From: pellinen@vipunen.hut.fi (Matti Pellinen)
Newsgroups: talk.environment
Subject: Coalition Clean Baltic pressrelease
Date: 7 Apr 92 17:17:30 GMT
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology
Originator: pellinen@vipunen.hut.fi

PRESSRELEASE 6TH APRIL 1992
FROM the BALTIC-92 CONFERENCE


The Baltic needs action now!

The Baltic region as a whole is facing a number of serious 
environmental and nature conservation problems. The disastrous 
conditions in the Baltic Sea region is a reflection of serious 
policy failures during the 1970s and 1980s, in the market economies 
as well as the centrally planned economies. A wide range of measures 
and changes must be implemented as a matter of highest priority in 
all sectors of society to control, minimize or completely prevent 
all kinds of direct or indirect water and air pollution and all 
kinds of degradation of natural resources. To be successful both in 
the short and long term such action must be truly precautionary and 
be based on a holistic, integrated and cross-sectorial approach. The 
new geopolitical situation in the Baltic region provides a 
historical opportunity for a truly international approach in order 
to put the development in the Baltic region on a sustainable path. 
We urge the governments of all the Baltic Countries to face this 
challenge and join forces with all other parties concerned to shape 
an ecologically sustainable future throughout the Baltic Region. 
This is the clear and strong message brought forward in the 
statement from the Baltic-92 Conference. The Conference, which was 
organized by the Coalition Clean Baltic was attended by 23 non-
governmental organizations from all the Baltic Countries, was held 
5-6 April 1992.

'Despite almost 20 years of international cooperation for the 
protection of the Baltic environment the ecological conditions are 
still deteriorating. Eutrophication, algal blooms, oxygen 
deficiences, high concentrations of persistent and toxic organic 
substances are all serious indicators of the continous abuse of the 
Baltic' says Dr. Olof Lindn, the CCB chairman who has also been 
chairing the two-day conference, and Bertil Hagerhall WWF 
International Baltic Coordinator. 'Time is running out. The Baltic 
cannot wait for further investigations and non-binding statements of 
good will. In this context we wish to point at the commitments 
already made at the ministerial conferences in 1988 and 1990 on 50 
per cent reductions of nutrients and toxic substances by 1995. It is 
obvious to everyone that these goals will not be achieved. 
Governments must take the necessary steps immediately and start 
implementing a vigorous and concrete action programme. The Joint 
Action Programme elaborated by the HELCOM ad hoc High Level Task 
Force and the new Helsinki Convention provides a good starting point 
for such action, but both documents have some serious gaps. The 
Statement adopted by our Baltic-92 Conference highlights some of 
these issues that we believe must be adressed and included in the 
Convention and the Action Programme before these documents can 
become the effective instruments needed.'

In the eight-page statement adopted by the Baltic-92 Conference the 
following items should be mentioned:
*   the new Helsinki Convention still does not explicitly recognize 
that the Baltic 'air catchment area' provides the most appropriate 
coverage to deal with the environmental problems and issues of 
nature conservation and biodiversity in a comprehensive way.

* decisions made within the framework of the Conventions must be 
legally binding for Contracting Parties and implemented through 
national legislation.

* with regard to nature conservation and biodiversity the general 
objective must be to conserve habitats and biodiversity in the 
Baltic region as a whole. Special attention should be given to 
wetlands, coastal lagoons, estuaries, archipelagos and other 
habitats containing endangered species.

* Sweden and Denmark are urged to honour their obligations according 
to the Espoo Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment and 
invite the Contracting Parties to HELCOM to participate in the 
assessment and decision regarding the Oresund Bridge.

* with regard to the Joint Action Programme we believe that too much 
emphasis is put on large-scale, technically advanced and expensive 
projects. A number of small and medium scale projects may together 
have a greater total positive effect and may often be more cost-
effective.

* constructive ways of reducing the emissions from energy production 
facilities are lacking in the Programme. Mandatory schemes to 
improve energy conservation should be developed in municipalities 
and industrial plants around the Baltic. The long term goal for the 
region must be an energy supply based more widely on renewable 
energy sources.

* the role of NGOs and grassroot activities should be given higher 
priority in the Programme. More financial resources should be 
allocated to environmental education and increasing public 
awareness. NGOs like CCB and WWF are already involved in concrete 
field projects concerning e.g. wetlands, conservation planning, 
education, information etc.

* the funding of the Joint Action Programme will require an 
innovative and creative approach to raise the billions of ECU 
needed. Reduced military spendings and systems for dept-for-
environment-swaps are possibilities that should be looked into 
further. The restoration of the Baltic environment could thus become 
a model for the rest of the world.

These are a few of a long list of suggestions and demands listed in 
the statement from the Baltic-92 Conference.

In addition a comprehensive NGO Action Plan for the Baltic has been 
prepared, based on contributions from NGOs in all the Baltic 
countries. This Action Plan is available and will be submitted to 
the ministerial meeting on 9th of April.   
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