the Committees, shall review the submitted draft budget and shall make amendments to it. By 1 November the draft budget shall be submitted to the Presidium, which shall later present it at the autumn session of the Baltic Assembly, to be approved in accordance with the procedure set by the Baltic Assembly Statute.
10. The autumn session of the Baltic Assembly shall review the presented draft budget and approve it.
Amendments to the Budget
11. If required, amendments may be made to the allocations of the Baltic Assembly budget. The Baltic Assembly Secretariat shall prepare a decision on the amendments and shall submit it to the Presidium. After coordination with the Budget and Audit Committee, the Presidium shall present the draft resolution to the Baltic Assembly session for approval.
12. In cases of unplanned income, a draft resolution of the Presidium shall be prepared concerning the inclusion of such resources in the Baltic Assembly budget. The draft resolution shall contain the estimates of such income and the justification for its use. The relevant estimates shall be forwarded to the Budget and Audit Committee for coordination. After that it shall be approved, and the received income shall be included in the Baltic Assembly budget.
Spending of the Budget Resources
13. The Baltic Assembly Member States shall pay their membership fees to the Baltic Assembly budget by 1 March of the current year.
14. The Secretary of the Baltic Assembly shall manage the Baltic Assembly funds. The financial resources shall be used only in conformity with the approved Baltic Assembly budget. The Secretary of the Baltic Assembly shall manage the budget resources so that the work of the Baltic Assembly bodies is ensured.
15. The Secretary of the Baltic Assembly shall approve and sign all financial documents and keep accounting records in compliance with the legislative acts of the Republic of Latvia.
16. The funds of the Baltic Assembly shall be kept in a bank account. The decision concerning the choice of the bank servicing the Baltic Assembly shall be made by the Budget and Audit Committee as proposed by the Secretary of the Baltic Assembly.
Control over the Use of the Budget Resources
17. Control over the use of the budget resources shall be exercised by the Baltic Assembly Presidium, the Budget and Audit Committee, and the Baltic Assembly session.
18. The Budget and Audit Committee shall have the right to examine and check the financial documents of the Baltic Assembly at any time.
19. Before an event is organized, the Secretary of the Baltic Assembly shall submit to the Presidium an estimate of costs required for this event. The Presidium shall examine the cost estimate and make adjustments in it, if required.
20. Every quarter of the year, the Secretary of the Baltic Assembly shall prepare and submit to the Presidium and the Budget and Audit Committee a report about the budget resources spent during the previous quarter. Every year in January, the Secretary of the Baltic Assembly shall prepare a report on the budget resources spent during the previous year and shall submit this report to the Presidium and to the Budget and Audit Committee. The Budget and Audit Committee shall check and examine the report and make adjustments in it, if required. After the approval of the report the Committee shall issue an opinion on the justification of the budget expenses of the Baltic Assembly. At the Baltic Assembly spring session, the Budget and Audit Committee shall present a report on the annual budget expenditure and the opinion on its justification.
21. At the Baltic Assembly regular session, the Budget and Audit Committee shall present a report on use of the funds received from donations and other unplanned income during the time between Baltic Assembly sessions.
22. These Regulations shall be an appendix to the Baltic Assembly Statute.
REGULATIONS
On the Flag of the Baltic Assembly
1. Description of the flag
1.1. The flag of the Baltic Assembly shall be a white-fabric rectangle with a blue, stylized three-contour trefoil in the top corner near the flag staff (in accordance with the Regulations on Symbols).
1.2. The dimensions of the flag shall be 1 x 2 m or 1,5 x 3 m.
1.3. The Chairman of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly shall use a standard. The dimensions of the standard shall be 15 x 30 cm.
1.4. The dimensions of the table standard shall be 14 x 28 cm.
1.5. The dimensions of the pennant shall be 28 x 14 cm.
1.6. Irrespective of the size of the flag, its dimensions shall be in the same proportions as the approved measurements.
2. Display of the flag
2.1. The Baltic Assembly flag shall be displayed:
2.1.1. during the days of sessions and other events held by the Baltic Assembly; the flag shall be placed to the left of the national flag (looking from the front side of the building);
2.1.2. permanently on the front wall of the Baltic Assembly Secretariat building. On days of national mourning, the flag shall be displayed as prescribed by regulations concerning national flags;
2.1.3. at events approved by the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly;
2.1.4. on other occasions at the initiative of the committees and on the decision of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly.
2.2. The table standard shall be used at the meetings of the bodies of the Baltic Assembly and of interparliamentary delegations.
2.3. It is prohibited to display a damaged Baltic Assembly flag.
2.4. A flag, a table standard and a pennant of the Baltic Assembly may be used as a gift for purposes of presentation.
3. Final provision
3. These Regulations shall be an appendix to the Baltic Assembly Statute.
REGULATIONS
On Symbols of the Baltic Assembly
1. The visual symbol of the Baltic Assembly shall be a blue, stylized, three-contour trefoil on a white background and the words "The Baltic Assembly" inscribed in three official languages (the graphic representation of the symbol and the colour designations are attached).
2. The symbols of the Baltic Assembly shall be used on Baltic Assembly documents, letterheads and publications, and in public places during events of the Baltic Assembly.
3. For the purposes of popularizing the Baltic Assembly, its symbols can be included in an artistic design on quality goods, souvenirs and packaging.
4. In all cases when the symbols of the Baltic Assembly are used for its popularization or for commercial purposes, permission from the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly shall be required for each type, time and place of their use.
5. The task of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly shall be:
1) to examine the applications by natural and legal persons for permission to use the symbols of the Baltic Assembly;
2) to set requirements concerning the quality of goods on which the symbols of the Baltic Assembly are used in an artistic design;
3) to examine violations of the use of the symbols of the Baltic Assembly and to make decisions;
4) to draft and approve the method of calculating the payment for the use of the symbols of the Baltic Assembly.
6. The procedure for spending the income from the use of the Baltic Assembly symbols shall be drafted by the Budget and Audit Committee.
7. The Secretariat of the Baltic Assembly, proceeding from the method drafted by the Presidium, shall:
1) determine the payment for the right to use the Baltic Assembly symbols;
2) supervise the use of the Baltic Assembly symbols in compliance with the present Regulations (Art. 50, subpoint 12, the Baltic Assembly Statute).
8. In obtaining permission to use the Baltic Assembly symbols, the following documents shall be submitted to the Secretariat of the Baltic Assembly:
1) an application;
2) a sketch or a sample of the respective item;
3) description of the purpose and the form of use;
4) a letter guaranteeing payment.
9. These Regulations shall be an appendix to the Baltic Assembly Statute.
