External meeting
Informal consultation session of the Pressure Working Group (IC PRESSURE 1-2022)
April 26, 2022
External meeting
Informal consultation session of the Pressure Working Group (IC PRESSURE 1-2022)
Start date: April 26, 2022
End date: April 29, 2022
Place:
Address:
Official meetings of all HELCOM Working and Experts Groups and other subsidiary bodies are postponed due to the HELCOM strategic pause until further notice, however, informal consultation sessions, without Russian participation, are organized and hosted by a Contracting Party.
The informal consultation sessions process and discuss documents and provide guidance and recommendations as to how to progress work.
The informal consultation sessions process and discuss documents and provide guidance and recommendations as to how to progress work.
Description
The informal consultation session of the Working Group on Reduction of Pressures from the Baltic Sea Catchment Area (IC PRESSURE 1-2022) hosted by Sweden was held online, on 26-29 April 2022
The Session was attended by Denmark, Estonia, European Union, Finland, Germany,Latvia, Poland and Sweden. Observers from Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), Baltic Farmers’ Forum on Environment (BFFE) and Race for the Baltic also attended the Meeting.
CCB participant in the session:
- Mikhail Durkin, CCB Executive Secretary.
- Bettina Taylor, CCB Working Aread Leader Maritime, BUND, Germany
Outcomes of the session:
- The Session took note of the comment by CCB that the HELCOM Recommendation 25/2 Reduction of Emissions and Discharges from Industry by Effective Use of BAT is relevant for the topic of the policy brief.
- The Session took note of additional information on the transboundary environmental impacts of the Lynetteholm Project (document 9-2) and the fact that CCB invites, based on the provided information, including attached legal review, affected EU Member States that are also contracting Parties of the Espoo Convention, to re-consider their decisions on transboundary impacts of Lynetteholm to ensure that no impact from blocking will occur for the wider Baltic Sea marine environment, as it must be a true “zero-solution” for water and salt exchange.
- The Session took note of the information provided by CCB that a colleague from the Ukrainian river basin management authority now residing in Poland had contacted them with concerns of Lviv WWTP’s (HELCOM hot spot) capacity to manage the more than double amount of PE load because of the refugees in the Lviv area.
- The Session invited CCB to provide more details to the Contracting Parties on a possible online meeting for consideration of practical guidance and advice to Ukrainian authorities on how to manage the situation in Lviv WWTP but also, on a longer term, on how to address the future need of remediation and rehabilitation related to increased loads of pollutants resulting from the war in the region.
Participation supported by
CCB's participation in the event was supported by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.
The Session was attended by Denmark, Estonia, European Union, Finland, Germany,Latvia, Poland and Sweden. Observers from Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), Baltic Farmers’ Forum on Environment (BFFE) and Race for the Baltic also attended the Meeting.
CCB participant in the session:
- Mikhail Durkin, CCB Executive Secretary.
- Bettina Taylor, CCB Working Aread Leader Maritime, BUND, Germany
Outcomes of the session:
- The Session took note of the comment by CCB that the HELCOM Recommendation 25/2 Reduction of Emissions and Discharges from Industry by Effective Use of BAT is relevant for the topic of the policy brief.
- The Session took note of additional information on the transboundary environmental impacts of the Lynetteholm Project (document 9-2) and the fact that CCB invites, based on the provided information, including attached legal review, affected EU Member States that are also contracting Parties of the Espoo Convention, to re-consider their decisions on transboundary impacts of Lynetteholm to ensure that no impact from blocking will occur for the wider Baltic Sea marine environment, as it must be a true “zero-solution” for water and salt exchange.
- The Session took note of the information provided by CCB that a colleague from the Ukrainian river basin management authority now residing in Poland had contacted them with concerns of Lviv WWTP’s (HELCOM hot spot) capacity to manage the more than double amount of PE load because of the refugees in the Lviv area.
- The Session invited CCB to provide more details to the Contracting Parties on a possible online meeting for consideration of practical guidance and advice to Ukrainian authorities on how to manage the situation in Lviv WWTP but also, on a longer term, on how to address the future need of remediation and rehabilitation related to increased loads of pollutants resulting from the war in the region.
Participation supported by
CCB's participation in the event was supported by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.