Invitation to participate in the 2nd Stakeholder Conference
on the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan
6 March 2007, Helsinki, Finland
Dear Madam/Sir,
The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (the Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM) is pleased to invite stakeholders from all the Baltic Sea coastal countries and regional organisations to participate in the 2nd Stakeholder Conference on the development of the environmental Baltic Sea Action Plan, which will be held on 6 March 2007 in Helsinki, Finland.
At the Conference, HELCOM will unveil the draft outline of this ambitious but realistic plan of actions to reduce pollution and reverse the degradation of the Baltic marine environment. The concept of this strategy, which is based on a specially defined set of Ecological Objectives, has already been backed by the European Union, and highlighted as a model to be followed by other regional marine conventions.
The purpose of the Conference is to discuss with all relevant stakeholders the content of the plan and in particular the proposed actions for the four top priority areas: eutrophication, pollution involving hazardous substances, maritime safety and accident response capacity, and habitat destruction and the decline in biodiversity. The financial aspects of the plan’s implementation and the cost-efficiency of measures will be one of the top issues. The overall objective of this Conference is to get acceptance and commitments at local, national and regional levels as well as from the private sector to the implementation of this new environmental strategy to restore the Baltic marine environment.
The outcome of the various sessions of the Conference will serve as an input to the ongoing process to develop the Baltic Sea Action Plan. HELCOM considers this input very important and is committed to respond to any suggestion raised by major stakeholder groups in the region in order to ensure that the future Action Plan is relevant and can be effectively implemented in practice.
This Conference will pave the way for the final stage in the development of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. After a series of meetings to finalise the plan, the new environmental strategy will be adopted at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting scheduled to take place on 15 November 2007 in Krakow, Poland.
If you are interested, you are kindly requested to notify the HELCOM Secretariat of your participation in the Conference by filling in the attached registration form before 28 February 2007. A tentative programme for the Conference is provided below. The final version of the Conference programme will be prepared in the coming weeks. Please check the HELCOM web site for updates at http://www.helcom.fi/BSAP/2nd/en_GB/2nd_Stakeholder_Conf/.
We look forward to seeing you at the HELCOM Conference for discussions on how to make the Baltic Sea a more environmentally sound and healthier place.
Anne Christine Brusendorff
Executive Secretary
HELCOM
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Tentative Programme of the 2nd Stakeholder Conference
on the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan
Schedule: Tuesday, 6 March 2007 prior to the annual HELCOM Meeting (HELCOM 28/2007), starting at 09:30 until 16:50
Place: Marina Congress Center, Katajanokanlaituri 6, FI-00160 Helsinki, Finland
Aim:
1. To discuss with all relevant stakeholders the content of the draft HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, and in particular:
- the proposed actions for the four priority areas,
- the proposed targets derived from the status of the marine environment and to be reached by the coordinated actions
2. To get acceptance and commitments at local, national and regional levels as well as from the private sector to the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan
Chairman: Mr. Mieczyslaw S. Ostojski, Chairman of HELCOM
PROGRAMME
OPENING AND INTRODUCTION - 9:30 (10 min)
Mr. Mieczyslaw S. Ostojski, Chairman of HELCOM
THEMATIC SESSIONS:
Eutrophication – 9:40 (30 min)
Proposed actions, targets and indicators to reach the objectives
Session Moderator: Mr. Jon Kahn, Swedish Ministry of the Environment (5 min)
- Introduction to the issue (15 min): Ms. Maria Laamanen, Finnish Ministry of Environment
- Discussions (10 min)
Economic analysis of the implementation of the HELCOM BSAP– 10:10 (50 min)
Estimation of the costs in reducing nutrient loads to reach good ecological status of the Baltic Sea ecosystem using the cost-efficiency analysis and cost benefit analysis approaches
Session Moderator: Mr. Magnus Rystedt, Managing Director, NEFCO (5 min)
- Introduction to the issue (15 min): Ms. Anette Gudum, COWI
- Stakeholder opinion/reply (10 min): Mr. Arūnas Kundrotas, Lithuanian Minister of Environment
- Discussions (20 min)
Reduction quota system – 11:00 (50 min)
Using reduction quotas among the HELCOM countries for achieving the set targets by reducing nutrient inputs using the most cost-efficient measures
Session Moderator: Ms. Lea Kauppi, Director General, Finnish Environment Institute (5 min)
- Introduction to the issue (15 min): Consultant for the project on credit scheme
- Stakeholder opinion/reply (10 min)
- Discussions (20 min)
LUNCH BREAK (60 min) – 11:50
THEMATIC SESSIONS (Continued)
Biodiversity and nature protection – 12:50 (50 min)
Actions to protect marine landscapes, habitats, species and ecological processes at Baltic and national levels
Session Moderator: Mr. Lasse Gustafsson, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Action Programme (5 min)
- Introduction (15 min): Ms. Katarzyna Roszkowska, Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, Poland
- Stakeholder opinion/reply (10 min): Mr. Michael Andersen, Baltic Fishermen’s Association
- Discussions (20 min)
Hazardous substances – 13:40 (50 min)
Proposed actions, indicators and targets to reach the objectives
Session Moderator: Mr. Uli Claussen, Federal Environmental Agency, Germany (5 min)
- Introduction (15 min): Ms. Ulla-Britta Fallenius, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Sweden
- Stakeholder opinion/reply (10 min):
- Discussion (20 min)
COFFEE BREAK – 14:30 (30 min)
THEMATIC SESSIONS (Continued)
Maritime Activities – 15:00 (50 min)
Added value of proposed management measures and most cost-effective solutions
Session moderator: Mr. Peter Ehlers, BSH, Germany (5 min)
- Introduction (15 min): Mr. Alexey Kliavin, Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation
- Stakeholder opinion/reply (10 min): Mr. Peter Lundahl Rasmussen, BIMCO
- Discussion (20 min)
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS: HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan – 15:50 (50 min)
Making the application of the ecosystem approach operational in the Baltic Sea region by the development of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan
Session moderator: Mr. Mieczyslaw S. Ostojski
Panel Members:
- Session moderators (Mr. Uli Claussen, Mr. Peter Ehlers, Mr. Lasse Gustafsson, Mr. Jon Kahn, Mr. Magnus Rystedt)
- Mr. Niels-Peter Rühl, Chair of HELCOM BSAP TASK FORCE
- Mr. Arūnas Kundrotas, Minister of Environment of Lithuania
- Mr. Czeslaw Wieckowski, Ministry of Environment of Poland
- Mr. Peter Gammeltoft, EC/DG ENV
- Mr. Harry Liiv, Ministry of Environment of Estonia, Estonia
- Mr. Igor Maydanov, Russia, International Director, Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation
- Mr. Gunnar Norén, Coalition Clean Baltic
CLOSING OF THE CONFERENCE - 16:40
Mr. Mieczyslaw S. Ostojski, Chairman of HELCOM (10 min)
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HELSINKI COMMISSION
Baltic Marine Protection Commission
REGISTRATION FORM
2nd Stakeholder Conference
on the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan
6 March 2007, Marina Congress Center, Helsinki
Please fill in your name and complete address, telephone and fax numbers as well as e-mail address (in block capitals, please)
Name:
Organization:
Address:
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Please, return the completed form latest by 28.02.07
HELCOM Secretariat:
Satu Tofferi-Bishai
Fax: +358 (0) 207 412 639