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HELCOM contribution to Priority Area 4 of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Dr. Anita Mäkinen Head of Marine Environment Protection Unit Finnish Transport Safety Agency anita.makinen@trafi.fi. Photo: by the Maritime Office in Gdynia. Helsinki Commission - HELCOM.
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HELCOM contribution to Priority Area 4 of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Dr. Anita Mäkinen Head of Marine Environment Protection Unit Finnish Transport Safety Agency anita.makinen@trafi.fi Photo: by the Maritime Office in Gdynia
Helsinki Commission - HELCOM • Governing body of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea • Major body of the international environmental co-operation in the Baltic region since 1974 • Main task: to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution • 10 Contracting Parties (9 Baltic Sea Coastal States and the European Union)
(1) Strategic Action – designating the Baltic Sea as NOx Emission Control Area NECA • NOx emissions from ships reached 393 kt in 2008, and are comparable to land emissions from two HELCOM countries • Shipping contributes significantly to the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea – deposition of 11,500 tonnes of N annually • Also NOx emissions from the North Sea reach the Baltic environment • Only 80% reduction in NOx emissions from ships would reverse its increasing trend by 2030 NOx emissions, 2008, ShipNODeff
(2) Strategic Action – designating the Baltic Sea as NOx Emission Control Area NECA • Work on designating the Baltic Sea as NECA under Annex VI to MARPOL is ongoing under the lead of Finland – proposal to IMO possibly by 2011 • Only in 2036-2046 all ships operating in a NECA will be covered by the more stringent NECA requirements - some voluntary measures are needed • Application of economic incentives, such as differentiated fairway and port dues, allows addressing also the existing ships and coming to a level playing field ---> Flag ship project 3
(1) Sewage discharges from passenger ships – flag ship projects 1 & 4 • HELCOM countries, under the lead of Finland, have proposed to IMO to designate the Baltic Sea a special area under international regulations to ban discharges of untreated sewage from passenger ships – proposal has been approved during this month at IMO MEPC 61! • Sewage will have to be treated to remove nutrients or delievered to port reception facilities (PRF)
(2) Sewage discharges from passenger ships – flag ship projects 1 & 4 • The new regulations will require upgrade of port reception facilities for sewage in major passenger ports (discharge of ships’ sewage to municipal system) • A Road Map targeting ”first priority” ports adopted at the 2010 HELCOM Moscow Ministerial Meeting to be implementaed by 2015 • New regulations will become effective only when HELCOM countries notify IMO that adequate port reception facilities are available in the Baltic Sea
Thank you! For more information please contact: Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Katajanokanlaituri 6 B FI-00160 Helsinki Finland Adopted HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan is available from www.helcom.fi