BSPC Observer in HELCOM

BSPC Observer on HELCOM, Ms Beate Schlupp, First Vice-President of the State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has released her 2023-2024 Report on HELCOM-related developments and activities. The comprehensive report details the BSPC’s observer activities at the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) during 2023-2024. This report highlights the continued dedication of the BSPC to environmental protection and sustainability in the Baltic Sea region, emphasising the strong collaboration between the BSPC and HELCOM. Over the past year, significant progress has been made in implementing key recommendations from HELCOM, with governments demonstrating a renewed commitment to addressing the pressing environmental challenges. The report notes that HELCOM’s third holistic assessment (HOLAS 3) has provided invaluable insights into the state of the Baltic Sea, revealing both areas of concern and encouraging signs of improvement where protective measures have been effectively applied. The BSPC has been an active supporter of HELCOM’s initiatives, particularly in the areas of combating marine pollution, enhancing biodiversity, and addressing the issue of sea-dumped munitions. This cooperation has been vital in ensuring that legislative actions are aligned with the environmental goals set out in the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan. As we were celebrating this year the 50 th anniversary of HELCOM, the BSPC reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a healthy and resilient Baltic Sea ecosystem. The full Report can be downloaded here and on the Rapporteur’s webpage . We invite you to read the full report and join us in supporting these critical efforts.

BSPC Observer on HELCOM, Ms Beate Schlupp, First Vice-President of the State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has published her 2022-2023 Report on HELCOM-related developments and activities. The present publication covers the main highlights of the cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOM and the core developments in HELCOM’s work from October 2021 to July 2023. It provides a summary of the presentations held by HELCOM representatives at the 31 st BSPC in Stockholm, in the meetings of the BSPC Standing Committee, the BSPC Working Group on Climate Change and Biodiversity and the BSPC Secretariat, as well as the communication between HELCOM and BSPC HELCOM Observer Beate Schlupp – with a particular focus on nutrient inputs, biodiversity and climate change as well as sea-dumped munitions. The report also details the results of the HELCOM ministerial meeting on 21 October 2021 in Lübeck and HELCOM’s activities at the current time of Russia’s unprovoked, unjustifiable, and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. The report further includes information about the Latvian Helcom Chairmanship 2022-2024. It summarises several more notable past events, particularly the Baltic stakeholder conferences of the past two years. It informs about HELCOM’s global engagement and commitments and includes some prospects and outlooks, also in the cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOM. The Report can be downloaded here and on the Rapporteur’s webpage .

In supplement to her speech during the digital 29 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference on 24 August 2020, the BSPC Observer on HELCOM, Ms Beate Schlupp, First Vice-President of the State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has issued her Report on HELCOM-related developments and activities. The present publication provides an overview of the most important decisions and developments from August 2019 to September 2020 with a specific focus on the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) update process. It primarily concentrates on the decisions of the 41 st HELCOM Meeting as well as the Heads of Delegations Meetings. The structure of the current Report slightly differs from the previous ones. It focuses on central ongoing processes, such as the BSAP update, the preparation of the Third Holistic Assessment of the Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS III), the development of the HELCOM Science Agenda with a particular view to climate change on the one hand, and notable events and publications on the other. Also, the Report includes an updated overview of the current HELCOM Working and Expert Groups as well as ongoing projects in the Annex. The Report can be downloaded here and on the Rapporteur’s webpage.

In preparation of the 28 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Oslo on 25 – 27 August 2019, the BSPC’s Observers at HELCOM have issued the report on HELCOM-related developments and activities. The Report can be downloaded here and on the Rapporteurs’ webpage.

In preparation of the 27 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Mariehamn on 26 – 28 August 2018, the BSPC’s Observers at HELCOM, Sylvia Bretschneider, President of the Landtag Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saara-Sofia Sirén, Member of the Finnish Parliament, have issued their report on HELCOM-related developments and activities. The Report can be downloaded here and on the Rapporteurs’ webpage. Report on HELCOM 2018

BSPC President Jörgen Pettersson underlined at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting on 6 March 2018 in Brussels that parliaments and parliamentary organizations around the Baltic Sea would continue to support the timely implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, but he also demanded an implementation on schedule by the governments. He additionally called for more regular HELCOM Ministerial Meetings, to bring the issues of a clean Baltic Sea more deeply into the political debate. The BSPC, he said, was supporting HELCOM as the coordinator of the regional implementation of the UN Agenda 2030 through strengthened implementation of the HELCOM BSAP. Jörgen Pettersson also had an intensive conversation with the European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella. In particular, he emphasised: “Since the beginning of our cooperation, the 27 parliaments and parliamentary organizations of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) have actively supported the work of HELCOM and called on our governments to give HELCOM the political support it needs to execute the necessary measures. “We do this because the people who elected us expect us to provide them with a clean and healthy Baltic Sea. The environment is similar to peace on earth. It’s the foundation of all human life. “That is why it is so important to achieve the goals that we have set ourselves with the Baltic Sea Action Plan and to do so within the very time frame set in the plan. We are in a hurry, 2021 will soon be here. “I myself come from Åland, the self-governed, neutralised and demilitarised Islands of Peace as we are called. We have 6,700 larger islands, and we are situated in the middle of the Baltic Sea. For us, the sea is a central lifeline and living space. We see it every morning and say good night to it every evening. “Therefore, we consider it necessary to keep emphasizing the political will regarding a clean Baltic Sea. It calls for action rather than talk. “For that reason, I am glad about this ministerial meeting happening here today. Such meetings generally lead to more forceful follow-up actions. That is why we call for these ministerial meetings to happen regularly every year, as we have also asked of the CBSS, making HELCOM more politically powerful again. “As early as 5 years ago, at the last HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Copenhagen, the BSPC reiterated its appeal to governments for forceful efforts to implement the Baltic Sea Action Plan. “Apart from all the progress achieved by HELCOM in the meantime, the current situation shows us that appeals alone are not enough. We must act more widely and stringently and make greater efforts. The priorities from our point of view also include eutrophication, marine litter, hazardous substances and underwater noise. “Dear Ministers of Environmental Affairs, “like you, we support the agreements in the new ministerial declaration and the path you are taking on this basis. At the same time, however, we call for stricter action at the national level to guarantee the achievement of the objectives that in our mind are necessary in order to reinstate the health of the Baltic Sea. “The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Åland on 26-28 August 2018 will offer dialogue, debate, solutions, friendship and a strong will to increase cooperation, prosperity, sustainability and a healthy environment in the region. “I invite you all to come to the conference. Let us – parliaments, governments and societies – strengthen our efforts working toward a good environmental status of our Baltic Sea, which is a lifeline for all of us. “You all are welcome to participate in order to fulfil the will of all people depending on the health of the Baltic Sea!” BSPC President Pettersson also had an intensive conversation with the European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, on the ocean-related UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, on the particular situation of sea islands, on topics related to the environment, maritime affairs, the impact of Brexit, especially in regard to fisheries policies and hunting issues. He further spoke with the Finnish Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing, Kimmo Tiilikainen, in view of the upcoming 27 th annual conference of the BSPC on 26-28 August 2018 in Mariehamn as well as with HELCOM Chair Marianne Wenning, HELCOM Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz, Ambassador Hans Olsson, Chairman of the CBSS Committee of Senior Officials, as well as Deputy-Director of the CBSS Secretariat Bernd Hemingway. Document Statement by BSPC, HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, 6 March 2018, Brussels https://portal.helcom.fi/meetings/HELCOM%20MINISTERIAL%202018-507/MeetingDocuments/Statement%20by%20BSPC.pdf