ANNEX 1: Abbreviations, Acronyms, Organisations of pan-Baltic importance

Acronym

 

Explanation

Agenda 21

 

Document adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro (1992)

b.

 

billion (= 1,000 million)

Baltic 21

 

An initiative to develop an agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region, adopted at a Conference of Ministers of Environment at Stockholm/ Saltsjöbaden, and following a corresponding decision taken by Baltic Sea States’ Prime Ministers at Visby in the framework of CBSS in May 1996

B21

 

Baltic 21

Baltic Sea Conference of Ministers of Culture

 

Meetings in 1993 (Stockholm), 1995 (Tallinn), 1997 (Lübeck), 1999 (Gdansk) to promote cultural cooperation

Baltic Sea Conference of Ministers of Economy

 

Meetings in 1995 (Helsinki), 1998 (Gdansk), 2000 (Bergen) to remove trade and investment barriers

Baltic Sea Conference of Ministers of Energy

 

Meeting in 1998 (Stavanger) to cooperate with the Baltic Energy Task Force (EC); Baltic Energy Summit 1999 at Helsinki to promote sustainable energy supply and pan-Baltic distribution networks

Baltic Sea Conference of Ministers of Transport

 

Meetings in 1992 (Szczeczin), 1994 (Kaliningrad), and 1997 (Berlin) to promote common transport infrastructure and transport regulations

BC

 

Business Co-operation

BCCA

 

Baltic Sea Chambers of Commerce Association (founded in 1992, located at Kiel, involving 52 Chambers of Commerce around the BS to promote enterprise cooperation and remove trade barriers)

BEAC

 

Barents Euro-Arctic Council

BEATA

 

Barents Euro-Arctic Transport Area

BPF

 

Border Project Facility

BPO

 

Baltic Ports Organization, founded in 1991, located at Copenhagen, comprising 40 ports of the BSR, to promote sea transport and port development

BS

 

Baltic Sea

BSA

 

Baltic Sea Alliance (founded 1996 by BCCA, BSSSC and UBC, supported by Baltic Institute of Finland; located at Kalmar, to develop an information network on the BSR)

BSPF

 

Baltic Small Project Facility

BSR

 

Baltic Sea Region

BSS

 

Baltic Sea States

BSSSC

 

Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation (cooperation of 162 regions from the BSS to discuss cooperation projects and to participate in BSR action programs); founded in 1993, location Bornholm/ Kiel

BTC

 

Baltic Tourism Commission, created in 1983, located at Norrköping/ Sweden; cooperation of organisations, associations, agencies and enterprises from the tourism sector to promote cooperation

CAP

 

Common Agricultural Policy (of the EU)

CBC

 

Cross Border Co-operation

CBSS

 

Council of Baltic Sea States (cooperation of 10 Baltic Sea States founded in 1992)

CBUR

 

Conference of Baltic University Rectors, founded in 1990, located at Kiel

CEC

 

Central European Countries

CEE

 

Central and Eastern Europe

CEEC

 

Central and Eastern European Countries

CEMAT

 

European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning

CPMR

 

Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe

CSD/ BSR

 

Committee on Spatial Development of the Baltic Sea Region

CIP

 

Community Initiative Programme

CIS

 

Commonwealth of Independent States

Convention on Biological Diversity

 

adopted in 1992 to reverse loss of biological and genetic resources. Periodic reports required

Crete Corridors

 

see Helsinki corridors

EBRD

 

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

E-BSR

 

Eastern Baltic Sea Region, defined here as BSR areas of transition countries: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Russia

EC

 

European Commission

ECE

 

Economic Commission for Europe

EEA

 

European Environment Agency

EEA

 

European Economic Area

EfE

 

Environment for Europe

EFTA

 

European Free Trade Agreement

EIA

 

Environment Impact Assessment

EIB

 

European Investment Bank

EIC

 

Euro-Info Centres

EICC

 

Euro Info Correspondence Centres

EMEP

 

Co-operative programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long range transmission of air pollutants in Europe

EP

 

European Parliament

ERDF

 

European Regional Development Fund

ESDP

 

European Spatial Development Perspective

ESPON

 

European Spatial Planning Observatory Network

Espoo Convention

 

Convention on transboundary EIA adopted in Espoo, Finland, 1991; in force since 1995 specifying procedural rights and duties for mutual involvement of countries

EU

 

European Union

EUREGIO

 

European Region

FDI

 

Foreign Direct Investment

FFH

 

Flora-Fauna-Habitat EU Directive

GDP

 

Gross Domestic Product

GIS

 

Geographical Information System

HELCOM

 

Helsinki Commission, founded in 1980 to protect and improve the BS environment; located at Helsinki

Helsinki Corridors

 

Multi-modal transport corridors linking the EU with Central and Eastern European countries, adopted at the Third Pan-European Transport Conference in Helsinki (predecessor: Crete Corridors)

IASC

 

International Arctic Science Committee

IBSFC

 

International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission

ICE

 

Inter-city Express Train

ICZM

 

Integrated Coastal Zone Management

ICZMP

 

Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan

IEA

 

International Energy Agency

IFI

 

International Financial Institution

IMF

 

International Monetary Fund

INTAS

 

International Association for the Promotion of Co-operation with Scientists for the NIS

Interreg

 

Inter Regional Cooperation Programme of the EU

ISPA

 

Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession (created by the EU)

ITU

 

International Telecommunications Union

JCP

 

Joint Comprehensive Environment Action Programme (of HELCOM)

LIFE

 

L’Instrument Financier pour Environnement

m.

 

million

MATROS

 

Development of the mari­time transportation system in the BSR from a spatial development perspective (a project initiated by VASAB)

MLW

 

Management of Coastal Lagoons and Wetlands (of HELCOM)

Montreal Protocol

 

Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1989 with later strengthening); ODS = Ozone-depleting substances

MS

 

Member State

ND

 

Northern Dimension

NEFCO

 

Nordic Environment Funding Co-operation

NGO

 

Non Governmental Organisation

NICE

 

Nitrogen cycle and effects on the oxidation of atmospheric trace species at high latitudes.

NIS

 

New Independent States

Nordic Council

 

Cooperation of Parliaments and Governments of Nordic States and organisations (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Aland, Greenland), founded in 1952, located in Copenhagen

NPP

 

Nuclear Power Plant

OECD

 

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

OP

 

Operational Programme

OPC

 

Operational Committee

PCA

 

Partnership and Co-operation Agreement

PETN

 

Pan-European Transport Network (the extension of TEN to CEEC)

PETRA

 

Pan European Transport Area

PHARE

 

Poland and Hungary: Action for economic restructuring (later extended to other CEEC)

PITF

 

Programme Implementation Task Force (of HELCOM)

Pro Baltica Forum

 

Private-public partnership founded in 1993 to promote European integration of Baltic States and to promote economic cooperation in the BSR, located at Hamburg

R & D

 

Research and Development

Ramsar Convention

 

Convention on Wetlands of international importance, adopted in Ramsar (Iran) 1971

RTD

 

Research and Technical Development

SAPARD

 

Special Accession Programme for Agriculture Rural Development

SF

 

Finland

SME

 

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

SOG

 

Senior Officials Group (e.g. in Baltic21)

SuPortNet

 

Sustainable Development of a Network of Ports for Boat Tourism (an InterregIIC – Phare – Tacis funded project initiated by VASAB)

SWEBALTCOP

 

Sweden Baltic Sea Co-operation

SWOT

 

Strength – Weaknesses – Opportunities – Threats analysis

Tacis

 

Technical Assistance Commonwealth of Independent States

TAIEX

 

Technical Assistance Information Exchange Programme

TEMPUS

 

Programme Trans-Européen de Coopération de l’Enseignement

TEN

 

Trans-European Networks in the fields of transport, communications and energy

TETN

 

Trans-European Transport Networks

TINA

 

Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment in Central Europe (launched by the EU Commission in the framework of accession preparations)

TSPF

 

TACIS Small Scale Project Facility

UBC

 

Union of Baltic Cities (cooperation of 86 cities – status Oct. 1999 - around the BS founded in 1991), location Kalmar

UNCED

 

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

UNFCCC

 

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations; initial emission reduction commitments agreed in Kyoto, 1997; national reports shall document national emission policies

USUN

 

Urban System and Urban Networking (InterregIIC project)

VASAB

 

Vision and Strategies around the Baltic Sea

VBSD

 

Via Baltica Spatial Development Zone project

VET

 

Vocational Education Training

W-BSR

 

Western Baltic Sea Region, defined here as BSR areas of Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany

WTO

 

World Trade Organisation

WWF

 

World Wide Fund for Nature