Report on HELCOM 2015-2016

25 BSPCYEARSBaltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceReporton the Exercise of theObserver Statusof theBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference(BSPC) at theBaltic Marine EnvironmentProtection Commission(Helsinki Commission - HELCOM)2015/201625 BSPCYEARSBaltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceReporton the Exercise of theObserver Statusof theBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference(BSPC) at theBaltic Marine EnvironmentProtection Commission(Helsinki Commission - HELCOM)2015/20162Report on the Exercise of the Obeserver Status The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferenceof the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) was established in 1991 as a forum forat HELCOM political dialogue between parliamentariansfrom the Baltic Sea Region. BSPC aims at rais-ing awareness and opinion on issues of current© Landtag Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, political interest and relevance for the BalticSea Region. It promotes and drives various in-Schwerin 2016 itiatives and efforts to support a sustainableText: Sylvia Bretschneider environmental, social and economic develop-ment of the Baltic Sea Region. It strives at en-Editing: Bodo Bahr, Martina Kramer, Georg Strätker hancing the visibility of the Baltic Sea Regionand its issues in a wider European context.Layout: produktionsbüro TINUSBSPC gathers parliamentarians from 11Photos: BSPC Secretariat national parliaments, 11 regional parliamentsand 5 parliamentary organisations around thePrint: produktionsbüro TINUS Baltic Sea. The BSPC thus constitutes aCopies: 200 unique parliamentary bridge between all thePrinted on environmentally-friendly paper EU- and non-EU countries of the Baltic SeaPrinted in Germany Region.BSPC external interfaces include parlia-mentary, governmental, sub-regional and oth-er organizations in the Baltic Sea Region andthe Northern Dimension area, among themCBSS, HELCOM, the Northern DimensionPartnership in Health and Social Well-Being(NDPHS), the Baltic Sea Labour Forum(BSLF), the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Co-operation (BSSSC) and the Baltic Develop-ment Forum.BSPC shall initiate and guide political ac-tivities in the region; support and strengthendemocratic institutions in the participatingstates; improve dialogue between govern-ments, parliaments and civil society; strength-en the common identity of the Baltic Sea Re-Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference gion by means of close co-operation betweenwww.bspc.net national and regional parliaments on the basisof equality; and initiate and guide political ac-Bodo Bahr tivities in the Baltic Sea Region, endowingHead of BSPC Secretariat them with additional democratic legitimacybb@bspc.net and parliamentary authority.The political recommendations of the an-nual Parliamentary Conferences are expressedin a Conference Resolution adopted by con-BSPC Secretariat sensus by the Conference. The adopted Reso-c/o Lennéstraße 1 lution shall be submitted to the governments19053 Schwerin of the Baltic Sea Region, the CBSS and theGermany EU, and disseminated to other relevant na-Phone (+49) 385 525 2777 tional, regional and local stakeholders in theBaltic Sea Region and its neighbourhood.3ContentsI. Introduction ....................................................................4II. Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOM ....................61. HELCOM Stakeholder Conference onMarine Litter 2016 - Tackling the Challengeof Marine Litter in the Baltic Sea ...................................92. Baltic Sea Days ............................................................10III. Outgoing Estonian Chairmanship andProgramme of the incoming European Union’sChairmanship ................................................................121. Reaching a healthy ecosystem in theBaltic Sea by 2021 ......................................................132. Innovation for a sustainable Blue Economyand healthy ecosystems ...............................................133. Tackling the challenge of regional governance .............14IV. Main decisions in 2015 – 2016 ......................................151. NECA Roadmap .........................................................152. HOLAS II- HELCOM Second HolisticAssessment of the Ecosystem Health of theBaltic Sea (2014–2018)................................................173. Ministerial Meeting ....................................................184. Development of the Baltic Sea Action Plan ..................195. Implementation of the regulationsunder MARPOL Annex IV ..........................................204 IntroductionI. IntroductionMs Sylvia BretschneiderThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, alsoknown as HELCOM has been working now for over four decadeson the protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea.Constituted on the basis of the Helsinki Convention, signed in1974 and entered into force 1980, its ten contracting partners arededicated to the healthy future of the Baltic Sea and therefore shar-ing a common goal with the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference.Consequently, the BSPC applied and obtained observer status tothe commission in 2002 and since then has held the position con-tinuously.2015, the representatives of the Standing Committee of the BSPCagreed once again during the 24th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Confer-ence in Rostock to appoint Sylvia Bretschneider to exercise thismandate and report back to the BSPC on the relevant activities ofHELCOM.The present report comprises an overview from the time frame ofAugust 2015 to this year’s 25th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Confer-ence 28 - 30h August 2016 in Riga, Latvia. This report will focusthe main steps taken by HELCOM during that time frame.Introduction 5One of the most important and most difficult achievements was theHELCOM agreement to apply for a NECA (NOx Emission Con-trol Area) status for the Baltic Sea at the IMO. Therefore, the con-tracting parties of HELCOM adopted the NECA Roadmap for theBaltic Sea and parallel with the North Sea.Furthermore, the Second Holistic Assessment of the ecosystemhealth of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS II) was launched. HOLAS II willprovide updated information on the status of the marine environ-ment and cumulative pressures and impacts from major human ac-tivities. For the first time, social and economic analysis will be trulyincorporated into the HELCOM assessment by linking human ac-tivities to pressures and impacts on ecosystem components withinone holistic framework.The other important decisions as well as more details of the NECARoadmap and the HOLAS II can be found in the section “IV. Maindecisions”.The report is mainly based on two meetings of the Heads of Dele-gation (HOD 49 – 50) and the Helsinki Commission Meeting, 10- 11 March 2016 (Com. Meeting 37, 2015). The report is intendedas an extract of the most important processes of HELCOM. So, thereport focuses on the mentioned topics and main decisions.6 II Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOMII. Cooperation between BSPCand HELCOMThe past 14 years of cooperation between HELCOM and the BSPCare characterized by an active exchange of experiences and informa-tion and the past year was no exception to the successful collabora-tion between both institutions.A part of the partnership is manifested in the joint participation inconferences and events as well as cooperation between intergovern-mental and interparliamentary bodies within the Baltic Sea Region. Photo: Jens Büttner/dpaOne example of the joint participation in conferences was onceagain the annual Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. At the 24thBSPC in Rostock, 30 August – 1 September 2015, Harry Liiv asChair of HELCOM presented the work of HELCOM.In his speech, he wanted to shed light on the progress of the HEL-COM Baltic Sea Action Plan and its targets to reduce pollution andunder water noise. Eutrophication is one of the largest problems inthe Baltic Sea and hence the focus of a large part of the work doneby HELCOM.An important step in tackling this problem is monitoring the bal-ance of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, so that it can bedetermined if action plans are actually effective. At this point, thereis a wide variety. Some basins, like the Kattegat, the Danish Straitsand Bothnian Sea have never exceeded their limits, whereas others,like The Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of Finland have grown far be-yond them.The aim is to reduce such nutrients to acceptable levels. In order tokeep the nutrient levels in check, it is necessary to upgrade nationalstandards for nutrient contents in manure, and nutrient bookkeep-ing at farm level. It will allow for more detailed analysis and plan-ning. For this to be successful, it is important to exchange best prac-tices amongst the Baltic Sea countries.In addition to harmful substances from the agricultural sector,heavy metals resulting from amongst others the pharmaceutical in-dustry munition are a risk for both the Baltic Sea and human health.In 2013 it was agreed that analysis would take place on this matter,II. Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOM 7Photo: Jens Büttner/dpaHarry Liiv, Chair of HELCOM 2014 – 2016 at the 24th BSPC in Rostockand its impact on the degradation of the marine environment. Thefirst results are expected early 2016.A new area of focus for HELCOM is marine litter. A significantamount of (household) litter is entering the marine environmentthrough rivers and beaches. In 2013 the goal was set to substantial-ly reduce the litter by 2025. This will be one of the Estonian prior-ities during its leadership of HELCOM, and the matter has beenadopted as part of the HELCOM resolution. In order to achievethis goal, it is necessary to cooperate closely with the existing wastemanagement plans of the different countries. Mr Liiv thereforeasked the parliamentarians for support for such measures.HELCOM is valued by the BSPC as the most important environ-ment protection organization in the Baltic Sea Region. Thus, thework of HELCOM is very often reflected and supported in the an-nual resolutions of the BSPC. The upcoming Silver Jubilee Resolu-tion will not be an exception. Currently, the draft resolution espe-cially includes the support for the HELCOM Marine Litter ActionPlan. In the draft resolution, the governments in the Baltic Sea Re-gion, the CBSS and the EU are called regarding cooperation in theBaltic Sea Region, to “further strengthen and develop HELCOM asthe main coordinating body in the effort to protect the Baltic ma-rine environment, and to strongly support the implementation ofthe Marine Litter Action Plan, as well as the NOx emission controlarea Roadmap for the Baltic Sea”.8 II Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOMIf that point of the resolution will be adopted, the close connection andfruitful cooperation between HELCOM and BSPC could continue.HELCOM Working Group State and Conservation in the Castle ofSchwerinFurthermore, from 11 - 15 April 2016, the HELCOM WorkingGroup on the “State of the Environment and Nature Conservation -State and Conservation” met for several meeting sessions and excur-sions in Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. As the Parliament ofMecklenburg-Vorpommern is located in Schwerin, Sylvia Bretsch-neider used the opportunity to invite the Working Group “State andConservation” into the seat of the Parliament, the Castle of Schwer-in. After a short guided tour of the castle, the working group mem-bers held their meeting on 12th April in the former horse stable.Working Group members in the former horse stable in the Castle ofSchwerinLast year, the BSPC mainly contributed to two HELCOM events.III. Programme of the Estonian Chairmanship 91. HELCOM Stakeholder Conference on MarineLitter 2016 - Tackling the Challenge of MarineLitter in the Baltic SeaOn 9 March 2016 HELCOM invited a wide array of stakeholdersto announce their commitment to combating marine litter in theBaltic Sea, as stated in the recently adopted HELCOM RegionalAction Plan on Marine Litter.In the run-up to the stakeholder conference, Sylvia Bretschneideraddressed the organizers and participants of the conference with theBSPC position through a letter in which she emphasized the impor-tance of such an event. She explained in the letter her point of viewas a politician and as Observer of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Con-ference (BSPC) to HELCOM concerning the issue of marine litterand how to solve that problem. Sylvia Bretschneider declared thatthe environmental status of the Baltic Sea is part of her daily workas President of the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and asChair of the BSPC Working Group on Sustainable Tourism as wellas because of her commitment to the important work of HEL-COM. Within all these functions she stands up for the improve-ment of the environmental status of the Baltic Sea, since a good eco-logical status is very important for life and also for the economyaround the Baltic Sea.Furthermore, she highlighted that a clean and healthy Baltic Sea iseven a basic condition for the economic development of the entireBaltic Sea Region. After operating against the invisible pollutioncaused by harmful substances for decades, HELCOM has devel-oped an Action Plan on Marine litter. Reducing the marine litter inthe Baltic Sea is an important issue for the BSPC and therefore sheexplicitly supports this approach.In her opinion, the key solution for this challenge is “cooperation”.Stakeholders from all fields – policy, science, economy and society– need to tackle together against the current litter pollution and forthe prevention of further marine litter.The letter was considered in the general discussion at the stakehold-er conference and attached to the “Report of the HELCOM Ma-rine Litter Conference 2016” which can be found on the homepageof HELCOM.As a result, the discussions of the conference were summarized byconcluding that marine litter is a real issue in the Baltic Sea and thatthe problem is very diverse both in terms of sources of litter,10 III. Programme of the Estonian Chairmanshippathways of litter to the sea and impacts of marine litter in the ma-rine environment. Such a diverse problem needs to be tackled byspecific measures that target specific parts of the complex issue, andmeasures need to be very concrete in order to improve the situation.Examples presented during the Conference to highlight the prob-lem came often from other regions, not the Baltic Sea, which showsthat there are still regional knowledge gaps on the issue and on thepossible solutions to reducing the amount of marine litter in theBaltic Sea region. Funding instruments for further research are inplace, and further research needs to be done through stakeholderinvolvement by, for example, the industry in order to tackle the ma-rine litter issue at source. Public awareness and education is essentialas citizens have to be onboard if the community is to succeed intackling the marine litter problem. Therefore, implementing theHELCOM Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter needs to belinked and harmonized with the processes and actions on the glob-al-, EU- and national scale and other ongoing initiatives.2. Baltic Sea DaysOn 22nd and 23rd March 2016, the XVII International Environ-mental Forum “Baltic Sea Days” took place in St. Petersburg, Rus-sia. The BSPC Standing Committee memnergs Maria Tolppanen,member of the Finnish Parliament, and Jørn Dohrmann, memberof the European Parliament, represented the BSPC - on behalf ofthe mandate holder as observer at HELCOM - at the forum andcontinued thus the tradition of vivid exchange of experience and in-formation as well as of joint participation in conferences.Maria Tolppanen held a speech on behalf of the BSPC and under-lined the BSPC’s efforts to further on support the work of HEL-COM as much as possible. This ambition was also adopted in theresolution of the 24th annual conference of the BSPC in Rostocklast year. Under point 10 the parliamentarians from all around theBaltic Sea committed themselves to “strengthen and further developHELCOM as the main coordinating body in the effort to protectthe Baltic marine environment, and to strongly support the imple-mentation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), and to stress theimportance of BSAP as the environmental pillar of the EU Strategyfor the Baltic Sea Region”.III. Programme of the Estonian Chairmanship 11She also stressed that the BSPC especially supports the new HEL-COM approach on the second holistic assessment of the ecosystemhealth of the Baltic Sea – the so called HOLAS II. HOLAS II willprovide updated information on the status of the marine environ-ment and cumulative pressures and impacts from major human ac-tivities. For the first time, social and economic analysis will be trulyincorporated into the HELCOM assessment by linking human ac-tivities to pressures and impacts on ecosystem components withinone holistic framework. This new and very practical measure willpromote the understanding of the ecosystem approach what is verywelcomed by the BSPC.Furthermore, Maria Tolppanen commented on the HELCOMCommission Meeting that was held 9 to 10 March 2016. One ofthe most important steps taken on that meeting was the adoption ofthe NECA Roadmap for the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Thisroadmap for designating a NOx emission control area (NECA) inthe Baltic Sea in parallel with the North Sea is a major decision interms of concrete nutrient pollution reduction potential. In thename of all BSPC members, she thanked HELCOM for this ap-proach.Moreover, she explained that with the new established WorkingGroup on Sustainable Tourism, the BSPC will tackle the challengesof fostering tourism in the Baltic Sea Region and at the same timeconserve a good environmental state of the region.12 III. Outgoing Estonian Chairmanship and Programme of the incoming European Union’s ChairmanshipIII. O utgoing EstonianChairmanship andProgramme of theincoming European Union’sChairmanshipThe Chairmanship of the Helsinki Commission rotates between allthe Contracting Parties every two years according to their alphabet-ical order in English.On 30 June 2016 the Estonian chairmanship in HELCOM endedafter two years. Harry Liiv as Chair for the last two years drew a pos-itive balance. During the Estonian chairmanship the Baltic Seacountries reached important milestones. HELCOM launched andhas progressed on a major project to prepare the Second HolisticAssessment of the Baltic Sea and the Regional Action Plan on Ma-rine Litter was adopted. One of the most important and most diffi-cult achievements was the HELCOM agreement to apply for aNECA status for the Baltic Sea in IMO despite the numerous so-cio-economic and technical constraints on the way.Also the ban on discharges of untreated sewage from passenger ships wasformalised by IMO in the spring 2016, upon joint request by the HEL-COM countries to designate the Baltic Sea as a special area for this typeof pollution under international law. In March 2016 the ContractingParties for the Helsinki Convention finally adopted the long waited rec-ommendation on sustainable aquaculture in the Baltic Sea region. HEL-COM’s work was also useful for the EU member states which had to up-date the existing river basin management plans and establish programs ofmeasures to implement the national marine strategies.By 1st July 2016, the European Union took over the chair of HEL-COM until 30th June 2018. Reaching a healthy Baltic Sea ecosys-tem by 2021, promoting innovation for a sustainable Blue Econo-my and tackling the challenge of regional governance are the mainpriorities for the European Union.Marianne Wenning, Director for Quality of Life, Water and Air inthe European Commission, and Matjaz Malgaj, Head of the Unitthat deals with Marine Environment and Water Industry, also in theIII. Outgoing Estonian Chairmanship and Programme of the incoming European Union’s Chairmanship 13European Commission, are nominated as Chair and Vice-Chair ofHELCOM on behalf of the EU. According to the EU programmefor the chairmanship, the three main topics of the EU chairmanshipwill be the following.1. Reaching a healthy ecosystem in the Baltic Seaby 2021Assessing Good Environmental Status with quantitative indicatorswhile responding effectively to key pressures is announced as taskfor this priority.The new holistic assessment, HOLAS II, will reveal if the effortshave led to improvements in the Baltic Sea environmental status,since HOLAS I in 2010. The results will be released by mid-2017and updated by mid-2018. Pressures and impacts will be furtherquantified, including via the latest ‘Pollution Load Compilation’,allowing to evaluate progress towards the goals of the Baltic Sea Ac-tion Plan. Core indicators will be further developed, especially forseafloor integrity, marine litter and underwater noise. This workwill also help the contracting parties that are EU Member States infulfilling their obligations under EU marine legislation.Response to certain key pressures, such as marine litter and nutrientenrichment leading to eutrophication, should be made strongerthrough appropriate measures. The implementation of the regionalaction plan for marine litter will be a priority. In addition to the en-vironmental benefits, this will also demonstrate the strength of Bal-tic regional cooperation in meeting global commitments. Actionsto reduce the nutrient load in the Baltic will include progress on es-tablishing a NOx Emissions Control Area, stimulating the buildingand maintaining of adequate port reception facilities, and promot-ing sustainable agricultural practices. Strategic engagement withother sectors will be encouraged to deliver innovative solutions, forinstance for nutrient removal.14 III. Outgoing Estonian Chairmanship and Programme of the incoming European Union’s Chairmanship2. Innovation for a sustainable Blue Economy andhealthy ecosystemsThis goal should be reached by promoting knowledge and innova-tion in the Baltic Sea including a well-managed network of marineprotected areas.HELCOM has a unique role in contributing to the further under-standing of environmental status of the marine environment in theBaltic and the ecosystem services it provides. This knowledge is es-sential in ensuring that incentives for investment in promising BlueGrowth sectors lead to a healthy ecosystem in the Baltic – the sus-tainable Blue Economy. This approach will be promoted throughthe HOLAS II results, follow-up and use the existing or future BO-NUS1 projects’ results, mapping the ecosystem services and assess-ing their social and economic value, and fostering the application ofthe ecosystem-based approach in Maritime Spatial Planning.Integrating healthy ecosystems and economic growth in one coher-ent policy, does not only require knowledge and innovation but alsothat the resources of the sea are well-managed and protected wherenecessary. Marine protected areas (MPA) are one of the most im-portant tools to achieve that. They help to rebuild fish stocks, to im-prove coastal protection and to greatly benefit coastal and marinetourism. Monitoring the MPA network and implementing theguidelines on management of seafloor integrity and fisheries in pro-tected areas will be essential. HELCOM will also improve the en-forcement and coordination of management measures to minimisepressures and impacts on MPAs, in particular for transnationalones. The effectiveness of such measures will need to be assessed,both for individual sites and at network level.III. Outgoing Estonian Chairmanship and Programme of the incoming European Union’s Chairmanship 153. Tackling the challenge of regional governanceThe third priority will be approached by securing cooperation withRegional Fisheries Bodies and contributing to international oceangovernance.More exchange of information and better cooperation betweenHELCOM and the relevant Regional Fisheries Bodies will be thekey to having a biodiverse ecosystem, also sustaining the livelihoodof fisherman in the Baltic Sea. This is reflected in the objective ofthe Baltic Sea Action Plan, according to which fisheries manage-ment should be implemented based on the ecosystem approach,thus supporting sustainable use of natural marine resources.Further synergies with regional or European governance frame-works will be sought, for instance with the European Union Strate-gy for the Baltic Sea Region. The adoption of the United Nations2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will strengthen oceangovernance. Regional Sea Conventions, in particular HELCOM,should play a crucial role in the implementation of Sustainable De-velopment Goal 14 on oceans and seas.16 IV. Main decisions in 2015 – 2016IV. Main decisions in 2015 – 2016Describing the work of HELCOM and its progress can be a diffi-cult task as there are always many parallel strategies and ongoingprocesses which are geared for long terms. Last year’s report mainlypresented the results of the streamlining process of HELCOM andtherefore the new structure of the working groups and projects. Toavoid repetitions, the structure with a detailed overview of theworking groups will not be part of this year’s report again. It can befound on HELCOM’s homepage under http://helcom.fi/about-us/or-ganisation/streamlining-process/ or in the report of last year underhttp://bspc.net/news/show/799.Thus, this year’s report will focus on the main decisions of HEL-COM taken in the past months.1. NECA RoadmapNitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions from shipping are a major issuetouching the Baltic Sea. To tackle this ongoing challenge, HEL-COM has been working towards NOx Emission Control Area(NECA) status. A Baltic NECA will ensure that NOx levels de-crease over the long term by requiring new ships sailing in thearea to meet tighter emissions standards. The process of gainingNECA status for the Baltic Sea started in 2007, when HELCOMbegan carrying out the necessary environmental and economicstudies, as well as assessing technical requirements and finalizingsubmission papers. Intensive negotiations have also been con-ducted on the right timing for a final submission to the Interna-tional Maritime Organization (IMO), which will approve theproposal.The NECA efforts are being made alongside international partners,who are simultaneously working to apply the same standards to theNorth Sea, located west of the Baltic. The tighter NOx emissionstandards for new ships are planned to come into force in 2021.The background of this roadmap is that the Baltic Sea states havedecided to submit an application to the IMO for designation of theBaltic Sea as NECA. Furthermore, the Baltic Sea states expressedIV. Main decisions in 2015 – 2016 17their preference for a parallel, synchronized process of NECA desig-nation in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.The North Sea states are ready to submit their application to theMarine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the IMOand have a strong preference for synchronizing North Sea and Bal-tic Sea NECA designations.Therefore the North Sea countries invited the Baltic Sea countriesto a technical meeting, hosted by Finland in Helsinki in June 2015for a common discussion on the options and modalities for parallelNECA applications. The aim of the meeting was to facilitate a com-mon understanding of the timing and procedural steps for a possi-ble parallel process, i.e. a roadmap for parallel Baltic Sea and NorthSea NECA designations.The procedural steps, possible timing and duration for a synchro-nized designation of the Baltic Sea and North Sea NECAs whichwere agreed are the following.The roadmap was firstly adopted by the HELCOM Commissionmeeting 37-2016 in March 2016. The decision taken by HEL-COM has to be supported by the North Sea countries in order tocontinue, which was proposed to be in form of a silent procedurebetween North Sea states. The responsible IMO commission meet-ing MEPC 70, in which the application for the NECAs will be dis-cussed, will take place in October 2016, so the applications shouldbe submitted by July 2016.If the applications are approved at MEPC 70 they will be forward-ed to MEPC 71 for adoption. The dates for MEPC 71 are not yetset, but the meeting is assumed to take place in May 2017. TheNECA would enter into force at least 16 months later, which wouldbe in October 2018. The entry into force will of course only applyto the ships constructed and installed on or after the effective date,which could be on the date of adoption (at the earliest) or any laterdate as specified in the amendment designating the NECAs. TheNorth Sea countries suggest that the industry is given three yearsfrom the date of adoption until the date of compliance. It wasagreed that the compliance date should be 1 January 2021. Thiswould imply the “Tier III emission standards” to be applicable toships constructed on or after this date.The EU Member States agreed on further obligations and to coor-dinate their positions within the EU.18 IV. Main decisions in 2015 – 20162. HOLAS II- HELCOM Second HolisticAssessment of the Ecosystem Health of the BalticSea (2014–2018)With the second holistic assessment of the ecosystem health of theBaltic Sea, HELCOM continues and intensifies the work of HO-LAS I. The overall aim of HOLAS II is to evaluate the progress inrelation to the goals of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) and anyimprovement in the status of the marine environment since the in-itial holistic assessment of HELCOM.In addition, the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Conventionthat are also EU member states have expressed the intention to useHOLAS II to prepare “roof report” for their reporting of Article 8of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).The project is composed of several building blocks, including an as-sessment of 1) the distribution of human activities and pressures, 2)the status of the environment based on core indicators (integratedassessments of Biodiversity, Eutrophication and Hazardous sub-stances; maritime activities will also be addressed, being the fourthcore segment of the Baltic Sea Action Plan), and 3) social and eco-nomic impacts analyses to support regional assessments of the useof marine waters and cost of degradation, focusing on the ecosys-tem services approach. Furthermore, measures to reach good envi-ronmental status will be addressed.The project runs from December 2014 to June 2018. HOLAS IIstarted in December 2014 and will continue until June 2018. With-in the first year, the project has covered the initial planning phaseand detailed further the concepts, tools and data which the assess-ments will build on. At the HELCOM Commission meeting inMarch 2016, the contracting parties decided to agree on HEL-COM core indicators for the second building block ready by theend of 2016.The first assessment results will be released by mid-2017. The reportwill be finalized by mid-2018.The project develops common concepts and methods for status as-sessment and performs assessments at regional scale. HELCOMcore indicators form the basis for the assessment of environmentalstatus. Aggregated results are produced using assessment tools,which are developed and tested as part of HOLAS II and support-ing projects.IV. Main decisions in 2015 – 2016 193. Ministerial MeetingSince the HELCOM Commission in March 2015, it is a continu-ous discussion to organize a Ministerial Meeting. An exact date forthe next Ministerial Meeting is not been determined, yet, but it isagreed that it will take place in 2018 at latest. That means that theMinisterial Meeting will be under the lead of the EU, if it will beheld in the first part of 2018, or under the lead of Finland, if it willbe held in the second part of 2018.To discuss details for such a meeting, Finland invited the Contract-ing Parties for a HELCOM Ministerial Session held on 18 May2016 in Turku, back-to-back to the European Maritime Day 2016.The Contracting Parties taking part in the debate were Estonia, EU,Finland, Germany, Poland and Sweden. Harry Liiv, HELCOMChair, participated also in the debate.The initiative was taken by Kimmo Tiilikainen, the Minister of Ag-riculture and the Environment of Finland to host such a session,putting into action the intention of paving way for the plannedHELCOM Ministerial Meeting in 2018 and ideally initiate a seriesof high-level HELCOM gatherings.The Meeting considered potential topics for the Ministerial Meet-ing and recognized that both the 2nd HELCOM holistic assess-ment of the ecosystem health (HOLAS II) and the nutrient reduc-tion scheme provide possibilities to take stock of HELCOMachievements in improving the status of the marine environmentand to consider strategic directions for further HELCOM work.Furthermore themes like marine litter and costs of degradation ofthe marine environment are of potential focus, too.20 IV. Main decisions in 2015 – 20164. Development of the Baltic Sea Action PlanThe development of a system to follow-up HELCOM agreementsunder the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), Ministerial Declarationsand Recommendations was initiated in 2014 and progress on its de-velopment was presented to HOD 48-2015 and HOD 49-2015.HOD 49-2015 agreed on a step-wise approach on the reporting ofnational actions, firstly focusing on the commitments under theBSAP and Ministerial Declarations.At present the assessment of joint regional actions agreed under theBSAP and Ministerial Declarations is up to date and reporting onnational actions by the Contracting Parties is nearly completed. Theresults have been transferred to a web-based platform – the HEL-COM Explorer - where the results can be viewed, sorted, and down-loaded. The HELCOM Explorer can be accessed by the generalpublic since May 2016 (released during European Maritime Day2016 in Turku, Finland).The current follow-up includes only a limited number of actionsfrom HELCOM Recommendations, i.e. those that were specificallycited in the BSAP, although the system has been set-up to follow-upall commitment paragraphs of HELCOM Recommendations. Thisconcerns Recommendations referred to in the BSAP or adopted af-ter 2007 as listed in a document which was presented at HOD 49-2015. Criteria for assessing their implementation have been devel-oped and reviewed by the relevant HELCOM Working Groups fora majority of these Recommendation and are ready to be applied.The development of the system has been supported through re-sources from the HELCOM coordinated EU co-financed projectBalticBOOST.At the Ministerial Session meeting in Turku, Finland, MonikaStankiewicz, Executive Secretary of HELCOM, gave a short over-view of the current status of HELCOM’s work and influence con-cerning the Baltic Sea Action Plan that was adopted in 2007.According to the latest review focusing on the implementation ofthe 2007 Baltic Sea Action Plan and the two follow-up MinisterialDeclarations, 2010 (Moscow) and 2013 (Copenhagen), 60 % ofthe regional commitments have been accomplished while 40% stillremains to be fully implemented. Only half of the agreed joint ac-tions to protect biodiversity has been carried out. Work also re-mains to be done in applying the ecosystem approach in fisheries,better conserving threatened species and biotopes, advancing theIV. Main decisions in 2015 – 2016 21network of marine protected areas and improving maritime spatialplanning, as well as reducing the impacts of marine litter and un-derwater noise.The central task of reducing nutrients is both a success story and achallenge. Starting from 1950s there was a steep increase in inputsof nutrients, peaking in early 1980s. But since then, there has beenimprovement. The final step, of course, is to reach the target set for2021.The status of individual HELCOM commitments, both the ones tobe taken jointly and the ones that can only be implemented nation-ally, can be followed with an online tool on the HELCOM webpage: http://maps.helcom.fi/website/BSAPexplorer.5. Implementation of the regulations underMARPOL Annex IVAt the meeting of the IMO Marine Environment ProtectionCommittee (MEPC 69) in April 2016 the Baltic Sea Special Arearegulations under MARPOL Annex IV were discussed with theresult that they will be applied on or after 1 June 2021 for existingIMO-registered passenger ships. For new passenger ships, the reg-ulations come into effect on or after 1 June 2019. For direct pas-sages between St. Petersburg and the North Sea, there is an exten-sion until 1 June 2023.After many years of intensive discussions, the application by HEL-COM for the status as Special Area for the Baltic Sea will finallybe implemented.The background of this main decision is explained in the following.In 2011 IMO designated the Baltic Sea as a Special Area underMARPOL Annex IV. This proposal was submitted to IMO, MEPC,by the HELCOM countries in 2010, following a decision by the2007 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Cracow, Poland. The mo-mentum to submit a proposal to designate the Baltic Sea as a sewagespecial area comes from the fact that standards for, and implemen-tation of, sewage treatment on the shore in the Baltic Sea regionhave been tightened considerably during the last decades, withstringent requirements applied today not only to cities but also tosmaller municipalities and in some countries even leisure boats.22 IV. Main decisions in 2015 – 2016Within the special area discharge of sewage from passenger ships(including cruise ships) is prohibited. As an alternative, ships mayhave a sewage treatment plant installed certified to stringent Spe-cial Area effluent standards. For the prohibition to be effectuatedand applicable in the Baltic Sea area, the coastal states must ensure(via a notification to IMO) that there are sufficient adequate re-ception facilities in the relevant ports in the area.Within the HELCOM framework, considerable work has beencarried out during the years to ensure that adequate reception fa-cilities are in place.The BSPC has also urged the governments to support and fulfillthe regulations under MARPOL Annex IV since its resolution atthe 23rd annual conference in Olsztyn, Poland in 2014. The rec-ommendation was reiterated at the 24th annual conference inRostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in 2015. Furthermore,Christina Gestrin und Sylvia Bretschneider as mandate-holder toHELCOM reminded at several occasions in 2014 and 2015 (seelast year’s report) to implement the obligations to achieve the sta-tus as special area.In March 2015, a notification for a portion of the Baltic Sea Areawas submitted to the IMO. Following an intensive discussionduring the IMO meeting (MEPC 68) in May 2015, the commit-tee agreed that sufficient notification had been received and that,therefore, effective dates could be established for the Baltic SeaSpecial Area. However, the committee concluded that an amend-ment to MARPOL would be needed, since the proposed area dif-fered from the designated special area.At MEPC 69 in April 2016, the final amendments to MARPOLAnnex IV addressing the legal implications and the resolutionmaking the requirements effective, were considered. Following in-tensive work and excellent collaborative efforts prior and duringthe meeting, it was possible for the committee to adopt the amend-ments to MARPOL and the resolution making the special area re-quirements effective for the entire Baltic Sea Area according to theproposed timeframe.The special area rules will be applied from June 2021 for existingpassenger vessels and from 2019 for new passenger vessels. For di-rect passages between St. Petersburg and the North Sea, there is atransitional extension and the requirements will be applicablefrom June 2023.IV. Main decisions in 2015 – 2016 23The HELCOM Commission meeting 37-2016 in March 2016emphasized the importance of ensuring adequate port receptionfacilities prior to the application dates of the Baltic Sea SpecialArea requirements. The meeting underlined the urgency to en-hance the work in this regard and to continue the efforts to makecertain that all relevant concerns are properly addressed and rec-ognized the need for continuous regional data collection andmonitoring of the progress and improvements already made. Themeeting decided to request the HELCOM Maritime Group to in-clude necessary action items in the existing work plan of the HEL-COM Cooperation Platform on Port Reception Facilities and toprioritize the group’s work accordingly.Sylvia BretschneiderPresident of the Parliament of Mecklenburg-VorpommernBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Secretariatwww.bspc.netBSPC Secretariatc/o Lennéstraße 119053 SchwerinGermanyPhone (+49) 385 525 2777