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Status of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. Helle Pilsgaard , HELCOM Chair The 21st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference ” Energy, Ecology and Social Welfare: Cooperation for a Sustainable Development of the Baltic Sea Region” Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 28 August 2012.
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Status of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan Helle Pilsgaard, HELCOM Chair The 21st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference ”Energy, Ecology and Social Welfare: Cooperation for a Sustainable Development of the Baltic Sea Region” Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 28 August 2012
The priorities of the Danish HELCOM Chairmanship • Effective fulfillment of the Baltic Sea Action Plan • eutrophication, hazardous substances, biodiversity, maritime activities • A little extra for a healthy Baltic Sea • initiatives in areas where additional measures are needed • A more dynamic and effective HELCOM • streamlining processes, ensuring synergy and coordination with other policies
Progress of HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan 2007 • Contains measures to achieve and maintain Good Environmental Status • Serves as a tool to implement other international legal frameworks • Implemented in synergy with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and other policies Progress -BSAP actions
Work in Progress – many positive examples that will reduce nutrient inputs: • Major investments into waste water treatment to meet high HELCOM standards (e.g. in St. Petersburg, Riga and others) • Phase-out of P-containing detergents • Ban on sewage discharges from passenger ships • HELCOM Agriculture and Environment Forum • BaltHazAR Project (2009-2012, 3,5 M€) and follow-up project (2012-2014, 2.5 M€); EU funded • Ongoing process to designate the Baltic Sea as NOx Emission Control Area (NECA) for shipping
Examples of ongoing work on biodiversity • Designation of new marine protected areas (including offshore) and developing and implementation of management plans for such areas • Assessment of fisheries impacts in marine protected areas to come up with practical solutions for fisheries supporting biodiversity conservation objectives • Inventory and development of restoration plans for important Baltic salmon rivers
2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting • To be held in autumn 2013 under the Danish Chairmanship • Evaluation of the BSAP implementation and national progress towards nutrient reduction scheme, ecological objectives and Good Environmental Status • Based on the above, adjustment of the BSAP and update of targets - adaptive management
Thank you! For more information please contact: Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Katajanokanlaituri 6 B FI-00160 Helsinki Finland www.helcom.fi