The ministers of the EU member states responsible for the environmental protection of the Baltic Sea agree on a joint declaration on the environmental protection of the Baltic Sea

The declaration of the ministers of the EU member states responsible for the protection of the environment of the Baltic Sea concluded that the environment of the Baltic Sea is increasingly affected by global ecological problems – climate change, reduction of biological diversity and pollution, especially in connection with the use of sea and land space and resource extraction.

Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Inga Bērziņa: “I am pleased with what Latvia has done during the presidency of HELCOM, thank you to my colleagues for the work done. During these days, experts from EU Baltic Sea coastal countries worked actively on the further plan for improving and protecting the environment of the Baltic Sea. During productive discussions, we adopted a ministerial declaration, in which we express our commitment to continue working on the implementation of the action plan, incl. implement strict biodiversity conservation measures in the Baltic Sea.”

The environment of the Baltic Sea is most affected by eutrophication, or the process when too many nutrients enter the water and cause excessive growth of some species of algae, degradation and overgrowth of the marine environment. Similarly, the state of the environment is negatively affected by hazardous substances, munitions and wrecks sunk at sea, invasive species, waste and disturbance of the seabed resulting from human activities.

The main focus of the ministerial debate was on the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan and setting priorities, based on the new insights gained from the comprehensive assessment of the state of the marine environment – HOLAS 3, and the continuation of the successful implementation of HELCOM goals, taking into account the complex geopolitical situation in the Baltic Sea region.

The Declaration notes the important role of science and research in supporting information-based decision-making, as well as promoting transformative change to ensure good marine health. To provide Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) implementation by 2030, ministers and high-level officials reaffirmed their firm commitment to continue cooperation within the framework of HELCOM, as well as reaffirmed the need for comprehensive assessments of the state of the Baltic Sea environment, which serve as a means to follow the progress of the 2021 BSAP implementation. Simultaneously with the declaration, it is ordered to start the development of the 4th Marine Assessment – HOLAS-4, in order to obtain science-based data on the state of the Baltic Sea environment.

“This high-level meeting took place at a crucial time when we are taking stock of HELCOM’s achievements in its 50-year history, while determining how to integrate the conclusions of HOLAS 3 in shaping and defining HELCOM’s policies and priorities for the future,” says HELCOM Executive Secretary Ridiger Strempel, adding: “It is also a strong signal about the ongoing cooperation of the EU member states and the contracting parties of the Helsinki Convention within the framework of HELCOM, emphasizing the essential role of the organization in solving the triple crisis of the planet – climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution – in our region and beyond.”

“Together, we also want to emphasize the need for change and greater efficiency in the use of resources. Today’s declaration recognizes the interrelationship between environmental health and economic prosperity. It is important to emphasize the economic benefits of preserving the Baltic Sea ecosystem. According to the latest Baltic Sea Holistic Assessment (HOLAS 3), a good achieving the state of the environment by 2040 can also bring economic benefits,” says Evija Šmite, chairman of HELCOM, deputy general director of the State Environmental Service, director of the Fisheries Control Department.

The 2024 Ministerial Meeting on the Baltic Sea Environment was attended by the Ministers of Environment, Climate, Infrastructure and Maritime Affairs of the eight coastal countries of the Baltic Sea and the European Union, responsible for the protection of the marine environment, and high-level representatives from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and the European Union.

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The Baltic Sea Environmental Protection Commission, or Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), is an intergovernmental organization of the Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union, which was established to implement the goals of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Region, or the Helsinki Convention. HELCOM has been working since 1974 to protect the Baltic Sea environment from all sources of pollution both on land and at sea and to ensure the safety of navigation in the Baltic Sea.

The members of the Helsinki Commission are the contracting parties of the Helsinki Convention: Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Russia, with which since March 2022 cooperation within the framework of HELCOM no longer takes place.

The main task of the Commission is monitoring the implementation of the Convention and making decisions in order to implement the Convention’s main goal – reducing and preventing pollution of the Baltic Sea in order to achieve a good state of the marine environment.

In 1974, in Helsinki, the coastal countries of the Baltic Sea signed a convention on the protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea region. It was the first international agreement in the world to protect the marine environment that covered both ship-based and land-based sources of pollution.

In 1992, all Baltic Sea countries and the European Economic Community signed the new, supplemented convention, which entered into force on January 17, 2000. The Republic of Latvia signed both conventions in 1992, but the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia ratified them in 1994.

About ministerial meetings

Once in three years, HELCOM organizes a ministerial meeting, where the ministers responsible for the marine environment of the Baltic Sea coastal countries and the EU Environment Commissioner gather. These meetings serve as crucial forums to engage in joint discussions and reach agreement at a high political level. Thus, HELCOM’s goals in the protection of the Baltic Sea environment are further strengthened.

As a result of the ministerial meetings, political declarations are adopted, with which the contracting parties undertake to take further actions to protect the Baltic Sea environment and agree on the future agenda of HELCOM. Declarations complement the Helsinki Convention and HELCOM recommendations.