State Duma has passed the Law "On the Russian Federation ratifying the Agreement between the Governments of the Kingdom of Denmark, Estonian Republic, Republic of Finland, Federal Republic of Germany, LatvianRepublic, Lithuanian Republic, Republic of Poland, Russian Federation and Kingdom of Sweden regarding the privileges and immunities of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission".
The agreement was signed February 2, 1998, by eight signatory countries of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, also known as the 1992 Helsinki Convention. These countries are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Russia. The document went into force January 29, 1999 and is open for signing by any other country. Russia is the only country at the moment that has not ratified the convention yet. The Helsinki Commission /HELCOM/, the coordinating agency of the convention was set up in 1974 to monitor compliance with the initial version of the document and to develop recommendations for how to protect the marine environment of this sea, which is unique in many ways. According to explanatory documents, the agreement spells out the volume of privileges and immunities HELCOM is entitled to for its efficient functioning. In part, commission members and experts are granted immunity from executive, administrative and judiciary procedures, while its archives are declared inviolable. These rights and privileges, however, do not spread beyond the standard rights, which Russia offers to other international non-governmental organizations it is a member of. Russia's joining the agreement will create proper conditions for its officials' equitable participation in the activity of this regional agency.