The need for a joint vision and common strategy on the future of the Black Sea region
The Black Sea region is increasingly becoming a priority on the international agenda. In fact, a regional approach is gradually developing as actors understand that common problems need to be addressed jointly in order to find effective solutions.
However, cooperation efforts are seriously hampered by a number of factors such as uneven economic and political development within and among countries, nationalist forces, and longstanding animosities between regional players.
The August 2008 events in Georgia have clearly demonstrated the potential for violent escalation of unresolved conflicts and the negative impact of such events on the local population but also on the entire region. The same can be said of the winter 2008/2009 gas crisis between Ukraine and Russia.
In this context it is imperative to foster sound policies aimed at strengthening dialogue and cooperation so as to contain and ultimately resolve conflicts with peaceful means.
However, little policy oriented research exists on the challenges and opportunities for cooperation in the Black Sea region, meaning that it is harder to develop sound, evidence-based policies. Moreover, existing research tends to focus on specific topics (e.g. energy, transport, the environment, etc.), and/or be based in a rather one-sided view (national or Western/Euroatlantic).
The Commission on the Black Sea aims to redress this imbalance by developing a comprehensive, policy-oriented study on the future of the Black Sea region which will be produced jointly involving scholars and stakeholders from the region as well as from countries outside the Black Sea area, with a view to be as objective and balanced as possible. The goal is to present not just short term, sectoral or stakeholder-specific interests, but to provide input for a new vision and long-term strategy towards the Black Sea as a region.
To facilitate the mainstreaming of the study’s results, the Commission will produce by early 2010 a joint report with an executive summary as well as policy recommendations addressed to key stakeholders.