In an effort to preserve and improve the condition of the Baltic Sea, the Finnish government has announced its plan to hold a Baltic Sea Action Summit in 2010. Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Prime Minister Matti Taneli Vanhanen have invited the leaders of every Baltic Sea nation, along with key companies involved with the sea, to attend the summit in Helsinki in February 2010.
In a prelude meeting to the summit, Tarja Halonen insisted that the Baltic Sea can be saved if all the social sectors join together and make the commitment to preserve this invaluable body of water. According to The People’s Daily, she suggested that a comprehensive mix of innovation and right practice can save the Baltic Sea. So far, eight companies have offered to participate in the project with their funding, products, and technology.
For Finland’s part, Prime Minister Vanhanen said his government will present a white paper to Parliament in June outlining concrete actions that will help resolve the challenges facing the sea in terms of maritime safety and environmental protection. In recent years the Baltic Sea has suffered from eutrophication from excessive amounts of chemicals dumped into the water, along with a sharp increase in the frequency of oil and chemical transportation across the sea.