HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 9/8 

Adopted 17 February 1988, having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention 

RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING MEASURES AIMED AT REDUCTION OF DISCHARGES FROM INDUSTRY 

THE COMMISSION,

RECALLING Paragraph 1 of Article 6 of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1974, (Helsinki Convention), in which the Contracting Parties undertake to take all appropriate measures to control and minimize land-based pollution of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea Area,

RECALLING FURTHER Paragraph 3 of Annex III of the Helsinki Convention, in which the Contracting Parties agree to minimize the polluting load of industrial wastes in an appropriate way in order to reduce the amount of harmful substances, organic matter and nutrients,

RECOGNIZING the importance of industrial discharges as sources of pollution of the marine environment,

DESIRING to limit this pollution by effective methods,

RECOMMENDS to the Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention that industrial discharges where nutrients or organic material are the main pollution problem, should be carefully evaluated with a view to reduction using the best available technology*), internal and/or external, to reduce the discharge,

RECOMMENDS ALSO that industrial discharges containing persistent organic substances or toxic metals should be carefully evaluated with a view to reduction.  Measures should be individually evaluated on the basis of a branchwise approach with the purpose of using the best available technology,

RECOMMENDS FURTHER that reports of action taken by the Contracting Parties should be submitted to the Commission one year after the adoption of this Recommendation and every five years thereafter.

*)         The term "best available technology" is understood to take into consideration  technical and economic feasibility.