Stakeholder Conference on the Development of the
HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan
Helsinki, 7 March 2006
Mr. Peter Gammeltoft
Head of the Water and Marine Unit
Directorate General for Environment
European Commission
Ladies, Gentlemen,
Let me first of all thank the Secretariat of HELCOM and the government of Finland for hosting this conference and congratulate them for making it a success.
Today’s discussions have been most stimulating and will make an important contribution to our work in the Commission on marine issues. There is a lot of food for thought to been taken to Brussels.
As most of you will be aware, the Commission adopted last fall an EU Marine Strategy. The Strategy was prepared over the past three years in close cooperation with all key stakeholders – including of course HELCOM and Baltic partners. For the first time, the European Union is putting in place a policy framework – including legislation - which specifically addresses the vital issue of protecting Europe’s seas and oceans in an integrated manner, looking at all pressures and impacts.
The stakes are high. Europe’s marine environment is deteriorating rapidly. In some areas, we may be close to the point of no return. As we know all too well, the marine ecology of the Baltic Sea is under dire pressure from nutrient inputs. The far-reaching impacts of climate change on the marine environment are already being felt – in particular through acidification of oceans. Fish stocks in Europe are in a poor state – again, the Baltic Sea is not spared. In spite of some important improvements in certain areas the evidence of the deteriorating status of Europe’s oceans and seas has unfortunately continued to accumulate over the past years.
To reverse the situation, the sum of all existing measures and efforts is clearly insufficient, whether at international, EU or national level.
At international level, Europe’s regional seas conventions – and in particular HELCOM - have made excellent contributions to marine environment protection, with some important successes. However, strengthened action is required in order to tackle key challenges faced - eutrophication, hazardous substances, biodiversity and shipping.
As regards the EU, most measures developed to date were not specifically designed to protect the marine environment as such. As a result, the existing policy framework is too fragmented to be fully effective.
Protecting the marine environment must no longer be a mere side-effect of other policies. Therefore, the EU Marine Strategy takes a new, ecosystem-based approach addressing all pressures and impacts on the marine environment in an integrated manner. The objective of the Strategy is to achieve good environmental status of the EU’s marine environment by 2021 – in other words to restore over the next 15 years the ecological health of our seas. The Strategy will establish marine regions based on geographical and environmental criteria – among which the Baltic Sea of course. No management measures will be established at EU level. Member States will be required to develop Marine Strategies at the level of regional seas, devising tailor-made solutions addressing the specific challenges faced by those seas. In order to do so, the Strategy promotes cooperation within regional seas conventions – including of course HELCOM.
The EU Marine Strategy is fully complementary with the work of HELCOM. The Strategy will complement and bolster ongoing efforts to protect the Baltic Sea under the aegis of HELCOM by providing a legally enforceable framework at EU level. This complementarity was underlined at the HELCOM and OSPAR Joint Ministerial Meeting in 2003 where both HELCOM and OSPAR committed themselves to contributing to the EU Marine Strategy.
HELCOM’s long track record of scientific and technical competence and expertise combined with its Baltic-wide coverage – including all nine coastal countries in the region and cooperating with countries in the catchment area – and its demonstrated ability to work effectively at regional level makes it an invaluable partner in delivering the Strategy. Cooperation between all countries bordering the Baltic Sea is indeed a precondition for successful protection of the marine environment in the region.
HELCOM is therefore the uncontested focal point for effective coordination of efforts to protect the marine environment in the region. Any future cooperation in the region should therefore be firmly rooted in HELCOM.
The Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) under preparation is the cornerstone for further action in the region. It is also fully in line with the EU Marine Strategy. The BSAP will apply the ecosystem-based approach to the management of the Baltic Sea. In setting a definition of ‘good ecological status’ for the Baltic Sea as well as specific environmental targets and necessary measures, the BSAP will be instrumental to the successful implementation of the Strategy in the region. The BSAP therefore makes HELCOM a front-runner and a model to follow among regional seas conventions in Europe.
At the heart of the BSAP also lies the importance of improved assessment and monitoring of the marine environment. Good policy depends on high-quality information and monitoring systems. This renewed commitment to marine monitoring and assessment, which is also enshrined in the EU Marine Strategy, is most welcome.
Finally, as with the Marine Strategy, the BSAP is seen as an iterative process. The current state of knowledge on Europe’s marine environment is not perfect but we know that the challenges faced by the Baltic are such that enhanced action is needed. Management will therefore be adaptive through regular reviews taking into account data collected from improved monitoring programmes and new evidence available.
In conclusion, you will have understood that the Commission strongly backs the BSAP and intends to take an active part in its development over the coming months. I was impressed by the level of expertise and commitment of all stakeholders today – this is very promising for the next steps.
Thank you for your attention.