H E L S I N K I C O M M I S S I O N
The decisionmaking body of the Helsinki Convention is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, or Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), with members including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden, and the European Community. Commission recommendations must be implemented through national law, policies, and standards, and although not legally binding, they do have binding political and moral force.
The organization of HELCOM comprises the Commission, the HELCOM Program Implementation Task Force, and four permanent Committees including the Environment Committee which focuses on the marine environment, the open sea, coastal waters, and airborne pollution, and the Technological Committee, which works on restricting discharges into waters and emissions to the atmosphere. The Maritime Committee deals with operational pollution from ships and off-shore platforms and the Combating Committee deals with spillages of oil and other harmful substances.
Endorsed in April 1992, the JCP has been initiated, coordinated and updated by the Program Implementation Task Force of the Helsinki Commission, consisting of the Contracting Parties and Belarus, the Czech Republic, Norway, the Slovak Republic and the Ukraine, five IFIs (EBRD, EIB, NEFCO, NIB, WB) and the International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission.
The JCP's six program structure has strong links to policy, law and economy as well as public awareness and environmental education. Concerning policy, law and regulation, a legal framework for environmental protection has been implemented for most of the transition countries and harmonization with EU legislation can be observed as a clear tendency. The second element aims at defining and strengthening the role of central and local government authorities in the new and involving legal framework.
Special attention is drawn to investment activities, the third program, concerning point source and non-point source pollution. From 132 hot spots identified after comprehensive feasibility studies, 15 have been deleted following proactive measures. The Activity Inventory published annually by the Helsinki Commission provides a detailed status of hot spots. A number of projects to reduce pollution from agricultural sources have also been or are presently being implemented but there is an urgent need for further action. Regarding transportation, the Helsinki Commission adopted in 1996 the Recommendation 17/1 on the "Reduction of Emissions from the Transport Sector Affecting the Baltic Sea."
Technical Guidelines for Integrated Coastal Zone Management have been elaborated and five Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plans (ICZMPs) are almost finalized, covering environmentally sensitive and economically valuable areas in Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia.
The Third Periodic Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea, 1989-93, reflects the improved sanitary conditions in coastal waters mainly due to new or improved sewage-treatment plants operating at previously polluted sites. The Third Pollution Load Compilation comprising the data from 1995 will be completed in June 1997.
Within the Contracting Parties of HELCOM, 13 bilateral projects are also running, aimed at Public Awareness and Environmental Education.
HELCOM has gained experience in important sectors as defined at the Visby Summit and during the 18th Meeting of the Helsinki Commission in March 1997, it was decided that HELCOM would take main responsibility in the field of agriculture for Baltic 21 and give guidance in public awareness and environmental education.