Tag: Spatial conservation & MPAs

Nine areas in the Baltic Sea described as Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) according to the criteria of the Convention on Biological DiversityBaltic Sea joins 13 other marine areas in the world where regional EBSAs workshops have been held The Regional Workshop to Facilitate the Description of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) in the Baltic Sea was held on 20–24 February 2018, in Helsinki, Finland, hosted by the Government of Finland and with financial support by Finland and Sweden. The workshop was convened by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in collaboration with HELCOM.  Group picture from the opening of the workshop. Front middle row, from left: Ms. Hannele Pokka, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment of Finland; Ms. Penina Blankett, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of the Environment of Finland; Ms. Monika Stankiewicz, HELCOM Executive Secretary; and Ms. Jihyun Lee, Environmental Affairs Officer, CBD Secretariat, together with the participants of the Baltic EBSA workshop. Photo: Florent Nicolas/HELCOMNine Baltic marine areas were described by the workshop participants as ecologically or biologically significant, including five transboundary areas covering waters of two or more countries. The described EBSAs extend into 14 of the 17 Baltic Sea sub-basins. Altogether, they cover 23% of the Baltic Sea, slightly higher than the 19% the average in other areas of the world.The described EBSAs are: Northern Bothnian BayKvarken ArchipelagoÅland Sea, Åland Islands and the Archipelago Sea of FinlandEastern Gulf of FinlandInner Sea of West Estonian ArchipelagoSoutheastern Baltic Sea ShallowsSouthern Gotland Harbour Porpoise AreaFehmarn BeltFladen and Stora and Lilla Middelgrund.The experts at the workshop had at their disposal a great variety of information, ranging from the latest scientific data on biological, physical, oceanographic, and environmental features to indigenous and local knowledge of the HELCOM area. The Baltic Sea region’s remarkably broad and varied data coverage, much of which is available as regionally harmonized data layers on the , was an asset for the experts. “The workshop outcome is an opportunity to highlight the fact that despite the known marine environmental problems, the unique semi-enclosed Baltic Sea does have a great ecological or biological significance” says Monika Stankiewicz, HELCOM Executive Secretary.The application of the EBSA criteria is a scientific and technical exercise, carried out through a series of regional workshops. The area can be described as EBSA if it meets one or more CBD scientific criteria such uniqueness or rarity, special importance for life history stages of species, importance for threatened, endangered or declining species and/or habitats, and biological productivity and diversity. Management issues, including threats to the areas and needs for protection, are not considered in the process. Since 2011, the CBD Secretariat has convened 13 regional EBSA workshops, covering more than 74 per cent of the world’s oceansThe Baltic EBSA workshop was registered by HELCOM as a voluntary commitment at the UN Ocean Conference for implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14, on 5-9 June 2017, New York, (). The decision to organize the workshop was made bearing in mind especially the possibilities the EBSA concept offers for Maritime Spatial Planning.Over 30 experts from the HELCOM countries and from organizations in the region, including representatives of local indigenous peoples, took part in the workshop. The Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, with support from the Finnish Environment Institute, acted as the technical support team of the workshop.The workshop report will be submitted for consideration to the 22nd meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), scheduled for 2–7 July 2018, Montreal, Canada, and subsequently to the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP), scheduled for 10–22 November 2018, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The workshop was co-chaired by Ms. Penina Blankett, Finland, and Mr. Dieter Boedeker, Germany. Note for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as HELCOM, 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.Signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the is dedicated to promoting sustainable development. Conceived as a practical tool for translating the principles of the United Nations agenda for sustainable development into reality, the Convention recognizes that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and micro-organisms and their ecosystems – it is about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live. The scientific criteria for describing were adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the CBD in 2008. ContactsMr. Ville Karvinen Project Coordinator ville.karvinen(at)helcom.fi +358 40 161 6513Ms. Jannica Haldin Professional Secretary jannica.haldin(at)helcom.fi +358 40 485 5905

Nine areas in the Baltic Sea described as Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) according to the criteria of the Convention on Biological Diversity – Baltic Sea 14th marine area to hold regional EBSAs workshop

​​​​Baltic Sea community follows up on commitment to describe Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) International EBSA workshop and training session to be held 19–24 February in Helsinki, FinlandGroup picture from the opening of the workshop. Front row: Ms. Hannele Pokka, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
the Environment of Finland, Ms.
Penina Blanket, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of
the Environment of Finland,  Ms. Monika Stankiewicz, HELCOM Executive Secretary and Ms. Jihyun Lee, Environmental Affairs Officer, CBD
Secretariat. ​Photo: Florent Nicolas/HELCOM​At the United Nations Ocean Conference in June 2017, HELCOM members registered a to describe Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSA) in the Baltic Sea. The EBSA process will take a significant step further at a workshop in Helsinki next week. The workshop is being convened by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, with financial support from the Governments of Finland and Sweden, and in collaboration with HELCOM. HELCOM’s contribution is supported by the HASPS 2 project, which aims to further objectives of the Horizontal Action “Spatial Planning” of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.EBSAs are special areas in world’s oceans that serve important purposes, in one way or another, to support the healthy functioning of oceans and the many services that they provide. The purpose of the EBSA process is to globally describe these important marine areas using the established scientific criteria adopted by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in all the world’s oceans:Uniqueness or RaritySpecial importance for life history stages of speciesImportance for threatened, endangered or declining species and/or habitatsVulnerability, Fragility, Sensitivity, or Slow recoveryBiological ProductivityBiological DiversityNaturalnessIn the Baltic Sea Region, the EBSA process is expected to provide further useful information of relevance to national and transboundary in the Baltic Sea. Other HELCOM processes such as the Red List, evaluation of effectiveness and coherence of networks, and future HELCOM environmental assessments may also be able to benefit from EBSAs.The workshop is of a scientific and technical nature. The description of EBSAs will draw on specific scientific criteria for describing important marine areas. Countries in the region, relevant organizations and indigenous peoples and local communities have been invited to provide relevant information, including scientific data and traditional knowledge on marine ecosystems, habitats and species, as well as physical, oceanographic, and geological characteristics. The Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab act as the technical team of the workshop, identifying and mapping datasets and analyses for consideration by the workshop. In addition to national datasets, the Baltic Sea countries have agreed to make relevant HELCOM datasets available to the workshop. ​ Mr. Patrick N. Halpin from the Technical Support Team instructing the workshop experts. ​Photo: Florent Nicolas/HELCOM​​​Thirteen regional EBSA workshops have been arranged worldwide to date. Countries in the region in question, as well as relevant global and regional organizations/initiatives, are invited to nominate experts for the workshop. The nominated experts then go through a selection process under CBD to ensure scientific and technical expertise, knowledge on EBSAs, and gender balance in the workshop. The workshop will produce a regional workshop report on areas meeting EBSA criteria, for consideration by the CBD’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.* * *Note for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as HELCOM, 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. * * *ContactsMr. Ville Karvinen Project Coordinator ville.karvinen(at)helcom.fi +358 40 161 6513Ms. Jannica Haldin Professional Secretary jannica.haldin(at)helcom.fi +358 40 485 5905

Baltic Sea community follows up on commitment to identify Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) – International EBSA workshop and training session to be held 19–24 February in Helsinki, Finland

Regional ministers will discuss the state and future of the Baltic Sea marine environment in MarchHeads of Delegation of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission meet this week to prepare ministerial outcomeHow will the Baltic Sea region respond to the call to action for the marine environment, set by the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development? What efforts should be prioritized in order to achieve the aim of the – a healthy Baltic Sea by 2021? How should the Action Plan be adjusted based on the newest scientific knowledge and the challenges ahead? These are among the questions on the table at the 53rd HELCOM Heads of Delegation meeting today and tomorrow. The questions form the basis of the negotiations ahead of the in Brussels on 6 March, bringing together the responsible ministers from the Baltic Sea countries and the EU Commissioner for Environment. The Heads of Delegation meeting this week will focus in particular on the Declaration to be adopted at the Ministerial Meeting, which will frame the work for the Baltic Sea marine environment in the years to come.Targets: Baltic Sea Action Plan and Sustainable Development GoalsAmong the central background information for the discussions is a report following up on the actions agreed upon in the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) in 2007 and linking them to the current state of the Baltic Sea. According to the latest assessments, much has been accomplished, and there are some encouraging signals in the ecosystem, but the efforts so far have not led to the recovery of the Baltic Sea. The Heads of Delegation will discuss how to achieve stronger follow-through on the BSAP in order to reach the common goals.The Heads of Delegation will also consider how to adjust the BSAP in the light of new information. As science advances, policy-makers are better equipped than before to focus on those issues that cause the greatest harm and are the most widely distributed. There is also more and more knowledge about climate change and other issues that are developing or will emerge in the future. The adjusted plan for action will take into account the changing situation and highlight the most important measures to take. The questions about the BSAP are also central to the global context of the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015. Governments have the primary responsibility for taking action to achieve the goals, while Regional Sea Conventions like HELCOM are well suited for considering new actions across borders in pursuit of those SDGs that relate to marine and water issues. The Baltic Sea countries have agreed to use HELCOM as the regional arena for coordinating work on ocean-related SDGs. In order to reach SDG 14 – “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources” – the Baltic Sea region needs both to accelerate work towards the goals of the Baltic Sea Action Plan and to adapt the plan based on the newest and best available science. HELCOM will use the Sustainable Development Goals as guidance when setting new priorities and targets. Preparing for the Ministerial MeetingThe outcome of the discussions between the Heads of Delegation will be an important stepping stone towards reaching Ministerial agreement. The meeting this week aims to put everything in place for the Ministerial negotiations in March.Preparations for the Ministerial Meeting have been ongoing since the meeting of high-level representatives of the Baltic Sea states and the EU in February 2017. However, the background efforts and the scientific data that underpin the discussions stretch back over several years and includes a multitude of projects. Among these are the large-scale , which will be finalized by mid-2018.  “The background work for the Ministerial Meeting draws together all the different roles and processes of HELCOM: it is a hub that provides information about the Baltic Sea environment, that produces recommendations and policies based on this information in order to improve the state of the ecosystem, and that supervises that agreements are upheld. HELCOM is the bridge between science and policy in the Baltic Sea, and the Ministerial Meeting is the highest point on that bridge,” says Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary at the HELCOM Secretariat.All the meeting documents will be available in the HELCOM Meeting portal after the meeting, no login required:  * * *Note for editors:The 2018 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting will be held on 6 March in Brussels, Belgium, under the EU chairmanship of HELCOM. 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. The outcome of the 2018 Ministerial Meeting is expected to revolve around new actions to meet the Sustainable Development Goals in the Baltic Sea, strengthening implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan by 2021, and adjusting the Baltic Sea Action Plan based on new knowledge and future challenges. More information on the .The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as HELCOM, 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 and to ensure safety of navigation 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:Monika Stankiewicz Executive Secretary HELCOM monika.stankiewicz(at)helcom.fiSara Estlander Communication Coordinator HELCOM +358 40 482 6103 sara.estlander(at)helcom.fi

Regional ministers will discuss the state and future of the Baltic Sea marine environment in March – Heads of Delegation of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission meet this week to prepare ministerial outcome

​The coordination of regional policy and application of the ecosystem-based approach in maritime spatial planning were in focus of the 15th Meeting of the joint (HELCOM-VASAB MSP WG 15-2017), held in Warsaw, Poland, on 7-8 November 2017. Meeting participants discussed the first version of the HELCOM report, focusing on the approaches and results that could support MSP and be of use for maritime spatial planners. The report contains an assessment of a broad range of aspects, covering the state of the ecosystem, pressures and impacts from human activities, as well as social and economic dimensions, in the entire Baltic Sea.One of the HELCOM-VASAB MSP group’s tasks is to consider the concepts of green infrastructure and blue corridors, which serve to safeguard that the marine ecosystem remains functional outside marine protected areas as well as to connect marine protected areas to each other. The EU-funded international project PanBaltic SCOPE will focus on this issue during 2018–2019.Furthermore, the upcoming workshop (in February 2018) on identifying Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) in the Baltic Sea will provide information that can be directly used in developing the green infrastructure concept for MSP purposes. HELCOM made a to identify these areas at the United Nations Conference “Our oceans, our future: partnering for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14” in June 2017. The HELCOM-VASAB Meeting also planned future work on themes such as safety of navigation in MSP, and discussed application of the outcomes of various regional projects in spatial planning, in particular those flagship projects of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region that relate to MSP. * * *Note for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as HELCOM, 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.According to the United Nations, Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is “a public process of analyzing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives that usually have been specified through a political process.”The functions to ensure regional coherence of activities related to maritime spatial planning. The group, founded in 2010, is also in charge of Horizontal Action Spatial Planning within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.  * * *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 

The coordination of regional policy and application of the ecosystem-based approach in maritime spatial planning were in focus of the 15th Meeting of the joint HELCOM-VASAB Maritime Spatial Planning Working Group in Warsaw this week.

The HELCOM State & Conservation group meeting endorses the first HELCOM pharmaceutical indicator for testingImproving the effectiveness of the network of important marine areas in the Baltic Sea tied to global processes and management of human activitiesThe Seventh Meeting of the HELCOM (STATE & CONSERVATION 7-2017) took place in Sopot, Poland 23–27 October. The Working Group is set up to thake a two-pronged approach, linking topics related to monitoring with biodiversity and conservation issues. The key theme of the meeting was the continuing work to update and further improve the holistic . The initial version of the report was published in June 2017 and gives a comprehensive overview of the health of the Baltic Sea, ranging from physical to biological to social and economic aspects. Most of the assessment results in the report are based on indicators, and the meeting agenda included a draft for a new indicator on the drug diclofenac – the first HELCOM indicator for pharmaceuticals. The meeting endorsed the use of this indicator as a pre-core test indicator, meaning it will be included in the updated report using a descriptive approach, as opposed to a quantitative approach based on decided threshold values. The final version of the report, including final results based on 2011–2016 data, will be released in June 2018.Another step forward was the agreement to focus efforts on further improving the HELCOM Marine Protected Area (MPA) network, specifically the necessity for updating the guidance provided by HELCOM on how MPAs are to be designated and managed. Clearer guidelines are needed in order to better link the MPA network to the planning of human activities at sea (often referred to as Marine Spatial Planning) and to current international commitments, as well as to ensure that the network lives up to its full potential.  Current network of HELCOM Marine Protected AreasParallel to the continued work to improve the effectiveness of the MPA network, the work on marine spatial planning and MPAs will take another major step forward, both in a regional and a global context, at a high-level workshop aimed at describing Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs). EBSAs are special areas in the ocean that serve important purposes to support the healthy functioning and the many services that the sea provides (for more background information, see ). The designation of EBSAs in the Baltic Sea is an important step in linking the region to the global network of areas already identified under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD). The workshop will take place in Helsinki on 19 to 24 February 2018, hosted by Finland and convened by the Secretariat of the UN CBD in cooperation with HELCOM.The meeting also updated HELCOM Recommendation 19/3 on ‘The Manual for the Marine Monitoring in the Combine Programme of HELCOM’ and HELCOM Recommendation 24/10 ‘Implementation of Integrated Marine and Coastal Management of Human Activities in the Baltic Sea Area’, both of which will be submitted to HELCOM Heads of Delegation 53-2017 in December for a decision.. 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.HELCOM covers the monitoring and assessment functions as well as nature conservation and biodiversity protection in HELCOM. The group works across the monitoring-indicators-assessment chain for the coordinated development of HELCOM thematic assessment tools, as well as for a coherent holistic assessment of the ecosystems health.* * * For more information, please contact:Jannica Haldin Professional Secretary HELCOM Tel. +358 40 485 5905 E-mail: jannica.haldin(at)helcom.fi ​

HELCOM State & Conservation group meeting endorses the first HELCOM pharmaceutical indicator for testing – Improving the effectiveness of the network of important marine areas in the Baltic Sea tied to global processes and management of human activities

​The comprehensive HELCOM overview of the state of the Baltic Sea follows up on the status of the Baltic Sea environment, saying that management is improving but that the environmental objectives of the Baltic Sea Action Plan will not be reached in time.The ‘State of the Baltic Sea’ assessment, now made available as a first version for consideration, is an outcome of a large scale collaboration among Baltic Sea countries. It provides a scientific evaluation of the environmental status of the Baltic Sea during 2011-2015, and assesses pressures and impacts from human activities, as well as social and economic dimensions, in the entire Baltic Sea.The summary report, and its underlying material, can be accessed via its . The next step will be to subject it to a regional consultation carried out by HELCOM. The final report will be published by June 2018, and will include one additional year of monitoring data.The assessment is based on an extensive set of materials, including the HELCOM core indicators and Baltic-wide maps, covering aspects such as eutrophication, contamination, marine litter, underwater noise, fishing, hunting, and effects of habitat loss. The assessment of benthic and pelagic habitats, fish, marine mammals, and birds indicate that biodiversity status is inadequate for most assessed species, and that continued efforts to support biodiversity are of key importance.The results are made available for use in analysing progress in relation to the goals of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, namely: to achieve a good environmental status in the Baltic Sea. They will also provide background for negotiations in the next HELCOM Ministerial Meeting to take place on 6 March 2018 in Brussels under the European Union chairmanship of HELCOM.Additionally, the assessment results are available for national consultation in EU Member states, forming a regional umbrella report for reporting under the EU Marine Strategy Framework directive. The assessment can also provide a baseline for future work to reach UN Sustainable Development Goals.The ‘State of the Baltic Sea’ is a regionally coordinated assessment and a major undertaking of all Baltic Sea countries as well as the European Union. The results are the outcome of the committed work of HELCOM experts and national representatives, whom have developed and worked to improve a regionally agreed on monitoring and assessment system, used as a shared knowledge base for developing Baltic Sea environmental management.The results and materials underlying the assessment can be accessed at .* * *Note for editors:The State of the Baltic Sea assessment is carried out by the  (2014–18). The project develops common concepts and methods for the status assessment based on core indicators, creates and tests the tools for aggregated results, and performs assessments at a regional scale. The development of the assessment methods is supported by other projects, including a number of EU-co-financed projects.HELCOM 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 .HELCOM Heads of Delegation, nominated by the Contracting Parties 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, the Annual Meeting, convenes usually in March. Approximately every three years the Commission meets at .* * *For more information, please contact:Lena BergströmHOLAS II Project CoordinatorHELCOME-mail: lena.bergstrom(at)helcom.fiTel: +358 40 080 3428Jannica HaldinProfessional Secretary for Gear and State and Conservation groupsHELCOME-mail: jannica.haldin(at)helcom.fiTel: +358 40 485 5905​​

The comprehensive HELCOM overview of the state of the Baltic Sea follows up on the status of the Baltic Sea environment, saying that management is improving but that the environmental objectives of the Baltic Sea Action Plan will not be reached in time.

HELCOM Maritime receives Baltic Sea Fund Prize 2017 and contributes to award debate on the future of alternative fuels in shipping.HELCOM launches the first meeting of the GREEN TEAM group, to take further steps to shape the future of clean shipping and alternative fuels in the Baltic Sea.Baltic Sea NECA, and the GREEN TEAM as its follow up, registered by HELCOM as a voluntary commitment for the United Nations Ocean Conference 5-9 June 2017.The future of clean shipping and alternative fuels in the Baltic Sea will be debated today in Mariehamn, Finland at a seminar organised on the occasion of the Baltic Sea Fund prize 2017. The day will also feature the award of the main Prize to the HELCOM Maritime Working group, first announced in 12 April.At the seminar the Chair of HELCOM Maritime, Anna Petersson (Swedish Transport Agency) and Vice Chairs Natalia Kutaeva (Marine Rescue Service of Rosmorrechflot) and Jorma Kämäräinen (Finnish Transport Safety Agency) will present the groups achievements and future work, as well as participate in a panel debate -with a focus on the future of alternative fuels in shipping.The other speakers and panellists will include Ville Niinistö, Member of Parliament and former Minister of the Environment (Finland), Ulf Hagström Senior Vice President of Viking Line and Alef Jansson Director Goodtech Environment.The main Prize was justified by the contributions of the HELCOM Maritime Working group to the recent regulatory developments in the region, namely restrictions to Nox emissions from ships exhaust gases and sewage discharges from passenger ships.In order to follow up the recent developments and accelerate regional work on green shipping technology and alternative fuels HELCOM has launched a public-private platform (HELCOM GREEN TEAM).The first meeting of the group will take place on Tuesday 5 September 2017 on the Island of Donsö in the Gothenburg archipelago back to back with the Donsö Shipping Meet 2017.HELCOM has also highlighted the work on the Baltic Sea NOx Emission Control Area for ships, and the GREEN TEAM as its follow up, by making a voluntary commitment registered for the . * * *Note for editorsHELCOM is an intergovernmental organization made up of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. Founded in 1974, its primary aims as the governing body of the Helsinki Convention are to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution. This includes pollution from ships and safe maritime navigation, fields where the work involves regional dimensions of IMO regulations and initiatives. The full official name of HELCOM is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission.HELCOM Maritime Working Group of HELCOM identifies and promotes actions to limit sea-based pollution and finds ways for safer navigation. Established in 1975, the group also deals with the harmonized implementation and enforcement of international shipping regulations.The Maritime group has a number of advisory expert bodies including the HELCOM-OSPAR Task Group on Ballast Water Management (regional dimensions of implementing the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention), Expert group on safety of navigation, Working group for mutual exchange and deliveries of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, Green technology and Alternative Fuels Platform for Shipping (GREEN TEAM), and HELCOM Cooperation Platform on Port Reception Facilities (PRF).The Åland Foundation for the Future of the Baltic Sea, also known as , was founded in 1989 through a private donation of half a million euro. The initiator and donator was Councillor of Commerce Anders Wiklöf.* * *For more information, please contact:Hermanni Backer>Professional Secretary for Maritime, Response and Fish>HELCOM>Tel:  +358 46 8509199>Skype: helcom02>E-mail: hermanni.backer(at)helcom.fi

HELCOM Maritime receives Baltic Sea Fund Prize 2017 and contributes to award debate on the future of alternative fuels in shipping.

High-level representatives of the Baltic Sea countries and the EU will meet on 28 February 2017 on the occasion of the 38th Meeting of the Helsinki Commission to discuss how the ocean-related Sustainable Development Goals and targets can be met in the Baltic Sea by 2030, particularly in relation to eutrophication, marine litter and climate change.

The delegates will also focus on the role and tasks of HELCOM to support future implementation of SDGs, as well as discuss how HELCOM should enhance cooperation to reach effective results and which partnerships should be strengthened.

The high-level representatives are expected to adopt the Implementation Outlook of the Ocean-related SDGs in the Baltic Sea – A Roadmap to Agenda 2030, which will guide future work in HELCOM.

The high-level segment is organized in line with the priorities of EU Chairmanship of HELCOM (2016-2018).

HELCOM countries and EU have already contributed to achieving the UN goals by adopting the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and committing to a Baltic Sea in good environmental status by 2021.

Ten years since its adoption, 64 out of 106 regional actions and 11 out of 68 national level actions of the Baltic Sea Action Plan have been fully implemented so far, with successes in setting up a nutrient reduction scheme, curbing airborne emission and discharges from shipping, piloting ecosystem approach in maritime spatial planning, and covering 11.8% of the Baltic Sea with marine protected areas.

All these examples showcase the added value of a regional approach especially to reach the SDG 14 “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.”

The HELCOM high-level session is held in advance of the upcoming UN Conference “Our oceans, our future: partnering for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14” to be held on 5-9 June 2017 in New York, co-chaired and co-funded by Sweden together with Fiji. The conference is an opportunity to share experiences from the Baltic Sea region.

* * *

Note for editors

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as HELCOM, 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:
Susanna Kaasinen
Agri-Environment Coordinator, HELCOM
Tel. +358 40 536 5819
mail: susanna.kaasinen(at)helcom.fi​

​​​​​​​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.

​​​​​Major sectors in the Baltic Sea spoke out about HELCOM pollution reduction targetsMarine environment protection was high in the agenda of the EUSBSR Strategy Forum in Stockholm this week

Major sectors in the Baltic Sea spoke out about HELCOM pollution reduction targets in this week’s seminar in the EUSBSR Strategy Forum in Stockholm.