Baltic news
Outcomes of the VIII International Environmental Forum “Baltic Sea Day” released
More than 400 participants from all the Baltic Sea countries, including government officials, diplomats, scientists and business leaders, as well as representatives of the European Commission, major regional organizations, and NGO’s took part in the VIII International Environmental Forum “Baltic Sea Day”on 22-23 March in St. Petersburg to discuss joint international actions needed to reduce pollution to the Baltic Sea and restore its good ecological status.
The Baltic Sea Day, held annually on HELCOM’s birthday, is considered as an important regional forum to stimulate public awareness of the state of the Baltic marine environment, enhance political attention to existing problems and develop support towards actions needed to protect the common sea. Over the past several years, this Forum has been a big success, attracting many hundreds of participants from all countries of the region, and beyond. Established to support and promote the work of the Helsinki Commission, it has done a great deal of valuable work in increasing public concern for the state of the Baltic Sea, and strengthening international co-operation among the Baltic Sea countries.
The Forum, which has been observed annually in St. Petersburg since 2000, was established based on the decision of the Helsinki Commission. It is organised by St. Petersburg Public Organisation “Ecology and Business” with active support from the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, governments of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, as well as governments and financial institutions of the Baltic Sea countries.
One of the major themes of this year’s Forum was the ambitious HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, which is currently being designed by the coastal countries to dramatically reduce pollution and reverse the degradation of the Baltic Sea. HELCOM has just recently unveiled the first blue print for actions, and now commenced the final stage in the development of the strategy, which is due to be adopted at a Ministerial Meeting in November in Krakow, Poland.
The programme of the Forum included plenary and sectional sessions (round tables) on a wide range of topics. Besides the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, participants looked into such issues as the trilateral co-operation in the Gulf of Finland, sustainable agriculture in the Baltic Sea region, the problems of eutrophication and reduction of nutrient loads to the Gulf of Finland, tourism and ecology, the EU Marine Strategy and Water Framework Directive, the new Northern Dimension Policy, as well as the environmental impact assessment of the Nord Stream gas pipeline project.
Keynote speakers at the plenary session included senior officials of the Government of St. Petersburg, the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service under the Russian Government (Rosprirodnadzor), the Ecology Committee of the State Duma, the European Commission, the Nordic Investment Bank, the Nordic Council, the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation, COWI consulting group, and Vodokanal-St.Petersburg.
The participants of this year's Forum approved the following documents:
Assessment of the Baltic Sea environment (nutrients, pollutants, biodiversity etc.)
- The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan: – a locomotive of regional environmental protection with common objectives, common actions, common obligations, and common responsibility
Environmental impact assessment within the framework of the Espoo convention
Environmental Protection and Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region (Tourism, Ecology, Youth)
Application of the principles of the Water Framework Directive in Transboundary Waters
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Leonid Korovin
Director General
SPbOO Ecology and Business
Phone: +7 812 430 6860
Fax: +7 812 430 9305
E-mail: korovin@sovintel.spb.ru