Report on HELCOM 2011-2012

Report on the Exercise of the Observer Status of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) at theBaltic Marine Environment Protection Commission(Helsinki Commission - HELCOM)2011/2012Introduction[1]During the 20th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) in Helsinki 2011 Sylvia Bretschneider and Christina Gestrin were appointed once again to exercise the mandate of an observer and follow the relevant HELCOM bodies’ activities.For four decades, the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission known as Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) is engaged in implementing the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," known as the Helsinki Convention signed in 1974 by seven Baltic costal states an entered into force on 3 May 1980. Today HELCOM as the governing body of the Helsinki Convention works on the protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution. Contracting parties are the nine Baltic Sea countries.This report on the exercise of the observer status of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference at Helsinki Commission is based on the previous report that reflected HELCOMS’ work and activities from 2010 to 2011. The present document will thus give an overview of activities and measures taken up in the reporting time from 20th BSPC on 28 to 30 August 2011 in Helsinki to the 21st BSPC on 26 to 28 August 2012 in St. Petersburg linking to the previous report. It indicates both - the plenty and the variety of HELCOM activities during the past year.The report reflects on three meetings, the 36th meeting of the Heads of Delegation (HOD 36/2011), the 33rd Helsinki Commission Meeting (HELCOM 33/2012) as well as the 37th meeting of the Heads of Delegation.The 36th meeting of the Heads of Delegation was held in Helsinki, Finland, from 5 to 6 December 2011 and focused mainly on the country-wise implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP).The designation of the Baltic Sea as Nitrogen Oxid Emission Control Area (NECA) as well as high loads of phosphor revealed in Luga River in late November 2011 within the BALTHAZAR Project were two main issues that were raised at the 33rd Helsinki Commission Meeting from 5 to 7 March 2012 in Helsinki.Trelleborg hosted the 37th meeting of the Heads of Delegation from 14 to 15 June 2012, the last under the Swedish chairmanship. Besides the NECA subject and the follow-up of the incidents in Luga River, the final report of the Plan Bothnia project was presented. Besides, an excursion gave an impression about the upcoming Trelleborg Port development until 2020 and amongst others of the Myge experimental algae biogas fermentation and residue treatment plant.This report is once again proof of the scope of activities conducted by HELCOM and of HELCOMs ability to take up and respond to emerging and highly topical issues as well as continuing problems.The forthcoming HELCOM Ministerial Meeting will be held in the second half of 2013. It will mark another milestone in order to implement the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). This is one of the core pieces of HELCOMs activities. To achieve the common purpose and the agreed targets a strong political will and support of all Contracting Parties and stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Region is essential. The Ministerial Meeting 2013 will be an important platform to call upon this shared commitment and to highlight the overall awareness regarding the importance of the BSAP.Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOMThe Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference is holding the observer status to HELCOM since 2002, dealing since its foundation in 1991 intensively with policies regarding the protection of the Baltic Sea. A fruitful cooperation has been established during these last years that includes common exchange of information and experience on a regular basis. This includes a mutual comprehension in conferences and events, a cooperation between intergovernmental and interparlamentary bodies that is a specific achievement of the Baltic Sea Region and that is not self-evident in other parts of the world.At the 20th BSPC from 28 to 30 August 2011 in Helsinki, Gabriella Lindholm, Chairlady of HELCOM and Ambassador for the Marine Environment at the Swedish Ministry of Environment, presented the current status of the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), the progress in working towards the designation of the Baltic Sea as a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA), BRISK, the overall risk assessment of shipping accidents to identify hot spots for oil spills, the Joint HELCOM-VASAB Working Group on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and the Plan Bothnia Project. Moreover, expectations towards the 2013 Ministerial Meeting were named, like further BSAP implementation and the assessment of progress in reaching environmental targets and efficiency of actions.At the same occasion, Jochen Schulte, former Chair of the BSPC Working Group on Integrated Maritime Policy and now – together with Roger Jansson, former Vice-Chair of the WG - Rapporteur on Integrated Maritime Policy, gave his report.During earlier working group meetings in 2011, there had been a fruitful cooperation between HELCOMS’ RESPONSE group that had informed the Working Group about activities of the risk assessment of pollution caused by shipping accidents covering the whole Baltic Sea on-going and further tasks under the BRISK Project.At the European Maritime Day from 20 to 22 May 2012 in Gothenburg, a workshop of nine Baltic Sea Organisations on Maritime Policy reflected on the cooperation of organisations active in the Baltic, amongst them BSPC and HELCOM.Programme of the Danish ChairmanshipDenmark will chair HELCOM from 1 July 2012 to30 June 2014. Ms. Helle Pilsgaard has been nominated Danish Chairlady of HELCOM. Ms. Pilsgaard is Deputy Director General at the Danish Nature Agency of the Danish Ministry of the Environment and also the Danish Marine Director of the European Union.At the 37th meeting of the Heads of Delegations, Denmark presented the following priorities for its chairmanship:• Effective fulfilment of the BSAPDuring the Danish chairmanship, the implementation of the BSAP and its segments on eutrophication, hazardous substances, biodiversity and maritime activities will have the highest priority. Towards the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting the Danish Chairmanship will work for evaluating the progress made on the implementation of the BSAP in striving to fulfil any further measures to be taken in order to reach the targets of BSAP by 2021.• New initiatives where progress is neededThe Danish Chairmanship will work for promoting and starting initiatives also in areas besides BSAP where additional measures are needed in order to reach a good environmental status in the Baltic Sea by 2021 such as cleaning of waste water from cities and from scattered housing, optimized use of slurry and animal manure, reduced impacts from the use of pesticides and dredging operations. Furthermore, it will work for achieving improved knowledge in areas where gaps are identified, i.e. marine litter, underwater noise, alien species and acidification of the sea.• Effective HELCOM co-operation and continued development of HELCOMThe Danish Chairmanship will work for a continued development of HELCOM’s role in the Baltic Sea region as the environmental focal point and strives to develop HELCOM as an efficient organisation that works effectively and correlates with other obligations of the contracting parties.Participation at events/conferences/forumsHELCOM attended several conferences and forums and reported on its active participation at the following events:• 14th Baltic Development Forum Summit - 3rd Annual Forum of EU BSRS17 - 19 June 2012, Copenhagen, DenmarkThe HELCOM secretariat participated in some of the Forum’s sessions as well as with a booth.• Rio+20 – UN Conference on Sustainable Development20 - 22 June 2012, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilHELCOM was part of a side event “Northern Lights on Sustainable Development”, organised by the German Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, and gave an official statement (see section 9)• XIII. International Baltic Sea Day Environmental Forum21 - 23 March 2012, St. Petersburg, Russia• European Maritime Day,20 - 22 May 2012, Gothenburg, SwedenHELCOM participated together with other pan-Baltic organisations of the BSPC with a session “Better Coherence in the Baltic Sea Region”, to discuss joint initiatives for maritime cooperation. Furthermore, HELCOM informed in two sessions about maritime spatial planning.Implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP)The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan is an ambitious programme to restore the good ecological status of the Baltic marine environment by 2021. The BSAP was strongly supported by the BSPC in several resolutions. The plan which has been drafted since 2005 is different from any other programme previously undertaken by HELCOM as it is based on a clear set of “ecological objectives” defined to reflect a jointly agreed vision of “a healthy marine environment, with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable human activities”. After a number of negotiations, the BSAP was adopted at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting 2007 in Krakow, Poland.5.1 National Implementation Plans (NIPs)According to the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), National Implementation Plans (NIPs) had to be developed and submitted for HELCOM’s assessment by 2010 with a view to evaluate the effectiveness of the programmes and to find out whether additional measures are needed at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in 2013.All contracting parties had submitted their NIPs for the 32rd HELCOM meeting 2010.The 36th meeting of the Heads of Delegations took note of the information on the follow-up of implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan Index of Actions and agreed on the use of the updated BSAP Index of Actions for the monitoring of the BSAP implementation progress. The meeting also requested the contracting parties to make the first update of the index table with relevant national and general information by 5 February 2012 and invited the Subsidiary Bodies to update the Index during their meetings.Finland had commented at HELCOM LAND 17/2012 on the need to consider the user-friendliness of the BSAP Index with a view to simplify the presentation of information on regionally and nationally performed activities. This issue will be addressed once the information on implementation is completed.HELCOM 33/2012 noted the updated information on the progress in the BSAP implementation, including further synergies with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EU SBSR) as well as other processes as contained in the BSAP Index of Action. In order to set up the BSAP, the meeting decided to continuously update the BSAP Index of Actions in the course of the preparations for the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting 2013. The updated BSAP Index of Actions containing new information from the contracting parties and HELCOM meetings will be submitted at a later stage.The 37th meeting of the Heads of Delegations took note of the updated BSAP Index of Actions and agreed to make use of it when discussing the outline for 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting. Furthermore, a HELCOM Observer, the Coalition of Clean Baltic (CCB) stated that the index could be improved to better reflect the progress in the BSAP and to have a transparent calculation of national nutrient load reductions.5.2 Baltic Sea Action Plan FundThe Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) Fund, managed by the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) and the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) provides grants for technical assistance to projects that support the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. The fund today disposes approximately 11 million€, originating from donations from the Governments of Sweden and Finland. During 2011 an intensive promotion of the BSAP Fund has been done. The project portfolio of the BSAP Fund has thus increased during 2011 from 5 to 15 projects and the fund’s financial commitment has increased from about 2 million € to 4.8 million €.During 2011 the BSAP Fund has received 42 initial project proposals which have been reviewed by the BSAP Fund Manager and the Trust Fund Committee. 17 project proposals have been further negotiated, developed and presented to the Steering Committee for approval or inclusion in the BSAP Fund pipeline. Ten new projects totalling 2.8 million € were approved and additionally five were admitted into the pipeline of the BSAP portfolio during 2011. Four non-performing projects were removed from the portfolio.HELCOM 33/2012 encouraged the preparation of new projects and active HELCOM involvement in the promotion of the Fund and noted that the Fund is open for contributions from other contracting parties. For instance, the upcoming BASE Project could make use of the BSAP NIB/NEFCO Fund.Groups/Working Groups6.1 HABITAT (Nature Protection and Biodiversity Group)Compiling information on ecosystems and habitats to ensure the availability of suitable information on habitats, species and the conservation of biodiversity is the task of the Nature Protection and Biodiversity Group (HELCOM HABITAT). HABITAT identifies and assesses current and potential impacts of human activities on Baltic marine biodiversity (ecosystems/habitats, species and genetic diversity) and makes concrete proposals for consideration by HELCOM’s other groups and projects.The 14th HABITAT meeting took place from 22 to 25 May 2012 in Stralsund, Germany, at the German Oceanographic Museum. The meeting favoured starting a sturgeon project which had already been supported by HELCOM HOD 31/2010 and its establishment by applying for EU funding.During HOD 37/2012 the outcome of the 14th HABITAT meeting was presented. As discussed in HABITAT 13/2011, the meeting considered the project proposal “Completing the BSPA network and the data and information on the marine protected areas of the Baltic Sea” (HELCOM PROTECT) and stressed that the project description should refer to the requirements arising from the BSAP and the 2010 Ministerial Declaration, the elaboration of expert proposals for additional near-shore and in particular offshore BSPA.The 13th HABITAT meeting reviewed some of the HELCOM recommendations under HELCOM HABITAT and agreed to continue the technical review of the recommendations during HELCOM HABITAT 14/2012. HOD 37/2012 thus considered recommendation 17/2 amended by HABITAT 14/2012 concerning the protection of harbour porpoise in the Baltic Sea Area, noted study reservations by Germany and Denmark and, pending the clarification, endorsed the recommendation and invited the secretariat to forward it for adoption by the 34th meeting of the Helsinki Commission.Furthermore, a new HELCOM recommendation “Safeguarding important wintering habitats and migration routes of Baltic seabirds” was welcomed and the secretariat was asked to submit the finalised recommendation proposal for the consideration by HELCOM HOD meeting in December 2012.Concerning BALTFIMPA, a detailed work plan of the BALTIFIMPA Inception Phase was endorsed, including the timeline and the overview of the contributions by the partners.Related to the HELCOM 2013 Ministerial Meeting, the main input from HELCOM HABITAT will include the HELCOM RED LIST project (see section 8.10) as well as an assessment of the status and ecological coherence of the network of protected areas, depending on the outcome of the proposed HELCOM PROTECT project.The 15th HABITAT meeting will be held in Latvia from 14 to 17 May 2013.6.2 LAND (Land-based Pollution Group)Reducing land-based pollution within the Baltic Seas region is the aim of the Land-based Pollution Group (HELCOM LAND). It identifies sources of land-based pollution of nutrients and hazardous substances, and proposes suitable measures and actions to reduce these emissions and discharges. The objective is to reduce inputs of nutrients, especially from diffuse sources such as agriculture and transport. Priority areas of LAND are eutrophication and hazardous substances.Of special interest and importance for LAND Group are following projects: BALTHAZAR, COHIBA, PURE as well as the Baltic COMPASS Project.The 17th meeting of HELCOM LAND (LAND 17/2012) has been arranged from 8 to 10 May 2012 in Warsaw, Poland, and has been preceded by the third meeting of HELCOM Baltic Agricultural and Environmental Forum. The meeting discussed the role and inputs of HELCOM LAND to the implementation of the BSAP. Furthermore, actions to limit emissions and discharges of nutrients from land-based sources as i.e. the progress in investigation within the BALTHAZAR Project of elevated phosphorous loads in Luga River were intensively discussed(see section 8.2). LAND 17/2012 also considered and discussed the draft final summary report of the COHIBA project as presented by the secretariat (see section 8.5). One subject has been the progress with the implementation of the Project on Urban Reduction of Eutrophication (PURE) including the development of the Book of Good Practices in Sludge Management as presented by the secretariat.A HELCOM LAND workshop will be arranged in November 2012 to deal with issues pending from HOD 37/2012like e. g. the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP) assessment as well as with the preparation of LAND’s inputs to the 2013 Ministerial Meeting.The next meeting of HELCOM LAND will be held in April/May 2013, possibly in Sweden.HELCOM “Hot Spots” under the JCPThe JCP specifies a series of actions to be undertaken at "pollution hot spots" around the Baltic Sea drainage basin, as most notorious hot spots are point sources, like municipal facilities and industrial plants. The first environmental hot spots were designated in 1992. Since then, water quality in many coastal waters of the Baltic Sea has improved considerably. This is reflected by the fact that 94 of the 162 original hot spots and subsequent sub-hot spots have been deleted from the list until now, and several more will be removed soon with the aim to reach project closure in 2012.The JCP assessment work will be on the agenda of the November 2012 HELCOM LAND Workshop.Green Baltic SpotsThe HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in 2010 agreed in presenting best examples, thus a so-called “List of Green Baltic Spots”. The approach to shift from a “name-and-blame” list towards promoting best examples also came up as a response to the upcoming finalisation of the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme JCP to be completed in 2012.HELCOM LAND 16/2011 had agreed on that the municipal waste water treatment sector would be a relatively simple area to establish such a List of Green Baltic Spots and mandated the secretariat to establish clear criteria on establishing the list.At the HOD 36/2011, members were invited to re-/nominate their candidates for the Green Baltic Spot Award in the municipal wastewater treatment sector in order to grant more time for nominations. Therefore the meeting noted the re-nomination of Vodokanal of St. Petersburg to the HELCOM Green Baltic Spots List. HOD 36/2011 discussed the elaboration of draft criteria for the HELCOM Green Baltic Spots Award in other sectors and agreed to wait with considering the development of the criteria for other sectors until the award in the municipal waste water sector has been launched. Based on the nominated candidates the meeting will be invited to reconsider the issue with the aim to make a final decision during HELCOM 33/2012.HOD 37/2012 considered the outcome of HELCOM LAND 17/2012 discussion on the nomination of Baltic Green Spot Award to Przemysl and Szczecin Zdroje Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Poland and Vodokanal St. Petersburg, Russia, and appreciated the extensive work carried out by the nominated candidates. The meeting noted remarks of Denmark pledging for candidates for nomination with clear qualitative and quantitative criteria as well as remarks from Finland and EU to define Green Spots as forerunner, lighthouse and innovative examples that go even beyond fulfilling the requirements of existing HELCOM recommendations and EU regulations (with regard to EU members of HELCOM).The meeting thus requested the HELCOM LAND Workshop in fall 2012 to consider qualitative and quantitative criteria for nomination of candidates for Green Spots. The meeting invited Denmark and Finland in coordination with the secretariat to draft such criteria for consideration of the HELCOM LAND Workshop.6.3 MARITIME (Maritime Group)The Maritime Group of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM MARITIME) is responsible for the prevention of pollution from ships. This also includes deliberate operational discharges and accidental pollution. The group wants to ensure that adopted regulations are observed and enforced effectively and uniformly through international co-operation. It works to identify and promote actions to limit sea-based pollution and to ensure safe navigation.The 10th meeting of the MARITIME group was held from 15 to 17 November 2011 in Finland. The meeting reflected and welcomed the IMO decision to designate the Baltic Sea as a Special Area for sewage side charges from passenger ships under MARPOL Annex IV (MEPEC 62 July 2011). The decision is based on a joint paper by the HELCOM countries which will enter into force when IMO has notified the availability of adequate reception facilities for sewage in ports of the Baltic Sea. The standards for sewage treatment on board passenger ships are expected to be agreed within IMO in 2012.Furthermore, the 10th HELCOM MARITIME discussed the pending issue of amending the Agreement on Access to the HELCOM Automatic Identification System (AIS). The work continued on the maintenance and further development of the AIS. A meeting of the HELCOM Expert Working Group for Mutual Exchange and Deliveries of AIS data (HELCOM AIS EWG 22/2011) was held on 4 October 2011 in Kaliningrad, Russia.The Cooperation Platform on Port Reception Facilities (PRF) has been launched and throughout 2011 worked to facilitate, in co-operation with ports, industry and WWTPs the implementation of the HELCOM Roadmap for upgrading port reception facilities in the Baltic Sea.Concerning the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC), the majority of the countries reported progress in ratification by 2013 as decided in the Baltic Sea Action Plan. The common understanding on exemptions from applying ballast water management and risk assessments for intra-Baltic voyages were extensively discussed and were also the topic of the finalized HELCOM project “Pilot risk assessments of alien species transfer on intra-Baltic ship voyages”, including its meeting hosted by German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency(BSH) on 19 September 2011 in Hamburg, Germany.The implementation of the Baltic Sea Revised Hydrographic Re-survey Scheme under the Baltic Sea Hydrographic Commission is progressing. Progress has been achieved by all Baltic Sea hydrographic offices; including the preparation of the national re-survey schemes with timetable estimations, updating the status of resurveys in the common database and hydrographic re-surveys, including large areas of Finnish and Swedish waters (EU TEN-T MONA LISA project).HOD 36/2011 considered the outcome of the 10th MARITIME meeting and especially welcomed last years’ achievements related to the adoption by the IMO to amend MARPOL Annex IV, strengthen regulations for side charges of sewage from passenger ships and the designation of the Baltic Sea as a Special Area. Also, aproposal for a HELCOM recommendation on the unified interpretation in relation to access to and the use of HELCOM AIS was adopted, to be submitted at a later stage.Concerning sewage from ships, HELCOM HOD 36/2011 welcomed the progress in the framework of the Cooperation Platform PRF to facilitate the upgrading of PRF for sewage in the Baltic Sea and the on-going work to develop HELCOM Guidance on operation and technical aspects of sewage delivery under the leadership of Sweden and the HELCOM Observer World Wildlife Fund (WWF).Regarding the BWMC, the report of the project “Pilot risk assessments of alien species transfer on intra-Baltic ship voyages” was approved by HOD 36/2011. A joint workshop with OSPAR to cooperate on the risk assessments and other relevant Ballast Water Management issues will be arranged. The meeting mandated the Correspondence Group to implement the Ballast Water Roadmap under the lead of Germany to continue the work of the joint workshop. It also adopted a project proposal “Study on biological surveys protocols and target species criteria and selection” and welcomed the offer by Sweden and Finland to contribute financially to the study.The second meeting of HELCOM experts on safety of navigation was held on 8 February 2012, in Copenhagen, Denmark, with the aim to further discuss the strengthening of regional cooperation in maritime safety in the framework of the HELCOM Maritime Group in line with the Moscow Ministerial Declaration.HELCOM 33 welcomed the information provided by the Chair of HELCOM MARITIME regarding main outcomes and progress of the Group:• Preparation of Annex IV MARPOL (Sewage) “special area” designation (June 2011) and port reception facilities for sewage (PRF)• Preparation of a Baltic NOx Emission Control Area (NECA) application under MARPOL Annex VI within a targeted correspondence group• Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) regional implementation• Safety of navigation issues including meetings of a newly established Group of Experts on Safety of Navigation (HELCOM SAFE NAV).The 11thmeeting of HELCOME MARITIME will be held from 6 to 8 November 2012 in Denmark.Designation as NECAThe MARPOL Annex VI regulations provide a legal framework for reducing NOx emissions from ships. The worldwide Tier II regulations came into effect on 1 January 2011, requiring that a marine diesel engine installed on a ship built on or after that date shall achieve a 15-20% reduction level compared to the previous legislation. More stringent requirements are possible if a sea area is designated as a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA), requiring ships built on or after 1 January 2016 operating in a NECA to reduce their NOx emission by 80% (Tier III). A sea area can be designated as a NOx Emission Control Area upon initiative of the coastal countries. Since the adoption of the NECA regulations in 2008, only one NOx Emission Control Area has been designated in the world, in the waters of the US and Canada.Since 2008 the Baltic Sea countries work on the joint proposal to the IMO to designate the Baltic Sea as a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA) under Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention. The NECA Correspondence Group under the leadership of Finland has been established to make an overview of the research studies and to prepare a draft for submission. Since 2008, extensive studies on the effect of shipping emissions on eutrophication and its harmful effects on human health, as well as studies on the economic impacts of this measure have been carried out. Comprehensive analyses were finalised in 2010 to estimate the NOx emissions from ships operating in the Baltic Sea area and the impact of the emissions on air quality, ecosystems and human health. A HELCOM study “Baltic NECA – economic impacts” has been made by the Centre of Maritime Studies of the University of Turku. The studies have confirmed that NOx emissions from shipping contribute significantly to air pollution, have adverse effects on human health, especially in big coastal cities, and contribute to the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. It will take 20-30 years to achieve full environmental benefits of NECA, and likewise the costs to industry will be reduced gradually. The Baltic Sea NECA would lead, in the long run, to the reduction of NOx emissions from ships in the Baltic by approximately 80% compared to the current estimated level of 357,000 tonnes in 2009. This will contribute to curbing eutrophication one of the biggest environmental problems of the Baltic Sea.The HELCOM Moscow Ministerial Meeting 2010 agreed to work towards submitting, preferably by 2011, a joint proposal by the Baltic Sea countries to the IMO applying for a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA) status for the Baltic Sea, taking into account the results of the study by HELCOM on economic impacts of a Baltic Sea NECA.The Correspondence group (CG) continued its work throughout 2010 and 2011 with the aim to come to a final decision at the 32nd meeting of the Helsinki Commission. HELCOM 32/2011 realized that some contracting parties were not yet ready to take an immediate decision for submission. Thus, several aspects of the submission should be delivered to the CG by April 2011. During the HOD 35/2011 the insertion of a second section on additional investment costs of SCR was agreed with the aim to take a final decision by HOD 36/2011 in December 2011.HOD 36/2011 considered the progress regarding the designation of the Baltic Sea as a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA). The meeting stated that the application to IMO to designate the Baltic Sea as a NECA fulfils in principle the IMO criteria in Appendix III to Annex VI to MARPOL and thus is ready for a political decision. The findings and possible recommendations of the Correspondence Group on abatement technology and related matters should be considered by the HELCOM Heads of Delegation, including whether to accommodate these in the submission. HOD 36/2011 agreed that the Correspondence Group shall continue the work to review the issue of abatement technology and related matters. Findings should be presented at HELCOM 33 /2012 and a final decision on the submission to be taken.At HELCOM 33, the Correspondence group informed that no amendments apart from editorial corrections had been made to the application to IMO because the application already fulfils in principle the IMO criteria in Appendix III to Annex VI to MARPOL, and thus was ready for a political decision. The meeting decided that there will be two submissions to IMO, namely the proposal to designate the Baltic Sea as an ECA for Nitrogen Oxides as well as an overview of available technology to meet NECA requirements, a document that had been further developed since the 10th HELCOM MARITIME meeting. The meeting agreed that both these submissions were complete.Latvia and Lithuania requested additional time to finalise their domestic consultations, the Russian Federation commented on cost efficiency and environmental performance of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, especially emitted greenhouse gases, in the course of deoxidized nitrogen oxides (NOx). Poland stressed the economic side of NECA and the need for economic incentives to address it.HELCOM 33/2012 furthermore discussed the timing of submitting the documents to the IMO as only question remaining, and referred to the 2010 Moscow Ministerial Meeting regarding the Baltic NECA commitment. As the next meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 64) will take place from 1 to 5 October 2012 with a deadline for document submission on 29 June, and MEPC 65 will only take place in July 2013.Therefore it was decided that a final decision regarding the submissions should be made at the next meeting of the Heads of Delegation in June 2012, taking into account the need to report on fulfilling this BSAP commitment before the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting 2013, which is expected to be held in the second half of 2013.At HOD 37/2012 the NECA CG Chair reconfirmed that benefits exceeding the cost of installing and operating NECA equipment of designation were reconfirmed and mentioned recently completed studies. Moreover, studies showed that the impacts of NECA on freight rates were only marginal and unlikely to lead to a shift towards land-based transportation modes.Russia commented once again on certain drawbacks of the SCR Technology, like increased CO2 emissions. The meeting emphasised that the discussions opening up technical content should not affect the finalised Baltic NECA submission.Although all contracting parties fully committed themselves to implement the decisions adopted in the HELCOM Moscow Ministerial Declaration regarding NECA as well as support the idea of a NOx Emission Control Area also in other sea areas, in particular in the North Sea, a decision for the time of submission could not be taken during the meeting. In detail, the member countries declared their positions as follows: The majority of the countries are ready to submit the application as soon as possible. Lithuania is ready to submit a Baltic NECA application this year 2012. Latvia informed that they are ready to make a submission for MEPC 65 of July 2013.The Chairman of the Correspondence Group explained that the two NECA submissions for the Baltic and the North Sea are separate processes as countries bordering a sea area should make their regional applications to the IMO independently. The North Sea countries had just finalised their studies to be used in developing a NECA application, and the timeline of the work toward a North Sea NECA was still open. Anyway, the Russian Federation, Poland and Latvia stated that they preferred Baltic and North Sea NECA applications to be submitted at the same time as larger geographic coverage of NECA would bring greater environmental benefits and have positive impacts on competitiveness.The meeting invited the North Sea countries to submit the North Sea NECA application to the same MEPC 65 meeting and asked Sweden, Germany and Denmark to report on the follow-up on the North Sea NECA within the HELCOM framework at the next MARITIME meeting from 6 to 8 November 2012 in Denmark.The meeting pointed out the necessity to submit the NECA application to the MEPC 65 in July 2013, pending the clarification of study reservations by Poland and the Russian Federation, and took note that one contracting Poland will still need to address procedural aspects and will clarify their study reservation by HELCOM HOD in December 2012. The Russian Federation put a study reservation on its position concerning the concrete date of the NECA submission to IMO. The meeting requested Russia to clarify its study reservation by HELCOM HOD in December 2012.6.4 MONAS (Monitoring and Assessment Group)The HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment Group (MONAS) assesses trends in threats to the marine environment, their impacts, the resulting state of the marine environment and the effectiveness of adopted measures. MONAS provides information to other HELCOM groups and projects and aims to ensure that HELCOM’s monitoring programmes are efficiently used. Further it coordinates and implements monitoring and assessment activities of HELCOM. MONAS supports the implementation of the BSAP through technical and scientific support.The 15th meeting of HELCOM MONAS took place from 4 to 7 October 2011 in Vilnius, Lithuania.At HOD 36/2011, the secretariat informed about the outcome of MONAS 15/2011, i.e. the indicated development for eutrophication and hazardous substances, targets for revision of the BSAP and the country-wise allocation of nutrient loads. Moreover, on-going projects reports were presented. The meeting approved the organizing roadmap for revising the country-wise reduction targets and endorsed the updated HELCOM MONAS work programme for 2012-2014. Furthermore, HELCOM MORE was agreed by HELCOM HOD 36/2011 (see section 8.7).At HELCOM 33/2012 the secretariat informed about the actual MONAS activities as the focus on streamlining the monitoring and assessments related work of HELCOM with other international requirements, e.g. the EU MSFD (Marine Strategy Framework Directive). It drew attention on the HELCOM Joint Advisory Board of the HELCOM CORESET and TARGREV projects (HELCOM JAB) that aims to ensure that work is properly linked to and supports the implementation of the EU MSFD (see section 8.12). HELCOM MONAS has provided guidance related to the finalisation of the Interim report of the HELCOM CORESET project and continued the development of core eutrophication indicators.On 15 and 16 December 2011,a HELCOM expert workshop was held in Gothenburg, Sweden, with the main aim to discuss principles for HELCOM assessments, revisit the HELCOM assessment tools, discuss and clarify the relationships between assessment results from the HELCOM tools and Water Framework Directive (WFD) assessments, and to plan the assessment work of HELCOM towards the HELCOM 2013 Ministerial Meeting.The 16th MONAS meeting was held from 11 to 13 April 2012 in Warsaw. The meeting has been conveyed to the decisions of the 14th meeting of HELCOM MONAS and HELCOM HOD 35/2011. It focused on the development of HELCOM core indicators and associated targets reflecting good environmental status and on the revision of the provisional Baltic Sea Action Plan nutrient load reduction figures, as well as issues related to the monitoring of loads. Related to the HELCOM 2013 Ministerial , HELCOM MONAS 16/2012 stated the need to provide to the Ministerial Meeting an overall status report on the fulfilment of BSAP reduction targets/core indicator on nutrient inputs, alongside with the presentation for adoption of the reviewed BSAP maximum allowable inputs (MAI) and nutrient reduction targets. Also the meeting planned to finalize the CORESET project’s core indicators and their respective reports on the HELCOM website for the 2013 Ministerial Meeting although most of the biodiversity and hazardous substances core indicators were still very preliminary, with limited data and monitoring. Thus it is premature to make thematic assessments on hazardous substances and biodiversity based on the CORESET project indicators for the Ministerial Meeting.HOD 37/2012 supported the products planned to be developed by HELCOM MONAS for the 2013 Ministerial Meeting as follows:• The set of core indicators on eutrophication, hazardous substances and biodiversity with the web-based indicator reports and the HELCOM CORESET final report,• PLC-5.5 report and the core indicator on nutrient inputs,• reviewed eutrophication targets, revised maximum allowable nutrient inputs and country-wise nutrient reduction allocation scheme with the scientific background report,• concise version of a thematic assessment on eutrophication based on the four updated eutrophication core indicators and their integration,• outcome of the HELCOM MORE project, e.g. revised HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment Strategy and Strategic monitoring guidelines,• consideration of further needs for streamlining and synchronizing HELCOM reporting and assessments with EU reporting requirements,• contribution by environmental economic researchers to the efforts of combatting eutrophication,• updated thematic assessment on climate change in the Baltic Sea region and its implications on the marine environment and management.HOD 37/2012 requested MONAS 17/2012 to investigate common eutrophication targets with the aim that an agreement on the science-based eutrophication targets to be used in the further BSAP review work shall be reached in that same meeting.The forthcoming 17th MONAS meeting will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 25 to 28 September 2012 (HELCOM MONAS 17/2012), HELCOM MONAS 18/2013 will be held in spring 2013 due to the need to review the products to be prepared by MONAS for the Ministerial Meeting from 22 to 25 April 2013.6.5 RESPONSE (Response Group)The HELCOM RESPONSE group ensures swift national and international response to maritime pollution accidents. Equipment and routines have to be on site. The group analyses developments in maritime transport to investigate possible impacts. It coordinates the aerial surveillance of maritime shipping routes to provide a complete picture of pollution and to help identify suspected polluters.In order to ensure co-operation in case of a pollution incident, exercises are regularly carried out, one of them being the annual BALEX DELTA exercise whose main objective is to make sure that every Contracting Party is able to lead a major response operation. In the reporting time, a number of response exercises have been organized, including the annual BALEX DELTA exercise 2011, which was held on 30 and 31August 2011 in Bornholm, Denmark. Although BALEX DELTA 2011 was carried out in quite heavy wind, the Expert Evaluation Team (EET) considered the exercise well organized. BALEX DELTA 2012 exercise will be held in Helsinki on 29 and 30 August 2012, hosted by Finland. Germany will be hosting BALEX DELTA in 2013.Coordinated Extended Pollution Control Operation (CEPCO) flights are arranged annually by HELCOM in the Baltic Sea. SuperCEPCO Baltic Sea aerial surveillance operation was conducted in Turku, Finland on 29 August - 3 September 2011. At the CEPCO North Flight, organized on 7 - 9 May 2012 only four spills of vegetable oil were detected.The 14th meeting of the RESPONSE group was held from 13 to 15 September 2011 in Helsinki, Finland. The group followed and discussed the progress on the Baltic-wide risk assessment of shipping accidents and pollution (BRISK/BRISK-RU projects, see section 8.4). A work programme on oiled wildlife response and preparedness for 2011-2014 has been approved by HELCOM RESPONSE 14/2011, including the organisation of a number of trainings and workshops in cooperation with Sea Alarm and WWF. The meeting took note of the annual 2010 HELCOM report on illegal discharges observed during aerial surveillance.Latvia is holding the two-year chairmanship of the Informal Working Group on Aerial Surveillance (IWGAS) for the years 2011 and 2012. IWGAS work is on-going regarding actions that the aircraft crew is allowed to take to act in case of detected spill and suspected polluter in other country waters. The last IWGAS meeting took place on 20 and 21 March 2012 in Riga, Latvia.The ad hoc Expert Working Group on Shoreline Response, dealing with the implementation of the HELCOM BSAP and approved by HOD 34/2010, held three meetings in 2011 and developed a draft HELCOM recommendation “Co-operation in response to spillages of oil and other harmful substances on the shore” which was approved by HELCOM HOD 36/2011 as HELCOM recommendation 33/2.HOD 36/2011 also adopted the revised HELCOM recommendation 19/18 on Reporting on incidents involving harmful substances and emergency dumping as HELCOM recommendation 33/3.HELCOM RESPONSE 15/2012 was held in Poland from 18 to 20 April 2012.HOD 37/2012 agreed on a new HELCOM project on Shoreline Response Manual to be applied for financing from for the Preparedness Call of the Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department of the European Commission (DG ECHO). During HOD 37/2012, the Chairman requested the contracting parties to consider contributing to the costs of maintaining and developing HELCOM oil drift tool SeaTrackWeb (STW) on an annual basis, totalling a sum of around 20.000 €. A contribution from the HELCOM budget to this sum also was requested. The issue will be further discussed at HELCOM RESPONSE 16/2012.The meeting considered and agreed on the development of the extension stage project of BRISK/BRISK-RU with Finland as the lead partner and HELCOM involvement, to be applied to the Baltic Sea Region Programme for financing, in order to further support the contracting parties in the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. The meeting welcomed the successful finalization of BRISK and BRISK-RU projects and requested HELCOM RESPONSE and MARITIME to consider the results of the projects with the aim to fill in the identified gaps in response capabilities and improve safety of navigation in the Baltic Sea.The forthcoming RESPONSE meeting will be held in Denmark from 20 to 22 November 2012 (HELCOM RESPONSE 16/2012).Development Marine Port Ust-LugaThe marine port Ust-Luga Area is rapidly expanding, large port building activities are on-going and the harbour situated in proximity to Saint Petersburg is expected to reach a turnover of 180 million tons cargo per year in 2015 thus being the largest port of the Russian Federation. According to publications in the Russian press, the newly-erected harbour buildings and terminals are said to be in a bad condition, mentioning sinkholes and landslides with a depth of 17 meters within the terminal area. In November 2011 this had only been provisionally repaired.The development of terminals in Ust-Luga port attracted considerable attention in several Baltic Sea countries as well as at EU level, particularly focusing on questions around Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) of the oil terminal developments.At HELCOM RESPONSE 15/2012, the Russian Federation informed with regard to the response capabilities in the marine port Ust-Luga. The meeting requested more information on the EIA of the Ust-Luga oil terminal construction, taking into account recommendation 17/3, information and consultation with regard to construction of new installations affecting the Baltic Sea to be provided at the HELCOM HOD 37/2012.In the course of HOD 37/2012, a representative of the Maritime Administration of the Sea Port of Saint Petersburg informed about the on-going port developments. Russia reported that the developments of the new terminals were being effected in strict compliance with Russian national environmental protection legislation and that international standards and relevant conventions for the safety of navigation, safety of the life at sea and marine environment protection would be complied with and were procured by the Maritime Administration of port under supervision of the Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transport and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. Furthermore, Russia stated to be actually in the process of acceding to the Espoo Convention. The responsibility of the response capacity lies within the directive of the terminals’ owner who contracted a private company to take care of environmental safety. A voluntary monitoring system to enhance safety of the terminal is implemented by the oil terminal operator “Stevedoring” himself. Further development of environmental monitoring is being planned by the Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transport, which may include data sensors and satellite surveillance.The meeting requested the Contracting Party to report on the progress of such developments as appropriate. Upon question of a HELCOM observer, Russia stated that there had been no accidents since March 2011. Denmark requested further written information in English on the environmental impacts of the Ust-Luga port developments based on the recommendation 17/3, which shall confirm that the Ust-Luga port developments will not compromise the goals of the HELCOM BSAP.6.6 Joint HELCOM-VASAB GroupThe aim of the joint co-chaired HELCOM-VASAB Working Group on Maritime Spatial Planning is to ensure cooperation among the Baltic Sea Region countries for coherent regional maritime spatial planning processes. Although a lot of work has already been done in the Baltic Sea Region, great differences between the countries persist. By providing a platform to discuss links between international agreements, EU legal instruments and policies as well as Baltic Sea Region and national policies, the Joint HELCOM-VASAB Group makes sure that a transboundary dialogue takes place.The 3rd Joint HELCOM-VASAB Maritime Spatial Planning Working Group met from 28 to 29 September 2011 in Helsinki, Finland. The meeting specifically focused on the minimum requirements for maritime spatial planning (MSP), best practices on MSP, international legislative basis for MSP and practical application of the ecosystem approach in MSP.A Joint HELCOM/VASAB, OSPAR and ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) workshop took place from 2 to 4 November 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal. The workshop covered a wide range of topics with the overall objective to demonstrate how HELCOM/VASAB, OSPAR, and ICES can contribute and cooperate to the development of the process of ecosystem-based MSP. The participants discussed specific challenges they experience with regard to the practical implementation of MSP and the progress within the Plan Bothnia project was presented. The main focus of the workshop was on playing a simulation game called “MSP Challenge 2011” with the purpose of providing an almost real life MSP experience. A joint report of the joint HELCOM/VASAB, OSPAR and ICES workshop has been elaborated.The MSP WG has been arranged from 7 to 8 February 2012 in Riga, Latvia. The Working Group continued the work on the legal requirements for MSP, the practical application of the ecosystem approach in MSP as well as the minimum requirements and best practices for MSP. The Group also started a discussion on data needs and requirements for MSP and on the relation between MSP and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM).HELCOM 33/2012 noted the outcome of the 4th MSP WG. During HELCOM 33/201, Sweden stressed the importance of efforts achieved and the showcasing of the Baltic Sea as an example of the development in this field. The meeting noted the importance of the on-going discussion on the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2014-2020) for the future work of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region as well as the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (2014-2020), in supporting further work on MSP. Furthermore, the meeting welcomed the progress of the DG MARE-funded PLAN BOTHNIA Project on testing MSP in the Bothnian Sea. During the European Maritime Day in May 2012 in Gothenburg, the PLAN BOTHNIA Project had its final conference. Estonia informed on the recent finalisation of the BaltSeaPlan Project and on the final report which contains a number of recommendations regarding the improvement of MSP and its linkage to land planning work and the resolving of various conflicts between uses of maritime space.HOD 37/2012 welcomed the final outcome of the Plan Bothnia Project and agreed on the suggestions for further HELCOM work raised by the completed initiative. The meeting further took note of the information by Sweden on the upcoming Council Conclusions on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region where MSP has been also highlighted and that the Plan Bothnia will feed into their preparations of a national MSP regulation.The 5th meeting of the HELCOM-VASAB MSP WG will be arranged on 13 and 14 September 2012 in Helsinki, Finland. The 6th meeting of the Working Group was tentatively scheduled for 24 and 25 January 2013, to take place in Riga, Latvia, and the 7th meeting to be held in May 2013.6.7 MUNI EG (HELCOM ad hoc Expert Group to update and review the existing information on dumped chemical munitions in the Baltic Sea)After World War II, a large amount of chemical munitions was dumped into the Baltic Sea. For this reason the HELCOM Moscow Ministerial Meeting 2010 decided to establish an ad hoc HELCOM Expert Group to update and review existing information on dumped chemical munitions in the Baltic Sea. The aim of HELCOM MUNI is to compile all kinds of additional information on dumping activities, to check whether the general conclusions of the HELCOM CHEMUreport elaborated in 1994 are still valid and whether all recommendations as set out in this report are implemented.The 3rd HELCOM MUNI meeting (HELCOM MUNI 3/2011) took place in Latvia, Riga from 22 to 24 November 2011. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the draft of the updated report. The meeting requested Lithuania and Russia to provide clarifications to their study reservations concerning recovery of dumped chemical munitions in the Baltic Sea to the secretariat no later than by the HELCOM HOD 36/2011 meeting and welcomed the information that Finland had lifted its study reservations.HELCOM HOD 36/2011 picked up on the issue of the report on dumped chemical munitions in the Baltic Sea and took note of the revised structure and timeline for preparation. Denmark declared that it was no longer willing to collect and compile HELCOM annual reports on incidents related to dumped chemical munitions. The meeting invited HELCOM RESPONSE to consider the need for updating the HELCOM Combating Manual, Volume II with a chapter on precautionary measures related to possible contamination by chemical warfare agents, once the HELCOM MUNI Report would be finalised.The 4th meeting of the group (HELCOM MUNI 4/2012) was held in Kaliningrad, Russia from 14to 16 May 2012. The main aim of the meeting was to discuss and finalise the draft chapters of the updated report on dumped chemical munitions in the Baltic Sea and discuss the further roadmap. Moreover, the meeting discussed the further roadmap for the finalization until autumn 2012. MUNI’s work with HELCOM RESPONSE on the inclusion of precautionary measures related to possible contamination by chemical warfare agents into HELCOM Combatting Manual, Volume II was underlined during the meeting.HELCOM HOD 37/2012 took note of the above outcomes and approved the arrangement of the final meeting of HELCOM MUNI in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 22 to 24 October 2012. The meeting also noted the information by Poland on the corresponding activities within the flagship project under the EU SBSR led by Poland, on the project Chemical Munitions Search & Assess(CHEMSEA) as well as about the Fourth International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions (IDUM) to be held in Puerto Rico on 1-3 October 2012 and the linkages of this work to HELCOM MUNI activities.The Final meeting of MUNI will be held in Copenhagen from 22 to 24 October 2012.6.8 MORS EG (HELCOM MONAS Expert Group on Monitoring of Radioactive Substances in the Baltic Sea)The Moscow Ministerial Meeting in 2010 decided that continuing the monitoring of radioactive substances in the Baltic Sea is of vital importance. Therefore the HELCOM MONAS Expert Group on Monitoring of Radioactive Substances in the Baltic Sea (HELCOM MORS EG) was approved in December 2010. The Group is based on expertise and knowledge of the HELCOM MORS Group (since 1986) and will take over the responsibilities from the HELCOM MORS-PRO Project 2008-2011. The overall objective of MORS EG is to implement the Helsinki Convention on matters related to monitoring and assessment of radioactive substances in the Baltic Sea. MORS EG also supports HELCOM MONAS by annual reporting.In particular, MORS EG coordinates basic monitoring programmes on radioactive substances in the Baltic Sea carried out by the contracting parties. Further it works on the compilation of annual data on discharges of radioactivity from civil nuclear facilities, aims to annually update the HELCOM Indicator Fact Sheets on radioactive substances and keeps the guidelines on the monitoring of radioactive substances in the Baltic Sea updated. The observation of trends of export of radio nuclides from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea also belongs to the responsibilities of the Expert Group.The Expert Group aims to deliver an update of the radioactivity in the Baltic Sea assessment with data covering the period up to 2010 as background information for the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting.The second meeting of the Expert Group took place from 22 to 25 May 2012 in Vilnius, Lithuania.The 17th MONAS meeting took note of MORS’ latest activities. MORS provided input to the MORE project and updated the annual indicator fact sheets on radioactivity in sediments, fish and water as well as on discharges from local nuclear installations. During the reporting period, a draft core indicator on Caesium-137 on fish and water has been elaborated. A draft thematic assessment of long-term changes in radioactivity in the Baltic Sea for 2007-2010 was submitted to HELCOM MONAS 17/2012.MORS EG 3/2013 will be held from 7 to 9 May 2013 in Monaco.Forums7.1 AGRI/ENV (Agricultural/Environmental Forum)Despite a variety of measures that have already been implemented one of the largest sources of input of nitrogen and phosphorus into the Baltic Sea is agriculture. Accordingly, there is a need to continue to identify agricultural areas that are critical for the nutrient pollution in the Baltic Sea. Risk assessments of nutrients leaching from large animal farms are crucial.Against this background, the Moscow Ministerial Meeting 2010 decided to establish the Agricultural/Environmental forum which falls under the responsibility of the HELCOM LAND group. The forum is a platform for all stakeholders to meet, discuss and jointly take forward actions and to assess the progress made as well as outstanding difficulties in reaching targets of the BSAP. Also, the forum aims to facilitate the coordination of actions implemented within the framework of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region with regard to the aims of the BSAP. The forum will also address the issue of reviewing the status of existing Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP) agricultural hot spots as well as the designation of new point-source agricultural hot spots (see section 6.2).The third meeting of HELCOM Agriculture and Environment Forum (HELCOM AGRI/ENV 3/2012) was convened on 7 and 8 May 2012 in Warsaw, Poland. The Forum considered that background documents and policy proposals for efficient application of buffer zones and wetlands, as well as nutrient balanced fertilization, including nutrient balances, manure management and nutrient recycling could be developed as inputs to the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting. Furthermore, the meeting considered and discussed projects and reports on the implementation of agriculture-related measures stemming from the BSAP, including work on nutrient recycling or the assessment of water quality, as well as the funding for BSAP-related projects and activities.Logistical questions pertained to the 4th meeting of the HELCOM Agriculture and Environment Forum (HELCOM AGRI/ENV 4/2012); nutrient balanced fertilization, including the issue of nutrient balances, manure management (including standard manure nutrient content) and nutrient recycling were identified as preliminary topics.The meeting also suggested that the next meeting could be arranged on 25 and 26 October 2012 back-to-back with the “A Greener Agriculture for a Bluer Baltic Sea” Conference in Copenhagen.7.2 FISH/ENV(Fisheries and Environment Forum)Since its inception over three years ago, the HELCOM Fisheries and Environment Forum has acted as a regional platform to discuss and facilitate information exchange and dialogue on current fisheries and environment issues between relevant authorities and stakeholders. The Forum contributes to a cross-sectorial integration of environmental and fisheries policies in the Baltic.The seventh Baltic Fisheries/Environmental Forum meeting (HELCOM FISH/ENV 7/2012) was held in Helsinki, Finland, on 24 and 25 January 2012.ICES provided the Forum with information on the second joint ICES/HELCOM Workshop on Flatfish in the Baltic Sea (WKFLABA) that took place from 19 to 23 March 2012. The meeting made clear that cooperation with ICES as decided at the previous HELCOM FISH/ENV meeting has continued. Fields of cooperation are in regard to the implementation of the good environmental status (GES) as postulated in the BSAP and the EU MSFD as well as on other activities related to the protection of the Baltic Sea marine ecosystem and its biological diversity with a focus on commercial fish. The 32nd meeting of the Helsinki Commission approved a roadmap towards cooperation between HELCOM and ECES for the above mentioned fields.The 7th FISH/ENV meeting requested the contracting parties to submit the reporting for the recommendation 32-33/1 on the conservation of Baltic salmon and sea trout populations by the restoration of their river habitats and management of river fisheries by 1 March 2012.Another topic was the funding phase II of the SALAR project in 2012 and beyond. The Forum regretted the information by the EU that it will not be possible to finance the project in 2012 and unlikely in upcoming years, either, due to increasing requests for project funding and also having in mind that riverine habitat restoration is not directly the competence of the EU and that it could be financed by the upcoming European Maritime and Fisheries Fund instead (see section 8.11 “SALAR”).Furthermore, the draft indicator-based assessment of coastal fish community status in the Baltic Sea (2005-2009) was discussed. The meeting agreed on the tacit approval of the draft Indicator-based assessment for publication by 1 February 2012, asking the contracting parties for final input. Previously, HELCOM HOD 36/2011 had agreed on tacit approval for publication in the Baltic Sea Environment Proceedings series, depending on whether possible comments by the 7th meeting of HELCOM FISH/ENV Forum could be integrated into the report without need for additional approval rounds.With a view to the BSAP Index of Actions (see section 5), the contracting parties were invited to provide national reports on implementation of fisheries-related action of the BSAP in the form of BSAP Index of Actions available on HELCOM meeting portal by 1 March 2012.Finally, the meeting agreed to arrange the 8th meeting of the HELCOM Baltic Fisheries/Environmental Forum (HELCOM FISH/ENV FORUM 8/2012) during fall 2012.Projects8.1 BALTFIMPA (Managing Fisheries in Baltic Marine Protected Areas)Marine biological diversity is vitally important for human well-being since it underpins the wide range of ecosystem services on which life and sea based livelihoods depend. The impact of fishing on marine ecosystems mainly concerns the commercially important fish stocks, but can also affect the benthic invertebrate and fish communities, marine mammals, seabirds, and the abiotic environment and therefore the objectives of marine protected areas.The main objective of the project is to assist the contracting parties to comply with their obligations to fulfil their conservation objectives of marine protected areas in the Baltic Sea by managing fisheries, when applicable, and as requested by the 2007 HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and the HELCOM Moscow Ministerial Declaration.At the regional level, the project will deliver:• A generic tool to support and guide decision making, which describes and classifies the effects of different types of fishing modalities and gear on different types of habitats and protected species within the marine protected areas in the area of the Helsinki Convention and lists sustainable/selective fishing gear.• Technical assistance to the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) cases that join the project.• Experiences shared and a modality of work or procedure that can be replicated by HELCOM states in new MPA cases, including in case of needed transboundary management measuresEach MPA pilot case joining the project shall deliver:• A mapping and description of fishing activities within or in the vicinity of the MPA.• An assessment of fishing activities which are in conflict to the conservation objectives of the MPA.• Advice on how to increase the effectiveness of the MPA to deliver conservation objectives by means of fisheries management and the use of sustainable/selective fishing gear.• An ex-ante assessment of the consequence of interventions or various fisheries management scenarios in the MPA.The kick-off meeting of the BALTFIMPA project (HELCOM BALTFIMPA 1/2012) was held in Helsinki, Finland, on 23 and 24 January 2012, which initiated the one-year inception phase of the project and considered the project proposal and structure, nominated MPA cases to the project, and considered the outcomes and activities of the inception phase.The 33rd ordinary Helsinki Commission Meeting (HELCOM 33/2012) welcomed the activities of the inception phase of the BALTFIMPA Project and agreed on the proposal for a larger scale BALTFIMPA Project, keeping in mind flexibility to accommodate into possible future funding sources. The meeting requested the secretariat as well as the contracting parties to maintain their efforts in identifying potential funding sources for the larger scale BALTFIMPA Project.The 37th meeting of the Heads of Delegation (HOD 37/2012) agreed to make use of the updated description of BALTFIMPA for the development of the BALTFIMPA project application to LIFE+ and requested the Steering Committee as well as the secretariat to start working on the application, including the identification of potential project partners for submission to LIFE+ by 26 September 2012.The project is a flagship project under Project Area 2 of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.8.2 BALTHAZAR (Baltic Hazardous and Agricultural Releases Reduction)The BALTHAZAR project focuses on reducing agricultural nutrient loading and the risk of hazardous waste in St. Petersburg, Leningrad and the Kaliningrad Oblasts. The aim of the project is to tackle pollution from large farms and hazardous waste collection sites and management processes.The first phase of the BALTHAZAR project has been running since February 2009 and was finalised in June 2012 with the aim to identify the principal agricultural and hazardous waste pollution sources and to implement restoring actions. In this first phase, Russian and EU experts collected information on these two main elements of the project. Consultants were contracted to carry out the risk assessment and developed pilot project proposals. Five pilots were thus successfully finalised by the end of May 2011.The BALTHAZAR project continued in a second phase with an emphasis on further pilot projects and joint and complementary actions with other projects within the HELCOM framework, such as COHIBA, as well as capacity building in environmental monitoring in cooperation with the Russian-Swedish RUSNIP project and has been finalised in June 2012. The goal in this phase was the sampling and analysing of 11 HELCOM target substances in selected WWTPs as well as in river and coastal waters and sediments in order to complement the studies of concentrations in waste site leachates performed in Phase I. The aim was also to perform some toxicity screening and investigations in order to contribute with similar information collected in other Baltic Sea countries during COHIBA. Two pilots have been developed within the second phase: further development of treatment of mercury-containing waste in Kaliningrad as well as manure management in both Leningrad and Kaliningrad Oblast with the aim to prepare manure handling plants for 6 pilot farms and elaborate suitable best practice solutions.HOD 36/2011 considered the results achieved in Phase I of the BALTHAZAR project and acknowledged the importance of the project activities in the implementation of the HELCOM BSAP in Russia, e.g. by performing screening activities in order to enable a complete picture of the whole Baltic Sea region as a complement of the activities in the COHIBA-project and enhancing the production of environmental data for HELCOM assessments. The meeting emphasised once more that access to available data was crucial for the project to achieve the planned results and urged all data producers in the project to make all data available within their mandate.HELCOM 33/2012 welcomed the report on interim results of BALTHAZAR.HOD 37/2012 welcomed the good output of the BALTHAZAR project that has been achieved in cooperation with Russian authorities, EU and Russian experts as well as other stakeholders and related initiatives. These are amongst others the “Sustainable Manure Management in Animal Farms in the Leningrad Region”, jointly initiated by NEFCO, NDEP and the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, and the German-Russian project on the treatment of Mercury containing waste in Kaliningrad, carried out within the frame of the Advisory Assistance Programme of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federal Environment Agency. The meeting stressed the importance of a close cooperation with the Swedish-Russian RUSNIP project, also for the planning of the up-coming BASE project.The work in Phase II has in general been completed as reported from the Project Steering Group (PSG). However, reports are still at finalisation stage and activities are to be completed in June 2012. The reports will be finalised by correspondence between the HELCOM Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and the Russian partner; the finalised reports will be presented to the HOD.A final BALTHAZAR Project Steering group meeting (PSG) was held on 8 June 2012 in St Petersburg, Russia.After finalising the BALTHAZAR project in June 2012, the BASE project will utilise the experience and results of the BALTHAZAR project as approved by HOD 33/2010. HELCOM and EU have signed a contract for this new joint cooperation project comprising a budget of 2.5 million€(see section 8.2 and 8.3).Monitoring Activities in the Luga RiverDuring the regular monitoring activities in the Luga River, a sampling carried out in late November 2011 revealed high loads of phosphorus to the Baltic Sea downstream from the town of Kingisepp, North-West Russia, thus emphasizing a potentially significant source. The BALTHAZAR Project Management requested a second round of sampling to be carried out in order to have stronger confirmation of the assumptions. Short information on the second round results were received on 2 December 2011, followed by some further verification of the results on high nutrient concentrations on 7 December 2011. The BALTHAZAR Project Steering Group meeting in January 2012 supported plans to continue this investigation immediately together with responsible authorities and other project stakeholders to get an overall picture of nutrient inputs in the Luga River.During HELCOM33/2012, MCC EuroChem, Russia, owner of the phosphorite facility in Kingisepp, informed on the situation in the industrial area as well as on measures to improve the situation, starting from further investigation of the source and further on rectifying potential sources of higher load found in the vicinity of the industrial area. The meeting stressed the need for continued, long-term monitoring of the pollution load in cooperation with HELCOM in quick succession, in order to assess the situation in more detail and to properly address the source of pollution as soon as possible. Further it emphasised a need for a more comprehensive investigation in additional creeks and brooks surrounding the industrial area.HELCOM LAND noted that the new information and preliminary data on exceptionally high phosphorous/nutrient loads in Luga River for 2011 and spring 2012 so far showed low concentrations in the Luga River with only little variation as well as in Verkhovsky brook.As requested by HELCOM 33/2012, the BALTHAZAR project reported on the progress and on the sampling activities and submitted a final draft report on the monitoring activities from the PSG meeting on 8 June 2012 in St Petersburg at HOD37/2012. Also, the Russian delegation gave information about the activities in the Luga area. Following this information, the exact source is still unclear. EuroChem stated that the flow of phosphorus-containing surface waters from their site at Verkhovsky brook was blocked by building a dam in January 2012. Additionally, a treatment system consisting of dams, sluice gates, pumping station, pipeline and a lime treatment facility was constructed and taken into use on 17 March 2012.EuroChem signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly select and assign an independent European expert organisation to assess the current phosphorus treatment system.8.3 BASEHELCOM and EU have signed a contract for a new joint cooperation project – the BASE-PROJECT - with funding from EU utilising the experience and results of the activities by the BALTHAZAR-Project (Phases I and II). The project activities are planned to start after finalization of BALTHAZAR, in June 2012, with a budget of 2.5 million€.The new project will go beyond the existing cooperation topics within BALTHAZAR and will address three priority areas of the HELCOM BSAP: eutrophication, hazardous substances, and biodiversity and nature protection, as well as monitoring activities to support and measure the implementation progress within the above-mentioned segments.According to the broadened scope with new activity it was considered necessary to implement efficient and practical project procedures through a PSG. At HOD 37/2012, the Terms of Reference of the BASE Project Steering Group have been determined. The activities will give a good opportunity to harmonize methods for assessments throughout the Baltic Sea region and implementations of pilot activities in Russia, taking into account both Russian and EU best practices and requirements. This will be ensured by the involvement of both EU and Russian expertise in the different tasks. The progress of activities will be regularly reported to the PSG and the HELCOM Heads of Delegation for follow-up and to ensure the relevance of the planned activities to both the related HELCOM work and programmes in Russia. The activities will also be presented to several HELCOM working groups as to HELCOM MONAS, HELCOM LAND and HELCOM HABITAT in order to ensure coordination and consistency with HELCOM expert work at regional level.HOD 37/2012 also agreed that especially for biodiversity some specific activities have already been considered and should be further elaborated, such as support for the Curonian Spit National Park administration. Further the recommendations of the SALAR project and the HELCOM BSAP should be promoted to make sure they are taken into consideration at the development of a salmon management plan for salmonid rivers in the North-West Russia. Finally the participation of Russian partners in the development of core set biodiversity and hazardous substances indicators should be enhanced.8.4 BRISK/BRISK-RU (Sub-regional risk of spill of oil and hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea)The BRISK/BRISK-RU project is of special significance as the Baltic Sea is one of the most heavily trafficked seas in the world, accounting for around 9% of the total cargo and 11% of the oil transportation in world traffic. There are about 2,000 ships in the Baltic marine area at any given moment. Each year around 120-140 shipping accidents are happening there and in 2010 18 per cent more ship accidents were reported in 2010 compared to 2009 in the Baltic Sea.The BRISK Project aims at improving the preparedness of the Baltic Sea countries to respond to major spills of oil and hazardous substances caused by shipping activities. The project has been running for three years starting in 2009 until 2012. On 8 December 2011, the final Conference of BRISK/BRISK-RU took place in Helsinki. As a flagship project of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region it is co-financed by the EU within the Baltic Sea Programme 2007-2013. BRISK-RU ensures the participation of the Russian Federation in the joint implementation of the BSAP and is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. Both projects have the same partners and are conducted within the framework of the HELCOM RESPONSE group to implement the national commitments under the BSAP.The first project phase has been dedicated to assess the risk and main reasons of pollution caused by shipping activities. The second phase verified the sufficiency of existing response capacities in order to manage oil and hazardous substances spills. The projects also identified possible ways to reduce the risk of spills including their impact and damage of the environment. Major results of the Baltic-wide risk assessment of pollution by oil and hazardous substances were presented at a seminar on 18 May 2011 in Sopot, Poland, back-to-back with the European Maritime Day (19 and 20 May 2011, Gdansk).HOD 36/2011 re-iterated the importance of the BRISK/BRISK-RU Projects for improving response capabilities in the Baltic Sea. Sweden reported that a substantial risk reduction was already achieved and new risk control measures should be incorporated, such as traffic separation schemes. The European Union informed on developments of a new EU regulation on offshore activities, including liability in relation to safety and environmental aspects of offshore exploration and production in EU marine waters.A final report of the HELCOM BRISK and BRISK-RU projects was presented at HOD37/2012. The report comprises model results for risk of spills of oil and hazardous substances, suggestions for investment plans for each sub-region and an overview of the existing bilateral and trilateral agreements for joint response actions across national borders that have been signed during the course of the project.The project reveals amongst other aspects that the risk for spilled oil, oil on the coast and environmental damage is determined for each sub-region. Sub-regional meetings were organized by the countries to discuss the results from the sub-regional perspective; sub-regional working groups thus developed investment plans as well as the following recommendations:• Vessel traffic systems for the entire tanker route between Skaw and Primorsk/Ust Luga,• the Development and deployment of devices for increased visibility during night,• the Traffic & Scheduling System (TSS) in Kattegat is expected to have a positive and cost-efficient effect on the navigational safety,• general measures like double hull for small tanker and for bunker tanks in new vessels will help to decrease spills,• increased recovery capacity in ice conditions for the Gulf of Bothnia,• Increase their capacities in shallow water areas.As per information by Finland at HELCOM RESPONSE 15/2012 and agreed on HOD37/2012, BRISK/BRISK-RU projects will be handled on extension stage with Finland as the lead partner and HELCOM involvement. The project is to be applied to the Baltic Sea Region Programme for financing. The extension stage of BRISK/BRISK-RU will have a focus on investments whereas no new risk assessment activities are envisaged.8.5 COHIBA (Control of hazardous Substances in the Baltic Sea Regions)The Control of Hazardous Substances in the Baltic Sea Regions (COHIBA) project had the overall goal to support the Baltic Sea countries in jointly implementing the Baltic Sea Action Plan with regard to hazardous substances. The project had been tasked with collecting initial data sets to determine the current levels of toxicity, their source on a country-to-country basis, and additionally to formulate policy recommendations based on the findings to be implemented on a cross-national basis.The project began in 2009 and was officially finalised on 25 January 2012, while the work on final progress and financial reporting was completed on 25 April 2012. The final report was published in June 2012The project has been a flagship project under Priority Area 3 of the EU Strategy for BSR and was carried out under the co-funding approved in the 2007-2013 EU’s Baltic Sea Region Programme.COHIBA identified the most important sources and a released pattern of 11 selected largely unknown hazardous substances as being of specific concern to the Baltic Sea and has defined limits that should be implemented on effluents discharged. Based on these raw data, COHIBA also provides input to the development of national implementation programmes, serving also the requirements under the EU Water Framework Directive and also provides input to the HELCOM integrated assessments on hazardous substances as a basis for decision making. COHIBA also delivered information on the development of cost-efficient measures to minimise pollutionThe 36th meeting of HELCOM Heads of Delegation discussed the integration of the project outcomes into the process of implementation of the Hazardous Substances Segment of the HELCOM BSAP, including the list of deliverables. Sweden stressed the importance of the outcomes of the COHIBA Project for implementation of the Hazardous substances segment of the HELCOM BSAP and as well as for other frameworks, e.g. the Priority Area 3 of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, and specifically the need to support the regional network of experts created by the COHIBA Project with wide and valuable competence in hazardous substances.The 33rd meeting of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM 33/2012) took note of the draft Final Summary Report of the COHIBA Project and welcomed that results of the COHIBA Project will be disseminated to relevant HELCOM working groups, as well as to a broader audience, i.e. within the cluster collaboration initiative with other relevant environmental projects co-funded by the EU BSR Programme 2007-2013.At the 17th LAND meeting from 9 to 11 May 2012, the draft Final Summary Report of the Project was presented and discussed. The focus was on the findings and conclusions for HELCOM LAND as well as for the 2013 Ministerial Meeting.The Project seeks for continuation of its activities in the form of extension, addressing specific potential investment proposals, as well as through a proposed environmental cluster initiative within the EU BSR Programme 2007-2013.The HOD 37/2012 welcomed the Final Summary COHIBA report.8.6 FISH-PRO (Expert network on monitoring and protecting of coastal fish and lamprey species)This project is the continuation of the HELCOM Project “Expert network on monitoring and protecting of coastal fish and lamprey species (HELCOM FISH Project)”, which ran from 2008-2010.The expert network coordinates and develops the coastal fish monitoring and assessment component of the COMBINE Programme. It works mainly by correspondence and has one meeting per year. The expert network aims at further developing a harmonised monitoring programme for coastal fish, which also takes into account national and other international programmes.The experts are developing indicators and reference values, have developed an indicator fact sheet on temporal changes in coastal fish communities, and have updated the coastal fish monitoring guidelines in the COMBINE manual. The latter work uses experiences related to monitoring programmes under the EU Directives.In 2006, the experts produced an assessment of coastal fish in the Baltic Sea. The draft indicator-based assessment of coastal fish community status in the Baltic Sea (2005-2009) was presented at the 7th Baltic Fisheries/Environmental Forum meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on 24 and 25 January 2012.The HELCOM FISH-PRO project has contributed to the revision of the HELCOM Red List of threatened and declining species of lampreys and fish as well as the biodiversity expert work of the HELCOM CORESET project on the development of core indicators and GES targets. It will investigate further possibilities to develop recommendations for policy measures aiming at the improvement of the state of coastal fish communities representing an important share in commercial fisheries in some countries, as well as to further address impacts of seals and cormorants in the future work of the project.8.7 MORE (HELCOM monitoring programmes)The 35th meeting of the Heads of Delegation (HOD 35/2011) agreed after long discussion on the establishment of a separate project for the revision of HELCOM monitoring programmes (HELCOM MORE). The project intends to develop guidelines for an optimised, scientifically based and cost-efficient joint HELCOM monitoring programme which provides the necessary data for HELCOM’s Baltic-wide indicator-based assessment activities. The importance of such an initiative due to the requirements of global agreements, BSAP and European Policies was mentioned at the 32nd meeting of the Helsinki Commission and HOD 35/2011. MORE should furthermore encourage the cooperation between HELCOM and OSPAR (North-East Atlantic) and establish guidelines for monitoring. With regard to the comments and a study reservation made by Denmark the meeting agreed to take the final decision about the project intersessionally.HELCOM HOD 36/2011 agreed to execute the HELCOM MORE project and welcomed the start of the HELCOM monitoring revision as soon as possible.The first meeting of the project, the HELCOM MORE Planning Workshop, was held on 15 February 2012 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The meeting was attended by all the contracting parties except the EC, Lithuania and Russia and by an observer from ICES. The workshop carried out a brainstorming session on the monitoring revision, discussed the deliverables of the project and agreed on the preliminary time line of the project as described in the attached outcome of the workshop.The second workshop on 28 and 29 May 2012 (HELCOM MORE 2/2012) in Helsinki agreed to work out an overview of the current monitoring in the Baltic Sea, review of the HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment Strategy and development of Strategic Guidelines.8.8 PLC-5/5.5/6 (HELCOM pollution load compilation)The HELCOM BSAP has the overall objective of reaching a Baltic Sea in good environmental status by 2021 by addressing the issues of eutrophication, hazardous substance, biodiversity and maritime activities. As concerns reducing eutrophication and hence water and airborne loads of nutrients, this can only be done if the sources and magnitude of nutrient pollution are known. High quality, complete and consistent HELCOM Pollution Load Compilation (PLC) data ensures that progress of the HELCOM countries in reaching their BSAP nutrient reduction targets can be followed.The 36th meeting of HELCOM Heads of Delegation (HELCOM HOD 36/2011) approved the project proposal for updating the Fifth Baltic Sea Pollution Load Compilation for the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting (HELCOM PLC-5.5).HELCOM 33/2012 urged all Contracting States to provide their missing PLCwater data for 2009 and 2010 as soon as possible but no later than 12 March, enabling the quick start-up of the new project.The first Project Group meeting of the project “Review of Fifth Baltic Sea Pollution Load Compilation for 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting” (HELCOM PLC-5.5 1/2012) was held on 2 and 3 May 2012 in Helsinki, Finland. The main purpose of the project meeting was to consider the status of PLC data reporting for 2009 and 2010 data and to discuss the contents, including possible additional data needs, of the PLC-5.5 report, and how the PLC project group should be involved in elaborating the report.The HOD 37/2012 adopted the finalised PLC-5 Executive Summary and agreed on its publication in the Baltic Sea Environment Proceedings Series. Furthermore, the meeting considered the project proposal for PLC-6, the overall task of which it is to prepare a comprehensive assessment of the water- and airborne inputs and their sources to the Baltic Sea during the period 1994-2014 with more detailed assessment for 2014 by updating the 5th Pollution Load Compilation (PLC-5) and the updated PLC report submitted to the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting (PLC-5.5), including information on nutrient inputs via air and water as well as their sources.8.9 PURE (Project on Urban Reduction of Eutrophication)Municipalities play a key role in improving the state of the sea and the possibilities of cutting down nutrient loading. So the main aim of the Project on Urban Reduction of Eutrophication (PURE) is to prepare and implement concrete, voluntary investments in municipalities in order to reduce the phosphorus load to the Baltic Sea by 300-500 tons. PURE was implemented in 2010 and will go on until 2012 under the HELCOM LAND group. PURE is one of the flagship projects of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund, the Baltic Sea Region Programme and the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument of the European Union.The project supports selected wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by transnational cooperation to reach a phosphorous content of 0.5 mg/l in treated municipal wastewaters as stipulated in HELCOM recommendation 28E/5. PURE maps existing good practices and develops solutions for sustainable and effective sludge handling and phosphorus recycling as phosphorus removed from the wastewaters stays in the wastewater sludge.In its initial phase, the project concentrated on technical audit studies and phosphorus removal activities. Furthermore, a pilot investment at Rīga Daugavgriva WWTP was implemented and a new database for municipal water utilities for monitoring local level performance and technology used in the Baltic Sea region was completed.As confirmed in HOD36/2012 the contracting parties were invited to name possible water utilities nominations to the HELCOM Green Baltic Spots List. In cooperation with HELCOM, PURE is developing a concept of a “green list” of water utilities that implements the best practices in wastewater treatment as an incentive to environmentally sound local actors serving to the HELCOM Green Baltic Spots List (see also section 5.2).During 2011 the project investments were progressing in different phases of preparing, tendering and delivering of equipment. A sustainable sludge management publication was started in February 2011 and has been carried out throughout the year. Also, a PURE Workshop on Sustainable Sludge Handling was hosted by the project partner in Lübeck on 7and8 September 2011, where political and economic aspects affecting the sludge management strategies, as well as practical technical solutions and future prospects in different circumstances were presented and discussed.At HELCOM HOD36/2011 as well as at HOD 37/2012, the overall outputs and results were presented: Via investments in Riga, Jurmala and Brest phosphorus loads have been reduced annually by 300-500 tons. Furthermore, technical audit reports and investment plans for the partner WWTPs in Brest, Gdansk, Jurmala, Kohtla-Järve and Szczecin had been elaborated in 2010. A publication of good practices in phosphorus removal and sustainable sludge handling at municipal WWTPs has been launched and a compilation of data on waste water treatment level, technologies and related nutrient inputs in the region for the use of municipalities, WWTPs and authorities effected.Once more, HOD37/2012 encouraged the participation of the contracting parties in the project activities in order to contribute to the implementation of the Eutrophication Segment of the HELCOM BSAP.The Final conference of PURE will be organized on 16and17 October 2012 in Gdansk, Poland.8.10 Red ListThe HELCOM Red List Project was initiated in 2009 to produce a comprehensive Red List of Baltic Sea species and to update the Red Lists of Baltic Sea biotopes and biotope complexes for the HELCOM area by 2013. The Red Lists are prepared according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria for the following species groups: macrophytes, benthic invertebrates, water birds, fish and lamprey species and marine mammals.The BSAP requires the complete biotope classification system for the Baltic Sea biotopes to be completed by 2011. The HELCOM RED LIST project is developing the threat assessments which should be finalised by 2013.The 36th meeting of HELCOM Heads of Delegation (HOD 36/2011) reaffirmed previous calls vis-à-vis the Contracting States to ensure that a sufficient level of participation and data resources for the project to allow for the delivery of the threat assessment products by the time of the 2013 Ministerial Meeting. However, the meeting did take note of the progress report of the HELCOM Red List project and welcomed the progress made especially in creating checklists of Baltic Sea macro-species and the provisional red list of Baltic breeding birds. The meeting also welcomed that funding has been secured from Sweden (500,000 SEK) and the Nordic Council of Ministers (600,000 DKK) to support the work of the biotopes team of the HELCOM RED LIST project, including for travels of national experts to biotope team’s workshops.HELCOM 33/2012 welcomed the progress report of the HELCOM Red List Project and the publishing of the Checklist of Baltic Sea macro species and the provisional Red list of Baltic Sea breeding birds. Germany commented on the fact that biotope classification work concerned updating of an already existing classification system and that the use of IUCN criteria in the threat assessments of species potentially resulted in inaccurate categorization of species and the application of the criteria should be further considered by the next HELCOM HABITAT meeting.The 37th meeting of HELCOM Heads of Delegation (HOD 37/2012) welcomed the Status Report of the HELCOM Red List project and Assessment of cod. One issue was the finalisation of the aforementioned projects: Red List of Baltic Breeding Birds, and Checklist of Baltic Sea Macro-species. Secondly, Denmark, the EU, Finland, Germany, Latvia, and Poland expressed their reservations regarding the categorisation of cod as vulnerable. The meeting invited the contracting parties to provide further input to the secretariat by mid-July 2012 and agreed to reconsider the issue when the full red lists will be submitted to the HODs for endorsement.8.11 SALAR (Project on the state of salmon and sea trout populations in rivers flowing to the Baltic Sea)The project “Overview of the state of salmon (Salmo salar) and sea trout (Salmo trutta) populations in rivers flowing to the Baltic Sea (SI2.546540)” (HELCOM SALAR) (2010-2011) has been successfully completed. The project delivered an inventory and classification of the status of the salmon and sea trout rivers flowing to the Baltic Sea, and produced a final report (BSEP 126).This led to the adoption of HELCOM recommendation 32-33/1 “Conservation of Baltic Salmon (Salmo Salar) and Sea Trout (Salmo Trutta) Populations by the Restoration of their River Habitats and Management of River Fisheries”, complementing HELCOM recommendation 19/2 “Protection and Improvement of the Wild Salmon (Salmo Salar L.) Populations in the Baltic Sea Area”.The 32nd meeting of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM 32/2011) agreed that the second phase of the HELCOM SALAR project was needed to elaborate restoration plans for river waters and habitats as well as river fisheries management, together with the stakeholders, and asked the secretariat to prepare a second phase project plan and apply for funding for its realisation.Based on the expert opinions, a proposal for the SALAR second phase project was prepared, which was submitted to DG MARE to consider the possibility for its financial support in the implementation of the project.However, the 33rd ordinary Helsinki Commission Meeting (HELCOM33/2012) found that it will not be possible to continue financing phase II of the SALAR Project in 2012 and unlikely in upcoming years from DG MARE funds and invited the secretariat to investigate further the issue of possible funding of the proposed phase II of SALAR.8.12 TAGREV (Review of the ecological targets for eutrophication of the HELCOM BSAP) and CORESET (Development of HELCOM core set Indicators)TARGREV is a scientific research project dedicated to “The Review of the ecological targets for eutrophication of the BSAP”. The project started in June 2010 and delivered its draft final report in November 2011 that is foreseen to be finally adopted at the forthcoming HOD meeting in autumn 2012. The main aim of the project is to strengthen the scientific basis of eutrophication status targets of HELCOM and make proposals for revised targets. The outcome of the project is planned to be used both for the modelling activities of the review of the Baltic Sea Action Plan as well as for HELCOM’s eutrophication assessments.The HELCOM CORESET project (Development of HELCOM core set indicators) established a set of candidate indicators for hazardous substances and biodiversity which will be further developed into a set of core indicators after that date. The project is flagship project 3.4 of the EU Strategy for the BSR. The work on the indicators was started by making a work plan, including gap analysis between the HELCOM indicators and EU MSFD’s descriptors for Good Environmental Status (GES) and a plan for harmonising them as soon as possible.JAB (CORESET/TARGREV Joint Advisory Board)The CORESET/TARGREV Joint Advisory Board (JAB) is the coordinating body for both projects that advises and reviews the work of both projects and ensures that common Baltic Sea region-wide principles will be applied as far as possible. The JAB functions as an information exchange platform and includes inter alia the facilitation of regional cooperation and coordination on the national initial assessments of the EU. Furthermore, the supervising of the updating of the HELCOM holistic integration of the indicators within the HELCOM CORESET project falls under the responsibility of the JAB.GEAR (Group for Implementation of Ecosystem Approach)During HELCOM33/2012, the meeting agreed to establish a broadened HELCOM coordination platform called HELCOM Group for Implementation of Ecosystem Approach (GEAR). GEAR will incorporate core tasks of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Implementation Group (BSAP IG) as well as those of JAB. The newly created group will substitute HELCOM JAB. The establishment of HELCOM GEAR is considered as a first step in order to streamline the working structure of HELCOM and to initiate a modernisation of HELCOM.A first meeting of HELCOM GEAR was held in place of HELCOM JAB 7/2012 on 4 and 5 June 2012 in Berlin, Germany.Project DevelopmentThe 5th meeting of HELCOM JAB held on 16 and 17 November 2011 emphasised the scientific expert advice nature of the report and stressed the importance for the Baltic Nest Institute to initiate the modelling of the preliminary maximum allowable inputs based on the outcome of the TARGREV final draft report.At HOD36/2011, the outcomes of the 4th and 5th JAB meetings, held on 4 October 2011 in Vilnius, Lithuania, and on 16 and 17 November 2011 in Helsinki, Finland, respectively were presented. Also, the question of a different structure of the JAB had been raised and the secretariat stated that it will draw up a roadmap on such a group as proposed could work. The meeting pointed out the importance of the finalisation of the report of the project and invited the project to revise the final report for the submission to HELCOM JAB 6/2012 and agreed to consider the publishing of the revised report during HELCOM 33/2012.The meeting of the Heads of Delegation HOD37/2012 in principle approved the presented final report of the HELCOM TARGREV project for publication with some additions concerning missing data and regionalization of the targets. The report is aimed to serve as the main supporting document in the review of the eutrophication status targets which is the first step in the review of the BSAP nutrient load reduction scheme.Further sub-regionalisation of the targets has been discussed and the secretariat informed that the TARGREV project will carry out the regionalization according to the “HELCOM HOLAS” open sea sub-units. Further information will be presented to the 13 September 2012 CORE EUTRO workshop.HELCOM HOD36/2011 approved for publishing in the Baltic Sea Environment Proceedings the CORESET interim report “The development of a set of core indicators”. The Interim Report includes the selection of core indicators and descriptions of preliminary indicators identified in the expert working groups.CORESET held four expert workshops on biodiversity indicators and four on hazardous substances indicators by January 2012. In 2012, the biodiversity expert group of the project will focus on team meetings developing core indicators for marine mammals, seabirds, fish, benthic habitats and associated communities and pelagic habitats and associated communities. The expert group for hazardous substances and their effects will focus its work on the computing of core indicators and publishing first reports on the HELCOM web site. CORESET aims at delivering the core indicator web page with indicator reports as well as the final report by the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting.8.13 ZEN QAI (HELCOM Project Quality Assurance and Integration of Zooplankton Monitoring in the Baltic Sea)Upon the recommendation of MONAS 14/2011, HOD 35/2011 approved the project for Quality Assurance and Integration of Zooplankton Monitoring in the Baltic Sea (HELCOM ZEN QAI) for the period 2011-2013. The overarching aim of the project is to ensure and maintain high quality standard of the international Baltic regional zooplankton monitoring within the HELCOM COMBINE Programme and to assure data comparability and their effective usage. This will be achieved by organizing training courses/workshops; revising and updating the COMBINE manual; maintaining intercalibrations; updating taxonomic lists; evaluating applicability of zooplankton-based indices as environmental indicators; and revising recommendations for zooplankton biomass assessment.The 36th HOD welcomed the progress of work of ZEN QAI that contributed to the activities of the HELCOM CORESET project by developing two proposed core indicators on zooplankton.Further workshops with the aim to present and consider the results from the 2007 ring test; prepare the final report and evaluate data availability for development of zooplankton-based indicators for HELCOM CORESET activities are on-going.Sylvia Bretschneider Christina GestrinPresident of the Parliament of FinlandParliament of Mecklenburg-VorpommernAnnexGlossaryAIS Automatic Identification SystemBALTHAZAR Baltic Hazardous and Agricultural Releases Reduction projectBALTFIMPA Managing fisheries in Baltic marine protected areasBRISK/BRISK-RU Sub-regional risk of spill of oil and hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea projectBSAP Baltic Sea Action PlanBSPC Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceBWMC Ballast Water Management ConventionCCB Coalition Clean BalticCEPCO Coordinated Extended Pollution Control OperationCG Correspondence GroupCOHIBA Control of hazardous Substances in the Baltic Sea region projectCORESET Development of HELCOM core set Indicators projectDG ECHO Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department of the European CommissionDG MARE Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European CommissionEIA Environmental Impact AssessmentEMSA European Maritime Safety AgencyESPO European Sea Pro OrganisationEU MSFD EU Marine Strategy Framework DirectiveEU SBSR EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea RegionGEAR Group for Implementation of the Ecosystem ApproachGES Strategic Coordination Group or the Working Group on GoodEnvironmental Status (EU)HABITAT Nature Protection and Biodiversity GroupHOD Heads of DelegationIAEA International Atomic Energy AgencyICES International Council for the Exploration of the SeaICZM Integrated Coastal Zone ManagementIDUM International Dialogue on Underwater MunitionsIMO International Maritime OrganizationIUCN International Union for Conservation of NatureIWGAS Informal Working Group on Aerial SurveillanceJCP Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action ProgrammeLIFE+ EU Financial Instrument for the EnvironmentLAND Land-based pollution groupMAI Maximum Allowable InputsMARITIME Maritime groupMARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollutionfrom ShipsMEPC Marine Environment Protection Committee of the IMOMONAS Monitoring and Assessment GroupMORS Monitoring of radioactive substances in the Baltic Sea projectMSFD Maritime Strategy Framework DirectiveMSP Maritime Spatial PlanningMUNI EG Ad Hoc expert Group on dumped chemical munitions projectMPA Marine Protected AreaNECA NOx Emission Control AreaNEFCO Nordic Environment Finance CorporationNIB Nordic Investment BankNIP National Implementation PlanOSPAR Convention for the Protection of the marine Environment of the North-East AtlanticPIU Project Implementation UnitPLC Pollution Load Compilation projectPRF Port reception facilityPSG Project Steering GroupPURE Project on Urban reduction of eutrophicationRESPONSE Response groupSALAR Project on the state of salmon and sea trout populations in riversflowing to the Baltic SeaSCR Selective Catalytic ReductionSYKE Finnish Environment InstituteTARGREV Review of the ecological targets for eutrophication of theHELCOM BSAP projectTSS Traffic and Scheduling SystemVASAB Vision and Strategies around the Baltic SeaWDF Water Framework DirectiveWWF World Wildlife FundWWTP Wastewater treatment plantTable of Contents1 Introduction 12 Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOM 23 Programme of the Danish Chairmanship 24 Participation at events/conferences/forums 35 Implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) 45.1 National Implementation Plans (NIPs) 45.2 Baltic Sea Action Plan Fund 56 Groups/Working Groups 56.1 HABITAT (Nature Protection and Biodiversity Group) 56.2 LAND (Land-based Pollution Group) 6HELCOM “Hot Spots” under the JCP 7Green Baltic Spots 76.3 MARITIME (Maritime Group) 8Designation as NECA 106.4 MONAS (Monitoring and Assessment Group) 136.5 RESPONSE (Response Group) 14Development Marine Port Ust-Luga 166.6 Joint HELCOM-VASAB Group 176.7 MUNI EG (HELCOM ad hoc Expert Group to update and review the existing information on dumped chemical munitions in the Baltic Sea) 186.8 MORS EG (HELCOM MONAS Expert Group on Monitoring of Radioactive Substances in the Baltic Sea) 197 Forums 207.1 AGRI/ENV (Agricultural/Environmental Forum) 207.2 FISH/ENV(Fisheries and Environment Forum) 218 Projects 228.1 BALTFIMPA (Managing Fisheries in Baltic Marine Protected Areas) 228.2 BALTHAZAR (Baltic Hazardous and Agricultural Releases Reduction) 23Monitoring Activities in River Luga 258.3 BASE 268.4 BRISK/BRISK-RU (Sub-regional risk of spill of oil and hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea) 268.5 COHIBA (Control of hazardous Substances in the Baltic Sea Regions) 288.6 FISH-PRO (Expert network on monitoring and protecting of coastal fish and lamprey species) 298.7 MORE (HELCOM monitoring programmes) 308.8 PLC-5/5.5/6 (HELCOM pollution load compilation) 308.9 PURE (Project on Urban Reduction of Eutrophication) 318.10 Red List 328.11 SALAR 338.12 TAGREV (Review of the ecological targets for eutrophication of the HELCOM BSAP) and CORESET (Development of HELCOM core set Indicators) 34JAB (CORESET/TARGREV Joint Advisory Board) 34GEAR (Group for Implementation of Ecosystem Approach) 34Project Development 358.13 ZEN QAI (HELCOM Project Quality Assurance and Integration of Zooplankton Monitoring in the Baltic Sea) 359 Annex 3710 Glossary 4411 Table of Contents 46-----------------------[1]Glossary and Table of contents at the end of the report, page 44 and 46