Report on the exercise of the observer status at HELCOM 2019 issued

BSPCBaltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceReporton the Exercise of theObserver Statusof theBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference(BSPC) at theBaltic Marine EnvironmentProtection Commission(Helsinki Commission - HELCOM)2019BSPCBaltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceReporton the Exercise of theObserver Statusof theBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference(BSPC) at theBaltic Marine Environment ProtectionCommission(Helsinki Commission - HELCOM)20192Report 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 currentpolitical interest and relevance for the BalticText: Syvia Bretschneider and Saara-Sofia Sirén Sea Region. It promotes and drives various in-Editing: Bodo Bahr, Julien Radloff, Georg Strätker itiatives and efforts to support a sustainableand Pauline Zapfe environmental, social and economic develop-ment of the Baltic Sea Region. It strives at en-Layout: produktionsbüro TINUS hancing the visibility of the Baltic Sea Regionand its issues in a wider European context.Photos: BSPC SecretariatBSPC gathers parliamentarians from 11national parliaments, 11 regional parliamentsand 5 parliamentary organisations around theBaltic Sea. The BSPC thus constitutes aunique parliamentary bridge between all theEU- and non-EU countries of the Baltic SeaRegion.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-gion by means of close co-operation betweennational and regional parliaments on the basisBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference of equality; and initiate and guide political ac-Bodo Bahr tivities in the Baltic Sea Region, endowingSecretary General them with additional democratic legitimacy+49 171 5512557 and parliamentary authority.bodo.bahr@bspcmail.net The political recommendations of the an-www.bspc.net nual Parliamentary Conferences are expressedin a Conference Resolution adopted by con-sensus by the Conference. The adopted Reso-lution shall be submitted to the governmentsBSPC Secretariat of the Baltic Sea Region, the CBSS and theSchlossgartenallee 15 EU, and disseminated to other relevant na-19061 Schwerin tional, regional and local stakeholders in theGermany Baltic Sea Region and its neighbourhood.3ContentsI. Introduction ..........................................4II. Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOM ................71. HELCOM Report at the 27th annual BSPC .............72. Statement of the BSPC at the XX Baltic Sea Days .........9III. Main Decisions in 2018-2019 ..........................111. Update of the Baltic Sea Action Plan .................112. Developments in achieving a GES ...................153. Cooperation between OSPAR and HELCOM ..........18IV. Prospects for 2019 and Beyond .........................201. Strengthening Cooperation between the BSPCand HELCOM ..................................202. Change of HELCOM’s executive Secretary ............213. Finlands Chairmanship and followingGerman HELCOM Chairmanship 2020-2022 ..........224 IntroductionI. IntroductionSylvia Bretschneider Saara-Sofia SirénPresident of the Landtag Member of theMecklenburg-Vorpommern Finnish Parliament(* 1960 † 2019)The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HEL-COM) is widely recognized as the main coordinator and imple-menter of actions towards protecting and improving the marine en-vironment in the Baltic Sea. Since its establishment in 1974 andimplementation in 1980, the ten contracting Baltic Sea States haveconsistently committed themselves to the goal of achieving a healthyenvironment in the Baltic Sea. As the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Con-ference (BSPC) shares many of the objectives of HELCOM, it hasheld an observer status to the commission since 2002 and enjoyeda fruitful relationship.In 2017 the representatives of the Standing Committee of the BSPCagreed to extend the mandate of Sylvia Bretschneider and ofSaara-Sofia Sirén as co-observer and co-rapporteur. This report ispresented to the BSPC with gladness.This report gives an overview of the major work done between Au-gust 2018 and this year’s 28th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference.The report will focus on the cooperation between BSPC and HEL-COM, main decisions in 2018-2019, and prospects between thetwo as well as future work of HELCOM.Introduction 5The report presents an update of important processes that HEL-COM has been undertaking as well as an overview of new develop-ments.HELCOM celebrated its 40th Commission Meeting, that was heldin Helsinki, Finland 6-9 March 2019. It was centered around theresults from the Second Holistic Assessment of the ecosystem healthof the Baltic Sea (HOLAS II) which was conducted and finalized inmid 2018. Unfortunately, the report revealed, that most of the ob-jectives of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) will likely not bereached by its target year 2021. As a result, the Ministerial Meeting2018 decided on a mandate to update the BSAP by 2021.This update process has been of great importance for HELCOMswork in the last year. It gives the opportunity to not only reassessthe plan but to include new arisen topics and align the BSAP withseveral other international aims such as the United Nations Sustain-able Development Goals by 2030 (SDGs), Aichi Targets, the Ma-rine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the UNESCODecade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030.The HELCOM working groups collected a vast and diverse amountof data in the past year, from marine activity, nutrient input, the in-fluence of rivers on the Baltic Sea to fish populations and the impactof climate change on the Baltic Sea today and in the future. This isthe most complex data collection and thus overview and knowledgeof the Baltic Sea that HELCOM ever produced and obtained.It will provide accuracy and efficiency to new measures but couldalso be of great interest and benefit for other international and re-gional bodies such as the BSPC.This report is primarily based on the 40th Helsinki CommissionMeeting 2019 and the 55th and 56th Heads of Delegation meet-ings. It highlights the most important developments during the2018-2019 time period.6 IntroductionThe State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well asSaara-Sofia Sirén as a member of the Finish Parliament are deeplysaddened to announce that Sylvia Bretschneider, President of theState Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has passed away on28. 04. 2019 after a long and courageous battle against seriousillness.She held the position of President of the BSPC in 2014-15, was alongstanding member of the BSPC Standing Committee, Chair ofthe BSPC Working Group on Sustainable Tourism 2015-2017 andRapporteur on Sustainable Tourism. Since 2002 she has held herposition as an observer of HELCOM and was greatly engaged inthe relationship between the two bodies.Supporting international cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region andthe fulfilment of the mandates and responsibilities for her state par-liament has been of utmost importance to her. From the beginningof her Presidency of the State Parliament in 2002, she started herambitious work for the BSPC and gladly held the mandate as an ob-server of HELCOM immediately after her first election. The goal toachieve a healthy Baltic Sea with great collaboration and joint poli-cies of the coastal countries has always been a matter close to herheart in her longstanding political career. With tremendous sadnessand respect the BSPC has lost one of its most committed membersand an outstanding personality with remarkable ambition towardsits goals and values.The State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern expressed grat-itude for her tireless work and is thankful to the BSPC StandingCommittee for the observer mandate in the Helsinki Commission.With honor, the parliament presents this report post mortem on be-half of Sylvia Bretschneider.Her engagement and passion for the BSPC and HELCOM will beupheld and serve as an ambitious goal and inspiration for the states’to continue the great work on cooperation between the Baltic SeaStates and achieving a healthy environment.II. Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOM 7II. Cooperation between BSPCand HELCOM1. HELCOM Report at the 27th annual BSPCThe close partnership betweenThe HELCOM and the BSPCwas highlighted by Kimmo Tii-likainen, Minister of the Envi-ronment, Energy and Housingof Finland and representative ofthe HELCOM Chairmanshipin his speech at the 27th BSPCin Mariehamn.He welcomed the rotating chair-manship to his country Finlandfor two years. After presentingthe findings of the review of theBaltic Sea Action Plan, Mr. Tii-likainen emphasized the need Kimmo Tiilikainenfor greater action towardsachieving the goal of a healthierBaltic Sea.The joint strengths of HELCOMs partners include a great scientificbasis. The exchange and funding of knowledge and research formore than 100 years between the countries builds a base for tack-ling the environmental challenges of the Baltic Sea.With a shared goal and vision, of what a “healthy Baltic Sea” lookslike, the parties are able to collaborate and cooperate efficiently.The Baltic Sea Action plan exemplifies how successful this collabo-ration can be. With this they were able to make the Baltic Sea a Ni-trogen Emission Control Area (NECA) and ban discharges of un-treated sewage from cruise ships.With great success, 12% of the Baltic Sea have been designated asmarine protected areas and the states agreed to constitute nine Eco-logically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) as part of thework within the UN Convention of Biological Diversity. Therefore,Mr. Tiilikanen pointed out, that the HELCOM is well equipped totackle the challenges of the Baltic Sea.8 II. Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOMHe reminded the conference that the most pressing challenges areeutrophication and the vast impacts of climate change. Togetherthey can warm the Baltic Sea 2-4 degrees in the next century andhave a great influence on nutrients, species and their habitats.But also issues like marine litter, microplastic, hazardous substanc-es, spreading of invasive species and underwater noise hold greatimportance.He announced that to resolve these issues he commissioned thepreparation of a special program for water protection that is knownto cut phosphors losses by 50%.He declared the priorities of the finish chairmanship to be the up-date of the Baltic Sea Action Plan, the reduction of nutrient inputsand nutrient recycling as well as the impact of climate change.Mr. Tiilikanen underlined the synergy between HELCOM and theUN Agenda 2030 to work towards a sustainable development in theBaltic Sea Region.Finally, he reminded the parliamentarians of their great part and re-sponsibility to ensure that the Baltic Sea receives the attention it de-serves in parliaments and national budgets.II. Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOM 92. Statement of the BSPC at the XX Baltic Sea DaysJorodd Asphjells address at the XX Baltic Sea DaysOn 21st and 22nd march the International environmental forum“Baltic Sea Days” celebrated the 20 years of joint collaboration andprogress in the Baltic Sea area in St. Petersburg.BSPC President Jorodd Asphjell and the representative of the dele-gation of the Finnish Parliament to the BSPC, Maria Tolppanen at-tended the anniversary to celebrate the HELCOM-supportedachievements but also discuss upcoming challenges.In his address to the Forum Jorodd Apshjell congratulated the Bal-tic Sea Days for their achievements and gave thanks for the great co-operation and exchange of information.But he also reminded attendees that actions need to be taken on na-tional and regional levels, to further the common goals of both theHELCOM and the BSPC.Environmental issues are of great importance to the BSPC and theywill aim to lead with progressive steps and convince those, who arestill hesitant to act. He pointed out, that in politically difficulttimes, constructive dialogue and close cooperation become signifi-cant.10 II. Cooperation between BSPC and HELCOMHe recalled, that the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting realized theseproblems and manifested the resolutions in the ministerial declara-tion. However the BSPC urges and encourages the members ofHELCOM to take even stricter action and pay attention to conductenvironmental measures.In summary, Jorodd Asphjell called to develop regional and nation-al strategies to• achieve the UN’s Agenda 2030 goals• clear marine litter from the Baltic Sea• promote sustainable agricultural practices• promote more sustainable shipping• ackle eutrophication and underwater noise• halt untreated discharges without delay and to show determi-nation to clean up the heavily polluted sea• take urgent, efficient action against the worrying levels ofplastics and microplastics in the seas• support and implement the regulations on reducing or ban-ning single-use plastic as quickly as possible• promote public awareness of microplastic pollution through-out the Baltic ecosystem• encourage customers to avoid personal care products con-taining micro plastics• further strengthen the interaction between the UN Sustaina-ble Development Goals and human rights while recognisingtheir close relationshipHe expressed great interest in the outcomes of the Baltic Sea Daysexpert seminars and the joint proposals. Jorodd Asphjell offered thesupport, dialogue and friendship of the BSPC to achieve the setgoals and further increase the cooperation to strive towards a healthyBaltic Sea.III. Main Decisions in 2018-2019 11III. Main Decisions in 2018-20191. Update of the Baltic Sea Action PlanThe Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) was initially agreed upon in2007 in Krakow, Poland. It is an ambitious program to reach goodenvironmental/ ecological status (GES) of the Baltic Sea by 2021. Itprovides a concrete plan for the HELCOM States and has beenadopted by all of them. From 2014-2018 a Holistic Assessment ofthe Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS II) was conductedto determine the current state of the Baltic Sea and to follow up onthe Action Plan and what has been achieved so far. The final reporton the assessment was given in June 2018 and showed that whilethere are some signs of improvement, the environmental goals ofthe Baltic Sea Action Plan have not been reached.On the HELCOM Ministerial meeting in March 2018, the resultsof HOLAS II were thoroughly evaluated and discussed. It has beendecided to update the current BSAP including the results of the ho-listic assessment and reconduct it after 2021. This update is an op-portunity to resolve inadequacies of the previous plan, and to in-clude new arisen issues while profiting from great efficiency and aunited plan that keeps track of the UN Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDGs) by 2030.The general structure of the BSAP was of great success and will beupheld. But the adjustments will especially consider• the integration of cross- cutting issues such as climate change• important new topics that appeared since the last BSAP andhave been addressed in the BSPC such as marine and beachlitter, underwater noise seabed loss and measures for biodi-versity• making a standing commitment to achieve the SDGs, AichiTargets, the Marine Strategy Framework directive (MSFD)and the UNESCO Decade of Ocean Science for SustainableDevelopment.• to include a HELCOM Science agenda concomitantly withthe BSAP to outline existing and foreseen scientific needs• the new year in which the status of GED will be accom-plished12 III. Main Decisions in 2018-2019The 56th Head of Delegation Meeting (HOD 56) concluded, thatthe Update will be conducted in several steps. In the “Formulation”phase from mid 2018- mid 2019 the workplan for the update pro-cess will be established and proposals for adjustments will be devel-oped. The second phase is named the “Creating the content” phaseand will conclude after the Formulation. During the second phasethe current BSAP will be reviewed thoroughly and the sufficiency ofmeasures will be analyzed. The third, time overlapping, phase “Re-naissance“ will be used to propose new actions and improve the ex-isting ones. The Ministerial Meeting in 2021 will then adopt theupdated BSAP.To help the development and execution of an updated BSAP HEL-COM initiated two key instruments to the update process: The AC-TION project and the HELCOM SOM Platform. These initiativesare a direct result of the 2018 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting. Theessential part of both initiatives is the development of “business asusual” (BAU) scenarios.BAU scenarios describe how the state of the marine environmentwould change over time due to future developments in climatechange, marine use and other circumstances and the effect of meas-ures impacting the Baltic Sea. The BAU scenarios will provide a bet-ter understanding about how far away the States and regions arefrom achieving GES with the measures the undertake at the mo-ment.III. Main Decisions in 2018-2019 13Actions to evaluate and identify effective measures to reach GES inthe Baltic Sea Marine region (ACTION)The ACTION initiative is a HELCOM project and co-financed bythe EU. It will run from January 2019 until December 2019. It isdesigned to contribute and assist to the update of the BSAP and es-pecially focus on combining measures to also fulfil the EU MSFDProgram as well as reach the UNs SDGs. The ACTION project isevaluating the effectiveness of already existing measures but alsoanalyze the environmental conditions that influence the achieve-ment of GES like prospective climate change and incorporate theseaspects into the recommendations for an updated BSAP.The tasks and issues to be addressed by the ACTION Project arecategorized in work packages (WPs):• WP1: identifying high-risk areas for by-catch of mammalsand birds, evaluating technical measures to reduce by-catchof harbour porpoise, estimating the effect and cost of thesemeasures• WP2: Impacts on the seabed: evaluating restoration measuresin coastal areas and impacts of spatial regulation of offshorefisheries, including effects on benthic communities and costsof measures• WP3: Marine protected areas (MPAs): developing a methodto assess effectiveness of MPAs and how MPAs contribute toachieving GES• WP4: Input of nutrients: analysing sources and trends of nu-trient input and compatibility of nutrient reduction targetsunder different policies, evaluating the combined effect of ex-isting measures• WP5: Conditions that influence GES: analysing the condi-tions of the Baltic Sea that influence achievement of GES, in-cluding climate change• WP6: Sufficiency of measures: developing business-as-usual(BAU) scenarios for selected topics to identify potential gapsin measures to achieve GES, estimating cost-effectiveness oftentative new measures.• WP7: Policy-project interphase: ensuring guidance from andtimely contribution to the BSAP update process and thepreparation of MSFD14 III. Main Decisions in 2018-2019Sufficiency of Measures (HELCOM SOM Platform)The Sufficiency of Measures Platform (SOM) was established inearly 2019 and will finish its work by mid- 2020. The group willconsist of members of the HELCOM working groups, the HEL-COM network on social and economic analysis (ESA) as well as ex-perts in environmental economy and natural scientists.The main task will be, to analyze the sufficiency of measures withthe help of BAU scenarios, alike the ACTION group. Furthermore,they will prepare scientific and economical background informa-tion to support new proposals on new HELCOM projects, whichwill also be able to help the working Groups in their participationin the update.The SOM initiative will carry out their efficiency of measures anal-ysis in the topics of:• Biodiversity: analysis in groups for birds, fish and mammals• Hazardous substances: analysis on priority substances• Marine litter: beach litter, litter on seafloor• Non indigenous species: ballast water, biofouling, aquacul-ture, etc.• Underwater Sound: analysis on the activities producing noiseaffecting a specific group e.g. marine mammals, fishWhile the HELCOM ACTION and SOM projects are different in-itiatives with different work fields, they are organized to producecomplementary and coordinated results and input towards the up-date of the BSAP. The SOM platform is entrusted with overseeingthe analyses of joint effect measures and to prepare the workinggroups’ thematic meetings to contribute to the updated BSAP.III. Main Decisions in 2018-2019 152. Developments in achieving a GESNew recommendation on threatened habitats and biotopesWhile the update of the Baltic Sea Action Plan was one of the mostimportant aspects in the past year, the HELCOM conference andworking groups have also had great success in other endeavors.At the 40th HELCOM meeting the commission adopted a new rec-ommendation on threatened habitats and biotopes in the BalticSea. The HELCOM Red List Assessment identifies habitats and bi-otopes that are under threat to collapse due to climate factors suchas eutrophication or oxygen depletion. But the mere identificationof these areas as threatened will not be sufficient, action needed tobe taken to preserve and protect the currently 59 habitats and biot-opes under threat in die Baltic Sea. Unfortunately many of the aris-en issues are not covered by other regulations and protections pro-grams and guidelines.The Ministerial Meeting in 2018 agreed to develop a new HEL-COM Recommendation for biotopes that are at risk. Through thepersistent work this new recommendation was able to be accom-plished and adopted within a very short time.New AIS data managementFurthermore, the data management for using the Automatic Iden-tification System (AIS) has been greatly revised and improved tocreate a unified standard. The AIS data sent by all ships will be madeavailable to all participating parties free of charge. With this meas-urement the maritime safety and protection of the Baltic Sea can begreatly improved. It also provides better information and more effi-cient future planning of marine traffic or accident investigation aswell as pollution prevention amongst other uses.16 III. Main Decisions in 2018-2019HELCOM BALEX DELTA Exercise in Karlskrona, SwedenA crucial part of the collaboration between the Baltic Sea States isthe preparedness and action in emergency management for inci-dents on the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is one of the busiest marineareas of the world. The waters are heavily frequented by cargo andcontainer ships, tankers, passengers but also fishing vessel. This re-sults in a great risk of major oil or chemical spills, for which imme-diate and coordinated action is fundamental.A chemical or oil spill poses great risk for the marine but also land en-vironment since the hazardous substances reach the shore quickly. Theendangered marine and coastal areas often reach several countries’ terri-tories. This created the need for instant joint action to minimize the ef-fects on the environment in the international Baltic Sea Area.Therefore, the HELCOM BALEX Delta exercises are organized topractice response capabilities and develop alarm procedures for thejoint countries’ cooperation. In 2018 Sweden hosted the exercise inKarlskrona, which was one of the most extensive, longest and big-gest of these exercises worldwide.The Contracting Parties Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland, Germany,Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden participated with 18 vessels,of different sizes in the exercise at sea. Maritime incident ResponseGroup from Sweden and Norway participated, as did divers fromGermany, Finland and Sweden.The exercise lasted over 36 hours, had 550 participants and includ-ed exercises at sea and at shore, including the handling of hazardoussubstances, chemical diving and diving at sea for containers as wellas night time operationsThe utmost importance was demonstrated by the great interest fromthe international community in the exercise. Over 140 delegates andrepresentatives from 32 nations observed the remarkable collaboration.III. Main Decisions in 2018-2019 17The Exercise has been a great success and showed, that the Baltic SeaStates are prepared for handling an intense accident on sea, but theyalso drew important conclusions to update their manual and proce-dures and to encourage its implementation to handle such inci-dents. Furthermore, the preparation and outcomes of the exerciseswas in need for optimization to achieve the full potential of lessonslearned in each of the countries but also for the HELCOM Re-sponse group.In November 2018 the BALEX DELTA 2018 After Action Reviewtook place in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The conferencediscussed the practical usability, the use of shore and EU resourcesand the overall Balex Delta exercise concepts. The evaluation anddiscussions at the After Action Review where taken into the conclu-sions and recommendations and the Final Report, published inApril 2019.Alternative fuels for shipping in the Baltic Sea RegionIn April 2019, the HELCOM Report on Alternative fuels for ship-ping in the Baltic Sea Region has been published. It has been con-ducted by the Environmental impact of low Sulphur ship fuel:Measurements and modelling strategies (ENVISUM) that worksclosely with many important participants in the Baltic Region, in-cluding HELCOM. HELCOMs role is, to promote the projectoutcomes into policies and endorse the involvement and imple-mentation of the authorities in the Baltic Sea Region. This report isan excellent and great example of cooperation between HELCOMand other projects and the thrive to achieve GES in the Baltic Sea.HELCOM provides knowledge and skill for partners and observersand is a key partner to realize policies and to convert scientific anal-ysis into recommendations.The report shows clean shipping solutions that fulfil both a techni-cal but also an environmental and socio-economic aspect. Recentdevelopments and research on alternative fuels was analyzed in thisreport, with a special focus on liquified natural gas (LNG) whichhas already been partially adopted by the countries to support clean-er fuels.With the results of the report, the environmental impact of ship-ping, which has been one of HELCOMS key concerns, can be fur-ther worked on and be improved to achieve GES.18 III. Main Decisions in 2018-20193. Cooperation between OSPAR and HELCOMOSPAR is one of the most important partner of HELCOM. TheOslo-Paris Convention in 1992 is a commission of 15 governmentson the west coast of Europe who aim to protect to marine environ-ment of the North-East Atlantic. It covers human pollution both onand off shore of the sea and coast but also biodiversity and ecosys-tems. With several countries, that are members of both organiza-tions there are great overlapping interests and common regional is-sues between OSPAR and HELCOM.The two commissions have been working together closely over thepast years and collaborated on a vast range of issues and workshops.The HELCOM/OSPAR task group on ballast water managementin met in Sweden to continue their 6th year of joint work, whichcarries particular importance due to the shipping between the twoseas and the resulting possible transfer of ballast water betweenthem.The two commissions also conduct joint workshops to tackle com-mon issues. Later this year, a workshop will be held on developingindicators for incidental bycatch of marine birds and mammals forboth, which is also part of the ACTION initiative as well asOSPARS goals.Another great example of the close cooperation and common goalsis the construction of the Baltic Sea Science agenda that will be pro-vided to better assess the scientific state and needs of the Baltic Seaas well as a contribution towards the UNESCO Decade of OceanScience 2021-2030. The OSPAR science agenda is finalized pres-ently and could be of great help for the development of the HEL-COM Science agenda. The common interests and goals could be anadvantage to create unified European scientific goals.III. Main Decisions in 2018-2019 19BALTFISH cooperationAnother example of the vast partnership between HELCOM andinternational organizations is the cooperation with BALTFISH. Inthe year 2018, the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting aspired tostrengthen the cooperation with fisheries bodies.This intent was executed shortly after to ensure the efficiency ofHELCOMs work.A successful senior level meeting between HELCOM and BALT-FISH took place in Tallinn, Estonia in January 2019. The Baltic SeaFisheries Forum (BALTFISH) is a regional body of the 8 EU mem-ber states bordering the Baltic Sea. Its aims are to improve the coor-dination and cooperation in fisheries management, to constitute aforum for exchanging ideas, stay in cooperation with other keystakeholders and most importantly achieving sustainable fisheries inthe Baltic Sea. They stay in close cooperation with the EU and bas-es the activities on the EU Common Fisheries Policy and help toimplement it.The meeting recognized the coherence between the overall goals be-tween the two organizations. Especially in the working group FISHthere are huge overlapping efforts in creating sustainable fisheries inthe Baltic Sea.HELCOM is delighted to pursue this cooperation in the futurewith regular meetings and improved sharing information as well asparticipation in the two bodies’ events.20 IV. Prospects for 2019 and BeyondIV. Prospects for 2019 andBeyond1. Strengthening Cooperation between the BSPC andHELCOMMoving forward, the BSPC strives to continue and strengthen itsrelationship with its partner HELCOM. Regarding this, the BSPChas again devoted language in its resolution of the 27th annual Bal-tic Sea Parliamentary Conference to build upon its support of thework of HELCOM. In support of the HELCOM Ministerial Dec-laration 2018 in Brussels about the critical state of the Baltic Sea,the BSPC will vigorously implement the Decisions in the Ministe-rial Declaration.Since, depending on the country, only 25 to 60% of the targets ofthe BSAP are to be implemented by 2021, the BSPC calls for moreaction to urgently intensify efforts at national and regional level.Thereby appropriate policy priorities need to be set to achieve theobjectives of the BSAP as far as possible by 2021.The BSPC also calls for holding regular HELCOM MinisterialMeetings and come to binding rules under international law, as wasthe case of measures to increase maritime safety with the involve-ment of the transport ministers. This will bring the issue of a cleanBaltic Sea more strongly into the political debate of the nations andachieve a more binding enforcement of the respective agreements.Cooperation between the two bodies carries significance, since theydiscuss mutual topics. For example, the 56th HOD Meeting tooknote of the presentations by representatives of the investor on thePolish project “Construction of a waterway connecting the VistulaLagoon with the Gulf of Gdansk”.The BSPC resolution also highlighted the common goal to developsustainability strategies to achieve the UN Agenda 2030 goals andto realize the vision of a clean Baltic Sea whilst promoting sustaina-ble shipping and tackling eutrophication and underwater noise.Alike the HELCOM, the BSPC is looking forward to contribute tothe UN “Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development”from 2021- 2030 in order to reach the goal of a healthy ocean in thefuture.IV. Prospects for 2019 and Beyond 212. Change of HELCOM’s executive SecretaryRüdiger Stempel and Monika Stankiewicz at HELCOM Secretariat2018/19 was the last year for Monica Stankiewicz as the ExecutiveSecretary of HELCOM. Stankiewicz has been in her position since2012, after she started as professional secretary for maritime affairsin 2006. Since then, she has been in the position of Executive Sec-retary for three terms.From her involvement in the implementation of the BSAP into herengagement in the update process of the BSAP, her commitmenthas ensured the environmental improvement of the Baltic Sea andthe Sustainability of HELCOM policies in the future undertakings.Monika Stankiewicz oversaw the greatest assessment of the state ofthe Baltic Sea (HOLAS II) which provided significant insights andfoundation for future actions.Thereby, she provided an elaborate foundation for her successor, MrRüdiger Stempel from Germany. Beforehand he led the CommonWadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS), which was established in 1987, acooperation between the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.He is a lawyer, specialized in international law and has comprehen-sive experience on environmental issues, especially in the Baltic SeaRegion. As such, he is well equipped to lead the HELCOM in thefuture years and to represent it to other international stakeholders.22 IV. Prospects for 2019 and BeyondMonika Stankiewicz welcomed him warmly into the the HEL-COM network and the Delegates look forward to a great collabora-tion with Mr. Stempel in the future of HELCOM and on the roadto achieve good environmental and ecological status (GES) in theBaltic Sea.3. Finlands Chairmanship and following GermanHELCOM Chairmanship 2020-2022The first year of the finnish HELCOM Chairmanship has passed.It was characterized as a year of environmental assessment with astrong scientific research that will provide HELCOM with a thor-ough basis to work efficiently and plan ahead for the future.The HOLAS II final report, which was published in July 2018,painted a clear picture of the ecological state of the Baltic Sea andthe unfortunate reality, that the set goals will likely not be achievedby 2021. On the other hand, it enables not only the HELCOMparticipants but also other bodies that are aiming to enhance theBaltic Sea Region, to construct new policies and recommendationstowards the goal of GES. Furthermore, the synergy between theBSAP and the SDGs by 2030 will profit from the thorough analysisand assessment, to achieve joint goals. The alignment of the BSAPwith other environmental goals has been one of Finland ́s top pri-orities during their chairmanship.The finish ministry of environment has also declared the reductionof nutrient input and recycling as a highlighted issue for their timeof chairmanship. The Sixth Pollution Load Compilation has givena comprehensive overview of the input of both nutrients and haz-ardous substances into the Baltic Sea from both human activities aswell as joining rivers.The Maritime Assessment 2018 and the results from FISH-PRO IIcompleted the data with their contribution in maritime activitiesand coastal fish communities.With this variety of data and great expertise, HELCOM achievedmore information about the Baltic Sea, than ever before. This ena-bles the development of a more accurate and suitable BSAP to keepall targets coordinated and have a complex understanding how toachieve a balanced and healthy ecosystem in the Baltic Sea.IV. Prospects for 2019 and Beyond 23Germany is looking forward to their chairmanship starting in July2020. Finland provided great work and comprehensive data, whichthey will put it to good use to develop an updated BSAP with am-bitious goals.The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development2021-2030 in coordination with the SDG 2030 will give the op-portunity to improve the work and collaborations on achievinghealthy seas even further and make great contributions as a pioneerwhich HELCOM has developed to be.Climate change will also remain as important issue, which needs tobe considered on the BSAP update to align HELCOMs recommen-dations with the everchanging environmental circumstances. Theplanned HELCOM Science Agenda will greatly contribute to ana-lyze on the impact and vulnerabilities of the Baltic Sea to climatechange.Cooperation and intensified collaboration as well as joint workinggroups with other bodies, stakeholders and regional organizationwill remain a priority of the Chairmanship.Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferencewww.bspc.netBSPC SecretariatSchlossgartenallee 1519061 SchwerinGermany