30 years of protecting the

HELCOM 1974–2004

Helsinki Commission Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission Contents

Message from the President of Ms Tarja Halonen 3

Foreword Ms Inese Vaidere 4

HELCOM – A Bridge between East and West 5

The Helsinki Convention – the birth of a success story Mr Peter Ehlers 6

HELCOM and the EU – towards a new partnership Ms Margot Wallström 8

The Baltic – A Sea of Change Mr Harald Velner 10

Whose responsibility is it to keep the Baltic Sea clean? Ms Sylvia Bretschneider 12

How have pollution loads changed over the last 30 years? 14

Why is eutrophication so diffi cult to tackle in the Baltic Sea region? Mr Mika Raateoja and Mr Heikki Pitkänen 15

How powerful are HELCOM’s tools to protect the Baltic Sea in legal terms? Mr Fleming Otzen 19

How do International Financial Institutions assess the cooperation with HELCOM? Mr Roland Randefelt 20

How has co-operation between intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations changed since the 1970s? Mr Risto Veivo 23

The Operation of the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP) Mr Göte Svenson 24

The Baltic through children’s eyes Mr Fran Weaver 26 Message from the President of Finland Ms Tarja Halonen

Dear Friends of the Baltic Sea, emissions. At the same 3 HELCOM 1974–2004 I belong to the privileged group of people who can time, the technical and say that they have almost daily contact with the safety level of the ships Baltic Sea. Through the windows of my home and used on the Baltic should offi ce I have the opportunity to follow the seasonal be improved. These two changes of the magnifi cent marine landscape. The goals are also included aesthetic and environmental values of the Baltic in Finland’s National Pro- Sea are vast, but this area has also turned into one gramme for the Protec- of the most dynamic economic regions in Europe tion of the Baltic Sea; and – and even worldwide. It is crucial that the present the implementation of generations, and generations to come, take proper this programme is among care of this sea. the Finnish government’s top environmental priori- The Helsinki Commission has served during the ties. The overall state of last 30 years as the main environmental actor in the Baltic Sea, however, the Baltic region. The signing of the Convention can only be improved by in 1974 by the seven Baltic coastal states was a continued and active work in all the coastal states, historical milestone, because for the fi rst time ever, and through joint international actions. all the sources of pollution around an entire sea were made subject to a single convention. Due to Within the framework of the Helsinki Commission, subsequent political changes in the area, and devel- the implementation of the decisions of the Bremen opments in international environmental and mari- Ministerial Meeting 2003 represents the next con- time law, the need for a new updated convention crete step along this road. The full enforcement became obvious, and in 1992 a new convention of the network of Baltic Sea Protected Areas is an was signed by all the states bordering on the Baltic essential part of efforts to improve nature con- Sea, and the European Community. servation and the protection of biodiversity. The Helsinki Commission also has an important role Over the years, the Helsinki Commission has been in the development of the EU Marine Strategy, as able to provide timely information about environ- well in the preparation of regulations for winter mental trends and the state of this fragile marine navigation. ecosystem. It has also acted as the overall environ- mental policy maker establishing common environ- Citizens’ commitment to sustainable development mental objectives and actions for the protection of should be refl ected in political decision-making. the Baltic Sea. Environmental questions have been the crucial factor triggering the new global civic responsibility. Now on the eve of the EU’s enlargement, the role The Helsinki Commission can continue to work to and priorities of the Helsinki Commission are being improve the well-being of the Baltic Sea while also discussed actively again. Even though signifi cant contributing to the global responsibility, by trans- progress has been made, much is still to be done. ferring experience and knowledge to less devel- The Baltic Sea is still one of the world’s most pol- oped regional programmes established to protect luted seas, and the Helsinki Commission will also in the marine environment around the world. years to come have a crucial role in ensuring that all our combined efforts are effective.

The main problems in the Baltic at the moment are the eutrophication caused by excessive nutri- ent loads, and the risk of serious accidents due to Tarja Halonen increasing oil transport. We urgently need actions to reduce industrial, agricultural and municipal President of the Republic of Finland Foreword

4 Home. Living. Connection. Leisure. people and organisations who believe the protec- HELCOM 1974–2004 These are just a few of the many meanings of the tion of the Baltic marine environment is an issue Baltic Sea – which has always been an unalienable that should not be clouded by economic and politi- part of the lives of the people living around its cal constraints. shores. Although each of us has our own unique relationship with the sea, the quality of the marine The impending enlargement of the European environment is directly connected with everyone’s Union will again change the political setting, quality of life. bringing many of the countries around the Baltic Sea closer together than ever before. This should An increasing awareness of the crucial role of greatly facilitate joint environmental protection the sea in our lives fi rst led the governments of work throughout the region. the Baltic Sea states to take action exactly three decades ago, setting an example for the world by I am proud to have the honour to present this signing the fi rst international agreement covering special jubilee publication, which celebrates the all aspects of the protection of a marine environ- thirtieth anniversary of the Helsinki Convention ment shared by many countries the Helsinki by encapsulating three decades of work by the Convention. Helsinki Commission to protect the Baltic marine environment, as well as the individual experiences The fruits of this agreement have shown that in of many of the people who have made valuable such circumstances only common, co-ordinated contributions to this work. action can be truly effective. This innovative instru- ment for the protection of the marine environment has subsequently been adapted and applied to protect various seas around the world. Ever since Prof.Dr. Inese Vaidere the 1970s, the processes related to the Helsinki Convention have come to involve more and more Chair of the Helsinki Commission HELCOM – A Bridge between East and West

Three centuries ago, Tsar Peter the Great was the joint endeavour to protect their common sea. 5 HELCOM 1974–2004 fi rst authority to recommend strict measures to There was widespread astonishment that so many protect the Baltic marine environment: radically different states could all sign the 1974 Helsinki Convention under the prevailing political “The riverbanks and sewers [of St Petersburg] must conditions. be well contained so that they are not covered with earth. Every citizen is responsible for keeping Water remains in the Baltic for up to 30 years the bank in front of his house clean. All garbage – along with all the organic and inorganic matter should be collected and brought to a certain place it contains. – but in no way dumped in the river. Culprits must be punished harshly.” The political environment will change again with the enlargement of the EU, and the future of our Three decades ago, a much wider set of recom- common sea will once more depend on HELCOM’s mendations was issued when all the countries bor- extensive experience serving as a bridge between dering on the Baltic agreed in an unprecedented East and West.

Increasing awareness of the First intergovernmental deteriorating environmental expert meeting about situation of the Baltic Sea the Baltic Sea 1973 1960s The Confer- ence on the Human Environ- 1972 ment in Stockholm The Helsinki Convention – the birth of a success story Mr Peter Ehlers, former Chairman of the Helsinki Commission (1984–86, 2000–2002)

6 The dawn of a new era Encouraging results HELCOM 1974–2004 Co-operation around the Baltic started during the The many measures taken by the Helsinki Com- Cold War era, when this region was divided by the mission over three decades have not been in vain. Iron Curtain. The protection of the Baltic Sea was The environmental situation in the Baltic Sea is no one of the very fi rst issues which the Baltic Sea longer deteriorating, but has improved in various States agreed to co-operate on. It can justifi ably fi elds. This is an encouraging result, but this be said that wide-ranging co-operation within the work is by no means going to be fi nalised in the bodies of the Helsinki Commission, established near future, as there is still much to do. Further by the convention in 1974, and the personal con- measures are needed, particularly with regard to tacts made through this work all led to improved curbing eutrophication and phasing out hazardous understanding, greater openness and mutual substances, but also where the conservation of understanding. In a modest way, this helped to marine habitats and the sustainable use of natural overcome the split of the world into East and West, resources are concerned. and later to tear down the Iron Curtain. Those who participated in the 1990 Ronneby Conference of The road ahead the Heads of Governments of the Baltic Sea States will never forget this event, which marked the The future role of the Helsinki Commission will beginning of a new era not only with regard to be strongly infl uenced and even dominated by marine environment protection. growing regional and European co-operation. In this respect, closer links with other marine areas HELCOM in brief are indispensable, so that we can aim for the har- The Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) monisation of comparable decisions. This is particu- The Helsinki Commission works to protect the marine environment of the larly true concerning the work of the OSPAR Com- Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental co- mission in the Northeast Atlantic region. Promising operation between , , the European Community, Finland, steps have already been taken in this direction by , , , , and . the fi rst joint ministerial meeting of both commis- HELCOM is the administrative body of the “Convention on the Protection of sions, held in Germany in 2003. the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area” - more usually known as the Helsinki Convention. European unifi cation and enlargement The 1974 Convention For the fi rst time ever, all the sources of pollution around an entire sea were In the longer run, the accession of four more Baltic made subject to a single convention, signed in 1974 by the then seven Baltic Sea States to the European Union this year will coastal states. The 1974 Convention entered into force on 3 May 1980. radically change the tasks and competencies of the Helsinki Commission. Starting with the European The 1992 Convention Water Framework Directive, it becomes apparent In the light of political changes, and developments in international environ- that marine environment protection will in future mental and maritime law, a new convention was signed in 1992 by all the be a high-ranking issue for the European Com- states bordering on the Baltic Sea, and the European Community. After rati- munity. One benefi t of this will be that in contrast fi cation the Convention entered into force on 17 January 2000. The Conven- to the Recommendations of the Helsinki Commis- tion covers the whole of the Baltic Sea area, including inland waters as well sion, Community decisions are legally binding and as the water of the sea itself and the sea-bed. Measures are also taken in the can be sanctioned. On the other hand, regional whole catchment area of the Baltic Sea to reduce land-based pollution.

Diplomatic conference The fi rst Convention on the signs the Helsinki protection of the Baltic Sea is Convention (22.3.74) signed by the coastal states. 1974 Regional Seas Conventions The “Antonio Gramsci” and related Protocols oil spill (5,500 tonnes) 1975 1979 expertise will still be needed, as problems in the Questions and Answers 7 HELCOM 1974–2004 Baltic Sea area may differ considerably from those Protecting a whole sea involves organisations and people from elsewhere in Europe. all walks of life – including lawyers, bankers, politicians, scien- tists, factory owners and municipalities. Over the last 30 years, many people have worked with the Helsinki Commission and Back to HELCOM’s roots become members or friends of the HELCOM family. We invited The Helsinki Commission will continue to play an some of them to share their views on the past 30 years of co- important role in assessing the environmental state operation. of the Baltic, and in elaborating measures, even though decision-making tasks might be taken over What does the future hold in store for the Baltic? by other European bodies. Mr Marcin Plinski, Gdansk University, Poland: Another task of outstanding importance for I think that the expansion of the EU will be good for our Baltic HELCOM will be to strengthen indispensable links Sea, because the majority of the pollution stems from contami- with Russia. Close and proactive co-operation nated soil. If there are the same environmental and economic between Russia and the Baltic Sea EU Member standards everywhere, however, there will be a reduction in States is a vital prerequisite for any further progress Baltic Sea pollution. in environmental protection. In a sense, this means returning to the Helsinki Commission’s roots as a Mr Stanislaw Uminski, Gdansk University European major contributor to a process of integration. Hope- Center, Poland: fully HELCOM will be successful again in this role. The integration of the countries bordering on the Baltic Sea seems to be accelerating fastest on the environmental front. Several persistent organic Many observers believe that otherwise the countries remain pollutants (POPs) including more divided than united. organochlorine pesticides such as DDT and technical grade HCH have been completely banned since the 1980s.

The 1974 Helsinki Convention Guidelines for the Baltic Monitor- – Monitoring of physical, variables starts in the enters into force (3.5.80) ing Programme for the First Stage chemical and biological open sea 1980 HELCOM and the EU – towards a new partnership Ms Margot Wallström, EU Commissioner for the Environment

8 The Baltic Sea is one of the world’s most extraordi- transformations have also taken place in the area. HELCOM 1974–2004 nary seas and the largest body of brackish water on For a long time, HELCOM offered one of the few the planet. The beauty and great variety of the sea opportunities for an East-West dialogue. and its surrounding landscapes are unique. Since the last Ice Age, the Baltic has gone through various In the early seventies, when HELCOM was founded transformations, having been at various times a and got down to work, only two of the contract- strait, a large bay, a lake and now an inland sea con- ing parties, Germany and Denmark, were members nected to the world’s oceans by narrow straits. of the European Community. The Community itself also benefi ted from the lead set by HELCOM, Throughout the thirty years of HELCOM’s history, since environmental policymaking for the then 10 various major geopolitical, political and economic member states was still in its early stages.

Now, the Iron Curtain is long gone, and the Euro- How have attitudes towards the sea changed since the 1970s? pean Union is about to enlarge eastwards. Among Ms Eeva Furman, Marine Biologist, Finnish Environment the countries that will join the EU on 1 May 2004 Institute: are Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. This will In the 1970s it was common to fl ush the “toilet” of sailing boats bring a large new area under the umbrella of EU and other leisure craft straight into the sea, or wash one’s hair in environmental protection policies. Without doubt, the water. this will be to the advantage of the Baltic Sea environment. Today, people pay more attention to their everyday activities: peeing from the shoreline into the sea is not very popular anymore, either! However, despite some remarkable progress in recent years, the overall state of the Baltic Sea Mr Paavo Tulkki, Finnish Institute of Marine Research: environment is still unsatisfactory. The EU has The amount of information presented to citizens on the nature and recognised that some of its policies, on issues state of the Baltic Sea has greatly increased, which is important for such as fi sheries, agriculture and transport, were environmental awareness. developed for other reasons than to protect the marine environment. These policies are now being Mr Sergej Jakutseni, director of the State Control Department reformed with a view to controlling the pressures for the Northwestern Region of Russia: and improving the quality of European seas. This For us, environmental protection is a new concept: our authority was requires integrated action. The implementation of only established four years ago. EU environmental legislation in the new member states will contribute to this goal, reducing the pol- Mr Felix Karmasinov, director of St Petersburg’s Vodokanal lution that the Baltic Sea is exposed to. water supply and sewerage company, Russian Federation: 25 years ago in St. Petersburg - I mean then in Leningrad - there were In 2002, the launched a absolutely no water treatment plants. That means that until 1979, process to develop a European Marine Strategy. everything went into the Neva and its tributaries exactly as it left This strategy will represent a signifi cant step industries or sewerage systems - and there were a lot. In St. Peters- forward in the development of a single, coherent burg alone there were 30,000 so-called “direct drains”, in addition policy for the conservation and protection of the to obsolete sewage systems, chemical sewage and so on… fragile resources that are our seas. Each policy

Assessment of the Effects of HELCOM’s fi rst scientifi c Pollution on the Natural Resources assessment of the state of of the Baltic Sea (1980) the Baltic marine environment 1981 The “Globe Asimi” oil spill UN Convention on the Law A constitution for the oceans (16,000 tonnes) of the Sea (UNCLOS) is created, comprehensively 1982 1981 regulating the balance between Some of the fi sh caught in the Baltic Sea exceed the EU limits on concentrations of dioxin in food and livestock feed. sector will have to consider the side effects, posi- join forces. For the Baltic Sea, HELCOM is the key 9 HELCOM 1974–2004 tive or negative, that it has on other sectors and on player in this process. Together, we must exploit marine ecosystems. This is, in simple terms, what every opportunity for synergies, co-operation and scientists call an ecosystem approach to the man- co-ordination. This will undoubtedly require a agement of human activities. change in how HELCOM operates. But at the same time, it provides an opportunity for HELCOM to To make this strategy effective from the Baltic to strengthen its role as the ‘promoter’ of a healthy the Black Sea – and ultimately globally – all interna- Baltic Sea environment in the enlarged European tional governmental and non-governmental organ- Union, and as a think-tank offering solutions that isations concerned with marine management must can be applied even more widely.

Manual on co-operation in combating marine pollution 1983 the freedom of the oceans and the oceans in the interests of The Chernobyl accident the right and duty to wisely use present and future generations 1986 The Baltic – A Sea of Change Mr Harald Velner, former Chairman of the Helsinki Commission (1990–92, 1994–96) and former Executive Secretary (1984-88)

10 During my work as Executive Secretary of the Hel- Parties of the Commission were much smaller than HELCOM 1974–2004 sinki Commission from 1984 to 1988, the atmos- the true loads. For example, pollution loads from phere in the Secretariat was very good. However, the city of Leningrad (nowadays St Petersburg) my job as Executive Secretary was not easy at all – the largest city around the Baltic Sea – were cal- times, because of my Soviet citizenship. During culated on the basis of water quality data from the discussions on controversial questions it was nec- River Neva alone, omitting information from major essary, but challenging, to fi nd compromises that point sources and the effects of sewage water would satisfy all the Contracting Parties, especially purifi cation plants. The same situation occurred for the Soviet Union. pollution load data for the River Vistula, the Gulf of Gdansk, Riga and other coastal cities. Clean data – clean water On the other hand, the Soviet Union did support One highly controversial issue was the two differ- the proposals of the Scandinavian Contracting ent scientifi c approaches used by the Contracting Parties to limit harmful substances, biological Parties to calculate permissible pollution loads: the oxygen demand and phosphorus inputs on several Western approach, which measured “loads at the occasions. end of the sewerage pipeline”, and the Eastern European approach, which concerned “limitation Serving two masters of pollution in the recipient water body”. This latter method allowed the authorities to calculate Political changes during my Chairmanship between permissible pollu- 1990 and 1992 represented further personal chal- The conservation work of HELCOM has tion loads without lenges for me. While I was nominated Chairman of contributed to many success stories, disclosing pollution HELCOM in 1990 by the Soviet Union, my country including: load data from of origin Estonia entered a transition period to – The recovery of white-tailed eagle point sources. independence, which ended in 1992. During populations around the Baltic Sea the interim period I continued my Chairmanship, – The return of the cormorant to the Another chal- having been adopted by both Estonia and the whole region lenge was how to Russian Federation, but this was not an easy role – Early signs of recovery in Baltic wild monitor and assess for me. I was happy to succeed in setting up the salmon populations water quality in the crucial 1992 Commission Meeting with the help of – Increasing numbers of seals in Baltic Sea. While in all the Contracting Parties. northern areas of the Baltic Sea the open sea moni- toring was carried out jointly by all Contracting By the time I served as Chairman of HELCOM Parties, monitoring in coastal waters was subject to from 1994 to 1996 – nominated by the Republic national responsibility, and no direct international of Estonia – the working situation of the Helsinki control was possible. Commission had changed considerably once more. Ten Contracting Parties were now working In this way the integrated data – reported once a together in a highly co-operative working atmos- year by all the Contracting Parties – did not fully phere, following the signing of the new Conven- match reality consistently. Sometimes, the pollu- tion on the Protection of the Baltic Sea in 1992. tion load data reported by the Eastern Contracting The national reports presented to HELCOM were

First Periodic Assessment of the The fi rst major scientifi c State of the Marine Environment assessment on the Baltic marine based on data from HELCOM’s First Baltic Sea Pollution of the Baltic Sea Area (1980-1985) environment is published, monitoring programmes. Load Compilation 1987 now more open and representative of the real situ- How have attitudes towards the sea changed since 11 HELCOM 1974–2004 ation in the Baltic marine area, and the pollution the 1970s? load data was more accurate than ever before. Mr Ilmari Aro, former ice-breaker captain of the HELCOM’s work concentrated more on fulfi lling Finnish Maritime Administration: Task Force decisions, and co-ordinating support During the 1970s all possible materials were just thrown over for different “Hot Spots” around the region. The board, if they were no longer needed. atmosphere and working style of the working groups and commissions were highly professional Ms Ilkka Viitasalo, Committee and Board of Offi cers and friendly, and technical discussions were no member of the Baltic Marine Biologists, former longer unduly infl uenced by any political positions. researcher at the Environment Centre of the City of Helsinki, Finland: The attitudes of the general public have changed most. During the 1990s, lead deposition People have slowly learned to love the Sea. There are, declined by more than 50%, however, differences between age groups, income levels mainly due to the increased use of families and nationalities, and even between sexes. of unleaded petrol. Whatever the differences are, we all seem to be beginning to realise that because the Sea with its endless supply of resources and possibilities is free for everybody, we all must carry our responsibility for its protection, too.

HELCOM Ministerial Decla- The 1988 Ministerial Meeting ration: 50% reduction goal was a turning point in the The fi rst joint assessment of pollutants from all the for nutrients and hazardous history of the Commission, and quantifying waterborne inputs countries around the Baltic Sea substances by 1995 laid down the cornerstone for 1988 Whose responsibility is it to keep the Baltic Sea clean? Ms Sylvia Bretschneider, Landtag Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC)

12 A clean Baltic Sea is the responsibility of everyone Since the costs of fi nancing the necessary meas- HELCOM 1974–2004 living and working around the sea. This responsibil- ures are often beyond the fi nancial scope of ity begins with individuals whose actions directly the Baltic Sea states, such problems can only be or indirectly affect the Baltic Sea, and it ends with resolved jointly, by setting priorities. HELCOM globally acting institutions such as the International has adopted an effective approach, choosing to Maritime Organisation. In international institutions start by combating pollution in hot spots, since or intergovernmental agreements, governments this helps to achieve the greatest successes with defi ne the framework conditions that help to the limited funds available. Governments have to better protect or ecologically upgrade the marine become even more aware that spending funds environment. Such measures must not be limited preventively in order to limit emissions from pol- to the sea itself, but must already begin on land, luters is ultimately much more cost-effective and throughout the catchment area of the Baltic Sea. will produce much faster results than implement-

notable changes in the political tal activities at all levels, and motivation for controlling marine served as a starting point Report on the deposition of pollution. The new reduction for advanced environmental airborne pollutants in the Baltic targets triggered environmen- policies. First BALEX DELTA exercise Sea area 1983-1985 and 1986

Liberalisation in Eastern Detailed observations of levels Europe leads to closer of some radionuclides in the 1989contacts 1989 between the Baltic Baltic Sea due to fallout from Sea countries the Chernobyl accident ing long-term and expensive remedial measures to How have attitudes towards the sea changed since 13 HELCOM 1974–2004 clean up polluted sites. Industries in some Western the 1970s? European countries have already demonstrated Mr Paavo Tulkki, Finnish Institute of Marine that it is possible to operate more economically, Research: more effi ciently and ultimately also more profi tably Still in the 1960s any garbage accumulated during a stay by using limited funds selectively. Over the past in harbour was simply thrown into the sea when the ship two decades, many segments of industry have thus had left the harbour and passed the boundary of territo- substantially helped to reduce pollution. rial waters three miles off the outermost skerries. Even garbage from a Finnish research vessel was disposed of However, the primary responsibility rests with each in this way. In just a few hours this rubbish could end up and every individual who through his or her own on the beaches of the outer and inner archipelagos, if the actions can make a contribution of some kind wind direction was suitable. Today the same still happens to protecting the Baltic Sea. The question as to in the , but the trash – according to the whether natural resources are used sensitively and texts written on it – does not originate from the Nordic sparingly depends on the individual’s awareness. countries, but from Russia, Germany, Netherlands, Poland When it comes to the environmental of and other countries. all age groups and social strata, in many Baltic Sea countries there is still a vast untapped potential that should be used more effectively. In future, sary to share responsibilities in order to avoid an HELCOM might also try to improve networking imbalance in the burden to be borne by the various between policy-makers, academics and the educa- Baltic Sea states. tional sector. National governments will also have to impose overall limits on the inputs of nutrients and pollut- The challenge of controlling diffuse ants. In this context, bans on the use of harmful pollution and hazardous substances or environmentally hazardous substances should The prerequisite for effective control is continuous not be ruled out. In this context, governments and extensive monitoring on a suitably small scale, should refrain from allowing transitional phase-out in order to record the inputs of both nutrients and periods of many years, particularly in the agricul- pollutants in detail. To this end, it will be neces- tural sector.

Finally, it will be necessary to create economic incentives in order to achieve the agreed reduction targets. However, adopting measures in the Baltic In 1992, the spawning stock biomass Sea area alone will not be suffi cient, especially of cod in the Baltic reached a record where diffuse airborne pollution is concerned. In low. Particularly in the eastern Baltic, future, there should also be closer co-operation at cod stocks are seriously overexploited pan-European level to ensure that the Baltic Sea and their numbers are below safe area will speak with one voice, thus increasing the biological limits. chances of success.

HELCOM Recommendation No. 100 adopted The revised Helsinki Conven- tion is signed by the Baltic At a major Diplomatic The fi rst HELCOM assessment First joint airborne Sea States and the European Conference, the Baltic Sea on airborne pollution inputs. Community Environmental Declaration surveillance 1992

Prime Ministerial Meeting in UN Conference on Environ- For the fi rst time environmental Ronneby – “The Baltic Sea ment and Development and issues were discussed at global 1992 1990Declaration” 1990 Agenda 21 (UNCED, Rio) level. The Agenda 21 process was How have pollution loads changed over the last 30 years?

14 Pollution loads from point sources, such as indus- Most of the total nutrient load entering the Baltic HELCOM 1974–2004 trial plants and municipalities, have decreased today comes from diffuse sources. Agricultural signifi cantly since the 1970s, due to technological production fell sharply in all the transition coun- improvements and the construction of new waste tries after the late 1980s, contributing to steeper water treatment plants. Such improvements gener- reductions in nutrient leaching than those achieved ally started in the present EU member countries in the present EU countries, where reductions before the 1980s, whereas progress in the transi- in nutrient loads from agriculture have not been tion countries has mainly occurred since 1990. as clear as for point sources. This can partly be explained by the considerable time lag between the implementation of water protection measures Development of BOD7-discharges from and their effects in water bodies. point sources in Finland 500 Heavy metal concentrations 450 in the Baltic Sea are many 400 times higher than in the 350 northern Atlantic, and have not 300 decreased since the 1990s. 250 200 1000 tonnes 150 100 50 Municipalities 0 Industry 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002

Use of fertilizers in late 1980's and 1995 (kg/ha) 350

300

250

200

kg/ha 150

100

50 Phosphorus 0 Nitrogen 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 FI late 80's PL late 80's LT late 80's EE late 80's SE late 80's LV late 80's DE late 80's RU late 80's DK late 80's

approves the Baltic Sea Joint and establishes the The concept of Baltic Sea pol- interest on curbing pollution Environmental Action Pro- Programme Implementation lution Hot Spots is established, in the catchment area of gramme (JCP) Task Force (PITF) and helps to focus public the Baltic.

also initiated, and the concept Gdansk Declaration (High of “sustainability” appeared in Level Conference on an environmental context 1993 Resource Mobilization) Why is eutrophication so diffi cult to tackle in the Baltic Sea region? Mr Mika Raateoja, Finnish Institute of Marine Research, and Mr Heikki Pitkänen, of the Finnish Environment Institute

Eutrophication has long been considered as one been small. This can be explained by the long reten- 15 HELCOM 1974–2004 of the most serious threats to the Baltic Sea envi- tion periods of old nutrient inputs in agricultural ronment. Since this fi rst became apparent in the soils. The situation in farmland in the Baltic’s catch- 1970s and the 1980s, the countries around the ment area is somehow analogous to the situation in Baltic have directed considerable fi nancial invest- the bottom sediments; it will take a long time to get ments into reducing nutrient discharges into the rid of the nutrients that have been accumulating in sea. The aim of these measures is to curb eutrophi- the soils over many years of over-fertilisation. cation (a process that leads to increases in total biomass and the production of phytoplankton and From this perspective, it is easy to understand that macroalgae) and its adverse effects – such as the decision-makers can sometimes fi nd it hard to spread of extensive anoxic areas on the sea-bed, fully understand the need for fi nancial investments where no higher life-forms can survive. But in spite in improvements at municipal wastewater treat- of all these efforts, and some notable successes in ment plants and other measures to reduce the reducing nutrient loads, the Baltic seems to keep resisting, and eutrophication problems persist. What kinds of changes have you noticed in the Baltic Sea over Even though the natural characteristics of the Baltic the last 30 years? Sea system facilitate eutrophication, the current Mr Henryk Sniegocki, ship’s captain and director of the Polish situation is largely anthropogenic: the nutrient Sea Academy in Gdynia, Poland: reserves in sediments are excessively high, as a When I began sailing in 1972, the water was much cleaner. I can result of heavy nutrient loads entering the sea over remember how we used to be able to see the sea-fl oor one or two a long period, from human settlements, industry miles before we reached the coast, where the water was one or two and agricultural activities. metres deep. In some places today you can’t see the bottom at all anymore, even when you’re standing knee deep in the water For decades, the Baltic acted as a buffer against these continuous nutrient loads, but the eutrophi- Mr Piotr Bykowski, Institute for Marine Commerce in Gdynia, cation process now functions similarly in both Poland: ways; and it will take considerable time before the Baltic herrings have been getting smaller and thinner, and their biogenic pool of nutrients moving between the percentage of body fat has decreased from 15% to 7%. Without water and the sediments is reduced to below a fat, the herring is not well suited for certain dishes, so people have critical threshold at which improvements will really been buying the bigger, fatter herring, from Norwegian waters begin to become evident. – with bad consequences for the Baltic fi shermen.

Furthermore, experiences from EU countries have Ms Eeva Furman, Marine Biologist, Finnish Environment shown that even in cases when the use of fertilisers Institute: has been greatly reduced, the corresponding changes Negative changes in the environment include the lack of clarity in the in the nutrient loads entering water recipients have water, the increasing occurrence of slimy algae along the coast, and intensifi ed blue-green algal blooms. Almost 35% of the total nitrogen load entering the Baltic Sea originates from airborne inputs.

Establishment of the Baltic Sea regions of the Baltic Sea to protect First Assessment of the A joint report prepared on the Protected Areas (BSPAs) vulnerable habitats and species State of the Coastal Waters basis of national reports submit- The initiation of a network of coastal First JCP Hot Spot deleted of the Baltic Sea ted by all Contracting Parties and open sea areas covering all sub- from the List of Hot Spots 1993 1994 In August 2002, bottom-dwelling animals died across large areas of the Kattegat, the Belt Sea, the Sound and the Western Baltic Sea following serious oxygen depletion. 16 HELCOM 1974–2004

The Baltic Strategy for the including waste minimization Baltic Strategy for Port reception of ship-generated onboard, the application of best wastes addresses issues available technologies onboard 1996 Reception Facilities Global Programme of Action The Visby Summit reviews The Kalmar Communique A target is set for the cessation of for the Protection of the regional cooperation in (CBSS) emissions, discharges and losses 1995 Marine Environment from 1996 the light of sustainable of hazardous substances within Land-based Activities development. one generation. nutrient loads entering the Baltic. The whole task 17 HELCOM 1974–2004 might feel like tilting at windmills in many respects. The science of eutrophication Compared to other estuarine-like sea areas, the area-specifi c nutrient It will certainly take time before we can steer the loading of the Baltic is not very high. But the Baltic is very sensitive to nutri- state of the Baltic to a new, improving path, but ent inputs and other external perturbations due to its small water volume, this time-period can be shortened by active, sus- poor water exchange with the North Sea, and particularly the strong tained, and co-ordinated water protection meas- salinity stratifi cation caused by infl ows of saltier North Sea water, and the ures taken by the countries surrounding the Baltic. voluminous river water input into the Baltic. As a result, eutrophication has The windmills are not necessarily unbeatable on advanced in the open Baltic Sea, despite reductions in nutrient loads, and this occasion, although any far-sighted policy must positive changes have been evident only in some restricted coastal waters. take into account the inevitable time lag between investments and the actual results. The increased production of organic matter associated with eutrophication boosts the fl ux of organic matter into bottom sediments. Decomposition In defi ning the desired state of the Baltic for the of this matter leads, in turn, to a considerable oxygen demand, facilitating future, we have to be realistic. The most conspicuous hypoxic/anoxic conditions at the sediment-water interface. In this condition, manifestations of eutrophication within the Baltic, the inorganic nutrients already bound to sediments get released back into intensifi ed mass occurrences of blue-green algae, are the water column. The process is called internal loading. in fact natural phenomena that have occurred here since long before the era of industralisation – even In the Baltic, the reasons for internal loading include the Baltic’s unique for thousands of years. Only their present extent and hydrodynamics, as well as the high accumulation of organic matter. intensity can be put down to eutrophication. This means we should not expect the Baltic to return to Poor oxygen conditions some kind of pristine environmental state, but we The poor oxygen conditions in the deeper waters of the Baltic are largely must nonetheless strive to return the sea to a state caused by the permanent salinity stratifi cation and seasonal temperature that will guarantee that the high value of the Baltic stratifi cation within the sea. The resulting density gradients prevent vertical for livelihoods and recreational purposes will be pre- mixing, thus isolating deeper waters from the atmospheric oxygen supply. served for future generations. For the deeper parts of the Baltic, the only occasional source of oxygen is infl ows of water from the North Sea, so oxygen reserves in deeper waters are only renewed very slowly. There is clear evidence that poor oxygen con- Gaining control ditions nowadays exist in shallower areas than earlier. This may be due to over eutrophication increased organic sedimentation, changes in climatic conditions or structural Measures taken against eutrophication must be changes in stratifi cation. effective, and must cover all the important sectors causing nutrient losses. So far, efforts at reducing Whichever of these factors is the primary cause, the effect remains the same: phosphorus from municipal and industrial sources inorganic nutrients, released from sediments, end up fuelling primary pro- have been clearly more successful than those duction. This internal nutrient source, mainly concerning phosphorus, is out aimed to reduce agricultural loading. The technol- of our immediate control. These nutrients fertilise the Baltic ecosystem also ogy also exists for the effi cient removal of nitrogen during late-summer - when the availability of phosphorus is usually the key factor limiting the growth of blue-green algae, and when the availability of phosphorus is otherwise dependent on the decomposition of organic matter. The spring algal bloom in 2003 was the most intense since 1992.

and ashore, information and appropriate measures in Reception Facilities is elabo- systems, port state control, cases of violations. HELCOM rated for the implementation enforcement of regulations, Recommendation 17/11 on of the Strategy.

First World Water Forum, Marrakech 1997 In 2000, about 660,000 tonnes of nitrogen and 28,000 tonnes of phosphorus entered the Baltic Sea via rivers, most notably the Neva, 18 With regard to agriculture, reductions in loads HELCOM 1974–2004 Nemunas, Vistula, and Oder rivers. have only been substantial in the countries where radical political changes have reshaped agriculture, from waste water, and as a result of HELCOM’s namely the Baltic States and Russia. These reduc- recommendations and EU legislation, nitrogen tions have occurred due to substantial reductions loads from both municipal and industrial sources in the use of both artifi cial and organic fertilisers, have decreased. and in the number of livestock. As economic recov- ery progresses in Russia, and the Baltic States and Nutrient loads within the Baltic catchment area Poland join the EU, more effective methods are have decreased over the last 15 years – partly due likely to be applied in agricultural production. This to active water protection measures, but also due may result in increased nutrient loads again. These to changes in the economic systems of the Baltic trends will be highly dependent on the future agri- States, Germany, Poland and Russia. cultural policies of the EU.

HELCOM sets an objective HELCOM’s objective with regard emissions and losses of hazardous with the ultimate aim of achieving with regard to hazardous to hazardous substances is to substances towards the target of concentrations in the environ- substances. continuously reduce discharges, their cessation by the year 2020, ment near background values for 1998

The Saltsjöbaden Declara- tion initiates BALTIC 21 1998 How powerful are HELCOM’s tools to protect the Baltic Sea in legal terms? Mr Fleming Otzen, commander, former HELCOM Executive Secretary (1988–92) and former Chairman of the Helsinki Commission (1992–1994)

The success of the Helsinki Commission can be Parties increased during the late eighties and 19 HELCOM 1974–2004 seen in the fact that after 30 years of work pro- early nineties. The Convention has consequently tecting the Baltic marine environment, HELCOM is been revised from time to time in order to update still the main organisation in this area. its text according to regional and global devel- opments in the fi eld of marine environmental Many players are involved in protecting the Baltic protection. Sea, ranging from environmental organisations to fi nancial institutions, and this underlines HELCOM’s I feel that the Helsinki Commission should con- important role as watchdog and caretaker of the tinue according to these principles, remembering Baltic Sea Area. that one important Contracting Party is not a member of the European Community, and con- tinuing this work will be a noteworthy achieve- How binding are HELCOM ment for both the Helsinki Commission and the Recommendations and European Community. the Convention?

It must be remembered that HELCOM was born in What kinds of changes have you noticed in the Baltic Sea over 1974 as an intergovernmental organization based the last 30 years? on the principle of consensus and regulated by the Mr Paavo Tulkki, Finnish Institute of Marine Research: 1974 Helsinki Convention. Law-enforcement meas- Some of the largest estuaries are in much better condition now than ures as such have never been used by HELCOM, as they were 30 years ago. Due to improvements in processes used in the Convention has no such options, and this has the extensive industry along the Kymi River the water is now so in many ways been a blessing. clean that fi shes in the salmon family occur there again.

It should be recalled that in the beginning the Mr Esko Joutsamo, Finnish Association of Nature Conservation: Contracting Parties included countries belonging to Hazardous substances (DDT, PCB, mercury) have been reduced fol- either the Warsaw Pact or the NATO Pact, as well lowing an international ban on the use of these chemicals, resulting as neutral countries. There was widespread amaze- in better reproduction rates for the formerly threatened seals of the ment that these states could all sign the 1974 Baltic, and the white-tailed sea eagle. Helsinki Convention under the prevailing political conditions.

Positive negotiations

Ever since those days, HELCOM has believed in positive negotiations and dialogue between these various parties, and this dialogue continued very favourably even when the number of Contracting

naturally occuring substances A Red List of Marine and and close to zero for man-made The JCP is reviewed and Coastal Biotopes and Baltic Sea, the Belt Sea and synthetic substances. updated. Biotope Complexes of the the Kattegat is compiled.

How do International Financial Institutions assess the cooperation with HELCOM? Mr Roland Randefelt, Senior Environmental Analyst, Nordic Investment Bank

20 The Prime Ministerial Conference on the Environ- included the European Bank for Reconstruction HELCOM 1974–2004 ment of the Baltic Sea held at Ronneby, Sweden in and Development (EBRD), the European Invest- September 1990 formally initiated the involvement ment Bank (EIB), the Nordic Environment Finance of the international fi nancial institutions (IFIs) in Corporation (Nefco), the Nordic Investment Bank the work of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). (NIB) and the World Bank (WB). In recent years The co-operating IFIs involved in this work have these IFIs have also been joined by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB). The key strengths of HELCOM include: – The strong and sustained commitment of the co-operating coun- The Role of the IFIs tries to HELCOM’s objectives and the implementation of the Hel- sinki Convention Although the IFIs have a diversity of mandates and – A well-managed and adequately funded Secretariat with stable ownership structures, they all share a common professional and support staff commitment to the environment and have had – The development of a regional framework of environmental guide- a common interest in fi nancing projects to lines complemented by national legislation and regulations improve the environment in the Baltic Sea area. – A well-established network of scientists and technical experts The co-operating IFIs were all active members of working through the HELCOM committee structure to disseminate HELCOM’s Programme Implementation Task Force, and promote access to information which proved to be a useful mechanism for the – An ability to effectively plan and conduct complex meetings and to co-ordination of this work at the regional level, disseminate their results promptly providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and – A well-maintained regional archive of information on environmen- information and bringing together representatives tal issues in the Baltic Sea area and beyond of regional organisations, countries, IFIs and NGOs.

Key issues related to the continuing co-operation between HELCOM and the IFIs include: HELCOM as an Intergovernmental Organisation – The need to make HELCOM more fl exible and responsive to chang- ing needs and opportunities in the Baltic Sea area From the perspective of the IFIs, the experience – The need to continue revising HELCOM’s administrative procedures of over a decade of co-operation has increased and approaches to programme management to make them more everyone’s understanding of the strengths, weak- responsive to changing needs and emerging issues nesses and opportunities for HELCOM as an inter- – The need to develop a mechanism to continue the role of the IFIs as governmental organisation. In general, both the invited partners in the work of HELCOM and the implementation of the role of HELCOM and its relationship with the IFIs Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP) should be redefi ned to facilitate continued co- – The need to maintain a regular dialogue between HELCOM and the operation in the future. IFIs recognising that the professionals in the HELCOM network tend to be scientists, while their counterparts in the IFIs generally are Forecasts indicate that by economists and engineers 2015 the total amount of – The need for HELCOM to recognise the complementary nature of the oil transported in the Baltic IFIs, and to avoid getting involved in work related to the development will amount to more than of investment projects and the fi nancial aspects of these investments 130 million tonnes a year. – The need for HELCOM to work with the IFIs to identify mecha- nisms, such as fi nancial intermediaries, that can support urgently needed small-scale lending operations targeted at farming, fi shery and eco-

The 1992 Helsinki Conven- Ministers adopt a package of new Sea, including routeing, pilotage, tion enters into force (17 The HELCOM Copenhagen measures to improve maritime safety hydrographic surveys, automatic January) Declaration and pollution prevention in the Baltic identifi cation monitoring system for 2000 The “Baltic Carrier” oil spill (2,700 tonnes) 2001 2001 It is estimated that the increasing oil transportation will raise the risk of a large oil- spill involving over 10,000 tonnes of oil by 35% for the whole of the Baltic Sea, and by 100% Joint Challenges in the Future 21 for the Gulf of Finland. HELCOM 1974–2004 Political developments and economic growth around the Baltic Sea over the last decade, and the pending accession of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and changes that have occurred since the Ronneby Poland to the European Union refl ect the major Conference and the launch of the JCP.

The International Baltic Sea Fisheries vessels, the phasing out of single- Commission and HELCOM jointly hulled oil tankers, and adequate HELCOM Recommendation First Joint HELCOM – IBSFC fi nd ways to mitigate environmental emergency and response capacities. No. 200 adopted seminar problems related to fi sheries. 2002

World Summit on Sustain- able Development (WSSD), 2002 Johannesburg 22 It is anticipated that NIB will continue to empha- HELCOM 1974–2004 sise projects that mitigate pollution in the Baltic Why is a clean Baltic so important? Sea area in its lending policies. The invitation to Ms Aleksandra Koroljowa, Eco-Defense, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to become members Kaliningrad, Russian Federation: in the bank will give NIB a new ownership struc- If the Baltic environment is not well, it is diffi cult for ture as of 1.1.2005, with six Baltic Sea states us to earn money. When the oil began to be visible among the eight members. Increased engage- on the shores, many tourists stopped coming. ment in NDEP will lead to increased environmental lending in Northwest Russia, and the new own- Ms Ramune Solovjova, manager of the ership structure will give added focus to NIB’s tourism centre in Neringa, Lithuania: environmental lending in the Baltic Sea in general Ultimately we have nothing here except culture as well as in the member countries. In the EU and nature. That means only three months of accession countries, it should also be anticipated income in the summer, when we have fi sh and that the European Commission and EIB will take tourists. Local people must earn their living a greater role. While still active in the Baltic Sea during these three months, and live on that for area, the EBRD, Nefco and World Bank may be the other nine months. expected to increase their efforts in Russia while reducing, over time, their role in the EU accession Mr Jurij Muraschko, PR director for the countries. These changes justify intensifi ed dia- Northwestern Forestry pulp and paper logue between HELCOM and the IFIs on how their business group in the Kaliningrad Region, respective roles will change between now and Russian Federation: 2010. An important challenge for HELCOM as an Environmental protection is also an economic intergovernmental organisation is to demonstrate advantage. The less dirty water we discharge, the relevance of HELCOM’s activities to the busi- the less fi nes we will have to pay later. ness plans of the IFIs.

Surveillance aircraft detect about 400 illegal oil discharges a year in the Baltic Sea.

First Indicator Fact Sheets HELCOM starts a new operational information on the state of The HELCOM Bremen 2003 process to provide current the Baltic marine environment Declaration 2003

A collision between the “Fu Shan Hai” and the “Gdynia” 2003 north of Bornholm How has co-operation between intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations changed since the 1970s? Mr Risto Veivo, Union of the Baltic Cities

There have been dramatic changes over the last 30 of environmental problems and the application of 23 HELCOM 1974–2004 years. Everybody has realised that the environment rather narrow technical and legal solutions, cities can only be successfully improved through co- and towns have moved towards comprehensive operation involving all players. At the same time, environmental and sustainable development pro- the major political changes of the late 80s and the grammes and processes. All stakeholders play early 90s cleared the way for totally new types important roles in such processes through exten- of partnerships throughout the whole Baltic Sea sive co-operation. Region. Cities now co-operate much more closely with each other, while municipal organisations are In this respect, HELCOM has been an important also dealing more and more closely with govern- source of inspiration, pointing the way for three mental bodies. Today, this type of co-operation decades towards regional co-operation all around is carried out on equal basis and with a common the Baltic Sea, regardless of political and other cause – we all want the condition of the Baltic boundaries. The shared focus for all actors in this Sea to improve, and everyone aims to implement co-operation has been the state of the Baltic Sea. sustainable development at national and local level throughout the Baltic Sea Region. During the period 1996–2000, annual emissions of heavy metals in the HELCOM A mixed crew steering towards countries decreased by 26% for cadmium, the same goal 15% for mercury and 10% for lead.

From the point of view of municipalities, things have changed dramatically. From the recognition

Ministerial representatives from HELCOM and OSPAR to improve unprecedented meeting dem- The First Joint Ministerial twenty countries and the Euro- the protection of the marine onstrates the depth of political Meeting of the Helsinki and pean Community work together environment of the North-East commitment to protecting our OSPAR Commissions in the fi rst joint meeting of Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. This seas across the whole of Europe The Operation of the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP) Mr Göte Svenson, former Chairman of HELCOM PITF (1992-2003)

24 Any attempt to evaluate HELCOM activities – given with success as a gateway to widened East-West HELCOM 1974–2004 the historic political realities of the Baltic Sea arena co-operation in general. – must consider one specifi c feature of HELCOM co-operation: the complete lack of political tension As an evidence of foresight four international between Contracting Parties when debating meas- fi nancial institutions were invited to join the con- ures to attain the objectives of the Helsinki conven- ference preparations. The reason for this is self- tion. This can in itself be seen as a success story, evident: resolute and effective action to enhance regardless of the resulting substantive achieve- the marine environment was correctly presumed ments. More interesting is, however, the question to become very costly and probably impossible to about the impact of HELCOM activities on the bring about without active participation of money- Baltic Sea environment and especially of the Baltic lending institutions. Therefore, any decision in this Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action direction was more likely to be followed by action, Programme (JCP). if the banks could be involved from the start. The successful elimination of around 50 of the 132 When the draft, which was eventually to become pollution hot spots has contributed substantially the Baltic Sea Declaration, was nearing completion, towards overall pollution load reductions in the Baltic the concept of a Joint Comprehensive Action Pro- Sea catchment area. gramme (originally Polish proposal) was accepted This certainly is a success story of HELCOM. But, as a cornerstone of the text. It can be noted for the paradoxically, this major contribution to intensi- record, that it was not at all taken for granted that fi ed environmental co-operation in the Baltic Sea HELCOM should be involved in the process. Some region came into being independently of HELCOM. of the negotiating parties questioned HELCOM’s Admittedly, however, without having been a party ability to shoulder the envisaged new, demanding to the conception, HELCOM in due time became a task. Luckily enough, a majority of participants in good foster parent to the child. the preparatory group - including the author of these lines - were “old hands” of HELCOM. To trace the origin of the JCP we have to go back to a conference of Heads of Government, held at As an upshot an ad hoc high level Task Force was set Ronneby, Sweden, in September 1990. up within the Helsinki Commission to prepare the Joint Comprehensive Programme. The aim of the JCP The decision to hold the Ronneby Conference was worded in magnifi cent terms: “to restore the did not emerge from within HELCOM. It was Baltic Sea to a sound ecological balance”. in fact a top level political initiative, launched by the prime minister of Poland and Sweden in The composition of the Task Force was determined order to promote closer relations between states in the declaration itself. An innovative principle in the Baltic Sea area on the basis of the ongoing was to include not only coastal states (Contracting political momentum, created by increased open- Parties to the convention) but also the other coun- ness in Eastern Europe. Originally the theme tries within the entire catchment area as well as the of the forthcoming conference was not speci- major international fi nancial institutions. fi ed in precise terms by the initiators. It became obvious, however, that the area of environmen- It is not the purpose of this article to describe the tal co-operation was the fi eld of action, where JCP in detail, but the main features can be sum- political rapprochement was most likely to meet marized as follows. The JCP encompasses both

– from Greenland to Russia; and The Baltic Sea Regional HELCOM signs a Grant Agree- to support sustainable Ecosys- from Spitzbergen to the Straits of Project - funded by the ment with the World Bank for tem Management and eco- Gibraltar GEF/WB the Baltic Sea Regional Project, system based assessments. preventive action to promote sustainable use of Case study: Hot Spot No. 77 25 HELCOM 1974–2004 the Baltic Sea environment and curative actions to (Frantschach Swiecie SA, Poland) rectify the legacy of environmental degradation. Investment activities, amounting at close to 18 In 2002, following investments amounting to 59 million, Frantschach Swiecie SA, billion EURO focus on pollution reduction at 132 one of the largest pulp and paper producers in Poland, was deleted from the list of identifi ed “hot spots”, responsible for a major part Hot Spots of the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme. of pollution in the Baltic Sea. In addition to these In 2003 the company was honoured by the Swedish Baltic Sea Water Award investments the Programme contains proposals to for its outstanding efforts over the last 10 years to reduce both pollution dis- support development of appropriate national envi- charges into the River Vistula, and overall water consumption. ronmental policies and legislation, to promote the use of economic incentives to encourage environ- Mr Maciej Kunda, Managing Director of Frantschach Swiecie SA, looks back at mentally sound actions and to strengthen institu- the diffi cult early days: tional capacity to fi nance environmental measures. In the late 1960s and early 1970s our main concern was just to start the pro- It may be worth recalling that the listing of “hot duction, machine by machine, and keep it running. All employees were focused spots” followed pre-feasibility studies, carried out mainly on learning to produce sellable products and capture markets. Environ- by professional consultants, hired by the interna- mental issues were not a priority in the mill, or in Poland in general. tional fi nancial institutions as “executing agencies”. The justifi cation for this procedure was, of course, The period from 1977 to 1989 was very diffi cult for Poland in political and eco- the need to present a basis for designing projects, nomical terms, and the same was true for the mill. It was diffi cult for any state- which would be “bankable”. owned company in Poland to grow sustainably, since many decisions were taken in governmental offi ces, and only a very small part of the profi ts could be The implementation of the JCP is mainly a national reinvested in new developments at the mill. Basic equipment started to deterio- responsibility. When the JCP was launched, rate, access to Western European know-how and spare parts was limited, and however, it was also agreed to establish a special the quality of Eastern European work was generally not good enough. Environ- mechanism “to co-ordinate and monitor Pro- mental issues were still not seen as a priority. gramme implementation and to provide a focal point for periodic updating of the Programme”. The biggest changes and improvements came after 1990. Privatisation and This mechanism known as the Programme Imple- restructuring occurred during the transformation to the market economy. mentation Task Force (PITF) was characterised Changes in ways of thinking and new ways of acting followed on. by its wide range of stakeholders involved. The functions as Lead Party for various components of New opportunities soon arose. Committed to continuous improvement, the the JCP were distributed among its members and company employed a variety of innovative technologies in converting raw wood observer organizations. to fi nished products, implementing closed production processes to capture and recycle materials, and conducting stringent environmental monitoring. While JCP implementation started in 1992. Since the making these positive efforts, the company has also managed to double its overall time-frame needed for Programme completion has production – a win-win situation for both the environment and our company. been estimated at 20 years, it is still too early to make any fi nal assessment of its impact. Suffi ce it Monitoring indicates that the loads of some to state that considerable progress can be noted hazardous substances have been reduced and that JCP, so far, represents the peak of envi- considerably over the past 20–30 years, but ronmental co-operation among countries in the problems still persist Baltic Sea catchment area.

The 30th Anniversary of HELCOM marks 30 years of 50 JCP Hot Spots deleted out progress on the protection of of 132 on the original list. the Baltic marine environment. 2004 Accession of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to the EU 2004 The Baltic through children’s eyes Compiled by Fran Weaver, freelance journalist

26 Environmental protection work is always designed The kids were unanimous about the evils of HELCOM 1974–2004 to preserve our natural heritage for future gen- marine pollution: erations, and the fate of the Baltic Sea will soon – This is a bad thing. Pollution comes when an oil depend on how the next generation chooses to tanker sinks, for instance. Things like this happen continue with the work done so far by HELCOM sometimes… Satu, 9 and other environmental organisations. – People throw rubbish into the sea and factories With this in mind, we asked children from Soukka pollute. Tiia, 9 School in Espoo, Finland – just a stone’s throw – In some countries they tip hazardous waste into from the Gulf of Finland – to tell us what they the sea, and then you can’t swim in it any more. know about the Baltic, and what they feel about Olli, 11. important environmental issues. – I just don’t understand at all why some people – Sustainable development might be some kind of 27 HELCOM 1974–2004 pollute the water. Maybe they have something aid, like the Red Cross. Waltteri, 9 that they can’t put in the rubbish bin. Heli, 9 – If this means development that helps keep the – Oil can’t be very good for the Baltic Sea. Ilkka, 11 sea clean, let’s hope it works! Sally, 11

The problem of eutrophication is a little more The older children could name all or most of the mysterious: nine countries around the Baltic Sea. – I’m not sure what eutrophication is, but it’s prob- was also included in many lists, and this is partly ably a good thing. Mari, 10 true, as water from some Norwegian mountain- – It makes me think of a rock with green stuff on sides does run into the Baltic. The younger kids it. Joel, 11 mainly listed Finland’s nearest neighbours, espe- – It comes when there are too many nutrients in cially nearby Estonia. Among the wilder guesses the sea. Ville, 11. were the North Pole, Australia, Iraq, and several – Too many plants and seaweeds start to grow in countries in the Far East – perhaps because the the sea. Mira, 11 Baltic is misleadingly known in Finnish – as in – If some place has eutrophication, it means wastes several other languages – as “the East Sea”. like sewage have been taken there. Janne, 10 Whose responsibility is it to keep the Baltic Sea Finnish children are all too familiar with the clean? dangers of blue-green algae: – Ours, I suppose. Henriika, 11 – It’s blue-green, it irritates your skin, and it’s not – Don’t know. Maybe Finland’s? Sonja, 10 edible. Tiia, 9 – The people in all the countries around it. Anni,11. – It’s seaweed that can make you sick. Heta, 9 – Everyone’s. Karri, 9. – I don’t like blue-green algae because I get an – The EU’s. Linda, 8. allergic reaction to it, and then I can’t go swim- – The Government’s. Johanna, 9. ming. Anni, 11 – Russia’s. Olli, 9. – There are often signs on the beach in summer – Water treatment plants’. Satu, 9. about poisonous blue-green algae. Olli, 11 – There must be some special conservation organi- – It comes when pollution and too many nutrients sation. Heli, 9 get into the sea. Mira, 11 – It appears in the hottest time in the summer. As many as 90% of the marine and coastal biotopes It’s poisonous and it looks like blue paint on the around the Baltic Sea area are to some degree water. Satu, 9 threatened today.

People have already been talking for years about sustainable development. With luck, the next generation could be the fi rst to work out what it really means: – Development that never needs to stop. Suvi, 11. – The development of rock-hard plants. Georgi, 9

Published by: Editor: Design and layout: Number of pages: 28 Helsinki Commission Ulrike Hassink Leena Närhi Katajanokanlaituri 6B Helsinki Commission Bitdesign, Vantaa, Finland Number printed: 2000 FIN-00160 Helsinki, Finland Email: @helcom.fi Language revision: Photos: Suomen Kuvapalvelu Oy Copyright 2004 by the Helsinki Internet: http://www.helcom.fi Fran Weaver, Helsinki, Finland Commission – Baltic Marine Environ- Printing: Erweko Painotuote Oy ment Protection Commission – Long live the Baltic! Lad Østersøen leve! Lase Läänemerel elada! Anna Itämeren elää! Lasst die Ostsee leben! Lausim Baltijas jurai dzivot! Leiskite Baltijos jurai gyventi! Chron wogy Baltyku!

Låt Östersjön leva!

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