Maritime Group (HELCOM MARITIME)

Increasing maritime transportation threatens fragile ecosystems and the livelihoods of the many people who depend on the sea. During the last decade shipping has steadily increased, reflecting intensifying co-operation and economic prosperity around the Baltic Sea region. An average of 2,000 ships are at sea each day, including 200 tankers carrying oil or other potentially harmful products. It is estimated that the transportation of goods by sea will double by 2017 in the Baltic region. General cargo and container traffic is expected to triple, and oil transportation may increase by 40%. The expansion and construction of oil terminals on the shores of the Gulf of Finland and regional economic growth may lead to even higher increases in shipping.

The Maritime Group of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM MARITIME) works to prevent any pollution from ships – including deliberate operational discharges as well as accidental pollution.

Shipping is an international business that needs international regulations. All ships sailing the Baltic have to comply with the strict global and regional regulations, regardless of whatever flag they are sailing under.

HELCOM MARITIME at work

The group works:

• to ensure that adopted regulations are observed and enforced effectively and uniformly through close international co-operation
• to identify and promote actions to limit sea-based pollution while ensuring safe navigation.

HELCOM MARITIME organises regular meetings involving representatives from inter-governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, maritime transportation authorities and pollution incident response organisations.

HELCOM MARITIME works closely together with other international bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to ensure that international measures are properly applied and implemented in the Baltic  or the Regional Seas Programme (RSP)  and the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA) under UNEP to address the problem of marine litter both at regional as well as global level.

Contacts

Chair of HELCOM MARITIME
Ms. Lolan Eriksson
Ministry of Transport and Communications
Eteläesplanadi 16-18
FI-00023 Government
Finland
Phone: +358 916 028 493
Fax: +358 916 028 592

HELCOM Secretariat

Professional Secretary
Ms. Monika Stankiewicz
Phone: +358 40 840 2471
Fax: +358 (0)207 412 645