8. to ratify, for those states that have not already done so, the Espoo Convention (the EU Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context);

9. to ratify, for those states that have not already done so, the Convention on Ballast waters (International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships´ Ballast Water and Sediments of 2004);

10. to fulfill all commitments under the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, adopted by the Governments of the Baltic Sea Region in Krakow in 2007, aimed at restoring a good environmental status of the Baltic Sea by 2021; to further raising the level of ambition at the HELCOM ministerial meeting in fall 2013 for reducing the outlet of phosphorous and nitrates into the Baltic Sea; and to carry out active efforts to coordinate activities with OSPAR in regard of promoting initiatives to decrease waste from vessels in the Baltic Sea and in the North-West Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel;

11. within the framework of improving health and rehabilitating the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea, to carry out work aimed at removing the sewage waste pollution sources in the drainage basin of the Baltic Sea, including the modernization of sewage systems and municipal sewage treatment facilities;

12. to contribute to the introduction of best agricultural practices and technologies in animal waste conversion and poultry farming;

13. to promote the decrease of influx of biogenic substances into the Baltic Sea by means of introducing best agricultural practices and technologies to manage waste from animal farming, including poultry farming, and by gradually decreasing use of polyphosphates in synthetic detergents.

14. to promote better health and rehabilitation of the Baltic Sea ecosystem by improving recycling, creating new landfills for municipal and industrial waste with consequent reclamation of land, and by removing obsolete pesticide storages;

15. to welcome work within the trilateral Project of the Year of the Gulf of Finland, aimed at implementation of a set of measures to improve environmental health of the Baltic Sea, namely through research and environmental protection efforts that promote better environmental status of the Baltic Sea ecosystem;

16. to make sustained efforts to promote and develop green growth, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and to adopt nationally adapted binding targets for energy efficiency;

17. to work actively within the IMO to improve the technical requirements, adopted earlier, in respect of the energy efficiency of new sea vessels and development of globally binding technical and/or operational regulations in order to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases from the existing vessels;

18. to support BASREC (Baltic Sea Region Energy Cooperation) and implement the commitments for 2012-2015 made by the BASREC Ministerial Meeting 14-15 May 2012, in order to develop sustainable energy systems in the region and to integrate energy markets and energy infrastructure;

19. to lessen the dependence on fossilized fuel by exploring renewable energy sources;

20. to promote education, research and development on green growth and energy efficiency, and to take action to disseminate information, exchange best practices and raise awareness of both environmental and economic gains and ways of saving energy;

21. to support activities of the CBSS Expert Group on Sustainable Development – Baltic 21, focused on four strategic areas: climate change, sustainable consumption and production, innovation and education for sustainable development, sustainable urban and rural development;

22. to provide political incentives and innovative financial schemes to initiate pilot projects and investments in energy efficiency measures;

23. to promote green public procurement (GPP) at all levels of public administration, ensuring that GPP standards provide a level playing field for businesses and do not lead to competitive disadvantages for small and medium-sized enterprises;