25
Implementation of EAM in the case of eutrophication requires comprehensive
knowledge on how both ecosystems and sociopolitical systems function. It remains
to be seen, however, whether or not the institutions, policies, action plans and measures in place today in the Baltic Sea region are suffi ciently developed to do so in
order to promote and reach agreed environmental targets. With that question in
mind, this study describes and analyses (1) the formal institutional structures and
(2) the interactions between scientifi c assessment and environmental management
in the case of eutrophication in the Baltic Sea region. The aim is to investigate how
and to what extent public governance structures and policies take on and implement
EAM and what that might mean in relation to environmental policy objectives in
place. Furthermore, the study focuses on the question of assessment-management
interactions with respect to knowledge integration and the way uncertainty and disagreement is dealt with or not. For practical reasons all atmospheric sources of
nitrogen deposition, such as road-based transportation, are not included. Primary
focus is placed on the public governance system as it plays the most important role
in Baltic Sea environmental governance (Kern 2011 ).
2.2 Material and Methods
The study is based on both an analysis of documents and a series of interviews. The
empirical material presented and analysed consists of various scientifi c, legal and
policy documents as well as of results from qualitative semi-structured interviews
with 17 key stakeholders, of which four were active on an international basis and
the rest in three countries. Several of those interviewed came from Finland and
Sweden , thereby allowing us to assess the situation in two countries well known for
comparatively ambitious environmental policies. The interviewees represented four
groups: public decision-makers and authorities (six persons), scientists (fi ve
persons), NGOs (four persons) and national interest organisations (two persons)
(Table 2.1 ). Public decision-making institutions and authorities were included by
persons from the secretariat of the international HELCOM body, ministries of environment and rural affairs in Finland and Sweden and the Swedish Environmental
Protection Agency (SEPA). SEPA is partly an independent authority, but it is acting
on the basis of Swedish and EU law.
The Baltic Sea environmental scientists came from three universities in Sweden
and two research institutes in Denmark and Finland . The non-governmental organisations were both international environmental NGOs and voluntary and politically
independent organisations, like the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC), a network of
over 100 cities in the Baltic Sea region. The WWF Sweden , the Coalition Clean
Baltic (CCB) , the John Nurminen Foundation and the Baltic Sea Action Group
(BSAG) were international or national environmental NGOs. The biggest national
interest organisations of agriculture in Finland and Sweden, MTK (the Central
Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners) and LRF (the Federation of
Swedish Farmers ), respectively, represented the last stakeholder group.
2 Eutrophication and the Ecosystem Approach to Management: A Case Study…
Implementation of EAM in the case of eutrophication requires comprehensive
knowledge on how both ecosystems and sociopolitical systems function. It remains
to be seen, however, whether or not the institutions, policies, action plans and measures in place today in the Baltic Sea region are suffi ciently developed to do so in
order to promote and reach agreed environmental targets. With that question in
mind, this study describes and analyses (1) the formal institutional structures and
(2) the interactions between scientifi c assessment and environmental management
in the case of eutrophication in the Baltic Sea region. The aim is to investigate how
and to what extent public governance structures and policies take on and implement
EAM and what that might mean in relation to environmental policy objectives in
place. Furthermore, the study focuses on the question of assessment-management
interactions with respect to knowledge integration and the way uncertainty and disagreement is dealt with or not. For practical reasons all atmospheric sources of
nitrogen deposition, such as road-based transportation, are not included. Primary
focus is placed on the public governance system as it plays the most important role
in Baltic Sea environmental governance (Kern 2011 ).
2.2 Material and Methods
The study is based on both an analysis of documents and a series of interviews. The
empirical material presented and analysed consists of various scientifi c, legal and
policy documents as well as of results from qualitative semi-structured interviews
with 17 key stakeholders, of which four were active on an international basis and
the rest in three countries. Several of those interviewed came from Finland and
Sweden , thereby allowing us to assess the situation in two countries well known for
comparatively ambitious environmental policies. The interviewees represented four
groups: public decision-makers and authorities (six persons), scientists (fi ve
persons), NGOs (four persons) and national interest organisations (two persons)
(Table 2.1 ). Public decision-making institutions and authorities were included by
persons from the secretariat of the international HELCOM body, ministries of environment and rural affairs in Finland and Sweden and the Swedish Environmental
Protection Agency (SEPA). SEPA is partly an independent authority, but it is acting
on the basis of Swedish and EU law.
The Baltic Sea environmental scientists came from three universities in Sweden
and two research institutes in Denmark and Finland . The non-governmental organisations were both international environmental NGOs and voluntary and politically
independent organisations, like the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC), a network of
over 100 cities in the Baltic Sea region. The WWF Sweden , the Coalition Clean
Baltic (CCB) , the John Nurminen Foundation and the Baltic Sea Action Group
(BSAG) were international or national environmental NGOs. The biggest national
interest organisations of agriculture in Finland and Sweden, MTK (the Central
Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners) and LRF (the Federation of
Swedish Farmers ), respectively, represented the last stakeholder group.
2 Eutrophication and the Ecosystem Approach to Management: A Case Study…