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HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan Northern Dimension and the oceans and the seas

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15th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) 4-5 September ... Brackish water hard living environment for flora and fauna. Main environmental challenges ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan Northern Dimension and the oceans and the seas


1
HELCOMBaltic Sea Action PlanNorthern Dimension
and the oceans and the seas
  • Mieczyslaw Ostojski, Prof. WSS
  • Chairman
  • Helsinki Commission
  • 15th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC)
  • 4-5 September 2006, Reykjavik, Iceland

2
Contents
  • Introduction
  • Applying ecosystem approach - HELCOM Baltic Sea
    Action Plan
  • Meeting of regional and European policies
  • Conclusions

3
The Baltic Sea
  • Shallow semi-enclosed sea
  • Slow water exchange
  • Brackish water hard living environment for
    flora and fauna

4
Main environmental challenges
  • Eutrophication
  • Hazardous substances
  • Destruction of habitats and biodiversity
    (including overfishing)
  • Growing maritime and offshore activities

5
HELCOM
  • Regional co-operation since 1974
  • Based on the Convention on the Protection of the
    Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area
  • 9 Contracting States 8 of them - EU members
  • Bridge between science and policy
  • Ecosystem approach the guiding principle

6
Ecosystem Approach
  • Agreed by the Ministers in 2003
  • HELCOMs vision - a healthy Baltic Sea
    environment, with diverse biological components
    functioning in balance, resulting in a good
    ecological status and supporting a wide range of
    sustainable human economic and social activities
  • Clear need for cross-sector approach
  • Way forward HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan

7
HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan
  • Ecological objectives
  • Indicators and targets
  • Concrete actions identified to achieve agreed
    objectives
  • Wide stakeholders involvement
  • High political commitment by the Contracting
    Parties

8
HELCOM Ecological Objectives
  • Describing key issues within each of our four
    environmental priority areas
  • reflect central ecosystem functions
  • highlighting topics of common concern
  • also
  • clear
  • measurable
  • scientifically sound
  • politically agreed
  • E.g. all Baltic fish should be suitable for
    human consumption, water clarity restored to
    historical values, no excessive algal blooms,
    etc.

9
Targets and indicators
  • Indicators to assess our progress for each
    environmental objective
  • Target levels which are characteristic for a good
    environmental status
  • applied at sub-regional level, taking into
    account natural variability
  • guidance for future measures

10
Actions
  • Scientifically sound and clearly linked to
    processes in the Baltic ecosystem
  • Based on sub-regional specifics of the Baltic
  • National, regional, European/global
  • Based on cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness
    analysis

11
Water clarity indicator and tentative targets
  • Modelling used to calculate needed reductions in
    loads to achieve the water clarity goals

12
Example scenario water clarity for the open sea

required total reduction for the Baltic Sea 35
P and 10 N
effect on nitrogen fixation and primary production
13
Linking the Baltic needs to Europen processes
  • National policies
  • International (EU) policies
  • Water Framework Directive and other directives
  • Marine Strategy
  • Maritime Strategy
  • EU Common Agricultural Policy
  • EU Financial Mechanims and Programmes
  • etc.

14
From science to actions
  • Identification of most cost-effective measures in
    different sub-regions
  • Input to political processes
  • Guidance to the use of economic tools (IFI, EU
    Programmes etc)
  • Actions at national, regional and international
    (EU, global) level

15
Timeline
  • 2003 adoption of Ecosystem Approach at HELCOM
    level
  • 2005 decision to develop a Baltic Sea Action
    Plan
  • 2007 adoption of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action
    Plan including objectives, targets
    actions (ministers of environment and
    agriculture)
  • 2009 adoption of River Basin Management Plans
  • 2016 development of programmes of measures to
    achieve good environmental status of the
    marine environment (draft EU Directive on
    Marine Strategy)

16
Conclusions
  • The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan is converting
    the ecosystem approach to real actions
  • Right timing
  • Complex set of measures to be taken at different
    level
  • Additional momentum once the Marine Strategy is
    adopted
  • The Baltic Sea Action Plan itself will not solve
    the environmental problems of the Baltic -
    commitment to its implementation is crucial
  • Nationally
  • EU level

17
Conclusions recipe for success
  • Strong commitment to the development and
    implementation of the agreed actions
  • Baltic Sea Action Plan the corner stone for
    policies and actions related to the Baltic
    environment
  • Integration of the Baltic needs into River Basin
    Management Plans
  • Use of common Baltic knowledge and priorities in
    policy making in EU
  • Nothern Dimension

18
Conclusions
  • Russia equal partner
  • Different legal regime
  • ND tool to achieve common goals
  • Investment policies to follow agreed priorities
  • HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan - good way to
    achieve goals

19
Thank you
For more information please contact
Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Katajanokanlaituri 6
B FI-00160 Helsinki Finland www.helcom.fi
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