Working Programme for the Maritime Group (HELCOM MARITIME) 2010-2012
| ACTION | INTERSESSIONAL ACTIVITIES/RESPONSIBLE | RESULTS/TIME FRAME |
Measures and actions enhancing maritime safety | ||
| Propose additional safety measures, including routeing measures | HELCOM MARITIME | Meetings of HELCOM MARITIME |
| Maintain and update the “HELCOM Transit Guide for the Baltic Sea” – chart and web page version | Lead countries: - chart - Germany - web page version - Denmark | Continuous |
| Participate in a pilot project to test Maritime Spatial Planning in the Baltic Sea | HELCOM PLAN BALTIC project [subject to its approval by DG MARE] | Spring 2010 - Autumn 2011 |
| Follow-up, contribute to and utilize the results of the overall risk assessment of shipping accidents in the Baltic Sea | BRISK Project In co-operation with HELCOM RESPONSE | 2009-2012 |
| Continue the development of AIS Application Specific Messages and promote their use in the Baltic | HELCOM AIS EWG Lead countries: Finland and Sweden | Continuous |
| Co-operate with the Monitoring Working Group of BSHC to speed-up hydrographic re-surveys and support other hydrographic activities | Contracting Parties HELCOM MARITIME | HELCOM Ministerial Meeting |
| Co-operate with Baltic Icebreaking Management to further improve the safety of navigation in ice conditions | Contracting Parties | Meetings of HELCOM MARITIME |
| Implement actions to facilitate ECDIS wide use in the Baltic Sea | HELCOM MARITIME | Meetings of HELCOM MARITIME |
| Implement [draft] HELCOM Recommendation on Mutual Plan for Places of Refuge | Contracting Parties In co-operation with HELCOM RESPONSE | 2010 |
Consideration of the ways to further reduce emissions and discharges from shipping | ||
| A joint submission to IMO to amend Annex IV of MARPOL 73/78 in order to eliminate discharge of sewage from passenger ships and ferries | Ad hoc Correspondence Group on amendments to Annex IV of MARPOL 73/78 led by Finland | By 15 December 2009 to MEPC 60 |
| A joint submission to IMO to establish the Baltic Sea NOx emission control area and cost and benefit analysis of NECA | Correspondence Group on designation of the Baltic Sea as NECA led by Finland | Target - MEPC 62 (2011) |
| Investigate and consider introduction of economic incentives for reducing emissions from ships, which are not covered by Annex VI tier III | Contracting Parties | Meetings of HELCOM MARITIME |
| Assessment whether there is room/need for other HELCOM measures to address emissions from shipping | HELCOM MARITIME | Continuous |
Regional implementation of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments | ||
| Implementation of the road map towards harmonized implementation and ratification of the BWMC | Correspondence Working Group to monitor progress In co-operation with HELCOM MONAS and HELCOM HABITAT | According to the time schedule included in the road map |
Full and harmonized implementation of the Baltic Strategy | ||
| Development and implementation of a plan and recommendations for upgrading availability of PRF for sewage in major passenger ports | HELCOM MARITIME Contracting Parties | Plan to be developed for adoption by the 2010 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting |
| Encourage voluntary activities in ports and shipping companies to dispose sewage to PRF | Contracting Parties | Reports to meetings of HELCOM MARITIME |
| Identify gaps in availability of PRF for ship-generated wastes, mandatory delivery of waste and the application of the “no-special-fee” system, and propose measures to fill in these gaps | Contracting Parties | HELCOM MARITIME 10/2011 |
Co-operation to ensure enforcement of regulations and detection, investigation and successful convictions of offenders of anti-pollution regulations | ||
| Co-operate with the Paris MoU to obtain statistics on PSC from the Paris MoU database SIRENAC (in 2011 to be succeeded by THETIS) | Secretariat | Report to HELCOM MARITIME 9/2010 |
| Extend the Single Hull Tanker monitoring system to the banned ships under the Paris MoU and ships non-compliant with the AFS Convention | HELCOM AIS EWG | Banned ships: 2010 The AFS non-compliant ships: 2011 |
| Play a proactive role in communicating “unexpected” factors according to Directive 2009/16/EC to the PSC authorities, e.g. based on information on non-compliant ships detected in the Baltic, to prompt additional inspections of high risk ships | Contracting Parties In cooperation with HELCOM AIS EWG re. non-compliant ships | Starting from January 2011 |
Collection and analyses of the statistics on ships’ movements in the Baltic and on environmental impact of shipping/experience exchange | ||
| Monitor emissions from ships and evaluate its impact on the Baltic Sea | Lead country: Finland 2009-2012 SNOOP Project run by Finland and Estonia, REBAS project under development | Annual reports on emissions to HELCOM MARITIME meetings |
| Collect and compile information on shipping accidents in the Baltic | Secretariat/Contracting Parties | Annual HELCOM report on shipping accidents |
| Analyse annual HELCOM reports on illegal discharges observed during aerial surveillance | In co-operation with HELCOM RESPONSE | Meetings of HELCOM MARITIME |
| Uphold and maintain the HELCOM AIS System | HELCOM AIS EWG | Continuously |
| Analyse AIS based information on the shipping in the Baltic | Contracting Parties | Continuously |
| Implement the amended HELCOM Agreement on Access to AIS Information | HELCOM AIS EWG | When the amended Agreement is signed, 2010 |
Information to mariners | ||
| Update and disseminate the revised “Clean Seas Guide” | Secretariat | Update when needed |
Other tasks stemming from implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (Maritime Activities segment) | ||
| Further address marine litter, including the problem of “ghost fishing” | KIMO, Contracting Parties | Meetings of HELCOM MARITIME |
| Exchange information about offshore activities | Contracting Parties | Meetings of HELCOM MARITIME |