On 22 October the Baltic Assembly in its 29th Session adopted a Resolution stating that governments of the Baltic States should intensify coordination of taxation policy and entrepreneurship-related regulations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, for instance, to develop similar tax systems in all three countries. 

In their joint document, Baltic parliamentarians urged their governments to work on joint infrastructure projects, especially in the field of energy. With regard to health care, the executive bodies are asked to assess the feasibility of creating a common Baltic system for procuring state-funded medicines and medical equipment, joint specialised medical centres, and a common system for exchanging organs for transplantation. The governments are also urged to coordinate more actively provision of emergency medical services in border towns and settlements adjacent to borders. 

The document, which was adopted at the end of the regular BA Session, contains numerous other requests made to national governments regarding the economy, the social and health care sector, as well as science and research. 

At the end of the Session, members of national delegations agreed on the main priorities for the upcoming year. During the Estonian presidency, the priority areas will include sustainable development of the region, human capital and a knowledge economy, safe society, as well as joint infrastructure and energy projects.

Parliamentarians also defined priorities for cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Baltic Council of Ministers in 2011. These priorities are energy security and development of regional energy market, development of knowledge-based economy, as well as development of infrastructure - Rail Baltica, Via Baltica and other issues related to transport and transit. 

At the end of 2010, Estonia will take over the presidency of the Baltic Assembly. Today, Mr. Trivimi Velliste was elected the President of the Baltic Assembly for a one-year term. 

The 30th Session of the Baltic Assembly will take place on 24 – 25 November 2011 in Tallinn, Estonia. 

The Baltic Assembly is an interparliamentary cooperation organisation of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania which was founded on 8 November 1991. The Baltic Assembly consists of 12 to 20 members from each country’s parliament. The Baltic Assembly is a coordinating and consultative organisation which has a right to express its opinion to national parliaments, governments and the Baltic Council of Ministers in the form of resolutions, decisions, declarations and recommendations; it can also request answers from these institutions on activities regarding cross-border issues that are on the BA agenda.

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