Helsinki
Convention • Helsinki Commission
The
objectives of the 1992 Convention on the Protection of the Marine
Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki
Convention) which entered into force in 2000, are to:
-
prevent and eliminate pollution in order to promote the
ecological restoration of the Baltic Sea and the preservation
of its ecological balance;
- apply
the precautionary principle;
- promote
the use of Best Environmental Practice and Best Available
Technology;
- apply
the polluter-pays principle; to ensure that measurements
and calculations are carried out in a scientifically appropriate
manner; and
- ensure
that the implementation of the Convention does not cause
transboundary pollution in areas outside the Baltic Sea
Area.
The
1992 Convention replaces the original one of 1974. All nine
countries around the Baltic Sea are Contracting Parties. Efforts
to reduce ship-generated wastes have also been called for
in Ministerial Decisions and Declarations of the Environment
Ministers of the Baltic Sea States in 1994 and 1998. Elimination
of particularly serious point sources of sewage and waste
water discharge is included in the 20-year Baltic
Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme
(JCP; sections on sewage treatment, and waste management,
administered within the framework of HELCOM.
The
Baltic Marine
Environment Protection Commission (Helsinki Commission,
HELCOM) is the governing body. It unanimously adopts Recommendations
for the protection and preservation of the marine environment
of the Baltic Sea area which the governments of the Contracting
Parties shall reflect in their national systems. The
work of the Commission is carried out by five subsidiary bodies
and a Programme Implementation Task Force (for the Action
Programme JCP) and complemented by different working groups
and projects. HELCOM
Maritime works to prevent any pollution from ships (from
operational discharges as well as accidental pollution). It
works to ensure that adopted regulations are carried out in
an efficient and harmonized way, including close cooperation
in enforcing violations of the regulations; to identify and
promote actions to limit sea-based pollution while ensuring
safe navigation; to promote the adoption of international
regulations at regional and international level. HELCOM
Land identifies current and emerging issues related to
point and diffuse sources of land-based pollution, proposes
actions and promotes investment activities in order to reduce
emissions and discharges.
See
also the Fourth
Periodic Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment
of the Baltic Sea.The Periodic Assessments are made regularly
within the HELCOM framework. The state of the Baltic Sea is
assessed in about 5-year intervals. The outcome is a basically
scientific background document covering most topics related
to the state of the Baltic Sea. The respective situation,
trends and tendencies are highlighted.
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Convention
of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and
International Lakes • UNECE
Convention:
The UN ECE (Economic Commission for Europe)
Convention
of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and
International Lakes (Water Convention) is intended to strengthen
national measures for the protection and ecologically sound
management of transboundary surface waters and groundwaters.
The Convention obliges Parties to prevent, control and reduce
water pollution from point and non-point sources. It also includes
provisions for monitoring, research and development, consultations,
warning and alarm systems, mutual assistance, institutional
arrangements, and the exchange and protection of information,
as well as public access to information. There is a Protocol
to the Convention on water
and health, and one on
civil liability.
Commission:
The primary goal of the UN
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is to encourage
greater economic cooperation among its member States. It focuses
on economic analysis, environment and human settlements, statistics,
sustainable energy, trade, industry and enterprise development,
timber and transport. UNECE activities include policy analysis,
development of conventions, regulations and standards, and
technical assistance. It has 55 member States, and over 70
international professional organizations and other non-governmental
organizations take part in UNECE activities. The UNECE provides
the Secretariat for several environmental conventions, including
the Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary
Watercourses and International Lakes (see more on the UNECE
Environment
and Human Settlements Division).
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EU
Northern Dimension
The
Northern Dimension is "the external and cross-border
policies of the European Union covers the Baltic Sea region,
Arctic Sea region and North West Russia. It addresses the specific
challenges of those regions and aims to increase cooperation
between the EU member states, the EU applicant countries and
Russia. The Northern Dimension is implemented within the framework
of the Europe Agreements with the Baltic States, the Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement with Russia and the European Economic
Area regulations. The areas for cooperation under the Northern
Dimension are the environment, nuclear safety, energy cooperation,
Kaliningrad, infrastructure, business cooperation, Justice and
Home Affairs, social development and others. " The Northern
Dimension "aims to intensify cross border cooperation between
the EU and its neighbouring countries and regions in northern
Europe. It aims to create security and stability in the region,
as well as building a safe, clean and accessible environment
for all people in the north".
The
Northern Dimension is a common undertaking of the European
Communities and the EU Member States together with partner
countries. The Commission plays a leading role in implementing
the Action Plan. ... The main regional organisations and IFIs
active in supporting the Northern Dimension are the Council
of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), the Barents Euro Arctic Council
(BEAC), the Arctic Council (AC), the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD), the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB),
the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO), and the
Nordic Project Fund (NOPEF).
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Baltic
Strategy
The
Baltic Strategy on Port Reception Facilities for Ship-generated
Wastes was adopted in March 1996 by all the countries around
the Baltic Sea as a means of international co-operation to
stop discharges of wastes from ships in the Baltic Sea. The
legal framework is included in the Helsinki Convention. The
Strategy was originally adopted as HELCOM Recommendation 17/11,
and the implementation of the Strategy is co-ordinated through
the framework of HELCOM. The
Baltic Strategy was further elaborated through a number of
HELCOM Recommendations over the years. In March 2001, an additional
Recommendation (22/3)
on unified interpretation to ensure harmonized and effective
implementation of the Strategy was adopted.
According
to the Strategy, a network of reception facilities for oily
wastes, garbage and sewage are tol be established in the ports
around the Baltic Sea. These facilities are to be easily accessible
and modernly equipped. The handling of waste from shipping
will be monitored through an international control and surveillance
system. Sanctions in case of violations of the regulations
will be equally severe throughout the region.
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Baltic
Sea Regional Project
- ICES
on the Baltic Sea Regional Project
- HELCOM
on the Baltic Sea Regional Project
- World
Bank on the Baltic Sea Regional Project
- GEF
on the Baltic Sea Regional Project
The
objective of the World Bank–GEF Baltic Sea Regional Project
(BSRP) is to increase sustainable biological productivity,
improve coastal zone management, and reduce agricultural non-point
source pollution through the introduction of ecosystem-based
approaches for land, coastal and marine environmental management.
The project is based on the Large Marine Ecosystem concept.
It will provide support to integrated land, coastal and open
sea activities to strengthen the local and regional capacity
for achieving sustainable ecosystem management of the Baltic
Sea resources. Activities for the project will be undertaken
in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Russian Federation,
along the Baltic coastal areas and in the adjacent coastal
and open sea areas. The long-term goal is to provide the three
cooperating international bodies in the Baltic Sea Region
— HELCOM, the International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission,
IBSFC, and the International Council for the Exploration of
the Seas, ICES — and the recipient countries, with management
tools for sustainable agricultural, coastal and marine management,
while improving social and economic benefits for the farming,
coastal and fishing communities.
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Baltic
Ports Organization
The
main objective of the Baltic
Ports Organization (BPO) is to improve the competitiveness
of maritime transport in the Baltic region by, inter alia,
good environmental behaviour. The task of the BPO Environment
Committee is to set guidelines for member ports in order to
improve their environmental behaviour (BPO Environmental Policy),
and to follow the international development on environmental
matters. BPO is an observer to the Helsinki Commission.
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Union
of the Baltic Cities
The
role of the Union
of the Baltic Cities (UBC) is to promote and strengthen
co-operation and exchange of experience among the cities in
the Baltic Sea Region, to take care of common interests of the
local authorities in the region, and to act on behalf of the
cities and local authorities in common matters towards regional,
national, European and international bodies. The overriding
goal of the Union is to contribute to democratic, economic,
social, cultural and environmentally sustainable development
of the Baltic Sea Region.The UBC has based its operational activities
on nine working Commissions on business co-operation, culture,
education, environment, health and social affairs, sport, tourism,
transportation and urban planning. |
UNEP
Regional Office for Europe
UNEP's
Regional Office for Europe promotes intergovernmental policy
dialogue and regional cooperation, increases national capacity
for environmental management and response emergencies, raises
awareness and enhances information exchange, and translates
global policies into regional action. |
European
Sea Ports Organization
The
European Sea Ports
Organization (ESPO) aims at influencing public policy in
the European Union and to achieve a safe, efficient and environmentally
sustainable European port sector, operating as a key element
of a transport industry where free and undistorted market conditions
prevail, as far as practicable. According to ESPO, ports are
concerned about the environment. ESPO believes that maritime
transport is central to the issue of sustainable development
within Europe. The ports support measures to reduce marine pollution
and discourage dumping of waste at sea. See the ESPO Waste
Management Plan For Ship Generated Waste. See
also a compilation (PDF file, 1.5 MB) of presentations and discussions
at the ESPO/IAPH
workshop on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste
and cargo residues (June 2001). |
European
Union for Coastal Conservation
In
the Baltic Sea region, the European
Union for Coastal Conservation has national branches in
Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. The
project European Regions for a Safe and Clean Coast (ERSCC)
was carried out in 1995-1996 by the EUCC and several partner
organizations. The project was designed to promote cooperation
and the exchange of information amongst Local Authorities and
other interests in preventing coastal pollution and disasters.
In the Action plan "European Regions for a Safe and Clean
Coast", there is a special section on Marine
litter/debris. EUCC is an observer to HELCOM. |
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Agreements