Finnish Ministry of the Environment

A new approach for the protection of the marine environment

The EU's new strategy on the marine environment and a related draft directive stress the need to apply an "ecosystem approach" to improve the state of the Baltic Sea and Europe's other troubled seas. Such an approach involves comprehensively examining the impacts of all human activities on marine environments. For this to be done effectively, more must be learnt about complex marine ecosystems and the processes that affect them. A major international conference on the Baltic Sea and the European Marine Strategy, which was opened today in Helsinki by the Finnish Minister of the Environment Jan Erik-Enestam, will focus on the need for intensified dialogue between researchers and policy-makers on issues related to the marine environment.

The proposed marine strategy directive aims to define common principles for the protection of Europe's seas. The ultimate objective is to ensure that all European seas can be classified as having "good environmental status" by 2021.

"Finland has always stressed the importance of protecting the seas - also during our current EU Presidency", says Enestam. "Our ambitious objective is that a decision will be made on the new marine strategy directive at the December meeting of the EU Environment Council".

The draft directive aims to intensify the work being done to protect the marine environment, taking advantage of existing tools such as Europe's various regional marine conventions. The fruits of the work done over the last 30 years under the Helsinki Convention on the protection of the Baltic marine environment, for example, will be comprehensively exploited in the implementation of the new directive.

"Europe's seas are all unique, and they face different problems. Over-fishing is a serious problem in the Atlantic, while the Mediterranean is particularly threatened by excessive coastal development. Here in the Baltic Sea the greatest problem is eutrophication - the consequences of which include toxic algal blooms in the summertime", says Enestam. "I'm especially worried about the rapidly increasing amounts of oil and chemicals being shipped over the Baltic from Russia. To respond to this threat here in Finland we've strengthened our capacity to combat oil pollution in recent years. We also have our own wide-ranging national programme for the protection of the Baltic Sea, which aims to control the factors that endanger the state of the sea".

The new marine strategy and directive will form the environmental pillar of the EU's future maritime policy. This common policy aims to maximize the economic benefit obtainable from Europe's seas. "There is always a risk that economic benefit might be prioritised ahead of environmental issues", says Enestam. "The marine strategy directive must draw lines that cannot be crossed. It's important to remember that many livelihoods such as fishing and tourism are dependent on the state of the marine environment".

The conference is organized by Academy of Finland, Finnish Ministry of the Environment, Finnish Institute of Marine Research, Finnish Environment Institute, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finnish Ministry of Education, Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry, Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation, City of Helsinki, HELCOM Baltic Marine Protection Commission.

• Baltic Sea and European Marine Strategy
• Facts. Cleaning up Europes seas (PDF-file, 11 kb)
• Protection of the Baltic Sea

Ministerial Councellor Ulla Kaarikivi-Laine,
Ministry of the Environment, tel +358 50 559 9142

Maria Laamanen, senior Adviser, Ministry of the Environment,
tel. +358 400 285 410

Speech

Finnish Ministry of the Environment

Minister Jan-Erik Enestam in the Marine environment Conference in Helsinki

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me start by mentioning that I have more than just a professional interest in the state of the Baltic marine environment. I also have a personal interest because I live along the Baltic shore and I have seen firsthand the changes in its environment during the past decades. I have witnessed its waters becoming turbid, where they used to be clear, and we have all witnessed, all too frequently, the blooms of blue-green algae. I believe it is of utmost importance to reverse these trends - the sooner the better. Based on my own experiences and, even more importantly, because of our shared concern for the state of marine environments, it is my pleasure and honour to open this Conference.

No country can protect a marine environment by itself. For this reason, marine protection conventions have been established for all European regional seas - the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the North East Atlantic and the Black Sea. The Baltic Sea coastal states realized early on that protecting the sea requires international cooperation and already in 1974 they signed the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea. For over 30 years now this Helsinki Convention has provided a foundation for highly valuable work, and it is evident that much progress has been made. For example, we can see declines in the amounts of certain hazardous substances in the Baltic and increases in the populations of sea eagles and grey seals. Nevertheless, despite the progress in certain areas, eutrophication is getting worse, risks from oil and chemical transport are on the rise and overall we still have a high number of environmental challenges to overcome. Moreover, there are new challenges such as the impacts of climate change. To some extent the remaining challenges are also more difficult than some of the earlier ones; for example, it is more demanding to curb nutrient inputs to the sea from many diffuse sources compared to reducing them from point sources. Furthermore, since much has already been done, additional efforts also tend to be more costly.

An important factor underlying some of the current challenges is that economies around the Baltic Sea and in other European marine regions are growing and pressures on the marine environments are increasing accordingly. Thus, it is more necessary than ever before to integrate marine protection into different economic development policies. One of our most important objectives should be to strengthen collaboration and coordination at all levels - international, national and inter-sectoral - to ensure that marine environments can be restored to and maintained in a good state.

Finland has welcomed the proposal by the European Commission for a European Marine Strategy and the associated proposal for a framework directive, both of which provide frameworks for action to achieve a good state of marine environments in Europe. During our Presidency, we have devoted our efforts to reach a political agreement on the directive in the Council. The Strategy together with the directive will form the environmental pillar of the future EU Maritime Policy, which aims at better use of seas and oceans to boost economic growth in the European Union. We therefore will strive to make the European Marine Strategy and the directive strong instruments against excessive and destructive use of the marine environments.

The directive will build on existing international cooperation structures, such as the regional seas conventions, thus giving them a legal grounding and generating an extra driving force in their work.

A key element of the proposed directive is implementation of an "ecosystem approach to management of human activities". This approach will require us to have a holistic view and a good understanding of the linkages between marine ecosystems and human activities that have an impact on those ecosystems. To achieve a truly holistic view, however, we need better coordination and enhanced dialogue between the different actors that have an impact on the marine environment. This work has to be based on the best possible knowledge of marine environments.

The directive will require Member States to draw up marine strategies to reach a good environmental state in their sea areas. Causal linkages between the various anthropogenic pressures and their adverse effects on the marine environment need to be well known to be able to take protection measures to reach a good quality state. This kind of management of human activities will result in an extremely high demand for good quality data, information and science on the marine environment and on the activities that have an impact on this environment. It will also require swift information exchange and dialogue between policymakers, administrators and scientists. In addition, to ensure that a good environmental state can be achieved cost-effectively, there has to be a broad and firm bridge to support the flow of information from the marine sciences to policymakers.

I would now like to say a few words about a very important, related matter.

At this very moment, counteractions to combat climate change are being considered in Nairobi, Kenya. I think that in the future we will also have to address the impacts of climate change when considering protection of marine environments. Climate change has severe direct and indirect impacts on marine ecosystems. Changes in baseline conditions caused by climate change will need to be taken into account in protecting marine environments in the framework of the European Marine Strategy, and this topic should be a part of the discussions at this Conference as well.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This Conference has brought you all together here to make a difference in the European dialogue on marine protection sciences and policymaking. You are about to embark on a three-day period of interesting talks, debate and discussions.

In this regard, I have been asked to remind you that in addition to the talks, there is an exhibition outside this lecture hall in the foyer. You are welcome to visit the exhibition during the breaks.

I am delighted to have this opportunity to warmly welcome you all to this Conference, which will be an important contribution to protecting marine environments in Europe and to bridging marine science with policy.

(Finnish Ministry of the Environment)