Baltic COMPASS - Comprehensive Policy Actions and Investments in Sustainable Solutions in Agriculture in the Baltic Sea Region

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Baltic COMPASS project has grown out of a large number of international projects in the field of landuse, agriculture, water and environment related to the protection of the Baltic Sea. Specifically, Baltic COMPASS is a response to the need for a transnational approach to reduce eutrophication of the Baltic Sea and contribute in adaption and implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). The project will particularly aim to remedy the gaps in the stakeholders' capacity and resources to combat euthrophication and communicate on the different policy levels, and lack of trust between the environmental and agricultural sectors. The project aims to support win-win solutions for agriculture, environment and business sectors throughout the Baltic Sea Region. 23 partners from authorities, interest organizations and research institutes in Finland, Russia, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden constituates the partnership. The target groups for Baltic COMPASS are governments, authorities, interest organizations and entrepreneurs with influence on landuse in the Baltic Sea Region. Landuse for agricultural purposes in the BSR is expected to intensify due to climate change and increasing global demands for food and bioenergy. This is likely to exacerbate current pressures on the sensitive marine ecosystems. The competence, technologies, policies and science for developing more sustainable solutions is available in the BSR, but are currently unevenly distributed and harmonized between regions, and moreover between the west and the east. This is the specific transnational problem and challenge addressed by Baltic COMPASS. The partnership will work to boost utilization of best practices, accelerate investments in environmental technologies, strenghten governance and policy adaption; and to promote the Baltic Sea Region as a pilot region for innovative solutions related to combating eutrophication. Activities in the project will all contribute to two instrument drivers of change in the BSR: an adaptive policy environment and an enabling environment for investment. As a strategic project Baltic COMPASS will focus on activities which add value to ongoing projects, actions and policies. The project underlines cooperation with Russia although ENPI funding is not available. The partnership will secure sustainability of results through close cooperation with administrations and national authorities, and through pilot investments in renewable energy utilization, improved nutrient management and small-scale climate change mitigation on farm level. Cooperation with other projects like WATERPRAXIS, BIOENERGY PROMOTION, BALTIC CLIMATE and NEW BRIDGES is essential. Baltic COMPASS incorporates the objectives of the EU Lisbon strategy, EU Marine Strategy Directive and the upcoming EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, especially in combining environmental and economic sustainability.

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