Vice-President opens Parliamentary Conference on the Northern Dimension

5.41.51pm GMT Wed 28th Feb 2007

The European Parliament today Wednesday 28 February hosts a Parliamentary Conference on the Northern Dimension.

The Conference will bring together Parliamentarians from across Europe, including the EU, Norway, Iceland, Russia and Canada. It is intended to give elected representatives from countries involved in the Northern Dimension the chance to meet and direct policy.

First mooted at the Council meeting on the Northern Dimension held under the Swedish Presidency in Luxembourg in April 2001, Vice President of the European Parliament Diana Wallis, who has been instrumental in setting this Conference up, said it has taken a long time to bring such a parliamentary meeting to reality, but that the timing is nevertheless apt.

In the opening address Diana Wallis MEP will say:

"The policy area is of huge importance and that the Forum gives the enables elected parliamentarians to come together and deliver a clear message about what we want to see about Northern Dimension policy".

"There is a host of reasons why this Conference is timely. The Northern Dimension incorporates a number of key issues such as relations towards Russia, climate change in the Arctic, fish stocks, maritime policy and security of energy supply; all coinciding with the beginning of International Polar Year."

Diana Wallis MEP was present at that Luxembourg meeting in 2001 and recalled that she was keen then for the citizens of Europe to be properly represented in the process.

"I said at the time that we must seek democratic legitimacy for the Northern Dimension, so I was happy to say 'yes' to an annual review and 'yes' to the proposed forum but I was concerned that details of the forum mention business and NGOs but not our citizens."

"I am delighted the European Parliament has shown itself to be a willing partner in pursuing and championing the Northern Dimension through the setting up of this Conference. We have a real opportunity to represent Europe's citizens in the future development of this policy."