Finlands öar rf – Suomen saaret ry (FÖSS) is a member of the European Small Islands Network (ESIN). We would like to express our satisfaction on having been invited to attend this hearing. We hope that even in the future an invitation to attend this kind of events is forwarded to us. ESIN has already in June 2007 delivered an opinion to be included in the so called green book concerning maritime policy issues.
We find it extremely important that a national maritime policy programme is drawn up. Insular inhabitants have often been able to experience how conflicting decisions may be directed towards islands. Maritime policy provides a suitable umbrella, under which it is possible to study already at the stage of drafting of decisions the functioning and synergies of various administrative sectors and policy programmes directed towards insular habitation and living conditions.
We would like to bring forward here today a few issues which are important to us in this context:
1. Hearing of islanders and their active participation in drawing up the contents of maritime policy
FÖSS wishes to participate as a civic organisation in drawing up a national maritime policy as far as insular questions are dealt with. We wish that the hearing procedure at various phases of a decision-making process makes it possible for insular people to participate actively in drawing up the contents of a maritime policy. It should be guaranteed that in all regional planning tangential to maritime areas and the zoning of waters, the islanders, people living on islands, i.e. people at grassroots level are heard during every single phase of the zoning of waters.
We at the same time emphasise the importance of always hearing the opinions of citizens. For example, concerning the issue of enlargement of the size of municipal communes, the case is that large municipalities with archipelago areas do not always bring forward the voice of inhabitants of small islands. The role of an active citizen is being strengthened in all possible ways by the European Union. We hereby make an offer to use FÖSS, the civic organisation of insular inhabitants, as a partner in planning the hearing procedure in the context of insular issues.
2. The impact of climate change, with Hailuoto as an example
The European Commission has proposed that the impact of climate change should be studied. Accordingly, FÖSS moves for a tangible action in the Finnish archipelago within the realm of marine policy. We suggest that on Hailuoto, in the northern part of the Bothnian Gulf, a research project is initiated to study the impact of climate change on the environment, sources of livelihood, transport and culture of the island as soon as possible. A historic change may already this year be observed on Hailuoto, owing to the climate change: road transportation over ice has been an essential part of travel in wintertime on Hailuoto and now, for the first time, there has not been any road constructed on the ice. On Hailuoto also, the rising level of sea water causes rapid changes in the environment of the island, due to the low-lying shores.
3. Permanent habitation and local culture as basics for the development of tourism
It is possible to maintain an insular way of living only if tourism is seen as subordinated to the needs of permanent habitation and a strengthened local culture.
It is not possible to carry on sustainable tourism in the archipelago if care is not taken that there exist, on the islands, sufficient permanent habitation, successful versatile lines of business, varied environment and rich culture. Planning concerning tourism ought to be integrated and sustainable in order to keep islands inhabitable. By means of a new maritime policy programme we will be able to unite the needs of permanent habitation, recreational residence construction and tourism, securing in that way in a long range the year-round habitation on islands.
FÖSS submits that it is thus, in maritime policy, considered as a basis for the development of insular tourism the securing of permanent habitation and the strengthening of local culture on islands.
4. Collection of data concerning islands and sea areas
FÖSS offers its services as a partner and an actor in the field of the national maritime policy with respect to collecting and updating statistical and other data concerning islands. We have been practising dissemination of good practices between European island areas in the context of the recently terminated interreg-project, lasting three years. FÖSS likes to continue actively its work in disseminating good practices also in the future.
5. In conclusion
The annual general meeting of the ESIN-network, and an international conference on the culture of small islands is to be convened in Kasnäs, in Dragsfjärd, on 9 – 10 September 2008. One of the topics will be to consider how the integrated maritime policy of the European Union will further the development of island culture. The European Small Islands Network, ESIN, is composed of national island societies from nine countries. A process to establish the permanent secretariat of this in 2001 founded network in one of the member countries of ESIN is currently going on. FÖSS has offered Turku in Finland as the domicile of the secretariat, in cooperation with the Centrum Balticum-foundation.
FÖSS will, in any case, be an active partner and actor within the European Small Islands Network. It wishes o act as a lobbyist representing insular inhabitants even towards the European Commission in its role as an active civic organisation. Our essential business idea is the following: an insular inhabitant as an active citizen.
FÖSS wishes that maritime policy attends to the issues of keeping, on one hand, islands without permanent road connection with the mainland inhabited, and, on the other, securing services in a sustainable way. We wish to realise the idea that the sea unites the inhabitants of European small islands into one European insular family, which together is capable of operating for the benefit of the European small islands.
We understand that marine policy provides a great opportunity to acquire European Union financing for securing by member states at the national level the basic prerequisites for life on small islands within the entire area of the European Union. We wish to strengthen the insular identity of our own country in such a way that we actively make acquaintance also with the culture of small islands in other European Union countries and cooperate with their inhabitants and organisations in the realm of, inter alia, vaious development projects in order to learn more about the experiences and solutions of other islands.
We wish to provide on our islands also a competitive option for future life to our more and more internationalised young persons. We believe that the new maritime policy supports these goals.
The House of the Estates, Helsinki 11 February 2008
