Stakeholder Workshop in St. Petersburg addresses key actions within the maritime segment of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan

Helsinki, 25 November (HELCOM Information Service) – Implementation of actions within the maritime segment of the Baltic Sea Action Plan in the Russian Federation was the primary focus of the HELCOM Stakeholder Workshop which was held on 21 November in St. Petersburg.

The Workshop was hosted by Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy and organized jointly by the Academy, Information Offices of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, the Saint-Petersburg Port Maritime Authority and the HELCOM Secretariat. Participants included officials from the government agencies, local authorities, representatives of the maritime administrations, port authorities, scientific and business communities, regional organizations and NGO’s from Russia, as well as from Estonia, Finland and Poland.

“The aim of the Workshop was to facilitate national implementation of the maritime and response actions agreed within the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and to involve all interested stakeholders in realization of the agreed measures,” says Monika Stankiewicz, Professional Secretary on maritime and response issues at HELCOM.

Following a series of presentations, participants of the Workshop discussed new IMO regulations on prevention of air pollution from ships, the use of economic incentives in Russian ports, a new proposal by the HELCOM countries to IMO to tighten requirements for sewage from ships, and measures to increase safety of winter navigation, including training of seafarers.

Additionally, participants discussed measures related to response to oil pollution, including the enhanced cooperation on places of refuge, the role of the municipal authorities in the shoreline response, as well as the new project “Sub-regional risk of spill of oil and hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea” (BRISK).

Also, an official ceremony of handing over the chairmanship within the Baltic Icebreaking Management (BIM) from Finland to Russia took place during the meeting. Mr. Ilmari Aro of the Finnish Maritime Administration passed his duties on to Mr. Petr Parinov, Harbour Master of Port of St. Petersburg. HELCOM’s cooperation with BIM under the Finnish chairmanship resulted in adoption of the HELCOM Recommendation 28E/11 on further measures to improve the safety of navigation in ice conditions in the Baltic Sea.  This recommendation is an integral part of the Baltic Sea Action Plan.

This is already the third Stakeholder Workshop on the Baltic Sea Action Plan held in the Russian Federation. The previous two were held this year in Kaliningrad and focused on the implementation of the eutrophication and biodiversity segments, as well as the response to accidents at sea segment. “The regional/national workshops enhance the elaboration of national projects and the development of prioritised list of actions and help increase awareness of the strategic Baltic Sea Action Plan to reduce pollution to the sea and restore its good ecological status by 2021,” says Stankiewicz.

Note to Editors:

The Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM, works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental co-operation between the countries bordering the sea - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and also the European Community.  

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," more usually known as the Helsinki Convention.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Monika Stankiewicz

Professional Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 643

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: monika.stankiewicz@helcom.fi

Mr. Nikolay Vlasov

Information Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 635

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi