ESTONIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE BALTIC SEA REGION AS ACTORS OF DEVELOPMENT: СONCEPTUAL APPROACH

Abstract

The article describes conceptual model for analyzes processes occurring in the Baltic Sea region during the formation of single market - a unified social, economic and technological space within the European Union. These processes are seen as an important condition for more comprehensive and intensive integration of Baltic social and economical systems of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the European space. Most important tasks of the Baltic States integration into the European Union social and technological space is maximum possible overcoming of existing differences in these States and integration of political interests, societies and economical structures within this region whilst preserving their national identity.

In paper was introduced a conceptual model based on the idea of Baltic region seen as  environment consisting of open and non-linear systems in which occur transformational processes, reorganizing the social, political and economical structures of the Baltic States in the process of sustainable development. The model contains the abstraction which designated as “flow through the area”, where "flow" means the transit - any movement of goods, resources and people through the area of single market.

Sustainable social development requires the availability of renewable resources in sufficient quantities with permanent quality. One of the natural and renewable resources of the Baltic region is the transit, which is available because of the unique geographical location of these states.

We examine the Baltic region’s states and their transit of cargo and people as a system in which structures emerge, disappear and alter  under the influence of the energy flow resulting in the system's new functions and properties and different levels of interaction with the environment.

Apart from the above-mentioned conceptual model of regional transformation, two types of flows were examined – cargo and goods and migration.

Based on the quality changes, the prognosis is made with anticipation of further development of processes towards the society founded on knowledge, tendencies in social development and the development of relations between the states in the region. Estonia is assumed to be a country with tax tolerance, highly advanced informational environment and good fiscal discipline might take participation in forming the role model for the whole region.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.0.5.1097