Environmental Co-operation in the Baltic Region
5. Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)
5.1 The Role of NonGovernment Organisations in Environmental Policy in general
The inclusion of the non-government organisations into the work on environmental protection have great importance for the national understanding of the environmental problems and for balancing the solutions in relation to the various nongovernment organisations of the society.
5.2 Non-Government Organisations in the Baltic Area
Since the fall of the wall, new regional nongovernment organisations have been set up in the Baltic Area, including the 'green' organisations. Also global environmental organisations are working regionally in the Baltic Area.
5.2.1 Coalition Clean Baltic
Purpose and Origin
Coalition Clean Baltic was founded in February 1990 by non-governmental environmental organisations from countries around the Baltic in order to co-operate on subjects related to the Baltic. The main purpose of the CCB is to protect and improve the environment and the natural resources based on the following six principles:
 | Sustainability must be accepted as the over-all principle and guideline in politics as well as within all other types of decisions. |
| The natural environment, and the resources and environmental facilities provided by the natural environment, is a given and necessary restriction which should not be overruled by human activities. The concept of 'environmental space' is one of the access points to be taken into account as a basis for human activities in the area around the Baltic. |
| The region around the Baltic should not be an unreasonable burden for the natural resources, the health of ecosystems, or people from other regions.The Baltic area should, to the extent possible, be made more self-sufficient as regards food, animal feed, wood, energy, and raw materials for the industry. |
| The area around the Baltic should not export its waste products to other parts of the world. It is necessary to have the prices fixed correctly - consumption of resources and activities that are destructive to the environment must bear their correct ecological costs. |
| Only a cross-sectorial access is possible and practicable in order to crease sustainable nations and a sustainable Baltic Area. |
| Public attention, acceptance, and participation are essential in a process to create a sustainable Baltic area. Any effort must be made to obtain democracy and equality, to provide the inhabitants of the region with education, information, encouragement, and practical ways of participation in order to motivate and encourage them in the process. |
Geographic Limits and Participants
The coalition includes 26 organisations from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia.
Organisation and Decision Process
The CCB carries out the tasks on a local level through the many grass-root movements.
Fields of Activities
In order to reach their objectives, the CCB has chosen to concentrate their efforts on five areas of activities:
| Promotion of ecological engineering work and ecological solutions in order to reduce the quantity of nutrients in water. |
| River monitoring / river basin management. |
| Protection of naturally spawned salmon. |
| Avoid hazardous installations and activities in the area around the Baltic. |
| Protection of the archipelago of the Baltic. |
Financing and Environmental Resources
The Swedish natural protection association and the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA) sponsor the different projects that the CCB is working on.The funding reaches approx. $ 250,000 annually.
Sources
www.lanet.lv/org/ccb
Address
International Secretariat
C/o Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
P.O. Box 4625
S-116 91 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel.: +46 18 42 20 15 / +46 86 43 65 95
Fax: +46 18 42 21 21 / +46 86 43 65 95
unnar Noren, Executive Secretary
Eva Lagerstedt, Coordinator
E-mail: Gunnar.Noren@snf.se
Eva.Lagerstedt@snf.se
5.2.2 The World Wildlife Foundation (1961) International Baltic Programme
Purpose and Origin
The WWF was founded in 1961 and is today the biggest nature and environment organisation of the world, with offices in 50 countries and approx. five million support members. The purpose of WWF's work is:
| to preserve the variety of life forms of nature, the biological diversity |
| to make sure that the exploitation of the natural resources is done in a sustainable way |
| to combat pollution and unnecessary consumption of resources |
Geographic Limits and Participants
The WWF consists of a network of organisations distributed on more than 50 countries. Within the Baltic Area, there are offices in Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany.
Organisation and Decision Process
The network of the WWF comprises 27 national organisations, 5 co-operation partners, 21 programme offices, and approx. 5 million members.
Fields of Activities and Essential Results in Eastern Europe
Sustainable development is the heading of the work of the WWF in Eastern Europe, and agriculture, forestry, freshwater, and waters and coastal areas have been given special priority. A number of the environmental problems that are today known to be the consequence of the intensive exploitation of nature can still be avoided in Eastern Europe. However, this is not going to be easy since the countries need income, for instance from exportation of natural resources, which often collides with the more long-term sustainable solutions.
The WWF has put special focus on the upcoming extension of the EU, which might entail environmental problems, for instance if the present agricultural policy is transferred without any modifications. However, the extension also opens for the opportunities to promote a sustainable development and strengthen the environmental legislation of the countries.
The WWF gives high priority to demonstration projects. In co-operation with the local authorities, the organisation combines protection of environment and nature with support for regional development. The WWF seeks to disseminate understanding for the fact that natural values and a clean environment are actives that can open up for new opportunities for economic development in the form of nature tourism and profiling of the area as an exponent for quality and clean products.
In the western part of Latvia, the WWF has been working in two coastal areas, among others at he Pape lake, where a great number of threatened species of birds exist in the vast forest of reeds and the fresh meadows. Among others the wolf and the elk are found in the forests around the lake. The WFF has helped, among others with the purchase of a reeds reaper; at the same time, plans are being made how to carry out the reeds reaping without causing damage to the natural values.
In the delta of the Nemuras river in Lithuania, the WWF help creating a regional park (250 km2), which both gives place for the 5,000 inhabitants of the area and for the great natural values. The area in included under the Ramsar Convention on protection of wetlands of international importance, and can include up to 50,000 whitefronted guese. Many seldom species of birds breed here, among others the threatened corn-crakes, great snipes, and aquatic warblers.The delta includes unique types of landscapes as a consequence of the recurrent floods of the vast, fresh meadows.
Besides, the WWF's Panda Prize has twice gone to projects in Eastern Europe. The first time was in 1994 for the WWF Forestry project in Latvia, which is a model project for sustainable forestry.The prize went for a survey of the relation between various types of forestry and impact on the biodiversity of the area. In 1998, the price went to the Estonian Fund for Nature for a project in the Alam-Pedja Nature Reservoir. The project among others comprises information of the natural values of Alam Pedja to schoolchildren and for support to natural tourism of the area.
In Russia, the WWF is especially working on securing the unique Russian network of natural protection areas, representing all of the most important types of nature in the country, i.e. tundra, steppe, mountains, lakes, rivers, delta, coasts, and forests. Among the great number of species of animals that are dependent on these areas, the following can be mentioned: The Siberian tiger, Asiatic white crane, snow leopard, and the brown bear. Several of these species are close to extermination.
In many places in Russia, the areas are threatened by huge political and financial changes. The WWF is among others trying to safeguard the areas by strengthening their importance for the local society. In many poor agricultural areas, a protected nature area may help giving the area a special profile and identity and ensure international attention.
The WWF has carried out a project in three reserves in western Russia: Nizhnersvirsky at the Ladoga Lake, the Bryansk forests at the border of Ukraine, and Okski at the head of the Volga river.The areas are of great importance; for instance the Bryansk forests represent the only large forest area in this part of Russia.
Financing and Resources for Envi ronment
The WWF gets its funds from donations, national organisations, grants, foundations, governments, relief organisations, royalties, own income, and others.
Sources
The global WWF network is available on the following home page: www.panda.org The Danish home page is found on the following address: www.wwf.dk
Address
WWF DENMARK
Ryesgade 3F
DK-2200 Copenhagen N
Tel.: +45 35 36 36 35
Fax: +45 35 24 78 68
E-mail: wwf@wwf.dk
Director: Anne-Marie Nielsen
Secretary-General: Kim Carstensen
5.2.3 Baltic Sea Business Advisory Council (BAC) (1996)
Purpose and Origin
The BAC was formed in the summer of 1996 by the Economic Working Group (WGEC) of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) at the initiative of the European Commission.
The main purpose is to identify bottlenecks for the financial development and propose possible solutions to this. The Council also tries to promote trade, investments, inventions and contacts in the countries and regions of the Baltic Sea. The BAC also seeks to keep close contact to the various governments in order to ensure the best possible conditions for free markets, clarify the potential for independents and the exploitations of business possibilities.
Geographic Limits and Participants
The BAC has a member in each of the countries in the CBSS. The delegated parties have all been nominated by a special organisation identified by the Government. The delegated from Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Germany have contacts in the political world, whereas Norway, Finland, and Lithuania have delegated from workers or industrial unions.
Organisation and Decision Process
The delegated persons meet and discuss where to go in to obtain the desired results. The group selects a president, who is the chairman.
Fields of Activities and essential Results
The field of activities of BAC is the trade between the Baltic countries. So far their most important results have been a memorandum on requests for action by Government, which is a survey of a great number of problems that must be solved in order to optimise business in the area. The memorandum was sent to all heads of state in the Baltic countries.
BAC also organises a forum named 'business meets politics' in order to facilitate the dialogue between the state and the industries.
Relations to the EU
BAC was founded on the initiative of the EU.
Sources
For further information, please contact:
The Secretariat for Financial Support to Eastern Europe
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tel.: +45 33 92 00 00
E-mail: um@um.dk