The Black Sea Region has become an area of particular geopolitical interest to the EU not only due to the accession of Bulgaria and Romania but mainly because it is a transit area for oil and gas resources coming from Russia and the Caspian Sea. Due to its strategic importance, the area is subject to political conflicts and tensions, some of which could be mitigated, if not solved, through improved regional cooperation notably on the environment. Currently marine resources in the Black sea are declining due to over-fishing, un-planned development of coastal zones and intense maritime traffic, while unique terrestrial ecosystems, such as those in the Caucasus ecoregion, the Danube delta, the East Carpathians, and others are extremely threatened.

Massive investments are foreseen with ENPI funding to promote tourism, energy and transport infrastructures that, if not properly planned, may put in jeopardy the sustainable development of the entire region. This is all the more relevant as promoting enhanced cooperation on the Eastern borders of the EU, and in particular in the Black Sea area, has recently become one major political objective of the "strengthening of the ENP " process led by the European Commission and by the EU Presidencies in particular since the German Presidency.

The German Presidency strongly promoted a "Black Sea dimension" and a "Black Sea Synergy"(BSS) presented in a communication of the Commission (COM(2007)160 final)(http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/com07_160_en.pdf). The Synergy aims to ensure more homogeneous cooperation in the region building on existing initiatives and institutions and following the model of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Identified priorities for regional cooperation are: energy, transport, security and environment.
 
Project
   
In this context the Heinrich Böll Foundation, in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), has launched a project entitled: 'Greening the Black Sea Synergy'. This project aims to contribute to the current strategic dialogue at EU level by providing arguments to make the Black Sea sustainable (preventing negative impacts of economic development, including the development of transport and energy infrastructures) and to promote environmental protection and nature conservation in the entire region. Arguments are also developed to link environmental protection with conflict resolution in the regional context.

A large part of the project consists of the Study "Greening the Black Sea Synergy" (pdf, 82 pages, 2.00 MB) that analyses the developments in the Black Sea Region in the areas of energy, transport, security, and institutions. A workshop in Odessa (February 2008) and several events in Brussels form also part of the project.

Black Sea Workshop in Odessa

From 04-09 February 2008 the Heinrich Böll Foundation together with WWF-EPO, and generous help from the Odessa City Hall, organised its 'Greening the Black Sea Workshop' in Odessa, Ukraine. The aim of this workshop was to bring together a wide-variety of NGOs from the wider Black Sea Region in order to present the study and collect valuable insights and comments from key actors on the ground. Over 70 people participated in the workshop, coming from regions such as Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Abkhazia, Bulgaria, Romania, and others.

At this workshop an NGO declaration was put forward addressed to the first Ministerial meeting of Black Sea Synergy in Kiev on 14 February 2008. You can download the declaration see pdf (4 pages, 1,6 KB).