MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

Miljø- og Fødevareudvalget 2017-18
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Minutes of the

Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission

Table of contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Agenda Item 1

Agenda Item 2

Agenda Item 3

Agenda Item 4

Agenda Item 5

Agenda Item 6

Annex 1

Annex 2

Annex 3

Annex 4

Annex 5

Annex 6

Adoption of the Agenda .................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2

Ministerial debate ................................................................................................................................. 3

Statements by HELCOM Observers................................................................................................ 5

Adoption of the HELCOM Brussels Ministerial Declaration ................................................... 6

Closure of the meeting ....................................................................................................................... 6

List of Participants ................................................................................................................................ 8

Welcoming address by Commissioner Vella ............................................................................ 15

Annotated Agenda ............................................................................................................................ 16

Debate by Ministers and High-level Representatives of the Contracting Parties ....... 18

Statement by Mr. Hans Olsson on behalf of the Council of the Baltic Sea States ...... 23

Statement by Ms. Susana Salvador on behalf of the OSPAR Commission.................... 25

Annex 7

Statement by Mr. Jörgen Pettersson on behalf of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary

Conference .................................................................................................................................................................................... 27

Annex 8

Statement by Ms. Hanna Paulomäki on behalf of World Wide Fund for Nature,

OCEANA and Coalition Clean Baltic .....................................................................................................................................30

Annex 9

Statement by Ms. Liisa Pietola on behalf of the Baltic Farmers’ Forum on

Environment ..................................................................................................................................................................................35

Annex 10

Statement by Mr. Robert Beest and Mr. Marc Klaus of behalf on KIMO International

and Race for the Baltic...............................................................................................................................................................38

Annex 11

2018 HELCOM Brussels Ministerial Declaration ........................................................................ 41

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

List of Decisions of the

Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission

Minutes of the

Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission

Introduction

0.1

The Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission was attended by representatives of the

Governments of all Contracting Parties, by Chairs and Vice-Chairs of HELCOM Groups, and the following

Observer organizations: Baltic Farmers’ Forum on Environment (BFFE), Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference

(BSPC), Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), Federation of European

Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), KIMO International, OCEANA, OSPAR Commission, Race for the Baltic, Sea

Alarm Foundation, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). In addition, a representative of Stockholm

University Baltic Sea Centre participated as invited guest. The list of participants is included as Annex 1.

0.2

The Meeting was chaired by the Chair of the Helsinki Commission, Ms. Marianne Wenning.

0.3

Mr. Karmenu Vella, Commissioner, European Commission DG Environment, welcomed the

Meeting to Brussels. He reminded that the purpose of the meeting was to safeguard the vital shared

resources of the Baltic Sea and highlighted that EU as chair of HELCOM has worked to secure improved

regional governance in the Baltic Sea region, seeing that it is crucial to work together at regional and

international level to reach healthy seas and oceans. Mr. Vella commended the “State of the Baltic Sea”

report as a great achievement that can be used to draw up a course of action in HELCOM for the coming

years. He also thanked the HELCOM Contracting Parties being EU Member States for the implementation

of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive in the Baltic Sea region and HELCOM for the work on

coordinating implementation of ocean-related Sustainable Development Goals in the region (Annex 2).

Agenda Item 1 Adoption of the Agenda

Document: Provisional Programme and Provisional Annotated Agenda

1.1

The Meeting adopted the Provisional Annotated Agenda as submitted to the Meeting, included

as Annex 3.

Agenda Item 2 Introduction

Documents: None. Website:

http://stateofthebalticsea.helcom.fi/

2.1

The Meeting took note of the video on the HELCOM “State of the Baltic Sea” report, reflecting the

latest assessment on progress towards reaching good environmental status for the Baltic Sea. The report

is the outcome of a large-scale collaboration among Baltic Sea countries and EU in HELCOM, and provides

background information for the Ministerial Meeting and the draft Ministerial Declaration to be considered

for adoption.

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

List of Decisions of the

Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission

Agenda Item 3 Ministerial debate

Documents: The report “Implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan 2018 – three years left to reach

good environmental status”; Draft Brussels Ministerial Declaration

3.1

The Chair introduced the draft Declaration submitted to this meeting based on the outcome of

HELCOM 39-2018, and pointed out that the draft Declaration acknowledges the positive effects that have

been achieved over the past years while also addressing the challenges left to meet the existing objectives

of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) by 2021.

3.2

The Meeting took note of the report “Implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan 2018 – three

years left to reach good environmental status”, as presented by the Executive Secretary of the Helsinki

Commission, Ms. Monika Stankiewicz. The report presents how far the Baltic Sea countries have come in

carrying out the agreements of the BSAP and the ongoing activities in HELCOM to fulfil the

implementation. The report provides background information for the Ministerial Meeting and the draft

Ministerial Declaration to be considered for adoption.

3.3

The Chair presented the following questions for the Ministerial debate:

What should be HELCOM's priorities to accomplish the Baltic Sea Action Plan by 2021? Which

are the national actions you will take in your country and which are the top three actions that

Parties should do jointly to achieve good environmental status?

What opportunities do you see from our cooperation to support implementation of UN

Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in the Baltic Sea? Is HELCOM as organization fit to

do it, and if not, what are the key changes needed so we would be?

The Chair opened the floor for the debate on question number one.

II.

3.4

3.5

The Meeting took note of the input by the Commissioner, European Union, Mr. Karmenu Vella.

The EU outlined three top priority actions for HELCOM; eutrophication, marine litter and underwater noise.

Mr. Vella also wished the Ministers to give a strong mandate to HELCOM for updating the BSAP in 2021

and take the necessary measures to improve the state of the sea, also noting that a strong sense of

commitment of all Contracting Parties is a necessity for the implementation of the BSAP.

3.6

The Meeting took note of the input by the Minister for Environment and Food, Denmark, Mr. Esben

Lunde Larsen. Denmark underlined that the updating of the BSAP needs to be discussed on a political

level, taking both environmental and economic considerations into account. Mr. Lunde Larsen mentioned

Danish achievements so far, including a considerable reduction in nutrient input and the designation and

management of marine protected areas. He also informed that Denmark plans to use the extra nutrient

reductions to the Kattegat to expand the aquaculture sector. The examples of newest national work are

ongoing national actions on nutrient reduction specified according to the needs of specific catchment

areas, designation of new marine protected areas, and the reduction of marine litter.

3.7

The Meeting took note of the input by the Minister of the Environment, Estonia, Mr. Siim Kiisler.

Estonia proposed to focus regional efforts on reduction of eutrophication, hazardous substances and

marine litter. Based on national experience Mr. Kiisler also proposed to develop regional-wide standards

on more advanced technology to reduce hazardous substances from municipal and industrial waste water.

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

List of Decisions of the

Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission

Estonia also stressed that plastic wastes do not belong in the sea and underlined the need to develop

plastic free technologies and plastic free products.

3.8

The Meeting took note of the input by the Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing,

Finland, Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen. Finland noted that with only three years left to reach the goals of the BSAP,

HELCOM is lagging behind in the implementation. Nationally, Finland will focus on the implementation of

remaining national actions and as incoming Chair of HELCOM Finland will facilitate the implementation of

the joint actions. Mr. Tiilikainen highlighted the need for political commitments in order to reach as many

actions as possible and also stressed the need to look to the future, and identify the necessary next steps.

3.9

The Meeting took note of the input by the Deputy Head of Government and Environmental

Minister, Åland, Ms. Camilla Gunell. Ms. Gunell highlighted the support by Åland for the update of the

BSAP with the aim to achieve a plastic free and clean Baltic Sea.

3.10

The Meeting took note of the input by the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature

Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, Ms. Barbara Hendricks. Germany outlined the

following priorities for HELCOM; reduction in the introduction of nutrients and hazardous substances,

marine litter, and biodiversity protection. Ms. Hendricks mentioned recent actions at the nation level

including new ordinances on the use of fertilizers and sewage sludge with the aim to support nutrient

recycling. Germany also stressed that the precautionary principle and polluter pays principle are guiding

the Helsinki Convention and raised doubt about end-of-pipe solutions.

3.11

The Meeting took note of the input by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environmental Protection

and Regional Development, Latvia. Mr. Jānis Eglīts.

Latvia acknowledged that the BSAP is yet to be fully

implemented in Latvia. In order to speed up the implementation, Latvia is focusing on actions related to

circular economy, management measures addressing maritime spatial planning and spatial protection, and

the use of blue catch crops as a method to reduce nutrients in coastal waters. A specific national measure

is the reduction of use of plastic bags.

3.12

The Meeting took note

of the input by the Minister of Environment, Lithuania, Mr. Kęstutis

Navickas. Lithuania informed about the launch of a water development programme, including river basin

management, environmental protection, drinking water supply, and waste water management. Lithuania

also stressed the importance of transparency and information sharing in the HELCOM area with regards

to transboundary issues such as development of offshore oil exploration and gas pipe-lines.

3.13

The Meeting took note of the input by the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Maritime Economy

and Inland Navigation, Poland, Ms. Anna Moskwa. She informed that Poland is working closely with

neighbouring countries in cases of accidents of oil and hazardous substances. Poland is also focusing on

testing of environmentally friendly fishing gear to minimize impact of fishing gear on the marine

environment and actively participation in cleaning the Baltic Sea from marine litter, including derelict fishing

gear. As prioritized joint actions Poland proposes to focus HELCOM work on dumped chemical munitions

and unexploded ordinances, on reducing the amount of waste from ships including through improving

port reception facilities, and maritime spatial planning.

3.14

The Meeting took note of the input by the Director, Ministry of Natural Resources and

Environment, high-level representative of Russia, Mr. Nuritdin Inamov. Russia informed of activities taken

to implement the BSAP, including a reform of the national environmental legislation that addresses new

waste management approaches and the introduction of best available technologies to be used as a basis

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

List of Decisions of the

Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission

to modernize industries in Russia. Mr. Inamov also pointed out that the waste water treatment plant in St.

Petersburg has best cleaning efficiency in Russia and that the release of sewage from Kaliningrad has been

reduced significantly. Two new protected areas have furthermore been recently established in Russian

waters. Maritime Spatial Planning is seen as an important tool to achieve the goals of the BSAP.

3.15

The Meeting took note of the input by the Minister for the Environment, Sweden, Ms. Karolina

Skog. Ms. Skog reminded about the costs of inaction and how the healthy sea can serve the economy and

development in the region. Sweden proposes to focus HELCOM work on finalizing the establishment of

the coherent network of marine protected areas, reducing eutrophication and to work together with local

communities to find suitable measures to reduce the impact on the Baltic Sea. At the national level, Sweden

is focusing on the implementation of national measures to reach the BSAP commitments.

3.16

The Chair thanked the participants for their contributions and opened the floor for question

number two on the opportunities for HELCOM to support implementation of UN Agenda 2030 in the Baltic

Sea.

3.17

The Chair thanked the participants for their contribution to the Ministerial Debate and the

proposals put forward for future HELCOM work. The details of the debate are reflected in Annex 4.

Agenda Item 4 Statements by HELCOM Observers

Documents: Contribution by the OSPAR Commission submitted in advance of the meeting; Statements

by Observer organizations distributed during the meeting.

4.1

The Meeting took note of the statement of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), presented

by Mr. Hans Olsson (Annex 5). CBSS noted with pleasure that HELCOM has aligned its targets with the UN

Agenda 2030, the Aichi Biodiversity targets under the Convention on Biological Diversity and furthermore

expressed appreciation for the voluntary commitments taken by HELCOM at the UN Conference on the

SDG goals. CBSS welcomed that HELCOM addresses climate risks and climate change and suggested

further collaboration with HELCOM in the field of Maritime Policy.

4.2

The Meeting took note of the contribution by the OSPAR Commission as submitted in advance of

the Meeting and of the statement of the OSPAR Commission, presented by the Executive Secretary of

OSPAR Ms. Susana Salvador (Annex 6). OSPAR highlighted the shared vision by HELCOM and OSPAR on

the ecosystem approach as well as sharing the transition area between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea

as a palpable basis for cooperation. Ms. Salvador mentioned the topics of underwater noise, marine litter,

invasive species and conservation of biodiversity as scope for further collaborative activities. OSPAR

concluded that regional collaboration will play a substantive role in supporting the implementation of the

UN Agenda 2030.

4.3

The Meeting took note of the statement of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC),

presented by President Mr. Jörgen Pettersson (Annex 7). Mr. Pettersson underlined that parliaments and

parliamentary organizations around the Baltic Sea will continue to support the timely implementation of

the BSAP, but also demanded implementation on schedule by the governments. BSPC also called for more

regular HELCOM Ministerial Meetings, to bring the issues of a clean Baltic Sea more closely into the political

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

List of Decisions of the

Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission

debate. BSPC supports HELCOM as the coordinator of the regional implementation of UN Agenda 2030

through strengthened implementation of the HELCOM BSAP.

4.4

The Meeting took note of the joint statement by World Wildlife Fund, Coalition Clean Baltic and

OCEANA, presented by Ms. Hanna Paulomäki (Annex 8). The NGO’s stressed the need for a strong BSAP

and for urgent implementation of the measures covered by the plan and beyond. The NGO’s also

emphasized cross sectoral implementation and cooperation between ministries, and highlighted that

measures to improve the Baltic Sea must be seen as an investment in the region’s sustainable economic

and social development.

4.5

The Meeting took note of the statement of Baltic Farmers’ Forum on Environment, presented by

Ms. Liisa Pietola (Annex 9). BFFE reminded of the work the agricultural sector has done so far to reduce

nutrient loading to the Baltic Sea and welcomed a closer cooperation between HELCOM and the farmers’

organizations. BFFE appreciated that the Declaration addresses internal nutrient loading in the Baltic Sea

and the emphasis on safe nutrient recycling. Ms. Pietola stressed that climate change, the impacts of which

will also affect the nutrient load from agriculture, must be taken into account when updating the BSAP.

4.6

The Meeting took note of the joint statement of KIMO International and Race for the Baltic,

presented by Mr. Robert Beest and Mr. Marc Klaus (Annex 10). KIMO International and Race for the Baltic

highlighted involvement of local stakeholders as fundamental to achieving concomitant sustainable

economic growth and good environmental status in the Baltic Sea. Mr. Beest and Mr. Klaus urged HELCOM

to step up implementation of the BSAP by setting measurable targets and achievable goals for specific

stakeholders, with municipalities pinpointed as key stakeholders to influence and coordinate activities at

the local level.

4.7

The Meeting thanked the Observers for the statements and expressed a wish for the good

cooperation between HELCOM and Observers to continue also in the future.

Agenda Item 5 Adoption of the HELCOM Brussels Ministerial Declaration

Documents: Draft 2018 HELCOM Brussels Ministerial Declaration

5.1

The Meeting adopted the 2018 HELCOM Brussels Ministerial Declaration (Annex 11).

Agenda Item 6 Closure of the meeting

Documents: Draft list of decisions

6.1

6.2

The Meeting was presented with a draft list of decisions for adoption.

The Meeting thanked the European Commission for excellent hosting of the Meeting.

6.3

The Commissioner thanked all Contracting Parties for their collaborative approach and Ms.

Marianne Wenning, HELCOM Chair, for her excellent work.

6.4

The Chair thanked the participants for the successful adoption of the 2018 HELCOM Brussels

Declaration, for their contributions and support for the Helsinki Convention, the Baltic Sea Action Plan and

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

List of Decisions of the

Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission

their future development in line with global processes under Agenda 2030, and concluded that the

Declaration will provide the roadmap for HELCOM for the years to come.

6.5

The Minutes of the Meeting were finalized in consultation with the Chair and will be submitted

to all Contracting Parties and to any government, intergovernmental organization and non-

governmental international organization invited to send observers to the Meeting.

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Annex 1 List of Participants

*) Head of Delegation

CHAIR

Ms. Marianne Wenning

European Union

[email protected]

DENMARK

Mr. Esben Lunde Larsen *)

Minister for Environment and Food

Mr. Christian Vind

Mr. Simon Apelblat

Ms. Marie Hjortdal

Ms. Lone Søderberg

Ministry of Environment and Food

[email protected]

ESTONIA

Mr. Siim Kiisler *)

Minister of the Environment

Mr. Harry Liiv

Deputy Secretary General

Mr. Rene Reisner

Ministry of Environment

[email protected]

EUROPEAN UNION

Mr. Karmenu Vella *)

Commissioner

Mr. Daniel Calleja

Director DG ENV

Ms. Veronica Manfredi

Directrice DG ENV. C

Mr. Matjaž Malgaj

Vice-Chair of HELCOM

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

[email protected]

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

Ms. Barbara Focquet

Member of Cabinet

Mr. Fabio Pirotta

Ms. Clémentine Leroy

Ms. Maud Casier

Ms. Anna Cheilari

Mr. David Connor

Ms. Marijana Mance

Ms. Justine Guiny

Mr. Marco Bonetti

Mr. Maik Schmahl

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG

Environment

European Commission, DG Mobility

and Transport

[email protected]

FINLAND

Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen *)

Minister of the Environment, Energy

and Housing

Ms. Maria Laamanen

Ms. Sara Viljanen

Ms. Camilla Gunell

Deputy Head of Government and

Environmental Minister

Ms. Erja Tikka

Baltic Sea Ambassador

Ms. Saara Bäck

Upcoming HELCOM chair

Ms. Tarja Haaranen

Chair of AGRI, upcoming HELCOM

vice chair

Ms. Penina Blankett

Co-Chair of State& Conservation

and Vice-Co-Chair of HELCOM-

VASAB MSP WG

Ms. Marja-Liisa Tapio-Biström

Mr. Heikki Lehtinen

Mr. Jussi Soramäki

Mr. Mikael Wennström

Ms. Taru Savolainen

Ministry of the Environment

Government of Åland

[email protected]

Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Environment

Ministry of the Environment

[email protected]

Ministry of the Environment

[email protected]

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Prime Minister´s Office

Government of Åland

Ministry of the Environment

[email protected]

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

Ms. Ulla Ahonen

Communication Specialist

Ms. Paula Kankaanpää

Ms. Vivi Fleming-Lehtinen

Vice-Co-Chair of State &

Conservation

Ms. Anita Mäkinen

Co-Chair of GREEN TEAM

Ministry of the Environment

Finnish Environment Institute

[email protected]

Finnish Transport Safety Agency

[email protected]

GERMANY

Dr. Barbara Hendricks *)

Federal Minister for the

Environment, Nature Conservation,

Building and Nuclear Safety

Dr. Peter Rösgen

Ambassador

Ms. Heike Imhoff

Chair of GEAR

Ms. Monika Luxem-Fritsch

Ms. Stefanie Hedtkamp

Ms. Angelina Haarkamp

Ms. Almut Nagel

Ms. Luisa Rölke

Ms. Wera Leujak

Federal Ministry for the Environment

Permanent Representation of

Germany to the EU

Federal Ministry for the Environment [email protected]

Federal Ministry for the Environment Monika.luxem-

[email protected]

Federal Ministry for the Environment [email protected]

Permanent Representation of

Germany to the EU

Permanent Representation of

Germany to the EU

Federal Environmental Agency

[email protected]

LATVIA

Mr. Jānis Eglīts *)

Vice Minister

Ms. Alda Ozola

Deputy State Secretary

Ms. Baiba Zasa

Ministry of Environmental Protection [email protected]

and Regional Development of Latvia

Ministry of Environmental Protection [email protected]

and Regional Development of Latvia

Ministry of Environmental Protection [email protected]

and Regional Development of Latvia

LITHUANIA

Mr.

Kęstutis Navickas *)

Minister of Environment

Mr. Dalius Krinickas

Vice Minister

Ms. Vytautė Bacianskaitė

Ms. Viktorija Vaškevičienė

Ministry of Environment

Permanent representation of

Lithuania to the EU

Ministry of Environment

[email protected]

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

Ms. Gintarė Gulbinė

Ministry of Environment

[email protected]

POLAND

Ms. Anna Moskwa *)

Deputy Minister in the Ministry of

Maritime Economy and Inland

Navigation

Ms. Joanna Kopczyńska

Mr. Krystian Królik

Ministry of Maritime Economy and

Inland Waterways

[email protected]

Ministry of Maritime Economy and

Inland Waterways

[email protected]

Permanent Representation of Poland [email protected]

to the European Union

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Mr. Nuritdin Inamov *)

Ms. Natalia Tretiakova

Ms. Natalia Kutaeva

Ms. Natalia Bobyleva

Mr. Vladimir Brednev

Mr. Ivan Glushko

Mr. Nikolay Stupakov

Ministry of Natural Resources and

the Environment

Ministry of Natural Resources and

the Environment

FBI “Marine Rescue Service of

Rosmorrechflot” (MRS)

State company “Mineral”

Russian permanent mission in

Brussels

Russian permanent mission in

Brussels

FSBI The Administration of the Baltic

Sea Ports

[email protected]

SWEDEN

Ms. Karolina Skog *)

Minister for the Environment

Ms. Annika Nilsson

Mr. Anders Mankler

Ms. Hanna Björnfors

Press Secretary

Mr. Martin Larsson

Mr. Filip Ekander

Mr. Lars Sonesten

Chair of PRESSURE

Ms. Linda Rydell

Ministry of the Environment and

Energy

Ministry of the Environment and

Energy

Ministry of the Environment and

Energy

Ministry of the Environment and

Energy

Ministry of the Environment and

Energy

Ministry of the Environment and

Energy

Swedish University of Agricultural

Sciences

Swedish Agency for Marine and

Water Management

[email protected]

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Observers: Intergovernmental organizations

BALTIC SEA PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE (BSPC)

Mr. Jörgen Pettersson

President

Mr. Bodo Bahr

Baltic Sea Parliamentary

Conference

Baltic Sea Parliamentary

Conference

[email protected]

COUNCIL OF THE BALTIC SEA STATES (CBSS)

H.E. Mr. Hans Olsson

Mr. Bernd Hemingway

Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Swedish Presidency of the CBSS

Council of the Baltic Sea States

[email protected]

OSPAR COMMISSION

Ms. Laura Piriz

Chair of OSPAR

Ms. Susana Salvador

Executive Secretary

The OSPAR Commission

[email protected]

Observers: International non-governmental organizations

BALTIC FARMERS' FORUM ON ENVIRONMENT (BFFE)

Ms. Liisa Pietola

Baltic Farmers' Forum on

Environment

[email protected]

COALITION CLEAN BALTIC (CCB)

Mr. Mikhail Durkin

Mr. Nils Höglund

Coalition Clean Baltic

[email protected]

FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN AQUACULTURE PRODUCERS (FEAP)

Mr. Torben Wallach

Federation of European

Aquaculture Producers

[email protected]

KIMO International

Ms. Arabelle Bentley

Mr. Robert te Beest

KIMO International

[email protected]

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OCEANA

Ms. Hanna Paulomäki

OCEANA

[email protected]

RACE FOR THE BALTIC

Mr. Marc Klaus

Ms. Carla Alexandra

Race for the Baltic

[email protected]

SEA ALARM FOUNDATION

Mr. Hugo Nijkamp

Mr. Paul Kelway

Sea Alarm Foundation

[email protected]

WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE (WWF)

Ms. Ottilia Thoreson

Ms. Anu Suono

Ms. Metta Wiese

Ms. Janica Borg

WWF Baltic Ecoregion

Programme

WWF Baltic Ecoregion

Programme

World Wide Fund for Nature

(WWF)

World Wide Fund for Nature

(WWF)

[email protected]

Invited guests

Ms. Gun Rudquist

Stockholm University Baltic Sea

Center

[email protected]

HELCOM Secretariat

Ms. Monika Stankiewicz

Executive Secretary

Mr. Hermanni Backer

Professional Secretary

Ms. Jannica Haldin

Professional Secretary

Mr. Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky

Professional Secretary

Mr. Markus Helavuori

Professional Secretary

Ms. Riina Kero

Administrative Officer

Ms. Ulla Li Zweifel

HOLAS II Manager

HELCOM Secretariat

[email protected]

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Ms. Sara Estlander

Communication Coordinator

Ms. Susanna Kaasinen

Project Manager

Ms. Lena Bergström

Project Coordinator

HELCOM Secretariat

[email protected]

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Annex 2 Welcoming address by Commissioner Vella

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and thank you Marianne for that introduction. It is my great

pleasure to declare this Ministerial Meeting open.

For more than 40 years, HELCOM has been doing excellent work in protecting the Baltic Sea. Today we

will be looking to the future, and thinking about how to improve on that legacy. We are here because we

understand the importance of safeguarding this vital shared resource. And we understand the

importance of working together to do that.

When the EU took over the role, we announced three priorities: "Reaching a healthy Baltic Sea by 2021",

"Innovation for a sustainable Blue Economy", and "Tackling the challenge of regional governance". I am

pleased to see that today's discussions will cover all of these priorities.

I am very pleased to see that the State of the Baltic Sea Report is approaching completion. This report is

a great achievement, and it has already delivered some very useful insights into the state of our

environment, and the pressures it faces. It is after all the reason we are here today. It provides the

common basis to assess the progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the Baltic Sea Action Plan.

It helps us look to the future, and to draw up a course of action for the coming years.

To decide on HELCOM's course of action for the future, we need to ask ourselves the right questions.

And I am confident this Ministerial meeting will address them in the right way, with the right answers.

We are all aware of the main pressures that need to be addressed. Eutrophication is high on the list, but

we need a broad spectrum of actions. We need to look at all pressures affecting the Baltic Sea, such as

hazardous substances, overfishing, marine litter, seabed damage and underwater noise. We need our

Declaration to reflect all of these key issues, as that will be the best way to sharpen the focus of our

action.

During our time as chair, we have worked hard to secure improved regional governance in the Baltic Sea

region. I see this as a crucial pre-requisite for healthy seas and oceans. It is only by working together at

the regional and international level that we can fully implement an ecosystem approach. So I am

heartened to see this goal being continuously pursued by HELCOM.

Speaking on behalf of the EU, I would like to express my gratitude to you all for the HELCOM

contribution to the implementation of our Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Your efforts are going a

long way towards helping the Baltic reach good environmental status – which is after all the goal we all

share.

Finally, I would also like to thank all the HELCOM Contracting Parties and the Secretariat for the work on

coordinating implementation of ocean-related Sustainable Development Goals in the region. Your work

is already an excellent example of how strong regional cooperation can speed delivery on key goals like

these.

Let’s carry that spirit of coordination into our meeting today, and use it to translate our priorities into

HELCOM commitments to guide us in the years to come.

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Annex 3 Annotated Agenda

Agenda Item 1

Adoption of the Agenda

The Meeting is invited to adopt the Provisional Agenda.

Agenda Item 2

Introduction

A short introduction to Ministerial debate, including presentation of a video on the HELCOM “State of

the Baltic Sea” report.

Agenda Item 3

Ministerial debate

Contracting Parties are invited to consider a draft Ministerial Declaration and exchange their views on

issues topical for the protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea. The following questions are

proposed for the Ministerial debate:

•

What should be HELCOM's priorities to accomplish the Baltic Sea Action Plan by 2021? Which

are the national actions you will take in your country and which are the top three actions that

Parties should do jointly to achieve good environmental status?

What opportunities do you see from our cooperation to support implementation of UN Agenda

2030 in the Baltic Sea? Is HELCOM as organization fit to do it, and if not, what are the key

changes needed so we would be?

•

Two documents provide background information for the debate and consideration of the draft

Ministerial Declaration:

The first version of the HELCOM “State of the Baltic Sea” report was published in July 2017 and is

available at

http://stateofthebalticsea.helcom.fi/.

It reflects the latest environmental situation in the Baltic

Sea.

The HELCOM report “Implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan 2018 – three years left to reach good

environmental status” is submitted to the meeting. The report focuses on the implementation of

agreements in HELCOM in comparison with the results of the first version of the “State of the Baltic Sea”

report. It covers the actions agreed in the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) and HELCOM Ministerial

Declarations in 2010 and 2013.

The Meeting is invited to discuss and resolve any potential open issues in the draft Ministerial

Declaration.

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Agenda Item 4

Statements by HELCOM Observers

Observer Governments and Observer Organizations, who will have expressed the wish to do so by 1

February 2018, are invited to give their statements under this Agenda Item. The contributions based on

which the statement will be made should be received by the Secretariat in written form in advance of the

Meeting. The oral statements should concentrate on concrete contributions to the work of the Helsinki

Commission.

The Meeting is invited to take note of the statements by HELCOM Observers.

Agenda Item 5

Adoption of the HELCOM Brussels Ministerial Declaration

The Ministers are invited to adopt the HELCOM Brussels Ministerial Declaration.

Agenda Item 6

Closure of the meeting

A list of decisions will be prepared and presented for consideration and adoption before the closing of

the Meeting.

The Minutes of the Meeting will be finalized in consultation with the Chair and will be submitted to all

Contracting Parties and to any government, intergovernmental organization and non-governmental

international organization invited to send observers to the Meeting.

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Annex 4 Debate by Ministers and High-level Representatives

of the Contracting Parties

The Chair presented the following questions for the Ministerial debate:

What should be HELCOM's priorities to accomplish the Baltic Sea Action Plan by 2021? Which are

the national actions you will take in your country and which are the top three actions that Parties

should do jointly to achieve good environmental status?

What opportunities do you see from our cooperation to support implementation of UN Agenda

2030 for Sustainable Development in the Baltic Sea? Is HELCOM as organization fit to do it, and if

not, what are the key changes needed so we would be?

II.

European Union

Commissioner, Mr. Karmenu Vella

The EU outlined three top priority actions for HELCOM; eutrophication, marine litter and underwater noise.

Mr. Vella also wished the Ministers to give a strong mandate to HELCOM for updating the BSAP in 2021

and take the necessary measures to improve the state of the sea, also noting that a strong sense of

commitment of all Contracting Parties is a necessity for the implementation of the BSAP. He emphasized

close cooperation with different sectors including municipalities and the importance of generating funding

as well as novel approaches.

The Commissioner highlighted the importance of high level regional cooperation to support

implementation of the ocean-related SDG targets and considered HELCOM to have a clear role to

contribute to SDG implementation as a coordination platform and that HELCOM is fit for the role. He

appreciated presence and contribution of HELCOM to the UN Ocean Conference in New York and the Our

Ocean Conference in Malta, and underlined the added value of regional coordination of common

indicators, monitoring and possibly even joint reporting on SDGs across the region. Mr. Vella noted that

the traditional environmental conservation can pave the way for sustainable blue economy, and HELCOM

can evolve with time and Baltic Sea governance can be further strengthened, understanding that oceans

and seas present big opportunities for economy but in relation to that there are even bigger environmental

responsibilities. He emphasized the application of the ecosystem-approach in maritime spatial planning.

EU has contributed to the Baltic Sea successes via its work on enforcement of EU directives, such as related

to the SOx Emission Control Area (SECA). The Commissioner encouraged HELCOM to continue the good

partnership with BONUS, EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, improve availability of Port Reception

Facilities, as well as strengthen the partnership with BALTFISH. The Commissioner saw an opportunity to

transform Baltic challenges to opportunities through HELCOM.

Denmark

Minister for Environment and Food, Mr. Esben Lunde Larsen

Denmark underlined that the updating of the BSAP needs to be discussed on a political level, taking both

environmental and economic considerations into account. Mr. Lunde Larsen mentioned Danish

achievements so far, including a considerable reduction in nutrient input and the designation and

management of marine protected areas. He also informed that Denmark plans to use the extra nutrient

reductions to the Kattegat to expand the aquaculture sector. The examples of newest national work are

ongoing national actions on nutrient reduction specified according to the needs of specific catchment

areas, designation of new marine protected areas, and the reduction of marine litter. Regarding future

priorities, Denmark suggested to focus on jointly prioritizing development of indicators and coordinated

monitoring especially for marine litter and underwater noise, strengthening the coordination of the Marine

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Strategy Framework Directive with other organizations such as ICES and OSPAR, engaging in joint research

projects and implementing HELCOM Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter.

According to the view by Denmark, the approach on the implementation of the Sustainable Development

Goals is a national decision. Denmark noted that, in general, EU and international regulations are an

important basis for the implementation of SDGs. Mr. Lunde Larsen informed that Denmark has drafted a

national action plan outlining the approach and priorities for following-up on the SDGs, and that Denmark

reports annually to the UN regarding the status of SDG implementation. Denmark does not see the need

for HELCOM to initiate changes in its organization to support the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda.

Estonia

Minister of the Environment, Mr. Siim Kiisler

Estonia proposed to focus regional efforts on reduction of eutrophication, hazardous substances and

marine litter. The Minister highlighted the need to further reduce the environmental impact from

agriculture, industries, and aquaculture. Due to the cumulative nature of hazardous substances such as

pharmaceuticals, he emphasized the importance of measures to prevent these substances from entering

the sea. Based on national experience Mr. Kiisler proposed to develop regional-wide standards on more

advanced technology to reduce hazardous substances from municipal and industrial waste water. Estonia

also stressed that plastic wastes do not belong in the sea and urged to increase the level of ambition in

fighting marine litter. Estonia proposed to create a Baltic Plastic Phase-out Programme promoting plastic

free technologies and plastic free products.

Estonia supported global and regional cooperation on implementation of UN Agenda 2030, and also noted

that others can learn from the Baltic Sea region experiences. As opportunities for cooperation, Mr. Kiisler

suggested eutrophication, marine litter, managing nutrient and other pollutant inflows and establishing

marine protected areas. He highlighted the importance of research and expert networks to improve the

status of the Baltic Sea. Estonia would welcome a larger role by HELCOM including joint and coordinated

actions in data collection, big data management, joint monitoring networks as well as marine assessment

systems and even implementation of joint measures. Estonia proposed to set up a Baltic Sea Digital Task

Force to identify future challenges and to stay fit in managing the Baltic Sea effectively.

Finland

Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing, Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen

Finland noted that with only three years left to reach the goals of the BSAP, HELCOM is lagging behind in

the implementation. However, the “State of the Baltic Sea” report provides excellent background

information what should be done next. Nationally, Finland will focus on the implementation of remaining

national actions and as upcoming Chair of HELCOM Finland will facilitate the implementation of the joint

actions, such as a new recommendation on biotopes. Mr. Tiilikainen highlighted the need for political

commitments in order to reach as many actions as possible and also stressed the need to look to the

future, and identify the necessary next steps. Finland drew attention to the importance of the agreement

on Maximum Allowable Inputs, and noted that the work to reduce nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea will

become more difficult in the future due to the effects of climate change. Mr. Tiilikainen mentioned circular

economy as an opportunity to reduce marine litter as well as nutrient loading while creating economic

benefits and new business opportunities. He drew attention to the nutrient reserves that have accumulated

in the sea, posing the risks which should be carefully addressed.

Finland outlined that implementing the Baltic Sea Action Plan can be seen as implementing the SDGs at

the same time. Finland viewed HELCOM as a positive example to other regions of the world, and noted

that the experiences of the Baltic Sea region on cooperation and models of action should be shared.

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Deputy Head of Government and Environmental Minister of Åland, Ms. Camilla Gunell

Ms. Gunell acknowledged the great value of the good status of the Baltic Sea to Åland and the large

number of tourists visiting the islands. She informed that Åland aims at long term sustainable green and

blue growth including implementing sustainable food strategy and enhancing nutrient recycling. Ms.

Gunell pointed out that the actions to improve the status of the Baltic Sea also contribute to implementing

the SDGs. She also highlighted increased cooperation in maritime spatial planning, the importance of

financing tools and the support by Åland for the update of the BSAP with the aim to achieve a plastic free

and clean Baltic Sea.

Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety,

Ms. Barbara Hendricks

Germany outlined the following priorities for HELCOM; reduction in the introduction of nutrients and

hazardous substances, marine litter, and biodiversity protection. Germany emphasized that it is essential

to step up the regional and national efforts to reach nutrient reduction targets. Ms. Hendricks mentioned

recent actions at the nation level including new ordinances on the use of fertilizers and sewage sludge with

the aim to support nutrient recycling. She called for urgent actions on hazardous substances including

reducing excess use of medicines, plant protection agents and biocides. Germany highlighted the

importance of implementing the HELCOM Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter as well as the conservation

of species on HELCOM red list and reaching a coherent and well-managed network of marine protected

areas. Germany also stressed that the precautionary principle and polluter pays principle are guiding the

Helsinki Convention and raised doubt about end-of-pipe solutions.

Ms. Hendricks showed appreciation for the HELCOM voluntary commitments presented at the UN Ocean

Conference in June 2017 and acknowledged the added value of regional cooperation. She encouraged

HELCOM to continue the good work and also the close cooperation with OSPAR and regional user

organizations and fishery commissions. Germany was of the view that regional cooperation like HELCOM

is essential foundation for establishing global ocean governance. Germany highlighted the dependency on

the economic capacities of our oceans and stated that healthy populations of species and intact marine

ecosystems are a prerequisite for blue growth.

Germany

Latvia

Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environmental Protection

and Regional Development, Mr. Jānis

Eglīts

Mr.

Eglīts

acknowledged that the BSAP is yet to be fully implemented in Latvia. In order to speed up the

implementation, Latvia is focusing on actions related to circular economy, management measures

addressing maritime spatial planning and spatial protection, and testing the use of blue catch crops as a

method to reduce nutrients in coastal waters. Specific national measures to reduce marine litter include

the reduction of use of plastic bags and the voluntary ban of microbeads in rinse-off cosmetics by the

cosmetic industry. Latvia encouraged HELCOM to continue the cooperation with BONUS Joint Research

programme to gain knowledge on valuation of ecosystem services and effectiveness of joint measures.

Latvia highlighted addressing the impacts of maritime transport and developing ecosystem-based

maritime spatial planning. Latvia also supported including climate change aspects in the BSAP update

process and in forthcoming assessments to take necessary actions to adapt policies.

Mr.

Eglīts

noted that with the decades-long experience on cross-sectorial cooperation and implementation

of BSAP, HELCOM is also fit to deliver for UN Agenda 2030. Latvia supported using the ocean- and water-

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related SDGs as a framework for updating the BSAP. Latvia pointed out that ongoing HELCOM actions

such as implementation of the Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter contribute to implementing the global

goals as well. Latvia noted that implementation of regional action can encourage HELCOM members to

meet their international commitments for Agenda 2030.

Lithuania

Minister of Environment,

Mr. Kęstutis Navickas

Mr. Navickas stressed the need to focus on already agreed actions and strengthen the cooperation and

exchange of good practices, for example in the fields of agriculture and waste water treatment, in order to

make progress towards the 2021 goals of the BSAP. Lithuania informed about the launch of a water

development programme, including river basin management, Baltic Sea environmental protection, flood

risk management, reduction of impact from agriculture, drinking water supply, and waste water

management. Lithuania also stressed the importance of transparency and information sharing in the

HELCOM area with regards to transboundary issues such as development of offshore oil exploration and

gas pipe-lines.

Mr. Navickas emphasized the need to combine efforts with international and EU policies including available

financial instruments and viewed HELCOM as an exemplary regional cooperation platform. For Lithuania,

it is evident that strategic documents like UN Agenda 2030, EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, BSAP

and MSFD share the same goals. Lithuania highlighted implementation of the Regional Action Plan for

Marine Litter, supporting sustainable agricultural practices and continuing the battle against

eutrophication. Lithuania noted that updating the BSAP could help to implement SDGs in the Baltic Sea

region.

Poland

Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, Ms. Anna Moskwa

Ms. Moskwa informed that Poland is working closely with neighbouring countries in cases of accidents of

oil and hazardous substances and strengthening its response capacity by constructing a new vessel. Poland

is also focusing on testing of environmentally friendly fishing gear to minimize impact of fishing gear on

the marine environment and actively participation in cleaning the Baltic Sea from marine litter, including

derelict fishing gear. Concerning fisheries and making the relevant HELCOM indicators operational, Poland

highlighted the need to identify data gaps regarding the rate of by-catches of protected species of sea

mammals and birds as well as the impact on bottom habitats. As prioritized joint actions Poland proposes

to focus HELCOM work on dumped chemical munitions and unexploded ordnances, on reducing the

amount of waste from ships including through improving port reception facilities, and maritime spatial

planning.

Poland considered it very important to set HELCOM activities to support the implementation of ocean-

and water-related SDGs and noted that SDGs should be taken into account in updating the BSAP. Poland

called for active cooperation to ensure that the updated BSAP will answer to both local and global needs.

The final “State of the Baltic Sea” report and a first draft of the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan will provide

further insight into how HELCOM can support the implementation of UN Agenda 2030.

Director, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, high-level representative of Russia,

Mr. Nuritdin Inamov

Mr. Inamov highlighted innovative approaches, way of thinking and actions. In this respect, Russia

informed of activities taken to implement the BSAP, including a reform of the national environmental

legislation that

Russia

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addresses new waste management approaches and the introduction of best available technologies to be

used as a basis to modernize industries in Russia. Mr. Inamov also pointed out that the waste water

treatment plant in St. Petersburg has best cleaning efficiency in Russia, exceeding the HELCOM

requirements, and that the Kaliningrad waste water treatment plant has been completed, reducing release

of pollution in sewage significantly. Another example of large scale collaboration is on Krasnyi Bor

hazardous waste landfill, involving e.g. Finland and NEFCO. Two new marine protected areas have

furthermore been recently established in Russian waters. Russia also informed that they are promoting

international public-private-partnerships within the St. Petersburg Initiative, which was launched by the

Heads of Government at the summit in 2013, and which has already led to tangible results, such as new

actions in green shipping and developing new legislation on maritime spatial planning

Russia considered HELCOM as a good example of regional cooperation. Russia noted that the problems

faced in the Baltic Sea region are also global, like marine litter, and that HELCOM can set up an example

to tackle these issues. Mr. Inamov pointed out the importance of reaching out to other regional and global

organizations including the interaction with OSPAR. Russia was of the view that HELCOM has the

experience to arrange cooperation in ocean- and water-related SDGs, in particular SDG 14 on seas and

oceans and SDG 6 on freshwater, demonstrated with the initiation and implementation of the Baltic Sea

Action Plan. This experience could be shared with other partners, and the knowledge we have can be used

to reaching the targets of Agenda 2030 successfully.

Sweden

Minister for the Environment, Ms. Karolina Skog

Ms. Skog reminded about the costs of inaction and how the healthy sea can serve the economy and

development in the region. She urged HELCOM to be ambitious when updating the BSAP. Sweden

proposed to focus HELCOM work on finalizing the establishment of the coherent network of marine

protected areas, reducing eutrophication and to work together with local communities to find suitable

measures to reduce the impact on the Baltic Sea. At the national level, Sweden is focusing on the

prioritization of national measures to reach the BSAP commitments. Ms. Skog informed that Sweden is

increasing finances for marine protection which will be used, for example, for treating hazardous wrecks

and strengthening educational programmes on ocean literacy. Sweden also highlighted joint actions such

as strengthening cooperation with BONUS programme, combatting hazardous substances as well as

seeking finances for priority projects.

Sweden pointed out that by implementing the BSAP the HELCOM Contracting Parties are implementing

the UN Agenda 2030. Sweden encouraged HELCOM to share its good examples of regional cooperation

as was done in the Ocean Conference in June 2017. Ms. Skog stressed that the pressures from climate

change will be important when implementing the SDGs and need to be considered when updating the

BSAP. She noted that HELCOM should show the important role of regional cooperation in combatting

marine litter. Sweden also highlighted development of sustainable blue economy and the interlinkages

between various SDGs. Sweden pledged strong commitment to HELCOM work and outlined ambition and

engagement as the strengths of HELCOM to make it fit for the future.

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Annex 5 Statement by Mr. Hans Olsson on behalf of the

Council of the Baltic Sea States

Introduction:

•

On behalf of the Swedish Presidency of the CBSS and the CBSS itself, I would like to thank

HELCOM for a kind invitation to the ministerial meeting.

•

We had the pleasure to welcome Ms. Marianne Wenning, Chair of the EU Chairmanship of the

HELCOM, in the last meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of CBSS, at the end of January.

We received a highly encouraging response from the CSO members regarding a continuous and

close cooperation between the HELCOM and the CBSS.

•

There are two main units within CBSS that work with issues related to the Baltic Sea: Baltic 2030

and Expert Group on Maritime Policy.

•

Today I would like to give you an overview of the recent developments within these CBSS’

working areas as well as discuss points of existing and potential collaboration, as suggested by

the Units and Senior Advisers themselves.

Baltic 2030:

•

We welcome HELCOM being an active member of CBSS Expert Group on Sustainable

Development (EGSD) since the very beginning of the work of EGSD and particularly its recent

involvement in preparation of “Realizing the Vision: BALTIC2030 Action Plan”.

We have been noting with a great pleasure that for implementation of UN Agenda 2030,

HELCOM has aligned HELCOM’s targets, SDG’s targets and the Aichi Biodiversity’s Targets under

the Convention on Biological Diversity in a recent report “Measuring Progress for the Same

Targets in Baltic Sea”.

We appreciate that HELCOM has taken voluntary commitments to the UN Ocean Conference on

SDG 14 and is preparing a renewal of its Action Plan with relevant provisions.

As CBSS EGSD mandate is to facilitate and monitor implementation of the BALTIC 2030 Action

Plan, we consider HELCOM as a major partner for in the implementation of Goal 14 - conserve

and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

As coordinator of the Horizontal Action Climate, the CBSS is welcoming the HELCOM ministers

and high-level representatives to address the climate risks and climate change undermining

efforts, which have been taken so far to combat eutrophication and human pressures in the

Baltic Sea catchment area to mitigate climate impacts on biodiversity.

•

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Maritime Policy:

•

The CBSS Expert Group on Maritime Policy (EGMP) positions itself within the ongoing discussion

of Baltic Sea Maritime issues. The Group is involved in the activities of EU Strategy for the BSR

(PA SHIP and PA SAFE), Northern Dimension Partnership on transport and logistics and

HELCOM.

As an intergovernmental group of experts, the EGMP bases its work on knowledge sharing and

dialogue. It aims to provide politically coordinated support to relevant efforts, concrete

initiatives, actions and projects in order to improve Baltic Sea Region’s international

competitiveness within development of the sustainable maritime economy. The goal is to

become a model region with the best maritime practices and a balance between a successful

maritime economy and sustainable development.

The current Swedish Presidency of EGMP is focusing on solutions of SDG 14’ implementation. In

2015, a Maritime Strategy was launched in Sweden. It is the take off point for the current EGMP’s

discussions regarding the SDG 14. The strategy has a focus on people, jobs and the environment,

which correlates to the three legs of sustainability - social, economic and environmental.

A good example of close cooperation between CBSS’ Expert Group on Maritime Policy and

HELCOM took place in September 2017 at the Island of DONSÖ. The Event was devoted to the

Green shipping, technology and alternative fuels, Blue Growth Agenda and UN Sustainable

Goals’ implementation regarding maritime economy. We believe that similar collaborative events

should be organised in the future.

•

Conclusion:

•

On behalf of the members of CBSS we are looking forward to a close and fruitful cooperation

with HELCOM.

We would also encourage to make the exchange of views between our organisations an annual

tradition.

Finally, I would like to thank you once again for the invitation.

•

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Annex 6 Statement by Ms. Susana Salvador on behalf of the

OSPAR Commission

Dear Chair of HELCOM, distinguished Ministers, EU Commissioner, Observers, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to express my gratitude for providing me the privilege to give a statement on behalf of

OSPAR Commission. The Chairman of OSPAR and I are very pleased to participate at HELCOM’s annual

and Ministerial meeting.

The OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic aims to

take all possible steps to prevent and eliminate pollution and the necessary measures to protect the

North-East Atlantic from the adverse effects of human activities, while restoring marine areas which have

been adversely affected, so as to safeguard human health and to conserve marine ecosystems.

HELCOM and OSPAR share a common vision of an ecosystem approach to managing human activities

impacting on the marine environment, resulting in good environmental and ecological status which are

necessary to support sustainable economic and social activities.

HELCOM and OSPAR have also the advantage of counting on the role of some countries that are

Contracting Parties to both Conventions and have contributed towards the enhancement of common

knowledge. With the Kattegat, the two Conventions share a particular transition area, where the North

Sea and the Baltic Sea connect and therefore where the most opportunities for cooperation exist.

Like HELCOM, OSPAR is committed to contribute to a marine environment free of anthropogenic

eutrophication, hazardous substances and adverse cumulative impacts from the different human

activities, such as the introduction of marine litter, non-indigenous species and underwater noise. The

need to reduce the loss of biodiversity also implies halting the decline and contributing to the recovery

of threatened or declining species and habitats.

Regular assessments of the marine environment are therefore essential to prepare for action, while also

providing accessible relevant data in a wider context, in particular the United Nations and its

overwhelming preparatory work leading up to a second global integrated marine assessment in 2020.

OSPAR congratulates HELCOM for the State of the Baltic Sea report, while acknowledging the

cooperation on common indicators in both HOLAS II and OSPAR Intermediate Assessment 2017.

As stated in the Letter addressed by OSPAR to the Chair of HELCOM, in December 2017, there is a long

history of close collaboration for many years, but the last 4 years intensified efficiency gains, good

examples are the joint requests to ICES, the work on indicators, the sharing of databases, the jointly

developing measures on Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter. Also in the development of effective

measures regarding invasive species, underwater noise and migratory birds, cooperation is an advantage.

On the engagement in the global process of fulfilling the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially

Goal 14, OSPAR welcomes further cooperation with HELCOM on existing work and the identification of

new issues of common concern, to ‘conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

for sustainable development’.

Amongst a wider scope of opportunities and collaborative activities where both organizations may join

efforts in the future, some steps on specific areas may be further developed through cooperation at

thematic, regional, European and global levels.

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Given the two Convention areas are connected, OSPAR is interested in exploring further collaboration

with HELCOM on biodiversity matters, in particular on monitoring procedures, data management and

data sharing regarding seabirds and mammals, but also on MPA networks as an opportunity for seeking

connectivity, coherence and lessons to be learned on effective management.

Joint concerted action is of utmost interest on common aspects related to the environmental impact of

human activities, in particular on marine litter and the implementation of our respective Regional Action

Plans, but also on underwater noise, where the sharing of information and methodological developments

may contribute to an harmonized work in this emerging field. Enhanced collaboration on knowledge and

measures on non-indigenous species may also result in harmonised outcomes as those on ballast water

exchange.

On hazardous substances, the utilisation by HELCOM of the contaminants assessment tool and a joint

platform to operationalize the calculation of hazardous substances indicators is a good example of our

collaborative work.

HELCOM, OSPAR and the European Union assist Contracting Parties that are also EU Members States in

delivering their obligations under the MSFD, the most recent examples being the OSPAR Intermediate

Assessment 2017 and HELCOM HOLAS II, which can be used for reporting purposes if those Contracting

Parties so wish. In future, HELCOM and OSPAR could explore developing synergies and improving cross-

regional coherence to support the assessments, target setting and monitoring programmes of those

Contracting Parties.

But the future reserves many other emerging issues, like information sharing on emerging work on

pharmaceuticals, or more horizontal challenges as regional approaches to an ecosystem-based

management, and cumulative effects, as well as the need for adaptation in regard to climate change and

ocean acidification.

In conclusion, regional collaboration and sharing of expertise between OSPAR and HELCOM will play a

substantive role in the future and may give support to our Contracting Parties towards the

implementation of the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the SDGs in particular Goal 14 on Oceans.

Finally, let me wish you a very successful meeting.

Thank you.

Susana Salvador

Executive Secretary of OSPAR Commission

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Annex 7 Statement by Mr. Jörgen Pettersson on behalf of the

Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference

HELCOM and the BSPC,

this is the story of long years of intense collaboration.

Not just since the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference has been enjoying an official observer status at

HELCOM since the start of this millennium, the 27 parliaments and parliamentary organizations we

represent all around the Baltic Sea and beyond have actively supported the work of HELCOM and called

on their governments to give HELCOM the political and in particular parliamentary support it needs to

execute the measures considered necessary.

And we don’t do this just as an end to itself. We do this because the people who elected us expect us to

provide them with a clean and healthy Baltic Sea. The people are on our doorsteps, saying, Do

something, when they see algal carpets on the Baltic Sea, when they are confronted with visible pollution

and ‘bathing prohibited’ areas, but also when they are troubled by reports on the increasing invisible

pollution.

And we all know that this is about questions, problems and measures that, due to different interests,

cannot be radically implemented from one day to the next, leading to quick success. That is why it is so

important to achieve the goals that we have set ourselves with the Baltic Sea Action Plan and to do so

within the very time frame set in the plan. If we do not succeed, if we are too hesitant or act not

consequently enough approaching the necessary measures to achieve our goals, then it will be far more

expensive and difficult in the long term to reach what the people expect of us.

Here it is important to continue not asking ourselves to do the impossible but always a little more than

we believe is doable, because – as the past has shown – this can release innovative forces allowing us to

reach stringent standards after all.

I myself am from Åland. Our 6700 islands in the middle of the Baltic Sea, due to their location and

history, not only have had a particular role and a lot of experience in peace-making processes. For us, the

Baltic Sea is a central lifeline and central living space. We are surrounded by it, and we live amidst it and

with it.

That is why we have a vital interest in the well-being of the Baltic Sea. That is why we have developed a

wide-ranging sustainability strategy which we hope will be acknowledged as a Best Practice and repeated

by others.

Of course, I am aware that the political focus is different in a large territorial nation only bordering the

Baltic Sea. Unless catastrophic conditions occur in the ocean, for the majority of the population in such a

nation, for instance, it is considerably more important that they can continue to drive into the large inner

cities and metropolitan areas and reduce the air pollution there.

Nonetheless, I consider it as necessary to keep emphasizing the political will for stringent action

regarding a clean Baltic Sea and to thus shift it a lot more closely into the focus of the political debate.

For that reason, I am glad about this ministerial meeting happening here today. Such meetings generally

lead to more forceful follow-up actions. That is why we call for such ministerial meetings to happen

regularly every year, as we have also asked of the CBSS, making HELCOM more political again.

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With you sitting here together, we are achieving a political focus that is not possible on the

administrative level. And past experience has proven this. The meetings of both environmental and

transport ministers 17 years ago on maritime safety led to a breakthrough for wide-ranging measures to

increase the safety in the Baltic Sea Region as well as wide-ranging internationally binding agreements

from which we still benefit. Here, too, much has been achieved. And yet the world keeps turning ever

faster, and we find ourselves having to refocus on this topic with different aspects.

We, the parliaments and parliamentary organizations around the Baltic Sea, will continue to support you

in all your efforts for a timely implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan which we welcomed and

supported from the start. But we will not only be benevolent companions but also demand the

implementation on schedule from our governments.

As early as 5 years ago, at the last HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Copenhagen, the BSPC reiterated its

appeal to governments for sincere and forceful efforts to implement the Baltic Sea Action Plan.

Apart from all the progress achieved by HELCOM in the meantime, the current situation shows us that

appeals alone are not enough. We must act more widely and rigorously and make greater efforts.

At this point, it may not be impossible but certainly a particular challenge to implement the requirements

of the action plan on time by 2021 and the further goals of HELCOM.

If we want to achieve these goals, we have to force ourselves to act more stringently than before.

The climate debate – where in some respects we were on a better course at the start of the 1990s than

we are today and could have achieved more wide-ranging goals than seem possible today – is another

issue that has shown that we have to constantly stay on target. Otherwise we would run the risk of only

being able to achieve our goals in the end with two or three times the effort and immensely higher costs

or having to cut down on our goals to the detriment of the environment and the people whom we are

representing.

The HELCOM Chairs and Executive Secretaries have regularly kept us informed – such as Ms Wenning

did two weeks ago – both during our annual conferences as well as our winter sessions here in Brussels

on the continued development at HELCOM. For that, I would like to offer my sincere thanks once again.

Our parliamentary colleagues, who are the observers at HELCOM and rapporteurs on eutrophication,

have presented respective reports every year to the BSPC.

Accordingly, we are very familiar with what you are doing and are observing it very closely. This also

means that we can see where difficulties occur. And that is precisely where we would like to help and

support you.

At our 26th Annual Conference last year in Hamburg, we called on the governments in the Baltic Sea

Region, the CBSS and the EU, to

1. intensify the cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region including the Northern Dimension, the EU Strategy

for the Baltic Sea Region and the Strategy for the Socio-Economic Development of the North-West

Federal District of Russia in addition to other regional actors by identifying common priorities and

developing respective regional strategies and action plans in fields of common interest and mutual

benefits.

2. further strengthen and develop HELCOM as the coordinator of the regional implementation of ocean-

related goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda of the United Nations, through the

strengthened implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and further commitment to achieve

a Baltic Sea in good environmental status by 2021 and, if applicable, by renewing the Baltic Sea Action

Plan in line with the UN Sustainable Development Agenda with a time perspective until 2030;

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3. support HELCOM in elaborating a regional action plan on underwater noise as well as in implementing

the marine litter regional action plan and in its battle against eutrophication; concrete measures to

reduce the input of plastics into the marine environment should be taken on.

Some of our parliaments have voted unanimously in favour of our resolution in total and have called on

their governments to implement the resolution within their responsibilities. Almost all of them have

already passed the resolution on to their respective governments and have asked them to report on the

implementation of these demands.

That is what you have on your desks.

At this point, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the fact that - not only in relation to

the environment - the statements of all governments on our resolutions – as you can see on our website

– are becoming more comprehensive from year to year.

(Moreover, in the year before, in Riga, we emphasized the necessity to strengthen and develop HELCOM

as the main coordinating body in the effort to protect the Baltic marine environment, and to strongly

support and encourage a fast implementation of the Marine Litter Action Plan, as well as the

implementation of the NOx emission control area Roadmap for the Baltic Sea, and to stress the

importance of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) as one of the environmental pillars of the EU Strategy for

the Baltic Sea Region.)

Dear Ministers of Environmental Affairs,

You are most welcome at our annual conference and to discuss there the environmental problems of the

Baltic Sea with the parliamentarians from the whole Baltic Sea Area at the political level on 27 August

2018 in Mariehamn, thereby strengthening and increasing the parliamentary dimension and support of

your work. I invite you all to come to the Åland Islands even if it is a little more difficult for many of you

than coming to Brussels. (But that way you will then be in the visible core of what we’re negotiating).

If you want to use this as an additional meeting with each other, we will offer the logistical support for

you to do so.

We are confronted with tremendous challenges which we jointly can turn into a bright future through

our common efforts.

Let us – parliaments, governments and societies – strengthen our efforts working toward a good

environmental status of our Baltic Sea, which is a lifeline for most of us. Let us continue our successful

and committed cooperation.

This event here and today is a further cornerstone on this path.

The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Åland on 26-28 August 2018 will continue on this path, and

also offer dialogue, debate, solutions, friendship and a strong will to increase cooperation, prosperity and

a healthy environment in the region. We are the Islands of Peace in the midst of the Baltic Sea, and we

want the whole of the Baltic Sea Region to follow our example.

You all are welcome to participate!

Thank you very much for your efforts to reach a good environmental status of the Baltic Sea as soon as

possible and

welcome to Åland.

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Annex 8 Statement by Ms. Hanna Paulomäki on behalf of

World Wide Fund for Nature, OCEANA and Coalition Clean

Baltic

Dear Prime Minister/Head of Government

Dear Minister of the Environment,

The Baltic may be a small sea, but is of immense importance for its citizens, security,

shipping and economic development, as well for its unique marine environment.

Unfortunately, the precious marine environment is heavily degraded by eutrophication,

overfishing and other human activities. For this reason, Baltic Sea issues are dealt with in

numerous regional fora such as the Helsinki Convention for the Protection of the Marine

Environment (HELCOM), the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea region (EUSBSR) and others.

Within these fora, schemes of regional cooperation and action plans have been

developed, which in fact have come to be seen as good examples of global models.

Some of these were highlighted at the High-level UN Conference to support the

implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 14.

On March 6, you and your representative will meet in Brussels to sign a new declaration

under the Helsinki Convention to re-affirm your “strong commitment to strengthen the

full implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan and the follow up declarations, by 2021”.

We, the environmental NGOs, Coalition Clean Baltic, Oceanа and WWF have stated on

several occasions, as observers in HELCOM, that we see a desperate need for a strong Baltic

Sea Action Plan (BSAP) and for urgent implementation of the measures covered by the plan

and beyond. However, the draft declaration to be endorsed at the HELCOM Ministerial

Meeting offers little of this. This will be re-iterated in the WWF Scorecard report and CCB’s

Civil Society Declaration, both to be presented at the Ministerial Meeting.

The institutional problem of political decision making in countries is making

implementation of ambitious plans difficult as environmental ministers need their

counterparts from other ministries to be meaningfully engaged in complex cross-cutting

issues. The problems cannot be overcome by concentrating the efforts in playing with

words in the Ministerial declaration. In each country, an ecosystem based, cross sectoral

implementation approach involving Ministries of Finance, Agriculture, Fisheries,

Transport, and the Environment is urgently needed.

We urge that you take the political leadership needed in addressing the flaws introduced

in the declaration and hope the suggestions we raise will clarify the actions that need to

be taken. We ask you to make your utmost to include your peers from other ministries

in the discussion to finding the balance between competing economic interests and

seeing the long term needed investment for the sake of the Baltic Sea and for the sake

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of our future region. Let us work to moving from rhetoric to action and raise the political

ambition as set out in 2007 to follow through in saving the Baltic Sea.

Measures to improve the Baltic Sea must be seen as an investment in the region’s

sustainable economic and social development. This is the only way to truly secure the

healthy marine environment and its services we, collectively, so heavily depend on.

With this letter and enclosed Annex, we would like to draw your attention on the

following specific topics which we see as the major flaws in the declaration you have

been asked to sign. We will continue to monitor the progress by you and your

government in the years approaching to achieving 2021 objective of Good Ecological

Status.

Yours sincerely,

For Coalition Clean Baltic

For OCEANA Europe

Mikhail Durkin

Executive Secretary

Lasse Gustavsson

Executive Director

For WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme

Håkan Wirtén

Chair of the Programme and CEO of WWF

Sweden

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Annex: Segment-specific asks and tasks

Eutrophication - the role of agriculture

Agriculture remains the biggest source of nutrient losses to the Baltic Sea as confirmed by the EU Court

of Auditors (2016) and a large part is due to the current EU CAP which fails to provide concrete

environmental and social benefits and lack incentives to efficiently preserve nutrients, both in crop

production and animal farming. In addition, excessively generated manure, especially from cattle and

other ruminants farming, contributes substantially to GHG emissions and hence climate change.

The HELCOM Copenhagen Ministerial Declaration of 2013 set a number of concrete actions to curb

harmful side-effects of agricultural production on the Baltic environment. However, most of those still

remain to be implemented and even more concerted dialogue with agricultural stakeholders, including

farmers, is needed. Agriculture can contribute to the BSAP targets only through quantifiable and

verifiable measures at source. Such measures include:

Reduce nutrient surplus levels per hectare at field level, improve nutrient use efficiency set

HELCOM limits for total fertilisation, introduce proper soil nutrient mapping and nutrient

bookkeeping at farm level.

Review, update and strengthen part II of Annex III “Prevention of pollution from agriculture” of

the Helsinki Convention (1992).

The CAP reform must transform to make provisions for the reduction of nutrient run-off as one

of the key objectives of the policy to meet environmental and climate targets. The share of agri-

environmental measures that support implementation of the agreed HELCOM commitments

from 2007 and 2013 must increase to at least 20% of the budget.

Biodiversity and impacts on ecosystems

Today all assessed biotope complexes and over 25% of the biotopes and habitats are considered

threatened. Four percent of the species are in danger of becoming extinct in the Baltic Sea, among which

are also economically important fish species. Only one out of 17 biodiversity core indicators show good

status in all assessed areas, six core indicators do not show good status in any of the assessed areas. We

urge you to take strong actions to improve the status of the Baltic marine biodiversity with no further

delay. The BSAP deadlines are right around the corner and the original deadline for forming an

ecologically coherent network of MPAs is already passed by eight years.

Only a healthy marine environment can produce the ecosystem services we depend on and, further to

this, be resilient in the face of large scale, human induced changes, like climate change. For these reasons

it is of utmost importance to secure the following actions:

Adopt the

HELCOM recommendation on the conservation of the most threatened biotope

complexes, biotopes and habitats

with no further delay. The cause of this non-action is carried

heavily by all countries and the marine environment.

Ecologically coherent and well-connected networks of efficiently managed MPAs

should form the

core of the actions aimed at preserving biodiversity and the resilience of the ecosystems.

Improvement is still needed both in

protection of areas within territorial seas, EEZs

and

transnational protection

of the sea areas shared by two or more countries.

Efficient management plans and measures to limit human pressures inside MPAs need to be

applied with special focus in protecting threatened species, habitats, biotopes and biotope

complexes.

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The vast majority of the current MPAs suffer from little or no management. To redress this, the

countries need to work collaboratively on; capacity building, direct support, and other measures

to improve management, sustainable financing of MPAs, and ensuring that local people benefit

from and contribute to MPAs management

To ensure a true ecosystem approach planning of new MPAs should be an integral part of the

MSP process

Seabed damage and disturbance

Seabed damage and disturbance are caused by multiple human activities which often result in

permanent loss of a habitat type and decrease of the value of the area. Despite that at present only 1% of

the Baltic Sea is estimated to be permanently lost and about 50% of the area is potentially disturbed - in

almost half of the sub-basins the estimated disturbance is between 80-100%.

Use

the precautionary approach

and take action to reduce human pressures in the most

threatened and sensitive and heavily disturbed areas. This is the only way to avoid permanent

losses from happening, in the environment and the coastal states’ economies.

Particular attention should be given to areas where

red listed species and habitats

are known to

exist.

Biodiversity – the role of Fisheries

The 2013 Copenhagen Ministerial declaration set many clear targets for the improvement of the fish

stocks in the Baltic Sea and to mitigate harmful effects of fishing in line with the EU CFP. Little progress

has happened in the implementation of these agreements or improvement of the stocks, the

environments and the species threatened by fishing activities. Regardless of those 2013 agreements and

global efforts (SDG 14.4, 14.6) to halt overfishing and prohibit harmful fisheries subsidies by 2020, Baltic

Sea countries continue overfishing by allowing fishing in part of the cod stock already at the edge of

collapse, as well as fishing on the critically endangered population of European eel. Therefore, it is crucial

that the following actions are implemented with no further delay:

Contracting Parties must actively work jointly to safeguard the eel, reconsider

to ban active

fishing for eel

and share best practise on removing migration obstacles up -and downstream.

HELCOM countries need to ensure that all fishing gear used is selective and that sufficient

mitigation measures are taken to

minimize bycatch.

Introduce sufficient bycatch monitoring of

the fishing fleet, as stated in the MSFD, to get estimates of the actual bycatch rate in different

fisheries.

A comprehensive

Salmon River Management Plans

to address at least one weak wild salmon

river in Sweden, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania needs to be developed by 2019 and

implemented urgently, to reach active protection in 2020, in accordance with HELCOM BSAP.

The use of public funds to support businesses must be steered towards the

Best Available

Technology

and best performers to drive constant improvements, with regard to supporting

aquaculture operations and fishing gear development.

Joint efforts to streamline data collection and catch reporting need to be developed, to enable

impact assessment and the economic value of the recreational sector in fisheries

Maritime Activities

The Baltic Sea is one of the busiest seas in the world and shipping traffic is predicted to more than double by

2030. Much has been carried out by the Contracting Parties in the maritime segment of the BSAP and the

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number of pollution events from oil spills has decreased. However, there are several areas, where more action

is needed:

We urge you to collectively and individually prioritize the ratification and full implementation of

the Ballast Water Management Convention.

Progress still needs to be addressed to upgrading of

port waste reception facilities

for sewage

discharges in passenger ports.

There is a need for

integrating oiled wildlife into oil spill response / contingency planning.

Update

the action plan for the protection of the environment from offshore platforms

and

put into

practice the zero discharge principles

which has been put on hold with no further notice.

Handling of bulk fertilisers and collection of sewage from leisure crafts should be also evaluated and

addressed with adequate mitigation.

Hazardous substances

The big problem for the Baltic Sea today and in the future is the ever-increasing emissions of chemicals

that have not been risk-assessed, individually or in combination. Much is still unknown on how long

exposure to low concentrations of chemical substances as well as combined with other contaminants,

such as pharmaceutical residues in the sea gives for effects. In order to tackle this problem, it is

increasingly important to:

Improve sewage treatment in municipal water treatment plants

by setting new regional standards

with more advanced purification technologies to prevent chemical contaminants from being

released into the water bodies. Two thirds of all wastewater around the Baltic Sea coast passes

through 45 major wastewater treatment plants and mitigation applied at those will make a

difference.

Speed up in addressing the problem at the source through chemical regulation process, control

chemicals in goods, green procurement, and develop a more systematic identification of new

environmental pollutants.

For all HELCOM Contracting Parties to ratify and implement the UNEP 2013 Minamata

Convention on mercury

Enforce a regional ban on the use, storage, production and marketing of priority substances,

such as endosulfan, pentaBDE and octaBDE,

HELCOM’s Objective for Hazardous Substances is implemented by updating the BSAP list of

hazardous substances of specific importance for the Baltic Sea, to develop additional targeted

measures for specific substances (e.g. pharmaceuticals)

Develop a common harmonised methodology for monitoring

marine litter and particularly

microparticles

from riverine inputs and address the sources of other major contaminants

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Annex 9 Statement by Ms. Liisa Pietola on behalf of the Baltic

Farmers’ Forum on Environment

On behalf of the around 2 million farmers around the Baltic Sea, BFFE appreciates being invited to

provide a statement in the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting.

The draft Ministerial Declaration contains many topics with remarkable importance to reach Good

Environmental Status (GES) for the Baltic Sea. It is important that the Baltic Sea is seen as a whole, and

that the interactions between a vast array of stressors are recognized. In this context, we mainly focus on

issues directly related to agriculture. However, we would like to emphasize that other issues are equally

important to be included in the Declaration.

BFFE sees that the “State of the Baltic Sea” report is useful because it provides basis to assess, whether

the goals of the BSAP have been achieved. We support that the draft is finalized and the next holistic

assessment will be prepared in 2023/2024. However, we want to emphasize the importance of real

measurements providing data for the models and continuous development of them.

BFFE agrees that GES for the Baltic Sea is unlikely to be reached by 2021, although many efforts have

been made. Agriculture is often mentioned as a sector that needs to do more. We want to remind that

the agricultural sector has already implemented many measures to reduce nutrient load, and we will

continue doing so on the voluntary basis. We also realize that the pressure will increase, due to the

climate change. Agriculture is heavily regulated by EU and national legislation, and there are not needed

more obligatory measures but financial and knowledge support to implement measures.

Cooperation needed to reduce eutrophication (Items 23, 24)

Farmers cultivating the land in the catchment of the Baltic Sea welcome an increased cooperation

between HELCOM and the agricultural sector. This has been wanted for many years. Many fruitful

partnerships have already taken place, but they have mainly been limited to individual projects. It is time

to broaden collaboration and involve more farmers. Every day, thousands of farmers use a vast array of

measures to reach the country allocation targets for nutrients, while ensuring food safety and security.

This work is essential, an approach, based on inclusion of and cooperation with farmers, is necessary.

As farmers, we have already been invited to increase cooperation within the implementation of the EU

Water Framework Directive (WFD). In the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) guidelines to the EU

member states it is stated that increased involvement by people leads to more measures being done.

Environmental measures to protect lakes and streams also protect the Baltic Sea. The effort of creating

local involvement in the WFD differs among the Baltic Sea states. Some states have many new local

dialogue groups and have deployed a model of catchments officers, whereas other countries have

restricted local involvement to the minimum of the public consultation, stated by the WFD. However,

there is an emerging curiosity of the potential of local involvement, and large EU funded LIFE and

Interreg projects are ongoing to explore the best ways of co-governance.

We propose that the efforts to enhance cooperation within the implementation of the WFD, when

possible, should be attached to the ministers’ decision and utilized when updating the Baltic Sea Action

Plan (BSAP). However, it is a major undertaking to do such a thing in larger scale. But at the same time, it

is necessary and well worth exploring, since both the BSAP and the WFD implementation will benefit

from it. This will also increase the alignment of nutrient reduction requirements.

BFFE suggests that cooperation with farmers' organizations should be equally important to other

undertakings by HELCOM, such as launching a common manure standard. Without the concrete

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involvement of farmers, technical improvements, new standards and advice will not be as successful as

they could be. Therefore, we suggest that a new task force is set up to start the dialogue on how to

enhance cooperation and involvement.

Internal load slows the recovery of the sea (Items 25 - 27)

The Baltic Sea is heavily loaded by nutrients (N and P) from industry, shipping, municipal waste,

agriculture and other land use in the past decades. Even though the load from land-based sources is

now continuously decreasing, the old phosphorus load will keep the Baltic Sea eutrophicated for at least

100 years. Besides this, only the phosphorus accumulated to date is described, and the role of nitrogen is

left for a lesser extent.

We highly appreciate that the importance of the internal flux of nutrients is recognized and included in

the Declaration. We agree that the knowledge base needs to be improved first, but it is not enough. The

BFFE welcomes HELCOM’s precautionary viewpoint of effects for the ecosystem, when it comes to large

scale measures, but it is important to continue an ambitious work to understand and eventually address

internal loading.

Recycling of clean nutrients and organic matter needed (Items 28, 29)

Nutrient recycling itself and used methods and technology are important from agricultural point of view.

Despite the origin of nutrients, plants use them at the same way and they can also be lost. Many recycled

nutrients are in organic form, and they need to be converted to soluble form before uptake by plants. If

the decomposition of organic material is not quick enough, the risk of nutrient leaching after the growing

season increases. We remind that nutrient recycling itself does not reduce agricultural nutrient load, but

everyday agri-environmental measures to reduce the risk of nutrient losses are needed, and they can be

further developed and targeted.

In the current waste water processes, especially phosphorus is often bound to a form, unavailable for

plants. The BFFE presents that the cleaning technology should also be developed from the point of

nutrient utilization, as well as better removal of the harmful substances and micro-plastics is needed.

The BFFE emphasizes that farmers want to recycle nutrients, but not harmful substances. The BFFE

appreciates that the risk assessment and safe recycling of nutrients is highlighted in the Declaration.

Climate change increases the risk of nutrient leaching (Item 48)

Climate change directly affects the Baltic Sea, but there will be also many indirect impacts. If precipitation

increases as forecasted, due the climate change, it means also higher risk of nutrient leaching. To reduce

risk, we need to pay more and more attention to soil structure and water management on fields, and

main drainage, such as open ditches, should be restored in many cases, as well. This can be done by

applying the principles of so-called environmental river engineering. Otherwise this can cause unplanned

flooding of arable land high in nutrients. This helps also to maintain and enhance the biodiversity of

agricultural landscapes.

Farmers are equally concerned about the possible changes by climate change for food production, as

HELCOM is about the consequences for the Baltic Sea. And, as for the Baltic Sea, still more

understanding is needed of the effect of climate change on agriculture. Some new scientific reports

announce, among other effects, possible increased risk for soil erosion and phosphorus losses, due to

more frequent intensive rainfall. This could increase both N and P load from riverine transport to the

Baltic Sea. In this context, BFFE would like to stress to not treat this question one-handed by HELCOM, as

if it was only a matter of eutrophication.

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Changed hydrological regime must be treated in a broader perspective. There is increasing number of

international examples, where farmers provide the ecosystem service of storing large volumes of water,

when flooding occurs. Therefore, a closer local collaboration is needed to enhance local solutions like

wetlands and bufferzones on areas prone to flooding. It is also important that the HELCOM understands

the important role that farmers and cultivation can play in mitigating climate change. The new climate-

friendly bioeconomy uses are broad spectra of food and fiber from arable land and from forests, instead

of fossil fuels. This will both increase social and economic sustainability, and in the long term reduce

climate change.

Baltic Sea Action Plan

Climate change and its effects must be taken into account when updating the BSAP. Agricultural load is a

diffuse that is affected by the amount of precipitation, on which the farmers cannot have a personal

influence. Farmers will do their best to reduce nutrient load, because the clean Baltic Sea is also

important for them, but in very rainy conditions they run out of tools.

BFFE also stresses that it is important to recognize the time, which is needed to see the effects of the

reduced load as a better water quality in the Baltic Sea. This means that the internal load should be

included when updating the Baltic Sea Action Plan.

On behalf of the Baltic Farmers’ Forum on Environment

Liisa Pietola

Head of Environmental Affairs, Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners, MTK Head of

Secretariat, Baltic Farmers Forum on Environment BFFE

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Annex 10 Statement by Mr. Robert Beest and Mr. Marc Klaus

on behalf of KIMO International and Race for the Baltic

KIMO International and Race For The Baltic affirm their support of HELCOM’s continued commitment

and efforts to the protection and restoration of the Baltic Sea, and welcome HELCOM’s role as

coordinator of regional input into implementation of the UN Global Goals, in particular Sustainable

Development Goal 14: Life below water.

We commend HELCOM's efforts to complete the comprehensive "State of the Baltic Sea" report and the

work to integrate new knowledge into the Baltic Sea Action Plan.

With the 2021 target year of the Baltic Sea Action Plan being only three years away, KIMO International

and Race For The Baltic hope that this Ministerial Meeting will decide on intensified efforts to ensure

stronger follow-through on the Baltic Sea Action Plan.

KIMO International and Race For The Baltic welcome HELCOM’s interest to explore ways to engage with

municipalities, and the public, private and third sector more closely in implementing the Baltic Sea Action

Plan.

KIMO International and Race for the Baltic believe that the key to effective action is a long-term

approach which enhances cross-sector cooperation, strengthens partnerships and increases linkages

across policy, research and implementation. This approach embraces the potential for innovation and

sustainable economic growth, as well as restoration of good environmental status of the marine

environment. Catalyzing and supporting the involvement of local stakeholders – cities, municipalities,

NGOs, industry, entrepreneurs, innovators, citizens – is fundamental to achieving this sustainable future.

Turning environmental challenges into opportunities and capturing benefits

Investing in clean and healthy waters will boost jobs and economic activity in municipalities. Addressing

the pollution impacting the Baltic Sea should not be seen as a cost, but as an opportunity to create local

jobs and increase socio-economic benefits.

A report

commissioned by Zennström Philanthropies, and published in 2015 by The Boston Consulting

Group, highlighted that within the entire Baltic Sea region, 900,000 jobs could be created by 2030,

representing almost 2% of the total labour supply, through investments in clear waters. There are also

many environmental and socioeconomic benefits from addressing eutrophication, such as improved

biodiversity, reduced risk of flooding and a healthier population.

By restoring local waters, a municipality can develop sustainable businesses and increase recreation,

aesthetic value, flood control, biodiversity, and citizen well-being. For an average municipality, the

difference between two scenarios, clear waters state and shipwrecked state, could amount to almost

3,000 full-time jobs and €270 million in economic output aggregated over the course of 15 years.

A key way for municipalities to contribute to improved water quality, both locally and in the Baltic Sea, is

by developing a local Baltic Sea Action Plan, as promoted by programmes such as the Baltic Sea

Accelerator

. Such plans address the geographical and socioeconomic factors of the local municipality,

while working with the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan as a reference framework.

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KIMO International and Race For The Baltic suggest the following key recommendations to HELCOM as

concrete ways to support and facilitate the development of local BSAPs in the region’s municipalities.

These recommendations have been developed through key findings from the Baltic Sea City Accelerator

pilot programme, as well as from conclusions from a pilot project “Baltic Sea Pioneers for better

Pollution Monitoring and Reporting”, led by SIWI Swedish Water House, in partnership with Race for the

Baltic and The Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Managemen (S2S platform). Also instrumental to the

recommendations is feedback from ongoing consultations with the 180 municipalities and organisations

which KIMO International represents.

•

Provide a checklist based on HELCOM priorities to assist municipalities in identification of local

priorities and the potential to undertake environmental measures which can contribute to

improved socioeconomic development in municipalities in the Baltic Sea region.

Increase access to existing water quality data in a clear and transparent way to assist

municipalities to identify local pollution sources and to showcase progress that has been made.

Provide targets and recommendations that could serve as indicators for municipalities to report

their progress and contributions towards improving the Baltic Sea environment.

Support increased communication and cross-regional connectivity to facilitate municipalities’

work.

•

Municipalities play a key role

The 1,500 or so coastal municipalities in the Baltic Sea catchment area play a crucial role in creating a safe

and healthy environment for the population. It is their role also to enforce national laws and to drive or

increase local voluntary actions such as the reduction of nutrient input from agriculture and stormwater.

The municipality serves as the key stakeholder and has comprehensive knowledge of the local area,

waters and discharge sources. As the most local authority, municipalities can coordinate initiatives, drive

impact and influence the behaviours of local businesses and citizens. Furthermore, municipalities procure

and invest in technology that will clean up local waters.

Citizens' engagement with locally driven initiatives plays a vital role together with cooperation beyond

municipal borders. Examples include the Fishing for Litter project, a simple, effective initiative that

reduces marine litter through involvement of the fishing industry, ports and harbours, and the numerous

beach clean-up projects that take place in coastal municipalities that also raise public awareness of

pollution and marine litter in the Baltic Sea.

KIMO International and Race For The Baltic believe that national and regional agencies should inform,

educate, support and adequately fund municipalities, thus empowering them to be more strategic about

what actions they focus on to safeguard their waters, coastlines and to fulfil their role as local

implementers. This work - from informing to implementing - can be supported by international networks

and organisations such as KIMO International, Race For The Baltic, NGOs and other local actors who seek

to promote collaboration among a range of stakeholders from the public and private sector.

Considerations to step up implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP)

Being aware of the harmful effects of marine pollution on the environment and on human health and the

socioeconomic losses that it causes to Baltic Sea activities (fishing, shipping, tourism, recreation), KIMO

International and Race For The Baltic urge HELCOM to step up implementation of the BSAP by setting

measurable targets and achievable goals for specific stakeholders so that the number of concrete actions

taken is increased. International examples of best practice can provide inspiring examples for our Region

to adapt.

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Based on our work and observations, KIMO International and Race For The Baltic strongly urge HELCOM

to consider the following to support the vital work done at local level:

•

Engage more closely with municipalities and other local actors to implement the BSAP

commitments by increasing and improving information and guidance from national agencies,

thus empowering municipalities to take concrete actions and utilise the potential for economic

growth in efforts to restore the status of the marine environment;

Adopt a multilevel governance approach to implementing local measures, so that the important

work done by municipalities is valued and supported by regional, national and internal levels;

Promote sharing of examples of successful projects and best practices to municipalities and

provide guidelines and recommendations on the most effective measures to reduce water

pollution, in particular from waste water, storm water and marine litter;

Explore synergies with a broader cross-sectoral range of organisations and businesses, including

innovative companies, HELCOM observers, international networks and organisations to support

local level work through projects, collaborations and partnerships;

Set specific, measurable targets and concrete actions for awareness raising and education,

particularly in riverine and hinterland municipalities, and support them to make changes for

positive environmental and economic benefit;

Lack of coordination in multilevel governance has led to poor compliance and delays in

implementation of measures. A cohesive, inclusive governance structure should be implemented

to slow down ecosystem decline and accelerate creation of new socioeconomic opportunities;

Ensure sufficient funding is allocated and available to municipalities and other stakeholders, and,

further, accessible via innovative or streamlined mechanisms, to more rapidly take actions that

address the mitigation of pollution and restoration of the Baltic Sea.

•

Restoring waters in the Baltic Sea Region: a strategy for municipalities and local governments to capture

economic and environmental benefits. Commissioned by Zennström Philanthropies and published by the

Boston Consulting Group, February 2015.

Baltic Sea Accelerator Programme is an initiative of Race For The Baltic. The platform brings together

local governments, science and business to identify cost-effective, smart and innovative solutions to local

water challenges using a strategic business lens.

KIMO is an international association of municipalities who work to protect, preserve and enhance marine

and coastal areas and to find enduring solutions to marine environmental issues. It is a fully independent

organisation driven by the collective opinions and ambitions of its member municipalities. Established in

1990, KIMO now represents around 180 municipalities and organisations in 8 countries.

Race For The Baltic is a foundation of Zennström Philanthropies and works to convene leaders made up

of forward-thinking politicians, industry professionals, NGOs and local governments who are determined

to reverse the negative trends and restore the Baltic Sea environment, so as to ensure the long term

economic viability of the region.

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MINISTERIAL

MEETING

2018

HELCOM

BRUSSELS

Ministerial Declaration

Brussels, 6 March 2018

Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission

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Declaration of the Ministers of the Environment of the Baltic Coastal Countries

and the EU Environment Commissioner, HELCOM Brussels Declaration 2018

General

RECALLING

the objective of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic

Sea Area (Helsinki Convention) to prevent and eliminate pollution in order to promote the ecological

restoration of the Baltic Sea area and the preservation of its ecological balance, and

RECALLING FURTHER

the aim of HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) to restore the good environmental status (GES) of the

Baltic marine environment by 2021 to achieve the HELCOM vision for the Baltic Sea;

WELCOMING

the first version of the “State of the Baltic Sea” report (2017), which presents an

assessment of environmental status, pressures and impacts, as well as social and economic analyses of

the use of marine waters and cost of degradation, and

AGREEING

to update the first version by June

2018, to provide the common basis to assess the progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the

BSAP;

PLANNING

to prepare the next holistic assessment of the state of the Baltic Sea in 2023;

NOTING

with great concern (a) that the Baltic Sea area is still heavily affected by eutrophication, resulting

from multiple factors and partly due to the time lag between measures and effects; (b) that unfavourable

conservation status of Baltic marine biodiversity is widespread as a result of multiple pressures from

human activities, and in particular that several species, biotopes, and habitats are still in danger of

becoming extinct, that most of the assessed habitats are not in good status, and that there are signs of

deterioration of food webs; (c) that levels of hazardous substances continue to be elevated and a cause

for concern; (d) that invasive alien species are still being introduced to the Baltic Sea, marine litter is a

pressure of special concern, and other pressures such as underwater noise disturb the marine life, and

(e) that around half of the seabed is potentially disturbed by human activity;

NOTING

with great concern the impacts of climate change and future ocean acidification on the marine

environment of the Baltic Sea, including decreasing ice cover extent and duration, rising water

temperature and lowered salinity, as well as the low level of oxygen near the seabed;

NOTING

that these

impacts compound existing pressures on marine ecosystems and thus make the need to reduce these

pressures even more important, also so as not to further impair the ability of the seas and oceans to act

as climate regulator;

ACKNOWLEDGING

in this regard that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and

Paris Agreement sets out a global framework for action to put the world on track to avoid adverse effects

of climate change by limiting global warming, and

WELCOMING

the increasing recognition of the link

between oceans and climate;

NOTING

that the status of the Baltic Sea marine environment continues to be unsatisfactory as a result

of pressures from human activities and that recovery is not yet sufficient to achieve the goals and

ecological objectives of the BSAP;

NOTING ALSO

that the most widely-distributed pressures causing

impacts are excess nutrients, contamination, underwater noise, invasive alien species, excessive

extraction of fish and physical disturbance, and that an analysis of cumulative pressures and impacts

indicates that those tend to be higher in coastal areas than in the open sea. Furthermore, sea-dumped

chemical weapons and munitions and radioactivity continue to be a cause of concern, but it is expected

that concentrations of radioactive substances indicative of good status could be achieved by 2020;

RECOGNIZING

that the state of the marine environment affects human welfare, and that according to

the “State of the Baltic Sea” report losses in recreational values due to the deterioration of the marine

environment are estimated to be 1-2 billion euros annually and

NOTING

that the high level of

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eutrophication, if reduced, is estimated to result in annual economic benefits in the order of 4 billion

euros that are spread across various sectors;.

ACKNOWLEDGING

the progress in implementing the 2007 BSAP with nearly 70% of the regional actions

and measures implemented, and 23% of the national actions completed by all Contracting Parties and

62% by some Contracting Parties, and the positive impacts it has had on preventing further deterioration,

such as drastically reducing the number and volume of illegal oil spills, expected further reductions of

pollution from shipping – in particular air pollution, substantially decreasing the input and deposition of

cadmium, mercury and lead, and the improvement of several seal populations;

WELCOMING

the progress that the Contracting Parties have made in reducing their nutrient input to the

Baltic Sea from land-based sources and in addressing inputs from ships by designating the Baltic Sea as a

special area under MARPOL Annexes IV and as a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA) under MARPOL Annex

VI;

10.

REGRETTING,

however, that Maximum Allowable Inputs of phosphorus are exceeded in six out of seven

sub-basins and of nitrogen in four out of seven sub-basins of the Baltic Sea;

11.

REITERATING

the agreed actions and measures in the BSAP and the Moscow (2010) and Copenhagen

(2013) Ministerial Declarations,

WE RE-AFFIRM

our strong commitment to strengthen the

implementation of the BSAP and the follow-up declarations, by 2021, as pledged by HELCOM at the

United Nations Ocean Conference on Sustainable Development Goal 14 (the UN Ocean) in 2017;

12.

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

to and seeking synergies with national legislation, international agreements and

legislation of the European Union,

WE EXPRESS

our strong political support for implementing this

Declaration;

13.

WE DO HEREBY ADOPT

this HELCOM Brussels Ministerial Declaration.

14.

EXPRESSING CONCERN

that, despite all current efforts that we made together and individually, GES for

the Baltic Sea area and favourable conservation status of biodiversity are unlikely to be reached by 2021

for all aspects,

WE CONTINUE

to strive, as a first priority, for achievement of already agreed actions with

renewed efforts to make decisive progress towards our 2021 goals and in particular to strengthen our

efforts to address the most widely-distributed and harmful pressures;

15.

WE AGREE

to complete and fully operationalise a set of indicators used for regularly assessing the status

of the marine environment including in the next holistic assessment; to advance mapping and assessment

of the extent and intensity of human activities in the Baltic Sea region and improve the understanding of

their impacts, including the cumulative effects on the ecosystem; and to use this information for

strengthening the implementation of ecosystem-based management;

16.

WE DECIDE

to update the BSAP by 2021 at the latest, with the aim to set out a robust action plan for

continuous achievement of the agreed HELCOM vision of a healthy Baltic Sea environment.

WE ALSO

DECIDE

that the updated BSAP will, in addition to existing commitments to be fulfilled by 2021, address

new issues, on the basis of the commitments made in this Ministerial Declaration and further

deliberations during the BSAP updating process;

17.

WE REITERATE

our determination to implement the declaration

Our Ocean, Our Future: Call for Action

adopted by the UN General Assembly on 6 July 2017, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,

in particular its water- and ocean-related goals and targets, and

RECALL

the role of HELCOM in leading

the regional efforts in this regard and in line with the Outcome of the High-Level segment of HELCOM

38-2017.

WE,

therefore,

COMMIT

to using those goals and targets as a framework in updating the BSAP;

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18.

WE DECIDE

that the updated BSAP should include actions necessary for managing human activities in

such a way that the current HELCOM strategic goals “Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication”, “Baltic

Sea with life undisturbed by hazardous substances”, “Maritime activities carried out in an

environmentally friendly way” and “Favourable conservation status of the Baltic Sea biodiversity” can be

achieved, and that its overall objectives support relevant political processes and strengthen science-

based decision-making.

WE RECOGNIZE

the economic and social benefits of achieving these objectives;

19.

WE AGREE

that the updated BSAP should be based on an ecosystem approach, fully use the

precautionary principle, be supported by fit-for-purpose scientific research, be strongly communicated

with stakeholders, enable knowledge sharing between science and policy across all levels, be developed

in a participatory and transparent way at regional and local levels, including all appropriate stakeholders,

and give due consideration to economic and social impacts of the measures to be taken to meet its

objectives;

20. WE ACKNOWLEDGE

that while we work on updating the BSAP we will at least maintain the ambition

level of agreed actions and objectives.

Eutrophication

21.

WE RECALL

the Country-Allocated Reduction Targets for nutrients, which will lower nutrient inputs as

specified by the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, including through implementation of measures taken

under relevant EU legislation for Contracting Parties being EU Member States and under relevant

national legislation in the Russian Federation;

22.

WE ACKNOWLEDGE

that due to improved data on nutrient inputs in the reference period

, the Country-

Allocated Reduction Targets for nutrients are no longer always sufficient to achieve GES of the Baltic Sea

with regard to eutrophication and that, therefore, the follow-up of the nutrient reduction requirements

of the BSAP should focus on national commitments based on Maximum Allowable Inputs and that this

should be taken into consideration when updating the BSAP;

23.

RECOGNIZING

with concern the sustained high nutrient input especially from agriculture,

WE DECIDE

engage, as a priority, in further enhanced cooperation with the agricultural sector in the Baltic Sea area

with the aim of further reducing land-based nutrient inputs in the Baltic Sea, as well as to engage with

the relevant river basin authorities to better align national and international nutrient reduction

requirements of the BSAP with those of coastal waters, whilst seeking synergies between relevant

regimes;

24.

RECOGNIZING

with concern that large amounts of nutrients have accumulated in the Baltic Sea during

the past decades due to anthropogenic activities, resulting in an enhanced internal flux of nutrients

between sediments and sea water thereby exacerbating eutrophication;

25.

WE ENCOURAGE,

as a first step, further improving the knowledge base regarding the nature and

dynamics of internal nutrient reserves.

26.

WE ENCOURAGE,

as a second step, undertaking research on the potential of measures to manage

internal nutrient reserves that have accumulated in the sediments due to anthropogenic activities in the

last decades;

WE EMPHASIZE

that the risks to ecosystem and human health stemming from measures to

manage internal nutrient reserves, as well as the long-term sustainability of their effects, need to be

considered and thoroughly evaluated;

WE ALSO ENCOURAGE

in parallel developing and applying a risk

assessment framework in HELCOM to meet the necessary environmental requirements for measures

planned for the open sea and any other measures having potentially significant transboundary effects;

Pre-BSAP period (1997-2003).

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WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE

the need to elaborate in line with the Helsinki Convention commonly agreed

regional principles as guidance for internal nutrient reserves management.

Nutrient recycling strategy

27.

BEING AWARE

that replacement of nitrogen fertilizer could contribute to reduction of greenhouse gas

emissions, and that phosphorus is a limited natural resource and a critical raw material, for which

recycling methods for use in agricultural production already exist;

RECOGNISING

also that nutrient

resources are not optimally managed everywhere and that there is a need to improve both recycling of

nutrients and their efficiency of use,

WE COMMIT

to elaborating by 2020 a Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient

Recycling Strategy that aims for reduced nutrient inputs to and eutrophication of the Baltic Sea and:

−

focuses on measures at source rather than end-of-pipe solutions;

−

is based on the best available scientific knowledge on sustainable management and processing of

nutrients in agriculture by safe recycling of nutrients especially from manure and sewage;

promotes environmentally safe nutrient recycling in the Baltic Sea region, taking into account

principles of circular economy, geographical and socio-economic conditions, as well as spatial

distribution of nutrient stocks and their flows, whilst respecting objectives and geographical scales

already defined under other legal frameworks;

gives guidance on risk assessments and solutions to prevent potentially harmful consequences from

the application of recycled products and on technological processes of nutrients recycling;

helps to identify regional challenges, applicability and added value for the whole Baltic Sea region;

is established with a step-by-step approach and proposes a common vision and objectives for

nutrient recycling;

−

28.

WE DECIDE

to also develop, as a follow-up to the Strategy, possible nutrient recycling measures to be

included in the updated BSAP.

Marine litter and circular economy

29.

BEING CONCERNED

that marine litter, and in particular plastic waste, continues to be a problem in the

Baltic Sea,

WE STRESS

the importance of eliminating discharges of litter from land and sea-based sources

to the Baltic Sea;

30.

WE ARE DETERMINED

to combat marine litter through coordinated implementation of the Regional

Marine Litter Action Plan;

31.

WE RE-COMMIT

to preventing and reducing marine litter from land and sea-based sources and to

achieving a significant quantitative reduction by 2025. To that end

WE COMMIT

to regional work on

developing baselines and threshold values for maximum levels of marine litter in the Baltic Sea, in close

coordination with work undertaken by Contracting Parties in other relevant fora. If additional efforts are

needed to achieve those levels,

WE COMMIT

to developing ambitious, regionally coordinated,

quantitative targets to reduce input of litter;

32.

WE ALSO COMMIT

to strengthening regional research and developing harmonised monitoring methods

on the sources, distribution, amounts and impacts of marine litter including micro-plastics, in coherence

with similar work undertaken by Contracting Parties in other relevant fora, and to improving assessment

of the effectiveness of measures;

33.

WE SUPPORT

measures aimed at preventing plastics, including micro-plastics, from contaminating the

marine and coastal environment, at addressing the entire lifecycle of products, and at examining efficient

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and cost-effective options to reduce plastic and micro-plastic releases from products and processes into

the environment;

34.

WE DECIDE

to develop appropriate measures to address micro-plastics in riverine inputs, urban waste

water effluents as well as storm water based on an increased knowledge on the scale of the problem.

Hazardous substances

35.

WE AGREE

to re-examine the effectiveness of measures and recommendations for legacy pollutants and

to identify the scale of problems of contaminants of emerging concern, including micro-pollutants in

coastal and marine waters and, based on this knowledge, to consider possible cost-effective mitigation

measures.

WE WELCOME

the joint HELCOM-UNESCO-EUSBSR status report on pharmaceuticals in the

aquatic environment in the Baltic Sea Region as the information basis for developing measures, as

appropriate, to prevent pharmaceuticals from reaching the Baltic Sea, and also

WELCOME

the EU

Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) regional cooperation platform to reduce pharmaceuticals in

the Baltic Sea;

36.

WE ALSO AGREE

to identify and assess further hazardous substances and contaminants from offshore

sources, which may give rise to pollution effects, and develop appropriate mitigation measures.

Underwater noise

37.

WE WELCOME

the progress made in the implementation of the Regional Baltic Underwater Noise

Roadmap 2015-2017, including the establishment of a joint HELCOM/OSPAR registry of licenced

impulsive sound events and on-going work for a regional monitoring programme and for monitoring

guidelines for continuous noise, as well as new evidence regarding potential impact of underwater noise

on species in the Baltic Sea;

38.

WE EMPHASIZE

the need to further improve our understanding of the adverse impacts of underwater

noise on those identified noise sensitive marine species and in particular the cumulative impacts of

impulsive noise from multiple activities;

39.

WE AGREE

to develop an action plan, preferably by 2021, and regionally coordinated actions on

underwater noise, aiming, in the long-term, at addressing adverse effects of underwater noise on marine

species identified as sensitive to noise, whilst safeguarding the potential of the Baltic Sea for sustainable

human activities;

40.

WE COMMIT

to continuing fruitful cooperation between European Regional Seas Conventions, and in

particular OSPAR, in order to exchange good practices and to fill knowledge gaps, and to continuing

regional work in developing scientifically sound threshold values for underwater noise that are consistent

with GES for species identified as sensitive to noise in the Baltic Sea, in close coordination with work

undertaken by Contracting Parties in other relevant fora including UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

Seabed damage and disturbance

41.

WE AGREE

to do regional work on developing threshold values for the adverse effects of anthropogenic

physical disturbance and, based on the best available scientific information in close coordination with

other relevant fora, if needed to achieve GES, to develop the necessary regionally coordinated

quantitative targets for the reduction of physical disturbance caused by human activities and habitat loss;

42.

WE AGREE,

based on best available scientific advice, to work together to elaborate regional and national

actions aiming at delivering the necessary reductions in adverse effects of physical disturbance caused

by human activities.

Biodiversity and impacts on ecosystem

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43.

WE COMMIT

to increasing the protection and restoration of biodiversity, to intensifying regional, sub-

regional and cross-sectoral cooperation, and to preserving and promoting the ecological balance of the

Baltic Sea area with strengthened resilience, also as streamlined response to adaptation needs stemming

from human-induced climate change;

44.

WE AGREE

to take actions to prevent the loss of biodiversity in the Baltic Sea and to improve the status

of species, biotopes and habitats that are threatened according to the 2013 HELCOM Red Lists

inter

alia,

by establishing conservation plans or other relevant programmes or environmental measures for

species, biotopes and habitats at risk of extinction;

45.

WE WELCOME

the significant progress made towards increasing the geographical coverage of the

HELCOM marine protected areas (HELCOM MPAs) network.

WE RECALL

the HELCOM commitment to

step up efforts to establish an ecologically coherent and effectively managed network of HELCOM MPAs

in accordance with HELCOM Recommendation 35/1.

WE ALSO COMMIT

to improving the understanding

of the role of MPAs for ecosystem services, in order to enhance cost-effectiveness of MPAs management

and yield the greatest environmental benefits.

WE ALSO AGREE

to strive for full achievement of Aichi

Target 11 regarding the management, ecological representativeness and connectivity of the HELCOM

MPAs network;

46.

WE RECALL

the HELCOM commitment made at the UN Ocean Conference, to describe Ecologically or

Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSA) in the Baltic Sea in collaboration with the Convention of

Biological Diversity.

Climate change

47.

WE STRESS

the need for research and adaptive management to strengthen the resilience of the Baltic

Sea in the face of climate change impacts.

WE AGREE

to increase HELCOM’s preparedness to respond to

climate change impacts, by taking foreseen climate change impacts into account when updating the BSAP

and by exploring the needs and possibilities to further adapt HELCOM’s policies and recommendations

1) in line with existing objectives of protection of the marine environment and sustainable use of marine

resources, also under the changing climate, and 2) to maximise the capacity of the Baltic Sea ecosystem

to contribute to mitigation of climate change through blue carbon storage;

48.

WE EMPHASIZE

the need to further strengthen the scientific understanding of the impacts of climate

change together with multiple other stressors on the Baltic Sea marine environment, and

AGREE

that

HELCOM should take action to bridge this knowledge to policy and practice.

Implementation of the ecosystem approach

49.

WE RECOGNIZE

that knowledge on the relationship between the state of the marine environment and

human well-being is essential for applying the ecosystem approach to management of human activities

and in maritime spatial planning in the region, as well as for implementation of the UN Sustainable

Development Goals and the Convention on Biological Diversity;

50. To this end,

WE AGREE

to further develop and carry out coordinated regional economic and social

assessments, including mapping, valuation, and analysis of ecosystem services and natural capital

accounting, taking advantage of improved methods and comparability of data;

51.

WE ALSO AGREE

to encourage further coordinated research to support cost of degradation analyses,

cost-effectiveness analyses of regional measures, and assessment of cost and benefits related to

achieving GES covering the entire Baltic Sea region;

BSEP No. 138 and 140.

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52.

WE EMPHASIZE

that the implementation of the ecosystem approach will enable the transition towards

a sustainable use of ecosystem goods and services by present and future generations, to the benefit of

the effective implementation of marine policies as well as maritime spatial planning, and will lay the

grounds for a sustainable blue economy;

53.

WE RECOGNISE

that BONUS, the joint Baltic Sea Research and Development programme, has enhanced

research capacity in the Baltic Sea region and provided an important platform for cooperation in research

activities as well as useful research for science based decision-making and

WELCOME

further cooperation

to strengthen joint research programmes, under the umbrella of JPI (Joint Programming Initiative)

Oceans.

Improving regional ocean governance

54.

WE WELCOME

the great successes already achieved in regional cooperation and governance, for instance

in the fields of maritime transport, maritime spatial planning, and research:

−

In particular,

WE WELCOME

the progress made in addressing the environmental impact of the

maritime transport sector in the Baltic Sea via (a) the collaborative long-term effort to designate the

Baltic Sea as a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA), (b) HELCOM commitment at the UN Ocean

Conference on NECA and to promote green shipping technology and use of alternative fuels,

including LNG, and (c) the recent International Maritime Organization (IMO) decision on the date of

enforcement of the Baltic Sea as a special area under MARPOL Annex IV

;

WE ALSO RECOGNISE

the Baltic Sea region as a forerunner in regional cooperation on ecosystem-

based maritime spatial planning (MSP) and regional governance, involving HELCOM and VASAB and

facilitated by the HELCOM-VASAB MSP Working Group, and the important contribution MSP can

make to fulfil the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Sustainable Development

Goal (SDG) 14, thus enabling a transition to a sustainable ocean-based economy;

WE APPRECIATE

the constructive cooperation with other partners in the region, including the Council

of the Baltic Sea States, and UNDERLINE in this context the many successful cooperation projects

developed within the “Northern Dimension” Environmental Partnership (NDEP), EUSBSR or within

the BONUS Research Programme as well as different projects within the cross-border cooperation

programmes and initiatives by cities and municipalities in areas of common interest;

WE DECIDE

to continue the concrete cooperation on HELCOM Hotspots with the aim to eliminate

the remaining hotspots.

WE WELCOME

recent efforts made so far in addressing those hotspots via

multi-stakeholder cooperation, such as for the Krasnyi Bor landfill involving NEFCO;

−

55.

WE WELCOME

the Baltic Sea 2030 Action Plan of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and

AGREE

strengthen regional governance, and

WE COMMIT

to enhancing cooperation, policy coherence and

coordination at all levels for delivering water- and ocean-related SDGs under the 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development, in particular:

−

in maritime transport,

WE COMMIT

to improving the availability of adequate port reception facilities

in the region for delivery of sewage and other ship-generated waste;

WE REITERATE

the common goal of all Baltic Sea countries to establish, by 2020

, maritime spatial

plans that are coherent across borders and apply the ecosystem approach, and in this regard,

STRESS

−

1 June 2019 for new IMO registered passenger ships and 1 June 2021 for existing passenger ships with an extension

until 1 June 2023 for direct passages between St. Petersburg area in Russia and the North Sea

The corresponding deadline, for contracting parties that are EU Member States, in Directive 2014/89/EU establishing

a framework for maritime spatial planning is 2021.

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

the importance of further cooperation in using the agreed principles, guidelines, concepts and

mechanisms for planning purposes and developing them further as needed, whilst investigating

existing obstacles that impede more rapid development in this field;

−

WE AGREE

to strengthen cooperation on ship hull fouling solutions with regard both to preventing

the introduction of invasive alien species and to hazardous substances in anti-fouling systems;

WE AGREE

to strengthen coordination and cooperation mechanisms with fishery bodies active in the

Baltic Sea region, in particular BALTFISH, and the Baltic Sea Advisory Council, to seek synergies with

the work carried out by ICES, and to aim to ensure coherence between marine and fisheries

management measures;

WE STRIVE

to raise awareness on the state of the Baltic Sea area, enhance ocean literacy, and support

transparency, networks and campaigns;

WE AGREE

to enhance local initiatives and cooperation, and to support joint efforts of governments,

science, business, civil society and financial institutions, for the implementation of the BSAP and

SDGs, in particular SDG 14, and in this regard

WE TAKE NOTE

of examples such as the St Petersburg

Initiative established by the Heads of Governments of the Baltic Sea States in 2013;

WE ENDEAVOUR

to explore further synergies of HELCOM Monitoring System with other relevant

monitoring activities;

−

56.

WE STRIVE

for joint approaches and synergies among HELCOM and relevant multilateral environmental

agreements including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Migratory Species and

the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas.

WE STRESS

the

importance of transboundary cooperation, transparency, and information-sharing among Contracting

Parties in order to assess, prevent, mitigate, and compensate the impacts arising from human activities

such as nuclear energy projects, offshore projects of oil drilling and construction of gas pipelines, in line

with international legislation;

57.

WE WELCOME

the entry into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention on 8 September 2017

and

COMMIT

to regionally supporting its ratification by Baltic Sea States which have not done yet so, and

to enhancing harmonized implementation of this Convention and other relevant IMO instruments,

including MARPOL, in the region;

58.

ACKNOWLEDGING

that projects on issues of common interest under the EUSBSR and NDEP have given

substantial contribution to the implementation of the BSAP,

WE WILL CONTINUE

the constructive

cooperation with actors involved in this framework to contribute to the implementation of the BSAP and

endeavour to ensure synergies between the priorities of the BSAP, of the EUSBSR Action Plan and of the

NDEP activities, as well as national strategic planning documents of Contracting Parties, also in the future;

59.

WE AGREE

to strengthen the fruitful cooperation with OSPAR on transboundary issues and common

challenges to gain efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of SDGs such as ballast water

management and introduction of invasive alien species, the issue of underwater noise, micro-plastic,

migratory birds, MPA network and management, and threatened and endangered species;

60.

WE AGREE

to step up the cooperation with other Regional Sea Conventions and relevant River Basin

authorities in our work to reach SDGs, and

RECOGNIZE

the opportunities for increased knowledge,

efficiency gains and effectiveness when jointly addressing implementation challenges, including the work

on regional seas indicators on the implementation of SDG 14;

61.

WE ARE DETERMINED

to continue working together in HELCOM to deliver our common objectives until

2030 and beyond efficiently and effectively; and to this end

WE WILL CONTINUE

to work to strengthen

MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 516: Spm. om oversendelse af referatet af ministermødet i HELCOM den 6. marts 2018, til miljø- og fødevareministeren

the cross-sectorial, regional and inter-regional partnerships and to mobilize financing to support the

implementation of the BSAP and the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in the Baltic Sea Region.