The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan - 2021 update

The Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), adopted by the HELCOM Contracting Parties in 2007 and updated in 2021, is HELCOM’s strategic programme of measures and actions for achieving good environmental status of the sea, ultimately leading to a Baltic Sea in a healthy state. Since its adoption, the BSAP has resulted in a number of environmental improvements such as a reduction in nutrient inputs to the sea, a better state of biodiversity and a decrease in maritime incidents and spills.
The BSAP provides a concrete basis for HELCOM work. It incorporates the latest scientific knowledge and innovative management approaches into strategic policy implementation, and stimulates goal-oriented multilateral cooperation around the Baltic Sea region. Guided by the HELCOM vision of “a healthy Baltic Sea environment with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable economic and social activities”, the updated BSAP contains about 200 concrete actions and measures that are divided into four segments:
1) Biodiversity, with its goal of a “Baltic Sea ecosystem is healthy and resilient”,
2) Eutrophication, with its goal of a “Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication”
3) Hazardous substances and litter, with its goal of a “Baltic Sea unaffected by hazardous substances and litter”, and
4) Sea-based activities, with its goal of “Environmentally sustainable sea-based activities”.
The division of the segments seeks to reflect the pressures stemming from land (“Eutrophication”, and “Hazardous substances and litter”) and from the activities at sea (“Sea-based activities”), as well as the state of the environment (“Biodiversity”). These segments are interconnected: attaining the goal under the biodiversity segment also relies on the successful implementation of the actions included under the other three segments.
In addition, the section on horizontal topics addresses cross-cutting issues including climate change, monitoring, maritime spatial planning, economic and social analysis, knowledge exchange and awareness raising, hot spots, and financing. Furthermore, measures within all segments are designed to strengthen the overall resilience of the Baltic Sea, consequently improving its ability to respond to the effects of climate change.
All BSAP actions and measures are to be implemented by 2030 at the latest.
Download the BSAP here: helcom.fi/bsap