Environment

The marine environment

By their very nature, the seas and oceans of the world are international areas requiring cross-border cooperation. There are several marine areas within the EU that are of considerable value in terms of fishery and tourism and the collective value of marine ecosystem services is so high that we simply cannot afford to lose them. Problems in the marine environment are closely linked to opportunities for economic growth. EU policy and legislation has a marked effect on the condition of our marine areas. The Baltic Sea is particularly sensitive and its environmental state is serious as a result of eutrophication and overfishing. Other marine waters within the EU also have major environmental problems. Our seas are adversely affected by activities such as agriculture, fishing and shipping. The EU is currently developing an integrated maritime policy and has broad legislation regulating discharges and water quality. Sweden will use its EU Presidency this autumn to spur on improvement of the marine environment. Sweden is making particular efforts to ensure the Baltic Sea is selected as a pilot project, which will give it quicker and more stringent protection as part of the implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Photo: Magnus Melin/Johnér

EU maritime policy and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive

In October 2007, the Commission put forward a proposal
for an integrated maritime policy for the European Union, known as the “Blue Book”. The maritime policy contains both a number of general issues such as management, maritime surveillance, maritime spatial planning, data and information, as well as a number of sector-specific strategies, for example fishing. The policy is based on the Lisbon Strategy for Employment and Growth and on the conclusions on sustainable development from the Gothenburg Summit in 2001. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive is the ecological dimension of the European maritime policy.

The aim of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which came into force in July 2008, is to achieve or conserve good environmental status in the EU’s marine waters by 2020. Marine strategies shall be developed and implemented on the national and regional level in order to protect and conserve the marine environment. As far as possible, EU Member States shall cooperate within the framework of established regional marine cooperation structures. For the Baltic Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat, these structures are the Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helcom) and the Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment in the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR). For the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the relevant structures are the Barcelona Convention and the Black Sea Commission. Other relevant processes given attention during the Swedish Presidency are the Euro-Med and DABLAS (Danube-Black Sea).  

The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

At the European Council meeting in December 2007, European heads of state and government urged the EU Commission to draw up an EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The Commission will present a proposal for a strategy in June 2009. Sweden has been a driving-force in the development of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and it will accordingly have high priority during the Swedish Presidency.

The aim of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is to strengthen the region as a macro-region in order to increase the EU’s long-term commitment to sustainable development in the region. The goal is to protect the Baltic Sea’s sensitive marine environment, improve the Region’s competitiveness and make it a more attractive, safer and more secure place. An important basis for the strategy is that measures must be financed using existing EU funds. However, developing a strategy will make it easier to adapt EU initiatives and resources to the needs of the Baltic Sea region. The strategy can also inspire other macro-regions within the EU to make better use of their conditions to tackle regional problems and challenges. During the Swedish Presidency, a high-level meeting will be held on 17-18 September in Stockholm, focusing on macro-regional strategies in the EU.

Sweden has the following priorities as regards the marine environment goal:

• The Baltic Sea to be given pilot project status for implementing the marin strategy directive
• Strengthen regional maritime spatial planning
• initiatives
• Better wastewater treatment
• Ban on phosphates in detergents
• Short- and long-term measures in agriculture to
• reduce nutrient discharges into the Baltic Sea
• Measures to promote sustainable fishing

Furthermore, the concept of “sustainable cities” shall be developed in the light of climate change and an eco-efficient economy shall be strengthened by, for example, setting up a network for green public procurement.
 

The Baltic Sea as a pilot project

The EU Maritime Directive provides scope for creating pilot projects to accelerate the implementation of action plans for marine regions in acute need of help. Then assigned pilot project status, an area can be subject to stricter and more rapid protective measures and it is also possible to apply for EU Commission support to improve the marine environment. Sweden is making active endeavours to ensure the Baltic Sea is assigned pilot project status.  

The Helcom Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP)

This programme was adopted by the Baltic Sea Region’s
environment ministers in November 2007 and is a regional inter-governmental action plan to improve the environment in the Baltic Sea. The action plan calls on the countries to develop national programmes of measures by 2010 within four priority areas: eutrophication, hazardous substances, biodiversity and environmentally friendly maritime activities. The plan specifies requirements for more efficient wastewater treatment plants, phosphate-free detergents, the phaseout of hazardous chemicals, reduced discharges from shipping, reduced nutrient discharges from agriculture and greater protection for biodiversity. The programmes of measures shall be implemented by 2016 with the aim of achieving good environmental status by 2021. The measures in the action plan should also form the basis of the programme of measures for the Baltic Sea that is to be drafted within the framework of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Sweden is also urging implementation of the action plan to be seen as an important component of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.

The marine environment and the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea Region