HELCOM LAND experts to review recovery progress at several major pollution Hot Spots in the Baltic Sea area

Helsinki, 15 May (HELCOM) – The HELCOM Land-based Pollution Group (HELCOM LAND) will convene a regular meeting on 16-18 May in Sopot, Poland, to discuss further actions to combat eutrophication and reduce pollution of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea.

Cleaning up the Baltic Sea’s single most significant pollution sources – the so-called Hot Spots - is expected to top the agenda. The Meeting will review progress in the reduction of pollution from several major industrial and municipal Hot Spots around the Baltic Sea, particularly in Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Estonia. Experts are to look into their compliance with relevant HELCOM Recommendations and consider the possibility of their deletion from the Baltic Sea’s major polluters list.

The “Hot Spots” list of the most significant point sources of pollution around the Baltic Sea was first drawn up under the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP) in 1992. A total of 86 Hot Spots and sub-Hot Spots remain on the list today, following the deletion of 63 of the original 149 Hot Spots/sub-Hot Spots. Investment and remediation projects carried out at pollution Hot Spots around the Baltic Sea have contributed substantially towards overall pollution load reductions in the Baltic Sea catchment area.

One of the main focuses of this Meeting will be also on the development of the Group's input to the strategic Baltic Sea Action Plan, now being drafted by HELCOM to ensure that all possible steps are taken to improve the state of the Baltic Sea marine environment. HELCOM’s experts will consider models to assess the implications of different policy scenarios in different countries on the changes in nutrient inputs to the sea and subsequent impacts in the marine ecosystem, as well as to assess the required nutrient reductions to achieve good ecological status throughout the Baltic marine area.

The Meeting will look into HELCOM’s activity to survey/screen the occurrence of some selected substances in the Baltic Sea. In this activity certain hazardous substances are evaluated to assess the impacts on the Baltic Sea environment in order to ensure that adequate measures are taken in the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan.

HELCOM LAND will also consider a new HELCOM recommendation on reduction of emissions of hazardous substances, especially mercury, and also new actions for better control of nutrient loads from small-and medium-sized municipalities, scattered settlements and single-family homes in the Baltic Sea Region.

Contacts

HELCOM Secretariat

Mr Kaj Forsius
Professional Secretary
Tel: +358 (0)207 412 621
Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: kaj.forsius@helcom.fi

Mr Nikolay Vlasov
Information Secretary
Tel: +358 (0)207 412 635
Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi