Concluding plenary
Moderator: Talis Linkaits, VASAB secretariat
Summary
In this plenary, workshop moderators presented the main results of their workshops. After that Jan Ekebom, Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services, concluded the conference with a final speech:
“ … This has been a very successful conference. The timing was perfect – with the new MSP Directive just a few months old this forum gave us a chance to take stock, ventilate views, and discuss new ways forward now when we needed this opportunity the most. To choose Riga as the location and this hotel was a good choice and the technical arrangements have been impeccable. But it was the interesting programme and the excellent speakers that made this forum a success. The interesting programme attracted a large number of participants and with all of us in placemagic happened. And this magic comes with many other names. You can call it:
Magic of trust, which Joanna mentioned the first morning session, or you can call it
Magic of a good MSP path already travelled, which became apparent in many presentations and perhaps most clearly in Jacek’s book, or we can call it,
Magic of future work that all of us came here to find
This magic can not be achieved by just reading a book, or by just following pieces of legislation. It can only be achieved by coming together.
MSP in the Baltic Sea is on its way, like an armada of ships that move forward in a coordinated fashion. We have left the harbour where we stocked our ships with definitions, charts of advice and legal documents that all help us on our way. But now its time to sail. Sailing is teamwork. Sailing needs a common understanding of where we are heading and how to operate the rig and sails and what the various nautical terms mean. Sailing well requires that we train together. Frequently.
I have known many of you for way more than a decade and this is not a coincidence. We benefit from each other. We like each other. We work well together. Our slightly different views on MSP are not a problem and neither is the fact that many of us have a different background. These slight differences are our solution. These differences ensure that our joint BIG picture is much better than what it would be if we would work independently. It is important to understand this because MSP is an integrated holistic process. Therefore our success in MSP is 100% depending on how we work as a group. These two days in Riga proved that we indeed do know this and, consciously or subconsciously, we interact and cooperate very well. Now all we need to be a bit more courageous and hoist a few more sails and speed up. And don’t forget that when an armada is sailing whoever arrives last to the next destination buys a round of beers for everybody else.
Thank you Talis and Zane for inviting me. Thank you to all of you that have organised this and thank you all for taking actively part in this event.”
