Tale på European Maritime Day

Disse momentene dannet grunnlaget for statssekretær Walaas’ innlegg:

• I am very pleased to take part in this second gathering on the European Maritime Day and the stakeholder conference here in Rome. 

• The European Union is - through the integrated maritime policy -  contributing strongly to strengthened maritime governance in Europe. EU initiatives in this field are indeed important for countries also outside the EU,  especially maritime nations like Norway.

• Let me also commend the excellent work of Commissioner Borg and the manner in which the Commission has handled the process and not least his inclusive approach to Norway - an approach that we trust will be followed by the next Commission. 

• Norway has actively contributed with input to the development of the integrated European maritime policy since the launch of the Green Paper. We appreciate being invited as observers in the Member State Expert Group and the High- Level Focal Points on the European Integrated Maritime Policy.

• We have many common interests with the EU in the field of maritime policy and we will do our utmost to contribute to its further development.

• The integrated maritime policy comprises a vast range of important issues, and I would like to share with you my reflections on some of them.

• One of the main challenges is related to maritime activities and its impact on the environment.

• On 8 May, the Norwegian Government presented its integrated management plan for the Norwegian Sea. The plan establishes a holistic and ecosystem-based management framework for the activities in this sea area. This means that all activities in the area should be managed within a single context and that the total environmental pressure from activities should not threaten the structure, functioning and productivity of the ecosystems.

• A first plan for the Barents Sea and the sea areas off the Lofoten Islands was presented in 2006. We are also committed to the development of a management plan for the North Sea by 2015, in close co-operation with our North Sea neighbors.

• We have noted with great interest the Commission’s proposal to strengthen the capacities of the European maritime transport system by  establishing an integrated information system to enable the identification, monitoring, tracking and reporting of all vessels to and from European ports and in transit through or in close proximity to EU waters.  We strongly  support this initiative which is important to the competitiveness of the maritime transport sector and the same time improve maritime safety and the environmental protection of coastal  areas

• Shipping is an energy efficient mode of transport and pollutes less than alternative modes of transport. Still, this industry is a substantial source of emissions with an untapped potential for reductions. We are pleased to see that the need to reach an international agreement on binding targets for green house gas emissions from ships is addressed in the Communication on a European Maritime Transport Policy.

• Norway is very pleased that the European Union has taken a lead in global efforts to fight climate change. We will do our utmost to support EU initiatives to develop an environmentally sustainable maritime policy.

• Climate challenges are crosscutting and require both European and global solutions. We must bear in mind that maritime transport is a truly global industry. Unilateral or regional rules should therefore be avoided. We want to work closely with the EU ahead of the Copenhagen summit in efforts to reach an agreement within the framework of the IMO. 

• We support the view presented in the Communication on a European Maritime Transport policy that the European maritime transport industry should maintain and develop further its global leading position. This corresponds to the ambitions in our Government Strategy for the maritime industries (October 2007).  A progress report on the implementation of this strategy will be presented before the summer holiday. 

• Allow me also to share with you some reflections about the challenges that we are facing in the High North:

• The Arctic is a region characterised by close cooperation and the absence of conflict, an area of peace and stability. 
• However, profound changes are occurring. Today we know that climate change is taking place most rapidly and most visibly in the Arctic. It is happening before our eyes: The sea ice is retreating at a pace never seen before.
• This was the back drop for Arctic Council’s Foreign Ministers when they met in Tromsø on 29 April. The meeting was a success – never before had so many ministers gathered for a Ministerial in the Council – 12 ministers including non-members like Italy which was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs  Frattini. The meeting reconfirmed the Arctic Council as the international body for discussion of Arctic issues. Ministers made a number of important decisions.   I would like to share with you the main points and conclusions from the meeting:
• The five countries surrounding the Arctic Ocean – the United States, Canada, Russia, Denmark/Greenland and Norway – have internationally recognised sovereignty over their land areas. 
• The Arctic Ocean is not subject to a specific regime or treaty. But this does not leave the Arctic in a legal vacuum. The legal framework for the Arctic is already in place. The Arctic is governed by the principles and rules enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in addition to various environmental and fisheries agreements, IMO rules and other general regulations. More than 150 states are party to the Law of the Sea Convention. It reflects international customary law on a broad range of key issues.
• The challenges facing the region have more to do with a lack of implementation of existing rules than with an actual lack of rules. To put it simply, the problem is not a lack of rules, it is a lack of policies. Our responsibility is to help formulate these policies.
• Thus, what we need today is not a new, comprehensive international legal regime governing the Arctic Ocean – but rather for governments to come together to develop policies and more specific rules to manage the increasing human activity in the region.
• The history of organised cooperation in the Arctic is brief. However, the Arctic Council is becoming an increasingly important body. It is the world’s only truly circumpolar organisation. It is also unique in that, in addition to the governments of the United States, Canada, Russia and the five Nordic countries, it includes permanent participants representing indigenous peoples, as well as a number of observer states.
• The Arctic Council’s role is decision-shaping rather than decision-making.
• Norway see a clear need for the Arctic Council to play a more active part in providing guidelines, best practices and knowledge for other international forums where decisions are made.
• We are in favour of including more permanent observers in the Arctic Council, including the European Commission. It is Norway’s view that the Arctic Council is served by having officially sanctioned observers. Formalisation of the status of observers strengthens the undisputed role of the Arctic Council as the leading Arctic circumpolar body. Everyone agrees that the observers are important partners, and we will continue to discuss the ways in which, and the extent, to which they can participate in the Council’s work.
• The Arctic, and especially the Arctic Ocean, has always been remote and difficult to access. This is now about to change. The sea ice has been dramatically reduced in recent decades and could soon disappear altogether during the summer.
• The consequences may be dramatic for the environment and for the people who depend on the ice for their livelihoods. At the same time, new opportunities will arise for commercial activities such as shipping, fisheries and the offshore petroleum industry.
• These developments will have to be addressed by the Arctic states in order to protect the environment and ensure sustainability. It will be a huge balancing act.
• However, the Arctic Council is already addressing these new challenges. This work is far from completed, but we have initiated projects in relation to many of the emerging activities in the Arctic. Let me briefly mention five steps forward in this respect:
• First, a comprehensive study on oil and gas activities has just been finalised and was endorsed by Ministers in Tromsø. It makes a number of important recommendations. In addition, the recently revised guidelines for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic define minimum procedures and standards. Norway would urge all – as a minimum – to implement these standards and procedures in oil and gas exploration in the Arctic. We strongly support a deepening of the cooperation on these crucial issues.
• Second, several projects have been launched to address maritime safety in the Arctic. The Arctic states have agreed to cooperate actively within the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on establishing guidelines for ships operating in ice-covered waters, and on the development of mandatory international regulations on safety and environmental protection in Arctic waters. This is a matter of urgency.
• There is also a need to develop and implement oil spill prevention measures in connection with increased maritime transport in the Arctic. Of particular importance here is the Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment.
• Third, the Arctic Council Ministers endorsed the recently finalised a report on ocean management that sets out agreed requirements for ecosystem-based ocean management, including living marine resources.
• Fourth, we approved a new project on the development of safety systems in connection with the implementation of economic and infrastructural projects in the Arctic. Russia and Norway will take the lead in this project, and we believe we should start by strengthening cooperation on the prevention of, and response to, accidental spills of oil and hazardous substances. Norway and Russia will take the lead on this.
• Fifth – and finally – we have agreed to strengthen cooperation on search and rescue in the Arctic, by establishing a task force to develop and negotiate an international instrument on cooperation in this area.
• I said earlier on that the challenges facing the Arctic region have more to do with a lack of policies – and the need for governments to come together to develop policies and develop more specific rules to manage the increasing human activity in the region.
• This is exactly what these five projects are doing. Strengthening cooperation. Focusing on implementation.

• I thank you for your attention and I look forward to hearing your views and participate in the discussion today.