Baltice – Ice Navigation

Baltic Icebreaking Management, BIM, is an organisation with members from all the Baltic Sea states. BIM is a result of the annual meetings of the Baltic states icebreaking authorities which have assembled for more than 25 years. After a difficult winter navigation season 2002/2003, a project was launched within the framework of HELCOM aiming at improving the safety of winter navigation in the Baltic Sea. The HELCOM Recommendation on the Safety of Winter Navigation in the Baltic Sea Area was adopted in March 2004. Within the EU concept Motorways of the Sea, which is one priority project in the trans-European network, the Baltic Sea countries established a working group with the aim of creating more efficient winter navigation through cooperation between the Baltic Sea countries. In 2004 the icebreaking authorities around the Baltic Sea decided that this work would continue within the framework of BIM, where also non-EU member states are taking part. BIM is now an organisation for the development of safe, reliable and efficient winter navigation between the Baltic Sea countries. The overall objective of BIM is to ensure a well-functioning, year-round maritime transport system in the Baltic Sea through enhancing the strategic and operational cooperation between the Baltic Sea countries in the area of winter navigation assistance. The member countries of BIM are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden.