HELCOM - Celebrating the past and meeting the future
“The future of the Baltic Sea is in our hands. We all have a responsibility to keep the Baltic alive." Opening the 25th annual meeting of the Helsinki Commission, 2–3 March 2004, Ms Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, continued by saying "The Helsinki Convention is a pioneer. HELCOM is a key actor in protecting the Baltic Sea."
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Helsinki Convention the Meeting also defined HELCOM's future role in the light of the impending EU enlargement. In this way HELCOM will continue to serve as the environmental watchdog in the Baltic Sea region and as a bridge between EU member states and Russia.
HELCOM's future priority areas comprise monitoring and assessing the state of the entire sea including the efficiency of protection measures, curbing eutrophication, preventing pollution from hazardous substances, nature conservation and protection of biodiversity, and ensuring safety of navigation and response to accidents, all of which shall be tackled using an integrated management approach.
In order to make the scientific basis for political decision-making more transparent HELCOM has adopted a new data and information strategy to facilitate access to environmental data in HELCOM databases.
The Meeting further adopted nine new and revised recommendations on measures to prevent pollution around the Baltic Sea. New measures have particularly been designed to combat pollution from fish farming and by PCBs, as well as to improve winter navigation. A new umbrella recommendation relates to the use of best available techniques (BATs) throughout the catchment area.
The HELCOM 25/2004 Meeting was preceded by a special Baltic Youth Forum involving students from many countries around the Baltic Sea and abroad, and climaxed in a special HELCOM Jubilee Session on 4 March to mark the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Convention.
Continuing to fight pollution around the Baltic
Other topics discussed at the meeting included improvements to ballast water management. HELCOM has resolved to join forces with the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) to investigate the possibility of another major World Bank funded project in the Baltic Sea. The proposed project is intended to build on the work already done by the current World Bank funded Baltic Sea Regional Project, for which HELCOM holds overall responsibility.
New reports examine pollution loads and health risks from dioxins
A major new pollution load compilation report (PLC-4) offers detailed information on the direct inputs of pollutants entering the Baltic Sea in 2000, including nitrogen, phosphorus, mercury, cadmium and lead.
Two new scientific publications examine the role of remote sensing in marine monitoring and the taxonomy of Baltic phytoplankton.
A draft report on environmental problems related to dioxins, including the health risks to people consuming fish from the Baltic Sea, was discussed and is expected to be published in a few months.
Five new films launched
Five films were launched this week by the Helsinki Commission to celebrate the beauty of the Baltic Sea region, and to raise awareness of our responsibility to protect our common sea. These films are available on the web (http://www.helcom.fi/) or can be obtained from the HELCOM Secretariat in VHS and DVD format free of charge.
"The Baltic – Sea of Surprice" is a series of four 10-minute films due to be broadcast in many countries in 2004.
The short film "Lord of the Things" is particularly intended for young people, and encourages them to participate in developing ecological quality objectives for a clean and healthy Baltic. The film is complemented by an internet-based e-Meeting service on the HELCOM website, designed to promote dialogue between young people and governments in the Baltic region, through HELCOM. This project is part of HELCOM's "ecosystem approach to the management of human activities" – which aims to make all sectors of society consider their effects on the Baltic marine ecosystems.
Contacts:
Mr Guntis Drunka
HELCOM Vice-Chairman
Tel: +371 7 469 664
Ms Anne Christine Brusendorff
HELCOM Executive Secretary
Tel: +358 9 6220 2228
List of new HELCOM Recommendations:
HELCOM develops recommendations on measures to prevent pollution of the Baltic Sea which stand on their own, as well as those supplementing existing international regulations.
Umbrella Recommendation for industrial activities on the effective use of Best Available Techniques (BAT)
This recommendation unifies permit conditions across all the HELCOM Contracting Parties, and provides concise information on Best Available Techniques, including achievable emission levels for particularly hazardous substances, especially those not adequately addressed by EU legislation.
Revised Recommendation concerning the elimination of PCBs and PCTs
This recommendation improves existing (EU) regulations by including applications with small amounts of PCBs which may add up to large amounts in total, and by extending coverage to the PCBs/PCTs in demolition waste.
Revised Recommendation on reductions in nutrients and other pollutants leaching from forestry land
This recommendation combines two earlier recommendations.
Revised Recommendation on measures aimed at the reduction of discharges from fresh water and marine fish farming
This revised recommendation tightens requirements on nutrient discharges by marine and inland fish farms contained in two earlier recommendations. The pollution from fish farms is not covered by specific regulations in EU.
HELCOM Recommendation “Safety of winter navigation in the Baltic Sea area”
This new recommendation deals with the operational safety requirements for ships sailing in ice conditions. The importance of this recommendation is underpinned by the increasing shipping activities also in ice covered areas during winter and the fact that neither IMO nor EU has adequate regulations.
HELCOM Recommendation “Assessment of the need for escort towing in tanker transport routes to prevent accidents in the Baltic Sea area”
This recommendation includes requirements to carry out before 1 July 2006 an evaluation of the need for escort towing services for laden oil and chemical tankers along main tanker transport routes where a failure of propulsion or steering of a tanker could result in serious pollution of the sensitive Baltic marine ecosystems.
Guidelines on granting exceptions for pleasure craft according to Paragraph D of Regulation 5 of Annex IV to the Helsinki Convention
The guidelines contain principles for granting exemptions from the obligation to install toilet retention systems in pleasure craft built before 1st of January 2000 when this is technically difficult, or when the cost of installation is high compared to the value of the vessel.
According to the provisions of the Annex IV to the Helsinki Convention pleasure craft with toilets on board have to be fitted with toilet retention systems for sewage as from 1st January 2005 (for ships built before 1 January 2000) or 1 July 2004 (for ships built on or after 1 January 2000).
HELCOM Recommendation “Guidelines for the recommended minimum throughput of oil filtering equipment on board ships”
Following the decisions of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), HELCOM Recommendation 14/6 has been amended in order to promote and accelerate the introduction of new oil filtering technologies on ships.
Revised HELCOM Recommendation 23/3 "Enhancing the use of pilots in Route T and the Sound by notification to departing ships and establishment of an early warning system"
HELCOM Recommendation 23/3 has been modified in order to harmonise it with new IMO resolutions.