THEME OF THE ISSUEThe results of the year 2005 and challenges for 2006
Interview with the CCB Chairman
In an interview, Valdur Lahtvee, the Coalition Clean Baltic Chairman, answers the questions about:
- The year 2005 for Coalition Clean Baltic;
- The main environmental problems for the Baltic Sea;
- Major accomplishments by CCB in 2005;
- Main challenges CBB is facing in 2006.
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NEWS
Busy year ahead for EU environmental policies
Notwithstanding continuing pressure for greater European competitiveness, 2006 will be a busy year in EU environmental policy-making.
Please find the summary of some of the highlights
here
Nominations Sought for 2006 Swedish Baltic Sea Water Award
Nominations for this year's award are sought from the business, scientific and environmental communities as well as private individuals in the Baltic Sea
region. The award seeks to highlight what different stakeholders have done individually or collectively to improve the Baltic Sea's water environment.
The award winner receives a 100,000 SEK prize sum, crystal sculpture, diploma and travel and accommodation to participate in the 2006 World Water Week
in Stockholm (www.worldwaterweek.org ), August 20-26, 2006. Nomination Deadline is May 2, 2006.
Further details and on-line nominating at www.siwi.org.
European Commission launches biodiversity consultation
on the communication on halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 - and beyond. The objective of this consultation
is to seek views on what needs to be done if the EU is to deliver on its commitments to halt the loss of biodiversity in the EU by 2010 and
to contribute towards significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss worldwide by 2010. The consultation seeks your opinion on how important
you think biodiversity and ecosystem services are for our prosperity, security and quality of life. It also seeks your opinion on the general policy
approach proposed. Finally, the consultation calls for case studies which demonstrate the values of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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more
Level of water transparency stabilized in parts of the Baltic Sea
Water transparency has ceased to further decrease and appears to have stabilized in some sub-basins of the Baltic Sea, according to a new assessment
by the Helsinki Commission. In the Kattegat, Southern and Eastern Baltic Proper, the Bothnian Sea and the Bothnian Bay the decreasing trend has ceased
during the recent 10 to 15 years, and since then water transparency has remained in about the same level and in some cases even has slightly improved.
Today, the decline in underwater visibility continues only in the Gulf of Finland and the Northern Baltic Proper.
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more
Water transparency in the Baltic Sea between 1903 and 2005
Decrease in summer time water transparency was observed in all Baltic Sea sub-regions over the last one hundred years.
The decrease was most pronounced in the Northern Baltic Proper (from almost 9 m to 4 m) and the Gulf of Finland (from 8 m to 4 m).
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New Nordic Maritime Policy Group
The Nordic governments yesterday set up a new Nordic Maritime Policy Group chaired by Tore Riise from the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal
Affairs. The Group will provide input from the Nordic Region to the European maritime policy, which covers all sectors involved in marine activities.
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Safer bathing in cleaner water
Fancy a swim? From 2013 at the latest, consumers will be able to check out the safety of EU bathing sites on the internet before taking
to the water, thanks to legislation approved by the European Parliament. Information will also be posted at the locations.
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MEPs strengthen draft green democracy rules
The European parliament voted on 18 January to strengthen public access to environmental information from EU institutions. The assembly was
voting in a second reading on legislation applying the UN Arhus convention on environmental information and justice to the EU institutions.
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Ministerial conference on preparing the future Motorways of the sea
European Commission Vice-President with responsibility for transport, Jacques Barrot, co-hosted with the Slovenian Minister of Transport in
Ljubljana, Slovenia, a one-day Ministerial Conference on the preparation of the future Motorways of the sea on Tuesday 24 January 2006.
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An EU policy on flood risk management
On 18/01/2006 the European Commission proposed a directive on the assessment and management of floods. Its aim is to reduce and manage the
risks that floods pose to human health, the environment, infrastructure and property.
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Economic Benefits of Improved River Basin Management:
Interdisciplinary team of researchers defined a set of measures to reach a good ecological status of EU water bodies by 2015. The socioeconomic
analysis of the proposed measures revealed that their benefits will significantly outweigh the costs.
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Main sources of eutrophication in Europe:
Aquatic ecosystems in Europe suffer from eutrophication caused by excessive input of nutriments, namely nitrogen and phosphorous, from various
anthropogenic sources. The most recently updated information shows that agriculture is the leading source of nitrogen pollution and that in some EU
countries it is becoming the main source of phosphorous too.
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Soil Management for Water Quality:
New experimental study demonstrates that preventing at source by soil management that reduces soil erosion and loss of phosphorus to surface waters
will be an efficient way to achieve Water Framework Directive targets.
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Earth Observation in service to EU Water:
A broader use of the Earth Observation services may be used to facilitate and harmonise a large number of monitoring and reporting demands required
by the EU Water Framework Directive.
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Low-flush toilets top water efficiency measures
Low-flush toilets and promotion and publicity have come top of a league table of water efficiency measures. Analysis by UK Water Industry Research
(UKWIR), collating the findings of 44 separate studies found these to be the most cost effective and sustainable measures for water conservation.
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A 20th century acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise
Research by Australian climate scientists has shown that global sea level has been rising at an increasing rate over the past 130 years. Using
information from tide gauges and measurements from satellites, Dr John Church and Dr Neil White estimated changes in global mean sea levels since 1870.
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COMING EVENTS
ECOBALTICA 2006
21 - 23 June 2006, St. Petersburg, Russia
Expressions of interest are now invited for the VI-th (Jubilee) International Youth Environmental Forum of the Baltic See Region Countries ("ECOBALTICA 2006).
The event will discuss the latest trends on youth environmental action in the Baltic, including projects, teaching programmes and other educational activities.
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GREEN WEEK Changing our behaviour
30 May - 2 June, Brussels, Belgium
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The International Symposium on Research and Management of Eutrophication in Coastal Ecosystems
20 - 23 June 2006, Nyborg, Denmark.
The Symposium aims to bring together scientists, managers and politicians to present and discuss current issues in research and management of coastal
eutrophication.
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Seminar on 'Legal Framework of Water Resource Management'
11 - 22 September 2006, Rome, Italy
The seminar is organized by the International Development Law Organization (IDLO). Starting from specific problems in selected countries, this seminar
will examine key principles of IWRDM that require both effective legal frameworks and accountable institutions at the national and local levels.
It will also analyze how integrated institutional structures, regulatory mechanisms and market-oriented incentives could contribute to the sustainable
use of water resources.
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Please find other CCB Newsletter issues here.
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