Author: Eeva Nyyssönen

HELCOM shared its views on environmental policy making, nutrient recycling and clean shipping at the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme Conference that was held in Lübeck from 9 to 10 April 2019.Under the theme of , the conference presented the current accomplishments of the Interreg programme’s platforms and projects currently operating in the Baltic Sea region.The Interreg platforms and projects provide valuable scientific and technical underpinnings for HELCOM work. They also facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration, linking HELCOM to the private sector, local authorities and other Baltic Sea stakeholders.The outcomes of the platforms and projects will notably feed the beyond 2021, support the elaboration of the Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy by 2020, and contribute to overall policy making at HELCOM.HELCOM is involved in three Interreg platforms where it leads work packages related to policy implementation of the findings:: platform on nutrient recycling, where HELCOM is leading the work package “Policy recommendations for sustainable nutrient management and recycling”: platform management of smart sludge, storm and waste water, manure and energy efficiency, where HELCOM is leading the work package “Facilitation of the regional policy dialog on sustainable water management”, focussing on developing regional policy recommendations on nutrient recycling and hazardous substances.: platform on clean shipping in the Baltic Sea region, where HELCOM is leading the work related to drafting policy recommendations from the outputs of the different projects involved in the platform as well as developing an online dissemination tool to share information related to shipping in the BSRThe Interreg platforms group several Interreg projects with similar topics and objectives. Based on wider scope than the individual projects, the aim of the platforms is to facilitate the development of joint policy recommendations.In addition to the three platforms, HELCOM is also involved in seven Interreg projects.  The has four priorities, namely “Capacity for Innovation”, “Management of natural resources”, “Sustainable transport”, and “EU Strategy support”. Funded by the European Union, the programme backs integrated territorial development and cooperation, and is an agreement between EU member states Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and the northern parts of Germany, as well as partner countries Norway, Belarus and the northwest regions of Russia.Over 300 participants from all around the Baltic Sea and beyond attended the conference that was held in Lübeck, Germany.

HELCOM shared its views on environmental policy making, nutrient recycling and clean shipping at the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme Conference that was held in Lübeck from 9 to 10 April 2019.

To boost coherence in maritime spatial planning in the Baltic Sea region, the 18th Meeting of the joint HELCOM-VASAB Maritime Spatial Planning Working Group (HELCOM-VASAB MSP WG 18-2019) was convened in Hamburg, Germany from on 27 to 28 March 2019.The ecosystem approach and cross-border consultations were identified as some of the key elements for improved regional coherence in maritime spatial planning (MSP).In maritime spatial planning (MSP), the ecosystem-based approach assures sustainable use of marine resources through correlating the impact our activities may have on the environment, taking into account the full array of interactions occurring in the marine ecosystem.At the meeting, it was also advised to consider the forthcoming recommendations of the Pan Baltic Scope project that are due by end of 2019. is a two-year EU-funded project on MSP in the Baltic Sea region that seeks to support national MSP processes in advancing the implementation of the ecosystem-based approach at the Baltic Sea regional level.The meeting was hosted by the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency in Hamburg, Germany. It was chaired by the Co-Chairs of the Working Group, Ms Katarzyna Krzywda from Poland and Mr Joacim Johannesson from Sweden.

To boost coherence in maritime spatial planning in the Baltic Sea region, the 18th Meeting of the joint HELCOM-VASAB Maritime Spatial Planning Working Group (HELCOM-VASAB MSP WG 18-2019) was convened in Hamburg, Germany from on 27 to 28 March 2019.

Why is marine litter of concern? 

Marine litter can be found everywhere, even in the world’s most remote places. It does not belong there. It is an unsolicited input from our industrialised society and consumerism to our aquatic ecosystems. We may not have all the data yet on marine litter and its effects on our seas – not to mention microplastics – but we do know that it is not all that good. Many statements are currently gripping attention, such as that there will be more plastic than fish in our seas by 2050. Personally, I do not know how accurate this figure is. But what if it is true, or only partially true? What we know for sure is that marine litter affects biota: mammals and turtles get entangled in derelict fishing gear, fish eat microplastics, turtles mistake plastic bags with jellyfish and eat them, litter items transfer non-indigenous species and chemicals, and the seabed gets smothered by mounts of trash causing disturbance to the marine habitat. It also affects our health, for instance when we go to a beach and not only find sand there but cigarette butts or sanitary waste. And: litter can also be the cause of accidents at sea. 

What about microlitter, how bad is the situation, and what do we currently know about it? 

Researchers are working hard to fill the knowledge gaps on microlitter and microplastics, such as looking for a harmonized methodology to sample them in different matrixes. Which method is more representative and provides results with less error? Should we analyse water, sediment, biota, or both? Microplastics are not simple to analyse. It can take up to three weeks to examine a water sample in a laboratory, not to mention the required investment in laboratory equipment. In the meantime, while researchers do their work, we should use the knowledge that we already have. We can adjust our consumption patterns, for instance avoiding personal care products that contain microplastics such as certain tooth pastes or facing scrubbers, or avoid abrasive blasting. We should also minimise the use of single use plastic items, since they are a source of so-called secondary microplastics once decomposing in the environment. What is the general situation in the Baltic in regards to microplastics?In the Baltic Sea, when it comes to microplastics, we are still at the early stage. We have just started to gather supporting data. The recently concluded contains a descriptive section on marine litter, a first for this kind for the Baltic Sea. What we know today is in relation to marine litter in general. But since plastics are the main component of litter – accounting to over 70% of the beach litter –  and bearing in mind that part of the microlitter are secondary microplastics originating from the decomposition of larger plastic items, we can expect similar findings on microlitter.  

What are the HELCOM actions on marine litter in general? 

Currently, the HELCOM Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter addresses what we thought, in 2015, to be the most relevant sources of input of marine litter: waste management including sanitary waste, plastic bags, microplastics, as well as abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), historic landfills closed to coastal areas, expanded polystyrene (EPS), bottles and containers, and waste related to fishing and aquaculture. Last but not least, the plan also includes actions on education and outreach. On microplastics, the plan identifies several actions, notably on stormwater management and removal of micro particles in waste water treatment plants. HELCOM recently also joined an EU-financed Interreg project on microplastics, FanpLesstic-sea. The project will tell us more about microplastic in the region: what is its composition, and where does it come from, through which pathways does it enter the Baltic. Also, the project will show us if technology can help to minimise the amount of microplastics that enter the sea, for instance through wastewater treatment plants. 

What are the expected outcomes of the FanpLESStic-sea project?

The FanpLesstic-sea project is quite ambitious, but, at the same time, quite realistic. It has managed to mobilize experts who know how to monitor microplastics and model their pathways, as well as experts from the wastewater treatment sector with hands on experience on eliminating microplastics from their effluents. HELCOM, for its part, will provide its regional perspective on the topic, sharing already gained and on-going experience through the implementation of the Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter and translating the outputs of the project to policy messages to be shared with the HELCOM countries. Specifically, the main outputs of the project will be to map microplastic pathways, understand new technology for microplastics removal, and defining frameworks that will enable cost-efficient and implementable measures. 

What else is HELCOM doing in regards to microplastics?

HELCOM is currently working on an indicator on microlitter in the water column. Although there is currently no coordinated monitoring of microlitter in the region, some national monitoring programmes in certain Baltic Sea countries already address microlitter in the surface water or sediments, or both. It is now up to HELCOM to propose a harmonized method for monitoring microliter in the water column at the regional level. In any case, the foundation for durable solutions on microplastics has already been laid with the Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter, where the HELCOM countries committed to address the Baltic Sea’s marine litter problem – including microplastics.

HELCOM in April 2019 published its “” report, as part of the EnviSuM project that looks into clean shipping solutions from both a technical and socio-economic viewpoint.The objective of the report is to provide an overview of the recent developments on alternative fuels in the Baltic Sea, with the focus on liquefied natural gas (LNG). The particular attention on LNG also allows to highlight long-term trends on the adoption of cleaner shipping practices by Baltic Sea countries. With new IMO regulations on sulphur exhaust emissions in place, ship owners have to implement new technology to meet the current requirements, such as scrubber system to “wash” the sulphur from the exhaust gas, shift to low-sulphur marine gas oil (MGO), or switch to alternative types of fuels altogether.Since 2015, all the ships navigating the – comprised of Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel – are obliged to comply with the limit of maximum sulphur content of 0.1% in ship fuels. This is five years ahead of the global entry into force of the sulphur regulation in 2020.The report on alternative fuels has been prepared as part of the (Environmental Impact of Low Emission Shipping: Measurements and Modelling Strategies). EnviSuM project addresses both present and future cost of cleaner shipping, as well as the health and environmental effects of ship emissions.In EnviSuM, HELCOM’s role is to provide a policy linkage to the project, to promote the project outcomes, and to facilitate the involvement of the competent authorities from the Baltic Sea region. 

HELCOM in April 2019 published its “Alternative fuels for shipping in the Baltic Sea region” report, as part of the EnviSuM project that looks into clean shipping solutions from both a technical and socio-economic viewpoint.

IWGAS-2019 participants in front of the new Estonian surveillance plane in Tallinn on 21 March 2019. The plane is used to track both accidental spills and illegal discharges at sea. © HELCOMImproving surveillance of spills and discharges at sea was a main subject at the Annual Meeting of the HELCOM Informal Working Group on Aerial Surveillance (IWGAS 2019) that was held in Tallinn, Estonia from 20 to 21 March 2019.In Tallinn, the HELCOM members presented their respective national surveillance activities and finalised their work on the 2018 edition of the HELCOM Annual report on discharges observed during aerial surveillance in the Baltic Sea.To ensure a more efficient surveillance of the Baltic Sea, IWGAS 2019 notably agreed to update the coverage requirements of satellite imagery. Aerial surveillance is key for responding to discharges at sea of hazardous substances such as oil or chemicals, regardless of being accidental or intentional.“Aerial surveillance coupled to the Automatic Identification System (AIS) that tracks vessel movements is an efficient way to monitor illegal discharges at sea,” said Markus Helavuori, the HELCOM Professional Secretary in charge of maritime affairs, adding that “regular aerial surveillance can be very dissuasive.” At IWGAS 2019, Estonia also presented its new surveillance plane, a Beechcraft King Air B350ER that is in operation since July 2018.The meeting took place at the premises of the Ministry of the Interior of Estonia and of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Aviation Group.***For more information:Markus HelavuoriHELCOM Professional Secretary in charge of maritime affairsmarkus.helavuori@helcom.fi

Improving surveillance of spills and discharges at sea was a main subject at the Annual Meeting of the HELCOM Informal Working Group on Aerial Surveillance (IWGAS 2019) that was held in Tallinn, Estonia from 20 to 21 March 2019.

Opening of the BSD 2019Plenary Session on 22 March 2019. © HELCOM Looking back on 20 years of its existence as a platform addressing the environmental challenges of the Baltic Sea, the (BSD 2019) was held in St. Petersburg, Russia from 21 to 22 March 2019. This year, nutrient recycling and management was the central focus of the forum.Currently, about 97% of the Baltic Sea is affected by eutrophication, with the lead cause being the excessive input of nutrients to the sea from land-based sources, such as from agriculture. In a bid to curb eutrophication, HELCOM has been tasked by its members to devise a Baltic Sea nutrient recycling strategy by 2020. This work is currently carried out under the lead of Finland, also holding chairmanship of HELCOM until mid-2020.”A circular economy is key to a more sustainable production and consumption system, and a nutrient recycling strategy supports this very much,” said Hannele Pokka, Permanent Secretary at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment who sat on the BSD 2019 forum’s high-level panel debating about nutrients.During the forum, other Baltic Sea topics such as biodiversity conservation, fisheries, environmental consequences of physical damage to the sea floor, underwater noise and marine litter were also included in the programmes of several roundtable sessions.The topics discussed during the forum were addressed against the backdrop of the that is bound to be renewed in 2021. The BSAP update was presented in more detail by HELCOM Chair Saara Bäck.”There is always a great interest to attend and contribute to the [Baltic Sea Day] roundtables,” said the HELCOM Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz , further stressing that the event provides a “priceless opportunity for exchange, joint planning and networking” between stakeholders from science, administration and policy across the entire Baltic.Since 2000, the Baltic Sea Day Forum has been held in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and organized in cooperation with HELCOM. During its 20-year history, it has become a key platform for the environmental dialogue on the Baltic Sea at the regional and global level.The event traditionally also features an award ceremony recognising the efforts of the recipients on environmental matters of the Baltic Sea.This year, among other awards, Certificates of Merit from the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Russia were handed over to Natalia Tretiakova, the Russian HELCOM Head of Delegation, and Natalia Kutaeva, the vice-chair of the HELCOM Maritime, for their substantial contribution to international cooperation and their role in organizing the event.The forum is now coordinated by the Government of St. Petersburg, the State Company “Mineral”, and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Russian Federation***For more information:Dominik LittfassCommunication Secretarydominik.littfass@helcom.fi

Looking back on 20 years of its existence as a platform addressing the environmental challenges of the Baltic Sea, the XX Anniversary International Environmental Forum “Baltic Sea Day” (BSD 2019) was held in St. Petersburg, Russia from 21 to 22 March 2019

​Monika Stankiewicz, HELCOM Executive Secretary, addressing the UNEA-4 assemblyHELCOM participated in the that took place in Nairobi, Kenya from 11 to 15 March 2019, where it particularly contributed in advancing the debate on marine litter, microplastics and ocean-literacy.UNEA-4 saw the launch of the by , a group of scientific experts that provides advice to the UN on marine environmental protection. Staff from the HELCOM Secretariat were involved in the development of the guidelines which contain several references to HELCOM work on marine litter.At UNEA-4’s , HELCOM also shared its experiences on drafting and implementing the . During the event, focus was also placed on single use plastic items, as well as the need to address, together with the fishing sector, the issue of lost, abandoned, discarded or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG).Monika Stankiewicz, HELCOM Executive Secretary (1st from left) with Peter Thomson, UN Secretary General Special Envoy for the Ocean (3rd from left), Lisa Emelia Svensson, Global Director of Ocean at UN Environment (4th from left), Takehiro Nakamura from UN Environment (3rd from right), Marta Ruiz from HELCOM (1st from right) and other delegates attending UNEA-4.UNEA is the world’s highest-level environmental forum attended by Heads of State, environment ministers, CEOs of multinational companies, NGOs, environmental activists, and more, to discuss and make global commitments to environmental protection.”HELCOM, like its [regional seas] sister organizations around the world, are a bridge between the global commitments and the national action in each of the regional seas we manage,” . “Our cooperation under UN Environment and its Regional Seas Programme creates a unique opportunity to advance the implementation of the global commitments.”Indeed, HELCOM is currently updating its strategic programme for a healthy Baltic Sea, the Baltic Sea Action Plan, closely integrating the , the , and the objectives of the .Under the twin theme of “Innovative solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable consumption and production”, UNEA-4 took a critical look at our consumption patterns.”For all the progress inspired by the Global Goals, one barrier impedes them all: the choices we make in our everyday lives continue to fuel consumption and production habits that are increasingly extending beyond the limits of our planet,” said H.E. Siim Kiisler, President of the 2019 UN Environment Assembly and current Minister of the Environment of Estonia. The country is a .The sixth , UN Environment’s flagship report on the overall state of our environment and how it affects our social and economic status, was also presented to the public during UNEA-4.

HELCOM participated in the Fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) that took place in Nairobi, Kenya from 11 to 15 March 2019, where it particularly contributed in advancing the debate on marine litter, microplastics and ocean-literacy.

At the 40th Meeting of the Helsinki Commission that was held in Helsinki (HELCOM 40-2019), Finland, from 6 to 7 March 2019, the HELCOM members addressed key orientations for the future, and also adopted several recommendations aimed at strengthening the environmental protection of the Baltic Sea.

The HELCOM countries adopted the HELCOM Recommendation on Conservation and Protection of Marine and Coastal Biotopes, Habitats and Biotope Complexes. This document contains specific steps to protect and conserve all marine and coastal biotopes, especially the endangered and vulnerable ones indicated on the HELCOM Red List.

“Currently, there are 59 different biotopes under threat in the Baltic Sea. Most of these biotopes are threatened directly due to eutrophication, or indirectly through oxygen depletion, and due to disruptive fishing methods,” said the HELCOM Chair, Ms Saara Bäck, in her statement at the meeting. “The new recommendation recognizes that these habitats may not be covered by existing regulations and therefore require protection beyond the scope of existing measures.”

Still on biodiversity, HELCOM 40-2019 also approved the HELCOM Action Plan for the protection and recovery of Baltic sturgeon. Once an integral part of the Baltic Sea ecosystem, the sturgeon became extinct in the 1950s. The plan aims at a recovery of the species within two generation periods.

Moreover, the members approved the revision of a HELCOM Recommendation directing the Baltic Sea countries to develop maritime spatial plans that consider integrated coastal management relying on the ecosystem-based approach.

HELCOM 40-2019 also adopted the amendments made to the Volume 1 of the HELCOM Response Manual that deals with oil spills and general provisions related to maritime incidents and spills.

On the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), HELCOM members furthermore took note of the ongoing update process, particularly welcoming the recent establishment of HELCOM initiatives to analyse the sufficiency of measures.

“For its part, the strategic plan for the BSAP update is advancing steadily, with first steps towards its implementation already taken through the establishment of initiatives for the analysis of sufficiency of measures – the EU-funded HELCOM-led ACTION project and the HELCOM platform on sufficiency of measures (HELCOM SOM Platform),” said the HELCOM Executive Secretary Ms Monika Stankiewicz in her official statement to the Meeting.

“Working closely together and drawing on interdisciplinary expertise from across the Baltic Sea region, both initiatives [will be] analysing if the measures that are currently in place are sufficient to achieve good environmental status for the Baltic Sea,” she said.

HELCOM 40-2019 was also the occasion for HELCOM stakeholders to present their work, with BONUS – a joint Baltic Sea research and development programme – presenting three of its projects, namely BONUS-BAMBI that deals with genetic variations and climate change, BONUS-BALTICAPP on climate change and its effects on the Baltic Sea, and BONUS-GO4BALTIC that looks into the cost-effectiveness of Baltic Sea environmental projects. In total, BONUS has invested almost EUR 100 million in 48 projects across the Baltic Sea region.

The success of BONUS has led to the inception of BANOS CSA (Baltic and North Sea Coordination Support Action) that aims at widening the geographical scope of BONUS from the Baltic Sea to also include the North Sea and the English Channel Sea.

BANOS CSA strategic partners are HELCOM, OSPAR, ICES and JPI Oceans. The HELCOM members particularly welcomed the BANOS CSA initiative and mandated HELCOM to deepen the regional cooperation within the new platform and its sister organisations from the other seas, notably on sharing scientific knowledge to reach the ecological objectives set for the Baltic Sea.

During the meeting, the ResponSEAble project took the opportunity to present its work on ocean literacy, with a focus on behaviour change.

In addition, HELCOM 40-2019 granted the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) – an international financial institution established by the Nordic governments – observer status to HELCOM.

HELCOM 40-2019 also endorsed the nomination of Mr Rüdiger Strempel from Germany as the next Executive Secretary of HELCOM. Mr Strempel will start in August 2019, replacing Ms Monika Stankiewicz.

The Meeting was attended by all Contracting Parties, by Chairs and Vice-Chairs of HELCOM Groups, and the following observer organizations: Baltic Farmers’ Forum on Environment (BFFE), Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC), Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC) and Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions – Baltic Sea Commission (CPMR BSC), Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as well as invited guests from the BONUS research projects and the ResponSEAble project.

For further information, please contact:

Dominik Littfass
Communication Secretary
dominik.littfass@helcom.fi

Heini Ahtiainen is a project researcher on Economic and Social Analyses at the HELCOM Secretariat and project coordinator of the ACTION projectQuestion: What has economic and social analysis (ESA) to do with the flounder? Or: why has ESA become prevalent in HELCOM work?Heini Ahtiainen: In order to better comprehend the pressures on the Baltic, and how we can achieve good environmental status for our sea, we also need to understand the behaviour and actions of people. We get a lot out of the sea, but our activities can have damaging impacts on the marine environment. Often, the economic and social cost of this damage is not assessed. This is where ESA comes in: it reveals the cost of the environmental degradation. It also quantifies the benefits us humans could gain from a sea in a healthy state. Why should environmental benefits be quantified?When expressed in monetary terms, the environmental benefits of a healthy sea become comparable to any other economic activity. This helps to put things into perspective, especially when developing policies that also concern the marine environment, for instance in maritime spatial planning, where previous priorities were sometimes detrimental to the marine environment. How can ESA guide environmental policy-making?When developing measures to improve the marine environment, ESA can provide a good indication on the least cost way of achieving good environmental status. These cost-effectiveness analyses can greatly help to prioritize measures, to see what actions yield the highest results at low or reasonable financial effort. These are the measures most likely to succeed because they are the most implementable.What about the ecosystem-based approach?ESA is an integral part of the ecosystem-based approach. It shows the linkages between human activities, the environmental status of the sea, and human wellbeing. ESA also helps to highlight the ecosystem services provided by the sea that have a value – both economic, social and cultural – for us humans. Fish stocks for fisheries, or an attractive seascape for recreational activities are good examples.How is HELCOM involved in ESA work?HELCOM recently concluded a major assessment of the Baltic Sea, with the results published in the . For the first time, the economic and social contribution of the Baltic Sea to our economies and well-being was analysed comprehensively. The report also contains an analysis of the cost of degradation: benefits lost if GES not attained. HELCOM is also involved in an EU-funded project on maritime spatial planning in the region, . There, among other activities, we are collecting information on the impacts of marine spatial planning on economic, social and ecosystem services. HELCOM also runs an comprised of members from all Contracting Parties. Last but not least, the recently launched EU-funded that is led by HELCOM will develop ESA approaches for the update of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP).Speaking of… What has ESA to do with the BSAP update?ESA contributes directly to the analysis of sufficiency of measures (SOM). It helps to see if good status is achievable with existing measures. For the update of the BSAP, it will be crucial to know what previous and current measures yielded what results, and at what cost. For potential new measures, cost-effectiveness analyses will help us to identify those which make most sense. The cheaper and more effective the measure, the better for attaining the ecological objectives of the BSAP.  

Heini Ahtiainen is a project researcher on Economic and Social Analyses at the HELCOM Secretariat Question: What has economic and social analysis (ESA) to do with the flounder? Or: why has ESA become prevalent in HELCOM work?

The has taken another concrete step with the launch, in February, of two central initiatives, namely the ACTION project and the HELCOM Platform on Sufficiency of Measures (HELCOM SOM Platform). Working closely together and drawing on interdisciplinary expertise from across the Baltic Sea region, both initiatives will be analysing if the measures that are currently in place are sufficient to achieve good environmental status for the Baltic Sea. The initiatives are a direct result from the decision taken earlier in 2018 by the HELCOM Ministers during the last , which provided the mandate to update the BSAP beyond its end date in 2021.”The new initiatives will provide the scientific underpinning to the next steps that will be decided to achieve good environmental status for the Baltic Sea,” said HELCOM Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz. The recent concludes that, in general, the Baltic Sea is still in a poor state, despite improvements and signs of recovery. Through the new initiatives, HELCOM and its partners will develop an approach for a regional analysis on the sufficiency of measures, to identify potential gaps in achieving HELCOM goals and objectives, and to estimate the cost-effectiveness of tentative new measures to fill these gaps. One approach to measure the gaps will be to develop “business as usual” (BAU) scenarios that will provide a better understanding of how far we are from achieving good environmental status when only implementing the currently agreed upon measures. The assessment of the sufficiency of measures will be a data-driven process, with expert-based evaluations complementing the analyses where required.The natural conditions – such as weather patterns – that influence the achievement of good environmental status (GES) in the Baltic Sea region will also be taken into account, including impacts of projected changes in climate. “While new measures to bridge the gap might be needed in the future, the current focus still remains on strengthening the implementation of the already agreed upon measures,” reminded Stankiewicz.About the HELCOM SOM Platform and the ACTION projectBoth the HELCOM SOM Platform and the ACTION project work closely together on the implementation of the sufficiency of measures analyses that will feed the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) update process.The HELCOM SOM Platform is constituted of experts drawn from various . It is chaired by Mr Urmas Lips from the Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia. The Vice-chair is Ms Soile Oinonen from the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE).Co-funded by the EU, the ACTION project is led by HELCOM, with its partners being the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Aarhus University (AU), Tallinn University of Technology (TTU), Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), University of Tartu (UT), and Klaipėda University, Marine Research Institute (KU).ACTION will run from January 2019 to December 2020. In addition to contributing to the update of the BSAP, it can also be used by HELCOM countries that are also EU members for updating and implementing their Programme of Measures.

The update of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) has taken another concrete step with the launch of two central initiatives, the ACTION project and the HELCOM SOM Platform. Launched in Helsinki during the end of February, both will focus on…