NEWS
Finland - 38 new Ramsar sites and two major extensions
Finland has designated 38 new Ramsar sites throughout the country, totaling 606,345 hectares in surface area.
At the same time, the information on a further eleven Ramsar sites already designated in 1974 has been thoroughly updated, and two of those
existing Ramsar sites have been significantly extended in area. The total area of the 49 Ramsar sites in Finland now amounts to 799,518 hectares
and covers besides river, estuary and coastal areas very large extensions of peatlands, which are identified as being under-represented in the List
of Wetlands of International Importance.
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The Baltic Sea Fund invites nominations for the 2005 Baltic Sea Prize
The Baltic Sea Fund invites companies, organisations as well as private individuals from the Baltic Sea region to submit
nominations for the 2006 Baltic Sea Prize. The candidates must represent one of the Baltic Sea countries.
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The 2005 'State of the Region Report' of the Baltic Sea Region
was published at the Baltic Development Summit on Monday, Oct. 17. The Summit was organized by the Baltic Development
Forum (www.bdforum.org), and attended by some 500 participants. This is an up-to-date and well-made analysis of the region?s economic development,
its R&D position etc.
Find the report here
No big changes in the algal situation in the Baltic Sea
The abundance of blue-green algae is low in the Baltic Sea, but the ciliate Mesodinium rubrum has been quite abundant in the Baltic Proper.
In the Southern Baltic Proper certain amount of diatoms and dinofagellates has been observed.
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Introducing the BONUS Project
BONUS is an EU 6th Framework Programme ERA-NET project with a total funding of Euro 3.03 million for the years 2004-2007.
The project brings together the key research funding organisations in all EU Member States around the Baltic Sea and Russia. The aim of BONUS is to
form a network and partnership of key agencies funding research with the aim to deepen the understanding of conditions for science-based management of
environmental issues in the Baltic Sea. BONUS operates in close connection with the scientific and management actors. BONUS is currently preparing
conditions for creating a joint Baltic Sea research programme under Article 169 of the Treaty of the European Community.
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Attitudes and Levels of Information about Sustainable Development-Russian enquire
Further to the success of the first European survey on the levels of information and attitudes towards sustainable development (to be published shortly) a
follow-up survey, in the Russian language, is now underway. BEIDS network members who are Russian-speaking (from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, but also from the
Baltic republics and Poland) are encouraged to take part on it. The results will be the first in-depth sustainability survey held in Russian speaking countries
and in a Russian-speaking context.
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52 million Euros for the Baltic
The Swedish entrepeneur Björn Carlsson (70), has made available a grant of Euro 50 million for projects aimed at improving environmental quality in the Baltic.
The decision to award what is the largest private donation ever made in the Baltic region, was made based a boat trip he made to the Baltic in the summer, when he
realised that large sketches of the Baltic were covered by yellow algae as a result of euthrophication. The money will be used to fund practical projects for a period
of 12 years and technical assistance will be provided by the Swedish Academy of Science and the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Keeping Europe's seas and oceans safe, clean and healthy
The European Commission proposed an ambitious strategy to protect Europe's marine environment. The Thematic Strategy on the Protection and Conservation of the
Marine Environment aims to ensure that all EU marine waters are environmentally healthy by 2021 - thereby protecting this precious asset which is the resource base
upon which marine-related economic and social activities depend. This is the second Thematic Strategy that the Commission adopts following the provisions of the 6th
Environmental Action programme. It will be a key component of the future Maritime Policy which will be proposed by the Commission in 2006.
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NGOs unconvinced by EU marine strategy
EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas formally launched the EU's new marine environment strategy on Monday, promising measures to ensure that all
European marine waters are environmentally healthy by 2021. European environmental groups banded together to call the proposals "desparately inadequate".
A draft directive accompanying the strategy "falls short", the NGOs claim, by failing to set legally binding objectives, "including a clear definition of what
constitutes a healthy sea". They called on EU governments and MEPs to make good the deficit.
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EU states warned over ship waste rules
Seven EU countries have been sent final warnings of possible court action for failing to fully implement a 2000 directive on port facilities for ship waste.
The European Commission complained on Wednesday that Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia had not set up - or at least had failed to
prove that they had done so - waste reception and handling plans for all ports. The legal deadline for what it called this "key element" of the directive passed
on 27 December 2002.
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Studies review options to cut ship emissions
The European Commission has released two consultancy studies examining the technical potential for reducing ship air emissions in EU waters and how market-based instruments could be used to achieve these cuts. The first report concludes that emission abatement techniques such as the use of selective catalytic reduction can yield large reductions in sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Of four economic instruments tested in the second study, it appears that a benchmark-based emission trading scheme could provide the highest cuts in SO2 with low abatement costs. On the other hand, a credit-based emission trading scheme would be best for reducing NOx.
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EU agrees on bathing water law revision
Governments and MEPs have reached a conciliation deal to revise 1976 EU rules on bathing waters. The agreement strengthens minimum quality standards for registered coastal and inland waters, but the compliance deadline remains at 2015.
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EU legislation on detergents simplified
Surfactants used in washing powders can have a toxic effect in surface waters and can impose a burden on wastewater treatment plants. To reduce these negative impacts on the aquatic environment, five different EU directives dating back to the 1970s already ensure that detergents are biodegradable to a large extent. From 8th October a new Regulation introduces stricter testing methods for the biodegradability of detergent surfactants. Focus is now put on testing the ultimate rather than the primary biodegradability and labelling requirements for the protection of consumer health is also improved. According to the European Commission, this new legal act is an example of better regulation, as it simplifies EU law by bringing together five directives and one Commission recommendation on the labelling of detergents in a single text.
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Finland - EIB lends EUR 25 million for hydroelectric power production
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending EUR 25 million for the upgrading of two existing hydroelectric power plants on the Kemijoki River in Lapland, northern Finland. The loan will co-finance the modernisation of two hydropower plants. The upgrading and refurbishment of these facilities will have no discernible environmental impacts and is considered to be the least cost option for power generation. Kemijoki Corporation, the borrower and promoter, was established in 1954 to tap the hydropower potential of the Kemijoki river catchment area.
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EUR 150 million to Latvia for investments co-financed with EU Funds
The European Investment Bank (EIB) lends EUR 150 million for co-financing of priority projects fostering the development of Latvia. The loan will be used for investments in priority areas such as the development of transport, energy and water infrastructures. For example, the loan will finance projects related to the development of drinking water supply and waste water treatment in municipalities.
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UNESCO's General Conference approves establishment of new water-related centres
The recently-concluded 33rd session of the UNESCO General Conference has approved the establishment of four new water-related centres under the auspices of UNESCO, two of which are in Europe: the IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science in Dundee, United Kingdom; and the European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology in Lòdz, Poland.
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NGOs plan anti-water privatisation strategy
Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) met in Brussels on 13 October 2005 to prepare their challenge to water privatisation at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico. The meeting organisers included the Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), Bread for the World, Public Services International and the Transnational Institute.
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Scientists confirm: deepsea fisheries are in deep deep trouble
Greenpeace applauded the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) for its drastic but responsible call for a complete overhaul of deep-sea fisheries management in the North Atlantic. ICES is recommending that no new deep-sea fisheries are allowed until they can be shown to be sustainable, and that existing deep-sea fisheries are significantly cut back.
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Reusing water in cyberspace
CIWEM's water reuse webpages - at www.ciwem.org/water - provide an in-depth look at water reuse and other alternative water supplies associated with sustainable water management. Each of the seven sub-sections focuses on a different topic and contains background information, illustrated case studies and references.
Agriculture largest trouble in WFD implementation
Nearly all countries of the EU point to the nutrient load from agriculture as the largest problem in trying to reach the 'good status' for waterbodies in 2015, as required by the WFD. The impact of hydromorphological changes comes in second. These are two conclusions from the report 'Key issues and research needs under the WFD', released in October this year.
Find the report here
COMING EVENTS
CCB 4th Seminar on Working under the EU Water Framework Directive
16-17 December, 2005, Tallinn, Estonia
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CCB Seminar on Salmon Poaching in the Baltic Sea Area
17-18 December, 2005, Tallinn, Estonia
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CCB National Seminar on Sustainable Wastewater Management - solutions for households and villages
30 November - 1 December, 2005, St.Petersburg, Russia
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International Symposium on Water and Land Management for Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture
4-8 April 2006, Adana, Turkey
The symposium aims to identify best management practices that will harmonize the sustainable use of water for agricultural production and livelihoods with well-functioning ecosystems.
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Short Course on Water Quality Assessment
13 February - 3 March 2006, Delft, The Netherlands
The objective of this three week course is to acquaint participants with the principles, techniques and management issues related to water quality description, monitoring and assessment.
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EnviroWater 2006, Concepts for Water Management and Multifunctional Land-Uses in Lowlands
17-19 May 2006, Delft, the Netherlands
Lowlands in general and delta regions and floodplains in particular are often among the most densely populated places on earth. With the rapid population growth in these regions the risks of floods and droughts is increasing, and salt water intrusion is expected to become more widespread.
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ECOWOOD 2006 - 2nd International Conference on Environmentally-Compatible Forest Products
20-22 September 2006, Oporto, Portugal
The meeting is organised in a way that Baltic experts can present the latest research and innovation on wood products with the low environmental impacts and based the so-called clean technologies.
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Please find other CCB Newsletter issues here.
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