International conference paves the way for IFI involvement in HELCOM’s action plan

Helsinki, 5 March (HELCOM Information Service) – The 3rd Stakeholder Conference on the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan wound up Tuesday evening by setting up a preliminary road map for the involvement of the international financial institutions (IFIs) in the implementation of the strategic programme to restore the Baltic Sea, which was adopted by the HELCOM Member States last year.

The financial aspect of the plan’s implementation was one of the top issues at the Conference. Participants, representing governments, scientific and business communities of the Baltic Sea coastal countries, as well as the European Community, and major regional organisations discussed the availability of sources of funding, involvement of IFIs and the private sector. Much attention was focused on understanding the requirements for providing financing support, as well as how to prepare successful projects to ensure and increase the investments for marine environmental protection.

“The Conference has outlined the existing possibilities and bottlenecks in the financing of the projects within the framework of the action plan. This work will continue and will be steered on a high level by the newly established HELCOM Group on the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan,” said Prof. Mieczysław S. Ostojski, Chairman of HELCOM. “It will provide guidance and ensure the coordination of scientific and technical activities for the implementation of the action plan, as well as consider financial issues, including the financing possibilities of the agreed measures, the cost efficiency and economic incentives.”

The Conference acknowledged the view of several institutions that there is plenty of funding that can be made available for the environmental projects under the HELCOM plan. Particularly, funding is available from the EU funds (e.g. structural, cohesion and fisheries funds), IFIs as well as the private sector. It was stated that it is now crucial to move from a programme level to project level due to the fact that the IFIs are interested in funding concrete projects, not the Baltic Sea Action Plan as a programme. At the same time it was noted that since there is a tense competition for monetary recourses between various sectors there is a need to prioritize those projects which give the best environmental output in relation to the money spent.

Having in mind that most of the pollution originate in runoff from farmland and untreated sewage the Conference was of the opinion that as a preliminary step to prioritise projects and to secure funding for them the HELCOM countries need to: 1) develop a list of municipal wastewater treatment plants, which will contain information on size, treatment technology, performance parameters and potential for improvements (e.g. nitrogen & phosphorus  removal); 2) develop a new list of agricultural pollution hot spots; 3) initiate broader discussion on economic instruments to stimulate investments in nutrient reduction measures (e.g. Nutrient Reduction Trading Scheme) to be applied within HELCOM; and 4) arrange a Pledging Conference to enhance elaboration of projects. Pooling of monetary, human and other resources for the implementation process is urgently needed, so the arrangement of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan Pledging Conference is vital for the success of the whole programme.

Note to Editors: 

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, more commonly as the Helsinki Commission or HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organization of all the nine Baltic Sea countries and the European Community working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation. 

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," also known as the Helsinki Convention.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Nikolay Vlasov

Information Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 635

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi