Progress in implementation
There has been progress with the implementation of the JCP, although many problems remain. Attitudes have been gradually changing regarding the integration of environmental considerations into decision-making. EU directives such as the Water Framework Directive, the Urban Waste Water Directive and the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive can point the way to improvements at many hot spots in transitional countries. Until now 54 hot spots of the original 132 have been deleted. Today 78 hot spots or sub-hot spots still remain.
Industry and municipalities
Closures and production cuts at industrial plants due to recession have widely reduced pollution, but there are still serious problems at some plants. Relatively few proposals for industrial hot spot deletions have emerged so far, other than in Sweden, Finland, Germany and Poland, where several industrial hot spots have been deleted. Finland as a Lead-party has prepared reports on the Progress at Industrial Hot Spots.
Investments in industrial wastewater treatment have generally been low, reflecting the state of the regulatory framework and the out-dated nature of many industrial plants which rises the investment costs for updated technology.
At combined municipal and industrial hot spots many small and medium-size industries still cause problems for municipal wastewater treatment plants which are overburdened by urban wastewater, industrial discharges, sludge and solid waste.
In the Baltic Countries large municipalities have made many major improvements in wastewater treatment, reducing pollution loads substantially. In other regions serious problems must still be solved before such hot spots can be deleted. One problem has been that the financing of municipal projects by suddenly raising consumer tariffs may have negative social and economic consequences.
Agriculture
Farmland is the main source of the nutrients entering the Baltic Sea. Nutrient loads in rivers remain too high, despite reductions in the use of fertilisers and other changes in farmland that have reduced nutrient leaching. In the Baltic Republics pollution from agriculture has been reduced, although some precautionary measures must still be taken to avoid problems in the future. In Russia, all but one of the major pig farms within the Baltic catchment area have closed. The implementation of Annex III of the Helsinki Convention and the Code of Good Agricultural Practice must still be promoted.
Coastal lagoons
Coastal lagoons and wetlands receive nutrients and hazardous substances from the rivers entering them. Agriculture, poorly treated municipal and industrial wastewater are all significant sources. Pollution threatens biodiversity and hinders nature conservation in these rich habitats. -The Curonian Lagoon, shared by Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Region of Russia, is severely polluted both by agriculture and by industries in Kaliningrad. - The Vistula Lagoon and Matsalu Bay and Wetlands receive most of their pollution from agriculture and insufficiently treated wastewater. - The Gulf of Riga has seen considerable progress, with local hot spots deleted from the HELCOM list. The activities currently ongoing on land-based coastal zone activities under the Baltic Sea Regional Project is a continuation of the work done under the JCP on coastal lagoons.
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