Baltic Sea countries should take bold  action to reduce the threat of eutrophication to the Baltic Sea caused by air pollution from ships. HELCOM Contracting Parties who met this week from around the Baltic Sea region failed to agree upon a timeline  to work towards the designation of the Baltic Sea as a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA), which threatens to delay this important action indefinitely.

Eutrophication has been identified as the single biggest threat to the Baltic Marine Environment.  Air emissions from shipping significantly contributes to this through nitrogen emissions, a byproduct of the combustion of the dirty fuel that still dominates the sea. Given the current growth projections for shipping traffic in the Baltic Sea, without action the emission levels, compared to those at the turn of the century, could increase up to 50% by 2020.

“We urge the contracting parties of HELCOM to overcome their differences and honor the HELCOM 2010 Ministerial commitment to finalize a submission this year to designate the Baltic Sea as a NOx Emission Control Area,   doing so would finally demonstrate countries’ commitments can, in fact, be followed with actions”, says Kristjan Piirimäe, eutrophication expert for Estonian Fund for Nature.

The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) prioritizes the designation of a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA) for the Baltic Sea. HELCOM has undertaken studies on the benefits of introducing a Baltic Sea NECA to avoid the harmful effects of shipping emissions on eutrophication and human health. These studies reveal that a Baltic Sea NECA could lead, in the long run, to the reduction of nitrogen emissions from ships in the Baltic by approximately 80% compared to the current level, estimated at 357 kilotonnes in 2009. These studies served as the basis for the HELCOM Moscow Ministerial agreement in 2010, which decided that the benefits of proceeding with the application for a NECA for the Baltic Sea were warranted and furthermore agreed that the submission should be prioritized and finalized by 2011. 

Despite Baltic Sea ministers prioritizing this issue, Countries have repeatedly failed to follow through.  An attempt to finalize a joint submission failed earlier this year due to disagreements by HELCOM contracting parties. Baltic countries had another chance to agree upon their joint submission on NECA during the annual meeting of HELCOM Maritime, which concluded its meeting in Helsinki yesterday (17 November).  Contracting parties again did not reach agreement and the decision was postponed indefinitely.

WWF believes that there is no good reason why a decision on a NECA should not be taken as soon as possible.  Given that Eutrophication is the biggest environmental problem of the Baltic Sea, and that a NECA will help reduce this serious threat, immediate action is needed. WWF hopes that the HELCOM representatives meeting in Helsinki 5-6 December will finally take action and demonstrate that the contracting parties to HELCOM are more concerned with the health and prosperity of the Baltic Sea than on satisfying industry lobbysists.

Kristjan Piirimäe, eutrophication expert, Estonian Fund for Nature

Tel:. +372 5116916

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Information to editors:

Increasing shipping activities contribute significantly to the air and sea pollution in the Baltic Sea region. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from ships cause acid depositions that can be detrimental to the natural environment and most importantly contribute to eutrophication. Shipping in the Baltic Sea is among the largest contributors to NOx deposition to the Baltic Sea. According to the recent estimates, the total NOx emissions from ships in the Baltic were more than 393kton NOx in 2008. Within 2000-2006, shipping in the Baltic was the second largest contributor (9%) to the deposition of NOx, and the fifth greatest contributor (5%) to the total nitrogen deposition to the Baltic Sea.(source: HELCOM; http://www.helcom.fi/shipping/emissions/en_GB/emisions/)

HELCOM.  The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission usually referred to as the Helsinki Commission or HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea countries and the European Union which works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution.

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," known as the Helsinki Convention.