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Riga, 14 December 2002

The Baltic Assembly,

having convened on 13-14 December 2002 in Riga, the Republic of Latvia, for its 21^st Session,

having discussed the integration of the Baltic States into the European Union and informing society about the EU, the effectiveness of legislation in combating the spread of narcotic drugs, as well as the development of railway transport,

adopted the following documents:

1. Resolution on the Baltic States' Integration into NATO;
2. Resolution on Combating the Spread of Narcotic Drugs;
3. Resolution on the Renewal of Traffic in Crete Corridor I;
4. Resolution on Co-operation among Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in Developing Science and Technology;
5. Decision on the Reforms of the Baltic Assembly;
6. Decision on Introducing Amendments to the Statutes of the Baltic Assembly;
7. Regulations on the Activities of the Women's Group of the Baltic Assembly;

approved the Budget of the Baltic Assembly for 2003;

defined the following priorities of the Baltic Assembly for 2003:

1. Mutual information exchange and co-ordination on matters regarding the Baltic States in the context of EU and NATO enlargement processes;
2. Further development of energy and transport infrastructure;
3. Creation of a common information technology space;
4. Fight against the spread of narcotic drugs, trafficking in women and illegal immigration; and

decided that the 22^nd Session of the Baltic Assembly will take place on 28-30 November 2003 in Vilnius, the Republic of Lithuania. 

Jānis REIRS Chairman of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly Republic of Latvia

Giedrė PURVANECKIENĖ Vice Chairperson of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly Republic of Lithuania

Trivimi VELLISTE Vice Chairman of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly Republic of Estonia

Riga, 14 December 2002

RESOLUTION

On the Baltic States' Integration into NATO

The Baltic Assembly,

highly estimating the invitation to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation extended to the Baltic States,

calls on the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to co-operate more closely and to harmonise and co-ordinate their positions during the ratification of the Washington Treaty by the parliaments of NATO member states.

Riga, 14 December 2002

On Combating the Spread of Narcotic Drugs

The Baltic Assembly,

taking into consideration the Final Document of the Baltic Assembly Conference on "Influence of Legislation on Combating the Spread of Narcotic Drugs",

noting that drug addiction is increasing and spreading, thus harming the health of individuals and hindering their social development, as well as creating conditions for the growth of organised crime and threatening society's safety and welfare,

stressing the need for the Baltic States to draft and implement laws providing for stricter punitive measures for spreading narcotic drugs,

calls on the Baltic Council of Ministers: 

1. to step up efforts in the prevention of drug abuse and the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts;

2. to introduce strict legal sanctions against all persons who gain financially from the spreading and sale of narcotic drugs and against persons who participate in laundering money gained from drug trafficking;

3. to facilitate the co-operation of national, regional and local institutions of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by ensuring the exchange of information and by planning and implementing joint measures in combating the spread of narcotic drugs.

Riga, 14 December 2002

RESOLUTION

On the Renewal of Traffic in Crete Corridor I

The Baltic Assembly,

taking into consideration the international significance of Crete Corridor I,

assessing the volume of passenger traffic, as well as the trends in passenger traffic in the Baltic States, and

recognising  that the current priority of the Baltic States' railway is to ensure rail travel for local passengers,

calls on the Baltic Council of Ministers:

- to take a decision on renewing passenger rail traffic in Crete Corridor I (Tallinn-Riga-Vilnius-Warsaw);

- to allocate financing from the Baltic States' budgets for investments in railway rolling stock in order to equip railway carriages with wheel pairs of adjustable gauge, which could be used on both the European and the Russian standard railway tracks, as well as financing for annual grants to cover operating costs until the route becomes profitable.

Riga, 14 December 2002

RESOLUTION

On Co-operation among Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in Developing Science and Technology

The Baltic Assembly,

being mindful of the necessity

to create a knowledge-based society and economy in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania;

to establish a harmonised system for the interaction of science and manufacturing in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, functioning in accordance with a modern model of innovation and a system for managing innovation activities;

to prepare and implement horizontal, regional and sectoral programmes for innovation development;

to seek effective co-operation of universities, scientific research institutes and business undertakings of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania;

to participate in research when carrying out international programmes or concrete projects and thus to become integrated into the European research system, to make use of its vast financial and technological resources, and to take over advanced institutional experience,

calls on  the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to appropriate necessary funds for the development of science and technology in order to ensure comprehensive development of the Baltic Assembly member states;

proposes to set up a science and technology co-ordination council under the Baltic Council of Ministers in order to develop co-operation of the Baltic Assembly member states in science and technology and to harmonise R&D policy with international priorities, European Union assistance programmes and sources of funding.

Riga, 14 December 2002

DECISION

On the Reforms of the Baltic Assembly

The Baltic Assembly,

taking into account the integration of the Baltic States into the European Union and NATO,

underlining the essential significance and benefit of the Baltic States' co-operation in an enlarged Europe,

considering it necessary to introduce a new structure and adopt a new strategy of the Baltic Assembly in the new international situation in order to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in addressing adequately and efficiently the challenges and issues that emerge over time,

decides the following:

1) to start a one-year presidency of the Baltic Assembly on 1 January 2003 with Lithuania as the presiding country;

2) to approve structural reforms of the Baltic Assembly and to start the implementation of these reforms during 2003;

3) to intensify the reform process for improving co-operation between the Baltic Assembly and the Baltic Council of Ministers;

4) to further intensify co-operation with the Nordic Council and the Benelux Interparliamentary Consultative Council by defining the strategy and content of practical co-operation.

Riga, 14 December 2002

DECISION

On Introducing Amendments to the Statutes of the Baltic Assembly

The Baltic Assembly has decided to introduce the following amendments to the Statutes of the Baltic Assembly:

1. To restate paragraph 2 of Article 9 to read as follows:

"2. At the end of each Session of the Baltic Assembly, the head of the national delegation of the next presiding state shall become the Chairman of the Presidium for the next calendar year. The incumbent Chairman shall perform his/her functions till 1 January."

2. To supplement paragraph 3 of Article 11 with the second sentence to read as follows:

"At least once a year the Presidium shall invite chairmen and vice chairmen of the committees and representatives of the Baltic Council of Ministers to its meeting to evaluate the activities of the current year and to set priorities for the next year."

3. In article 13:

to restate the 2^nd sub-paragraph of paragraph 2 to read as follows:

"2) Economic Affairs, Communications and Informatics Committee;"

to restate the 7^th sub-paragraph of paragraph 2 to read as follows:

"7) Social Affairs Committee."

4. In Article 16:

to delete the word "autumn" from the 3^rd sub-paragraph of paragraph 3;

to delete the word "spring" from the 4^th sub-paragraph of paragraph 3.

5. In Article 17:

to restate the first sentence of paragraph 1 to read as follows:

"1. At the end of each Session, the national delegation of the next presiding state shall appoint chairmen of committees from among its members.";

to supplement the third sentence of paragraph 1, after the words "vice chairmen", with the words: "for the next calendar year";

to restate the first sentence of paragraph 3 to read as follows:

"3. In the absence of a committee chairman, the vice chairman from the previous presiding state of the Baltic Assembly shall act as chairman of the committee."

6. In Article 18:

to replace in paragraph 1 the words "at least twice in six months" by the words "at least three times a year";

to supplement paragraph 2 with the second sentence to read as follows:

"Committee meetings should be held in each BA member state insofar as possible.";

to supplement paragraph 3 with the second sentence to read as follows:

"Committees may organise joint events, and chairmen of the respective committees shall decide who will chair these events."

7. In Article 22:

to restate the first sentence of paragraph 1 to read as follows:

"1. The chairman of the Drafting Committee shall be appointed by the delegation of the next presiding state, and his/her name shall be announced at the session together with the composition of the Drafting Committee."

to restate paragraph 3 to read as follows:

"3. In the absence of the chairman of the Drafting Committee, his/her duties shall be performed by the vice chairman who is from the national delegation of the previous presiding state."

8. In Article 26:

to restate paragraph 1 to read as follows:

"1. A regular Session of the Baltic Assembly shall be held once a year in the presiding country.";

to restate paragraph 3 to read as follows:

"3. The term of presidency of the Baltic Assembly shall be one calendar year and the presidency shall be held alternately by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Not later than two months before the beginning of the Session, the presiding state shall set the exact venue of the Session, and the secretary of its delegation shall notify the Baltic Assembly Secretariat and the secretaries of other national delegations thereof."

9. To delete the word "autumn" from paragraph 1 of Article 55.

10. To supplement paragraph 4 of Article 60 with the second sentence to read as follows:

"The Baltic Assembly may request from the Baltic Council of Ministers a progress report on the implementation of Baltic Assembly resolutions."

The amendments enter into force as of 1 January 2003.

Riga, 14 December 2002

REGULATIONS

On the Activities of the Women's Group of the Baltic Assembly

Article 1. Women's Group of the Baltic Assembly

To express similar interests and views female members of the national delegations shall, on the basis of an appropriate joint statement, establish a women's group.

Article 2. Tasks and Competence of the Women's Group

The tasks of the women's group shall be as follows:

- to consider issues relevant to the members of the appropriate group;

- to adopt general provisions regarding the considered issues;

- to consider and draft documents referred to it by the Presidium during sessions.

The rights of the women's group shall be as follows:

- to initiate adoption of a document of any form;

- to submit drafts of documents to the Presidium or the session, and to propose voting on them;

- to supervise the implementation of the documents drawn up by it and adopted by the Baltic Assembly;

- to familiarize the women's groups of the national parliaments with the documents adopted by the Baltic Assembly which are within their remit;

- to pose questions to the Baltic Council of Ministers and to receive answers to them.

Article 3. Members of the Women's Group

Female members of the national delegations may set up the women's group. The women's group must comprise at least 5 female members from not less than two national delegations.

Article 4. Chairwoman and Deputy Chairwoman of the Women's Group

The women's group shall elect a chairwoman and a deputy chairwoman according to the principle of rotation and shall inform the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly thereof.

Article 5. Meetings of the Women's Group

Meetings of the women's group shall be convened at least once a year. The chairwoman of the women's group shall convene meetings, draw up their agendas and fix the date and place of the meetings.

Members of the party groups (factions) of the Baltic Assembly, members of the women's groups of other parliamentary cooperation organizations, representatives of the women's groups of the national parliaments, representatives of the governments, as well as experts may be invited to attend meetings of the women's group.

Meetings shall be organized by the national secretary of the member state in which the meeting of the women's group is held.

The Baltic Assembly Secretariat shall conduct meetings and take minutes thereof. The minutes shall indicate the time and place of a meeting, surnames of the participants, issues considered, principal positions and adopted decisions. The minutes shall be signed by the presiding officer and the person who has taken the minutes.

Article 6. Decisions of the Women's Group

The powers of the women's group of the Baltic Assembly shall be valid if at its meeting at least two national delegations of the Baltic Assembly are represented by at least two female members each, including the chairwoman or deputy chairwoman of the women's group.

Decisions of the women's group shall be adopted at a meeting of the women's group by consensus of the members attending the meeting.

Article 7. Financial Support for the Women's Group

The women's group shall enjoy the right to the same financial support as all other party groups (factions).

Riga, 14 December 2002

DECISION

On the Baltic Assembly Budget 2003

The Baltic Assembly approves its budget for the year 2003 in the amount of EUR 293,928 in accordance with the attached Baltic Assembly budget appropriations.

According to Article 54, paragraph 2, of the Baltic Assembly Statutes, the expenses necessary for ensuring the activities of the Baltic Assembly shall be shared equally by the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Jānis REIRS Chairman of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly Republic of Latvia

Giedrė PURVANECKIENĖ Vice Chairperson of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly Republic of Lithuania

Trivimi VELLISTE Vice Chairman of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly Republic of Estonia

Riga, 14 December 2002