MEDIA ADVISORY
Ministerial Debate on the Baltic Sea environment and blue growth in Turku, Finland
What
HELCOM Ministerial session: How to protect the marine environment while enabling sustainable use and blue economy
Who
Some confirmed participants:
Mr. Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission;
Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of Agriculture and the Environment of Finland;
Mr. Harry Liiv, HELCOM Chair, Ministry of the Environment of Estonia
Mr. Jan Olsson, Environment Ambassador, Ministry of the Environment and Energy/Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden;
Ms Heike Imhoff, Head of Unit responsible for marine environmental protection and international sea law at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety
When
Wednesday 18 May 2016 at 13.00-15.00. Time reserved for media at 14.50-15.00*
Where
Auditorium MOVE 2, Logomo, Köydenpunojankatu 14, Turku, Finland
Why
The key aim of the session is to discuss strategic directions for future HELCOM cooperation in protecting the Baltic Sea. What are the best cases of successful cross-sectoral cooperation that benefit the marine environment? Can participants suggest new ideas for improving the governance of the seas, particularly through regional cooperation?
Efforts are underway both at HELCOM and elsewhere to reach out to sectors and jointly discuss possible solutions and measures for marine environmental protection. Some attempts are more successful than others; one reason is the mismatch of scales. The regional level is the most suitable scale to address marine environment problems in the Baltic Sea due to special characteristics of the sea and transboundary effects. This, however, is does not necessarily hold true for sectoral policies.
A healthy marine environment underpins sustainable blue growth. The participants are expected to have an outlook for the future concerning different sectors but also the general wellbeing of the region. Moreover, the session will initiate a series of high level gatherings prior to the next HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in 2018.
* Media time is reserved at around 14.50. To access the premises please contact he HELCOM Information Secretary, johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi; tel. +358 40 5238988 by 13 May noon at the latest.
HELCOM is an intergovernmental organization made up of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. Founded in 1974, its primary aims as a governing body are to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution, as well as to ensure safe maritime navigation. The official name of HELCOM is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission; it is the governing body of the Helsinki Convention.
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