status of the helcom baltic sea action plan

Status of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan

Helle Pilsgaard, HELCOM Chair

The 21st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference ”Energy, Ecology and Social Welfare: Cooperation for a Sustainable

Development of the Baltic Sea Region”Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 28 August 2012

The priorities of the Danish HELCOM Chairmanship

1. Effective fulfillment of the Baltic Sea Action Plan • eutrophication, hazardous substances,

biodiversity, maritime activities2. A little extra for a healthy Baltic Sea

• initiatives in areas where additional measures are needed

3. A more dynamic and effective HELCOM• streamlining processes, ensuring synergy

and coordination with other policies

• Contains measures to achieve and maintain Good Environmental Status

• Serves as a tool to implement other international legal frameworks

• Implemented in synergy with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and other policies

Progress of HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan 2007

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Status for reducing inputs of nutrients

• Major investments into waste water treatment to meet high HELCOM standards (e.g. in St. Petersburg, Riga and others)

• Phase-out of P-containing detergents• Ban on sewage discharges from passenger ships• HELCOM Agriculture and Environment Forum • BaltHazAR Project (2009-2012, 3,5 M€) and

follow-up project (2012-2014, 2.5 M€); EU funded

• Ongoing process to designate the Baltic Sea as NOx Emission Control Area (NECA) for shipping

Work in Progress – many positive examples that will reduce nutrient inputs:

Examples of ongoing work on biodiversity • Designation of new marine protected areas

(including offshore) and developing and implementation of management plans for such areas

• Assessment of fisheries impacts in marine protected areas to come up with practical solutions for fisheries supporting biodiversity conservation objectives

• Inventory and development of restoration plans for important Baltic salmon rivers

2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting• To be held in autumn 2013 under the

Danish Chairmanship• Evaluation of the BSAP implementation

and national progress towards nutrient reduction scheme, ecological objectives and Good Environmental Status

• Based on the above, adjustment of the BSAP and update of targets - adaptive management

Thank you!For more information please contact:Helsinki Commission(HELCOM)Katajanokanlaituri 6 BFI-00160 Helsinki Finlandwww.helcom.fi