Mr Chairman,
Distinguished delegates,

It is a great honor for me to address this important meeting, dealing with challenging issues and questions relating to trade and marine transport, in particular with reference to the Baltic Sea area. As minister for the Environment, I am responsible for the marine ecosystems along the swedish coast. And as you know, they are in a critical condition. In order to improve this situation, we need a much stronger and more coherent marine policy. This is a top political priority. In my view, shipping is a key activity in relation to envionmental protection and I therefore very much appreciate the fruitful dialogue and the constructive co-operation that I have had with many stakeholders and colleagues in the field of shipping, expecially as regareds the situation in the Baltic Sea. I will start today with some reflections on these important issues. I then go on and broaden the perspective by looking at marine environmental policymaking at large in Sweden and the EU.

A few words about the Baltic. As you know the Baltic Sea is a much more fragile body of water than other seas. The Baltic Sea is the only brackish semi-closed sea in the world with a naturally low oxygen content. While it takes our own bodies seven years to replace all our cells, it takes the Baltic Sea 30 years to replenish its water! Salt water and oxygen can only reach it through very irregular and sporadic storm events. This makes the Baltic Sea very sensitive to all kinds of pollution. Today, we are very concerned about the situation in the Baltic. The Baltic Sea area has not improved, from an environmental point of view, over the last 10-15 years in spite of the many measures that have been implemented.

First: Eurtrophication.

- Lack of sewage treatment plants, intensified agricultural practices and the uncontrolled use of poisonous substances have affected the Baltic Sea for quite some time. Consequently, eutrophication has increased, oxygen content in bottom water has decreased and there is an overabundance of hazardous substances within the ecosystem.

Second: The depletion of fish stocks.

- The whole ecosystem is in danger. The dominant fish species in the system the cod is overexploited, resulting in long ranging negative effects including algal blooms that impact on the ecosystem and on the fishery itself.

- Finally; oil spills.

Oil spills can result in damaged marine ecosystems in the deep waters of the Baltic. The sinking of the bulk carrier Fu Shan Hai and the massive spread of oil on the beaches in southern Sweden remains fresh in our memory.

[2004-09-21]