Real actions, not ´realistic´ wishes – a recipe for an updated Baltic Sea Action plan
On 6-7 March high-level representatives will meet at the 40th Meeting of the Helsinki Commission.
On this occasion, CCB is grateful to share the concerns of civil society organizations and almost a million individual members of CCB´s network around the Baltic Sea.
Our concerns are connected with continuous and increasing violations of the fundamental principles and provisions of the Helsinki Convention :
- Precautionary principle and science-based management;
- Transparency, trust and sharing information to minimize transboundary impacts;
- Joint measures for reaching joint goals, instead of prioritising actions of “overriding national interest”.
Considering recent and past examples of such violations (e.g. logging at the Vistula spit or supporting TAC for the Eastern Baltic cod), HELCOM promises – in terms of truly applying the ecosystem approach and ecosystem-based management to all Baltic Sea Region human activities – have to be proved by real actions .
CCB made it clear one year ago in our Civil Society Declaration on Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea that BSR residents are getting frustrated and disappointed by countries inaction.
The public expects that the big words and set goals matter and wants to see results not excuses
says Mikhail Durkin, CCB Executive secretary.
This can be our new story, but we agree to join only if it is ambitious enough and not just ´realistic´as claimed by many.
Read the full CCB´s statement here.
