Press release, SPbOO Ecology and Business
Outcomes of the VI International Environmental Forum “Baltic Sea Day”, 22-23 March, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
The annual International Forum “Baltic Sea Day” has already become a good tradition and has been held in Saint-Petersburg on March 22, 2005, for the six time. The range of countries participating in the Forum has extended qualitatively and quantitatively, now beyond the borders of the Baltic Sea region to Iceland, the Faroe Islands, France, Belgium, Hungary, Belarus.
Total number of participants in the Forum was more than 500 guests from 15 countries, of whom 101 were foreign participants, including representatives of the governments, scientific institutes and public organisations, representatives of business and mass media. This year representatives of the European Commission came to Saint-Petersburg in order to discuss the European marine Strategy (to be approved without participation of Russia, which is not a EU member state) and the EU Framework Water Directive.
The Forum focused on the ecological status and protection of the Baltic Sea marine environment and popularisation the activities of the Helsinki Commission.
Speech of welcome concerning of the Forum participants has been made on behalf of St. Petersburg governor, shot welcome speeches have been also made by V.A. Grachev, Chair of the Ecology Committee of State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; I.I.Clebanov, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwest Russia; A.C. Brusendorff, HELCOM Executive Secretary; S.B.Tveritinov, Deputy Head of Department of International Cooperation (Rostehnadzor); S.Wallen, Stats-Secretary, Finland Ministry of Environment; P.Tiusanen, Chairman of the Environment Committee, Parliament of Finland; G.Czaja, Senator of the Republic of Poland; H. Baumanis, Consul General of the Republic of Latvia.
At the Forum plenary session a participants of the Forum heard 10 reports including such reports as: «HELCOM – a heavyweight actress in the Baltic Region» made by A.C. Brusendorff (HELCOM Executive Secretary) and «Helsinki Convention: Summation and new goals of Russia» made by N.B.Bantsekin (Director of the Department of international cooperation in the field of environmental protection and nature management Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation).
This year the Forum programme includes plenary and sectional sessions on a wide range of topics, including the Russian-Finnish-Estonian cooperation in the Gulf of Finland, the strategy of data collection for hazardous substances in Russia, European marine strategy and the marine strategy of Russia, Water Framework Directive and also the Hot Spots of HELCOM Joint Comprehensive Programme.
Every Forum “Baltic Sea Day” takes Resolutions to be further presented to highest authorities so that these structures can take later more adequate decisions on improving the state of the Baltic Sea environment.
Having discussed the reports, participants of this year Forum approved the following documents:
Resolution of section session on Russian-Finnish-Estonian cooperation in the Gulf of Finland;
Resolution of section session “The strategy of data collection for hazardous substances in Russia”;
Resolution of section session “Public Awareness raising – prospect of cooperation”;
Resolution of section session “Water Framework Directive – possible Directions of the Cooperation”.
Such structures as HELCOM, Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, Finland’s Environmental Administration, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Northern Investment Bank, Administration of St. Petersburg, Vodokanal of St. Petersburg, State Northern Offshore Exploration Company, JSC “LUKOIL”, Committee of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Leningrad Region gave support the Forum.
For more information, please contact SPbOO Ecology and Business:
Phone: +7 812 430 6860
Fax: +7 812 430 9305
E-mail: korovin@sovintel.spb.ru