Legal Prerequisites for a Nutrient Trading Scheme to Control Eutrophication in the Baltic Sea

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katak Malla
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Emission Trading ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Emission Trading Scheme ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Nutrient Trading ◽  
Trading Scheme ◽  
The Baltic

This paper explores the legal aspects of a nutrient trading scheme suggested as an effective ecosystem management of the Baltic Sea, especially for dealing with eutrophication – over-fertilisation – of the Baltic waters. The relevant sources of the law relating to the Baltic Sea are analysed, noting also features of the international emission trading scheme (iets), the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (euets) and the white certificate economic instrument. The legal prerequisites for a nutrient trading scheme are identified. Also, necessary changes in the legal framework of the Helsinki Commission/Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (Helcom) are suggested, should the Helcom parties consider such a scheme. The present work seeks to contribute to the legal knowledge needed for more effective and adaptive ecosystem management of the Baltic Sea, or other regional seas.

A Nutrient Quota Trading Scheme to Reduce the Eutrophication of the Baltic Sea

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 296-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Mehling ◽  
Karl Upston-Hooper
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Policy Instrument ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Limit Values ◽  
Initial Allocation ◽  
Nutrient Trading ◽  
Trading Scheme ◽  
The Baltic

AbstractEnvironmental policy is currently experiencing a general transition towards greater inclusion of flexible, market-based instruments. While one of the most salient manifestations of this trend, the creation of markets for tradable emissions quota, has been widely applied in the areas of air pollution and greenhouse gas regulation, it has yet to be introduced as a policy instrument for the management of watercourses. A great diversity of abatement costs for pollution of the Baltic Sea through nutrients that result in eutrophication suggests the introduction of a system of tradable quota as an attractive management tool. The following article provides a brief introduction to the challenge of nutrient accumulation in the Baltic Sea, and shows that the legislative framework currently governing its pollution does not categorically preclude the introduction of a nutrient trading scheme. A number of design issues would require clarification prior to the introduction of such a scheme, including the definition of the tradable commodity, the scope of participation, the initial allocation of quota, and monitoring and enforcement provisions. While the article concludes by affirming the fundamental viability of a nutrient trading scheme in the Baltic Sea Area, it identifies challenges in accommodating the trading scheme alongside existing emission limit values, state aid concerns, and the inclusion of states that are not Members of the European Union.

Water policy differences between a western democracy and a country in economic transition

2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 125-128
Author(s):  
H.E. Valdas Adamkus
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
Transition Economy ◽  
Economic Transition ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Western Democracy ◽  
Substantial Investment ◽  
The Baltic

Where environmental policy is concerned Western democracies and transition economies share more similarities than differences. Sound environmental policies require substantial investment. Public-private cooperation can play a major role in the search for solutions, but politicians, environmentalists and academics must act vigorously to ensure that big business does not acquire a final say in the implementation of environmental policy. Lithuania as a transition economy faces major environmental challenges, but international collaboration, including working with the European Union and cross-border cooperation with neighbouring states, is bringing good results. A major unifying factor for the Baltic Sea states is the continuing struggle to purify and protect the Baltic Sea.

scholarly journals Development of marine landscape maps for the Baltic Sea and the Kattegat using geophysical and hydrographical parameters

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 61-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zyad K. Al-Hamdani ◽  
Johnny Reker ◽  
Jørgen O. Leth ◽  
Anu Reijonen ◽  
Aarno T. Kotilainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Bothnian Bay

The Baltic Sea is one of the largest brackish water bodies in the world (Segerstråle 1957) with a number of basins varying from almost fresh water in the northern part of the Bothnian Bay via the more brackish conditions in the southern part to the saline waters of the Kattegat. The Baltic Sea is subject to severe environmental degradation caused by commercial and leisure activities, including fisheries, dredging, tourism, coas t a l development and land-based pollution sources. This causes severe pressures on vulnerable marine habitats and natural re- sources, and a tool for aiding marine management is therefore strongly needed. The marine landscape concept presented by Roff &Taylor (2000) is based on the use of available broad-scale geological, physical and hydrographical data to prepare ecologically meaningful maps for areas with little or no biological information. The concept, which was elaborated by Day & Roff (2000) was applied in UK waters (Connor et al. 2006) before it was adopted by the BALANCE project described here. The aim of developing marine landscape maps is to characterise the marine environment of the Baltic Sea region (the Baltic Sea together with the Kattegat) using geophysical and hydrographical parameters. Such maps can be applied, for example, to an assessment of the Baltic-wide network of marine protected areas, and thus provide a sustainable ecosystem-based approach to the protection of the marine environment from human activities, and contribute to the conservation of marine biodiversity. The BALANCE project is based on transnational and cross-sectoral co-operation with participants from nine countries surrounding the Baltic Sea as well as Norway (Fig. 1), and is partially financed by the European Union through the BSR INTERREG IIIB programme.

Combatting Eutrophication in the Baltic Sea: Legal Aspects of Sea-Based Engineering Measures

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-96
Author(s):  
Henrik Ringbom ◽  
Brita Bohman ◽  
Saara Ilvessalo
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty ◽  
Decisive Importance ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Seabed Sediments

AbstractThe main environmental problem of the Baltic Sea is that too many nutrients are being released to the sea (eutrophication). As many of the ‘easy’ measures to reduce the load from land-based sources have been put in place, increasing attention is given to measures to reduce the release of nutrients from the seabed sediments through the use of various technologies at sea, i.e. ‘sea-based’ measures.There is no specific legal framework available for sea-based measures, but a number of provisions set general obligations to protect and preserve the marine environment.The analysis indicates that neither the type of measure nor the geographical location of the activity is of decisive importance for the legal rights and obligations involved. Instead, the legality of any sea-based measure depends on the risks they present balanced against their benefits. There is considerable uncertainty on all these issues, and the matter is further complicated by the fact that both the risks and the benefits of the measures relate to their environmental impact.It is recommended that a regional risk-based framework is established for assessing when and how further research on sea-based technologies can be undertaken in the Baltic Sea.

Underwater Long-Term Observation at the Largest German Artificial Reef in the Baltic Sea

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerd Niedzwiedz
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
State Government ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Fish Stock ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Biometric Data ◽  
The Baltic

The Baltic Sea is one of the most frequented regions in the world. The Baltic neighbouring states more and more see the need to adapt their economic interests to the given ecological conditions. This can not always be done sufficiently, which can be seen at the example of coastal fishery in some of these countries. Owing to the critical condition of economically important fish stocks, selective fishing and fish-stock saving measures have become main fields of research. Supported by the European Union and by the federal state government we have tried in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern during the last four years to investigate the effects of an artificial Baltic reef with respect to fishing. For this purpose more than 1300 reef elements — made of a special sort of concrete and having different shapes and size — have been arranged on an area of 200 × 200 m at a water depth of 12 m about 1.5 m away from the coast. Over a period of almost four years different methods and techniques have been applied to observe and record the effects of these structures on the natural environment in a long-term investigation. Continuous video-optical underwater observation using up to nine simultaneously controlled underwater cameras proved to be a special technical challenge. Important results have been gained from a monitoring with research divers and from a defined test and comparison fishing done once every month. Various fishing methods have been applied — also those which are normally not common in that region. A special low-cost variant of a remote controlled underwater stereo photo camera has been developed and built in order to get biometric data of the fish without catching it.

Credit stacking in nutrient trading markets for the Baltic Sea

Marine Policy ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ing-Marie Gren ◽  
Katarina Elofsson
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Nutrient Trading ◽  
The Baltic
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