HELCOM to hold Baltic Sea Action Plan Stakeholder Conference in March 2006

Helsinki, 14 December (HELCOM) – The Helsinki Commission today announced that it will hold a kick-off Stakeholder Conference on the development of the Baltic Sea Action Plan on 7th March 2006 in Helsinki, Finland, prior to the Commission’s annual Meeting.

“The aim of the Conference is to inform on the purpose and foreseen activities within the strategic HELCOM plan to restore the Baltic marine environment, and to get input and commitments to its development at the local, national, and regional levels as well as from the private sector,” said Ms Anne Christine Brusendorff, Executive Secretary of HELCOM.

Preparation of the Conference was one of the key issues at the 18th Meeting of the Heads of Delegation of the HELCOM Member States, held on 12-13 December. Representatives of the Baltic Sea countries approved a tentative outline for the Conference and decided on the topics, speakers and procedure to invite all relevant stakeholders. The final version of the Conference programme will be prepared in the coming weeks.

The Meeting also decided to establish an ad hoc task force for the development of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. It will consist of representatives nominated by the HELCOM Member States and also other interested stakeholders, including representatives of NGOs and the private sector. This task force will begin its work following the kick-off Stakeholder Conference in March 2006. One of the main objectives of the ad hoc task force will be to ensure political commitment to the development of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan thereby maintaining a link between scientific work and relevant political processes. The task force will continue its work up until the adoption of the Baltic Sea Action Plan, which is planned for 2007.

The Heads of Delegation of the HELCOM Member States also discussed working programmes, intersessional work and ongoing projects, including the GEF/World Bank funded Baltic Sea Regional Project, the implementation of the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP), as well as the activities of HELCOM subsidiary Groups. Representatives of the Baltic Sea countries also agreed on the agenda of the annual Meeting of the Helsinki Commission in March 2006 and considered a draft HELCOM Recommendation on "environmentally friendly practices for the reduction and prevention of emissions of dioxins and other hazardous substances from small scale combustion" with a view to have it adopted at the forthcoming Commission's Meeting.

Contacts

HELCOM Secretariat

Mr. Nikolay Vlasov
Information Secretary
Tel: +358 9 6220 2235
Fax: +358 9 6220 2239

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi