Aim of the co-operation

Our ultimate goal is to improve the environmental state of the Gulf of Finland through strengthened international co-operation.

The co-operation is a sub-regional contributor to various processes aiming at the protection of the Baltic Sea, especially in the context of the implementation of the HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan. In this work, marine protection objectives set forth within the framework of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive are taken into consideration. Also the Maritime Doctrine of the Russian Federation, EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and the North-West Russia Development Strategy create frames for the trilateral work.

Thanks to the existing co-operation and the active roles that the ministries and various institutes have taken, we have been able to study the entire Gulf since the early 1990s, which was not possible before. Our joint efforts have led to the implementation of several direct and indirect protective measures which now steer research and decision-making towards the healthier Gulf. That said, there are still things to be done.