Groups
HELCOM has eight main groups – the HELCOM Working Groups – which handle specific topics related to the Baltic Sea’s environment or maritime activities. The groups are major contributors to the HELCOM work, gathering science and technical expertise and translating their findings into policies, strategies or recommendations best suited for responding to a particular issue affecting the Baltic Sea.
Of the current eight HELCOM Working Groups (WGs), five are permanent and three have a limited time mandate.
The work carried out in the HELCOM Working Groups usually needs to be further approved by the HELCOM decision making bodies such as the Heads of Delegation or the Meeting of the Helsinki Commission.
The HELCOM Working Groups are mainly composed of national experts, usually from a Ministry or a national agency and who are officially nominated by a HELCOM Contracting Party. The groups are led by a Chair elected by its members, and are serviced by a HELCOM Professional Secretary. The groups usually have two main meetings per year, in spring and in autumn.
In addition, HELCOM also has a variety of expert groups and networks that are supervised by and fall under the responsibility of a main HELCOM Working Group.
The five permanent HELCOM Working Groups
Gear – Group on the Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach
Maritime – Maritime Working Group
Pressure – Working Group on Reduction of Pressures from the Baltic Sea Catchment Area
Response – Response Working Group
State & Conservation – Working Group on the State of the Environment and Nature Conservation
The three time-limited HELCOM Groups
Agri – Group on sustainable agricultural practices
Fish – Group on Ecosystem-based sustainable fisheries
HELCOM-VASAB MSP – Joint HELCOM-VASAB Maritime Spatial Planning Working Group
The five permanent groups:
- The Gear Group works towards the regional co-operation on national marine strategies, with the view to facilitate adaptive management of marine and maritime matters that is based on the ecosystem approach.
- The Maritime WG works to prevent any pollution from ships – including deliberate operational discharges as well as accidental pollution.
- The Pressure WG focuses on inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances from land. Its portfolio also includes marine litter and underwater noise.
- The Response WG works to ensure a swift national and international response to maritime pollution incidents and coordinates aerial surveillance of shipping in the Baltic Sea.
- The State and Conservation WG covers monitoring and assessment of the Baltic Sea as well as issues related to nature conservation and biodiversity protection.
The three time-limited groups:
- The Agri Group enhances dialogue between agricultural and environmental authorities on the development and application of sustainable agricultural practices with the least environmental impact on the Baltic Sea.
- The Fish Group deals with fisheries in relation to the implementation of the ecosystem-based approach.
- The HELCOM-VASAB MSP WG focuses on coherent regional maritime spatial planning (MSP) processes in the Baltic Sea. It is jointly managed by HELCOM and VASAB.
The time-limited groups were set up to respond to and direct additional resources at emerging needs.
HELCOM Expert Groups
as of 16 May 2022
Fish
- CG Aquaculture – Correspondence Group concerning a draft document on Best Available Technology/Best Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP) descriptions for sustainable aquaculture in the Baltic Sea region
- FISH-M – Task Force on migratory fish species
GEAR
Maritime
- AIS EWG – Expert Working Group for Mutual Exchange and Deliveries of AIS data
- GREEN TEAM – Sub-group on Green Technology and Alternative Fuels for Shipping
- JTG Ballast & Biofouling – Joint HELCOM/OSPAR Task Group on Ballast Management Convention Exemptions (BWMC) and Biofouling
- PRF Cooperation Platform – Cooperation Platform on Port Reception Facilities in the Baltic Sea
- SAFE NAV – Group of Experts on Safety of Navigation
Pressure
- EG Hazardous Substances – Expert Group on Hazardous Substances (also under: Pressure)
- EG Marine Litter – Expert Group on Marine Litter
- EG Noise – Expert Group on Underwater Noise
- EG DREDS – Expert Group on Dredging/Depositing Operations at Sea
- REDCORE DG – Reduction Scheme Core Drafting Group
- CG PHARMA – Correspondence Group on Pharmaceuticals
Response
- EG Wildlife – Expert Group on Wildlife Response
- SHORE Network – Expert Coordination Network on Response on the Shore
- IWGAS – Informal Working Group on Aerial Surveillance
- SUBMERGED – Expert Group on Environmental Risks of Hazardous Submerged Objects
State and Conservation
- EG MAMA – Expert Group on Marine Mammals
- EG STUR – Expert Group on Sturgeon Remediation
- EG Hazardous Substances – Expert Group on Hazardous Substances (also under: Pressure)
- EN BENTHIC – Expert Network on Benthic Habitats and Biotopes
- EN CLIME – Joint HELCOM/Baltic Earth Expert Network on Climate Change
- IN Eutrophication – Intersessional Network on Eutrophication
- JWG Bird – HELCOM-OSPAR-ICES Joint Working Group on Seabirds
- MORS – Expert Group on Monitoring of Radioactive Substances in the Baltic Sea