The members of the Baltic Sea Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM), formed by the nine coastal countries and the EU, have today started their 42nd Heads of Delegation Meeting particularly focusing on the precise contents of the 2013 Ministerial Declaration, set to be adopted in exactly one month. The Declaration will cover a wide selection of topics covering biodiversity and ecosystem services, eutrophication, hazardous substances, shipping, preparedness and response to pollution at sea, along with monitoring, assessment and marine knowledge.