Stakeholder Conference on the Development of the
HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan
Helsinki, 7 March 2006
Ms. Anne Christine Brusendorff
Executive Secretary
HELCOM
General introduction to the Stakeholder Conference
In 2003 all the Baltic Coastal States and the EU decided, at HELCOM ministerial level, to implement an ecosystem approach to managing human activities impacting on the Baltic Sea.
In 2005 the same states and the EU decided to develop at Baltic Sea Action Plan to serve as the major tool for applying the ecosystem approach and agreed that HELCOM plays a leading role in this process.
One of the main success criteria in the development of the Baltic Sea Action Plan is the active involvement of stakeholders, at many levels – from international organizations and governments through to actors involved in activities which pollute or depend on the sea for their livelihoods; right down to individual citizens whose choices can help to reduce pollution.
This is the reason why we are gathered today – and I am delighted to see the big interest that has been devoted to today’s Stakeholder Conference.
What are our expectations for today?
Together with you we would like to discuss the future Baltic Sea that we are aiming for. Our starting point is the sea itself and proposals for Ecological Objectives that describe the anticipated good ecological status or health of the future Baltic Sea. We shall also try to suggest some quantitative and operational terms (indicators, with target levels), with the help of which we would be able to measure how close we are to our goals, and on the basis of which we will decide on further management actions needed.
I will start by giving you an introduction to:
- HELCOM and the current status of the Baltic Sea marine environment;
- the ecosystem approach, and how this approach differs from earlier HELCOM approaches;
- and then linking it to the planning and timing for the development of the Baltic Sea Action Plan.
Following this we will have four thematic sessions dealing with the four priority environmental issues for the Baltic – eutrophication, hazardous substances, biodiversity and maritime activities. During each session a short presentation will be given, which outlines the current environmental situation and suggests Ecological Objectives and indicators that could be used for describing the desired status of the Baltic. Each presentation will be followed by comment from a major stakeholder in each field as well as by an open discussion.
HELCOM and the current status of the Baltic Sea
The work of the Helsinki Commission – or HELCOM in short – is based on a Convention. The Convention dates back to 1974, which was followed by a revision in 1992, and has been ratified by all nine Baltic coastal countries and the European Community. The Convention forms the basis for our work to restore and protect the Baltic marine environment in order to reach an ecological balance.
HELCOM's role in the Baltic, in simplified terms, is to act as a bridge between science and policy making. Thus HELCOM’s priority areas of work are based on the major environmental problems affecting the Baltic Sea. Measures to address these concerns are being developed by taking into account the unique nature and sensitivity of the Baltic Sea to pressures caused by various human activities.
These measures are guided by assessments which are based on jointly co-ordinated monitoring. For 30 years HELCOM has been fulfilling this need to scientifically measure and assess the various pressures and their effects on the Baltic Sea. This co-ordinated work has led to the identification of four priority environmental issues which will be discussed in the thematic sessions today, namely: eutrophication, hazardous substances, maritime safety and loss of biodiversity.
The ecosystem approach
What is the ecosystem approach – and how does it differ from the approach that HELCOM has earlier used?
While HELCOM has a long experience in collecting information on pressures and their resulting effects in the marine environment – and using this as the basis for management measures, it has not been coupled with common assessment criteria that define a healthy Baltic Sea. This means that it has not been possible to measure how close or how far we are from reaching our overall goals, and thus how effective our actions have been.
To address this, our starting point should be the marine ecosystem and agreement on objectives defining the Baltic Sea we want it to be in the future. And this is exactly the cornerstone of the ecosystem approach to management of human activities.
For this reason we will propose to you a set of Ecological Objectives, describing some key issues within each of our four environmental priority areas which are on one hand reflecting central ecosystem functions and on the other hand highlighting topics of common concern to all of us. One example of such an ecological objective is the clarity of water. Reduced water clarity is a consequence of eutrophication which not only has profound effects on marine communities, but also has implications for our enjoyment of the seashore. As such, the objective to reach clear water addresses both complex environmental problems as well as issues of recognizable and understandable concern.
For each objective we will define target levels that we are aiming at and which are characteristic for good environmental status of the Baltic Sea –thus providing guidance when we are deciding on needed management measures. Identified indicators will then be used to assess our progress for each environmental objective.
To take again the example of clear water – this means that we have to agree on the water clarity which will be able to sustain all the various interests; plants, fish and summer guests. This target will then be decisive for the determining the type of action needed.
The natural variability in different sub-regions of the Baltic means that while the ecological objectives and most of the indicators can be applicable on a Baltic wide scale, the targets will need to be developed on a sub-regional basis. This also means that different responsive measures are needed in the different sub-regions. Bearing in mind water exchange across sub-regions, there is also a need to assess how a change in inputs to one sub-region will affect adjacent regions in order to increase the cost-efficiency of applied measures.
A tentative schedule for the development of the Baltic Sea Action Plan has been agreed. After this stakeholder conference, when a first set of Ecological Objectives has been agreed upon, more work will be dedicated to the setting of specific targets describing the desired good environmental status for each ecological objective. The Action Plan itself is expected to be adopted at a ministerial meeting in late 2007.
Two things are crucial for the success of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan – a continued high political commitment by the Contracting Parties and wide stakeholder involvement – both during the development of the Plan and in the implementation process.
We are pleased that this Stakeholder Conference is taking a first step in the right direction. Once again welcome – we are looking forward to your active participation during this one day conference.