Memorandum of Understanding signed

UBC endorsed the Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Port and Maritime Policy for the Baltic Sea Region on 30 September 2005 during its VIII General Conference in Turku, Finland. On the same occasion, the memorandum was signed by 15 major Baltic ports and port cities.

The Memorandum of Understanding creates the basis for common environmental practices in all ports on the Baltic. It is a voluntary agreement on common environmental practices dealing with ships' air emissions, handling of waste and managing the waste water. This is an important and practical contribution for better living environments in the port cities, as well as for improving the condition of the Baltic Sea. Through the Memorandum cities are committed to encourage their port administrations to implement measures for reducing air emissions from shipping and to harmonize their technical facilities and procedures for waste and waste water management and noise abatement with other port cities. Correspondingly, the ports engage themselves to effectuate these measures and practices to reduce environmental impacts. Ship owners' task is to contribute to new procedures by using the best available technology. The signatories include cities and ports from all around the Baltic Sea, for example the city and port of Stockholm, city and port of Turku, port of Rostock and Szczecin and Swinoujscie Seaports. All other Baltic ports, port cities, shipping companies and stakeholders are now welcome to sign the Memorandum.

Mr Per Bodker Andersen, UBC President addressed the participants on the occasion of the signing ceremony by saying how important the Memorandum initiative is. He told how the UBC has supported the initiative of the Baltic Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Port and Maritime Policy already for several years. The Memorandum is the result of the New Hansa of Sustainable Ports and Cities Project. The future actions include the Memorandum follow-up conference, which will be organised by Stockholm in 2007. The Commission on Environment Secretariat will monitor the improvements made at the ports and cities, and will report at the Stockholm Conference on Sustainable Ports and Port Cities in 2007. The UBC environmental team will also promote the memorandum and organise gathering of more signatories.

The New Hansa of Sustainable Ports and Cities project is part of the UBC Agenda 21 Action Programme 2004-2009 - Roadmap for Sustainable Baltic Cities. It is co-funded by the European Commission Baltic Sea Region Interreg III B Programme and the Finnish Ministry of the Environment.