BALTIC SEAENVIRONMENT PROCEEDINGS No. 59 - Helcom

5. Bilateral activities
Based on earlier HELCOM Recommendations and finally on the Baltic Sea
Declaration adopted at the prime ministers' meeting of the Helcom
countries in September 1990 a special project was established in the
Finnish Ministry of the Environment by governmental decree in October
1990 to promote environmental issues in the Baltic Region (Annex 6).
Initially a survey was carried out in order to define the "hottest"
pollution sources in the vicinity of the Gulf of Finland. A total of
sixteen priority targets were ultimately agreed upon. Practically all
of them coincide with the Helcom list of the "hottest spots".
So far 25 investment projects have received funding and several
negotiations are on-going. Moreover, close to 100 projects providing
expertise, training or special studies have been funded covering
several fields of environmental protection.
Finland has also made bilateral agreements in the environmental field
with Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden. In
addition to these activities administrated on the governmental level
there are many agreements and activities promoting the cooperation
on a local level in areas adjoining Finland. Within the framework of
the agreement between Finland and Russia the regional and local
cooperation in environmental questions between the Kymmene region in
Finland and the Karelian region, St. Petersburg and Leningrad region
in Russia aims directly at the protection of the Gulf of Finland.
Some other Finnish water district offices cooperate with local
Estonian authorities. Most of the cooperation concern research,
monitoring, training and reporting. The agreement with Sweden was
signed already in the early 1970'ies with the aim to change informa-
tion and coordinate the research and protection activities in the
area of Gulf of Bothnia.
The tasks and the goals of Helsinki Commission are integrated in or
at least parallel with the bilateral cooperation. Thus the bilateral
activities essentially contribute to the implementation of Helcom
Recommendations in Finland as well as in the other countries concer-
ned.
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