Helcom Ministerial Declaration 2013: Environmental ministers severely delay deadlines to restore the Baltic Sea

CCB • October 3, 2013

Today, Baltic Sea Environmental Ministers signed a HELCOM Ministerial Declaration, reviewing the progress on targets agreed in the 2007 HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), in Copenhagen , Denmark . The environmental NGOs, Coalition Clean Baltic, FISH and Oceana, welcome the Ministers’ agreement to continue to fully implement the BSAP by 2021, but are concerned about the lack of action and the many delayed deadlines.

The coalition of NGO’s issued the following joint statement: “Today’s outcome shows that these countries aspiration for an improved status of the Baltic Sea is not anywhere near ambitious enough. What we have here is a nice document with good intentions, but to see the change by 2021, we should already be putting the 2007 agreements into action .“

Rather than a firm recommitment to the 2007 agreements, today’s declaration might ultimately make it impossible to reach good environmental status in the Baltic Sea by 2021 – the overarching target of the BSAP.

“Despite a focus on eutrophication – the most serious and complex threat facing the Baltic Sea – no substantial improvements were made on the reduction of nutrient discharge from the agricultural sector, making the Declaration much weaker than we had hoped ”, says Gunnar Norén, General Secretary for Coalition Clean Baltic.

The fisheries sections fared a little bit better in the final negotiations, and were actually strengthened in the final Declaration.

“We are pleased to see that the target of rebuilding stocks now includes the 2015 deadline, which was agreed as part of the reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy ”, says Niki Sporrong , Director at FISH. “ The inclusion of a range of measures to address the critical status of European eel, including lowering the fishing mortality in line with ICES advice, is also good to see .”

There is still a widespread lack of proper protection for species, habitats and biotopes in the Baltic Sea region. It is regrettable that Germany and Denmark have postponed the publication of the HELCOM Red List for Baltic Sea species and habitats, because of commercial interests regarding cod.

“The hesitation and lack of commitment we have witnessed are blocking the progress of the Baltic Sea Action Plan implementation, including the development of an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas. This network was meant to be ready in 2010, but has now been pushed to 2020 ” , Hanna Paulomäki says, Oceana’s Baltic Sea project manager.

Baltic countries must begin the very real work that now remains. The current delays not only jeopardize reaching the goal of the Action Plan, but also the implementation of many EU directives, like the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which heavily rely on effective regional coordination.

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3 October 2025 - Coalition Clean Baltic, together with its Member Organization BUND - Friends of the Earth Germany and the citizens’ initiative “ Lebensraum Vorpommern ”, have launched a petition to stop new oil and gas drilling projects in the Baltic Sea . The petition comes in response to plans to exploit a deposit just 6 km offshore Świnoujście , Poland, in the transboundary waters of the Oder Estuary and Pomeranian Bay. The planned site lies at the heart of NATURA 2000 protected areas , which are vital for biodiversity, climate action, and local communities. Oil and gas extraction in the Baltic Sea poses severe threats to its fragile ecosystems. Industrial activities such as drilling, pipeline construction, and ship traffic risk polluting the water with chemicals, oil leaks, and toxic waste. Underwater noise from pile driving and increased traffic would further degrade marine habitats. These pressures add to the already critical challenges faced by the Baltic Sea, including biodiversity loss, eutrophication, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. The consequences extend far beyond nature. Local communities rely on a clean and healthy Baltic for tourism, fishing, and quality of life. Expanding fossil fuel infrastructure would also undermine Europe’s climate commitments and lock in carbon emissions for decades to come. The petition calls on the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Poland, the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), the European Commission, and the Secretariat of the Espoo Convention to : Stop the plans for oil and gas extraction in the Oder Estuary and the Pomeranian Bay; Ban any new oil and gas extraction across the Baltic Sea; Ensure strong cross-border cooperation and communication amongst all involved states. The petition is open through the WeMove Europe´s platform and can be signed here .