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What was the purpose of the Helsinki Convention on protecting the Baltic Sea?

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Map showing the physical features, major cities, and national boundaries around the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and English Channel regions of northern and western Europe. The map highlights coastal countries including the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia, with sea depths indicated and key islands, peninsulas, and underwater trenches labeled. — Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the English Channel.

The Helsinki Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area was established to address the environmental degradation of the Baltic Sea, which is recognized as ecologically vulnerable due to its status as a semienclosed sea with limited water circulation.1

The primary purpose of the convention was to serve as an international framework to control land-based sources of pollution, such as chemical runoffs from agriculture and industrial development. By fostering cooperation among Baltic countries, the agreement aimed to protect the region's unique flora and fauna from the harmful effects of pollution. It remains a significant effort in managing the environmental health of the shared marine environment.1

It is important to distinguish this environmental agreement from the 1975 Helsinki Accords, which were part of the Helsinki process—a separate series of diplomatic events focused on European security, human rights, and political cooperation during the Cold War.2