Maritime fact check - Schleswig-Holstein state election 2022

On Sunday 8 May, a vote will be held on the composition of the 20th state parliament in Schleswig-Holstein. The maritime importance of this federal state probably needs no further explanation: With its location between the North Sea and Baltic Sea, over 1,125 kilometres of coastline, the large number of ports and shipyards as well as a diverse maritime economy, the maritime sector is a de facto source of identity. A special feature in the local party landscape is the South Schleswig Voters' Association (SSW), which represents the interests of the Danish minority in the state and is exempt from the usual 5 per cent threshold for parties.

How maritime in character is the choice in Schleswig-Holstein?
Or rather, how strongly are theses with direct or indirect maritime significance represented in the parties' programmes? A look at what the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) has to offer helps us here. Wahl-O-Mat online tool offers a decision-making aid for the state election. While sifting through the 38 opinion theses, we noticed the following questions, which have a maritime significance in the narrow or broadest sense:

Thesis no. 1 - "No further areas for wind turbines are to be designated in Schleswig-Holstein."

Thesis no. 5 - "Schleswig-Holstein should campaign for a permanent increase in German defence spending."

This yield does not seem particularly productive to us. An overview with the responses of the 16 parties to the Wahl-O-Mat theses can be found here as PDF.

What do the parties say?
Do maritime issues perhaps not play a special role in this election? As usual in this format, we took a look at the election programmes of the relevant parties represented in the state parliament. It turns out that the parties analysed address a wide range of maritime issues and also link these to a wide variety of social, political and economic topics. What a glance at the Wahl-O-Mat does not give us any idea of is that the range of information on offer is actually so extensive that it threatens to go beyond the scope of this format! For this reason, we would like to present a non-exhaustive selection of the main maritime content of the parties in Schleswig-Holstein here:

CDU
As a coastal state between the seas, we are the only federal state with harbours on the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts. This special location coupled with our strong harbours also make up Schleswig-Holstein's locational advantages. Together with the Port of Hamburg, which is an employer for many people in Schleswig-Holstein, they form the backbone of our maritime economy. We want to strengthen them and position them in such a way that sustainable shipping is possible in the future. We are also focussing on sustainability with regard to our ports.

Schleswig-Holstein on water & air
We want to increase the proportion of shore power utilisation in our ports in future. Climate-neutral fuels, known as synthetic fuels or e- or green fuels, can make an important contribution to the sustainability of shipping if they themselves fulfil the sustainability criteria. We want to update the port development concept for implementation and focussed planning. We want to preserve currently unused infrastructure in port facilities, such as railway lines in particular, for future expansion where it makes sense.

In addition to their logistical functions, our ports also play a key role in passenger transport. We are committed to cruises, maritime coastal tourism and tourist RoRo shipping in Schleswig-Holstein. In order to maintain the attractiveness of the harbours, we want to support harbours in their tasks on the state side. We want to provide the right incentives by subsidising berthing fees for low-emission ships. A new generation of ships is about to be launched on the Baltic Sea: they are becoming larger in both length and width, have a greater draught and are equipped with environmentally friendly propulsion systems. We will therefore lobby the federal government to ensure that the fairway to and in our harbours is swiftly adapted to the new requirements.

As the world's busiest artificial waterway, the Kiel Canal is of immeasurable importance to the economy of Northern Europe. We have therefore always actively demanded and constructively supported the expansion of and investment in the lock chambers by the federal government. Various accidents have shown that repair work on the lock gates must be carried out even more quickly.

The planned gate repair dock in Brunsbüttel with berths for reserve gates should be realised swiftly by the federal government. At federal level, we will continue to work towards strengthening the canal's infrastructure. For us, this also includes increasing the water depth to 12 metres. We will also lobby the federal government in favour of climate-neutral ferries on the Kiel Canal and promote their use for the Elbe crossing.

We want to lobby the federal government to adjust the charging system for the Kiel Canal. Firstly, we want to link the charges to fuel prices. In this way, we want to ensure that the canal is no longer bypassed for economic reasons in future. Secondly, we want sustainable and environmentally friendly ship propulsion systems to be promoted. To this end, environmental rebates are to be introduced for low-emission drives. We have advocated the use of data-based assistance systems for the optimisation of lock access, and these should be introduced quickly. Import and export terminals for sustainable energy sources offer an excellent opportunity to strengthen Schleswig-Holstein as a business location with the production, processing and handling of renewable products. We want to drive this forward by supporting a multi-energy terminal. We are committed to the expansion of the Elbe-Lübeck Canal as the only access of the German inland waterway network to the Baltic Sea and will continue to work at federal level to ensure that the expansion plans are reliably implemented in the interests of strengthening the environmentally friendly inland waterway transport route.

Fishing & Angling
In the current difficult situation for our fisheries, it will be important to use the temporary and permanent set-aside premiums wisely in order to enable the remaining businesses to survive. Maintaining the infrastructure for fishing is of great importance here. Funding from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) must also be used in a targeted manner, for example for selective fishing gear that prevents unwanted bycatch. This will also help fish stocks to recover.

In this respect, we want to preserve sustainable fishing - taking into account economic, ecological and social concerns. This includes raising consumer awareness of sustainable fishing in order to support local family-run coastal fisheries. This includes, in particular, crab fishing, the existence of which must not be jeopardised by the designation of further no-take zones in the Wadden Sea National Park. The interests of the fishing industry are taken into account in all projects and fishermen are involved in the dialogue process.

We are in favour of expanding and supporting the further development of aquaculture facilities, which can increasingly meet the demand for fish, but must not significantly harm the environment. Schleswig-Holstein is not only a state of fishermen and fisherwomen, but also a state of anglers. This is also an important pillar for tourism, which we strongly support. Naturally, species and animal protection must be taken into account. It is a well-established principle that people who kill vertebrate animals must be competent. This is why there are hunting tests, falconry tests and fishing licence training and tests. However, the holiday fishing licence and other exemptions currently allow untrained people to catch and kill fish without being able to identify the species and its protection status and without having learned how to handle, anaesthetise and kill it properly. Against this background, we are in favour of requiring every angler to provide proof of expertise, unless there is an objective reason to justify an exception.

German Armed Forces
The Bundeswehr belongs to Schleswig-Holstein like no other federal state. Bundeswehr bases, training grounds and visible units are located throughout the state. The German navy belongs in our harbours and also plays an important role for our federal state far into society. This becomes clear again and again every year during Kiel Week, for example.

 Our freedom and prosperity are and will remain dependent on stable internal and external security, especially as a coastal country. The Baltic Sea region in particular harbours diverse security policy potential, but also risks for which we must be prepared in the existing alliances. This requires the Bundeswehr to be adequately funded for its mission. For this reason, we are expressly committed to NATO's two per cent target.

As part of the fight against the consequences of the pandemic, the Bundeswehr in Schleswig-Holstein has provided us with considerable support with its soldiers, skills and medical facilities and is once again reliably on hand in the current difficult situation. This deserves our special recognition. This has shown unmistakably: The Bundeswehr is also helping us directly as the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. The Bundeswehr units stationed in our state not only fulfil the security policy requirements of the federal government, but also ensure our own ability to act and react in disaster control and general crisis preparedness in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein.

For us, the Bundeswehr must be publicly visible and we want to continue to be and remain attractive to members of the Bundeswehr and their families as a place to station, live and work. We are also committed to ensuring that political education in our schools and universities is fact-based and holistic. For us, this also includes imparting objective knowledge about national and international security policy contexts. Upon invitation, the youth officers of the Bundeswehr impart such knowledge in a reliable, appropriate, value-neutral and age-appropriate manner.

SPD
We will utilise the potential of our sea-locked Schleswig-Holstein. We support our shipyards and their suppliers. They are important employers for thousands of employees, part of our state's identity and must be preserved. With modern, environmentally friendly propulsion systems, they can make a major contribution to the clean organisation of global shipping. Climate protection will also be a driver for innovations for climate-neutral shipping. That is why we want to see greater promotion of alternative propulsion technologies in favour of more climate-friendly shipbuilding.

In addition, university research projects must be more closely interlinked with industry and the transfer of knowledge and technology between industry and universities must be promoted. We also know that one of the biggest customers for the shipyards in the state is the federal government. In the past, important orders and thus added value have not come to Schleswig-Holstein. We will prioritise industrial policy and strengthen our local shipyards. We are committed to naval shipbuilding, which includes shipyards and suppliers alike. At the same time, we clearly state that only those who respect co-determination and collective agreements deserve state support. Both must be taken into account when awarding contracts by the state and, above all, the federal government, as must the export restrictions on war material to crisis regions. Ship recycling can also represent attractive added value locally in the future.

We want to promote developments that digitalise Schleswig-Holstein's ports and make them more environmentally friendly. This is because the digitalisation of ports holds great potential for making maritime transport chains both more efficient and more flexible. In the international environment of the maritime industry, the digital networking of seaports also offers opportunities to improve efficiency and safety along the entire shipping route through the targeted exchange of information and data. Furthermore, the ports of Schleswig-Holstein are to become climate-neutral ports. We will therefore work with the port operators to develop and apply an ecological sustainability strategy with meaningful indicators. This essentially includes the use of shore-side electricity during harbour berthing times.

In the maritime industry in particular, we can utilise Schleswig-Holstein's advantages: short distances, a high density of companies in this sector, outstanding research and close networks. We must succeed in mapping the entire value chain from the idea to the realisation of innovative maritime business in our state. The newly founded TransMarTech, as a centre for marine transformation and technology, offers excellent starting conditions for this. In this sector in particular, we now need to bring companies even closer together so that they can support each other. Only together can we stand up to the global competition. We will therefore safeguard maritime vocational training and maritime further education and study programmes at technical colleges and universities in Schleswig-Holstein.

Strong waterways
Schleswig-Holstein needs a functioning waterway infrastructure and lively harbours. This is not only part of our identity, but also an economic strength. We need to invest in this infrastructure. While the coastal coalition was still in government, we succeeded in securing funding for the Kiel Canal and the expansion of the Elbe-Lübeck Canal.

It is also important to strengthen inland shipping in order to get more goods off the road and onto the water. A modern inland waterway vessel replaces up to 150 lorries. This means a considerable reduction in road congestion and transport is also more climate-friendly. The Elbe-Lübeck Canal is therefore of particular importance. Falling river levels due to increased heat are a threat to inland shipping. The use of autonomous or semi-autonomous steering systems could make it possible in future to use small ships with a shallower draught to counter this problem. Our ambition as a country is to lead the way in these developments. That is why we are also focussing on the use of sustainable propulsion technologies. This can also be a strength and future prospect for the technologically strong shipyards in our country.

We will implement an active port policy with the expansion of corresponding hinterland connections for seaports. In doing so, we are focussing on more port cooperation and want to take better account of the existing strengths of the port locations in funding practice. We want to intensify the representation of port interests at federal and EU level. The completion of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link offers opportunities and risks for our two Baltic Sea ports of Kiel and Lübeck. Lübeck in particular could become a hub for goods transport in northern and north-eastern Europe. However, the necessary infrastructural prerequisites must be created in good time. Greater utilisation of the North Polar route for freight transport also offers opportunities for Schleswig-Holstein's ports. We want to position ourselves now to become an important station on this potential new global freight transport axis.

Greens
Our coasts are there for everyone and open to all - but we must also ensure that they are protected. As a country between the seas, we have many opportunities, but also obligations to protect the seas and coasts, the climate and biodiversity. We want to coordinate the increasingly diverse demands on the seas in such a way that the populations of marine animals and seabirds stabilise, the pollution caused by nutrient inputs and marine litter is reduced to an ecologically acceptable level and we achieve good ecological status for the seas.

Wadden Sea National Park
In line with international conservation agreements, the EU's "Green Deal" and the state's biodiversity strategy, our aim is to improve marine conservation in Schleswig-Holstein's Baltic Sea. We want to strengthen the effective protection of species and habitats in existing and new protected areas. In order to achieve this, we are aiming to achieve zero exploitation by 2030, particularly in 20 per cent of the area of the Baltic Sea in Schleswig-Holstein. In addition, we want to initiate a dialogue on improving management measures in protected areas in the Baltic Sea region so that this unique natural area is even better protected in future. We want to cease all commercial use of at least 50 per cent of the area of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park. In the foreland of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, the existing salt marsh management is to be maintained, leaving at least half of the area ungrazed and left to nature. We are planning to establish a new national park in the Baltic Sea.

We want to protect and develop the seagrass meadows in the North Sea and Baltic Sea in order to utilise their natural ability to bind CO2 for climate protection. We will consistently implement the European Water Framework Directive and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, establish refuges and resting areas for marine species and make watercourses more accessible for migratory fish species. We support model projects for the restoration of the Schlei and the Flensburg Fjord. We are implementing the state government's general coastal protection plan and looking for innovative solutions for climate adaptation that safeguard natural processes and harmonise them with technical measures. For special features such as the compensatory coasts of the Baltic Sea, we want to work together with all stakeholders on the implementation of necessary measures for the future of the Baltic Sea coast as part of the "Baltic Sea Coast Strategy 2100" dialogue process that has already begun.

Making fishing sustainable
We recognise that regional artisanal fishing is a traditional economic sector in Schleswig-Holstein that is part of our identity as a coastal state. We want to make fishing in the North Sea and Baltic Sea fit for the future and at the same time achieve effective protection of sensitive areas in the Wadden Sea and coastal and marine areas. In addition to technical innovations, this requires more intensive coordination with conservation efforts and competing uses. This also includes phasing out bottom trawling, which is harmful to the climate and the environment, as quickly as possible and regulating gillnets in a way that protects nature. We want to orientate fisheries subsidies towards ecological marine use. We will support regional fishing businesses in the transition as well as in the development of alternatives through environmentally friendly tourism offers. Fishing quotas are to be determined on the basis of international research findings. Together with the government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the federal government, we will work out development perspectives for fishing in the event of serious long-term restrictions on catches. Endangered species must not be fished or targeted. An update of the aquaculture strategy will focus in particular on animal welfare, the feed base, the use of energy, water protection and marine conservation, as well as setting guidelines for the authorisation of aquaculture projects. We want to advocate in the Federal Council that at least 30 per cent of the exclusive economic zone be placed under strong protection, at least half of which should be a zero-use zone.

Litter in the sea
Plastic waste in lakes, watercourses and oceans is a global problem. In Schleswig-Holstein, we are promoting technical solutions to remove plastic residues and microplastics from compost, fermentation residues and other organic waste and wastewater. In the Bundesrat and at EU level, we are in favour of a plastic tax, the further tightening of the Biowaste Ordinance and the introduction of an EU Biowaste Directive to reduce the proportion of plastic in organic waste. We are in favour of a comprehensive ban on microplastics in cosmetics. A third of the waste in the North Sea and Baltic Sea comes from fishing. In international shipping and fisheries bodies, we are therefore calling for measures to prevent nets from being lost and drifting around for decades as "ghost nets". We will also work to promote measures to remove existing "ghost nets" from the sea. We support the efforts of the Ampel coalition in the federal government to ban so-called "dolly ropes" made of plastic and are campaigning for the use of environmentally friendly alternatives.

Ammunition in the sea
Around 1.6 million tonnes of World War II munitions and military waste are still lying on the seabed in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. They pose a considerable danger to people and the environment: fishermen find rusty bombs in their nets and the increasing decay releases highly toxic, sometimes carcinogenic substances such as TNT. These substances pollute the ecosystem, accumulate in fish and mussels and ultimately end up in our food chain. The munitions must be taken out of the sea! We support the Ampel coalition's plans to use the latest technology and salvage robots to create the conditions for environmentally friendly salvage as quickly as possible. We want to promote localisation and mapping as well as research and development into new salvage techniques in the country. We will support projects to monitor typical explosive compounds in order to gain further information about the dangers and enable the targeted and risk-adapted deployment of salvage capacities.

European marine protection policy
We are in favour of a European policy that matches Schleswig-Holstein's profile and potential. This includes an active marine protection policy. We must protect the oceans better together, not least because the oceans can make a major contribution to achieving the 1.5 degree target in the future. The increase in offshore renewable energy and the infrastructure that needs to be created for this to protect the climate requires significantly better coordination of all protection and utilisation issues at sea. We need a European "Blue Deal" that incorporates key aspects of energy production, fisheries, resource extraction, military security, marine pollution, shipping emissions, marine protection and biodiversity conservation. We are committed to ensuring that the objectives of the EU directives, which have so far been sectoral, are better harmonised and that the implementation of marine protection measures is accelerated.

We are calling for shipping to be included in emissions trading and to be supported by an EU innovation fund to cushion the costs of innovative forms of propulsion and projects for emission-free shipping. This should also be available for the conversion of fishing vessels. In addition, a reliable transition plan towards emission-free shipping with hydrogen-based fuels or alternative propulsion fuels such as wind power must be developed at European level. We want to reduce underwater noise. Fish and mammals suffer from noise from ship engines, construction noise in the sea such as drilling or pile driving, munitions blasting and sonar sound waves.

FDP
The FDP Schleswig-Holstein is committed to the realisation of the German-Danish Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link project of the century, which is of great importance for our federal state and will bring us new economic and cultural opportunities. It is an important European rail/road transport project that will significantly improve the connection between Central Europe and Scandinavia. We are in favour of an efficient Sund crossing and hinterland connection with noise protection measures that go beyond the law. We are committed to a fair dialogue with the project's critics and want to take advantage of the new opportunities, especially for Ostholstein and Lübeck. We are therefore committed to ensuring that sufficient commercial space is created along this central European transport axis. To this end, the route must be particularly emphasised in state and regional planning.

Harbours & Waterways
Schleswig-Holstein has a large number of harbours whose size and concepts vary greatly. We want to improve the transport links to the ports and also increase the use of freight transport. The federal government is generally responsible for our waterways. The Kiel Canal is of course of particular importance and must be modernised and expanded as quickly as possible. The federal government must pay particular attention to the renovation and modernisation of the bridges and locks as well as the Gieselau Canal and its lock. There must be no more condition-related cancellations here in the future. We are open to an extension of the Elbe-Lübeck Canal by the federal government. The necessary measures also include the categorisation of the Trave up to the inland ports in Lübeck as a 1st order federal waterway. We are open to the idea of the federal government upgrading the canal.

Marine, water and coastal protection
The protection of the most important foodstuff, water, is a fundamentally important task. Inputs must always be reduced where there is a risk, whereby the polluter pays principle applies. We will adhere to the existing general plan for wastewater and water protection. In the coming years, wastewater treatment will focus in particular on reducing trace substance loads and further improving nutrient loads from wastewater treatment plants as well as minimising substance inputs and hydraulic loads from precipitation water discharges. We will ensure the proper condition and function of the wastewater treatment plants in the long term in order to guarantee the best possible purification performance. Coastal protection will continue to be of particular importance in the coming years. Together with the local authorities, we will also develop flood concepts for inland rivers and include them in general planning. It is important to combine coastal protection, nature conservation and tourism in a sustainable way. To this end, we will, among other things, abolish the protection strip regulation in the State Nature Conservation Act.

Ammunition dumps & shipwrecks
There are around 1.6 million tonnes of munitions in the German part of the North Sea and Baltic Sea alone. As the containers continue to corrode, more and more toxic substances such as TNT, DNB and lead are being released into the sea. The contaminated sites must be removed within the next few years, as further decomposition of the steel bodies and the resulting release of the substances contained would cause significant damage to the Baltic Sea ecosystem. Due to the federal government's responsibility, the funds required for this must be made available by the federal government, and a comprehensive salvage concept must be developed with the affected federal states. Schleswig-Holstein has particular expertise, as leading players from science and industry are already based here. At the same time, we also see the removal of old munitions as an economic opportunity for our region. A clearance platform is required for salvage, the development of which has just been launched in Schleswig-Holstein. There are over 2500 shipwrecks off the German coast, most of which also date back to the world wars. The tanks of many ships still contain large quantities of oil today. The steel bodies of the tanks continue to corrode, meaning that large quantities of oil are in danger of leaking into the sea in the coming years. Rapid action is required to prevent damage to sensitive habitats such as the Wadden Sea. Pumping out the oil is only technically possible as long as the steel bodies are stable.

Bundeswehr in Schleswig-Holstein
The Bundeswehr is and remains an important partner and friend of our federal state, despite the reorganisation and restructuring of recent decades. The Bundeswehr units stationed in Schleswig-Holstein not only make a significant contribution to maintaining the security of our state, but are also a valuable partner for our entire federal state, not least during the coronavirus pandemic. We will continue our dialogue with the state command and the Bundeswehr units consistently and in a spirit of partnership. We will work to maintain and continue to operate the necessary infrastructure, in particular the on-site training areas, in order to continue to optimise training operations. We will advocate the stationing of drones at the military airbase in Jagel and will also campaign for a further expansion of aerial image analysis on site. We will also continue to utilise the Bundeswehr's public relations work, including the work of youth officers in schools.

South Schleswig Voters' Association (SSW)
We reject any further dumping of Hamburg harbour sludge in the North Sea. Other solutions must be found together. We also reject the Hamburg Senate's plans for a new Elbe silt landfill directly adjacent to the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, as such a landfill would pose an environmental threat to the entire Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We want a port industry in the region that goes beyond the normal cooperation between different regional ports. In global competition, the Port of Hamburg is dependent on co-operation with the other ports on the Elbe and the German Bight. Only in this way can the Port of Hamburg survive in global competition and keep existing jobs in northern Germany. We reject any further deepening of the Elbe up to the Port of Hamburg.

We want to further develop the national strategy for hydrogen. Research into the production and utilisation of green hydrogen must be massively intensified. The use of green hydrogen as an energy storage medium, as a fuel for lorries, buses or cars, in the conversion of district heating or for climate-friendly industrial processes is of great importance for Schleswig-Holstein.

 We don't want to produce hydrogen from fossil fuels in Schleswig-Holstein. We want to use our green electricity to produce green hydrogen.

We want coastal protection to be accorded greater importance in times of increasingly obvious climate change and the resulting severe weather disasters and for this to be reflected in the country's "General Plan for Coastal Protection".

Liquefied natural gas is a fossil fuel and therefore not an alternative for the energy transition. It is unsuitable as a bridging technology, as considerable quantities of methane can escape throughout the entire process chain, which has a greater impact on the climate than previous energy sources. In the case of LNG, it cannot be ruled out that it is gas obtained through fracking. Liquefied natural gas is increasingly being used in shipping to reduce pollutant emissions. Ultimately, however, liquefied natural gas is not a solution - we also need modern technologies and clean fuels in shipping that are completely emission-free.

We do not want the expansion of an LNG infrastructure in Schleswig-Holstein.

We want a turnaround in transport: This requires smart measures and transport projects. We need better approaches for road transport and, in particular, heavy goods transport. The shift of freight transport to rail or water infrastructure must be driven forward more consistently. [...] However, shifting freight transport is only as good as the rail infrastructure allows. In Schleswig-Holstein, not even 30 per cent of the railway lines are electrified, which puts Schleswig-Holstein at the bottom of the league nationwide. We must finally electrify the rail infrastructure.

We want to expand combined transport by rail and ship. This requires support for the efficient development of transhipment technologies with good rail links to our ports.

We want the Kiel Canal to be renovated and modernised quickly. This applies to the expansion, the locks, the ferries and their moorings. The staff of the Waterways and Shipping Authority must also be increased.

We want emissions from shipping to be reduced. To this end, alternative forms of propulsion should be increasingly utilised. In particular, hydrogen drives and synthetic or plant-based fuels should be focussed on.

We want shore power connections in the harbours to be expanded in order to reduce air pollutant and noise emissions during berthing times.

We do not want a pan-European state with a European central government, but a co-operating EU in which national and regional characteristics are taken into account just as appropriately and equally as social concerns and greater transparency. Schleswig-Holstein must continue to work towards this within the scope of its possibilities, including in the Committee of the Regions.

Without open internal borders in Europe, Schleswig-Holstein would quickly lose its role as the "hub of the north". This was made all too suddenly and painfully clear to us by the temporary border closures and controls in the course of combating the pandemic.

For Schleswig-Holstein as a "land between the seas", the North Sea and the Baltic Sea are equally important, which is why our EU and "foreign" policy is geared towards the specific development in Schleswig-Holstein and cooperation with our neighbours in the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions.

 Baltic Sea Strategy
Baltic Sea cooperation is an important part of European cooperation and takes place at various levels. We want the Baltic Sea region to strategically position itself as a cosmopolitan and peaceful region. This includes Schleswig-Holstein further expanding its role as a co-designer of Baltic Sea policy. We will concentrate our political activities on priority areas - in line with our special Schleswig-Holstein interests and competences.

North Sea co-operation
North Sea cooperation harbours an important strategic perspective for Schleswig-Holstein. We want the special cultural and historical relationships and personal contacts between the North Sea states to be cultivated and expanded.

 Fishing as a traditional profession
Fishing in Schleswig-Holstein is a traditional profession and is firmly established in many coastal towns. It is also an asset to the locations from a tourism perspective. We continue to advocate the preservation of traditional and sustainable fishing. Fishing must also take environmental and nature conservation concerns into account. Fishermen contribute to the protection of harbour porpoises and diving sea ducks on the basis of voluntary agreements. Nevertheless, the interests of the fishing industry must be safeguarded so that this sector does not disappear. The strict restrictions and quota regulations are the result of decades of misguided and misdirected EU fisheries policy that was not geared towards sustainability. Today, fishermen are subject to harsh quotas, some of which jeopardise their livelihoods.

Protect waters
Our water is a vital resource, which is why water protection must be further improved. Groundwater, surface waters and oceans are affected by various factors: Pharmaceutical residues, wastewater, pesticides, phosphate, nitrate, microplastics and nanoplastics can be found there. Despite stricter environmental standards, we continue to see deterioration in the various bodies of water. Some groundwater is also polluted by nutrient inputs. Water workers have been pointing out the problems with drinking water extraction for years. The example of the Schlei clearly illustrates the problems: increased nutrient inputs from surrounding areas, unwanted inputs from wastewater or soil contaminated by industry are polluting the water body. The integrated model project for the Schlei shows ways to improve the situation.

Economic policy
Schleswig-Holstein's economy is characterised by its small and medium-sized enterprises. We see this as a strength, especially against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, as these companies are particularly flexible, innovative and specialised and therefore often more crisis-proof than large companies. We want to continue to support them in this. The state's strengths lie in renewable energies, the maritime industry, modern medical technology and the healthcare sector, as well as in the food industry and tourism. We want to create even better framework conditions in these areas and actively support the companies and businesses. Above all, we want to support them in the transformation towards greater climate protection. Because only in this way - and only together - can we create the conditions for a truly sustainable economy.

We want to further promote maritime research and the maritime industry cluster and establish them even more strongly as a brand for Schleswig-Holstein. This includes an active shipyard policy so that shipbuilding and the construction of maritime facilities in Schleswig-Holstein have a basis and jobs are preserved. Shipyards that want to produce low-emission ships, such as Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG), should be supported in their research and development.