HELCOM MINISTERIAL MEETINGS
Date | Name of the Meeting | Main Outcome |
22 March 1974 Helsinki, Finland | Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area | The Baltic Sea coastal countries signed the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (1974 Helsinki Convention) |
15 February 1988 Helsinki, Finland | Set a 50% reduction goal for the total discharges of nutrients and hazardous substances by 1995 | |
9 April 1992 Helsinki, Finland | Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area | The Baltic Sea coastal countries signed the new Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (1992 Helsinki Convention) Approved the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme for decisive reduction of emissions in order to restore the Baltic Sea to a sound ecological balance, and established the Programme Implementation Task Force |
24-25 March 1993 | HELCOM High Level Conference | Discussed resource mobilization for the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme |
26 March 1998 | HELCOM Ministerial Session | Considered to which extent the 1988 50% reduction target in pollution load going into the Baltic Sea has been reached Set an objective to continuously reduce discharges, emissions and losses of hazardous substances towards the target of their cessation by the year 2020 |
| 10 September 2001 Copenhagen, Denmark | HELCOM Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting | Adopted measures on the safety of navigation and emergency capacity in the Baltic Sea Area |
| 25 June 2003 Bremen, Germany | HELCOM Ministerial Meeting | Agreed that the priority issues for HELCOM in the near future will be ecosystem approach including nature conservation and biodiversity, joint monitoring and assessment, maritime safety and shipping including response activities as well as eutrophication and hazardous substances of relevance for the Baltic Sea |
| 25-26 June 2003 Bremen, Germany | First Joint HELCOM/OSPAR Ministerial Meeting | Decided, by 2010 to apply and further develop the measures necessary to implement an ecosystem approachto human activities impacting on the marine environment in order to help maintain and, when practicable, restore ecosystem health, integrity and services |
15 November 2007 | HELCOM Ministerial Meeting | Adopted the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan to radically reduce pollution to the Baltic Sea and restore its good ecological status by 2021 |
| 20 May 2010 Moscow, Russia | HELCOM Ministerial Meeting | The Baltic Sea coastal countries will present their National Implementation Programmes to achieve the objectives of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan |
Last updated 15 January 2010