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Baltic Activities
Statement of the Main Secretariat of INEM
Plenary Speech at the 18th Annual Meeting of HELCOM
Helsinki, Finland
by Troy Davis
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Main Secretariat of INEM would like to give an update of some selected activities of the Main Secretariat and INEM member and affiliated associations in countries in the Baltic Sea
Region. The relevance of our work is that it can be seen as part of the implementation of the JCP in the business world, in particular concerning the items of institution building, point sources and environmental education
and awareness-raising. INEM activities in general help to translate at the grassroots the implementation of the EU regulations and schemes such as the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), as well as international voluntary
standards such as the ISO 14000 series. The awareness-raising, educational, training and motivational activities of the INEM Main Secretariat and of the INEM members in the Baltic Sea Region assist industry in the accession
countries to accelerate their implementation of the environmental "acquis communautaire", as well as promote their more active participation in specific resource saving programmes, such as energy conservation
campaigns. The model of non-profit business-based associations helps to strengthen civil society, which is a major goal of EU and bilateral assistance programmes for several countries in the catchment basin of the Baltic
Sea. This model also helps to guarantee the long-term sustainability of these activities, as they provide a mechanism for industry to have "ownership" of the executing agency, ie the national network. The focus of INEM
activities in the region is in building up the capacity of business in improving its environmental performance, mostly through information and training targeted to business and industry. Specifically, such training takes place in
events such as the second ECO-BALTIC conference of which HELCOM is a Major Partner together with the Baltic Sea Chamber of Commerce Association. We will present at the Second ECO-BALTIC practical examples of certification to
EMAS and ISO 14001, as well as the basic concepts of EMAS and ISO 14001, and the differences between them. The conference will serve as the launch of a series of training seminars for Polish business on Environmental Management, as
well as the launch of the new Polish Network for Environmental Management, INEM Polska. In addition, the INEM Main Secretariat tries to inform business in the region about relevant political processes, and to provide input to
these processes, for example the Environment for Europe process, the Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region process and the Project on the Update of the JCP. One interesting pilot activity is the Business and Environment
Twinning Initiative, launched at Sofia as part of the Sofia Initiatives. This twinning initiative seeks to create privileged links between enterprises or business associations of East and West, to facilitate the transfer of
human resource know-how in implementing sound management environmental . We hope to present the first winnings at the Aarhus Conference, including several winnings from the Baltic Sea Region, ie between business associations
from Sweden and Latvia, and from Denmark and Lithuania. Another pilot concept is the Industrial Given the key role which the transformation of business into environmentally-sound actors plays in securing progress in nearly all
the areas of concern to HELCOM, and the focused but integrated strategy of the INEM network around the Baltic Sea, we would welcome a stronger co-operation and involvement of all parties to HELCOM, both governments and other
parties, in our programmes to raise the capability of business to contribute to the implementation of the HELCOM JCP. As in the end INEM activities may be seen as implementing Public Awareness and Environmental Education for one
particular sector of society, HELCOM may wish to comment and recognize this work. To conclude with a concrete proposal, we believe we have demonstrated a willingness and capacity to play a major role in helping implement the
goals of HELCOM in the business sector. As we offered at PITF 8, we would be happy to consider the task of co-Lead Party for the appropriate element of the JCP. We are aware of the fact that this is not within the remit of
HELCOM, but we wish to inform that we have the intention to forward such a proposal to the forthcoming meeting of PITF.
11 to 13 March 1997
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