Gunnar NorénCCB Executive secretary

Seminar ”Reducing nutrient run-off from large-scale animal production in the Baltic Sea Region”

Presentation

”Agriculture and Environment Protection in the Baltic Sea Region”

6 December 2013, Warzaw, Poland

I will speak about:

1. CCB – short on Coalition Clean Baltic2. Baltic Sea eutrophication3. HELCOM BSAP from 2007 & Agri4. Decisions from HELCOM Ministerial

meeting , 3 October 20135. HELCOM nutrient country reduction

quotas6. Financial instruments to control

Nutrient run-off & Best Practice

Coalition Clean Baltic

CCB – Joining forces for the Baltic• CCB is a network of Environmental

NGOs, grass-root level, in 11 countries in the Baltic Sea catchment

• CCB was established in 1990

• CCB is environmental Citizens Organisations (ECO) in cooperation

• CCB has 22 member organizations

• CCB has organisations in: Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Ukraine

Priority Areas

1. Promotion of good ecological water status• Sustainable wastewater management• Sustainable River Basin Management• Promotion of water protection measures in Agriculture

2. Prevention of installations and transports harmful to the Baltic Sea environment and coastal areas• Harmful installations and transports• Promotion of sustainable development in coastal zones

3. Development of sustainable Baltic Sea fisheries• Protection of the naturally spawning Baltic Salmon• Promotion of Baltic Sea sustainable fishing practices

3

AGRICULTURE and EUTROPHICATION

Baltic agriculture – contribute with approx 50 % of the nutrient load(Nitrogen & Phosphorus)to the Baltic Sea

HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) 2007

• Quite strong goals and actions to control eutrophication decided on –Country quotas Agreed Total N&P-reductions give significant improvement Will not solve whole Eutrophication problem, but take an important step to reduce Baltic Eutrophication

*Preliminary Maximum nutrient input to Baltic Sea (calculated via MARE NEST model – using water visibility goals) for 7 sub-basins

*Revised Max. nutrient input in 2013 Improved modelling (NEST) . More parameters:-water transparency/visibility -Concentration of P and N - Baltic surface water in springtime-Oxygen concentration /O2-deficiency

HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) 2007 & Agriculture sector

• Adopted a revised ANNEX III – Prevention of pollution from agriculture. Annex to HELCOM Convention is legally binding.

Require*Animal density – Max number of animals determined to balance between the amount of P and N in manure and crops requirements for plant nutrients

*Manure storage capacity : minimum level 6 month storage capacity

*Application rates for nutrients-balance between nutrient requirements of crops and nutrient supply to crops from soil and fertilizers (manure+chemical), with a view to minimize eutrophication

*Amount of livestock manure applied each year-max 170 kg N / ha,year-max 25 kg P / ha, year(N or P-content in manure can limit the use per hectar)(to fulfil Nutrient balanced fertilization requirements, balance to be made for both P and N)

*Other requirements-winter crop cover-water protection measures, e.g. buffer stripes

*Environmental permits regulations-Installations for rearing of poultry (>40 000 places), pigs ,over 30 kg (>2000 places), 750 places for sowsCattle (>400 animal units)

*Installations with 100 AU – must have simplified permit

*Difference EU IPPC/IED directives do not include Cattle farms – HELCOM requirements stronger

Nitrate Vulnerable Zone designation EU 25 (year 2006) and arearequiring designation according to Commission assessment

HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) 2007 also decided on:

• to establish by 2009 a list of Hot Spots identifying existing installations for the intense rearing of cattle, poultry and pigs not fulfilling the requirements in the revised Annex III of the HELCOM Convention

(agreed by two Helcom ministerial meetings 2007&2010)

-Baltic EU member states have not presented any inventory-Russia & Belarus has presented list of installations and background info

-----------------------------------------------------------------Studies confirm that:High animal density --- High nutrient surplus -----High Nutrient run-off

Check-up of all big Industial Animal Farms – can bring important Nutrient reduction from Agri sector

•HELCOM Ministerial meeting 3 Oct 2013

*HELCOM agreed to:-Introduce nutrient accounting and nutrient-balanced fertilization practices on farmland, at latest 2018

-introduce national tolerable levels for nutrient surplus (kg / ha, year)

(Poland had, as the last HELCOM country to agree. First reservation for such proposal, but finally accepted it the last days)

*HELCOM Ministerial meeting 3 Oct 2013 agreed to:-Introduce nutrient accounting and nutrient-balanced fertilization practices on farmland, at latest 2018-introduce national tolerable levels for nutrient surplus (kg / ha, year)

BEST PRACTICE for Nutrient-balanced fertilization practices, in Baltic Region. Defined clearly an objective.

GERMANY -applied Maximum Tolerable Nutrient Surplus per hectar (For more than 10 years)

*German Goal-maximum Surplus 50-60 kg N/ha, y(Reduced from 110 kg to about 70 kg N /ha, y)

Comparison BSAP 2007 and 2013

Eutrophication targets – ”Good Environmental Status”

Maximum Allowable Input to Baltic Sea

Nitrogen (ton) Phosphorus (ton)

2007 601 720 21 060

2013 792 209 21 716

Total reduction needed

2007 135 000 15 250

2013 118 134 15 178

BSAP revised Country Allocated Reduction Targets 2013, for Poland:

Nitrogen(ton) Phosphorus(ton)

2007 62 400 8760

2013 43 610 7480

Footnote to 2013 Polish figures:

”At this point in time Poland accepts the Polish Country Allocated Reduction Targets as indicative due to the ongoing national consultations, and confirms their efforts to finalize these consultations as soon as possible”

Poland not yet agreed on HELCOM nutrient reduction quotas---------------------------------------------Consequences if Poland will not agree

- jeopardize HELCOM cooperation – Crisis for HELCOM

-Collapse of the 7 years international process/negotiations on an agreed BSAP

-HELCOM credibility – as a world model for good Regional Marine Management-Protection – is lost

-Poland was an important HELCOM actor to develop and support establishment of BSAP in Krakow 2007

Main instrument to control Nutrient run-off from Agriculture in EU-countries

•EU agriculture subsidies 2014-2020 must contribute to the solution of the Baltic Sea Eutrophication problem

•Both Pillar1 –Direct support and Pillar 2 –Rural Development Programmes, should contribute

Agriculture actions that must be implemented within EU

•Cross-compliance rules with EU environmental aquis must be applied

•Water Framework Directive (WFD) will secure Good Ecological Water Status

•Nitrate Directive to control eutrophication of surface- and ground-waters

•Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) shall provide Good Environmnetal Status to Baltic Sea 2020

* HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan(BSAP) will provide Healthy Baltic Sea and GES by 2021

Various signs show that Baltic Agriculture ministries – not willing to fulfil EU environmental aquis

•Rural Development Programmes (RDP) has been the most important financial instrument, e.g. for Agri-Environmental schemes

•Sweden has decided that CAP-subsidies 2014-2015 Will not be used for measures related to:-Nutrient accounting, Nutrient-balanced fertilization practices-Buffer stripes-Construction of wetlands (nutrient traps)-Catch crops

•Poland is planning to transfer maximum possible financing from Pillar 2 to Pillar 1. Negiotiated with EC to have possibility to move up to 25 %

•

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!