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25.6.2003

HELCOM environment ministers prepare for political and economic changes around the Baltic Sea

In response to the steadily rising risk of oil pollution in the Baltic and the stubbornly persistent symptoms of eutrophication, the Environment Ministers and other high-level representatives of the nine countries around the Baltic Sea, and the European Community, have unanimously adopted a Ministerial Declaration and ten new HELCOM Recommendations.

The HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, chaired by Prof. Inese Vaidere of Latvia, took place on 25th June 2003 in Bremen, Germany. Special emphasis was given to the changes in environmental regulations that are likely to occur in connection with the forthcoming accession of the three Baltic Republics and Poland to the EU. From May 2004 onwards, eight of the nine countries around the shores of the Baltic Sea will be EU members.

A wide-ranging package of measures to protect the Baltic marine environment has been agreed on by the Ministers. This package includes measures in the following key policy areas:

Preventing discharges of oil and other hazardous substances from ships

- Prioritising safe navigation and emergency capacity at national level, while fully implementing the measures contained in the HELCOM Copenhagen Declaration (2001)
- Curbing deliberate illegal oil discharges by providing the necessary port reception facilities, effective aerial surveillance and efficient law enforcement
- Considering the possibility of designating the Baltic Sea as a "Particularly Sensitive Sea Area" by the International Maritime Organisation.

Combating eutrophication

- making agriculture more environmentally sustainable through implementation of reforms in the Common Agricultural Policy
- ensuring that EU directives such as the Nitrate and Urban Waste Water Directives are fully implemented
- improving agricultural practices to ensure efficient nutrient utilisation and to reduce adverse environmental impacts
- continuing to reduce inputs of nutrients from other sources

Eutrophication is still a major problem in the Baltic Sea. The symptomatic problems of eutrophication – such as serious oxygen deficiency, extensive algal blooms and floating mats of decaying seaweed in coastal waters – remain all too common, in spite of substantial efforts to reduce nutrient inputs on a wide front.

In the current EU Member States, intensive agricultural methods make farmland a major source of waterborne nutrient inputs. After May 2004, the EU Common Agricultural Policy will be extended to the Baltic Republics and Poland, and this might lead to even higher nutrient inputs entering the Baltic Sea.

Improving nature conservation and the protection of biodiversity

- emphasizing the role of the Helsinki Commission in co-ordinating nature conservation work in the Baltic Sea area
- fully implementing the network of Baltic Sea Protected Areas
- intensifying co-operation with international fisheries organisations to reduce the adverse environmental effects of commercial fishing
- applying an ecosystem approach in the co-ordinated management of all economic activities
- planning all activities related to the marine environment in an integrated way

Getting rid of pollution Hot Spots

- continuing the successful implementation of the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP) as presented in the new report "The Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environment Action Programme (JCP) - Ten years of implementation"
- adapting the programme implementation mechanism to the political changes in connection with EU enlargement

Improving compliance with existing legislation

- prioritising the full implementation of the Helsinki Convention and HELCOM Recommendations
- ensuring that the same environmental measures are adopted throughout the catchment area of the Baltic Sea

The Ministerial Meeting was also joined by delegates from Mozambique, Seychelles and Kenya, representing the Nairobi Convention and its Secretariat. The Helsinki Commission wishes to promote global responsibility by transferring experience and know-how to less established regional programmes designed to protect the marine environment around the world.

Reassessing HELCOM's role

The Ministers agreed that the Helsinki Commission should continue to serve as the mouthpiece for the Baltic Sea region on issues related to environmental protection – both in the EU, and in other international fora. The Ministers indicated that areas of special priority for the Helsinki Commission should include:

- joint monitoring and assessment
- combating eutrophication and hazardous substances
- maritime safety, including emergency response
- nature conservation and biodiversity

These issues should be tackled according to an ecosystem approach to the management of all economic activities.
The Ministers additionally resolved that a working plan for the new role of the Helsinki Commission should be adopted at HELCOM’s annual meeting in March 2004.

Contact details

Ms Inese Vaidere
Chair of the Helsinki Commission
Email: inese.vaidere@saeima.lv

Mr Mieczyslaw S. Ostojski
Executive Secretary of the Helsinki Commission
Email: mostojski@helcom.fi
Tel: +358-9-6220 2233
Mobile : +358-50-563 4932

Ms Anne Christine Brusendorff
HELCOM Secretariat
Email: anne.christine@helcom.fi
Tel: +358-9-6220 2228
Mobile : +358-50-348 4718

Ten new HELCOM Recommendations adopted

Recommendations to prevent pollution at sea

Sewage discharge regulations

The countries around the Baltic will accelerate the entry into force of globally established sewage discharge regulations, while opting to continue to apply the strictest possible regulations in the Baltic Sea Area. This will mean that as of 27 September 2003, comminuted (macerated) and disinfected sewage may be discharged at a distance of at least 3 nautical miles from the nearest land, while other sewage may only be discharged at a distance of more than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land. For this reason, port reception facilities will continue to be available around the Baltic for ships to deliver their sewage ashore.

Where does the pollution go? – Modelling the spreading of oil and chemicals

New guidelines have been set to help improve models describing how spilt oil or chemicals will spread in the marine environment. Such models are vital to ensure that emergency responses are prompt and efficient, particularly in the context of rising risks. The new guidelines also contribute towards a joint modelling and forecast system that will cover the whole of the Baltic Sea.

Transfer of oil at sea

New guidelines have been adopted to improve the procedures for bunkering and ship-to-ship cargo transfer of oils in order to prevent oil-spills during these operations.
Reducing the outflow of oil and chemicals – in case of accidents
Procedures have been adopted for ensuring adequate emergency capacity in case of an accident at sea. This will ascertain the reduction and in some cases the elimination of the oil and chemical spilt into the sea.

Recommendations to prevent pollution from the land

Four HELCOM Recommendations have been harmonised with EU directives and the decisions and recommendations of OSPAR (The Oslo-Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Northeast Atlantic) in order to streamline environmental protection work in the Northeast Atlantic and Baltic Sea regions. This will help countries to use their resources efficiently by avoiding overlap or discrepancies. This is particularly important for the accession countries, who are currently working to adopt EU regulations as quickly as possible.

These four HELCOM recommendations cover the following pollution sources on land:

Reduction of pollution from the iron and steel industry

This new Recommendation combines three former Recommendations, and contains restrictions on emissions to both water and the atmosphere, as well as controls on waste disposal.

Proper handling of waste

Landfills are required to implement proper landfilling practices, or be closed down. The amounts of waste ending up as landfill are to be minimised, and the environmental risks associated with decommissioned landfill sites are to be assessed.

Diffuse discharges of heavy metals from batteries

This Recommendation restricts the sale of batteries containing mercury, and requires the recovery or safe disposal of batteries containing the hazardous heavy metals cadmium, lead or mercury. It also recommends that these batteries should be replaced with less hazardous batteries.

Reduction of pollution from agriculture

This new Recommendation replaces six former Recommendations on agriculture. It contains requirements on ammonia from livestock facilities, on the use of manure, and on the treatment of agricultural waste water, as well as measures to reduce soil erosion.

Monitoring and assessment

The new Recommendation contains updated Guidelines to meet the monitoring challenges of today to quantify inputs of air-borne nitrogen and several hazardous substances.

Nature Conservation

Implementation of Integrated Marine and Coastal Management of Human Activities in the Baltic Sea Area

The Ministers emphasised the importance of HELCOM's work in co-ordinating regional issues related to the environmentally sustainable use of the Baltic Sea, and in ensuring co-operation on the integrated management of human activities in coastal areas and at sea. The new HELCOM Recommendation "Implementation of Integrated Marine and Coastal Management of Human Activities in the Baltic Sea Area" was adopted to help continue such work in future.