Environmental policy and legislation on dredged material in the Baltic Sea region — Analysis

Abstract

The environment is not an external object that we should take care in order to fulfil regulations or follow guidelines or codes of conduct. The need of intensifying the protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea and the sustainable use of these resources is a widely accepted. However Baltic Sea countries are still failing to deliver upon their commitments and take the actions needed to protect and restore the Baltic Sea. Each of the nine coastal Baltic Sea countries is obligated to performance in implementing of the important international, regional and European agreements and conventions designed to manage and protect the Baltic Sea. The key indicators of five focal areas of crucial importance to the Baltic Sea and its health are: eutrophication, hazardous substances, the protection of biodiversity, maritime activities and integrated sea use management — the last being a more integrated approach to planning and managing the use of the sea and its resources. The true problem is also legislation regarding management of dredged material. Current policy and regulations as well as research efforts try to take problem of sediment contamination into account, however these regulations and efforts lack coherence and do not contribute to efficient management. There are a number of international and national documents, dealing with contamination of sediments and in particular with management of dredged materials. Many countries have adopted EU guidelines and conventions for the management of dredged material. However, there is no uniformity in these regulations. The project SMOCS (Sustainable Management of Contaminated Sediments under BSR Programme 2007–2013) deals with among others the problem of unification of BSR law relating to dredged material by proposing changes to the HELCOM.