Minister of Foreign Affairs Bjørn Tore Godal

The North Sea Basin
Perspectives on a European Core Region

The North Sea Commission, Grimstad, 8 June 1995

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am sure that all of you will join me in saying what a pleasure it is to be here in Grimstad, a town that is a true product of the North Sea culture. You cannot have failed to notice that Grimstad lies facing the sea. And the many boats moored in the harbour testify to the fact that maritime activities are an integral part of life in Grimstad. This was even more the case over a hundred years ago. Proud sailing ships could be seen riding at anchor just outside the harbour, and the town itself was known for its earthy maritime atmosphere. At that time Grimstad could boast 40 shipyards, which was outstanding for a town with a population of only a few thousand. This was the era when it was said of representative to the Storting and shipowner Morten Schmidt Petersen, who came from Grimstad, that he had his shirts washed in London. Far from being an indication of the length of time that elapsed between each time he changed his shirt, this was intended to show how easy it was to get to London. In the summertime, it could actually be simpler to travel to London than to Oslo.

The North Sea Basin has held a key position in the development of Europe. The North Sea has been an important trade route since the Viking era - indeed even before that time. The contacts around the North Sea were further developed during the Hanseatic period and, later on, during the golden age of Holland and England, until the mid-1800s when the North Sea states were the hub of Europe in terms of population and resources. The shipping nations found almost all the strategic raw materials of the time around the North Sea: timber for the construction of ships and masts, hemp for sails, and tar to prevent woodwork and ships from rotting. Timber and iron were exported from Grimstad to commercial centres across the sea. And goods were not all that were moved; in the 1600s, many people from this part of Norway left for Holland as sailors and servant-girls. In the 1700s, people from Jutland moved to Norway, while in the 1800s the flow was in the opposite direction. In other parts of the North Sea, migrations were even larger, for example, between England and the European mainland. All this movement contributed to the creation of a North Sea culture.

History shows that this is an area in which close contacts and ties have been forged and nurtured for centuries. The economic and political cooperation has grown and become increasingly closer. Thus, the North Sea Region has a sound basis for playing an important role in the Europe of Regions which is currently evolving.

Norway has for a long time worked to make it possible for regions and counties to play a more active role in the Europe of the future. This also applies to cooperation across national borders. We have been actively involved in regional, cross-border cooperation in the Nordic Region since 1977. I might mention that we were cofounders of the Council of the Baltic Sea States in 1992, and that we took the initiative for the Barents Cooperation.

In considering the development of a North Sea Region, there are four aspects that can provide a good starting-point:

First of all, as I mentioned earlier, it is a historical region, with a long-standing tradition of interaction and communication.

Secondly, the North Sea plays an extremely important geo-political and geo-economic role. The North Sea is the natural gateway to the Atlantic for some of the major industrial areas in Europe and for large parts of "inland Europe". It is also the natural gateway to the Baltic. The infrastructure of the area is well developed, and the entire North Sea Basin is today part of the EU internal market.

Thirdly, the North Sea Basin occupies an exceptional position with regard to resources. It contains some of the world's most plentiful fishing banks, producing a unique variety of seafood, and has rich deposits of oil and, in particular, gas only a short distance from the European markets. These energy resources, which are mainly exploited by Britain and Norway, are piped ashore at sites all around the North Sea.

Fourthly, more extensive practical cooperation has been developed in the North Sea Basin than around any other comparable international sea area. The extensive cooperation at government level has resulted in a large number of bilateral and multilateral conventions, particularly on resources and the environment. As you all know, the ongoing collaboration at county level under the auspices of the North Sea Commission has been very successful. It is important that this cooperation is linked to the EU through the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions, the CPMR. I should also mention the North Sea Society, the Skagerrak/Kattegat Group, West Nordic Cooperation and the twin town scheme.

Given these four aspects, it would be reasonable to assume that the North Sea Region was also on the political agenda in the North European capitals. However, this is not necessarily the case. In the capitals of northern Europe today, there is more talk of the Baltic Sea Region and the Barents Region, and in Brussels, more attention is paid to the Mediterranean area than to the North Sea Region. It is not difficult to explain why. Priority has been given to other areas where there has been or is tension and where cooperation would thus seem more difficult to achieve.

In 1992, the European Commission initiated three comprehensive analyses of developments in areas adjacent to EU borders, i.e. the Nordic and Baltic Sea area, Central and Eastern Europe, and North Africa. The Commission was interested in reviewing developments in these areas in the context of the Brussels agenda.

The results of the analyses were followed up. Today, the relationship between the EU and the countries of the Nordic areas has been clarified in that Denmark, Sweden and Finland have chosen membership while Norway and Iceland are associated with the EU through the EEA Agreement. The EU's relationship to the Baltic States and Poland will be part of a strategy for the expansion of EU links with Eastern Europe. On 29 May, the EU meeting of foreign ministers adopted a union approach towards the Baltic Sea Region. The next major area where the EU will be focusing its efforts seems to be the Mediterranean area, especially the countries of North Africa.

Thus, from the Brussels standpoint, an initial, systematic review of the relationship between the EU and the areas adjacent to its northern, eastern and southern borders has been carried out. In this context, it is important that the North Sea Region continues to receive due attention. We must be willing and able to put this cooperation on the political agenda.

This is a strategic argument for calling the attention of the European capitals to what I would term "the fourth corner of Europe". Norway has, of course, an independent national interest in participating in this process by virtue of the EEA Agreement with the EU. From our point of view, it is important to expand regional cooperation so that we are also able to take part in the development of areas in our vicinity in the North Sea Basin. For Norway, the North Sea Cooperation will be an important arena for our regional involvement in the future, not least in the context of our international environmental commitment. This is reflected in the fact that we have undertaken to establish and finance a secretariat.

We are embarking on this enterprise with a stock of practical experience which may prove to be of interest to other North Sea countries as we work together to develop the region we share. As early as 1954, exemption from passport requirements between the Nordic countries and a common labour market were introduced, paving the way for closer contact across the internal Nordic borders. We have 20 years of experience of cross-border cooperation between Nordic countries. This cooperation has made it possible for local and regional authorities to cooperate more closely across national borders. As part of this cooperation, which is funded through the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Nordic governments and national assemblies have undertaken to repeal any national legislation which might make cooperation more difficult and bureaucratic. At the time, this was an innovation in the field of cross-border cooperation in Europe. Consequently, the experience gained by the Nordic countries has proved to be important in the context of the strong emphasis placed by both the Council of Europe and the EU on cross-border cooperation in the last five or ten years.

The Nordic countries have also been able to draw upon valuable experience in connection with the Baltic Sea Region and, for Norway's part, in the Barents Region in particular. The European Commission participates in both of these regional cooperation fora, so that we can safely say that our store of experience has been harvested within a broad European framework. The Barents Cooperation has provided us with important experience in terms of interaction between the governments that take part in the Barents Council and between the counties that are members of the Regional Council. Our intention all along has been that the cooperation between the counties should be the driving force in the Barents Cooperation. In this way we wished to ensure that the cooperation would primarily benefit those living in the region.

The Norwegian Government gave the Norwegian counties in the north the political and economic means to conclude cooperation agreements with other counties across the former East-West divide. This meant that they did not always need to go through the capitals. It goes without saying that since this cooperation has definite security policy overtones, and since it had to be built up from the ground, the capitals had to play an important role, especially during the initial phase. I think that the Barents Council represents a model that could to some extent be of interest in a discussion concerning the development of formal structures in the North Sea Region.

The development of North Sea Cooperation must of course take place on the basis of existing cooperation and must take account of the distinctive character of the region. Here it is not a matter of breaking new ground, but of realizing the potential for cooperation between friendly neighbours who already know one another well. This must be done primarily within the political framework provided by EU cooperation. I am therefore very pleased that Belinda Pyke from Neil Kinnock's cabinet is here today as a representative of the European Commission.

Regional cooperation must spring from the political realities in the communities surrounding the North Sea. It is not surprising that there is widespread scepticism in this area to forms of cooperation that have a heavily supranational emphasis. The desire to retain local and national influence on developments has often been viewed as a hindrance to the development of cooperation in Europe. In reality the opposite is the case. It is precisely the local involvement in business and industry, organizations and democratic bodies that gives nourishment to genuine cooperation across national borders. However, international measures and solutions are often required to get the cooperation off the ground.

It is precisely this solicitude for local and regional responsibility that is the region's most important political asset and that will enable the countries around the North Sea to develop interesting new methods for working at regional level. I believe that this willingness to share and develop democratic responsibility and to improve our understanding of democratic working methods can give the region a leading role in the development of democratic structures in the new Europe.

My view of the North Sea Cooperation is a very straightforward one. We must develop a form of regional cooperation here that is anchored in European cooperation, but at the same time ensure that the region's role as the natural gateway to the Baltic Sea and the USA is translated into a political asset both for the European countries and for the transatlantic ties. The Baltic Sea Cooperation and the North Sea Cooperation must be viewed in connection with each other. The role of the North Sea as the gateway to the USA is not merely of historical interest. The North has played an important role in transatlantic relations, and must continue to do so. We do not want to see a Festung Europa nor an inward-looking USA.

As we continue to develop existing regional structures, it will be particularly important to build on the contacts that have grown up over the centuries between towns, municipalities and local communities on different sides of the North Sea. However, we must not forget the role governments can play. If the counties and local communities feel a need for governments to become more closely involved in cooperation, we should consider whether we need more permanent government-level structures.

For many years, developments in the North Sea area have been governed by a large number of conventions and cooperation agreements. New agreements are continually being concluded. In this connection, I would like to mention the new North Sea declaration scheduled to be signed by the environment ministers of the nine North Sea countries and the EU Commissioner responsible for the environment in Esbjerg tomorrow.

It is the responsibility of the governments in the area to make the best possible use of these instruments for the good of the region as a whole. It will be particularly important to encourage the various governments to continue to pursue their national policies with this in mind. In this context, I would like to raise the question whether we need a regional forum where local and regional initiatives can be taken up and developed, and where the various governments' responsibilities and tasks can be discussed independently of national borders. This would also provide a forum for discussing any conflicts that might arise. One important purpose of such a forum should be to facilitate the development of new kinds of popular and democratic involvement in issues that have international causes but national effects. This is particularly important in a region where people attach so much importance to retaining local and national influence.

Establishing government-level cooperation could also facilitate efforts to promote regional projects by means of legislation. This would also be important in terms of putting the North Sea Region on the EU agenda. We should examine the possibilities of implementing future INTERREG programmes across maritime borders in the region and, if this is of interest, engaging the EU countries concerned in a dialogue on this subject. Here we should be able to make use of the experience gained from the INTERREG programmes involving Finland and Estonia and the programmes covering the Finnish and Swedish coastal areas.

I would like to propose that the counties represented in the North Sea Commission should examine the need for developing more closely integrated cooperation in the North Sea Region, and for organizing a North Sea Conference in which central government representatives could also take part. Such a conference should evaluate the status of cooperation in the North Sea Region to date and consider its future potential. It would be natural to include both the national authorities and the European Commission in such a conference.

The practical results of the various programmes are more important than institutions and conferences. In addition to the North Sea Commission's draft programme, the respective counties and the competent ministries should be able to submit proposals. In this connection I would like to mention the regional policy cooperation begun in 1994 between the Nordic countries and Scotland, even though this cooperation is taking place at central level. It includes subjects that are relevant to economic development in outlying areas, cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises, the practical application of information technology in economic development and the setting up of networks covering universities and colleges and the business community.

I myself would like to make a brief mention of the developments we are currently witnessing in high-speed maritime communications. These are an important means of linking the region more closely together and could prove to be a significant step in renewing the region's transport system at a time when land communications have long been the main priority at both national and European level. It could be important to develop maritime transport, harbours and, especially, technological and logistic links with coastal traffic and inland waterways.

We must have specific suggestions as to how regional cooperation can be funded. At present Norway is very interested in developing cooperation further by means of pilot projects under the terms of Article 10 of the EU Regional Fund. Together with the Swedish and Finnish authorities, we have been planning close cross-border cooperation based on the EU's INTERREG programme. It will not be possible to give pilot projects the same scope, but such projects will create a foundation for expanded cooperation in the North Sea Region. I am aware that the Minister of Local Government and Labour has received a tentative application for funds to finance part of the Norwegian share of the North Sea Commission's 1995-97 programme. Like him, I take a favourable view of Norwegian participation within the framework of pilot projects. A decision will be taken on the question of government co-financing when a final programme has been submitted.

Regional cooperation requires measures to strengthen and develop a sense of regional affinity. The communities of the North Sea region are in a particularly favourable position in this respect because of their shared history. In this connection, it is interesting to note that the "internal seas" of Europe are increasingly becoming a focus of cultural attention. We have seen such developments around the Mediterranean; Art Baltica has been held in the Baltic Region, and in the Barents Region we have provided funds for arranging festivals and disseminating information about the old historical ties between Russia and this part of the Nordic region.

In this connection, we can exploit the new interest in the coasts of Europe. "Coastal Norway" has become a familiar concept, and in recent years a number of coastal cultural centres have been established. Obviously, this focus on the coast should not be taken as a wish to create new divisions between coastal and inland regions, but as an indication that for hundreds of years our close links with the sea have provided a basis for economic activity and for the development of our culture and way of life. The waters off our coasts - the Skagerrak and Kattegat, the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea - have not only encircled our shores, but have been our means of contact with our neighbours across the sea and our gateway to the rest of the world.

I believe researchers, the media and the arts would find it inspiring to focus on the close historical ties between the countries around the North Sea and what we might call our common North Sea culture. We must give people a better understanding of the sense of community that has always prevailed around the North Sea. To do this, it is important to recreate the aspects of the region's history that have been omitted from national history books. This will strengthen this sense of community, which is already shared by so many small coastal communities around the great North Sea Basin. The fact that such a sense of community is alive today was confirmed when the EU's report on regional policy "Europe in the Year 2000" classified the Highlands and Islands as part of the "Atlantic Arc", thus linking them with countries further south. There were immediate protests, and in the EU's new strategic documents for 1995 these areas have been restored to their rightful place, as part of the North Sea Region, which in my view is where they belong.

Looking back in time often helps us to look ahead. The proud maritime cultures along the shores of the North Sea provided an important basis for modern industrial production, which actually started in this region. In the last few decades the region has taken an unprecedented technological leap, particularly in the petroleum sector. We saw an example of this some months ago, when the largest structure the world has ever seen was towed out of a Norwegian fjord into the North Sea - the Troll platform. Let this be a symbol of the perspectives offered by the North Sea Basin as an integral part of the new Europe of Regions.

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Lagt inn 27 juli 1995 av Statens forvaltningstjeneste, ODIN-redaksjonen