Great Potential but Little Impact: The European Union’s Protection Policies for the Baltic Sea

Abstract

Since the completion of the Eastern enlargement in 2004, a major responsibility for addressing the Baltic Sea pollution lies with the European Union. It provides strong institutions to facilitate environmental decision-making and to enforce the implementation of regulations. However, the measures taken so far have not been sufficient to significantly improve the state of the Baltic Sea. In particular, the Common Agricultural Policy does not take the ecological characteristics of the region into consideration. Instead, it provides false incentives since it generally encourages farmers to increase production and to extend areas under cultivation. To enhance the EU's role, it is crucial to raise the awareness of the Baltic Sea's vulnerability in Brussels. Moreover, European regulations and policies should become more flexible and match the regional specific environmental requirements. At the same time, too heavy financial burdens and distortions of competition, especially for the region's agricultural sector, should be avoided.

Opportunities to reduce nutrient inputs to the Baltic Sea by improving manure use efficiency in agriculture

“…These policies include the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), an ambitious program that established nutrient reduction targets to restore the ecological status of the Baltic marine environment by 2021. Additionally, a number of European Union (EU) policies legally require member states-eight of the nine coastal counties-to reduce nutrient inputs to surface waters in order to meet environmental goals (Schumacher 2012).…”

The Governance of the Mitigation of the Baltic Sea Eutrophication: Exploring the Challenges of the Formal Governing System

“…The EU has developed into an important institutional and legislative power in the protection of the Baltic Sea (see Schumacher 2012). As described by Schumacher (2011a), the first EU regulations aiming to reduce nutrient input into water bodies, the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and the Nitrates Directive (ND), were adopted in 1991.…”

“…Following the enlargement in 2004, the European Union comprises all the Baltic Sea riparian countries except Russia, and a number of noncoastal states that contribute to nutrient input via air pollution (e.g., Great Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium). The EU has developed into an important institutional and legislative power in the protection of the Baltic Sea (see Schumacher 2012 ). As described by Schumacher ( 2011a ), the first EU regulations aiming to reduce nutrient input into water bodies, the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and the Nitrates Directive (ND), were adopted in 1991.…”

Russia and the Baltic Sea: frames and spaces of environmental problems

“…On the other hand, however, within this spatial scale frame, the sea as well as its environmental problems and their solutions easily become subjects in a power game. In this context, it is worth noting that with the enlargement of the EU to encompass all the other riparian states of the Baltic Sea except for Russia, the EU regulation, such as the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and policies and strategies like the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region have become more important tools to guide Baltic Sea protection (Larsen 2008;Schumacher 2012). The new member states, i.e.…”