Russia seeks to engage HELCOM prime ministers in saving the Baltic Sea

During its chairmanship of the Baltic Marine Environment Commission (HELCOM), known also as the Helsinki Commission, Russia is seeking to broaden the international cooperation on the Baltic Sea and focus greater political attention on its ecological status.

The Commission’s Chairman, Igor Maydanov, suggests that the heads of state of the member countries should be involved in decisions that affect the Baltic Sea Action Plan. He spoke at a seminar organised by the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) and the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) in conjunction with the Nordic Council’s 60th session, held today in Helsinki.

“The best way to ensure the financing of HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan, and to see to it that the national measures are implemented, is to anchor the Action Plan on a higher political level,” he emphasised.

Ambassador Ole Norrback also spoke at the seminar, noting that “HELCOM has established a ceiling for the total discharges of phosphorus and nitrogen. The decision has been made and now we need to comply with it. It’s now about considering those measures that are most cost-effective and result in the greatest benefits. This is where St. Petersburg wastewater treatment, Polish agriculture or more environmentally friendly technology for sea transport come into the picture.”

Johan Ljungberg, Head of the Environmental Unit at NIB, stated that “implementing the Action Plan will call for a variety of actions and extensive economic resources. It is important to find good quality projects and ensure that the projects are run effectively.”

HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) calls for drastic reductions of phosphorus and nitrogen discharges into the Baltic Sea. Its member states and the EU agreed for the first time last year on nationally defined ceilings for discharges, which will be evaluated in light of new statistics currently being collected. HELCOM’s goal is to achieve a “good ecological status” for the Baltic Sea by 2021, including better visual depth, fewer algal blooms and stronger biodiversity.

The international financial institutions NIB and NEFCO are currently developing a proposal for the financing of the Action Plan. The IFIs previously participated in co-financing the upgrading of the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant in St. Petersburg. Thanks to the project, 85% of the city’s wastewater is now treated. A tunnel for collecting wastewater is also being built along the Neva river. NIB has reserved EUR 500 million for the financing of environmental projects that benefit the ecological status of the Baltic Sea and has already started cooperation with Finnish banks to finance the treatment of wastewater from holiday homes. NEFCO’s Baltic Sea projects have thus far reduced the discharge of phosphorus by 1,000 tonnes.

For more information, please contact:
Ole Norrback, Ambassador, Chairman of BSAP Implementation Group, +358 44 317 1316
Johan Ljungberg, Head of Environmental Unit, NIB, +358 400 343 664
Magnus Rystedt, Managing Director, NEFCO, +358 50 329 6224

NIB is a multilateral financial institution owned by eight member countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. The Bank finances private and public projects in and outside the member countries.

NEFCO is an international finance institution established by the five Nordic countries. NEFCO finances investments and projects in Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus, in order to generate positive environmental effects of interest to the Nordic region.