Baltic HELCOM Stakeholder Conference 7 March 2006, p Eutrophication, and the new HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan How to end Eutrophication – important components for a Baltic Sea Action Plan Gunnar Norén CCB Executive secretary

AGRICULTURE and EUTROPHICATION Baltic agriculture – contribute with approx 50 % of the nutrient load

Agricultural production – a Systematic Error ? variability of the wild Baltic salmon. *Intensive agriculture practices *Specialisation of agricultural production (crop production farms) (animal production farms) -create inbalance in nutrient use -create surplus of nutrients on agricultural land - such farms, incl. its vicinity areas, are not Nutrient- balanced

Input N kg/ha Out put N kg/ha Artificial Fertilizers seed + depos. Grain 100 ( Feed 80 %) Surplus and Losses 50 Nitrogen balance N kg /ha and year Average, 265 crop farms according “greppa näringen” Sweden, 2005 ) Separation and Specialisation in crop production farms and …

Input 264 N kg/ha Out put 106 N kg/ha Purchased feed seed Fertilizers N-fix + depos. Own feed 134 Animal products 74 Nitrogen and phosphorus balance N kg/ha and year example of a specialised animal farm Dairy farm Malmöhus County Sweden kg ( A.Granstedt/ Agriculture, Ecosystems and environment 80,2000, )..and specialised Animal production farms Surplus 166 Animal manure 32

Future agriculture production in the Baltic Sea Region variability of the wild Baltic salmon. -Unclear if *Intensive agriculture practices *Specialisation of agricultural production can continue – if we plan to solve the Baltic Eutrophication problem NEEDED: An unbiassed discussion about the FUTURE AGRI-PRODUCTION IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION WITHOUT EUTROPHICATION Environment sector must be brave enough to start such discussion with the AGRI-sector

INITIATIVES FROM BALTIC MINISTERS OF ENVIRONMENT Decided at CBSS Baltic Min of Env meeting, Luleå, Sweden, August 2004 to - invite Baltic Ministers of Agriculture to discuss agriculture and connected environmental problems, with Baltic Ministers of Environment No such meeting has been organised so far. Very important to invite for such meeting in autumn 2006, as an important input to development of HELCOM new Action Plan. And start a proper preparation with all Baltic ministries of agriculture and environment - now.

Baltic Sea Region should influence the new CAP after Create EU Agri-subsidies system that contribute in solving the Baltic Eutrophication problem - Combine Agri-subsidies, with strict requirements for BAP in Agriculture - Give Extra Agri-subsidies, to farms that apply high environmental standards to avoid run-off manure storage for 9 months no spreading of fertilisers in autumn (no green fields) and winter-time

wider buffer zones, no spreading of fertilisers, alond watercourses and ditches requirement on Balanced Fertilisation at farm level or at ”local area” level  full and proper implementation of the EU - IPPC directive on Industrial farms Baltic Sea Region countries should agree on a Common Proposal for coming EU Agri-subsidies in the Baltic Sea Region, and present such proposals to EC

Nutrient extensive agriculture today Small-scale diversified farms (Poland) Large unused areas (Latvia) New EU states  Risk for separation, specialisation and intensification  Higher nutrient leakage

WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT IN SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED MUNICIPALITIES AND SINGLE FAMILY-HOMES Recent review - by the Country Water Partnerships of GWP CEE - indicates that * small and dispersed communities (less then p. e.) are inhabited by 20 to 40 percent of the total population of the CEE countries, * which represents about 20 to 40 millions of inhabitants. * they constitute large but usually economically less successful segment of our societies.

Studies made by municipalities in Sweden and Finland show that - 85 % of the total P-load come from rural areas in the municipality (Östhammar, Sweden) % of all nutrient come from single family-homes - Swedish Commission on the Marine Environment concluded in 2003 Single family-homes contribute with 1/3 of the P-load 1/10 of the N-load from point sources along the Swedish coast Conclusion is: - Coordinated actions are needed to fight the Nutrient load from small settlements, as an important component to solve the Baltic eutrophication problem

New regulations for wastewater treatment in Finland In the beginning of 2004 new regulations for wastewater treatment for households outside the municipal sewer network were introduced in Finland. Single family-homes will have to fulfil same standards for wastewater treatment as for canalised municipal wastewater treatment plants. 90 % BOD reduction, of max 50 gram organic matter /day 85 % P-reduction, of max 2.2 gram P /day 40 % N-reduction, of max 14 gram N /day All new houses from 2004, and Older houses from 2014 Average investment per house, 3000 – 5000 Euros

HELCOM should: - develop a new Actions/Recommendation on Requirements for high standards on Wastewater management for small-and medium-sized municipalities in Baltic catchment (Less then 2000 p.e.) (between 2000 – p.e.) - develop new Action/Recommendation for wastewater standards for single family-homes - develop Action/Recommendation to phase-out all detergents and washing powder with phosphorus content, within 3-5 years