Category: GEAR

​​​​​​​Greenlighting key tools and indicators for State of the Baltic Sea report a major topic in HELCOM Heads of Delegation meeting this week High-level segment on ocean-related Sustainable Development Goals to take place on 28 February 2017   Delegations representing all Baltic coastal states as well as the EU this week at HELCOM headquarters to discuss and decide on the best measures for improving the Baltic marine environment. HELCOM holistic assessment 2017, a major discussion point by HELCOM delegates this week, will also rely on the upgraded tools to assess the themes of biodiversity, hazardous substances and eutrophication. Photo: Metsähallitus NHS/Niina Kurikka.The meeting participants will face major decisions required for completing HELCOM State of the Baltic Sea report (), first results due in mid-2017. Draft Recommendations on sewage sludge and conservation of underwater biotopes and habitats are expecting agreement. The 2-day meeting will also discuss the final plans for the HELCOM high-level segment on ocean-related Sustainable Development Goals, taking place on 28 February 2017.The delegates, observers and other stakeholders attending the meeting in Helsinki, Finland will seek final unanimity for few main components of the State of the Baltic Sea report (HOLAS II, full name: Second Holistic Assessment of the Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea). The final shape of used for the assessment must now be agreed on. The holistic assessment will also rely on the upgraded tools to assess the themes of biodiversity, hazardous substances and eutrophication, improved since the previous Holistic Assessment of 2010, and two of them are expecting final blessings from the delegations this week.One of the many HELCOM outcomes from the past six months include the thoroughly revised HELCOM Response Manual Vol III to Pollution Incidents on the , which the delegates are invited to endorse. Moreover, an agreement is expected on a regional implementation plan for the IMO Water Management Convention, entering into force globally in September next year. Compilations of pollution load data () have been an integral part of HELCOM assessment system since 1987. The next edition, PLC-7, is expecting approval for being prepared by 2020 and covering the data from 1995 until 2017. HELCOM will host a high-level as a part of its Annual Meeting in the end of February 2017 and the agenda will now be discussed. The session will focus on how to achieve ocean-related UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the Baltic Sea and progress in addressing the regional environmental challenges. The many aligning targets and goals of the UN and HELCOM are the underlying factor for the session. HELCOM is one of 18 Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans in the world working together under the umbrella of UNEP and instrumental in the work on SDGs.The 51st Meeting of the Heads of Delegation will be held on 14-15 December 2016 in Helsinki, Finland and chaired by HELCOM Chair Ms Marianne Wenning, DG Environment, European Union. . All documents will be public after the meeting. * * * Note for editors:An update on the overall state of ecosystem health in the Baltic Sea is underway. Improved tools as well as more comprehensive approaches will be applied in the State of the Baltic Sea report (full name: Second Holistic Assessment of Ecosystem Health in the Baltic Sea, ). This major assessment will assist the region’s environmental managers and decision-makers who are to base their work on sound, up-to-date knowledge of the status of the sea. The State of the Baltic Sea report will develop common concepts and methods for the status assessment based on core indicators; create and test the tools for aggregated results and, finally, perform assessments at a regional scale. Importantly, the assessment will also include a socio-economic analysis, about the costs of a deteriorating marine environment, as well as a selection of optimal measures for improving the status of the sea. The first results will be released in mid-2017 and updated during the following 12 months. * * * HELCOM Heads of Delegation, nominated by the to the Helsinki Convention which are the nine Baltic coastal states as well as the EU, usually meet twice a year. The highest decision-making body of HELCOM, Annual Meeting, convenes usually in March. * * * 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 Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi​

Greenlighting key tools and indicators for State of the Baltic Sea report a major issue in HELCOM Heads of Delegation meeting this week.

​​​​Finding out the economic damages of a deteriorating state of the Baltic Sea is a key task for HELCOM experts this winter, as a part of the holistic due to release in mid-2017. The actions to prevent pollution will likely involve expenses – however the price of a polluted marine environment may be high. The HELCOM workshop this week in Tallinn, Estonia, continued​ ​​​to analyze the benefits of a healthy and thriving Baltic marine environment with a particular focus on examining the cost of degradation. Analyzing the socioeconomic impacts to the health of the Baltic Sea connects two components: the use of marine waters, expected to bring in profits, and the cost of degradation.​ Photo: Maritime Office in GdyniaThe cost of degradation is defined as the consequences to human well-being from the degradation of the marine environment.  It can be assessed based on the benefits forgone or damages resulting from not achieving good environmental status (GES). The workshop discusses the best approach for such estimation – making best use of quantitative and qualitative methods. The HELCOM holistic assessment on the state of and pressures on the Baltic Sea () will be a comprehensive compilation evaluating the overall state of ecosystem health in the Baltic Sea. The first assessment results will be released in June 2017 and the report will be finalized by mid-2018. The process to analyze the socioeconomic impacts of changes in the state of the Baltic Sea connects two components: the use of marine waters, expected to bring in profits, and the cost of degradation. Various national assessments have been performed but a shared evaluation from a regional viewpoint is still missing. The current HELCOM task is to develop a framework and pave way for such a regional analysis. The estimates for the cost of degradation are the most advanced for eutrophication, as there are national estimates in place for each nine coastal country. More indicative evaluations – for instance for biodiversity, food webs and non-indigenous species – can be used to illustrate what is at stake if the state of the Baltic Sea does not improve. In addition, economic indicators are under development which will illustrate the economic importance of the marine environment as well as sectors depending on it. A major intention is to perform the economic analyses together with the assessment of pressures from human activities. This would help explain how the economic sector or activity – including the derived benefits – depends on the state of the sea. The is held on 8-9 September 2016 and chaired by Ms Soile Oinonen, Finnish Environment Centre. It is a part of the , funded by the EU.* * *Note for editors: is an intergovernmental organization made up of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. Founded in 1974, its primary aims as a governing body are to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution, as well as to ensure safe maritime navigation. The official name of HELCOM is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission; it is the governing body of the Helsinki Convention. * * * For more 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​

Finding out the economic damages of a deteriorating state of the Baltic Sea is a key task for HELCOM experts this winter. First results of the HELCOM cost-effectiveness analysis will be launched mid-2017.

​​​HELCOM Annual Meeting with delegates from the nine Baltic coastal states and the EU has today adopted the on sustainable aquaculture. The Recommendation gives tools for the Baltic Sea region to develop this growing sector based on the Best Available Technologies (BAT) and Best Environmental Practices (BEP) and it will be followed by expert work to jointly develop a menu of BAT/BEP descriptions.HELCOM Annual Meeting is the highest decision-making body of the Helsinki Commission. In addition, three other HELCOM Recommendations were adopted by the Meeting, helping to improve the status of the Baltic marine environment: Recommendation on Conservation of Baltic Sea categorized as threatened, Recommendation on Safety of winter navigation with updated part on correspondence between Ice Classes (), as well as Recommendation concerning co-operation and coordination of based monitoring and procedures for granting permits. How is the region doing in more detail in implementing Baltic Sea Action Plan was one Meeting topic
(see summary graph below),​ through a new online explorer demonstrated to the participants. The portal, expecting launch in April, will show the level of accomplishment by the HELCOM countries of a selection of actions agreed on in HELCOM.  Among the many topics of the 2-day Meeting were maritime spatial planning and supporting the of the Joint HELCOM-VASAB Working Group, being a unique set-up and good example of sea-basin cooperation. The delegates also addressed possible improvements for following up the nutrient input reduction scheme and countries in their annual targets for Phosphorus and Nitrogen; as well as reviewed the requested information on activities in the Gulf of Finland and the situation of HELCOM – significant sources of pollution in the Baltic Sea. Russian Federation discussed one of the Hot Spots (No. 23) and was requested to provide more information on the situation and planned activities around the Krasny Bor landfill on the next HELCOM Pressure Working Group meeting in April 2016.  Moreover, the meeting the Roadmap for a Baltic Sea NECA, with potential to significantly reduce Nutrient inputs from ships to the Baltic Sea. Meeting outcome will be available next week. All meeting documents are available in ​New online explorer will soon be opened for browsing how the countries are doing in protecting​ the marine environment.-12 ms-rteFontSize-1″>-12 ms-rteFontSize-1″> * * * 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:Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi​

HELCOM Annual Meeting with delegates from the nine Baltic coastal states and the EU has adopted four HELCOM Recommendations.

​​​An efficient and more transparent is now set up by the coastal countries for producing assessments online on Baltic-wide eutrophication, a major environmental threat to the sea. The new automatized process, exceptional in
environmental assessments, combines and calculates monitoring data such as on
nutrients, into resulting indicators and assessments.​ Moreover, the system incorporates an online review by nominated experts for improved quality check and transparency. The HELCOM assessment system, hosted by and developed together with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (), will provide straight access to up-to-date maps and country-wise data, to be released as part of the HELCOM Second Holistic Assessment of the Baltic Sea in 2017. Screenshot from the new Dataview. ​The new, more detailed information on the level of eutrophication in different basins of the Baltic Sea will enable much faster overall assessment of the status of the sea and the distance to Good Environmental Status, helping to make accurate management decisions for the benefit of the marine environment. The system pilots similar automated procedures foreseen by HELCOM for assessments of hazardous substances and biodiversity planned.  The online , established for testing the new assessment process, is published for demonstration purposes and may be of interest by experts and managers in other sea areas affected by eutrophication in Europe and beyond. The site includes a of the data submissions, data stations and test indicator products, providing for documentation of the review. The dataview also shows details on country-specific submissions of data on eutrophication-related parameters – phosphorus, nitrogen, chlorophyll-a and Secchi depth – as well as assessment products. The automated assessment workflow is the main deliverable of the finalized 2-year HELCOM . Other outcomes include a concise assessment explaining all the protocols of the assessment, to be used by experts involved in the assessments as well as any party interested in learning details about the assessment methodology. The project has also developed forthcoming HELCOM on eutrophication and improved updating the existing ones; proposed how to combine assessment of coastal and open waters stemming from different legislative frameworks; proposed for improved usage of satellite data along with the in-situ samples collected from monitoring points; and suggested a method on harmonizing coastal and open-sea assessments, among others.Links​ * * *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:Vivi Fleming-LehtinenProject Manager, EUTRO-OPER (until end of 2015)Finnish Environment Institute – SYKETel: +358 50 5984238E-mail: vivi.fleming-lehtinen(at)environment.fi Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi​

An efficient and more transparent work flow is now set up by the coastal countries for producing assessments online on Baltic-wide eutrophication.

​Abundance of Indicators on coastal and migratory fish are the first of 19 new HELCOM  launched this fall, as a result of careful preparations by HELCOM experts. For each core indicator the environmental status is evaluated against a quantitative boundary that defines Good Environmental Status (GES). Defining GES through core indicators provides an important tool for assessing the status as well as guiding management towards a healthy Baltic Sea.Judging by the new coastal fish indicators, approximately half of the assessed coastal areas of the Baltic Sea are in good environmental status.  Since populations of coastal fish species are rather stationary, they have good potential in reflecting the general environmental state of the assessment unit. Coastal fish are doing better in the northern and eastern parts of the Baltic Sea, where perch is a key species while in the west an​​d south, where flounder is a key species, the environmental status is poorer.  The entire Baltic Sea from north to south is roamed by adult salmon feeding in the open sea. The abundance of salmon smolt and spawning adults in rivers flowing into the Bothnian Bay is at a level reflecting good environmental status, while in other areas the numbers are clearly below the aspired level. Capture of both young salmon and sea trout as by-catch in fisheries as well as migration barriers in rivers continue to be two of the reasons for GES not being achieved in some areas.  Good Environmental Status (GES) is a key concept in HELCOM Baltic Sea Action , which have set the objectives and actions for reaching GES for the entire Baltic Sea by 2021. The Baltic Sea is in GES when the sea is ecologically diverse, the waters are clean, and the use of the sea is sustainable. Fish are an integral part of the marine ecosystem and maintaining healthy fish communities is thus a key concern in environment protection.   Fast facts – coastal fishFor coastal fish key species, GES is achieved in 2/3 (16 out of the 24) coastal HELCOM assessment units that were evaluated.Piscivores – fish feeding on other fish – indicate GES in a majority of the evaluated coastal assessment unit areas.Cyprinids – fish feeding on smaller animals – indicate GES in half of the evaluated coastal assessment unit areas.Coastal fish communities have significant socio-economic and ecological importance in the Baltic Sea, both for ecosystem functioning and for the recreational and small-scale coastal commercial fishery. Long-term changes in the abundance of coastal fish species are mainly caused by the effects of increased water temperature and eutrophication and also due to human exploitation.  Fast facts – migratory fish​ Salmon is a long-distance migrating big predatory fish species in the Baltic Sea marine ecosystem.The number of juvenile salmon – or smolt – has increased in the Bothnian Bay and Quark area. In the Bothnian Sea as well as Gulf of Finland, the young salmon production is showing slight increase but is still low. On the other hand, the weak smolt production in rivers flowing into the Baltic Proper are not showing any signs of improvement.Sea trout populations indicate a sub-GES state in most of the Baltic Sea coastal areas, with a good environmental state only being indicated in the south-western parts. The current evaluation shows that the status reflected by populations of sea trout is sub-GES in most Baltic Sea coastal areas.>>   * *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:>Ulla Li Zweifel> Professional Secretary> HELCOM> Tel. +358 46 850 9198> Skype: helcom64> E-mail: ullali.zweifel(at)helcom.fi>>>Johanna Laurila> Information Secretary> HELCOM> Tel: +358 40 523 8988> Skype: helcom70> E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

Indicators on coastal and migratory fish are the first of 19 new HELCOM core indicators launched this fall, as a result of careful preparations by HELCOM experts.

The Regional action plan for marine and the Recommendation
on the conservation of in the Baltic Sea are both expecting
adoption this week as the highest body of HELCOM, the Annual Meeting, convenes
in Helsinki, Finland. The delegates of the Contracting Parties of the Helsinki
Convention, representing the nine coastal Baltic countries as well as the EU,
will also address the on effective regional work between HELCOM and the
EU Strategy of the Baltic Sea Region, as the revision of the Action Plan of the
Strategy is about to be finalized soon.

 op-10 items found in the Baltic Sea as well as micro-plastics have special measures reserved in the marine litter action plan. Photo: Bo Eide/Flickr.

Marine litter is a growing concern globally as well as regionally, and the HELCOM Recommendation on Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter is the first comprehensive approach to the problem in the Baltic Sea region. The HELCOM commitment from 2013 is to achieve a significant quantitative reduction of marine litter by 2025, compared to 2015.  The plan integrates the actions required at regional level as well as the national actions by countries according to their needs. Special measures are addressed to the top-10 items found in the Baltic Sea as well micro-plastics. The document also highlights the importance of environmental education and recommends coordinated monitoring programmes for the common marine litter indicators. The Marine litter action plan, to be successfully implemented, will require the countries’ leadership for specific actions as well as wide involvement of stakeholders in the region. Close cooperation with other Regional Seas Conventions, and the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, has also been brought up as a way to realize a wide ranging measures. Moreover, adequate protection for the will take shape after the expected adoption of the new HELCOM Recommendation. The new Recommendation follows up on the critical situation of many Baltic Sea species as concluded in the 2013 HELCOM Red List of Baltic Sea in danger of becoming extinct (). Preparation of a Recommendation on the Conservation of is expected to begin shortly. The Annual Meeting, held on 3-4 March, will also follow up on the recent to institutionalize the cooperation under HELCOM policies and the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, for better defining the complementarity of the roles and specific tasks. As both in HELCOM and under EUSBSR there are shared action areas, more systematic cooperation will save resources and add to the efficiency in reaching the mutual goals. Other key topics under negotiations:-          Finalization of the HELCOM Recommendation on sustainable aquaculture. Substituting the existing HELCOM Recommendation (25/4) aims to limit potential environmental impacts of aquaculture activities such as the introduction of non-indigenous species, ecological and genetic impacts on wild fish stocks from unintended releases of farmed species, nutrient pollution, as well as introduction of antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. Aquaculture, including fish farming, is a growing food production industry that continues to have large potential for green technologies and environmentally friendly production methods, both in marine and fresh waters.-          Adoption of the Revised HELCOM Guidelines for Management of Dredged Material at Sea.-          Adopting the revised HELCOM Recommendation 25/7 on safety of winter navigation in the Baltic Sea Area, including a new harmonization of approximate correspondence of ice classes-          Adopting the revised HELCOM Recommendation 34E/4 “Airborne surveillance with remote sensing equipment in the Baltic Sea area”-          Finalization of a work plan to improve regional coherence, in the implementation of different marine policies to reach Good Environmental Status –          Cooperation with other Regional Seas Conventions and organizations – newest developments * * *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:Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

Marine litter, Recommendation on threatened species and the revision of the EU Regional Strategy Action Plan and HELCOM are top items of the HELCOM Annual Meeting.

The many concrete measures and actions for reaching the good
environmental status for the Baltic Sea require determined and effective
regional coordination, again a key topic of HELCOM
group
starting today in Berlin, Germany. The 2-day session will continue to outline
regional coordination of Programme of Measures needed to achieve a healthy
Baltic Sea, as agreed in the HELCOM Baltic Sea as well as the
EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Maritime Doctrine of the Russian
Federation. HELCOM Gear group works towards
region-wide cooperation on all elements of national marine strategies. Photo: Ulf Bergström.Another agenda point is a plan for improving regional
coherence in implementation of marine policies. The HELCOM Plan, among others,
lays out issues on which further steps and activities on regional level are
needed in the short (2015/2016), mid- (2018), and long-term (beyond 2018), to
reach the goal of the good environmental status by 2021 he Gear group, formed of managers from environmental administration,
will also start planning for development of additional environmental targets
for pressures on the Baltic Sea environment. For each Baltic coastal country,
environmental targets for reducing nutrient inputs in the Baltic Sea have already
been agreed through the HELCOM nutrient reduction scheme. These targets form
the basis for development of measures to reduce nutrient input, and having common
targets for also other pressures would enable better coordinated mitigation
efforts. ne timely item in the meeting agenda are synergies with EU for the Baltic Sea
Region, as the new Action Plan for the Strategy is under development. HELCOM
seeks to institutionalize the shared scope of work, as this would save
resources and add to the efficiency in reaching the mutual goals he ninth Meeting of the Group for the Implementation of the
Ecosystem Approach (GEAR 9-2015) will be chaired by Chair of GEAR, Ms. Heike
Imhoff  . All the files will be public after the meeting * * *Note for editorsThe HELCOM Group for the Implementation of the Ecosystem
Approach Gear oversees
region-wide co-operation on marine strategies, covering both legal basis and
agreed measures. The group is the main instrument, for EU members, in
implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and within HELCOM, it
guards inter-group coherence in implementing the ecosystem approach 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:Ulla Li ZweifelProfessional SecretaryHELCOMTel. +358 46 850 9198Skype: helcom64E-mail: ullali.zweifel(at)helcom.f ohanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.f 

​

The many concrete measures and actions for improving the status of the Baltic Sea require determined regional coordination, a key topic of Gear group meeting now starting in Berlin.

​The hands-on work has now started for the holistic assessment on the ecosystem health of the entire Baltic Sea area, orchestrated by HELCOM for the second time, as the core team that will carry out the project in Helsinki, Finland. The sealed the agreement to prepare such an overarching assessment.  Updating assessment tools as well as pressure and impact indices are parts of the next comprehensive assessment of the Baltic Sea. Photo: Wiesława CielątkowskaAt large, the second holistic assessment will help evaluate progress towards reaching the goals and objectives of HELCOM Baltic Sea Action . It will also be used, for HELCOM countries that are EU member states, as a joint report in the 2018 assessment of the Baltic Sea that is required by the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Starting now will allow for sufficient time to prepare a high quality product for serving to the deadline. The report will follow up the first one from 2010 and as a part of the project, the common existing tools for assessing the pressures on and status of the environment will be updated. Moreover, social and economic analyses of the use of the Baltic Sea will be part of the assessment. Such comprehensive assessments of the Baltic Sea should be conducted ever six years to ensure up-to-date information and a solid basis for decisions on policies and measures. Furthermore, as stated in the HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment from 2013, the forthcoming assessment will build on indicators. At present, thirty HELCOM core indicators are close to finalization, most of them being indicators of the state of the environment. The development work is still ongoing and will further shape the work on the second holistic assessment.  * * * The Second holistic assessment on the ecosystem health of the Baltic Sea will:Update HELCOM assessment tools, most prominently for biodiversity, hazardous substances and the Baltic Sea Pressures and Impact indices.>Carry out the assessment based on the Drivers – Pressures – State – Impact – Response framework, by establishing a clear link between human activities and drivers behind them; pressures; impact on the state of the environment as well as on society; and response in terms of measures taken to strive for the good environmental status. Work towards operational assessments, aiming at HELCOM assessments being fully operational and increasingly automated, so that the assessment can be carried out efficiently.  of the core group meeting 16-17 December 2014 * * * 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:Ulla Li Zweifel Professional Secretary HELCOM Tel. +358 46 850 9198 Skype: helcom64 E-mail: ullali.zweifel(at)helcom.fi Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi 

Second HELCOM holistic assessment will help evaluate progress of the Baltic Sea Action Plan and also assist in joint reporting for EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive in 2018.

The cooperation between HELCOM and the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) is expected to smoothen.  For the first time, a dedicated session with the representatives from relevant EUSBSR Priority Areas and Horizontal Actions was successfully organized as a part of this week’s of HELCOM Heads of Delegation representing all the Baltic coastal countries as well as the EU. The full meeting is now available online, listing all the issues addressed and decided on in the meeting for the benefit of the Baltic marine environment.Improving cooperation in practice was the key topic of HELCOM session with representatives from the EU Strategy for the Baltic sea Region. Photo: Dodik Putro.Concrete proposals on why and how to improve the synergies between HELCOM and EUSBSR have been listed in the meeting outcome. The shared goal would be to better communicate the policy directions and needs by HELCOM, which then can be met with and supported by the EUSBSR work and projects. The meeting recommended practical ways for better use of the expertise of HELCOM groups. Using the existing forums, co-chairing, back-to-back meetings, opportunity for involving Russian experts, and helping HELCOM countries in tapping into EU funding were also mentioned as practical solutions for more effective regional cooperation. The timing for the joint HELCOM-EUSBSR meeting was particularly adept, as the HELCOM streamlining process has been completed few months ago while the Action Plan of the EUSBSR is currently under revision, expecting launch at the Strategy’s Annual Forum in mid-June 2015. As per other results of the Heads of Delegation meeting, HELCOM “sub-hot spot” No. 18.1 “Construction of new sewer connections” was deleted, concerning the waste water treatment system of St. Petersburg. A large-scale environmental project for the construction of the northern tunnel collector of the city of five million inhabitants was finalized in October 2013, preventing the discharge of untreated waste water into the Neva River by approximately 122 million m3 per year. Since then, 98.4% of waste water has been estimated as adequately treated in St. Petersburg. HELCOM originally included 162 of the region’s significant sources of pollution, out of which over two thirds have since been mitigated.   Adequate reception for passenger ships was also negotiated by the Meeting, being part of the larger process of complying with the Baltic’s status as a sewage special area as decided by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2011. The consultations for a joint notification on the adequacy of ports’ reception facilities will continue via correspondence early next year. The meeting was held on 9-10 December 2014 and it was chaired by the current Estonian Chair of HELCOM, Mr. Harry Liiv. ..  * * * Note for editorsThe European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region () is the first macro-regional strategy in Europe. It aims at reinforcing cooperation within this large region in order to face several challenges by working together as well as promoting a more balanced development in the area. The Strategy also contributes to major EU policies and reinforces the integration within the area. The (HOD) of HELCOM usually meet few times a year. While the Annual Meeting of HELCOM remains the Commission’s highest decision-making body, the Heads of Delegation have a relatively high authority over most major issues.  The working structure of HELCOM, supported and administered by the Secretariat, comprises of the Helsinki Commission, the Heads of Delegation, and eight main working groups, together with tens of expert groups, correspondence groups and projects. 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 Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi​

For the first time, a dedicated session with the representatives from relevant EUSBSR areas was organized as a part of this week’s meeting of HELCOM Heads of Delegation.

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.