The representatives will consider a proposal for guidance, which showcases best practices, suggests practical solutions and makes recommendations on technical and operational aspects of sewage delivery to PRFs The guidance, which has been developed within the HELCOM’s Cooperation Platform on PRFs, will cover the whole chain of sewage delivery from generation onboard a ferry or a cruise ship through port reception to final disposal at a wastewater treatment plant. 

The Maritime Group of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM MARITIME) holds its annual Meeting on 15-17 November 2011 in Helsinki, Finland, to agree on further measures for cleaner and safer shipping in the Baltic Sea region. The main focus of the meeting is on follow-up actions in relation to the major decision of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in July this year, to ban sewage discharges from passenger ships in the Baltic Sea. Another key point on the agenda is to conclude a four-year development of a joint HELCOM submission to IMO on designating the Baltic Sea as a Nitrogen oxide (NOx) Emission Control Area (NECA).

Representatives of the Baltic Sea countries, the European Union and interested stakeholders, including ports and ship owners, will devise further activities to facilitate the work on upgrading port reception facilities (PRF) for sewage in passenger ports of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea countries agreed to ensure availability of adequate PRFs by 2015 at the latest.

The meeting also aims to finalize the contents of the joint submission to IMO to designate the Baltic Sea as a NECA under the international MARPOL convention. Under NECA status, the Baltic Sea will see substantial reductions in the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from ships which, in turn, will have positive effects on marine environment and human health along coastal areas. The experts will look at means on how to achieve the NECA emission standards, such as the use of liquefied natural gas as fuel.

New outcomes from studies related to the risk assessment of alien species transfer via ships’ ballast water and sediments on intra-Baltic routes are on the meeting agenda as well. These studies deal with unified interpretation of the provisions of the Ballast Water Management Convention related to e.g. exemptions from applying ballast water management. HELCOM has been working on speeded ratification and harmonized implementation of the Convention by the coastal states by the agreed deadline of 2013.

The Contracting Parties will also deliberate safety of navigation. The aim is to strengthen regional cooperation on maritime safety, including progress in hydrographic re-surveys and outcomes of the overall risk assessment of shipping accidents within BRISK/BRISK-RU projects. Other important issues in the efforts towards safer navigation are the MONALISA project on innovative e-navigational services, and Plan Bothnia project on the development of a transboundary maritime spatial plan for the Bothnian Sea.