23 September 2013, Copenhagen, Denmark – Today and tomorrow, more details for the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Declaration will be put into place during the 43rd Heads of Delegation Meeting. For smoother follow-up for anyone interested in stronger commitments for a healthier Baltic Sea, several key documents have been collected since June in a , related to the regional Ministers’ negotiations which will climax in the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting on 3 October 2013 in Copenhagen, Denmark.In the Meeting, the members of the Baltic Sea Marine Environment Protection Commission (), formed by the nine coastal countries and the EU, will continue to finalize the proposed text of the , to be as concise and clear as possible. The Declaration will cover a wide selection of topics covering biodiversity and ecosystem services, eutrophication, hazardous substances, clean and safer shipping, preparedness and response to pollution at sea and on the shore, along with monitoring, assessment and marine knowledge. Status of the implementation of the 2007 HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan has been the basis for proposing any issues to be addressed by the Ministerial Meeting.The new, updated targets for reducing nutrient inputs to the Baltic Sea, and their country-wise allocations, continue to be a major issue in the negotiations. Progress has been made in addressing the complex issue on transboundary pollution inputs, while aiming to share the burden of the needed pollution reduction in a fair and mutually agreed manner, both within the Baltic Sea countries and from sources outside the HELCOM area. The new proposed limits for nutrient inputs result from several years’ work supported significantly by the Baltic Nest Institute in Sweden and involving national experts in the HELCOM countries.After the Meeting, every document, unless unusual exceptions occur, can be accessed at the [Heads of Delegation (HELCOM HOD) > Heads Of Delegation (HODS) > HOD 43, 2013]. No log-in is needed. * * *Note for editors: will be held on 3 October 2013 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Ministers of the Environment of the nine Baltic coastal states and the EU Environment Commissioner will gather to discuss the status and the future of the Baltic Sea marine environment – reviewing the progress in implementing the Baltic Sea Action Plan (2007–2021), and setting priorities for action. The outcome of the 2013 Meeting is expected to revolve around the still unsatisfactory status of the Baltic Sea; the ecosystem approach as the basis for blue and green growth, the opportunities for more coherent policies and implementation, as well as committing to do more for a healthier Baltic Sea.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. HELCOM has worked since 1974 to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution, including response to spills and clean and safe shipping in the region. HELCOM is the governing body of the “Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area,” more usually known as the Helsinki Convention.* * *For further information, please contact:Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 E-mail: johanna.laurila@helcom.fi Skype: helcom70
Today and tomorrow, more details for the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Declaration will be put into place during the 43rd Heads of Delegation Meeting.
