Category: SOURCE TO SEA

​​​​​​​​Nutrient bookeeping at farm level is explored in a HELCOM workshop finishing today in Oldenburg, Germany. Nutrient bookkeeping, a key HELCOM issue particularly after the 2013 Ministerial , stands for planning and accounting input and output of nutrients in agricultural production, thus, for instance, keeping track of effectiveness of fertilizer use. The status of introducing nutrient bookkeeping in all the Baltic Sea countries are presented in the workshop by scientists, environmental and agricultural administrations and interest organizations.Nutrient
bookkeeping has strong potential for minimal nutrient waste as well as reducing
the harm for the Baltic marine environment. Photo: Helena Rosenlew.The participants have been sharing the experiences so far from different Baltic Sea countries, which in turn will help to shape necessary future activities. This includes potential development of policy and possibly other instruments on nutrient bookkeeping.  The environmental condition of the Baltic Sea is widely affected by the over supply of nutrients causing eutrophication, algal blooms and changing conditions for the marine species. Agriculture is a major source of nutrient input to the sea and therefore sustainable practices are the key to minimizing nutrient losses. Nutrient bookkeeping has strong potential for minimal nutrient waste as well as reducing the harm for the Baltic marine environment.  he HELCOM workshop is organized by the Chamber of Agriculture Lower Saxony and the Federal Environmental Agency in Germany and will be chaired by Mr. Dietrich Schulz, Federal Environment Agency in Germany, and Ms. Anette Pedersen, Danish Ministry of Environment. The work will continue in 28-29 May, when the HELCOM Group on Sustainable Agricultural Practices (Agri group) next meets.​* * * Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as HE​LCOM, 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 HELCOM Group on Sustainable Agricultural Practices (Agri) deals with agriculture in relation to the implementation of the ecosystem-based approach and involves representatives from agriculture and environment authorities of the Baltic Sea countries, as well as EU and HELCOM Observers. The group provides a platform for agri-environmental policy measures and instruments and joint discussion on the Baltic agriculture in the context of the protection of the marine environment, in order to address nutrient inputs and emissions from agriculture. * * *For more information, please contact:Dmitry Frank-KamenetskyProfessional SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 630 9933Skype: helcom68E-mail: dmitry.frank-kamenetsky(at)helcom.fi Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi​

Nutrient bookeeping at farm level is explored in a HELCOM workshop finishing today in Oldenburg, Germany, to support nutrient efficient farming and to minimize the environmental impact on the Baltic Sea.

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.

​Today, Contracting Parties of the Helsinki Convention meet aiming at finalizing the draft regional action plan on to be subsequently submitted to the next annual Commission meeting for adoption in March. The online meeting will focus on the remaining open issues of the draft , which aims to also become canonized as a HELCOM Recommendation. Consumer behaviour is considered as the most important reason for marine litter in the Baltic Sea. Photo: Jenny Gustafsson/Keep the Archipelago Tidy Finland.Marine litter is a growing concern at sea and shores alike and a for the Estonian Chairmanship of HELCOM. The concrete work for a regional action plan started in May 2014, following the Ministerial binding all the Baltic coastal governments. The drafting process has benefited from expertise from non-governmental organizations, research institutions, industry, as well as concerned administration and authorities. The wide consultations have been important for the successively improved test plans, including the proposed actions to reduce marine litter in the Baltic Sea. The plan will integrate actions at regional and national level, covering different pathways for marine litter. The list includes waste management; sewage and storm water management; maintaining beaches and urban areas; fisheries; and shipping. Special measures are addressed to the top-10 items found in the Baltic Sea marine environment as well micro-plastics. The document also pays attention to environmental education and involving the producers in the action to reduce marine litter.  Marine litter has a large impact on the environment. While an evident aesthetic problem, litter impairs marine organisms, threatens human health and safety, and increases socio-economic costs. 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 3-2015). 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

Remaining open issues are discussed today of the regional plan, to be subsequently submitted to the next annual Commission meeting for adoption in March.

​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 first
meeting of the HELCOM on
Sustainable Agricultural Practices () has started today in Copenhagen, Denmark. Agricultural sector has been
identified in the Baltic Sea as having important potential for environmental
gains in relation to the nutrient losses and the status of the marine
environment. The Agri group, composed of agriculture and environmental
authorities, will find solutions within this sector on how to reduce nutrient
loads and further contribute to reaching Good Environmental Status of the
Baltic Sea by 2021.>> Upgrading of manure storages is one way to reduce harmful nutrients leaching into the environment. Photo: Helena Rosenlew. >The major
task of the group is to identify and revise the outdated items in the international
which
address prevention of pollution from agriculture in the Baltic Sea Region (Part
2 of the Annex III). The Group is expected to outline the steps to fulfill this
task by 2016 as agreed by the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in 2013. >> >The use of
nutrients in the agricultural sector should be more effective and few key ways
have been identified, such as development of standards for nutrient content in
manure and application of nutrient accounting system at the farm level. Another
key action is the recycling of nitrogen and phosphorus generated at the farms
i.e. for fertilization, instead of nutrient input from external sources.> >>Reducing
the leaching of nutrients to the environment at different stages of the
agricultural production is another major set of measures preventing nutrient
input to the Baltic Sea. This can be done through improving the related
techniques and practices; and by upgrading of manure storages or drainage
systems. Related studies carried out in the region will be presented at the
Meeting. >> >. All documents will be public after the Meeting.>> >* * *>Note for
editors>>The HELCOM
Group on Sustainable Agricultural Practices () deals with
agriculture in relation to the implementation of the ecosystem-based approach
and involves representatives from agriculture and environment authorities of
the Baltic Sea countries, as well as EU and HELCOM Observers. The group
provides a platform for agri-environmental policy measures and instruments and
joint discussion on the Baltic agriculture in the context of the protection of
the marine environment, in order to address nutrient inputs and emissions from
agriculture.>> >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>>Dmitry Frank-KamenetskyProfessional SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 630 9933Skype: helcom68E-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

Revision of the Annex III of Helsinki Convention continues in the meeting of the new HELCOM Group on Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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.

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.

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.

HELCOM work towards sustainable agriculture will be presented by Chair as part of the region’s major annual agricultural Conference, held in Warsaw, Poland 23-24 September. Greener Agriculture for a Bluer Baltic Sea has been grown since 2009 into a large event, despite the lack of a stable organizing framework hence mainly by popular demand. The aim is to share visions of the farmers’ and agricultural advisory organisations around the Baltic Sea, joined by authorities, ministries and the private sector alike.  The HELCOM presentation in the Conference by the Chair, Harry Liiv, will highlight the need for tailor-made solutions, devised together with competent experts from agricultural field, and since tackling loads from agriculture has been acknowledged for long a challenging task.  Implementing innovative techniques and agri-environmental measures are included in the Estonian of the HELCOM Chairmanship. Furthermore, the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting agreed a few agriculture related measures addressing, among others, effective nutrient management, and recommending to apply nutrient accounting on a farm level by all regional countries. Other key measures include developing standards on nutrients contents; promoting phosphorus recycling; and the modernization of the agriculture related Annex of the cornerstone of HELCOM work – the Helsinki Convention. Moreover, in the conference starting today, the HELCOM presentation will remind the audiences of the announcement last week of the new HELCOM Group on Sustainable Agricultural Practices, a successor of the HELCOM Agriculture and Environment Forum. A key task of the new Agri Group is to review and update Part 2 of the Annex III of the Helsinki Convention as well as support the implementation of the other Ministerial commitments. The Group is to be composed of both agriculture and environmental authorities and will have a technical focus to deliver the outcomes within a five year timeframe. The first meeting of the group will be held on 20-21 November 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:Dmitry 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

Greener Agriculture for a Bluer Baltic Sea Conference, starting today in Warsaw, has been grown since 2009 by popular demand.