Setting the Baseline for Measuring the Baltic Marine Environment

8 March 2012, Helsinki, Finland – The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) publishes a report describing how to assess the state of the Baltic Sea most coherently. The report is a joint effort by dozens of experts of the Baltic Sea marine environment working in the HELCOM project “Development of HELCOM core indicators” (CORESET) which works to create a set of measuring tools agreed by each Baltic coastal nation.

The report “Development of a set of core indicators: Interim report of the HELCOM CORESET project” describes the basis for indicator development and it presents the outcomes of the expert groups on marine biodiversity and hazardous substances. In the report, these groups have outlined a proposal for the core indicators, however, the indicator development will continue and the final recommendation for the core indicators will be made by the HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment Group (MONAS) in late September this year.

The HELCOM core indicators for biodiversity, hazardous substances and eutrophication will form a concentrated set of indicators which will be monitored by all the Baltic Sea countries and address the key elements of the environment and main pressures on it. HELCOM will use the core indicators to follow up the effectiveness of the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (2007–2021). In the Action Plan, several management measures have been agreed for a healthier marine environment.

As the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires also environmental assessments of European marine regions, the EU Member States in the Baltic Sea region can use the HELCOM set of core indicators for a coordinated assessment of the state of the marine environment.

The HELCOM core indicators will be regularly updated, web-based products which are targeted for all interest groups from decision-makers to the general public. They will give a clear and transparent message of the state of the environment, also containing more technical parts serving experts and scientists.

The interim report has been published in two parts, Part A describing the indicator selection and development process and Part B giving more technical documentation of the indicators.

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Note for editors:

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region.

HELCOM is the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more usually known as the Helsinki Convention.

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For further information, please contact

Mr. Samuli Korpinen
Project Manager, CORESET

HELCOM
Tel: +358 400 329 157
E-mail: samuli.korpinen@helcom.fi

Skype: helcom08

Ms. Johanna Laurila
Information Secretary

HELCOM
Tel: +358 40 523 8988
Fax: +358 207 412 645

E-mail: johanna.laurila@helcom.fi

Skype: helcom70