The Helsinki Commission (HELCOM)

The Helsinki Commission works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental cooperation between Denmark, Estonia, the European Community, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden. They provide information about:i)the state of trends in the marine environment; ii)the efficiency of measures to protect it; and iii) commons initiatives and positions which can form the basis for decision-making in other international fora.

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area" - more usually known as the Helsinki Convention..