Dear Ministers,
Dear Costas (Kadis),
Dear Rüdiger (Strempel),
Dear Members of Parliament,
Dear Colleagues,
I am delighted to welcome you to Sweden.
Stockholm is built on 14 islands. Water is the lifeblood of this capital. And the Baltic Sea is closely connected with the heart and soul of this town and its people.
So this is a fitting location to discuss this vital body of water, those who depend on it, and its future.
Because today, our Baltic Sea is sick from overexploitation and pollution.
For generations, short term gains were prioritised, leading to long term negative consequences that are impacting local coastal communities, livelihoods, industry, marine life and our environment.
Our sea is a clear demonstration that our economic welfare depends on ecosystems health.
Our sea is choking and our fishing communities are suffocating. And marine life is struggling due to misuse and mismanagement of the seas resources.
Dear friends, the Baltic Sea is sending us clear messages and calls for help in the plastic bottles that litter our beaches and coastlines.
We must start listening.
The time has come to move up a gear in our action to improve the health of this Sea.
The alternative is that we accept that the Baltic Sea will become a dead sea – and that is simply unacceptable to me.
Yes, we are faced with geopolitical challenges, but our seas health cannot wait.
Think of the Baltic harbour porpoise. This species is on the brink of extinction. Its survival cannot be separated from the health of the entire Baltic ecosystem that sustains biodiversity and the livelihoods.
Saving these species – and the wider Baltic Sea – is our responsibility to local communities and to future generations, as well as our duty under EU and global commitments.
The good news is that we have the right tools.
What we need now is simple: implementation, implementation, implementation.
President von der Leyen echoed this point in her recent State of the Union speech – implementation is key to delivering results.
Let me give a few concrete examples.
The Helsinki Commission – or HELCOM – has produced the Baltic Sea Action Plan. It is probably one of the most comprehensive and advanced plans at regional level.
We need to prioritise its full and timely implementation.
We must also reduce contaminants from ship scrubber discharges, here in the Baltic Sea.
The European Commission is actively involved in shaping the HELCOM roadmap for ship discharge bans, following the example of Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
We are also working on proposals in this regard at the International Maritime Organisation.
At the EU level, we have a solid body of legislation to address eutrophication, pollution and biodiversity loss: the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
We also have the Water Framework Directive, the Nature Restoration Regulation, the Urban Wastewater Treatment, the Industrial Emissions Directives, and the Nitrates Directives.
And yes, climate change is piling on the pressure.
We need to get our sea into a healthier state so that it is more resilient to climate change. So that it can handle the pressures that come with our warming world.
This is not a cost – its an investment in our future, economies, our resilience, and our security.
So, implementation is paramount.
But to boost implementation, to help Member States in implementing EU law, we need to simplify EU law.
This is why I announced the revision of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, to help Member States focus on working towards clean, healthy and productive seas.
This is why the Commission adopted key initiatives such as the Biodiversity Strategy and the Zero Pollution Action Plan.
In June the Commission also adopted the Water Resilience Strategy and the Ocean Pact.
These outline the Commissions vision to deliver a clean economy for our people.
It will give the EU a competitive edge while protecting our natural resources and ecosystems.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have what we need.
We do not need more strategies, pieces of legislation or action plans – we need first and foremost to stay the course and implement our strategies and our laws.
We are gathered today to show we care about the Baltic Sea. That we understand the consequences of inaction. And that we are determined to bring it back to good health.
I started by saying that Stockholm is built on 14 islands. Well, these islands are connected by 57 bridges.
Today, lets strengthen our bridges – between policies, between countries, between institutions - and heal our dear Baltic Sea.
Thank you.
