Towards a healthy Baltic Sea: regional cooperation in focus at CBSS event

Representatives from government, regional organisations, academia and business met at the CBSS Secretariat in Stockholm on 27 March 2026 to review the state of the Baltic Sea and ongoing cooperation to improve its condition.

Opening the event, the Polish Ambassador to Sweden, Karolina Ostrzyniewska, and CBSS Director General Gustav Lindström noted that environmental pressures on the Baltic Sea remain significant, despite competing priorities in the wider geopolitical context. Participants emphasised that transboundary cooperation remains essential, given the shared nature of the sea.

"The Baltic Sea is considered one of the most polluted seas in the world, and the challenges affecting it will not resolve themselves," said Lindström, adding that continued and concerted efforts are needed to achieve a sustainable and healthy Baltic Sea.

Discussions addressed persistent challenges, including nutrient pollution and eutrophication, which continue to affect marine ecosystems through oxygen depletion, algae blooms and declining biodiversity. Speakers also pointed to the cumulative impact of legacy issues, such as submerged munitions.

Co-organised with the Polish Embassy in Sweden, the CBSS Secretariat and Race for the Baltic, the event also highlighted regional cooperation in practice, including concrete collaboration between Poland and Sweden. This perspective framed discussions around how joint initiatives can translate political commitments into tangible environmental outcomes.

At the regional level, the CBSS continues to advance cooperation on Baltic Sea environmental sustainability, including through work on green shipping corridors and efforts to improve the collection and sharing of marine data.

Under the Polish CBSS Presidency, this is notably being taken forward with a focus on innovation, maritime energy security and sea-dumped munitions.

In Stockholm, panel discussions featured contributions from Daniel Westlén, State Secretary at Sweden's Ministry of Climate and Enterprise; Paula Hanasz, Advisor to the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment; and Johan Wullt, Head of Communications at the European Commission Representation in Sweden, under the moderation of CBSS Director General Gustav Lindström.

A second panel, moderated by Marcin Kotlarek, CEO of Race for the Baltic, included Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary of HELCOM; Henrik Österblom, Professor at Stockholm University; and Fanny Tham Ratz, Deputy CEO of Race for the Baltic, who addressed the state of the Baltic Sea and practical pathways to improve its condition.