HELCOM Update 2023, 2024 – and beyond

HELCOM Update2023, 2024 – and beyondBy Rüdiger Strempel , Executive Secretary of HELCOMBSPC Standing Committee Meeting4 March 2024, Brussels, BelgiumCatchment area:4x area of the seaPopulation (catchment):85 millionBusy waterway: approx. 1,500 largervessels sailing at any given timeUnique but fragileecosystemThe Baltic SeaMultitude of pressuresaffecting the BalticHELCOM tools:how we get things doneThe HelsinkiConventionInstrument of int.law, containingobjectives &obligations.Annexes: technicalguidelines andregulations.Recommendationson measures toaddress areas ofconcern,implementablethrough nationallegislation. Intotal, about 260recommendationshave beenadopted so far.Action plans &projectsContain actionsand measures withsuch as Baltic SeaAction Plan ,Regional ActionPlan on MarineLitter, and mostHELCOM projects.Monitoring &assessments•Indicators(pressures onand state of theenvironment)•Thematicassessments•HolisticassessmentsMinisterialMeetingsSet the majorstrategic directionsand provide thenecessary politicalcommitment.Working arrangements since March 2022UnanimousdecisionsRule 8.2, from ourRules of procedure:“Decisions of theCommission, theHeads of Delegationand the subsidiarybodies shall be takenunanimously inaccordance with theConvention.”(Russia is still part ofHELCOM.)Strategic pause and“HELCOM 9”Suspension of allofficial HELCOMmeetings untilfurther notice, upondecision by HELCOMChairmanship inagreement with theEU and ContractingParties that are EUmembers, so -called“HELCOM 9” or “H9”.Official procedures viacorrespondenceOfficial decisions thatrequire the participationof Russia are taken viacorrespondence (e.g.budget, adoption ofdocuments).External meetingsand eventsHELCOM is currentlynot participating inexternal events withRussian involvementexcept for meetingsof the UN andsimilarorganisations. InformalconsultationsInformalconsultations inthe H9 format,convened by anH9 ContractingParty (not byHELCOM) takeplace as needed.State of the Baltic Sea 2023Third HELCOM holistic assessment 2016 -2021The 2021 HELCOMBaltic Sea ActionPlan (BSAP) includesmeasures thatHELCOM countrieshave agreed on tohalt the deteriorationof the Baltic Seaenvironment. HELCOM carriesout holisticassessmentsevery six years tofollow up on howwell the measuresare functioning.The thirdHELCOM holisticassessment(HOLAS 3) focuseson the years 2016 -2021.The State of theBaltic Sea (2023) is asynthesis reportbased on a widerange of assessmentproducts producedwithin HOLAS 3.HOLAS provides decision -makers and authoritieswith...Information onthe status of theBaltic SeaenvironmentInformation onthe spatialvariation ofstatusInformationtrends indevelopmentover timeInforms on thedistribution ofpressures andhuman activitiesFollow up onthe effect ofour measuresData for EUMSFD reportingLittle improvement in the state of the Baltic SeaThe Baltic Sea is under increasingimpacts from climate change andbiodiversity degradation catalysed byeutrophication, pollution, land useand resource extraction.Little to no improvement ofthe Baltic Sea environmentoccurred during theassessment period (2016 -2021).Measures to reduce pressures on theBaltic Sea are working , when they areimplemented, and the agreements inthe updated Baltic Sea Action Planremain highly relevant.The effects of climate change areexpected to increase in the future,increasing the need for measures toenhance ecosystem resilience andmitigate their negative impacts.Transformative changes are neededin all socioeconomic sectorsinteracting with or affecting theBaltic Sea environment. Actions areneeded both to stop current negativetrends and to protect and restoreecosystems.Ecosystem knowledgeand policies for the BalticSea environment havedeveloped substantiallywithin the past six years.The Baltic Sea Action Plan,our tool to achieve the HELCOM vision:“A healthy Baltic Sea environment with diverse biologicalcomponents functioning in balance, resulting in a goodecological status and supporting a wide range ofsustainable economic and social activities.”199 actions andmeasuresImplementation date: by2030 at the latestScience -based planUpdated BSAP:Structure & goalsBSAP implementation... individual targetyears for theirimplementation, withthe last actions to beimplemented by 2030at the latest;... been assigned to oneor several HELCOMbodies for monitoring,guiding and/orcontributing to theirimplementation;... specific criteria bywhich theirachievement will bemeasured.All 199 BSAP actions have...Implementation trackingProgress :HELCOM ExplorerEffects:—HELCOM monitoring—HELCOM indicators—HELCOM assessmentsRelated processesNutrients:Nutrient recycling andinternal nutrientreserves. Tool: NutrientRecycling StrategyMarine litter: Significantreduction by 2025.Tool: Regional Action Planon Marine LitterUnderwater noise:Addressing effects ofnoise on marine animalspecies. Tool: RegionalAction Plan onUnderwater NoiseLand -sea interaction:Working with river basinmanagement authorities.Tool: Workshop withRBMAsClimate change:Understanding its effectsfor informed policies. Tool:Climate Change FactsheetMaritime spatial planning:applying ecosystem -basedmanagement. Tool: RegionalMSP Roadmap 2021 -2030HOLAS III (2016 -2021)PLC-8 (1995 -2021)Holistic assessment of stateand loads on the Baltic SeaHELCOM Science Agenda:Future science needs fora healthy Baltic SeaMajor activities and events in 2023 -24•Continued implementation of 2021 BSAP•Restructuring of HELCOM working groups as well as updating therelated TOR completed in 2023•HOLAS 3 completed in 2023•Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2024: PROTECT BALTIC, Helsinki,Finland, 29 February 2024•Informal Consultation Meeting of the Helsinki Commission (ICHJELCOM), Riga, Latvia, 24 April 2024•2024 Ministerial Meeting on the Baltic Sea MarineEnvironment, Riga, Latvia 25 April 2024•HELCOM 50th anniversary celebrations, Riga, Latvia25 April 2024Projects and other processes in 2023 -24 (1/2)Species and biodiversity•PROTECT BALTIC project on marine protected areas 2023 -2028•HELCOM RED LIST II, BLUE4ALL, MSP4BIONutrient reduction•Advancing the implementation of the Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy;Pollution Load Compilations continue (soon starting PLC -9); CiNURGi project•Assessment report published in 2023: Progress towards nutrient input ceilings (NICs)achieved by 2020Marine litter•Preparing for the 2024 international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution,with RSCs having a key role in implementationIndicator website, launched in May 2023•Total of 59 indicators released. Culmination of many project results & other workProjects and other processes in 2023 -24 (2/2)Sea-based activities•BAT/BEP for sustainable aquaculture in the Baltic Sea finalized•Roadmap to strengthen the implementation of NOx Emission Control Area(NECA) approved•EMERGE project on shipping emissions in EU marine watersReducing hazardous substances•Advancing the regional approach; HAZ -SHAP , PharmaSea , HAPhazard ,EMPEREST, BEACON, Detect2Protect & Pre-EMPTMaritime Spatial Planning & data•MSP and ecosystem approach/biodiversity: eMSP NBSR, PASPS, MSP4BIO•New data tools and models for MSP: ReMAPCooperation with partner organizations – someexamples (1/3)•Continual exchange and/or cooperation with other global and regionalframeworks and processes (EU, RSCs, UNECE, IUCN, post -2020 GBF, and others)•Intensifying regional work on hazardous submerged objects•Cooperation with EU, CBSS and other partners on submerged munitions•Assessment report and n ew datasets on submerged munition s; new projects(MUNIMAP , MUNI -RISK etc.)•IMPAC5 in Vancouver, Canada, February 2023•UN Water Conference, NYC, USA, March 2023•Three voluntary commitments submitted for the Water Action Agenda•International Symposium on Ballast Water and Biofouling Management in IASPrevention and Control by UNDP , Antalya, Türkiye, September 2023Cooperation with partner organizations – someexamples (2/3)•Meeting of the Heads of the Secretariats of the European Regional SeasConventions and the European Water Commissions, Helsinki , Finland, 28 -29August 2023•Our Baltic Conference, Palanga , Lithuania, 29 September 2023•EUSBSR Annual Forum, Riga, Latvia, 4 -5 October 2023•BSPC Standing Committee, Brussels, Belgium, 5 March 2024•SOI Global Dialog event, Brussels, Belgium, 20 March 2024•Ocean Decade Conference, Barcelona, Spain, 10 -12 April 2024•Our Oceans Conference, Athens, Greece, 16 -17 April 2024•MARLICE International Forum on Marine Litter, Valencia, Spain, 22 -24 May 2024Cooperation withpartner organizations –some examples (3/3)•Meeting of the Heads ofthe Secretariats of theEuropean Regional SeasConventions and theEuropean WaterCommissions, Bordeaux,France, October 2024•EUSBSR Annual Forum,Visby, Sweden, 29 -31October 2024HELCOM ChairmanshipPriorities of the Latvian Chairmanship ofHELCOM (1 July 2022 -30 June 2024):(1)HELCOM as an effective and well -functioning organization of regionalcooperation which is capable ofaction, including in unforeseen andforce majeure situations;(2)Implementation of the 2021 BalticSea Action Plan (2021 BSAP);(3)Strengthening the role of regionalcooperation in the context ofinternational ocean governance.Next Chairmanship:Lithuania: 1 July 2024 –30 June 2026Priorities currently being definedOutlook beyond 2024•Lithuanian Chairmanship of HELCOM, 1 July 2024 –30 June 2026•Implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan as well as othercommitments continue (final target year: 2030)•Preparations for and production of HOLAS4 gain speedThank you!