Lotta Ruokanen and Eetu Virtanen: Our regional strategy for nutrient recycling

Why is the strategy needed?
The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) has guided regional efforts to improve the Baltic Sea’s environmental state since 2007 and revised in 2021. HELCOM's 2018 Ministerial meeting recognized the importance of nutrient recycling in tackling eutrophication, enhancing resource efficiency, and supporting climate goals. In related declaration, HELCOM committed to developing a Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy that would complement the BSAP, providing a vision and comprehensive set of objectives and measures for sustainable and safe utilization of regionally available nutrients. Finland’s HELCOM chairmanship prioritized the strategy, underscoring its dual environmental and economic significance. HELCOM Contracting Parties adopted the strategy in 2021 Ministerial Meeting as one of the action documents associated with the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan.

Vision and objectives of the strategy
The vision of the strategy is that nutrients are managed sustainably in all HELCOM countries, securing the productivity of agriculture and minimizing nutrient loss to the Baltic Sea environment through efficient use of nutrients and cost-effective nutrient recycling. The strategy provides a structured framework with six main objectives: establishing the Baltic Sea region as a model area for nutrient recycling, reducing environmental impacts, ensuring safe nutrient recycling, promoting knowledge exchange and awareness, creating business opportunities, and improving policy coherence. Each objective includes sub-objectives and proposed measures for HELCOM Contracting Parties to implement.

Nationally implemented, supported and tracked jointly
The HELCOM Contracting Parties, which include all Baltic Sea coastal countries and the EU, are expected to implement the strategy through national and regional initiatives. The ongoing Circular Nutrients for a Sustainable Baltic Sea Region (CiNURGi) project, funded by Interreg Baltic Sea Region, aims to support the implementation of the strategy. With partners from eight Baltic Sea coastal countries, including HELCOM, the project develops and transfers solutions to support implementation of the strategy, targeting governments, policymakers, farmers, the agricultural sector, the wastewater sector, and circular businesses.

Each objective in the strategy is linked to prioritized actions that are included in the updated BSAP. This ensures the two policy documents work in synergy, strengthening each other’s impact. The implementation of the strategy will be tracked through the BSAP’s follow-up mechanisms, starting in 2025. HELCOM Contracting Parties report on their progress, allowing for periodic evaluations and adjustments as needed. The HELCOM Working Group on Source to Sea Management of Nutrients and Hazardous Substances and Sustainable Agricultural Practices has key role in monitoring implementation and facilitating cooperation between stakeholders.

Towards a more resilient and sustainable future
The strategy was adopted in 2021 and is aligned with the BSAP’s timeline, which runs until 2030. As the strategy is implemented, lessons learned will inform future updates. A review process will assess its effectiveness, and based on the outcomes, a new or revised strategy may be developed beyond 2030 to continue advancing nutrient recycling efforts in the Baltic Sea region.

In conclusion, the HELCOM Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy is a structured set of measures designed to tackle eutrophication and improve resource efficiency. Through enhanced nutrient recycling and coordinated efforts from governments, businesses, researchers, and farmers, it complements the BSAP and supports the Baltic Sea region’s transition toward a more resilient and sustainable future.