Ms Sylvia Bretschneider, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, BSPC Co-Observer to HELCOM, attended the 34th HELCOM meeting in Helsinki 5-6 March. Addressing the meeting, Ms Bretschneider informed that she and Ms Christina Gestrin, BSPC Co-Observer to HELCOM, have submitted a letter to the HELCOM Chair containing a number of amendment proposals that could serve as input to the process of drafting the HELCOM Declaration due for adoption at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Copenhagen 3 October. The texts in the letter are excerpted from recent BSPC Resolutions and Working Group Recommendations. “I would like to highlight some points”, Ms Bretschneider said. “Combating eutrophication is of crucial importance for the restoration of the health of the Baltic Sea. It is of utmost importance that Governments fulfill all their commitments under the Baltic Sea Action Plan; that the HELCOM Ministerial meeting raises the level of ambition concerning the reduction of discharges of phosphorus and nitrates into the Baltic Sea; that Best Agricultural Practices are developed and introduced in order to reduce the input of biogenic substances into the Baltic Sea; and that international cooperation on vessel traffic management, maritime safety and disaster preparedness is further enhanced. Furthermore, joint objectives in Maritime Spatial Planning should be drawn up, taking VASAB guidelines into consideration”. Ms Bretschneider also mentioned that the HELCOM BALEX-DELTA Exercise this year will take place on 13-14 June in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern close to Rostock-Warnemünde.