BSPC_ObserverStatusHELCOM2022-23

Report on the Exercise of the Observer Status of theBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) at theBaltic Marine Environment Protection Commission(Helsinki Commission – HELCOM)2022–2023Berlin , 27 – 29August 202 332YEARSBSPCThe BSPC Rapporteur’s 2022-2023 Report on HELCOM© Schwerin, July 2023Text: Beate SchluppEditing: Evgeniya Bakalova, Georg Strätker and Bodo BahrPhotos: Landtag Mecklenburg-VorpommernLayout: produktionsbüro TINUSBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Bodo BahrSecretary General+49 171 5512557bodo.bahr@bspcmail.netwww.bspc.netBSPC SecretariatSchlossgartenallee 1519061 SchwerinGermany The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) was established in 1991 as a forum for po -litical dialogue between parliamentarians from the Baltic Sea Region. The BSPC aims toraise awareness and opinion on issues of current political interest and relevance for the Bal -tic Sea Region. It promotes and drives various initiatives and efforts to support the sustain -able environmental, social and economic development of the Baltic Sea Region. It strives toenhance the visibility of the Baltic Sea Region and its issues in a broader European context.BSPC gathers parliamentarians from 10 national parliaments, 7 regional parliaments withlegislative powers, one supranational parliament and 4 parliamentary organisations aroundthe Baltic Sea. The BSPC thus constitutes a unique parliamentary bridge between the dem -ocratic EU- and non-EU countries of the Baltic Sea Region. BSPC external interfaces in -clude parliamentary, governmental, subregional and other organisations in the Baltic SeaRegion and the Northern Dimension area, among them CBSS, HELCOM, the NorthernDimension Partnership in Health and Social Well-Being (NDPHS), the Baltic Sea LabourForum (BSLF) and the Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation (BSSSC).The BSPC shall initiate and guide political activities in the region; support and strengthendemocratic institutions in the participating states; improve dialogue between governments,parliaments and civil society; strengthen the common identity of the Baltic Sea Region bymeans of close cooperation between national and regional parliaments based on equality;and initiate and guide political activities in the Baltic Sea Region, endowing them with ad -ditional democratic legitimacy and parliamentary authority.The political recommendations of the annual Parliamentary Conferences are expressed in aConference Resolution adopted by consensus by the Conference. The adopted Resolutionshall be submitted to the governments of the Baltic Sea Region, the CBSS and the EU anddisseminated to other relevant national, regional and local stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Re -gion and its neighbourhood.3 ContentContentsI. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 5II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOM ............................................................................. 81. HELCOM at the 31st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Stockholm, 12 June 2022 ..................... 92. Presentation of the HELCOM Submerged Assessment at the BSPC Standing Committee Meeting inBerlin, 21 November 2022 .............................................................................................................. 113. HELCOM Progress Update at the BSPC Standing Committee Meeting in Brussels, 6 March 2023 .....134. BSPC Efforts to Support HELCOM .................................................................................................. 16III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023 ............................................................................. 191. HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Lübeck, 20 October 2021 ............................................................ 19The Update of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP): Background Information .................................. 20HELCOM Ministerial Meeting 2021: Keynotes and the Ministerial Debate ................................... 21Documents Adopted by the 2021 Ministerial Meeting .................................................................... 252. HELCOM Strategic Pause ................................................................................................................ 263. Latvian HELCOM Chairmanship 2022–2024 ................................................................................ 274. Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2022, 26–27 September 2022 ............................................................ 285. Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2023, 9 March 2023 .......................................................................... 306. HELCOM’s Global Engagement and Commitments .......................................................................... 32IV. Prospects and Outlook ................................................................................................................. 34Useful Sources and Links .................................................................................................................... 35ANNEX I: Updated Lists of HELCOM’s Working Groups and Projects ............................................ 38Annex I.1. List of Current HELCOM Working Groups and Expert Groups ........................................... 38Annex I.2. List of Ongoing HELCOM Projects ...................................................................................... 40List of Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................... 41Content4 I. IntroductionI. IntroductionThe past years have not been easy for international institutions andorganisations. First, the COVID-19 pandemic and the connectedquarantine regulations and travel restrictions have severely limited thepossibilities for in-person meetings and informal exchange. Then, justwhen the pandemic had started subsiding and day-to-day life wasslowly returning to normal, a new geopolitical crisis has erupted,shaking the very foundation of the post-Cold War international orderin Europe.In light of the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, many Eu -ropean and International institutions had to re-evaluate their identity,reinforce their values and find new modes of operation. Both the BalticSea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) and the Baltic Marine Environ -ment Protection Commission (Helsinki Commission – HELCOM)have condemned the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in the strongestterms1 and had to adjust their working processes accordingly.On 12 and 22 March 2022, the BSPC Heads of Delegations from eleven national parliaments, five region -al parliaments and three parliamentary organisations from the Baltic Sea region have issued a declarationannouncing the suspension of the Russian parliaments from the BSPC Annual Conference, the meetings ofits working bodies, proceedings, and projects.2 Consequently, at its 30th Annual Conference on 12–14 June2022 in Stockholm, the BSPC has adopted the new BSPC Statutes and Rules of Procedure,3 outlining thefundamentals and core principles of cooperation within the BSPC and detailing the suspension procedurefor members that blatantly violate the aforementioned foundations and principles of international law.1 See: Conference Resolution Adopted by the 31st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, 14 June 2022, https://www.bspc.net/wp-content/up -loads/2022/06/Conference-Resolution-31-BSPC.pdf ; Statement by the German Chairmanship of HELCOM on behalf of the European Union andthe Contracting Parties to HELCOM that are Member States of the European Union, 4 March 2022, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/up -loads/2022/03/German-Chairmanship-Statement-on-Ukraine.pdf .2 Declaration 12th and 22nd March 2022 by Heads of BSPC Delegations on the War in Ukraine and its consequences for the BSPC Work, 12 and22 March 2022, https://www.bspc.net/declaration-12-march-2022/ .3 Statutes and RoP adopted by the 31st BSPC, 14 June 2022, https://www.bspc.net/statutes-and-rop-adopted-by-the-31-spc-onn-13-and-14-june-2022/.Ms Beate Schlupp5 I. IntroductionFor its part, on 4 March 2022, the German Chairmanship of HELCOM issued a statement on behalf ofthe European Union and the HELCOM Contracting Parties that are Member States of the European Un -ion. They announced the suspension of all official meetings of HELCOM bodies and meetings of projectgroups with Russian involvement under the HELCOM umbrella with immediate effect and until furthernotice.4 The strategic pause announced in March 2022 was later prolonged by the current Latvian Chair -manship of HELCOM, which took over presidency from Germany in July 2022.Yet while official meetings remain suspended, HELCOM has continued its operational work. Currentpriorities include first and foremost the implementation of the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP)adopted at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in October 2021, the connected update of HELCOM’sworking structure, and the realisation of the Third HELCOM Holistic Assessment (HOLAS 3) whichcommenced in 2022. HELCOM proceeded with its relevant project work and stepped-up cooperationwith other regional sea conventions and international institutions, such as the Council of the Baltic SeaStates (CBSS) and the United Nations.In July 2022, Latvia took over HELCOM Chairmanship from Germany and presented its presidency pri -orities, which prioritise preserving HELCOM as an effective and well-functioning organisation of region -al cooperation, implementing the updated BSAP , and strengthening the role of regional cooperation inthe context of international ocean governance.Notwithstanding the announced strategic pause, HELCOM has continued its work on HOLAS 3 indi -cators and thematic reports based on data from 2016–2021. The results, starting with the thematic assess -ments, are expected to be published in 2023. In view of the aims and actions contained in the new BSAP ,HELCOM has also updated and streamlined the structure of its Working Groups and Expert Groups.Furthermore, despite its initial postponement, the Baltic Stakeholder Conference on climate change inthe Baltic Sea was successfully organised in September 2022 and presented the comprehensive Baltic SeaClimate Change Fact Sheet for policy- and decision-makers. The Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2023then focussed on the different aspects of the BSAP implementation process and served as a helpful forumfor generating new ideas in this central HELCOM’s priority area.4 Statement by the German Chairmanship of HELCOM on behalf of the European Union and the Contracting Parties to HELCOM that are Mem -ber States of the European Union, 4 March 2022, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/German-Chairmanship-Statement-on-Ukraine.pdf .6 I. IntroductionThe report at hand follows the long-standing tradition and provides an overview of the main develop -ments in the work of the Helsinki Commission. In addition, it summarises the BSPC’s efforts to supportHELCOM and highlights the valuable and important cooperation and exchange between the two organ -isations. Despite the crises, we could deepen our contact to HELCOM. In this way, I would especiallythank Mr Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary at HELCOM, for the intensive exchange after the Stand -ing Committee Meeting in Brussels in March 2023.Beate SchluppFirst Vice President of theState Parliament of Mecklenburg-VorpommernBSPC Observer at HELCOM7 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMII. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMDespite past and ongoing crises, the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference and the Baltic Marine Environ -ment Protection Commission continued and strengthened their fruitful cooperation and exchangethroughout 2022–2023. This cooperation and information sharing traditionally encompasses referencesto HELCOM’s work in BSPC resolutions, HELCOM’s participation in the meetings of BSPC workingbodies, as well as contacts between HELCOM representatives and myself in my capacity as BSPC Observ -er at HELCOM.Baltic Sea parliamentarians continued to signal their strong support towards the goals and efforts of theHelsinki Commission – as expressed in the resolutions of the 30th and 31st BSPC. With the aim of inten -sifying the existing close partnership between the two international organisations, HELCOM representa -tives were invited to report on the current priorities and activities of the Helsinki Commission at theBSPC Annual Conference and Standing Committee meetings in 2022 and 2023.Thus, notwithstanding the challenging geopolitical situation, then HELCOM Chair Dr Lilian Busse fol -lowed the BSPC’s invitation and addressed the 31st BSPC on 12 June 2022 in Stockholm. Dr Busse re -ported on the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting held in October 2021 and the updated Baltic Sea ActionPlan (BSAP). Ahead of the 32nd BSPC Annual Conference in August 2023, an interim progress updatewas provided by Mr Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary at HELCOM, and Ms Evija Šmite, HEL -COM Chair, at the BSPC Standing Committee meeting on 6 March 2023 in Brussels. Mr Strempel andMs Šmite informed the members of the Standing Committee about the working arrangements at HEL -COM following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the ongoing implementation of the updated BSAP ,and the current priorities of the Latvian Chairmanship of HELCOM.Earlier, Ms Jannica Haldin, Deputy Executive Secretary at HELCOM, presented the Baltic Sea ClimateChange Fact Sheet report5 at the BSPC Secretary Level meeting on 3 November 2022 in Helsinki. In ad -dition, Mr Torsten Frey from GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel shared some ofthe conclusions of the HELCOM Submerged Assessment report at the Standing Committee meeting on21 November 2023 in Berlin.5 Baltic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet 2021, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Baltic-Sea-Climate-Change-Fact-Sheet-2021.pdf .8 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMThe following sections provide detailed information on the information exchange between HELCOMand the BSPC as well as the BSPC’s efforts to support HELCOM’s work towards our common goal ofimproving the environmental situation in the Baltic Sea region and helping restore its good ecological sta -tus by the end of the current decade.1. HELCOM at the 31st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Stockholm, 12June 2022Following the invitation to the BSPC Annual Conference, the outgoing German Chairwoman of HEL -COM, Dr. Lilian Busse addressed the 31st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference held on 12–14 June 2022in Stockholm, Sweden.6 Dr Busse provided a brief overview of the main priorities, activities, and out -comes of the 2020–2022 German Chairmanship of the Helsinki Commission, which she described asoverall challenging. The German Chairmanship had started with the global COVID-19 pandemic andwas ending in a difficult geopolitical situation.Nonetheless, as Dr Busse highlighted, HELCOM had succeeded in adopting the updated Baltic Sea Ac -tion Plan at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in October 2021. In addition, the HELCOM Ministe -rial Meeting had adopted the Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter, the Regional Action Plan on Un -derwater Noise, and the HELCOM Science Agenda. Further, Dr Busse gave an outline of the new BSAP ,which represented a strategic programme of almost 200 measures and actions for achieving good environ -mental status of the Baltic Sea by 2030. The new BSAP largely follows the structure of the old plan andincludes thematic sections on biodiversity, eutrophication, hazardous substances, and litter as well as sea-based activities. Horizontal issues encompass monitoring, marine-spatial planning, economic and socialaspects, knowledge exchange and awareness-raising, hotspots, financing, and climate change were includ -ed in the updated BSAP as cross-cutting topics.Talking about climate change as a cross-cutting issue, Dr Busse underlined that all 199 actions and meas -ures were part of the solution. These measures were designed to raise the resilience of the Baltic Sea to the6 Renewed Commitment to Democratic Values in a Historical Moment marked the first part of the 31st BSPC, 13 June 2022, https://www.bspc.net/renewed-commitment-to-democratic-values-in-a-historical-moment-marked-the-first-part-of-the-31st-bspc/ .9 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMeffects of climate change. She then stressed that human activities continued to negatively affect biodiver -sity and caused its further deterioration. The situation was exacerbated by climate change. Therefore, theBSAP included a large number of measures and activities directly concerned with biodiversity, such as theimplementation of the Science Agenda, closing the knowledge gap on blue carbon, developing a strategicapproach on ocean acidification but also developing work under HELCOM to limit greenhouse gas emis -sions. T urning to sea-based activities, Dr Busse mentioned the promotion of sustainable shipping, in con -sideration of the greenhouse gas discussions at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).Furthermore, Dr Busse emphasised that at the end of 2021, HELCOM and Baltic Earth had publishedthe Baltic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet7 in order to provide a better understanding of the effects of cli -mate change in the Baltic Sea region. The report represents a concise and reader-friendly summary of thelatest scientific knowledge on climate change and its impacts on the marine environment in the region. Itis designed to help decision-makers to carry out timely and coordinated climate action.In conclusion, Dr Busse underlined that the updated BSAP and the Climate Change Fact Sheet providedcomprehensive information and ambitious instruments to achieve the central goal of HELCOM: goodenvironmental status of the Baltic Sea. Now, she stressed, the actions and measures aiming at restoring thehealthy state of the sea had to be implemented. HELCOM’s work and the implementation of actions wascomplicated by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Dr Busse informed the BSPC that since the outbreak of thewar, HELCOM had postponed all meetings and initiated a strategic pause until the end of June 2022,when the Chairmanship was to be passed over to Latvia. She noted that HELCOM was deliberating howto move forward against the backdrop of the difficult geopolitical situation.7 Baltic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet 2021, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Baltic-Sea-Climate-Change-Fact-Sheet-2021.pdf .10 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOM2. Presentation of the HELCOM Submerged Assessment at the BSPC StandingCommittee Meeting in Berlin, 21 November 2022The issue of sea-dumped munitions had traditionally been high on the agenda of the BSPC. The resolu -tions of the 28th,8 29th,9 30th,10 and 31st11 Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferences directly addressed this top -ic, calling upon the governments of the Baltic Sea region to develop a cross-border sustainable strategy fordealing with unexploded ordnance and, among other things, to support the 2020–2022 German HEL -COM presidency’s intention to intensify efforts to monitor and treat this problem. With Germany hav -ing assumed Chairmanship at the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in July 2022, new impetus inline with the BSPC’s calls for action has been given to regional cooperation on this topical issue. There -fore, in November 2022, the BSPC Standing Committee met with experts in order to learn more aboutthe environmental and health threats posed by munitions and ordnance dumped in the Baltic Sea.As one of the invited experts, Mr Torsten Frey, Deep Sea Monitoring Group, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centrefor Ocean Research, Kiel, informed the parliamentarians about the work of the HELCOM Expert Group onEnvironmental Risks of Submerged Objects (EG SUBEMERGED) and the distribution of munitions in theBaltic Sea.12 In the beginning of his presentation, he demonstrated a map showing contamination hot spots inGerman waters, and specifically addressed Kolberger Heide and Lübeck bay. Since the GEOMAR researchcentre was located in Lübeck, researchers had direct access to their research object. Yet Mr Frey stressed thatmunitions could be found everywhere in the Baltic Sea. Some 300,000 tonnes of conventional munitions and5,000 tonnes of chemical ordnance remained in German marine waters alone. These estimates were based onhistorical records but could not yet be fully confirmed in current-day assessments. Talking about the risksposed by mines, Mr Frey noted that nowadays, efforts were made to retrieve them from the waters. In priortimes, however, they were simply disarmed and left to sink to the bottom of the sea. As an example, he notedthat several naval mines had been discovered during the construction of the Nord Stream pipelines.8 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 28th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) in Oslo on 27 August 2019, Item 24, p. 4, https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bspc.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F08%2FConference-Resolu -tion-28-BSPC-adopted-270819-.docx&hl=en .9 Conference Resolution Adopted by the Digital 29th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) on 24 August 2020, Item 15, p. 3, https://www.bspc.net/29 th-bspc-resolution-final-adopted/.10 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 30th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) on 30 August 2021, Item 47, p. 6, https://www.bspc.net/30-bspc-resolution-2021-adopted/ .11 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 31st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) in Stockholm on 14 June 2022, Item 26, p. 5, https://www.bspc.net/conference-resolution-31-bspc/ .12 Exploring the Dangers of Sea-Dumped Ammunitions and Steering Towards the New Year, 21 November 2022, https://www.bspc.net/exploring-the-dangers-of-sea-dumped-ammunitions-and-steering-towards-the-new-year/ .11 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMMoving on to the HELCOM Submerged Assessment, Mr Frey noted that – as part of the permanentWorking Group Pressure – an Expert Group called Submerged had been established within HELCOM.The Expert Group’s goal was to contribute to regionally coordinated actions on submerged munitions andexplosives of concern as well as other submerged hazardous objects. Based on a three-year assessment ofthe situation across the Baltic Sea, the HELCOM Submerged Assessment report featured a chapter oneach country bordering the Baltic Sea, describing its history concerning munitions. Much informationhad been gathered on the risks posed by munitions as well as protection and management. Finally, for allthe bordering countries – with the exception of Latvia and Russia –, there was a list and short descriptionof the respective national and international activities. The report was expected to be published in 2023.The report draft identified three major areas of concern: explosive hazard that was increasing as the ord -nance was becoming more fragile, consequences of direct contact with munitions objects (such as whitephosphorus), and the environmental effects of munitions compounds. Mr Frey stressed that despite greatefforts undertaken in the past years, multiple research gaps remained, and additional research on warfarematerials in the Baltic Sea war was required. Thus, there was a lack of information on where to start clear -ance, on how munitions compounds accumulated along the food web as well as on toxicological thresh -olds for munitions compounds in marine biota. In addition, there was a need for continuous monitoringof contamination hot spots. Mr Frey stated that a Baltic Sea-wide data set had not yet been put togethersince all the gathered information was stored in national databases.Mr Frey concluded by once again reminding the members of the Standing Committee that munitionscould be found everywhere throughout the Baltic Sea. Although contamination hotspots were knownfrom historical records, they had not been fully investigated so far. Further mapping as well as continuousresearch was needed in order to fill knowledge gaps and create region-wide data. As far as technology wasconcerned, Mr Frey noted that detection and investigation methods were well established, but clearanceand disposal technologies needed to be scaled up significantly. He further cautioned that at the currentspeed, it would take centuries to clear the sea of unexploded ordnance. Financial resources and politicalwill were needed in order to solve the problem in the coming 30–40 years.12 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMFollowing the presentation, BSPC Secretary General Mr Bodo Bahr asked whether the clearance processcould be completed in the 20-year span demanded in the BSPC resolution. Mr Frey replied that with afocused effort on the dumped munitions in German waters, munitions could be cleared and deposited onland within ten years. However, this approach came with inherent security problems, so that offshore dis -posal with more efficient methods still to be fully developed should be the goal. Therefore, for clearingmunitions off the German coast, he expected that disposal would take longer than twenty years. In re -sponse to BSPC President’s Mr Johannes Schraps’ question concerning joint international efforts,Mr Frey noted that GEOMAR had good connections to Poland and added that extensive research wasalso conducted in Finland. He mentioned that information was lacking on which institutions and bodieswere responsible for research and disposal processes in the various countries.3. HELCOM Progress Update at the BSPC Standing Committee Meeting inBrussels, 6 March 2023In March 2023, the BSPC Standing Committee resumed its tradition of convening in Brussels for its win -ter meeting, which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. BSPC Standing Committee membersmet with representatives of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and its close partner or -ganisations, CBSS and HELCOM, in order to discuss the current geopolitical situation and efforts to in -crease the resilience of the Baltic Sea region.13At the meeting, Mr Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary at HELCOM, and Ms Evija Šmite, HEL -COM Chair, Deputy Director-General, Director of Fisheries Control Department at the Latvian StateEnvironmental Service, presented the current priorities and activities of the Helsinki Commission.Thus, Mr Rüdiger Strempel first provided an overview of HELCOM’s achievements in 2022 and gave anoutlook on what was planned for the year 2023. In the beginning of his presentation, Mr Strempel remind -ed the Standing Committee members of HELCOM’s goal of improving the unique but fragile ecosystemof the Baltic Sea and briefly outlined the current working arrangements at HELCOM since March 2022.13 Deepening Collaboration with the EU, the CBSS and HELCOM, 6 March 2023, https://www.bspc.net/deepening-collaboration-with-the-eu-the-cbss-and-helcom/ .13 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMIn view of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, HELCOM had entered a strategic pause, in due of which allofficial meetings had been suspended until further notice. Mr Strempel noted that HELCOM Contracting Part -ners which were also EU member states (also referred to as the “HELCOM 9” or “H 9”) continued informal con -sultations as needed while official procedures still requiring Russian participation were handled via correspond -ence. In this regard, Mr Strempel underlined that the organisation was continuing its operational work.Following the adoption of the updated BSAP in October 2021, the implementation of agreed measuredand actions became the central priority of HELCOM’s current work. The predecessor BSAP adopted in2007 had aimed at reaching good ecological status of the Baltic Sea by 2021 – a goal that could not beachieved within the envisioned timeframe. The updated BSAP now includes 199 actions, which have in -dividual target years for their implementation. All these measures are to be implemented by 2030 at thelatest. Each action had been assigned to one or several HELCOM bodies for monitoring, guiding, andcontributing to their implementation. Furthermore, the BSAP included specific criteria to measure theirfulfilment. Progress could be tracked with an online tool called HELCOM Explorer.14 Aside from the Bal -tic Sea Action Plan, Mr Strempel mentioned several other projects and processes, including the RegionalAction Plan on Marine Litter as well as the recently published Baltic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet, pro -viding information about the effects of climate change in the Baltic Sea region. Further activities includ -ed the HELCOM Red List II Project and the HELCOM Submerged Assessment of warfare materials inthe Baltic Sea. Moreover, HELCOM was continuing its cooperation with partner organisations – global,continental, and regional. Thus, Mr Strempel noted that HELCOM was contributing and planning tocontribute to the UN Oceans Conference and the UN Water Conference.Another flagship activity within HELCOM highlighted by Mr Strempel was the Holistic Assessment(HOLAS), which provides a comprehensive overview of the ecosystem health of the Baltic Sea. Accord -ing to Mr Strempel, the assessment was called holistic because it covered the entire area of HELCOM’sactivities: biodiversity, eutrophication, hazardous substances, economic and social analyses, and spatialpressures and impacts. The initial Holistic Assessment (HOLAS 1) was conducted in 2010 and was basedon data from the years 2003–2007. The Third Holistic Assessment (HOLAS 3) report will cover the pe -riod of 2016–2021 and is due in autumn 2023.Looking forward, Mr Strempel noted that the next HELCOM Ministerial Meeting would be held in2024 – the same year that HELCOM would be celebrating its 50th anniversary.14 HELCOM Explorer, http://maps.helcom.fi/website/HELCOMexplorer/ .14 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMSubsequently, the current HELCOM Chairwoman Ms Evija Šmite presented the priorities of the Latvi -an HELCOM Chairmanship 2022–2024.15 These included three main objectives: maintaining HEL -COM as an effective and well-functioning organisation of regional cooperation, implementation of theupdated Baltic Sea Action Plan. These objectives were focusing on the protection of marine biodiversityand advancing ecosystem-based sustainable marine management, and strengthening the role of regionalcooperation in the context of international ocean governance to support the achievement of the globalsustainable development goals. In terms of the latter objective, Ms Šmite noted that it was important tocoordinate and harmonise the work in the context of the BSAP with other political instruments and on -going international initiatives of the European Union, such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the EU Strat -egy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (EU MSFD).Elaborating on HELCOM’s mode of operation in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Ms Šmiteclarified that HELCOM had announced a strategic pause shortly after the outbreak of the war. The sus -pension was initially announced in a statement by the German presidency of HELCOM,16 which de -clared that the H9 Contracting Parties unanimously agreed that they could not currently engage in busi -ness as usual with the Russian Federation in the context of HELCOM. The suspension has been pro -longed until further notice under the current Latvian Chairmanship of HELCOM. However, the LatvianChairmanship, according to Ms Šmite, was organising such major events as the HELCOM MinisterialMeeting in Riga in the spring of 2024 and a celebration of HELCOM’s 50th anniversary.In the following exchange between HELCOM representatives and the BSPC, the Standing Committeemembers inquired about the further reduction of nutrient input into the Baltic Sea as well as the possibil -ities to improve the implementation of the updated BSAP – also with a view to Russia, which remaineda Contracting Party to the Helsinki Convention. In response to the former, Ms Evija Šmite noted that theupdated BSAP contained a number of concrete actions and thresholds, including those aimed at reducingeutrophication. Mr Rüdiger Strempel stressed that while the previous action plan had not been imple -mented fully, there was improvement in the situation. In addition, HELCOM had undertaken a uniquesufficiency of measures analysis (SOM), which allowed identifying weaknesses and considering them inthe updated BSAP .15 Priorities of the Latvian Chairmanship of HELCOM, 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2024, https://helcom.fi/about-us/chairmanship/latvian-chairman -ship-2022-24/ .16 Statement by the German Chairmanship of HELCOM on behalf of the European Union and the Contracting Parties to HELCOM that are Mem -ber States of the European Union, 4 March 2022, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/German-Chairmanship-Statement-on-Ukraine.pdf .15 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMWith the high level of commitment by the involved parties, he expected substantial progress in this area.In regard to Russia, Mr Strempel mentioned that improving the ecological status of the Baltic Sea was inthat country’s own interests. He therefore assumed that Russia was taking action contributing to the im -plementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. However, more precise information was not available.4. BSPC Efforts to Support HELCOMAhead of the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in October 2021, the resolution of the 30th BSPC calledupon the national governments in the Baltic Sea region and the European Union to adopt an ambitiousupdate of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. This was to ensure “that its objectives are implemented in all coun -tries of the Baltic Sea Region more quickly and consistently than before.”17 Furthermore, the resolutioncalled for emission reductions and reaching climate resilience in line with the updated BSAP as well assupporting the activation of the HELCOM Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter.18 In a resolution sec -tion dedicated to concrete proposals on solving the issue of sea-dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea, theresolution of the 30th BSPC proposed to bring together national findings and information in an expertgroup – if possible, at HELCOM – and prepare concrete actions for the removal of unexploded ordnancein the Baltic Sea.19 The resolution further suggested to look into the possibility of including this task as along-term priority in the updated BSAP .20The resolution of the 31st BSPC subsequently expressed its support to the updated BSAP and its support -ing documents.21 The resolution called for a more quick and consistent implementation of the agreed ob -jectives and underlined the importance of regular monitoring. Moreover, the resolution recommendedderiving and implementing further measures from the policy-relevant suggestions of the Baltic Sea Cli -mate Change Fact Sheet.22 On the issue of sea-dumped munitions, which has been one of the priorities17 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 30th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) on 30 August 2021, Item 35, p. 4, https://www.bspc.net/30-bspc-resolution-2021-adopted/ .18 Ibid, Items 37, 45(b).19 Ibid, Item 47(b).20 Ibid, Item 47(f).21 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 31st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) in Stockholm on 14 June 2022, Item 19, p. 4, https://www.bspc.net/conference-resolution-31-bspc/ .22 Ibid, Item 20, p. 5.16 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMof the German Chairmanship of HELCOM, the resolution called for continued cooperation with HEL -COM and the CBSS. The ultimate goal sees establishing the Baltic Sea region as a global role model re -gion for the environmentally sound, rapid, and affordable salvage, decontamination and removal of ex -plosive ordnance dumped in the sea.23In my speech at the 31st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Stockholm, I have espressed my gratitudeto Dr Lilian Busse for accepting the invitation to the Annual Conference and providing an update onHELCOM’s work in the current turbulent and troubling times.I have underlined the outmost importance of continuing our joint efforts towards the common goal of asafer and more sustainable Baltic Sea. In view of the difficult geopolitical developments, I have mentionedthe adoption of the revised Statute and Rules of Procedure of the BSPC, which explicitly outlined the fun -damentals, principles, mission, and objectives of our parliamentary cooperation. Accordingly, our mainaim and focus is contributing to security, prosperity, and sound and sustainable status of the environmentin our Baltic Sea region. I have further reminded that joint efforts to support sustainable ecological devel -opment in the region have traditionally stood high on the agenda of our regional inter-parliamentary fo -rum. In this regard, I have thanked the outgoing German HELCOM Chairmanship for its engaged workover the past two years – a difficult time dominated by unprecedented crises and disruptions. Despite thepandemic-related restrictions on operational activities, HELCOM has managed to finalise the ambitiousand comprehensive update of the BSAP .As I have pointed out in my speech, the adoption of the updated BSAP together with a comprehensivepackage of associated action documents at the highest decision-making level in HELCOM should send astrong signal for stepping up efforts in the area of marine environment protection at the regional and atthe global level. Yet I have also stressed that the true success of the BSAP would depend on national im -plementation of the agreed measures and actions. Therefore, we as parliamentarians are responsible forconsidering the adopted measures and targets in our decision-making and for pushing our governmentstowards their timely implementation.Finally, I have taken the opportunity to wish the upcoming Latvian HELCOM Chairmanship much suc -cess in the upcoming two years.23 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 31st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) in Stockholm on 14 June 2022, Item 26, p. 5, https://www.bspc.net/conference-resolution-31-bspc/ .17 II. Cooperation between the BSPC and HELCOMIn the forerun to the 32nd Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference scheduled for 27–29 August in Berlin, Ihave continued updating the BSPC Standing Committee on the developments at HELCOM – in addi -tion to the valuable updates by HELCOM representatives delivered at BSPC Standing Committee meet -ings throughout 2022–2023. In February 2022, I have delivered an update on the 2021 HELCOM Min -isterial Meeting as a supplement to my BSPC Observer Report 2021.24 This update is included in SectionIII.1 of the report at hand. Furthermore, I have informed the BSPC Standing Committee about the mo -dalities of HELCOM’s work following the announced strategic pause at the BSPC Standing Committeemeeting on 21 November 2022. The formal and informal exchange between the BSPC and HELCOMat the Standing Committee meeting in March 2023 in Brussels has presented a valuable opportunity tofurther develop our cooperation, which I am sure would be strengthened in the future.24 Report on the Exercise of the Observer Status of the BSPC at the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission 2021, https://www.bspc.net/bspc_observerstatushelcom2021/ .18 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/20231. HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Lübeck, 20 October 2021The summary at hand complements the first part of the 2021 Report on the Exercise of the Observer Sta -tus of the BSPC at the Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the BalticSea (HELCOM)25 and provides an overview of the 2021 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, which was heldon 20 October 2021 in Lübeck, Germany. In my capacity as BSPC observer at HELCOM, I would liketo to congratulate HELCOM and the German Chairmanship on the successful organisation of the meet -ing and on the adoption of the ambitious and comprehensive update of the Baltic Sea Action Plan(BSAP). As a regional parliamentary organisation, the BSPC highly appreciates the successes of HEL -COM’s work towards our common goal – a healthy and thriving Baltic Sea.In their Ministerial Statement, the Contracting Parties represented by the ministers of the environmentof the Baltic Sea coastal states and the EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries have un -derlined HELCOM’s role in the protection of oceans and seas in the Baltic Sea region as well as its valu -able contribution to global ocean governance. The road towards the updated BSAP was long and not al -ways smooth. In the end, the Contracting Parties have consensually agreed on an extensive list of long-term targets and concrete measures to achieve a good environmental status of the Baltic Sea by 2030. Thiscould be seen as a clear political success – yet the true success of the action plan would depend on nation -al implementation of the agreed measures and actions.The BSPC will therefore continue to closely follow and support HELCOM’s dedicated work and looks for -ward to continuing our cooperation in the future. For this reason, I have once again reached out to Dr Lil -ian Busse as then HELCOM Chair in order to inform the Helsinki Commission about the relevant recom -mendations. These recommendations were contained in the resolution of the 30th Baltic Sea ParliamentaryConference and renewed the BSPC’s invitation for HELCOM representatives to report on the current andfuture activities in matters of our mutual interest and concern at the future meetings of BSPC bodies.25 Report on the Exercise of the Observer Status of the BSPC at the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission 2021, https://www.bspc.net/bspc_observerstatushelcom2021/ .19 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023The Update of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP): Background InformationThe Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea (HELCOM)held its 14th Ministerial Meeting in Lübeck, Germany on 20 October 2021. HELCOM Ministerial Meet -ings represent the highest decision-making level at HELCOM and are to be held every three years. At themeeting, the HELCOM Contracting Parties, which include Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lat -via, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the EU, adopted the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP)– a strategic program of measures and objectives until 2030. The adoption of the updated action planmarked the completion of the comprehensive revision process launched in 2018 and signalled politicalagreement on an ambitious roadmap for the protection of the Baltic Sea.The Baltic Sea Action Plan, which was initially adopted in 2007, set the goal of achieving good ecologicalstatus in the Baltic Sea by 2021. Even though considerable progress has been made during this time – forexample in reducing inputs of nutrient and hazardous substances – the main goal of the BSAP could notbe achieved. The reasons are numerous and range from insufficient implementation of existing measuresto the emergence of new, previously unaccounted for challenges. Due to this, the 2018 Conference of En -vironment Ministers of the HELCOM Contracting Parties ordered a comprehensive revision of the BSAPby the end of 2021. As the Contracting Party then holding HELCOM Chairmanship, Germany hasplayed a key role in accompanying and shaping the revision process since mid-2020 and hosted the 2021Ministerial Meeting.The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, which acquired observer status at the Helsinki Commission in2002, has closely followed the implementation of the 2007 BSAP and later addressed the update processin several resolutions. Thus in 2017, the resolution of the 26th BSPC called for the strengthened imple -mentation of the BSAP and for its renewal, if applicable, in line with the UN Sustainable DevelopmentGoals with a time perspective until 2030.26 Further, the resolution of the 27th BSPC supported the HEL -COM Ministerial Declaration of 6 March 2018 and shared its critical view on the state of the Baltic Sea,while also calling for a vigorous implementation of the decisions contained in the 2018 Ministerial Dec -laration.2726 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 26th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC), Item 2, https://www.bspc.net/final-version4adopted/ .27 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 27th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC), Items 7 and 10, https://www.bspc.net/res-27-bspc-final/ .20 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023In 2020, the BSPC called upon the Baltic Sea governments, the CBSS, and the EU to support the HEL -COM Chairmanship in pursuing the objectives of explicitly considering aspects of sustainability, rele -vance for the climate and biodiversity as well as suitability in the update of the BSAP .28 Finally, ahead ofthe 2021 Ministerial Meeting, the 30th BSPC held on 30 August 2021 urged to send a powerful and de -termined signal by adopting an ambitious update of the BSAP . We called for a faster and more consistentimplementation of the targets formulated in the Baltic Sea Action Plan to achieve a good ecological statusof the Baltic Sea by the end of 2030.29HELCOM Ministerial Meeting 2021: Keynotes and the Ministerial DebateThe 2021 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting was addressed by the State Secretary at the Federal Ministry forthe Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Mr Jochen Flasbarth, the Minister of Energy,Agriculture, the Environment, Nature and Digitalisation of the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein MrJan-Philipp Albrecht, and the State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment of theFederal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Dr Jürgen Buchwald. In their welcoming addresses, they em -phasised the importance of joint international efforts in the area of environmental protection, as no coun -try or state could master the current environmental challenges alone. It was also stressed that German fed -eral coastal states were at the forefront of implementing environmental measures, for example in the areaof marine protected areas (MPAs) and should therefore be involved in international negotiations on thegoals and priorities of marine protection policy, thus underlining the positive experience of Germanyholding HELCOM Chairmanship 2020–2022 as a Bund-Länder team.In his welcome address, Mr Albrecht also thanked the BSPC for providing an important political impe -tus for international efforts in addressing the problem of sea-dumped munitions, which was one of thepriorities of Schleswig-Holstein’s HELCOM Vice-Presidency. On this issue, the resolution of the 30th Bal-tic Sea Parliamentary Conference called to strengthen multinational efforts to recover and neutralise ex -plosive ordnance in the Baltic Sea and to strive for an international donor fund – possibly, managed byHELCOM.3028 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 29th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC), Item 14, https://www.bspc.net/29 th-bspc-resolution-final-adopted/ .29 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 30th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC), Item 35, https://www.bspc.net/30-bspc-resolution-2021-adopted/ .30 Conference Resolution Adopted by the 30th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC), Item 47 (a, b, c, f), https://www.bspc.net/30-bspc-resolution-2021-adopted/ .21 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023The updated HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan includes one action aimed at developing best environ -mental practices (BEP) for evaluating the risks posed by dumped munitions by 2025 and implementingbest available technologies (BAT) for their environmentally safe disposal by 2028.31To kick off the Ministerial Conference, Dr Mojib Latif, professor at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre forOcean Research Kiel, gave a presentation on the current and future impacts of climate change on theoceans and highlighted the need for regional as well as global actions to protect the marine environmentand biodiversity.Subsequently, HELCOM Executive Secretary Mr Rüdiger Strempel presented the draft of the updatedBaltic Sea Action Plan, which is to become a central regional instrument for the protection of the BalticSea ecosystems. He noted that the updated plan included 199 measures to protect biodiversity, combateutrophication and marine pollution, and regulate maritime activities such as fishing, underwater noiseand seabed disturbance. In addition, cross-cutting issues such as monitoring, maritime spatial planning,socio-economic analysis and, last but not least, climate change were included as so-called “horizontal top -ics,” which would support the implementation of all elements of the BSAP . Mr Strempel reminded thatthe update process followed an evolutionary rather than revolutionary approach and was based on the re -sults of sound scientific research. In addition, the updated action plan was aligned with global commit -ments such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD), as well as the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).Together with the updated BSAP , HELCOM has developed a number of key instruments to be adoptedin order to support the successful implementation of the planned measures, e.g. the Baltic Sea RegionalNutrient Recycling Strategy, the Regional Maritime Spatial Development Roadmap 2021–2030, theHELCOM Science Agenda, and the HELCOM Guidelines for sea-based measures to manage internalnutrient reserves. In conclusion, Mr Strempel emphasised that the adoption of the updated BSAP wouldnot only mark an environmental success, but also an important political one and serve as a token of thesuccessful regional and cross-sectoral cooperation, which made the update possible. Future work shouldconcentrate on the implementation of agreed measures and honouring the commitments for a healthyBaltic Sea.31 Baltic Sea Action Plan 2021 Update, Action S34, https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Baltic-Sea-Action-Plan-2021-update.pdf .22 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023The presentation of the updated BSAP draft was followed by the Ministerial Debate, which concentratedon three main questions concerning:a) the most urgent actions contained in the action plan,b) HELCOM’s and the BSAP’s contribution to global processes, as well asc) the expectations for each Contracting party and HELCOM as a whole.In regards to the most burning environmental issues to be addressed, the environment ministers agreedthat eutrophication, loss of biodiversity, and marine pollution represented the greatest environmentalthreats in the Baltic Sea region. In addition, Germany, Denmark, Finland, and Latvia pointed towards theexacerbating effects of climate change on eutrophication and biodiversity loss. Poland specifically men -tioned the risks posed by submerged hazardous objects, in particular wrecks and dumped munitions,while Sweden underlined the importance of addressing the issue of hazardous substances such as pharma -ceuticals. In terms of dealing with excessive nutrient inputs as the main source of eutrophication, the min -isters repeatedly highlighted the importance of agreeing on the HELCOM nutrient reduction scheme aswell as adopting the HELCOM Nutrient Recycling Strategy. In relation to biodiversity protection, theministers welcomed the HELCOM BSAP’s ambition to expand the network of Marine Protected Areas(MPAs) to cover at least 30% of its marine area of which one third should be strictly protected. As regardsto combatting marine pollution, the Contracting Parties highlighted the importance of the HELCOMRegional Action Plan on Marine Litter as a central and crucial instrument for achieving the ecological andmanagement objectives contained in the BSAP .On the question of HELCOM’s and the BSAP’s possible contribution to global processes, the ministersagreed that the joint regional as well as national actions contained in the BSAP would contribute to theachievement of the United Nations’ SDGs. Moreover, the extension of the network of marine protectedareas as well as HELCOM’s assessment and evaluation processes could significantly help in the implemen -tation of the global targets under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The ministers alsopraised HELCOM’s science-based approach and underlined the importance of international scientific co -operation. In this sense, the HELCOM Science Agenda prepared for adoption together with the updatedBSAP could not only foster scientific innovation and informed decision-making on environmental issuesin the Baltic Sea area but also contribute to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science. In this vein,Russia suggested that HELCOM could become a platform for the dissemination of knowledge about theconsequences of climate change. In addition, the EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fish -eries Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius pointed towards such first of their kind innovative regional approaches asthe HELCOM nutrient recycling strategy and the regional action plan on underwater noise, which could23 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023set a positive example for other regions worldwide. Finland also emphasised the exemplary character ofHELCOM’s science-based system of nutrient load ceilings as well as the Country-Allocated Load Reduc -tion Targets, which could allow HELCOM and the Baltic Sea region to lead on the work that relates toland-based pollution. Germany and Latvia noted that the HELCOM regional marine litter action plancould also set an aspiring example to contribute to worldwide improvement of marine ecosystems.With regard to the expectations for the Contracting Parties and HELCOM as a whole, all ministers high -lighted the need for effective and timely implementation of the agreed measures. In view of the fact thatthe majority of national actions under the 2007 BSAP remained partially implemented or unimplement -ed, Estonia emphasised the need to understand the failures and gaps. In this regard, Finland stressed thatthe Third HELCOM Holistic Assessment (HOLAS) would be central to assessing the state of the BalticSea environment and coordinating the efforts needed to achieve good ecological status of the Baltic Sea.The European Union also stressed the crucial importance of regular monitoring and review as a way ofkeeping a track record of the progress made and evaluating the effectiveness of the adopted. Poland andRussia highlighted the value of joint efforts and international cooperation within the framework of HEL -COM in those areas where individual implementation of the environmental goals appeared challenging.24 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023Documents Adopted by the 2021 Ministerial MeetingIn addition to the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan,32 the Contracting Parties adopted the following asso -ciated action documents, which directly relate to implementing the actions agreed upon and achievingthe overall vision and objectives of the BSAP:• HELCOM Recommendation 42-43/2 on Amendments to Part II Annex III “Criteria and MeasuresConcerning the Prevention of Pollution from Land-Based Sources” of the 1992 Helsinki Convention,33• HELCOM Recommendation 42-43/3 on Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP ML),34• Regional Maritime Spatial Planning Roadmap 2021–2030,35• Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy,36• Guidelines for Sea-Based Measures to Manage Internal Nutrient Reserves in the Baltic SeaRegion.37The meeting also adopted the HELCOM Science Agenda,38 and took note of the Climate Change in theBaltic Sea 2021 Fact Sheet39 as supporting documents. These documents provide science-based informa -tion and analysis and are aimed at supporting the implementation of actions contained in and the goalsset by the revised BSAP .Finally, the Ministerial Meeting adopted a joint statement40 highlighting the importance of HELCOM’sregional environmental work for the international protection of seas and oceans. Over the past five dec -ades, HELCOM has played a leading role in reducing marine pollution of all kinds as well as in biodiver -sity protection. The adoption of the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan was seen as an important contribu -tion to marine protection at the global level.32 Baltic Sea Action Plan 2021 Update, https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Baltic-Sea-Action-Plan-2021-update.pdf .33 https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HELCOM-Recommendation-42-43-2.pdf .34 https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HELCOM-Recommendation-42-43-3.pdf .35 https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Regional-Maritime-Spatial-Planning-Roadmap-2021-2030.pdf .36 https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Baltic-Sea-Regional-Nutrient-Recycling-Strategy.pdf .37 https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Guidelines-for-Sea-Based-Measures-to-Manage-Internal-Nutrient-Reserves-in-the-Baltic-Sea-Region.pdf .38 https://helcom.fi/media/publications/HELCOM-Science-Agenda.pdf .39 https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Baltic-Sea-Climate-Change-Fact-Sheet-2021.pdf .40 Ministerial Statement of the 2021 Ministerial Meeting of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/up -loads/2021/10/HELCOM-Ministerial-Statement-2021.pdf .25 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/20232. HELCOM Strategic PauseThe unprovoked and unjustifiable aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in February 2022has disrupted the work of multiple regional cooperation institutions and fora. As an intergovernmentalorganisation and a regional sea convention comprised of Baltic Sea coastal states, HELCOM countsamong those institutions affected by the war of aggression waged by one of its Contracting Parties againsta sovereign state in Europe. In reaction to the war, the 43rd Meeting of the Helsinki Commission sched -uled for March 2022 was postponed and all meetings of HELCOM bodies and project groups with Rus -sian involvement were suspended.On 4 March 2022 – shortly after the beginning of the war – then German HELCOM Chairmanship is -sued a Statement on behalf of the Contracting Parties that are Member States of the European Union.41The Statement condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and announced the suspension of all HELCOMmeetings with Russian involvement. This included all HELCOM bodies, including the Heads of Delega -tions, Working Groups, Expert Groups, and other bodies. In June 2022, the suspension was prolongeduntil further notice.42In effect, this meant that the official work of HELCOM has been put on pause. Consequently, the HEL -COM Stakeholder Conference on Climate Change had to be postponed by more than half a year and couldnot officially be announced as a HELCOM event – even though its key purpose was to present the mainfindings of the Baltic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet jointly prepared by Baltic Earth and HELCOM.However, HELCOM’s practical environmental work and ongoing activities continue in the form of in -formal consultations. These are organised and hosted by the respective Contracting Parties. The invita -tions are sent out to HELCOM members representing the EU and EU member states (H9), as well asHELCOM observers. Formal decisions are handled by a correspondence procedure – with Russia’s in -volvement – after the informal session.41 Statement by the German Chairmanship of HELCOM on behalf of the European Union and the Contracting Parties to HELCOM that are Mem -ber States of the European Union, 4 March 2022, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/German-Chairmanship-Statement-on-Ukraine.pdf .42 HELCOM meetings remain suspended until further notice, 21 June 2022, https://helcom.fi/helcom-meetings-remain-suspended-until-further-no -tice/.26 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/20233. Latvian HELCOM Chairmanship 2022–2024On 30 June 2022, Germany ended its two-year Chairmanship of HELCOM. As of 1 July 2022, Latviawould hold the rotating HELCOM presidency until 30 June 2023. Ms Evija Šmite, Deputy DirectorGeneral and the Director of Fisheries Control Department, State Environmental Service of Latvia, wasappointed as the new Chair of HELCOM. Ms Ilona Mendzina, Deputy Director of the Nature Protec -tion Department, and the Head of Species and Habitats Protection Division of the Ministry of Environ -mental Protection and Regional Development, has been selected as the Vice-Chair.The Latvian Chairmanship has set out the following priorities:43(1) HELCOM as an effective and well-functioning organisation of regional cooperation, which is capa -ble of action, including in unforeseen and force majeure situations.(2) Implementation of the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP 2021) with a special focus on:i) protection of marine biodiversity by contributing to the establishment by 2030 of a resilient, region -ally coherent and effectively managed ecologically representative and well-connected system of ma -rine protected areas (MPA) to cover at least 30% of the marine area of the Baltic Sea, as well as toupdating the HELCOM MPA management guidelines and starting their application;ii) advancing ecosystem based sustainable marine management by integration of environmental ob -jectives with socio-economic goals – by supporting regional efforts to promote sustainable use ofthe sea, based on the best available scientific information, improved quality and management ofmarine data, taking into account climate change aspects and balancing environmental and so -cio-economic objectives, inter alia, through further development of regional Maritime SpatialPlanning (MSP) process in accordance with HELCOM MSP Roadmap 2021-2030.(3) Strengthening the role of regional cooperation in the context of international ocean governance.43 Priorities of the Latvian Chairmanship of HELCOM 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2024, https://helcom.fi/about-us/chairmanship/latvian-chairman -ship-2022-24/ .27 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/20234. Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2022, 26–27 September 2022The 2022 edition of the Stakeholder Conference was initially planned for 9–10 March 2022. Due to theoutbreak of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the following announcement of HELCOM’s strategic pause,the event was postponed until 26–27 September 2022.44 The Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2022 wasdedicated to climate change in the Baltic Sea and hosted by Germany as the country holding Chairman -ship of HELCOM. Among other things, the conference aimed to showcase the Baltic Sea Climate ChangeFact Sheet report45 jointly prepared by HELCOM and Baltic Earth and present it as a knowledge and in -formation tool for policy- and decision-making. Furthermore, the results from the joint HELCOM andUBA/BfN Blue Carbon Workshop 2021 held on 17–18 November 202146 were discussed during the ses -sions with a view to identifying possible management options regarding mitigation of and adaptation tothe effects of climate change. In addition, the conference was to facilitate a discussion on the steps andopportunities for implementing the climate change-related actions contained in the updated BSAP .The conference was opened by Mr Sebastian Unger, First Marine Commissioner, Federal Ministry for theEnvironment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany, who under -lined that humanity depended on healthy oceans and stressed the need to tackle the triple crisis of climatechange, biodiversity loss, and pollution in the Baltic Sea. Further, Mr Unger noted that Germany hadlaunched a new national action plan for nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and biodi -versity protection, including a programme for marine blue carbon. He also presented the results of theGerman Chairmanship of HELCOM, especially emphasising the adoption of the updated Baltic Sea Ac -tion Plan.Following Mr Unger, Mr Marcus Reckermann, Head of the International Baltic Earth Secretariat, gavean overview of past and present cooperation projects between Baltic Earth and HELCOM, of which theBaltic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet was the most recent example. He saw this joint work as a role mod -el for science-based political decision-making.44 Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2022 – Climate Change in the Baltic Sea, 26–27 September 2022, https://helcom.fi/helcom-at-work/events/hel -com-stakeholders-confrences/bsc2022/ .45 Baltic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet 2021, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Baltic-Sea-Climate-Change-Fact-Sheet-2021.pdf .46 HELCOM holds workshop on blue carbon in the Baltic Sea, 1 December 2021, https://helcom.fi/helcom-holds-workshop-on-blue-carbon-in-the-baltic-sea/ .28 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023Opening the conference, Mr Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary of HELCOM, stressed that the prob -lem of climate change was taken very seriously in the Baltic Sea region and pointed to the activities of thejoint HELCOM/Baltic Earth Expert Network on Climate Change as well as the Baltic Sea ClimateChange Fact Sheet report. He further highlighted the extensive net of scientific and research institutionsdealing with environmental issues in the Baltic Sea region. He stressed that HELCOM was privileged tobe able to work in close cooperation with the research community and benefit from the extensive scien -tific expertise on the impacts of climate change in the region.The following session was dedicated to the presentation of the Baltic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet re -port by Mr Markus Meier, Chair of the Baltic Earth Science Steering Group, Leibniz Institute for BalticSea Research Warnemünde, and of the joint HELCOM and UBA/BfN Blue Carbon Workshop held in2021 by Ms Manuela Krakau, Scientific Officer, German Environment Agency (UBA). Further, Mr ErikKjellström, climate researcher at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), gave apresentation on climate projections in the Baltic Sea region. Mr Kjellström underlined that climate pro -jections predicted continued warming, even if CO2 emissions could be reduced in the future. However,these models were important for simulating impacts at different locations and identifying possible differ -ences in the outcomes. Overall, they foresaw increased precipitation in winter, extreme weather events,less snow, and decreasing ice coverage.The presentations were followed by a panel discussion on the added value of regional level work to climatechange mitigation. It was emphasised that the Baltic Sea was a unique and highly busy sea, exposed tomultiple pressures. A regional viewpoint could allow addressing climate change across the whole spec -trum. Even though climate change impacts could not be predicted fully, the extensive information alreadyavailable allowed making science-based decisions in the area of climate change adaptation and mitigation.Raising public awareness, highlighting the benefits of environmental action and following up on the de -cisions made was also seen as an important element of climate policies. HELCOM’s motto was “thinkglobally and act regionally.” In addition, by simultaneously addressing pollution and biodiversity issues,HELCOM aimed at a holistic picture as well as creating new solutions for emerging issues.The second day of the conference featured a workshop for representatives of the governments of the Bal -tic Sea states, academia, NGOs, and civil society organisations. The workshop was organised in three ses -sions dealing with science, policy, and management. The inputs, ideas and proposals gathered from stake -holders in these sessions would serve as a basis for further deliberations within HELCOM and HELCOMgroups following the intention of distributing climate change actions and considerations across all HEL -COM bodies.29 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/20235. Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2023, 9 March 2023The Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2023 was hosted by Latvia, currently holding Chairmanship of HEL -COM, and was held online on 9 March 2023.47 The aim was to collect ideas from stakeholders aroundthe Baltic Sea region and beyond for accelerating the implementation of the BSAP and finding solutionsfor both long-standing and emerging challenges as well as to share best practices. The programme was di -vided into four blocks dealing with a broad array of issues ranging from awareness raising, municipal lev -el implementation, private sector cooperation, to financing. More than 200 registered participants wereencouraged to brainstorm outside-the-box solutions for old and new challenges.The conference was opened by HELCOM Chair, Ms Evija Šmite, who noted in the beginning that theimplementation of the updated BSAP was one of the priorities of the current Latvian Chairmanship ofHELCOM. She stressed that the conference was seen as a call for action and emphasised the crucial roleto be played by various stakeholders in making the ambitious strategic objectives of the BSAP a reality.In view of strengthening youth participation and involvement, the Baltic Sea Youth Advocacy Working Groupunder the umbrella of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) was invited to formulate questions regard -ing the measures and steps undertaken by HELCOM to ensure the achievement of a good ecological status ofthe Baltic Sea. The questions from youth representatives were answered by Ms Marie Louise Krawack, FormerChair of the HELCOM Working Group on the State of the Environment and Nature Conservation (WGState & Conservation WG), and Mr Lars Sonesten, Former Chair of the HELCOM Working Group on theReduction of Pressures from the Baltic Sea Catchment Area (Pressure WG). These questions concerned theways and opportunities to ensure the implementation of BSAP actions, evaluating their effectiveness, as wellas possible international actions to support Ukraine. In terms of the implementation of the previous BSAP –the goals of which could not be fully accomplished, – it was stressed that while not all actions were implement -ed, HELCOM had achieved important progress in relation to biodiversity, through e.g., the renewed Recom -mendation on marine protected areas and on conservation of Baltic Sea species. Concerning the evaluation ofthe effectiveness of the BSAP , the conference referred to the regular holistic assessments conducted throughHELCOM and currently undertaken for the years of 2016–2021 (HOLAS 3). In regard to the implementa -tion of the updated BSAP , it was emphasised that each action had been assigned to at least one HELCOMworking body in order to track progress and to insure that the objectives are fulfilled.47 Thinking outside the box at the Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2023, 13 March 2023, https://helcom.fi/thinking-outside-the-box-at-the-baltic-stakeholder-conference-2023/ .30 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023The first thematic block of the conference was dedicated to awareness raising and accelerating actions forthe Baltic Sea. Sharing knowledge and promoting engagement on the ground was seen as one of the mostimportant elements in reaching the objectives of the BSAP and consequently achieving a good ecologicalstatus of the Baltic Sea. In the discussion, participants noted that awareness of the environmental chal -lenges and problems was already rather high in the Baltic Sea region. However, identifying specific areasfor action, motivating people to alter their behaviour and lowering barriers for action were seen as themain remaining challenges. In addition, the importance of raising awareness among governmental actors,the role of social media, and the type of message to be transported were also discussed during this session.The second panel was dedicated to municipal level implementation. Three presenters shared best environ -mental practices and their experiences in promoting local level initiatives. The discussion showed thatmunicipalities could benefit from exchanging experience and learning from their counterparts across theBaltic Sea region.Private sector cooperation was the focus of the third block. Representatives of the business, non-govern -mental, and research sectors shared their thoughts and ideas about how private companies could contrib -ute to the implementation of the BSAP . Once again, the panellists emphasised the need for cooperation,communication, joint actions, and information sharing.The fourth session dealt with questions of funding and financing. Implementation measures require sub -stantial resources, which cannot be covered public funds alone. This block featured a panel discussion onwhat role business could play in protecting and restoring the environment of the Baltic Sea. The panellistsunderlined the efficiency of impact funding – either results-based or subsidised by private investors, foun -dations, or government bodies. Joint Baltic Sea funds were seen as a possible instrument for financing en -vironmental actions. Solutions created and implemented in the region could also have potential to gener -ate added value, e.g. though raising employment. It was underlined that funding would, in the long run,contribute not only to solving old problems, but to creating solutions for a better future.Wrapping up the conference, Mr Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary of HELCOM, emphasised thatthe Baltic Sea region was facing an enormous challenge, since only 75% of joint actions of the 2007 BSAPcould be implemented by the target year. With 2030 as the new target year, Mr Strempel noted that thetask ahead was challenging but expressed his optimism regarding future progress. Among the main chal -lenges, he listed lack of funding and the overall political and geopolitical situation. Many actions wouldhave to be implemented at the municipal level. That means that the Contracting Parties would have toengage all relevant actors and organisations and work closely with HELCOM through its respective31 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023Working and Expert groups. The experience gathered in the process of implementing the first BSAP hadrevealed multiple blind spots, which were now addressed within the new BSAP . Therefore, Mr Strempelnoted that he was hopeful that the updated BSAP would succeed in achieving the set goals.In his final address, Mr Strempel once again underlined the crucial role played by stakeholders, both inthe BSAP update and the implementation process. One example of such fruitful cooperation was the Bal -tic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet report prepared in cooperation between HELCOM and Baltic Earth.48Monitoring and keeping a critical eye on the developments were crucial as well – but shareholders werealso encouraging, sharing innovative ideas, and thinking outside the box. Mr Strempel emphasised thatcooperation on all levels was needed if the BSAP were to succeed. Finally, he stressed that there was notime to waste and thanked the participants for their ideas and discussions during the conference.6. HELCOM’s Global Engagement and CommitmentsIn line with its aim of committing and contributing to global environmental processes, HELCOM par -ticipated in a side event organised by Baltic Sea countries and partner organisation at the UN Ocean Con -ference in Lisbon, Portugal on 30 June 2022.49 The main goal of the event was to display marine protec -tion at the macro-regional and sea-basin levels as an instrumental contribution of the regional sea conven -tions in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) – Life under water.The event was addressed by Ms Steffi Lemke, German Federal Minister for the Environment, NatureConservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, Ms Terhi Lehtonen, Vice-Minister of the Min -istry of the Environment of Finland, as well as Mr Antti Tooming, Deputy Secretary General, from theMinistry of the Environment of Estonia.48 Baltic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet 2021, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Baltic-Sea-Climate-Change-Fact-Sheet-2021.pdf .49 Key outcomes of the UN Ocean Conference 2022 side event: Delivering Global Commitments in the Baltic Sea Region, 7 September 2022, https://helcom.fi/key-outcomes-of-the-un-ocean-conference-2022-side-event-delivering-global-commitments-in-the-baltic-sea-region/ .32 III. Main Developments and Events in 2022/2023During the presentations, the Baltic Sea Action Plan was presented as a best-practice example of effective re -gional marine governance. In more detail, the side event addressed the potential of Other Effective Conser -vation Measures (OECMs), as referred to in the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), as a means of advanc -ing the ocean agenda and enhancing marine conservation. The Baltic Sea region has already surpassed the10% target of MPA coverage and was becoming a frontrunner in using OECMs. However, many questionsregarding definitions and terminology remained. The discussion emphasised that OECMs could not andshould not replace MPAs but should be seen as complementary instruments. Stakeholder involvement, cul -tural sensitivity, and the need for mutual learning and experience sharing were underlined during the event.In addition, HELCOM submitted a number of modified voluntary commitments to the UN OceanConference Registry of Commitments. These included:• Supporting efforts towards a binding global instrument on plastic litter;• Sharing experiences with other Regional Seas Organisations;• Contributing to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030);• Improving the spatial coverage, management and coherence of the Baltic Sea marine protected areanetwork;• Coming to a common understanding of the Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures(OECMs) criteria and identification of OECMs in the Baltic Sea region.Further, HELCOM took part in a side event titled “Source-to-Sea Collaboration: A Game Changer for the WholeWater Cycle” at the UN 2023 Water Conference on 22–24 March 2023 in New York.50 The UN Water Conferenceadopted the Water Action Agenda, towards which HELCOM pledged three commitments, including:• The Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy;51• Pollution Load Compilations;52• Developing a regional strategic approach and an action plan for HELCOM work on hazardoussubstances in the Baltic Sea region.5350 HELCOM joins the UN 2023 Water Conference and pledges commitments for the Water Action Agenda, 21 March 2023, https://helcom.fi/helcom-joins-the-un-2023-water-conference-and-pledges-commitments-for-the-water-action-agenda/ .51 Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy, https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/baltic-sea-regional-nutrient-recycling-strategy .52 Pollution Load Compilations – regional transboundary watershed cooperation, https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/pollution-load-compilations-re -gional-transboundary-watershed-cooperation .53 Regional strategic approach and an action plan for HELCOM work on hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea region, https://sdgs.un.org/part -nerships/regional-strategic-approach-and-action-plan-helcom-work-hazardous-substances-baltic .33 IV . Prospects and OutlookIV. Prospects and OutlookDespite the HELCOM strategic pause announced following Russia’s war against Ukraine in February2022, HELCOM continues its operational work towards the protection of the Baltic Sea environment.Ongoing activities are focussed on the implementation of the updated BSAP , the finalisation of the ThirdHolistic Assessment (HOLAS 3) of the ecosystem health of the Baltic Sea, as well as the current projectsdedicated to specific issues.The results of HOLAS 3, including a summary report and further thematic reports, are expected to bepublished in the course of 2023. In addition, the HELCOM Thematic Assessment on Hazardous Sub -merged Objects (Submerged Assessment) is planned for the year 2023.Looking beyond the current year, in 2024, HELCOM will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Con -vention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention). Thecurrent Latvian Chairmanship of HELCOM is further planning to organise the next HELCOM Minis -terial Meeting tentatively in Riga in 2024.In the current challenging times, the BSPC would continue to follow the dedicated work of the HelsinkiCommission, especially in the area of the implementation of the updated BSAP . The BSPC would alsoclosely consider the outcomes of the thematic assessments of the state of the environment of the Baltic Seaand is looking forward to future updates and inputs from HELCOM.34 Useful Sources and LinksUseful Sources and LinksBaltic Sea Action Plan 2021 Update, https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Baltic-Sea-Action-Plan-2021-update.pdf .Baltic Sea Climate Change Fact Sheet 2021, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Baltic-Sea-Climate-Change-Fact-Sheet-2021.pdf .Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy, https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Baltic-Sea-Re -gional-Nutrient-Recycling-Strategy.pdf .Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2022 – Climate Change in the Baltic Sea, 26–27 September 2022, https://helcom.fi/helcom-at-work/events/helcom-stakeholders-confrences/bsc2022/ .Conference Resolution Adopted by the 28th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) in Oslo on 27August 2019, https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bspc.net%2Fwp-content% -2Fuploads%2F2019%2F08%2FConference-Resolution-28-BSPC-adopted-270819-.docx&hl=en .Conference Resolution Adopted by the Digital 29th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) on 24August 2020, https://www.bspc.net/29th-bspc-resolution-final-adopted/ .Conference Resolution Adopted by the 30th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) on 30 August2021, https://www.bspc.net/30-bspc-resolution-2021-adopted/ .Conference Resolution Adopted by the 31st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) in Stockholmon 14 June 2022, https://www.bspc.net/conference-resolution-31-bspc/ .Conference Resolution Adopted by the Digital 29th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) on 24August 2020, https://www.bspc.net/29th-bspc-resolution-final-adopted/ .FAQ: HELCOM and the “Strategic Pause” – What Has Been Going On? 6 March 2023, https://helcom.fi/faq-helcom-and-the-strategic-pause-what-has-been-going-on/ .35 Useful Sources and LinksGuidelines for Sea-Based Measures to Manage Internal Nutrient Reserves in the Baltic Sea Region, https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Guidelines-for-Sea-Based-Measures-to-Manage-Internal-Nutrient-Re -serves-in-the-Baltic-Sea-Region.pdf .HELCOM Annual Report 2021, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/HELCOM-Activi -ties-report-2021-BSEP186.pdf .HELCOM Annual Report 2022, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/HELCOM-Annu -al-Report-2022-BSEP193.pdf .HELCOM Explorer, http://maps.helcom.fi/website/HELCOMexplorer/ .HELCOM joins the UN 2023 Water Conference and pledges commitments for the Water Action Agen -da, 21 March 2023, https://helcom.fi/helcom-joins-the-un-2023-water-conference-and-pledges-com -mitments-for-the-water-action-agenda/ .HELCOM Recommendation 42-43/2 on Amendments to Part II Annex III “Criteria and Measures Con -cerning the Prevention of Pollution from Land-Based Sources” of the 1992 Helsinki Convention, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HELCOM-Recommendation-42-43-2.pdf .HELCOM Recommendation 42-43/3 on Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP ML), https://hel -com.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HELCOM-Recommendation-42-43-3.pdf .HELCOM Science Agenda, https://helcom.fi/media/publications/HELCOM-Science-Agenda.pdf .Key Outcomes of the UN Ocean Conference 2022 Side event: Delivering Global Commitments in theBaltic Sea Region, 7 September 2022, https://helcom.fi/key-outcomes-of-the-un-ocean-conference-2022-side-event-delivering-global-commitments-in-the-baltic-sea-region/ .Ministerial Statement of the 2021 Ministerial Meeting of the Baltic Marine Environment ProtectionCommission, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HELCOM-Ministerial-Statement-2021.pdf.Priorities of the Latvian Chairmanship of HELCOM, 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2024, https://helcom.fi/about-us/chairmanship/latvian-chairmanship-2022-24/ .36 Useful Sources and LinksRegional Maritime Spatial Planning Roadmap 2021–2030, https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Re -gional-Maritime-Spatial-Planning-Roadmap-2021-2030.pdf .Report on the Exercise of the Observer Status of the BSPC at the Baltic Marine Environment ProtectionCommission 2021, https://www.bspc.net/bspc_observerstatushelcom2021/ .Statement by the German Chairmanship of HELCOM on behalf of the European Union and the Con -tracting Parties to HELCOM that are Member States of the European Union, 4 March 2022, https://hel -com.fi/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/German-Chairmanship-Statement-on-Ukraine.pdf .Thinking Outside the Box at the Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2023, 13 March 2023, https://helcom.fi/thinking-outside-the-box-at-the-baltic-stakeholder-conference-2023/ .37 ANNEX I: Updated Lists of HELCOM’s Working Groups and ProjectsANNEX I: Updated Lists of HELCOM’s WorkingGroups and ProjectsAnnex I.1. List of Current HELCOM Working Groups and Expert Groups1. WG Sea-Based Pressures – Working Group on Reduction of Pressures from Sea-Based Sources1.1. EG DreDS – Expert Group on Dredging/ depositing Operations at Sea1.2. EG Marine Litter1.3. EG Submerged – Expert Group on Environmental Risks of Submerged Objects1.4. EG Noise – Expert Group on Underwater Noise1.5. JEG NIS – OSPAR/HELCOM Joint Expert Group on Non-Indigenous Species2. WG Gear – HELCOM Working Group on the Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach2.1. EG ESA – Expert Group on Economic and Social Analyses2.2. EN Clime – Joint HELCOM/Baltic Earth Expert Network on Climate Change3. WG Maritime – Maritime Working Group3.1. EG AIS – Expert Group for Mutual Exchange and Deliveries of AIS & Data3.2. EG Safe NAV – Expert Group on Safety of Navigation3.3. Green Team – Sub-group on Green Technology and Alternative Fuels for Shipping3.4. JTG Ballast & Biofouling – The Joint HELCOM/OSPAR Task Group on Ballast Water Man -agement Convention (BWMC) and Biofouling38 ANNEX I: Updated Lists of HELCOM’s Working Groups and Projects4. WG Source to Sea – HELCOM Working Group on Source to Sea Management of Nutrients andHazardous Substances and Sustainable Agricultural Practices4.1. EG Eutro – Expert Group on Eutrophication4.2. EG Haz – Expert Group on Hazardous Substances4.3. EG MoRS – Expert Group on Monitoring of Radioactive Substances in the Baltic Sea4.4. EG RedCore – Expert Group on Reduction Scheme Core Follow-Up5. WG Response – HELCOM Response Working Group5.1. EG Shore – Expert Group on Response on the Shore5.2. EG Surveillance – Expert Group on Aerial Surveillance5.3. EG Wildlife – Expert Group on Wildlife Response6. WG BioDiv – HELCOM Working Group on Biodiversity, Protection and Restoration6.1. EG MPA – Expert Group on Marine Protected Areas6.2. MPA MaNet – HELCOM Network for Marine Protected Area Management6.3. EG Birdmove – Expert Group on Bird Migration6.4. EG Benthic – Expert Group on Benthic Habitats and Biotopes6.5. EG MaMa – Expert Group on Marine Mammals6.6. EG Stur – Expert Group on Sturgeon Remediation6.7. JWG Bird – HELCOM-OSPAR-ICES Joint Working Group on Seabirds7. WG Fish – HELCOM Working Group on Ecosystem-Based Sustainable Fisheries7.1. CG Aquaculture – Correspondence Group concerning a draft document on Best AvailableTechnology/Best Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP) descriptions for sustainable aquaculturein the Baltic Sea region7.2. EG FISH-M – Task Force on Migratory Fish Species8. HELCOM-VASAB MSP WG – Joint HELCOM-VASAB Working Group on Maritime Spatial Planning8.1. MSP Data Expert Sub-Group – Baltic Sea Region Maritime Spatial Planning Data Expert Sub-Group39 ANNEX I: Updated Lists of HELCOM’s Working Groups and ProjectsAnnex I.2. List of Ongoing HELCOM Projects1. Horizon Europe project AquaINFRA – Infrastructure for Marine and Inland Water Research (2023–2026)2. Baltic Data Flows (2020–2023)3. BEACON – Application of Biological Effects Methods in Monitoring and Assessment of Contami -nants in the Baltic Sea (2022–2023)4. BLUES – HELCOM Biodiversity, Litter, Underwater Noise and Effective Regional Measures for theBaltic Sea (2021–2023)5. EMERGE – Evaluation, Control and Mitigation of the Environmental Impacts of Shipping Emis -sions (2020–2024)6. EMPEREST – Eliminating Micro-Pollutants from Effluents for Reuse Strategies (2023–2025)7. eMSP NBSR – Emerging Ecosystem-Based Maritime Spatial Planning Topics in the North and Bal -tic Seas Region (2021–2024)8. FISH-PRO III – Project for Baltic-wide assessment of coastal fish communities in support of an eco -system-based management (2018–2023)9. HAPHazard10. HELCOM RED LIST II – HELCOM Project for Reviewing and Updating the Threat Status of Spe -cies and Habitats/Biotopes in the Baltic Sea (2022–2024)11. MSP4BIO – Improved Science-Based Maritime Spatial Planning to Safeguard and Restore Biodiver -sity in a Coherent European MPA Network (2022–2025)12. PASPS – Policy Area ‘Spatial Planning’ Support13. PEG – Quality Assurance of Phytoplankton Monitoring in the Baltic Sea (2020-2024)14. PERMAGOV – Improving the PERformance of MArine GOVernance (2023–2026)15. PLC-8 – Compilations of Pollution Load Data, or Pollution Load Compilations (2020–2024)16. PreEMPT – Pre-empting Pollution by Screening for Possible Risks (2021–2023)17. ReMAP – Reviewing and Evaluating the Monitoring and Assessment of Maritime Spatial Planning40 List of AbbreviationsList of AbbreviationsBSAP Baltic Sea Action PlanBSPC Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceCBSS Council of the Baltic Sea StatesESA Economic and Social AspectsEU European UnionEUSBSR EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea RegionGES Good Environmental/Ecological StatusHELCOM Helsinki CommissionHOD Heads of DelegationsHOLAS Holistic Assessment of the Ecosystem Health of the Baltic SeaMPA Marine Protected AreasMSFD Marine Strategy Framework DirectiveMSP Maritime Spatial PlanningOSPAR Oslo Paris CommissionSDG Sustainable Development GoalSOM Sufficiency of MeasuresUBA German Environment AgencyUN United NationsVASAB Vision and Strategies around the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conferencewww.bspc.netBSPC SecretariatSchlossgartenallee 1519061 SchwerinGermany