04.03.2009

Helsinki, Finland

Statement by Ms. Anne Christine Brusendorff,

HELCOM Executive Secretary, at the annual HELCOM Meeting,

4 March 2009, Helsinki, Finland

2008 certainly was a year for the Baltic Sea and the region – and with a lot of importance attached to the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and its implementation.

On the financial side several major institutions in the region confirmed their interest and willingness to contribute to the financing of specific projects in support of the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan.

Financial support for numerous projects was also secured, and the linkages to the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan were often additionally safeguarded through the use of HELCOM’s cooperation structure or even by HELCOM being a partner in the Projects.

This has meant that the HELCOM Secretariat has been reinforced by close to a doubling in the number of staff members who are engaged in issues covering fisheries, hazardous substances, maritime spatial planning, red lists of species and habitats/biotopes, nutrient leakages from agricultural activities, holistic assessment of the status of the Baltic Sea and enhancement of a Baltic Geographic Information System services.

And I am of course grateful for the support that we have received from the EU, the Nordic Council of Ministers as well as from specific countries.

Much focus has also been derived from the ongoing preparations of the European Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, where one out of four objectives focuses on the urgency of reversing the ecological and environmental decline of the Baltic Sea and by that securing the full economic potential of the marine environment. In reaching this objective the importance of a full implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan is written into the Strategy.

We are all aware how this strategy is linked to the upcoming Swedish presidency in the European Union, where environmental issues are in focus, and in particular the marine environment.

That is why I would also like to put forward a small worry of mine – in stating that I - at times - lack the connection between words and action – at the governmental level. Some of these difficulties we have faced within our own structures. With good intentions we established the Implementation Group to oversee and coordinate the implementation process of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. But to give an honest evaluation I have to state that the dual membership of nearly all countries in both the Implementation Group and as Heads of Delegation plus the lack of specific action at the level of the countries have impacted negatively on the work of the Group. And I think that I can add that this worry is shared by both the Chairman, Mr. Ole Norrback and the members of the Group.

How can we change this? How can we ensure that HELCOM - and the HELCOM work - is considered as an implementation vehicle both for the Helsinki Convention but also for other international obligations, deriving from global and European instruments? And who is it who should ensure this? I think it is important to state that HELCOM does not claim to have monopoly on protecting the Baltic Sea, but I would declare that a full and successful implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan is the first step in restoring and achieving a healthy Baltic Sea. If we cannot fulfill this, then I do not see point in starting even more ambitious programmes.

In the current economic situation there is even more of a need to bring into line various processes with the same ultimate goal – that of restoring the Baltic Sea.  In this connection it is important to ensure that the knowledge-base and financial instruments are united, and that the Baltic-specific objectives and targets decided at the political level are decisive when drawing up both national, global and EU policies.

For me this is also connected to our ongoing discussions on the roadmap towards equal shares, and I hope that the fate of this does not affect the political importance attached to the work of HELCOM.

Now coming back to the on-going projects that I mentioned earlier I am convinced that their deliverables will be of huge importance for the implementation of our Action Plan. And while it is surely not comprehensive - and in that respect also a bit dangerous - to point to only a fraction of the activities that we are carrying out – allow me anyway to do so:

- the holistic assessment, which will be ready in 2010 for approval by the ministerial meeting, will be an epoch-making product, which by use of joint assessment procedures will give us an overall status of the Baltic Sea, including social and economic perspectives;

- the maritime spatial planning and the possibility that is at hand for HELCOM to unite with other organizations and sectors, to present in 2010 Baltic-specific principles and the outcome of several test cases, where such principles have been tested;

- And if we could add to this a first preliminary outcome of a Baltic Stern report – I would be among the first ones to welcome that.

I was delighted about yesterday’s discussions at the stakeholder conference and the feast of support from all levels; ministers, high-level governmental officials, scientists, NGO’s and the private sector. I believe such stakeholder events to be of vast significance, and in this connection I must congratulate one country specifically for having tirelessly arranged stakeholder events – the next taking place in St. Petersburg, in a fortnight; namely the X Baltic Sea Day Forum.

I can assure you that together with my colleagues we are fully set to support you and facilitate you in your national implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. We want to make sure that when we gather again at ministerial level in 2010 we are able to show how your strong ownership of the Action Plan has led to timely implementation of its actions.

Thank you. 

Follow-up:

Press release on the annual HELCOM Meeting http://www.helcom.fi/press_office/news_helcom/en_GB/HELCOM_30/

Note to Editors:

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), is an intergovernmental organisation of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Community working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region.

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:

Mr. Nikolay Vlasov

Information Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 635

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi