The Baltic Assembly (BA) is an international organisation for cooperation among the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, established in Tallinn on 8 November 1991. The work of the BA is regulated by the Statute of the Assembly and other legal acts. The BA Secretariat is based Riga, the capital of Latvia.

 

The Baltic Assembly addresses issues of interest to the members of the national delegations and member states in compliance with the principles of equality, mutual benefit, and unanimity. The BA is engaged in cooperation with other regional, international, and inter-parliamentary organisations, such as the Nordic Council, the Benelux Parliament, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova). It also represents the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian parliaments at the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, its Standing Committee, and working groups.

 

The Parliament of each of the Baltic States appoints from 12 to 16 parliamentarians to the Baltic Assembly in accordance with the approved rules of procedure and the principle of proportional political representation in the national delegation. The number of delegation members remains unchanged for the entire legislative term of the relevant Parliament.  While forming a national delegation to the Baltic Assembly, the Parliament of each of the Baltic States is recommended to appoint at least one member of the relevant standing committee of the national Parliament to the respective BA committee.

 

The supreme body of the Baltic Assembly is the BA Session. There are two types of sessions: regular and extraordinary. The Session hosts an official meeting of the Speakers of Parliaments of the member states. Please find the documents adopted at BA sessions by clicking HERE.

 

The Presidium is set up to organise the work of the Baltic Assembly. The BA Presidium consists of the Head and the Deputy Head of each national delegation appointed by the Parliament of the respective member state. The Presidium is chaired by the President of the BA and two Vice Presidents.

 

At the end of each Session of the Baltic Assembly, the Head of the national delegation of the next presiding state becomes President of the Baltic Assembly for the next calendar year. The incoming President begins to perform the functions from 1 January. The Heads of the other two national delegations become Vice Presidents of the Baltic Assembly.

 

The term of the presidency of the Baltic Assembly is one calendar year. The presidency is held alternately by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

 

The Presidium governs preparation for sessions, coordinates the work of the BA bodies during and between sessions, and supervises the implementation of the BA budget. The Presidium represents the Baltic Assembly and maintains relations with international organisations, as well as with the parliaments and governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

 

The standing committees of the Baltic Assembly are set up to address issues in the field of their remit and of relevance to the national delegations and the BA member states.

 

Standing Committees of the Baltic Assembly:

 

- Budget and Audit Committee

- Economics, Energy and Innovation Committee;

- Education, Science and Culture Committee;

- Health, Welfare and Family Committee;

- Natural Resources and Environment Committee;

- Security and Defence Committee.

 

For dealing with individual issues, the Session of the Baltic Assembly may set up ad hoc committees and define their composition, the scope and term of their powers, and the reporting procedure. Members of the national delegations may also form political groups to express their shared political interests and views.

 

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With a view to facilitating the development of literature, arts and science in the Baltic States, acknowledging the most distinguished achievements in these fields, and disseminating these achievements in other member states, the Baltic Assembly has established the Prizes for Literature, the Arts and Science.  

 

The Prizes are awarded in the framework of the parliamentary cooperation among Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on the basis of the decision of the Joint Jury. The Baltic States allocate at least EUR 5,000 per each prize. The nominal value of the Prizes is set annually in accordance with the funds earmarked in the budget. The monetary award to the winner of the Prize is exempt from tax.

 

The Prize, in the form of a statuette, a certificate signed by the President and Vice Presidents of the Baltic Assembly, and a monetary award, is presented at a special awards ceremony.

 

The Nominees for the Baltic Assembly Prizes from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are assessed by the National Juries. The National Jury consists of at least nine members. The members of the National Jury have to be prominent experts in the fields of literature, art or science. The experts are nominated by artists’ unions, the Academy of Sciences, the Research Council or other literary, artistic and scientific institutions and organisations. The members of the National Jury are appointed for three years, with the possibility to extend this term for the next three years.

 

The Joint Jury also consists of nine persons. Each country appoints three experts to the Joint Jury and determines the procedure for their selection. The members of the Joint Jury are replaced every three years. At least one member of the Joint Jury from each country has to be replaced every year. The same person may not be a member of the Joint Jury for more than three consecutive years.

 

The Joint Jury elects a chairman and two vice chairmen from among its members. The chairmanship rotates annually among the member states.

 

The Joint Jury makes its decisions and reasoning public.

 

The BA Prize for Literature is awarded annually to an author of a novel, a play, a collection of poems, short stories or essays, or any similar written composition in Estonian, Latvian or Lithuanian. The award-winning work has to be published for the first time within the past three years.

 

The BA Prize for the Arts is awarded annually either to an author or to a performer for a work of art or a series of works in fine arts, applied arts, music, architecture, theatre, or cinema presented/performed before an audience within the past three years. It also may be awarded to a director, soloist, actor, ballet artist or a group of artists for outstanding artistic achievements accomplished within the past three years.

 

The BA Prize for Science is awarded annually in humanities, social or natural sciences for outstanding research work or series of works that are of international importance, have a considerable impact on the Baltic region, and have been published within the past three years.

 

In cooperation with the Baltic Association of Science, Technology Parks and Innovation Centres, the Baltic Assembly established the Baltic Innovation Prize in 2010. This Prize is awarded to the most technologically advanced enterprise in the Baltic States which has achieved major economic success in developing new products, services or business models over the past three years. The capital of the awarded enterprise (at least 51 %) has to be made up of private national capital and the enterprise has to be registered in one of the Baltic States.

 

The Baltic Innovation Prize in the form of a statuette and a certificate signed by the BA President, Vice Presidents and Heads of the Association, is presented, together with the BA Prizes for Literature, the Arts and Science, at a special awards ceremony. The information about the awarded enterprise and its achievements is published by the media outlets in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.