NGO Forum in Karelia 20051 Coalition Clean Baltic - For protection of the Baltic Sea Environment CCB – Joining forces for the Baltic CCB is a network of

NGO Forum in Karelia 2005 1

Coalition Clean Baltic- For protection of the Baltic Sea Environment

CCB – Joining forces for the Baltic• CCB is a network of Environmental

NGOs, grass-root level, in 9 countries bordering the Baltic Sea

• CCB was established in 1990

• CCB promotes Citizens Organisations (ECO) in cooperation

• CCB has 27 member organizations that represent more than 0,5 million individual members

• CCB has organisations in: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden


Member organisationsDenmark Danish Society for Nature Conservation

EstoniaEstonian Green MovementEstonian Society for Nature ConservationTallinn Society for Nature Conservation

FinlandFinnish Association for Nature ConservationFinnish Society for Nature and Environment

GermanyBund für Umwelt und NaturschutzDeutschland InfoBalt

Latvia Environmental Protection Club of Latvia, VAKLatvian Society for Nature Conservation and Monument Protection

LithuaniaLithuanian Fund for Nature

Lithuania...Lithuanian Green MovementVilnius Nature Protection Society Youth Club

PolandEcobaltic Foundation, GdanskEcological Library Foundation, PoznanGreen Federation, GAJA, SzczecinKlub Gaja, Bielsko-BialaPolish Ecological Club

RussiaChildren of the Baltic, St. PetersburgEcodefense, KaliningradGreen World, St. PetersburgNeva River Clearwater, St. PetersburgGUIDE Environmental Group, Kaliningrad

Sweden Friends of the Earth SwedenSwedish Society for Nature ConservationSwedish-Polish Association for Environmental ProtectionWWF-Sweden


Examples of:

CCB Activities


The Baltic Sea

• The second biggest sea in the world with brackish-water with a unique ecosystem.

• One of the most polluted seas in the world.

• The Baltic Sea is neither dead or dying – but it is a sea in great trouble.


4 ways to reach the goal

• The mission of CCB is to preserve the unique nature of the Baltic Sea and its coastal zones by decreasing the impacts from its catchment area.

• CCB works through means of– lobbying – Information, environmental education and other activities to raise the

public awareness; – Concrete co-operation projects in the field;– Support to member organisations


CCB is running activities

• International level– Present joint NGO proposals and demands towards Baltic Ministerial

Meetings, HELCOM, IBSFC, BALTIC 21 process – Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region.

• National level– In each Baltic Sea Region country, towards Governments, authorities – towards national environmental policies – Public awareness and educational activities.

• Local level– Concrete projects in the field – Partnerships: municipalities, organisations etc.


Priority Areas

1. Reduction of the harmful nutrient load to the baltic sea• Sustainable Wastewater Management• River Watch• Sustainable Agriculture

2. Prevention of installations and activities harmful to the Baltic Sea• Harmful Installations and Transport• Local Agenda 21• Harmful Hydro-electric Power Plants

3. Development of sustainable Baltic Sea fisheries• Protection of the Naturally Spawning Baltic Salmon• Sustainable Fishing Practices for the Baltic Sea

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CCB Strategy under WFDShort summary by Maret Merisaar

• The aim of the EU Water Framework directive is to achieve a good status of water bodies (incl. surface water, groundwater, marine waters etc) by the year 2015.

• By 2009 Water management plans for every river basin will be ready and for sub basins the plans were to be finalized by end of 2004. These plans decide what kind of usage will be made of water resources under question and thus all interested stakeholders can take part in the consultations.

•


Participation possibilities

• Officially the consultations take place in 2006, 2007 and 2008, but the earlier the local level consultation happens the better. In later phases it is more difficult to achieve any changes as then general level plans are compiled from lower level plans.


Different age-groups

• Separate activities for “grownups” and “schools”

• On local level the teachers can use the ongoing water management planning process effectively for discussing local water problems and their solutions in schools (as exercise).

• At the same time they can act as interested individuals and influence the official RBMP process.


River Watch

• Produce CCB Guideline for sustainable RBMP including good examples or a document “10 points for good River Basin Management Planning”.

• Investigate what/where monitoring is already done. Find about new WFD monitoring methods and select most simple ones for voluntary monitoring networking.

• Find out about Intercalibration of the WFD monitoring sites in Baltic Sea Region (For example start voluntary monitoring in coastal water sites) .

• Voluntary Monitoring Networks for Baltic salmon rivers for wide public (1 river in each country) . Using new monitoring equipment. Only qualitative monitoring .

• Contact Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish CCB partners for joining the EEB Snap Shot Survey on Water Framework Directive Implementation.


Eco-Engineering

• Relate eco-engineering campaigns with the existing River Basin Management Planning processes. Promote small treatment plants in rural areas

• Prepare lists of o functioning ecological waste water treatment plants in the

Baltic Sea Region

o contacts of engineers

• Wait for next call for research applications under the EU Framework Programme 6 , may be eco-technology is also included.

• Demand real public participation in planning wastewater treatment

• Influencing National Development Plans to include Sustainable Wastewater treatment as one of the measures to be financed from structural funds.


Water protection in agriculture

• Joint lobby in Brussels with other Baltic and European countries

• Spreading info on the EEB last seminar Agri Workshop materials.

• Read materials on the web - link to Baltic Agenda 21 Working group on Agriculture and HE LCOM

In order to act efficiently we should be aware of the possibilities to use the tools for water protection in the EU Common Agricultural Policy. Thus a seminar on this issue would be of great value, especially for the new member states.

Participation in or monitoring of the Rural Development Planning process.


Water protection in agriculture 2

• - properly managed in wastewater treatment (including manure) and water protection

• - promotion of best solutions for small localities and single farms (ecotechnologies, nutrient recycling)

• - promotion of „small retention” in rural areas (system of properly managed ditches and ponds used both for water retention and purification)

• - organic or sustainble farming methods.• - Modernising infrastructure (housing, slurry and

manure storage facilities, also avoiding atmospheric emissions of ammonia from animal production;


Water protection in agriculture 3

• More efficient manure application techniques;• - Reducing industrial farming to sustainable levels

in sensitive areas;• - Maintaining extensive farming systems;• - More efficient use of chemical fertilizers and

pesticides;• - Creation of multispecies buffer zones for

protecting water courses; • - Creation of constructed wetlands as sustainable

pollution control structures,• - Haymaking in floodplains


Salmon Rivers

• Relate campaigning with ongoing RBMP consultations, follow the timetable for WFD implementation.

• Rebuilding dams – demand public hearings about new

hydrotechnical activities• Removing dams – no thinking about opening the rivers in

Poland. Campaign for protection against floods.• Participate in

o Characterisation of the resources of the riverso Developing of the best standardso Finding specialistso Changing the laws

• Restore the spawning places• Create/advertise aood example of removing an old and

unused dam.• Demand more effective control about fishing activities..


Small hydropower

Be represented in River Basin Management advisory groups. Representatives should be elected by NGO’s

Demand EIA for whole rivers, not only for each dam construction

Collect groups of stakeholders (anglers …)• - Specify demands Raise public awareness• - See proposals on p 86 in ’Present and potential

production of salmon in Estonian rivers’ Make survey of river status• - E.g. fish ladder• - Compile a list of illegal constructions

– 1. discuss with owner

– 2. report to authorities


Other CCB priorities...

• Harmful installations and transports Write a letter with questions on EU planned

legislation to mitigate /decrease hazards from oil transportation on the Baltic.

Or leave that for the WWF network, as in Estonia (promotion of the establishment of the National Oil Fund).

• Promotion of Local Agenda 21– with focus on spatial planning in coastal zones

• Participate in the public events of the cross border coastal & river basin management planning

• Links to EC Water Initiative in Third countries.


Common project idea 1

Important salmon rivers from min 3 Baltic Sea countries will be selected, project similar to the recent CCB national project on River Pärnu will be carried out. Target group - Schools from different countries, common seminars, exchange of info over internet. Compilation of alternative water management plan. Usage of new monitoring methodology. Finalised with a travelling exhibition of the results.

• Possible Partners from Estonia, St Peterburg, Lithuania, Kaliningrad



Lobby for water protection measures (see list before) to be included into the Rural Development Plans will be done on national level and experiences will be shared on international level.

• Possible partners from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland? Denmark



Project for local grown up activists and NGOS on taking part in the River Basin Management Planning meetings, commenting documents with the help of the CCB position paper “10 points for good River Management”. Project includes voluntary monitoring, networking over internet (Sublist of CCB), distribution of the WFD newsletter (by German partner).

• Interest has been expressed by Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Finland

• Sweden is particularly interested to check the Heavily Modified Waterbodies designation.


Info on www.ccb.se

• WFD seminars• Good examples• Materials by

Grüne Liga• Links to WFD

sites


Useful links on public participation in water

management: www.ctc.ee/index.php?lang_id=3

A publication with analysis of Russian legislation concerning possibilities and obligations for public consultations on water management www.riverdialogue.org/NGO/files/Russian_report_RUS.pdf

Water policy working group of the European Environmental Bureau: www.eeb.org

Baltic Environmental Forum co-operation on water protection: www.bef.lv

http://www.ctc.ee/index.php?lang_id=3

http://www.riverdialogue.org/NGO/files/Russian_report_RUS.pdf

http://www.riverdialogue.org/NGO/files/Russian_report_RUS.pdf

http://www.eeb.org/

http://www.bef.lv/

Documents

NGO Forum in Karelia 20051 Coalition Clean Baltic - For protection of the Baltic Sea Environment CCB – Joining forces for the Baltic CCB is a network of