Author: Eeva Nyyssönen

The first of a new HELCOM dealing with pressures from land to the Baltic Sea environment started today, to plan for the detailed work on mitigating nutrient and hazardous substance inputs as well as marine litter and underwater noise. Another key task is to improve follow-up on the HELCOM nutrient reduction , first adopted in 2007, with clear targets per country for less nutrient inputs to the sea. The aim is to increase transparency in monitoring progress achieved by each HELCOM member. The work has continued since the update of the nutrient reduction scheme, jointly approved in the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial as a result from a highly complex calculation process Excess nutrients cause eutrophication which deteriorates the marine environment. Photo: Metsähallitus NHS/Jan Ekebom & Mats Westerbom.One issue in need of further development for the group are core pressure indicators to complement the ongoing work to develop and agree on a common set of core indicators to describe Good Environmental Status and pressures on the marine environment. Such pressure indicators should link to human activities causing the releases of hazardous substances, and thus helping to scope which hazardous substances should be given priority and where exactly HELCOM can create added value comparing to existing regulations. Accordingly, the group will discuss where further joint or coordinated measures might be needed.Progress so far to mitigate marine litter in the Baltic Sea will be discussed, as after a fruitful workshop last week the more detailed draft for a regional action plan is currently consulted by each nation. The work is on schedule hence the deadline for a March 2015 release for the plan holds ast but not least, the Meeting will discuss underwater noise and the first steps of implementation of the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Declaration commitment related to mitigation of the negative impact of noise on the marine environment. An expert team is prepared to start hands-on work in a on 26 November. . All documents will be public after the meeting. * * * Note for editorsThe working group on reduction of pressures from the Baltic Sea catchment area (tentative name: ) focuses on nutrient and hazardous substance inputs from diffuse sources and point sources on land, including the follow-up of the implementation of the HELCOM nutrient reduction scheme. The group ensures the necessary technical underpinning as well as develops solutions to the policy-relevant questions and needs. Marine litter and underwater noise are also coordinated by this group. The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * * For more information, please contact:Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky Professional Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 630 9933 Skype: helcom68 E-mail: dmitry.frank-kamenetsky(at)helcom.fi Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

The first meeting of a new HELCOM working group dealing with pressures from land to the Baltic Sea started today, to plan the detailed work for reducing nutrients and hazardous substances.

Work to assess what potentially hazardous waste and wrecks lay beneath the surface of the Baltic Sea kick-starts today in a HELCOM expert in Szczecin, Poland. More precisely, the product will be a one off HELCOM thematic assessment on environmental risks of hazardous submerged objects covering contaminated wrecks, lost or dumped dangerous goods – e.g. containers – and other objects.  The work builds on and expands the outcome of the completed HELCOM work on dumped chemical munitions, summarized in a published in 2013. ‘Chemical Munitions Dumped in the Baltic Sea’ compiles the latest available knowledge on dumping chemical munitions in the past, the state of these materials, and the potential threat to the marine environment and humans. In the view of the increasing utilization of the seafloor for economic purposes – e.g., offshore wind farms, sea cables, pipelines – the risk of encountering hazardous submerged objects is growing. The new expert group on environmental risks of hazardous submerged objects () will work mainly via correspondence but will also meet in person annually.  Documents will be public after the meeting. * * * Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * * For further information, please contact:Hermanni Backer Professional Secretary for Maritime, Response and Maritime Spatial Planning HELCOM Tel:  +358 46 8509199 Skype: helcom02 E-mail: hermanni.backer(at)helcom.fiJohanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

Work starts today for a HELCOM thematic assessment on environmental risks of hazardous submerged objects, such as contaminated wrecks, lost or dumped dangerous goods (e.g. containers) and other objects.

​HELCOM, having completed regional in 2013 for all biotopes, habitats and biotope complexes in the Baltic Sea, hosts a three-day workshop this week on the Baltic Sea part of the European-wide assessment work currently carried out for marine habitats. Learning from the Baltic Sea experiences, other marine regions – the North-East Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea – will follow later in the year to make Red List assessments for their marine habitats. Red Lists provide invaluable knowledge on which biotopes and habitats are most threatened by complete collapse, as well as the threats that have affected the biotopes and habitats negatively. Such information is essential when planning sustainable use of the sea space and protecting the marine environment.  The key outcome of the concerned EU project ‘Establishment of a European Red List of Habitats’ will be a pan-European online data platform for fact sheets on all terrestrial and marine habitats, including a threat category assessment according to the IUCN categories and criteria. Based on information in this platform the project will produce and overview publication as well as posters, expected publishing by mid-2016. The ultimate aim is to develop a regionally comparable Red List of marine habitats to support prioritization of conservation efforts and policies on an EU-level. For the Baltic Sea, the online data platform will contain much of the same information as HELCOM Biotope Information produced in the HELCOM Red List of Biotopes project and biotope classification . The overview publication and the posters of the EU project will be produced by the Project Management Team (Alterra and NatureBureau together with IUCN), based on the data provided by the Regional Working Groups. * * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * *For further information, please contact:Janica Borg Project Researcher (EU Red List)HELCOM Tel: +358 40 662 0101 Skype: helcom57 E-mail: janica.borg(at)helcom.fi Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

Learning from the Baltic Sea experiences, other marine regions will follow later in the year to make Red Lists for their marine habitats.

Regional action on in the Baltic Sea took major leaps forward in a regional which finished yesterday in Stralsund, Germany. All the HELCOM members, including the nine coastal countries as well as the EU, have agreed to develop a regional action plan for marine litter by 2015. The second working session has now produced a more defined draft action plan, soon ready for national consultation rounds before finalization and
expected adoption in March 2015. Photo: WWF Poland/Oskar SkumialImportantly, participants from other Regional Seas Conventions – Black Sea, Mediterranean and the North-East Atlantic – shared experiences with HELCOM experts in developing and implementing a regional action plan for marine litter. The informal meeting discussed interregional challenges as well as ways for synergies in implementation of action plans on litter, providing a strong basis for developing measures across the regions.  The commitment for the regional action plan for marine litter was sealed in the 2013 HELCOM , with the aim of achieving a significant quantitative reduction of marine litter by 2025, compared to 2015. The plan ought to enable inter alia concrete measures for the prevention and reduction of marine litter from its main sources, develop common indicators and associated targets related to quantities, composition, sources and pathways of marine litter and to identify the socio-economic and biological impacts of marine litter. Marine litter is a rapidly growing concern at sea and shores alike, having a large impact on the environment. Marine litter is not only an aesthetic problem but incurs socioeconomic costs, threatens human health and safety and has impacts on marine organisms. Consumer behaviour is considered as the most important reason for marine litter in the Baltic Sea: 48% of marine litter in the Baltic Sea is estimated to originate from household‐related waste, including sanitary waste, while waste generated by recreational or tourism activities would add up to 33%.  (MARINE LITTER 2-2014). All documents will be public after the meeting. * * * Note for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * * For more information, please contact:Marta Ruiz Project Coordinator HELCOM Tel: +358 40 6472424 Skype: helcom59 E-mail: marta.ruiz(at)helcom.fiJohanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

Regional action plan on marine litter in the Baltic Sea took major leaps forward in a regional workshop, with strengthened synergies with other sea regions.

The development for marine mammals in the Baltic Sea area has been among key topics in the seal expert group wrapping up today in Turku, Finland. The details for the operational core indicators, such as abundance, distribution and reproductive status, are timely since the overall HELCOM indicator work is at full speed, expecting finalization for the missing indicators in mid-2015. Once ready, the core indicators enable comparison of monitoring data and assessment results across the entire region, as well as allows for measuring any progress towards the Good Environmental Status of the Baltic Sea. All seal populations in the Baltic Sea, except for the Kattegat harbour
seals, remain below the estimated levels in the beginning ofthe 20th
century. Photo: Shutterstock Furthermore, the seal expert meeting endorsed the guidelines on monitoring of seals, significantly improving the coordination of regional monitoring. The guidelines have been developed by the EU co-funded project, which is also developing databases for seal abundance and distribution. The databases will be hosted by the HELCOM Secretariat and made available for all public. So far only data on harbour porpoise has been updated in a dedicated database, therefore the development of the broader seal databases will aid to follow-up the population trends and status of these species. In the 1970s and 1980s the populations of all seal species in the Baltic Sea were alarmingly low due to hunting and reproductive disorders which have been connected to chemical pollution. The HELCOM Recommendation on Conservation of Seals in the Baltic Sea Area (2006) states that the long-term objectives for the management of Baltic Seals are a natural abundance and distribution and a health status that ensures their future existence. The further acknowledges the need for immediate conservation measures. As a regular activity, the three teams of the HELCOM Ad Hoc Seal Expert Group – on population size, distribution and health – will give their respective reports in the Meeting. . All documents will be public after the Meeting. * * * Note for editors:The HELCOM ad hoc Seal has been meeting annually since 2006. The group consists of marine mammal experts, scientists, and managers from the Contracting Parties around the Baltic Sea. Representatives of the fisheries sector also participate in order to improve dialogue related to the protection and management of marine mammals between the environment and fisheries sectors. The work is carried out in three teams, with a focus on population size, distribution, and health.  The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention.  * * *For further information, please contactPetra KääriäAssisting Professional SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 46 850 9204Skype: helcom49E-mail: petra.kaaria(at)helcom.fi Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

Conservation of the Baltic seals moves forward as databasse and core indicators for Baltic marine mammals were further developed in the seal expert group meeting wrapping up today in Turku, Finland.

Fisheries and environmental experts and authorities from the Baltic region start today a 2-day with key focus on a mature draft for a new HELCOM Recommendation on aquaculture which, once adopted, will help cultivate fish in a more balanced and environmentally sustainable way.  A handful of the most challenging pending issues in the draft Recommendation will be addressed by the Meeting. The Recommendation will also set the common, regional principles and understanding of the Best Available Technologies (BAT) and Best Environmental Practices (BEP) to be applied in the sector. Baltic herring. Photo: Riku Lumiaro/SYKEThis is the first fisheries meeting after modernization of HELCOM, signifying for this group a slightly sharper Terms of Reference as well as new name: HELCOM Group on Ecosystem-based Sustainable Fisheries aka .  The Meeting will also plan how to continue HELCOM work to address fishing practices which have a potential negative impact on conservation goals as well as for threatened or declining species and habitats especially in the coastal and marine protection.  Another major task for the Fish Group meeting is the work on data gaps that prevent adequately assessing human pressures on the ecosystems. The tasks related to such gaps, such as concerning physical loss and damage to the seafloor, will be conducted in cooperation with relevant bodies, thus contributing to HELCOM holistic assessments. The next major one, Holistic assessment of the status of and pressures on the marine environment of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS II) has already begun. The assessment will be indicator based and will cover, among others, the status of fish-stocks as well as all significant pressures on the Baltic Sea, including fisheries.  The Meeting will also discuss, among others, migratory fish species and cooperation required to meet the related targets set in the Baltic Sea Action Plan.  . All documents will be public after the Meeting * * * Note for editorsHELCOM Group on Ecosystem-based Sustainable Fisheries – – deals with fisheries in relation to the implementation of the ecosystem-based approach. Moreover, the group responds to the need to find solutions on how the sector could further contribute to reaching Good Environmental Status of the Baltic Sea by 2021. The Fish Group involves representatives from fisheries and environment authorities of the Baltic Sea countries, as well as EU, and HELCOM Observers and others as appropriate.  The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention.  * * * For further information, please contactDmitry Frank-KamenetskyProfessional SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 630 9933Skype: helcom68E-mail: dmitry.frank-kamenetsky(at)helcom.fiJohanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

The draft HELCOM Recommendation on aquaculture which, once adopted, will help cultivate fish in a more balanced way, is a key topic of a meeting starting today.

An online one-stop-shop – HELCOM – is now launched for all the coordinated monitoring of the Baltic marine environment.  The Manual is a web based compilation of what is monitored, where, when and how, enabling access to timely information on the state of the sea thus providing basis for the best decisions on environmental measures and policies. Moreover, the new Manual makes a link to HELCOM indicators developed to assess the progress towards Good Environmental Status as well as supports directly the reporting of Monitoring programmes to the EU, for the Contracting Parties also being EU member states.The new HELCOM Monitoring Manual translates the general principles of the HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment revised in 2013 into concrete specifications and requirements. Monitoring of the state of the environment and pressures on the environment are all incorporated into the Manual, to better accomplish the HELCOM requirement of regular assessment of the status of the Baltic Sea. The new product is a milestone in the regionally coordinated implementation of both HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.  Structure of the Monitoring Manual. Click to enlargeThe Monitoring Manual provides information on 11 main monitoring programmes that are grouped according to 16 thematic programme topics, while the most detailed information is under 40 sub-programmes. The level of regional coordination currently varies between topics while it is the ambition to develop HELCOM coordinated monitoring for all programmes. By 2015, the Monitoring Manual will integrate existing HELCOM manuals and guidelines, for example HELCOM COMBINE, while at present they are still available in their current form.  Monitoring is a well-established function of
the , the founding legal treaty of HELCOM first
signed four decades ago. Coordinated monitoring of physical, chemical
and biological variables of the open sea of the Baltic Sea has been
carried out since 1979, while periodical environmental assessment
reports have been published since the 1980s. Revising the existing as well as establishing new monitoring is a continuous process, which started in 2014 and will continue in the upcoming years. More than a hundred experts have contributed to the HELCOM Monitoring Manual, including the EU co-funded project (2013-2015) managed through HELCOM Secretariat.  * * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * *For further information, please contact:Ulla Li ZweifelProfessional SecretaryHELCOMTel. +358 46 850 9198Skype: helcom64E-mail: ullali.zweifel(at)helcom.fi Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

The HELCOM Monitoring Manual is now launched – a web based compilation of what is monitored, where, when and how, enabling access to timely information on the state of the Baltic Sea.

The new, modernized HELCOM era starts hands-on work today when the HELCOM group on the implementation of the ecosystem approach () gathers in Tallinn, Estonia for a 3-day meeting. Gear group now operates under a revised mandate to better meet the emerging challenges in accomplishing the HELCOM goals and targets of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (). The Meeting will also discuss the more detailed work, such as the overall HELCOM roadmap with its deadlines and deliverables until 2021; a draft action plan to close knowledge gaps and improve regional coherence; as well an initiative to more effectively follow up the BSAP national implementation.The ecosystem approach is the key ingredient of the Baltic Sea Action Plan and the work of the renewed Gear group. Photo: Stuart Richards.After HELCOM process the Gear group will now hold a strong managerial role, with the mandate to integrate and utilize the work of other HELCOM groups for coherent implementation of marine policies, including of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive as far as EU Member States are concerned as well as Maritime Doctrine of the Russian Federation. Gear will continue to look after the synergies with relevant organizations and frameworks, including other Regional Seas Conventions such as the OSPAR Commission covering the North-Atlantic o improve regional coherence GEAR will also prepare by end of 2014 an Action Plan to close knowledge gaps identified in the implementation of marine policies to reach Good Environmental Status of the Baltic Sea. The plan will address improvements of joint assessments of the state of the environment, coordination of monitoring programmes and measures to improve the state of the Baltic Sea. urthermore the Meeting will specifically discuss the development of a joint documentation of programmes of measures. The work will be carried out to improve coordination of measures for all Contracting Parties and will be used by the HELCOM EU Member States in their reporting under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in 2015 The Meeting will also discuss the continuing work on HELCOM core indicators and how to best synchronize with the work on national sets. The HELCOM core indicators are developed to measure the progress towards achieving a Good Environmental Status in the Baltic Sea which is the goal of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. The core indicators enable comparison of monitoring data and assessment results across the entire Baltic Sea region. . Documents will be public after the meeting. * * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * *For more information, please contact:Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi Ulla Li ZweifelProfessional SecretaryHELCOMTel. +358 46 850 9198Skype: helcom64E-mail: ullali.zweifel(at)helcom.fi

The new HELCOM era starts hands-on work today in the Gear group meeting, guarding the ecosystem approach as well as managing coherent implementation of marine policies.

The Baltic manual on response to chemical marine pollution is under review by a dedicated HELCOM task group meeting today. Such joint regional procedures have been in place since 1991 to supplement the overall joint framework on pollution response applied by the Baltic Sea countries since 1983. There is currently a need of revision due to global technological and operational developments in the field of chemical responseThe review of the “HELCOM Manual on Response to accidents at sea involving spills of hazardous substances and loss of packaged dangerous goods”, to be completed by the end of 2016 is called for by the decision in the HELCOM 2013 At today’s Meeting the task group will consider the first draft of the revised manual, provided by Finland based on the first meeting of the group last May, as well as intersessional consultations. The Meeting will also consider the next steps in the process.The HELCOM task group meeting is organized back to back with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) workshop on chemical marine pollution to tap into the latest developments in the field  – all documents will be public after the meetin * * * Note for editorsHELCOM works to ensure swift national and international response to maritime pollution incidents and that in case of an accident the right equipment is available and routines are in place to respond immediately in cooperation with neighbouring states. The group also coordinates the aerial surveillance of maritime shipping routes to provide a complete picture of sea-based pollution around the Baltic, and to help identify suspected polluters. The meetings of the Response group have been held regularly among all Baltic Sea countries and EU for over thirty years he Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention * * * For more information, please contact:Hermanni Backer Professional Secretary for Maritime, Response and Maritime Spatial Planning HELCOM Tel:  +358 46 8509199 Skype: helcom02 E-mail: hermanni.backer(at)helcom.fi Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

The Baltic manual on response to chemical marine pollution is under review by a dedicated HELCOM task group meeting today, continuing the work applied since 1983.

Experts from the Baltic and North-East Atlantic regions meet today in Gothenburg, Sweden to initiate cooperation on biodiversity indicators. The session will take forward the policy ambitions of all the twenty countries in the HELCOM and OSPAR Regional Seas Conventions.  There are many species that move between the North-East Atlantic and the Baltic Sea, including bird and fish species. Cooperation on activities to monitor and assess the state of these highly mobile animals and other biodiversity is crucial for a wider understanding of the marine environments of the North-East Atlantic and the Baltic Sea.  Both HELCOM and OSPAR have concluded that there is a need to cooperate on the implementation of their respective Regional Seas’ strategies and action plans, as well as the coherent implementation of other related frameworks in the two areas such as the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.  It is hoped that the meeting will improve awareness, communication and coordination between experts working on similar issues for future knowledge and experience exchange and for cooperation on shared challenges.  Close cooperation between the Regional Seas Conventions delivers value at the same time as ensuring the best possible development of indicators, monitoring and assessment. This meeting is the first of many steps towards longer term ambitions for streamlining relevant biodiversity indicators between OSPAR and HELCOM. Furthermore, the HELCOM core indicators that are considered most appropriate for assessing the state of biodiversity and hazardous substances were discussed from a technical point of view in an expert workshop preceding today’s meeting. The established indicators were further strengthened and the relevance of new so called candidate indicators was assessed. The technical recommendations that the meeting produced will form the basis for a fully operationalized indicator-based assessment system by mid-2015 when the project ends. * * * Note for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. The was set up by the 1992 OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, which unified and updated the 1972 Oslo and 1974 Paris Conventions. It brings together the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, together with the European Community.  * * * For further information, please contact:Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi Lucy Ritchie Communications LeadOSPAR Commission / Bonn AgreementTel: +44 20 7430 5200E-mail: lucy.ritchie(at)ospar.org

Experts from the Baltic and North-East Atlantic regions meet today in Gothenburg, Sweden to initiate cooperation on biodiversity indicators.