The Baltic Sea Action Plan will include identified measures needed to achieve the environmental objectives within a given timeframe, together with an assessment of the environmental, social and economic costs and benefits of these measures.
The Plan will distinguish between actions that can be implemented at regional or national level, and measures that can only be implemented at EU level (e.g. Common Fisheries Policy, Common Agricultural Policy, controls over the marketing and use of chemicals) or globally (e.g. the shipping controls defined by the International Maritime Organisation). Actions that need to be taken at European or global level must be addressed by HELCOM through the related international forums.

The Baltic Sea Action Plan will thus provide:

Timing
The consultations and preparation work for the Baltic Sea Action Plan began in the second half of 2005, and will continue until the autumn of 2007. This process includes the following major events:

HELCOM's Baltic Sea Action Plan receives strong support at its initial Stakeholder Conference

The concept of the Baltic Sea Action Plan, now being drafted by the Helsinki Commission to rescue the troubled Baltic marine environment, received overwhelming support at a Stakeholder Conference held on 7 March in Helsinki, where more than 200 participants, representing scientific and business communities, governments of the coastal countries, the EU, and major regional organisations, met to discuss the objectives of the strategy and to provide input for its further development.

One important feature of HELCOM's Baltic Sea Action Plan is that it is being devised with active participation from all major stakeholder groups - from governments, through industry and NGOs, right down to the individuals living on the shores of the Baltic Sea, to ensure that the HELCOM action plan is relevant and can be effectively implemented in practice. The kick-off Stakeholder Conference represented the starting point for this whole process. The Conference programme included a general presentation of the aims and timing of HELCOM's Baltic Sea Action Plan, a description of the state of marine environment, thematic sessions on the proposed objectives for the four key environmental issues (eutrophication, hazardous substances, biodiversity and shipping), and official statements made by high-level politicians.

Keynote speakers included Stefan Wallin, State Secretary of the Finnish Ministry of the Environment; Peter Gammeltoft, Head of the Water and Marine Unit of the Directorate General for Environment at the European Commission; Bob Dekker, OSPAR Chairman; Kornelius Sigmundsson, Chairman of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Council of the Baltic Sea States; Harro Pitkänen, Senior Vice President of the Nordic Investment Bank; Marjukka Porvari of the John Nurminen Foundation; Esa Härmälä, President of the Baltic Farmers Forum on Environment; Gunnar Norén, General Secretary of Coalition Clean Baltic; Sergej Olenin, Klaipeda University; Lasse Gustavsson, director of the WWF Baltic Ecoregion Program; Carsten Melchiors, Secretary General of BIMCO; and Tim Wilkins, Environmental Manager of INTERTANKO.

Commenting on the Helsinki Commission's work to create a strategic plan to rescue the marine environment, the State Secretary from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment Stefan Wallin underlined that "HELCOM is the only intergovernmental organisation within the Baltic Sea region with the mandate to deal comprehensively with the problems of the Baltic Sea, and to jointly agree on implementation of measures to preserve and protect the Baltic marine environment, to conserve natural habitats and biodiversity, and to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources within the Baltic Sea region". Wallin also noted that the preparation of the HELCOM action plan must be open-ended and transparent. "We must use this opportunity when preparing this new Baltic Sea Action Plan to make it as comprehensive and, at the same time, as realistic and action-oriented as possible."

The European Commission described the plan as "the cornerstone for further action" in the Baltic Sea region, and confirmed its intention to take an active part in its development over the coming months. The Commission thinks that in setting a definition of 'good ecological status' for the Baltic Sea as well as specific environmental targets and necessary measures, the Baltic Sea Action Plan will be instrumental to the successful implementation of the new EU Marine Strategy in the region. In this context the new plan makes HELCOM a forerunner, and a model to be followed by other regional marine conventions around Europe. The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) also backed the HELCOM action plan. The Chairman of the CBSS Committee of Senior Officials, Kornelius Sigmundsson, said that "the CBSS Presidency recognises the value of HELCOM's Baltic Sea Action Plan as a very important aspect of our region's joint efforts to achieve a healthy Baltic Sea environment." Sigmundsson also added that as an overall political forum for regional intergovernmental co-operation, the Council of the Baltic Sea States will continue to encourage and support HELCOM activities.

HELCOM approves core elements of the Baltic Sea Action Plan

Following the outcome of the Stakeholder Conference on the development of the Baltic Sea Action Plan, at its annual Meeting on 8-9 March 2006 HELCOM officially approved the core elements of the new environmental strategy to restore the Baltic Sea - a common vision of a healthy sea, and a set of Ecological Objectives to work towards so as to fulfil this vision.

"The general vision and objectives which we have approved will serve as a foundation for the further development of this innovative environmental strategy, and then during the implementation of the plan dictate the need for specific actions to be taken jointly by the Baltic Sea countries in order to restore the environment," said the Executive Secretary of HELCOM, Anne Christine Brusendorff. "In this way the protection of the marine environment is no longer seen as an event-driven pollution reduction approach to be undertaken sector-by-sector. Instead, the starting point is a common understanding and definition of a sea with a good ecological balance, which will define the needs for further reductions in pollution loads, as well as the extent of human activities. This approach is the best way to ensure a holistic and integrated policy approach," underlined Brusendorff. "This will also mean that we will see changes in HELCOM's approach concerning how to achieve a healthy Baltic Sea. HELCOM will no longer aim at "one-size-fits-all" solutions, but will seek tailor-made solutions with the responsiveness of the marine environment as the starting point."

The next crucial step in the development of the Baltic Sea Action Plan, which is expected to be finalised and adopted by HELCOM in November 2007, will be to identify and detail the kind of actions needed to achieve the agreed environmental objectives within a given timeframe for each of the four main environmental priority issues: curbing eutrophication, preventing pollution involving hazardous substances, improving safety of navigation and accident response capacity, and halting habitat destruction and the decline in biodiversity.

The annual Meeting of HELCOM also approved the establishment of an Ad Hoc Task Force for the development of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. This team consists of representatives nominated by the HELCOM Member States and other interested stakeholders, including representatives of NGOs and the private sector. One of the main objectives of the Ad Hoc Task Force is to ensure political commitment to the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, thereby maintaining a link between scientific work and relevant political processes.

HELCOM's annual Meeting also discussed working programmes, intersessional work and ongoing projects, including the GEF/World Bank-funded Baltic Sea Regional Project, as well as the activities of HELCOM subsidiary Groups. The Meeting additionally adopted an updated HELCOM Recommendation 16/8 on "Limitation of Emissions into Atmosphere and Discharges into Water from Incineration of Waste", which now contains new levels for emissions and discharges, including new limit values for dioxins in wastewater.

The idea behind the new action plan

Adopting a new approach to environment protection
The Helsinki Commission is preparing a Baltic Sea Action Plan to ensure that every possible step is taken to improve the state of the Baltic Sea. The action plan, which has already been widely heralded as a pilot project for the protection of European seas under the newly drafted EU Marine Strategy, will provide a unique opportunity to take joint wide-scale and decisive actions to achieve the ultimate target of having a healthy marine environment for present and future generations to enjoy.

The Baltic Sea Action Plan must be based on our common understanding of what we want our sea to be like in the future. HELCOM will naturally play a leading role in the realisation of our vision of a healthy Baltic Sea, by deciding on internationally agreed protective measures. But the future ultimately lies in the hands of everyone whose activities affect the Baltic marine environment. For this reason it is very important that the responsibility for creating and implementing the Baltic Sea Action Plan is shared by all stakeholders in both the private and the public sectors. This means that the action plan should be drawn up with active participation from stakeholders at many levels - from international organisations and governments; through activities which pollute the sea or depend on the sea for their livelihoods; right down to individual citizens, whose choices can help to reduce pollution.

The Baltic Sea Action Plan aims to safeguard the Baltic's natural ecosystems while also allowing valuable marine resources to be used sustainably in the future. The social and economic effects of the measures proposed for the plan will be carefully assessed, as well as their environmental benefits.

The sensitive nature of the Baltic Sea means that tailor-made measures must be applied to limit all the kinds of pollution that affect the sea.

This innovative plan is to be based on Ecological Objectives defined to reflect our common vision of a healthy Baltic Sea, with balanced ecosystems able to support a wide range of sustainable economic activities. Progress towards these objectives will be assessed through measurable ecological indicators devised by HELCOM's scientific experts. Objectives and indicators will be carefully selected to reflect the needs and wishes of everyone who has an interest in the Baltic Sea.

The 'good ecological status' of the Balic Sea will be defined on the basis of a holistic view, by balancing our wishes about the health of the sea with acceptable levels of human impact. With this ecosystem approach, the protection of the marine environment is no longer seen as an event-driven pollution reduction approach to be undertaken sector-by-sector. Instead, the starting point is a common understanding and definition of a sea with a good ecological balance, which will define the needs for further reductions in pollution loads as well as the extent of human activities.

Key issues requiring action:

Eutrophication
The natural balance of the Baltic Sea has been seriously disrupted by excessive nutrient inputs, which originate from diffuse sources like over-fertilised farmland and air pollution, as well as point sources like sewage treatment plants and industrial wastewater outlets. Symptoms of this eutrophication process include abnormal algal blooms and lifeless areas on the seabed.


Objective - A Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication
• Concentrations of nutrients close to natural levels
• Clear water
• Natural levels of algal blooms
• Natural distribution and occurrence of plants and animals
• Natural oxygen levels
Actions
• Reduce the amounts of nutrients entering rivers from diffuse sources, especially farmland
• Reduce nutrient pollution from the remaining "hot spots", such as wastewater treatment plants
• Reduce airborne nutrient pollution

Hazardous substances
In spite of efforts to reduce pollution, concentrations of hazardous substances remain abnormally high in the Baltic Sea and its marine life. Levels of dioxins in fish, for instance, are still above EU safety levels for foodstuffs.


Objective - Marine life undisturbed by hazardous substances
• Concentrations of hazardous substances close to natural levels
• All fish safe to eat
• Healthy wildlife
• Radioactivity at pre-Chernobyl levels
Actions
• Prevent the environmentally harmful use of hazardous substances
• Further reduce the amounts of hazardous substances entering the sea in rivers and from the air
• Safely dispose of old stocks of chemicals or equipment containing hazardous substances

Maritime activities
The Baltic's crowded shipping lanes are becoming busier as the economies of the countries around the Baltic Sea grow. This can lead to increased pollution and other pressures on the marine environment. The risk of a potentially disastrous oil spill is particularly rising as traffic intensifies.


Objective - Maritime activities in the Baltic Sea carried out in an environmentally friendly way
• No illegal pollution
• Safe maritime traffic without accidental pollution
• Efficient response capacity
• No introductions of alien species from ships
• Minimum air pollution from ships
• Zero discharge from offshore platforms
• Adequate capacity all around the Baltic to prevent or minimise pollution in oil spills and other emergencies
Actions
• Further reduce emissions and waste discharges
• Improve maritime safety
• Improve preparedness to respond to any accidents and pollution incidents

Biodiversity
The Baltic's unique conditions limit the diversity of life in the sea, and make ecosystems exceptionally sensitive to pollution, the effects of commercial fisheries and offshore activities, and the introduction of non-native species.


Objective - Favourable status of the Baltic Sea biodiversity
• Natural landscapes and seascapes
• Thriving and balanced communities of plants and animals
• Viable populations of species
Actions
• Set up a representative network of marine and coastal protected areas
• Prevent the introduction of non-native species
• Curb inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances

Defining Ecological Objectives for the action plan

A set of draft Ecological Objectives (EcoOs) and associated indicators, which will make up the core of the innovative Baltic Sea Action Plan, has been devised from elements of the ecosystem assessment concept developed in 2005 by the HELCOM EcoQO Project (Development of Ecological Quality Objectives for the Baltic Sea).

The creation of Ecological Objectives for the Baltic Sea has been part of HELCOM's post-Bremen efforts towards implementing an ecosystem approach for the Baltic Sea. In order to complete the task of defining "good environmental status" for the Baltic Sea in quantifiable terms HELCOM has selected a stepwise approach.

The first step involves the joint setting of general targets, embodied as Strategic Goals and Ecological Objectives. These "headlines" can then be used to communicate with a wider stakeholder community ranging from scientists and politicians to ordinary citizens. The aim is to use the Ecological Objectives as a tool to link environmental monitoring, assessments, research and management.

The HELCOM EcoQO Project has also sown the seeds for the next step in the process by drafting sets of measurable indicators for each Ecological Objective, thus also contributing to the ongoing revision of the HELCOM monitoring programmes. Using a common system of indicators will enable the monitoring results obtained by individual countries, agencies and scientists to be compared more easily, greatly facilitating the evaluation of the present state of the Baltic marine environment.

The final and most crucial step in implementing the ecosystem approach, defining exact targets for the indicators, is a complex issue requiring intensive research and modelling work. This work has already been initiated for eutrophication within the HELCOM EUTRO Project, and will continue for other parameters over the coming years. A new HELCOM Project "Marine ecological quality in the conceptual framework for assessing eutrophication" will specifically address biodiversity assessment issues. The project will run with EU funding until 2007.

Major political forums back HELCOM's new environmental strategy

The HELCOM initiative to draw up a Baltic Sea Action Plan has already been widely backed by several major forums in the region.

A communiqué from the 13th Ministerial Session of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), which was held on 9-10 June 2005 in Szczecin, Poland, reiterated the significance of the work of the Helsinki Commission, and welcomed its role in the development of the Action Plan. CBSS underlined that the plan could also be an important contribution to the European Marine Strategy, which foresees a separate action plan for each European sea.

The 6th VASAB Conference of Ministers responsible for spatial planning and development in the Baltic Sea Region, held on 19 September 2005 in Gdansk, Poland, also welcomed the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, stating that it should be duly considered when dealing with spatial planning issues related to the marine environment.

A resolution made by the 14th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 29-30 August 2005, following a presentation about the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, underlined the importance of the harmonised implementation of the European Marine Strategy in the whole catchment area of the Baltic Sea, making use of established regional co-operation procedures within HELCOM. The Baltic Sea Informal Meeting for Ministers of the Environment, held on 23 November 2005 in Stockholm, Sweden, stressed that the Helsinki Commission is the best focal point for co-ordinating activities to improve the ecological status of the Baltic Sea, and stated that the forthcoming "HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan should be the guiding instrument for further action" in the region. It was proposed that the Baltic Sea Action Plan should be made a "pilot project" under the newly drafted EU Marine Strategy, which in the future foresees a separate action plan for each of Europe's seas.