Title: HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan Northern Dimension and the oceans and the seas
1HELCOMBaltic 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
2Contents
- Introduction
- Applying ecosystem approach - HELCOM Baltic Sea
Action Plan - Meeting of regional and European policies
- Conclusions
3The Baltic Sea
- Shallow semi-enclosed sea
- Slow water exchange
- Brackish water hard living environment for
flora and fauna
4Main environmental challenges
- Eutrophication
- Hazardous substances
- Destruction of habitats and biodiversity
(including overfishing) - Growing maritime and offshore activities
5HELCOM
- 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
6Ecosystem 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
7HELCOM 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
8HELCOM 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.
9Targets 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
10Actions
- 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
11Water clarity indicator and tentative targets
- Modelling used to calculate needed reductions in
loads to achieve the water clarity goals
12Example 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
13Linking 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.
14From 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
15Timeline
- 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)
16Conclusions
- 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
17Conclusions 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
18Conclusions
- 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
19Thank you
For more information please contact
Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Katajanokanlaituri 6
B FI-00160 Helsinki Finland www.helcom.fi