Foorumin pöytäkirja

From the Energy and Environment Forum of the Nordic Regions
26. – 28.9.2000

In the Fifth Energy and Environment Forum of the Nordic Regions held in Murmansk, participated representatives from Russia from Murmansk, Archangelsk, Pskov, Leningrad oblast, Republic of Karelia, cities of Saint-Petersburg, Moscow, Omsk, Tver, Tobolsk, Volgograd, Nizny Novgorod and Novgorod. From Finland there were representatives from Finpro, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the provinces of Oulu and Lappland and the Universities of Oulu and Lappland. From Sweden the representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and from Norway the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present. In addition to these, representatives from international financing institutions and numerous companies participated in the event.

In the Forum presentations from experts on heat maintenance, water and waste management, development of telecommunications technology, reparations construction, international co-operation and the realisation of energy saving projects part of Tacis-projects were given. At the Forum international financing institutions (Tacis, World Bank, Nefco, EBRD) presented their own operation models and realisation of projects.

The following matters were discussed at the Forum:

1. Co-operation between Russia and Scandinavian countries in the sphere of energy saving and environmental activity.

2.  Rresults of practical activities of the participants of the Association Ecotech-Energy 50 on implementation of the joint projects within the framework of cross-border co-operation

3.  Perspectives of implementation of the mechanisms of the Framework Convention of UN on Global Climate Change and joint implementation projects.

4.  Investment possibilities provided by different international financial institutions aiming at solving matter of energy resource saving.

The Participants of the Forum took into consideration:
Information of the Russian Co-ordination Tacis Bureau on re-orientation of the National Tacis Program for Russia in 2000-2006 towards solving of the political matters of the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement concluded between the EU and Russia and on the new Indicative Program ”Tacis – Cross-border co-operation” for 2000-2003 stipulating raising of the role of the regional administrations, organizations and forums of the regional cooperation.

According to the results of the discussions of the participants representing the above mentioned regions, the Forum approved the following Memorandum:

§1. The participants of the Forum state availability of the practical results of the activities implemented by the Association Ecotech-Energy 50 on the territory of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region.

§2. The participants of the Forum confirmed appropriateness of the proposed decision to establish joint institutional working group headed by the Department of the State Energy Supervision and Energy Saving ”Gosenergonadzor” of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation taken at the international Conference ”Problems of mechanisms on fulfillment of UNO frame convention on global climate changes in energy sphere. Role of Russian Regions”, held on 4-6 Sept. 2000 in Arkhangelsk.

§3. The Participants of the Forum recommend to co-ordinate the decisions taken by the Fifth International Forum and the International Conference ”Problems of mechanisms on fulfillment of UNO frame convention on global climate changes in energy sphere. Role of Russian Regions.”

§4. The participants of the Forum recommend to disseminate positive experience of the Republic of Karelia, Arkhangelsk region, Murmansk region gained in energy saving, and consider it to be a potential beginning of joint implementation.

§5. The Participants of the Forum are addressing the heads of the regional governments of the Russian Federation with a proposal to make a joint application to the Government of the Russian Federation stating readiness of the regions to start implementing UNO Framework Convention on Climate Change as to obtain the special normative-legal statuses of ”Pilot Regions” for practical realization of the Framework Convention on Climate Change of the United Nations Organization.

§6. The Participants of the Forum consider it important to draw attention of the administrations of the territories – members of the Association ”Ecotech-Energy-50”, relevant foreign policy institutions and external economic institutions of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and EU Commission to the necessity of improvement of co-ordination of Interreg and Tacis programs in the cross-border regions of the Russian Federation and EU and necessity of full involvement of the Russian partners in this activity.

§7. The Participants of the Forum propose to approve the suggestion of the Russian Regional Tacis Bureau on necessity of establishment of international network for co-ordination of the Interreg and Tacis programs and practical implementation of the political initiative of the Northern European countries ”The Northern Touch” (Northern Dimension Implementation Network”).

§8. The Participants of the Forum recommend to consider the projects co-financed by the joint implementation grants, international financial institutions loans, and local investments as priority projects.

§9. The Sixth Forum is recommended to be conducted at the federal level in Saint-Petersburg in the beginning of year 2002.

Chairmanship :
Mr. Sopo – Managing Director of the Finnish Peat Association

Mr. Dunin – Chairman of the Committee of Housing and Communal complex of Murmansk Oblast

Mr. Teppo – Secretary of the Association Ecotech-Energy 50

Mr. Gurjanov – Vice Governor of Murmansk oblast

Mr. Podsevalov – Representative of the Federal Center of small non-traditional energy of the Minenergo of the Department of Gosenergonadzor