Call for participants:
The Fifth Stakeholder Conference on the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan,
3 March 2010, 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 Fifth Stakeholder Conference on the Baltic Sea Action Plan to radically reduce pollution to the sea and restore its good ecological status by 2021, which will be held on 3 March 2010 in Helsinki, Finland.
The theme of the Stakeholder Conference is “One goal, one direction, many ways: Streamlining the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and other common actions for a healthy Baltic Sea”. Senior Government Officials, representatives of science and business communities and various organizations from all around the Baltic Sea are invited to discuss how far we have come in starting up and implementing actions to achieve a healthy Baltic Sea and more importantly, to give recommendations which are the fields that are lacking actions.
The recently adopted EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is drawing heavily upon the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan in its environmental as well as safety and security pillars. Some strategic actions and flagship projects have either been successfully initiated or are ongoing, while in some other areas actions are only to be started and better cooperation to streamline the existing resources is needed. The Conference will provide a good opportunity to get an overview of the progress in implementation of some major projects contributing to the goals of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, including combating eutrophication.
The Stakeholder Conference will consist of an opening session and a plenary session, followed by four parallel thematic sessions. The opening session will feature presentations on synergies in implementing the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, as well as sources of funding. In the plenary session participants will focus on HELCOM’s strategic actions and flagship projects to combat eutrophication, caused by excessive inputs of nutrients from inadequately treated wastewater and agricultural run-off, halt inputs of hazardous substances, protect biodiversity and ensure the safety of navigation in the Baltic Sea area. Based on the presentations in the plenary session, discussions will continue in four parallel interactive sessions where participants will identify the needs for new projects and actions.
The outcome of the sessions of the Conference will serve as an input to the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. HELCOM considers this input very important and will explore and respond to suggestions raised by the major stakeholder groups in the region in order to ensure that the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan will cover all necessary aspects raised by the Baltic Sea stakeholder community.
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 19 February 2010. A tentative programme for the Conference is also provided below. Please check the HELCOM web site for updates at http://www.helcom.fi/BSAP/5thConf2010/en_GB/Programme/
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tentative Programme (as of 15 January 2010)
of the Fifth HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan Stakeholder Conference 2010
Time: Wednesday, 3 March 2010; starting at 09:30, until 17:00
Place: Marina Congress Center, Katajanokanlaituri 6, FI-00160 Helsinki, Finland
Theme: “One goal, one direction, many ways: Streamlining the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and other common actions for a healthy Baltic Sea”
Background
The idea behind the 5th Stakeholder Conference is to streamline various ongoing activities and projects and their resources to better serve the goal of achieving a healthy Baltic Sea and to investigate synergies and possible needs for further coordination between the HELCOM activities / the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and other processes, like the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the NIB/NEFCO TA fund, the NDEP, etc.
The Conference will also, based on inter alia the work in each country to develop National Implementation Programmes for the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and the activities to implement the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, contribute to the exchange of ideas and indication of topics for possible new projects in fields that are lacking actions, and by that will contribute to developing, together with the relevant sectors and actors, a List of Projects for the 2010 HELCOM Moscow Ministerial Meeting.
Opening of the Conference (9:30)
Mr. Igor Maydanov, Chairman of HELCOM
Opening session (9:40-10:40)
The model region – towards a full implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region
by Mr. Dirk Ahner, Director General, DG Regional Policy, European Commission
Synergies in implementing the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region
by Ms. Gabriella Lindholm, the Swedish Ambassador for the Marine Environment
The BSAP Fund – resources and use
by Mr. Harro Pitkänen, Nordic Investment Bank
Strategic actions and flagship projects to combat eutrophication (10:40-11:40)
Setting the scene by Co-moderators: Ms. Ulla Kaarikivi-Laine, Ministry of Environment of Finland and Ms. Bożena Adamska, Ministry of Environment of Poland
PURE – Project on Urban Reduction of Eutrophication
by Ms. Lotta Ruokanen, HELCOM Secretariat
BALTHAZAR - Baltic Hazardous and Agricultural Releases Reduction
by Mr. Kaj Forsius, HELCOM Secretariat
RUSNIP – Capacity for Compliance with the Baltic Sea Action Plan
by Ms. Ulla-Britta Fallenius, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Baltic COMPASS - Comprehensive Policy Actions and Investments in Sustainable Solutions in Agriculture in the Baltic Sea Catchment and Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Agriculture
by Mr. Staffan Lund, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Presentation and speaker still to be decided
Coffee break (11:40-12:10)
Strategic actions and flagship projects to halt inputs of hazardous substances (12:10-12:50)
Setting the scene by Co-moderators: Ms. Petra Wallberg, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and Mr. Bo Nyström, Swedish Chemicals Agency
COHIBA - Control of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea region
by Ms. Ansa Pilke, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)
BALTHAZAR - Baltic Hazardous and Agricultural Releases Reduction
by Mr. Kaj Forsius, HELCOM Secretariat
BEAST – Biological Effects of Anthropogenic Chemical Stress: Tools for the assessment of Ecosystem Health
by Mr. Kari Lehtonen, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)
Lunch break (12:50-14:00)
Strategic actions and flagship projects to protect biodiversity (14:00-14:40)
Setting the scene by Moderator: Ms. Heike Imhoff, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany
Ecological coherence and management of the network of the Baltic Sea marine protected areas
by Mr. Dieter Boedeker, German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
Overview of the state of salmon and sea trout populations in rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea
by Mr. Orian Bondestam, Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
HELCOM Red List: Assessing the threat status of the species and biotopes of the Baltic Sea
by Ms. Mona Johansson, Swedish Species Information Centre
Strategic actions and flagship projects in the field of maritime activities (14:40-15:20)
Setting the scene by Moderator: Ms. Clea Henrichsen, Danish Maritime Authority, Denmark
BRISK and BRISK-RU – Sub-regional risk of spill of oil and hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea
by Mr. Peter S. Poulsen, Admiral Danish Fleet
Presentation and speaker still to be decided
Parallel interactive sessions based on the presentations in the plenary session (15:20-16:30)
Discussion to continue in the interactive sessions to exchange ideas on actions/projects
1. Session: Strategic actions and flagship projects to combat eutrophication
Co-moderators: Ms. Ulla Kaarikivi-Laine and Ms. Bożena Adamska
2. Session: Strategic actions and flagship projects to halt inputs of hazardous substances
Co-moderators: Ms. Petra Wallberg and Mr. Bo Nyström
3. Session: Strategic actions and flagship projects to protect biodiversity
Moderator: Ms. Heike Imhoff
4. Session: Strategic actions and flagship projects in the field of maritime activities
Moderator: Ms. Clea Henrichsen
Report by moderators on identified needs for new projects/activities and discussions (16.30-17.00)
Closing of the Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HELSINKI COMMISSION
Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission
REGISTRATION FORM
Fifth Stakeholder Conference
on the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan
3 March 2010, 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 19.02.2010
HELCOM Secretariat:
Ms. Teija-Liisa Lehtinen
teija-liisa.lehtinen@helcom.fi
Fax: +358 (0) 207 412 645