Interim report on sea-dumped munitions for the 29th BSPC

BSPCBaltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceInterim report onsea-dumped munitionsfor the 29th BSPCBSPCBaltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceInterim report onsea-dumped munitionsfor the 29th BSPCPeter Stein, MPBSPC Rapporteur on Sea-Dumped Munitions2Interim report on sea-dumped munitions The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) was established in 1991 as afor the 29th BSPC forum for political dialogue between parliamentarians from the Baltic SeaRegion. BSPC aims at raising awareness and opinion on issues of current© Berlin 2020 political interest and relevance for the Baltic Sea Region. It promotes anddrives various initiatives and efforts to support a sustainable environmental,social and economic development of the Baltic Sea Region. It strives at en-Text: Peter Stein hancing the visibility of the Baltic Sea Region and its issues in a wider Eu-Layout: produktionsbüro TINUS ropean context.Editing: Bodo Bahr, Mathias Rinck, Fabian Patzak BSPC gathers parliamentarians from 11 national parliaments, 11 region-Photos: BSPC Secretariat al parliaments and 5 parliamentary organisations around the Baltic Sea. TheBSPC thus constitutes a unique parliamentary bridge between all the EU-and non-EU countries of the Baltic Sea Region.BSPC external interfaces include parliamentary, governmental, sub-re-gional and other organizations in the Baltic Sea Region and the NorthernDimension area, among them CBSS, HELCOM, the Northern DimensionPartnership in Health and Social Well-Being (NDPHS), the Baltic Sea La-bour Forum (BSLF), the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperation(BSSSC) and the Baltic Development Forum.BSPC shall initiate and guide political activities in the region; supportBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference and strengthen democratic institutions in the participating states; improveBodo Bahr dialogue between governments, parliaments and civil society; strengthenSecretary General the common identity of the Baltic Sea Region by means of close co-opera-+49 171 5512557 tion between national and regional parliaments on the basis of equality; andbodo.bahr@bspcmail.net initiate and guide political activities in the Baltic Sea Region, endowingwww.bspc.net them with additional democratic legitimacy and parliamentary authority.The political recommendations of the annual Parliamentary Conferencesare expressed in a Conference Resolution adopted by consensus by the Con-BSPC Secretariat ference. The adopted Resolution shall be submitted to the governments ofSchlossgartenallee 15 the Baltic Sea Region, the CBSS and the EU, and disseminated to other rel-19061 Schwerin evant national, regional and local stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Region andGermany its neighbourhood.Contents 3Contents1. Introduction ...................................................................... 52. Resolution of the 28th BSPC / item 24 .................................................. 73. The rapporteur’s mandate on sea-dumped munitions ....................................... 74. Implementation of the 28th BSPC-Resolution by the states .................................. 85. Implementation of the 28th BSPC-Resolution by the CBSS .................................. 96. Current projects on dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106.1 Expert group SUBMERGED at HELCOM ......................................... 106.2 DAIMON project I + II ........................................................ 116.3 BASTA project ............................................................... 116.4 Open Spirit ................................................................. 116.5 ExPloTect ................................................................... 126.6 ProBaNNt .................................................................. 126.7 RoBEMM .................................................................. 126.8 MUNITECT Network ........................................................ 126.9 AMUCAD - Ammunition Cadastre Sea ............................................ 137. Sea-dumped munitions and maritime economics ......................................... 147.1 Fisheries .................................................................... 147.2 Shipping .................................................................... 147.3 Offshore infrastructure ......................................................... 148. Germany’s HELCOM Chairmanship 2020 - 2022 ........................................ 159. Role of the European Union / EUSBSR ................................................ 1610. Conclusion ...................................................................... 1711. Next steps ....................................................................... 1812. Bibliography ..................................................................... 1913. Attachements .................................................................... 2013.1 Statements on item 24 of the Resolution of the 28th BSPC ............................. 2013.2 MUNITECT network position paper ............................................. 2313.3 AMUCAD Presentation ........................................................ 231. Introduction 51. IntroductionThis interim report deals with the issue of dumped munitions and un-exploded ordnance in the Baltic Sea. As it was prepared under the con-ditions of the Covid-19 pandemic, unfortunately, I could not carry outevery trip to the Baltic states as planned in the first place. Thus, manypersonal meetings and talks had to be cancelled or at least postponed. Incertain cases, it was possible to dodge on telephone or video call, butthis was no substitute for intensive exchanges with experts in the re-search facilities on site. As soon as the pandemic allows it to happenagain, this should be made up, if possible, by the 30th BSPC and the re-sults will be incorporated into the final report.Peter SteinFor these reasons, I had to exchange views and had been informed aboutthe latest developments in the relevant field primarily with and by Ger-man representatives from politics, science and industry. The frameworkof this interim report would be blown up if all conversations and col-lected information were listed in detail. A comprehensive annexe is at-tached to this, primarily through internet links. Without the great sup-port of research, science, administration and industry, it would not havebeen possible to produce this report in its present form. I am very grate-ful for the numerous tips and technical advice.As we all know, knowledge of the significant hazards posed by the mu-nitions loads in the Baltic Sea is not new. In historical archives of vari-ous countries, it is partly very well documented, where since the end ofthe 19th century what kind of ammunition was dumped. Military his-torical archives or naval archives are an essential source. But, of course,not everything has been fully and properly documented in the course ofhistory, especially if we look at the whole spectrum of munitions in thesea, that consists warfare agents, but also a large number of unexplodedordnance, sea mines and ammunition residues in shipwrecks, some-times also in secrecy. This explains why there is a reliable figure forchemical weapons dumped in the entire Baltic Sea by around 40,000tons. But currently none for the total mass of conventional ammunitionintroduced due to various military activities since 1862. The stresses ofthese dangerous legacies also pose an increasing danger to humans andthe environment due to progressive corrosion. They also put the mari-time economy at risk, whether it be shipping, fishing or the expansionof offshore wind turbines.In recent decades, the national authorities of the Baltic Sea countrieshave gained a lot of experience and expertise in dealing with munitionsfound in the Baltic Sea. Various national and multinational researchprogrammes are being implemented to address the threat situation andto carry out a risk assessment, to demonstrate harmful effects on6 1. Introductionhumans and the environment and to make recommendations for action. In February 2019, the results of theEuropean Union-funded INTERREG Baltic Sea Region research project DAIMON (Decision Aid for Ma-rine Munitions) were presented. Researchers from Poland, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, Russiaand The Netherlands (Netherlands represented by the INGO IDUM, The Hague) were involved. The fol-low-up project DAIMON 2 (2019-2021) is now underway primarily to distribute findings and methodol-ogies on munitions in the sea within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Another prominent multinational projectis that of the expert group SUBMERGED (Expert Group on Environmental Risks of Hazardous SubmergedObjects) which is carried out under the supervision of HELCOM RESPONSE. Both will be discussed inmore detail on the following pages of this interim report. Other projects such as BASTA and MUNITECTand others are presented in this report in broad outlines as well.The research results, such as DAIMON’s in conjunction with the resolution of the 28th BSPC, triggered anew and welcome dynamic to address the problem of dumped munitions more intensively. Since then, it hasbeen pleasing to see an increase in public interest in the pressing issue. In Germany alone, the topic was re-ported about 50 times in regional and supra-regional print and online media between the beginning of 2019and the first half of 2020. The public interest peaked in late summer 2019 after 39 BRITISH MK I-VII seamines, were blown up in the run-up to a NATO manoeuvre at the bottom of the Fehmarn Belt. After theblasts, 18 dead porpoises were found, and the question of environmental compatibility, as well as responsi-bilities, was openly discussed.As mentioned this interim report provides a general overview of the current situation and existing challeng-es in dealing with the legacy, presents a selection of ongoing research projects and results in broad outlinesand provides an insight into the current state of the art.Following the 28th BSPC resolution, a conclusion is drawn on the state of implementation and, finally, a pro-posal is drawn up on how the existing knowledge and technology can be used efficiently by the Baltic Seacountries to solve the problem of sea-dumped munitions and unexploded ordnance in the Baltic Sea.Peter SteinMember of the German BundestagBSPC Rapporteur on Sea-dumped Munitions2. Resolution of the 28th BSPC / item 24 72. Resolution of the 28th BSPC / item 24At the 28th Annual Meeting of the BSPC in Oslo, all delegations agreed on a resolution1, which was unani-mously adopted on 27th August 2019. Item 24 of this resolution deals with the issue of munitions in the Bal-tic Sea. It stated the intention to develop a transnational and sustainable strategy for dealing with the dan-gerous legacies. In addition, the Baltic Sea Council (CBSS) is prompted to examine ways of financing to en-able monitoring, securing, salvage or destruction of warfare material. As a further objective it was formulat-ed that a commission of experts shall evaluate the results of the monitoring, conduct an annual risk analysisand make appropriate recommendations for action.3. The rapporteur’s mandate on sea-dumpedmunitionsIn November 2019, the Standing Committee of the BSPC met in the Reichstag building in Berlin to ap-point, as agreed, a rapporteur on the topic of “sea-dumped munitions”. Peter Stein, a member of the Ger-man Bundestag, was chosen for a length of two years. Mr Stein, who comes from the Eastern German Han-seatic city of Rostock, has already worked intensively on the subject in recent years and has worked to ensurethat consequences of munitions in the Baltic Seais given a prominent position in the resolution of the 28thBSPC.The specific mandate associated with the election of the rapporteur is to monitor developments in the fieldof sea-dumped munitions, to keep an eye on the implementation of the recommendations of the 28th BSPCand to submit an interim report to the 29th BSPC in Vilnius.Peter Stein has also set himself the goal of identifying the possibilities for implementing item 24 of the res-olution through intensive exchanges with international actors in the field of dumped munitions and unex-ploded ordnance. The aim is also to develop conditions under which the Baltic Sea states can agree on a com-mon approach to solving the problem.All considerations will take into account, for a longer period of time, that the economic impact of theCovid-19 pandemic poses an additional challenge to the costly recovery of warfare material. However, thecalculation must include that not acting now will increase the long-term costs for all Baltic Sea states. Theadvance of corrosion, the release of munition compounds, mobility and increasing sludge make detectingand mountaineering increasingly difficult and expensive. The slogan of Peter Stein is: we probably still have20 years left to take action, but in total, we will have to deal with over the next 100 years. It MUST be start-ed now!1 https://www.bspc.net/conference-resolution-28-bspc-adopted-270819/8 4. Implementation of the 28th BSPC-Resolution by the states4. Implementation of the 28th BSPC-Resolution bythe statesBy the end of July 2020, a total of twelve responses from the Baltic Sea states had been received by the BSPCSecretariat.2 As soon as further statements are available, they will be taken into account in the further report-ing.In addition to the Federal Government of Germany, the state governments of the German federal states ofHamburg, Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein have also expressed their views on item 24. Withinthe received eight national statements there is no reference to item 24 of the 28th BSPC resolution in theNorwegian one, which is why it is not relevant to this interim report. In this case, too, the procedure will beas such that a statement received after the cut-off date will be included in the further reporting.The statements received show that the issue of dumped munitions in the Baltic States is sometimes handleddifferently. There is no doubt, however, that all states have recognised the problem and the need for a solu-tion. The scope of the particular statements allows a conclusion to be made as to the intensity with whichthe topic is being worked on and which actors are involved. In some cases it is a purely military matter, butin others many civilian actors and scientists are involved.With regard to the suggestion from item 24 of the 28th resolution to create a coordinating body for the man-agement of sea-dumped munitions, the statements are clear. Here, it is argued that existing structures, name-ly HELCOM, should be built on.Taking up this demand, as a first step Mr Stein has already exchanged views with the Secretary General ofHELCOM, Rüdiger Strempel, on the suitability of HELCOM’s structures. Unfortunately, a planned visitby Mr Stein to the HELCOM Secretariat in Helsinki could not be carried out for the time being due to thecurrent travel and contact restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, these initial discussionswith HELCOM are positive and give hope that the existing HELCOM RESPONSE structures around theexpert group SUBMERGED are suitable or can be adopted to the requirements.2 https://www.bspc.net/conference-resolution-28-bspc-adopted-270819/5. Implementation of the 28th BSPC-Resolution by the CBSS 95. Implementation of the 28th BSPC-Resolution bythe CBSSThe CBSS (Council of the Baltic Sea States) met on 19th May 2020 due to the effects of Covid-19 virtuallyand not as planned on the island of Bornholm. The Foreign Ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ger-many, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden, as well as senior representatives of theEuropean Union, were present.The handling of the effects of the Corona pandemic was largely determined by the virtual meeting and there-fore the issue of warfare agents in the Baltic Sea could not be dealt with intensively. The final Bornholm Dec-laration3 therefore makes no reference to this, which, from the point of view of the rapporteur Peter Stein isexpressly regretted. According to information from participants and official statements from the GermanForeign Minister Heiko Maas4, however, the topic was nevertheless discussed, in particular with regard toavoid the environmental impact. The Bornholm Declaration also welcomes Germany‘s takeover of the HEL-COM presidency, which will give high priority to the acute environmental issues in the Baltic Sea ecosys-tem.5Mr. Stein considers positive the fact that CBSS successfully completed the reform process in May 2020launched in the year 2018. The reform process of the CBSS involved expressing its intention to cooperatemore flexible and closer together with the other forums and formats in the Baltic Sea region such as theBSPC.3 https://www.cbss.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bornholm-Declaration.pdf4 https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/aussenpolitik/maas-cbss/23432825 https://www.cbss.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bornholm-Declaration.pdf10 6. Current projects on dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea6. Current projects on dumped munitions in theBaltic Sea6.1 Expert group SUBMERGED at HELCOMThe HELCOM expert group SUBMERGED6, which is co-chaired by Germany, Finland and Poland, fol-lows the expert group HELCOM MUNI, which focused on chemical ammunitions. SUBMERGED focus-es on all kinds of hazardous objects, most prominently sea dumped ammunition and wrecks, which may af-fect the environment and human activities in the Baltic Sea. A main task of the group is to produce an as-sessment of these hazardous submerged objects. The group is currently preparing the assessment report. Itconsists of a comprehensive overview of the status quo of sea dumped ammunition in the Baltic Sea andmost recent research results regarding the issue. Experts who generated the results during the UDEMM,RoBEMM, DAIMON, MODUM, CHEMSEA and other projects are involved as authors and reviewers forthe chapters covering their respective scientific disciplines. Furthermore, every HELCOM member state wasgiven the opportunity to present scientific projects, ongoing national efforts, relevant laws and norms as wellas responsible authorities. Finally, the report contains recommendations. The following preliminary recom-mendations will be given:• Initiate joint archive research and exchange of historical files that are relevant for the issue• Develop and implement a coordinated monitoring scheme both for known contaminated sites andduring clearance activities• Initiate large scale surveying efforts of dump sites, other contaminated sites and suspected sites• Introduce an international ammunition cadastre and establish a federated munition database• Develop new technologies for salvage, clearance and thermal treatment• Provide treatment facilities for cleared and salvaged munition• Provide (offshore) test infrastructure for EOD technologies• Develop a European quality guideline for EOD processes• Consumer protection (eco and human toxicology, food chain analysis)• Information campaigns for the public and affected stakeholdersThe HELCOM SUBMERGED expert group’s mandate will expire in 2020 and requires an extension to en-sure regular reassessment of the situation of sea-dumped ammunition in the Baltic Sea and new researchfindings.6 www.helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Terms-of-Reference_SUBMERGED.pdf6. Current projects on dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea 116.2 DAIMON project I + IIDAIMON7 (Decision Aid for Marine Munitions) was an international project consisting of partners fromPoland, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, Russia and The Netherlands and cooperating experts world-wide. This project was partly financed by the EU INTERREG Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014-2020.The question which DAIMON takes up is how to proceed with the identified and mapped munition ob-jects. Since there cannot be a general answer to this question, DAIMON analysed identified and localizedobjects with artificial intelligence incorporating large amounts of spatial and non-spatial datasets based onlatest scientific research. For each detected munition object, the software that was developed formulates arisk assessment, incorporating information about the localization and overall state of the ammunition, thesurrounding environment and state of biological pollution/damage. DAIMON follows an integrative ap-proach and incorporates the results of previous projects for an efficient use of data and a consecutive devel-opment of knowledge. DAIMON II is the ongoing extension of the project, which is aimed at disseminat-ing project results to relevant decision makers in Baltic Sea nations. For this purpose, a week of workshopswas planned for August 2020 in Germany but had to be postponed to May 2021 due to the CoVid-19 out-break. Workshops in Finland late summer 2020 and in Poland in autumn 2020 are still under preparation.Please refer to www.daimonproject.com for further information.6.3 BASTA projectBASTA8 (Boost Applied munition detection through Smart data in Tegration and AI workflows) aims at ad-vancing the approach for munition detection both on local and a larger scale. The project seeks to advancedata acquisition through ultra-high-resolution 3D sub-bottom profiling (SBP) and intelligent autonomousunderwater vehicle (AUV) based magnetic mapping as part of an adaptive and iterative survey approach. Inaddition, it will foster sustainable use of survey and historical data within a multi-sensor database. Conduct-ing data analysis of big data by means of artificial intelligence will lead to new approaches in detection andidentification of munition. New tools, methods and workflows will be discussed with stakeholders, with theaim of formalizing recommendations for munitions detection for industry and government players.In order to achieve these ambitious targets a consortium of GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Re-search (project lead), Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), EGEOS GmbH, G-tec SA has been formed. Theproject is funded for the duration from December 2019 until November 2022 by the European Maritimeand Fisheries Fund (EMFF) of the European Union in the „Blue Labs“ program.6.4 Open SpiritThe OPEN SPIRIT series of activities rotates between respective Baltic nations in such a manner that Esto-nia, Latvia and Lithuania host this activity every third year. The countries’ navies make an effort to combinetheir national mine countermeasure training activities with domestic efforts to gradually reduce possiblerisks posed by warfare materials through a tailored, systematic and effects based approach. These activities aretargeted at most risk prone areas but are time and resource consuming. Hence, given the best availableknowledge regarding the likely amounts of warfare materials in the sea, these activities will most likely con-tinue in the near future.7 www.daimonproject.com8 www.basta-munition.eu12 6. Current projects on dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea6.5 ExPloTectStarting in December 2019, GEOMAR coordinates the three-year ExPloTect9 project (funded by EASME/EMFF), which will develop a prototype system for shipboard, near-real-time detection of dissolved explosivecompounds and chemical warfare agents in seawater. Additional partners are K.U.M. Umwelt- und Meerestech-nik Kiel GmbH (Germany) and RPS Explosives Engineering Services (UK). ExPloTect (Ex-situ, near-real-timeexPlosive compound deTection in seawater) is a flexible platform adaptable to explosive compounds, as well aschemical warfare agents, based on a high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method.6.6 ProBaNNtGEOMAR (Germany), SeaTerra GmbH (Germany), IO PAS (Poland) and OBR CTM (Poland) were invit-ed to propose a three-year project to the MARTERA call funded by the ERA-NET COFUND. ProBaNNtproposes to transform the decision-making process during explosive ordnance disposal, which is currentlyheavily experience driven, non-rigorous and intransparent, into an objective, structured, well-informed pro-cedure. For this purpose, the consortium plans to create an EOD database to enable Bayesian Neural Net-work driven assessment of finding optimal clearance methods. Furthermore, photomosaics shall be createdto provide EOD experts with 3D-models of sea-dumped ammunition – an entirely new resource for deci-sion making. Finally, sediment mobility analysis will allow to predict potential spread and distribution oftoxic munitions contaminants that are present in the sediment.6.7 RoBEMMThe project RoBEMM (Robotic underwater salvage and disposal process with the technology to remove ex-plosive ordnance in the sea, in particular in coastal and shallow water) was driven by the idea of developinga procedure that allows for the inexpensive clearance of warfare materials from the seabed. Partners wereHeinrich Hirdes EOD Services GmbH, Automatic Klein GmbH, Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Tech-nology and Leipzig University. GEOMAR acted as an associated partner. It was the declared target that theclearance should be performed in a fully automated fashion. Another aim was to ensure on-site disposal,which would prevent the transport of hazardous explosive materials both at sea and land. During the pro-ject, tests for friction and impact sensitivity of explosives were conducted. These indicated, that treatment ofthe warfare materials in question had to be conducted in a very sensitive fashion. The main result was a con-cept for the treatment of warfare material with a delaboration unit which would allow for the safe handlingof explosives under water. During the RoBEMM sub-project OffVali a validation procedure for explosiveordnance disposal (EOD; i.e. ammunition clearance) was developed.6.8 MUNITECT NetworkThe Munitect network10, which is supported by the federal government of Germany, is an association ofcompanies and research institutions driving the development of economically effective munitions detectionand handling systems for underwater use. By means of the cooperation, the competences and variety of ex-periences from the network partners’ different industries are bundled and experiences are shared.9 www.explotect.eu10 www.munitect.de/en/home#munition_under_water6. Current projects on dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea 13Within the scope of the network, the members initiate and develop application-oriented research and carryout development projects together with national and international project partners. They make a sustainablecontribution to the goal of solving the problem of the old military munitions at large. After setting the focuson efficient detection systems in the first phase, the partners now aim for quality management fur underwa-ter UXO handling and efficient clearance (systems and procedures).In this way, the partners involved contribute to the safety of activities in the economic exploitation of theNorth and Baltic Sea.6.9 AMUCAD - Ammunition Cadastre SeaThe basis for the planning and implementation of future actions is a holistic digital system, which providesefficient access to large amounts of historical data as well as current data from environment, economic andhydrographic sectors. Therefore, the Ammunition Cadastre Sea (AmuCad.org11) was developed. AmuCad.org is designed as the central data hub in the global network of industry, science, authorities and NGOs re-garding ammunition in the sea. Key functionalities are the management and analysis of large amounts of var-ious types of spatial and non-spatial data. Especially historic datasets e.g. documents, reports and maps areof high relevance for understanding the legacy of the WWI and WWII. Therefore, an AI-based intelligenthandling was developed. Connecting and analysing these historic documents is particularly difficult due tothe amount and complexity. Therefore, recent developments from the field of artificial intelligence and ob-ject character recognition using neural networks and GPU-based technologies are applied. The resulting da-tasets can afterwards be managed, combined and analysed by means of current technologies and will beavailable in AmuCad.org. Besides historic data also large amounts of new datasets are incorporated into thesystem. In combination with the use of artificial intelligence, modern sensor systems and web-based technol-ogies it provides a comprehensive platform that enables an understanding of the current state of the oceans,acts as a tool for planning and serves as a centralized tool for monitoring purposes. AmuCad.org is an indus-try driven project and became the centralized platform for European research projects due to its unique ap-proach and developed technologies. Compared to national developed and organized systems, AmuCad.orgis already existing, technologically proven and does not know administrative borders or political restriction.This reflects the connected ecosystems and complex interactions in the marine environment in the optimalway. AmuCad.org acts also as a hub for applied research and brings together independent scientific researchprojects on a centralized platform. Therefore, it is involved in several international and national research pro-jects due to its conceptual ideas and uniqueness e.g. BASTA, DAIMON I+II, NorthSeaWrecks, EXPLO-TECT. The results of the research projects are either integrated into AmuCad.org by storing their datasets ordeveloping specific applications based on their research results. By integrating research activities, the mostrecent developments in science are made available to all relevant stakeholders. Behind the following linkthere is detailed information about AmuCad.org available as well as about international projects incorporat-ed into AmuCad.org: www.amucad.org/about/amucad_functionalities_and_projects.pdfBased on the technological pioneering role, the integration of relevant European research projects and theacceptance in the community, AmuCad.org plays an important role as a central platform and data hub forthe topic ammunition in the sea.11 www.amucad.org14 7. Sea-dumped munitions and maritime economics7. Sea-dumped munitions and maritime economics7.1 FisheriesIt is recommended to prohibit fishing in areas in which the presence of sea-dumped ammunition is con-firmed or suspected. Fishers may catch munitions or chemical warfare agents and bring them aboard theirvessel. Fishers may also accidentally relocate ammunition. Reducing this risk can be achieved by markingdump sites as areas where fishing and anchoring are not allowed. Furthermore, the size of dump sites shouldbe updated on nautical charts on a regular basis. An information leaflet on the prevention of accidents in-volving fishers was developed by HELCOM CHEMU. Poland, Sweden and Finland developed nationalfishermen’s guides. The target was to prevent lifting sea-dumped munitions aboard fishing vessels in the firstplace. They also provide guidance on required actions in case sea-dumped munitions are hoisted aboard. Fi-nally, for purposes of consumer protection control procedure should be established, to ensure that no signif-icant traces of munitions contaminants are present in sea food.7.2 ShippingDespite the wide distribution of sea-dumped ammunition in the Baltic Sea, shipping is considered safe, sincethe risk of detonation is connected to impacting ammunition items. Reports on spontaneous detonationsexist, have however never been scientifically proven. Some experts emphasizing an increasing risk of suchevents, due to aging processes. These processes intend to decline the chemical stability of omnipresent explo-sives. The Baltic Sea states are recommended to further minimize the risk by keeping shipping lanes free fromammunition, e.g. by relocating munitions items.7.3 Offshore infrastructureOperating and constructing offshore-infrastructure, such as pipelines and wind parks, in the Baltic Sea re-quires the development of a protection strategy against impacts from potentially present sea-dumped ammu-nition. The strong interference with the seafloor during construction may lead to detonation of ammunitionitems. Costs of pipeline, cable or wind park disruption are predicted to exceed costs for pipeline protection.A protection strategy is therefore in the infrastructure operators’ best interest. For the North European GasPipeline, the pipeline route was determined by intense surveying, by intense surveying to prevent accidentsand manage risks especially in munitions contaminated sections of the pipeline route. Baltic Sea statesshould establish new guidelines, requiring proper risk management regarding munitions and explosives ofconcernduring construction and operation of offshore infrastructure.8. German Presidency at HELCOM 2020 - 2022 158. Germany’s HELCOM Chairmanship 2020 - 2022On July 1, 2020, Germany took over the HELCOM presidency for two years. The presidency is carried outby the German Federal Environment Agency. The state governments of the German federal states of Schle-swig-Holstein and Western-Pomerania, which are located on the Baltic Sea, each holds the vice presidencyfor one year and works closely with the federal government on the individual key issues.According to the German Federal Government12 the work of the Finnish Presidency will be seamlessly linkedto the German Presidency and the revision of the 2007 Baltic Sea Action Plan will be finalized accordingly.In addition, the emphasis is placed on individual focus areas, which have also been taken up in the condi-tion assessments HOLAS (Holistic Assessment of the Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea) that have been car-ried out since then. In the „Priorities of the German Chairmanship of HELCOM“13 „warfare materials“ and„munitions“ are explicitly named as pending challenges.The basis for working on the main topic of contaminated ammunition for Germany is the report Munitionsin German Marine Waters - Stocktaking and Recommendations (Link: www.underwatermunitions.de) bycross-administrative working group „munitions in the sea“ and its annual updates.The research results published at the beginning of 2019 are now fuelling concerns about the negative effectsof munitions in the sea on the Baltic Sea ecosystem. Effects on the food chain and possibly on human healthcannot yet be adequately assessed and require further investigation.14According to the German Federal Government, no large-scale threats to humans and the environment canbe detected outside of known hotspots or former dumping grounds, but pollution of the sea water with com-pounds typical of explosives, such as TNT, can be detected.15 In the meantime, fears have materialized that,although limited in space, especially in the well-known subsidence areas, there is pollution of the Baltic Seaecosystem and marine life, e.g. fish and mussels. On the basis of the precautionary principle, action cantherefore be required even without legal obligation. The handling of munitions in the sea is the responsibil-ity of the respective coastal (federal) state, but a transfer of knowledge and technology across the Baltic Seaas well as a joint strategy development are desirable, according to the German Federal Government. This co-incides with the resolution of the 28th BSPC on this point.16The first national findings were incorporated into HELCOM‘s relevant work as early as 1993 under Germanleadership. In 1995 an ad hoc working group on this subject presented the so-called CHEMU report. TheHELCOM CHEMU report was updated by 2013 and eventually succeeded by HELCOM MUNI. In thesame year, the HELCOM SUBMERGED expert group was set up under the RESPONSE working group,which has continued to work since then. At the same time, research was carried out by or with the partici-pation of HELCOM (e.g. MERCW, CHEMSEA) and guidelines on risks and how to deal with them wereprovided for fishermen. The focus was on chemical warfare agents.As mentioned above Germany will make the subject of “ammunition waste” a focus of the two-year12 Source: Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Nukleare Sicherheit13 https://helcom.fi/about-us/chairmanship/germany-2020-2022/14 Source: Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Nukleare Sicherheit / German Federal Ministry for the Environ-ment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety15 Ibid.16 ibid.16 9. Role of the European Union / EUSBSRHELCOM chairmanship. The main objectives are to improve the data and assessment basis, including in-ventory, monitoring and modelling, the assessment of toxic effects of compounds typical for warfare agentson the marine environment of the Baltic Sea, as well as accumulation via the food chain and possible effectson humans. The use of bio-indicators is also being investigated. On this basis, accompanied by socio-eco-nomic analyses, options for action are to be developed. After joint observation, prioritization and risk assess-ment and subsequent identification of hotspots, these also include the pilot recovery and destruction of oldammunition. It is planned to accompany this with the provision of information for the public. Also project-ed is an interdisciplinary and inter-regional exchange on procedures and approaches of the HELCOM con-tracting parties on best practice of monitoring, risk assessment and recommendations for further measures.9. Role of the European Union / EUSBSRIn the Baltic Sea Strategy EUSBSR, the European Union also identifies conventional and chemical warfareagents in the Baltic Sea as a threat to the ecosystem. On July 30, under the German chairmanship, the newaction plan for the EUSBSR17 was approved by the group of the national coordinators (NC group). The top-ic of ammunition is explicitly mentioned in “action 2”.18 The DAIMON II project is mentioned as well asthe fact that the matter is closely related to the activities of HELCOM. As a result of the inquiries, the Ger-man chairmanship of the EUSBSR with regard to the subject of „old ammunition“ will be exercised in ac-cordance with the German presidency at HELCOM.19According to the action plan, environmental issues are currently financed through the INTERREG, BO-NUS / BANOS programs, Swedish Institute, CBSS PSF, LIFE, HORIZON EUROPE programs. PeterStein is currently in talks with members of the European Parliament in order to explore further financing op-tions from EU funds for new projects for dealing with the environmental pollution of our seas, especiallywith sea-dumped munitions. Results of the explorations will be included in the final report for the 30thBSPC.17 https://www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/attachments/article/591126/EUSBSR%20Action%20Plan%20%20NCG%20agreed%20final%20version%2006%2007%202020%20PDF%20ht.pdf18 ibid.19 ibid: Auswärtiges Amt / German Federal Foreign Office10. Conclusion 1710. ConclusionA relatively clear picture can be drawn from Peter Stein‘s reporting. It should be noted that the topic has beenresearched internationally for several decades and a large number of important insights have been gainedabout harmful effects, previously focussing on toxic effects of warfare agents and more recently also on themuch larger quantity of conventional munition compounds on the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea.. The tech-nology for detection and recovery has improved a lot in recent years, especially through digital processes. Theclear picture also includes the fact that most of these remarkable advances are only known in specialist cir-cles. There is almost no widespread public perception. Occasional events, such as the incident in summer2019, throw no more than a spotlight when Baltic Harbour Porpoises have most probably died as an avoid-able consequence of a large historic ordnance disposal operation. Or when accidents occur in which batherson the Baltic Sea beach mistake phosphorus for amber and suffer serious injuries. These high-profile eventsmake it clear that in Germany there is also a great, if not sustainable, awareness of the existing risks in thepopulation and that a solution is fundamentally desired.The perception of hazard will increase to the extent that toxins can be found in fish and mussel stocks, pro-tected areas or shipping routes are threatened or the expansion of offshore wind turbines or pipelines is im-paired. This goes hand in hand with the increasing public risk awareness regarding plastic waste, microplas-tics or ghost nets. Support can therefore be sought from the EU Green Deal.Overall, the rapporteur found that a large number of researchers, institutes, nationally and internationallyfunded projects and private companies have developed a high level of expertise and that a number of com-panies offer specialized solutions. There is also a network of interdisciplinary actors among themselves. Thequestion that remains is why, despite existing knowledge and a general awareness of the dangers, no actionis taken. The answers are: The responsibilities are complex and diverse and it costs a lot of money. This leadsto unexplained structures and lengthy discussions and finally there is a partly different perception regardingthe shared historical responsibility between the affected states and the states of origin of the munition objectsfound to be hazardous.For the final report on the 30th BSPC in 2021, the aim is to be able to report more on the respective nation-al approaches and measures aimed at. The statements on the resolution of the 28th BSPC are a very good ba-sis. One of the possible further steps would be to search all national archives of the military and the navymore intensively for data on the introduction of large quantities of munitions in the Baltic Sea and to makethem available to an international group of experts.Finally, the final report also will draw attention to the recommendations for action that have already beendeveloped or are work in progress for dealing with the ammunition contaminated sites and wracks, as wellas to the newest research results being planned to be published by then.18 11. Next steps11. Next stepsThe rapporteur Peter Stein suggests the following steps for the further procedure for dealing with sea dumpedmunitions in the Baltic Sea:• All current research, findings and results on the topic must be brought together multinationally andthe data has to be standardized.• A comprehensive monitoring of the contaminated sites is to be built up and looked after.• Research into the use of bio-indicators needs to be intensified.• A joint, multinational group of experts (science and technology / processes) should be set up which,based on constant evaluation, gives annual recommendations for the targeted, necessary handling ofsea-dumped munitions and unexploded ordnance.• It must be possible to act quickly and in an environmentally friendly manner. Lengthy coordinationabout responsibilities, clarification of the legal consequences and the search for causers must be elimi-nated in advance if they are a hindrance to the necessary timeline.• As a solution, a permanent multinational fund is to be set up to finance the expert group, the moni-toring and the respective tender for the treatment of ammunition.• Exemplary are international donor funds, as they have good experiences in development policy underthe umbrella of the UN. In the case of sea-dumped munitions, EU institutions could provide a stableframework, or preferably the structures of HELCOM.• In a corresponding, voluntary donor round (ideally with the involvement of the EU), an amount ofEUR 500 million is to be aimed at initially in order to flexibly finance the initial measures recom-mended by the experts.• Current technical developments can lead to a reduction in costs for the recovery and treatment of am-munition by around 80 percent. At the same time, the private sector in the field of marine technologymust therefore be involved in the economic process through regular tendering for the proposed meas-ures. This supports constant technological development and added value in our region as a whole.• The Baltic Sea region can become a pilot region for a sustainable, scientific, technological and val-ue-adding solution to the contaminated site problem of ammunition in our waters as a whole. We findcomparable pollution worldwide in many seas, coastal waters, estuaries, harbour areas and lakes.12. Bibliography 1912. Bibliography• Link 28. BSPC-Resolution:https://www.bspc.net/conference-resolution-28-bspc-adopted-270819/• Link Statements on the 28. BSPC-Resolution:https://www.bspc.net/bspc_statements_28thbspc_resolution/• Link BASTA project:https://www.basta-munition.eu/• Link MUNITECT-Network:https://www.munitect.de/en/home• Link UDEMM project:https://udemm.geomar.de/• Link: CBSS Bornholm Declaration:https://www.cbss.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bornholm-Declaration.pdf• Link HELCOM:https://helcom.fi• Link Report „Munitionsbelastung der deutschen Meeresgewässer – Bestandaufnahme und Empfehlungen“:https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/UXO/Berichte/PDF/Berichte/ag_blano_fortschritt2018.pdf• Link EUSBSR:https://www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/• Link AMUCAD:https://www.amucad.org/• Link ExPloTect:https://www.explotect.eu/• Frey, T. (2020) Quality Guideline for Explosive Ordnance Disposal. Beuth Verlag GmbH, Berlin.• Cooper, Nick; Cooke, Simon (2015): Assessment and management of unexploded ordnance (UXO)risk in the marine environment. CIRIA, London.• United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) (2014): Underwater Survey and Clearance of Explo-sive Ordnance (EO), New York.• Carbon Trust (2020): Guidance for geophysical surveying for UXO and boulders supporting cable in-stallation.• Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) (2016): A guide to Survey andClearance of Underwater Explosive Ordnance. Geneva.• Greinert, J. (2019) Practical Guide for Environmental Monitoring of Conventional Munitions in theSeas - Results from the BMBF funded project UDEMM “Umweltmonitoring für die Delaborationvon Munition im Meer”. GEOMAR, Kiel.20 13. Attachements13. Attachements13.1 Statements on item 24 of the Resolution of the 28th BSPC2013.1.1 Germany - Statement by the Federal GovernmentThe Federal Government would welcome a political consensus among all Baltic Sea countries on the subjectof ammunition in the Baltic Sea. At national level, the Federal Government and the coastal Länder have beendealing continuously with the topic of the risk posed by sunken ammunition for a decade, especially in theframework of the Ammunition Expert Group set up by the Federation-Länder Working Group on theNorth Sea and Baltic Sea. The first detailed report, with the title “Ammunition in German marine waters –taking stock and recommendations”, was published as early as November 2011 and has since been updatedon an annual basis. The UDEMM collaborative project (total funding: 1.5 million euros), which concludedin 2019, studied the extent of ammunition contamination in the southern Baltic Sea. Spatial risk maps ofthe German Baltic Sea and guidelines for evidence-based monitoring have been developed on the basis ofmeasurements and modelling. In light of the decisions taken by the 93rd Conference of Environment Min-isters in November 2019, the Federal Government will – on the basis of the Expert Group’s many years ofpreparatory work and the currently available research findings, particularly the findings of recent months –discuss the way ahead and what action is needed, with an open mind as to the outcome, and will take anymeasures to counter risks. A further aim is to develop a cross-border, sustainable strategy for dealing with un-exploded ordnance in the Baltic Sea. The establishment of a voluntary financing tool might be one optionfor cooperation. In the Federal Government’s view, dealing with ammunition in the Baltic Sea and NorthSea is a task for all of the countries in these regions. We will therefore conduct assessments on this subjectand encourage the development of recommendations for action, including in the framework of cooperationunder HELCOM and, in particular, through the established structures of the SUBMERGED Expert Group,chaired by Germany.13.1.2 EstoniaThe issue of the detection of unexploded ordnance and buried/deposited ammunition present in the BalticSea has been on the agenda of HELCOM. It would be rational to keep the theme in HELCOM frameworkand not create duplicating activities in other regional cooperation formats.13.1.3 FinlandFinnish Navy capabilities in mine countermeasures (MCM) have been developed significantly. The FinnishNavy has maintained knowledge of historical minefields and as a part of MCM training continued partici-pation in operations to clear away remaining sea mines from the Baltic Sea. This has been supported by ac-tive mapping of the seabed including shipwrecks, in cooperation with the Finnish Environment Institute(SYKE) and other maritime authorities.20 https://www.bspc.net/bspc_statements_28thbspc_resolution/13. Attachements 2113.1.4 Germany - Statement by the Senate of Hamburg cityThe Hamburg Senate shares the view that, with regard to the sites contaminated by munitions in the NorthSea and Baltic Sea, the introduction of organised salvage is required. At the Environment Ministers’ Confer-ence in Hamburg on 14 and 15 November, a corresponding draft, supported by Hamburg, was discussed.In it the environment ministers of the federal states call on the federal government, among other things, tocooperate with the coastal states affected to carry out a comprehensive and site-specific assessment of thecondition of munitions to prioritise the possible need for action in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. They con-sider it expedient, given the hydrological conditions, to focus initially on the Baltic Sea and then to transferthe experience gained to the North Sea as far as is possible. This is to form the basis for the development ofjoint proposals for the implementation, prioritisation and shared funding of such measures.13.1.5 LatviaSince adoption of the resolution, in November 2019, Latvian Naval Forces have organised one historicalmine clearance operation in Latvian water (Irbe strait) together with NATO Standing NATO Mine Counter-measures Group One (SNMCMG1) HODOPS LVA. During the operation 56 sea mines were found, fromwhich 43 were destroyed. Overall the search covered 19 square miles.Furthermore, in May this year (2020) international historical mine clearance operation OPEN SPIRIT isalso scheduled to take place.In the area of anti-min capability development Naval Forces will initiate modernization of 3 mine counter-measures vessels in order to enhance this capability in the future. It has to be noted however that the NavalForces are executing these tasks in accordance with National Armed Forces Law and there is no direct rela-tion to the resolution.13.1.6 LithuaniaThe UN General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session for the fourth time adopted by consensus the reso-lution “Cooperative measures to assess and increase awareness of environmental effects related to waste orig-ination from chemical munitions dumped at sea”. This is the only resolution submitted by Lithuania to theUN General Assembly. Since 2010, at the UN formats Lithuania raises the question and participates at thediscussions on the issue of chemical munitions dumped at the sea.13.1.7 Germany - Statement by the state of Mecklenburg-VorpommernThe State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern supports the DAIMON (Decision Aid for Maritime Munitions)project of the EU Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme. It aims to better evaluate different managementoptions on a scientific basis. The environmental impacts of chemical warfare agents and conventional muni-tions are studied as a basis for an appropriate risk assessment. The objective of DAIMON is to develop tech-niques describing the impact of marine munitions on the ecosystem maritime activities and humans as con-sumers. The State Government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern keeps the State Parliament of Mecklen-burg-Vorpommern informed about the problem in many ways.22 13. Attachements13.1.8 PolandPoland is actively working within HELCOM Expert Group on Environmental Risks of Hazardous Sub-merged Objects (SUBMERGED). SUBMERGED is now in the process of assessment of number of the haz-ardous wrecks in Baltic Sea that needs quick actions in order to prevent a mass-scale pollution. Last meetingwas held in January this year. Poland is also working on that issue within the framework of our national lawsas out of 300 estimated wrecks in Baltic Sea around 100 is located in Polish waters. The most hazardous arefrom the World War II period, like s/s Stuttgart and t/s Franken. Stuttgart has already produced fuel leaks.Franken is at advanced corrosive state and may collapse anytime. On top of that there are numerous wreckscarrying the deposits of chemical weapons. The estimates are that the release of only the sixth part of thosedeposits would create a mass-scale catastrophe that would seize the life in Baltic Sea for a century. The costsof removing all hazardous deposits from the Baltic Sea are enormous. Polish Ministry of Maritime Economyand Inland Navigation strongly believes that those cost could be distributed amongst all Baltic Sea States.13.1.9 Germany - Statement by the state of Schleswig-HolsteinIn 2019, Progress has been made in terms of the description of the effects of munition dumped in the oceanbased on the previously presented results of the scientific projects DAIMON (INTERREG-Baltic Sea, seehttps://www.daimonproject.com) and UDEMM (sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Education and Re-search, see https://udemm.geomar.de). The approach of the INTERREG Baltic Sea project DAIMON, in-tegrating the results of previous projects (MERCW, CHEMSEA, MODUM) and the methodological find-ings on eco-toxicological assessment from the UDEMM project have provided the scientific basis for this.The now available evidence of toxic substances from weapons in seawater, sediment and also in marine or-ganisms is still based on extremely low concentrations due to the corrosion that has begun. However, it is aserious warning signal due to progressive rusting processes. Therefore, the results do not yet justify immedi-ate action. The consortium of the project “Robotic Underwater Salvage and Disposal Procedure includingTechnology for the Delaboration of Ammunition in the Sea” (RoBEMM) presented its work at the statusmeeting “Maritime Technlogies-2018” as a technical breakthrough. A system based on the results of thisstudy should make it possible to eliminate large, unmanageable maritime explosive devices without under-water blasting in the future. Since 2003, approx. 25 million Euro subsidies were applied to maintain this sit-uation. Due to media coverage on television and in print media as well as the annual reporting of the ExpertGroup on Ammunition in the Sea of the federal/state working group North and Baltic Sea (https://www.mu-nition-im meer.de), the results will be made available to an interested public. Currently, the HELCOM workgroup SUBMERGED is collating the findings regarding the contamination of the entire Baltic Sea with mu-nition, ship and military plane wrecks. With this process, a recommendation of the authors of the HEL-COM report regarding chemical weapons in the Baltic Sea (see http://www.helcom.f1/Lists/Publications/BSEP142.pdf) is being implemented. Publication is envisaged in late 2020. For a further two years, work willcontinue in the lnterreg North Sea Project “North Sea-Wrecks” under the guidance of the Deutsches Schiff-fahrtsmuseums (German Shipping Industry Museum) to transfer methods from UDEMM and DAIMONto the situation in the North Sea. The objective is to clarify which risks can emanate from war ship wreckswith particularly poisonous fuels and munition. The new methods are practically unlocked for the neigh-bouring countries by way of regional conferences and internships of the project DAIMON 2 and the deci-sion support systems DIAMON-DSS is transferred to an operatively effective status. In addition, the Euro-pean Fisheries Fund promotes the projects BASTA and ExPloTect to continue to close already identifiedtechnical-methodical gaps. Schleswig-Holstein Page 135 87 Schleswig-Holstein State Parliament - 19thElection Period Printed matter 19/2046 Future project applications will primarily deal with the issue as towhether and how the chemical compound of weapons in marine organisms can impact food from the sea.The recent decisions of the expert minister conferences for the environment as well as internal affairs can be13. Attachements 23considered the first national strategies. Both exhibit the willingness to collaborate and provide partially ex-tremely specific measures, but also account for the results available so far by first raising systematic data tofocus on the correct situation with suitable measures. The resolutions were preceded by different parliamen-tary deliberations in the State Parliaments of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein as well asminor enquires to the Federal Government by the parties of the German Bundestag.13.1.10 SwedenSweden has presently no planned measures regarding deposited ammunitions. The Swedish armed forcesprovide support when unexploded ordinance is detected, and the Swedish defence research agency provideadvice and support regarding chemical munitions. The Baltic Sea and Skagerrak contains a dark legacy of ca.250 000 tons of dumped munitions. The DAIMON project, have assessed the risk. The group is preparingthe report on environmental threats posed by wrecks and dumped munitions.13.2 MUNITECT network position paperhttps://igd-r.de/munitectpaper13.3 AMUCAD Presentationhttps://www.amucad.org/about/amucad_functionalities_and_projects.pdfBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Secretariatwww.bspc.netBSPC SecretariatSchlossgartenallee 1519061 SchwerinGermany