The offshore protocol helps protect the Mediterranean Sea from pollution

The EU has acceded to the offshore protocol of the Barcelona convention, underlining its commitment to protect the Mediterranean Sea against pollution from offshore exploration and exploitation activities.

ACT

Council Decision of 17 December 2012 on the accession of the European Union to the Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution resulting from exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf and the seabed and its subsoil (2013/5/EU) (The Offshore Protocol)

SUMMARY

Council Decision 2013/5/EU enables the EU to accede to the offshore protocol (Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution resulting from exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf and the seabed and its subsoil), which came into force on 24 March 2011.

The offshore protocol is one of several protocols of the Barcelona convention, and aims to protect the Mediterranean Sea against pollution. Parties to the Barcelona convention are all 21 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the EU.

The Council decision invites Mediterranean EU Member States which have not yet acceded to the protocol (Cyprus being the only one which has) to take the necessary steps to do so.

The offshore protocol is inspired by Article 7 of the amended Barcelona convention. This obliges parties to do everything they can to tackle pollution of the Mediterranean Sea resulting from exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf and the seabed and its subsoil.

The Mediterranean has more than 200 active offshore platforms. Others are in the planning stage, following the discovery of large fossil fuel reserves. In the event of an accident, these platforms and others under consideration for other mineral resources pose a major threat to the Mediterranean economy as well as for its fragile marine and coastal ecosystems.

Addressing the pollution risk is also in line with Member States' obligation to achieve and maintain good environmental status in their marine waters in the Mediterranean as required by the marine strategy framework directive.

The offshore protocol covers a wide range of exploration and exploitation activities, and addresses, inter alia, permit requirements, removal of abandoned or disused installations, use and removal of harmful substances, liability and compensation requirements and coordination with other parties of the Barcelona convention at regional level.

The parties to the protocol are obliged, individually or through bilateral or multilateral cooperation, to take all appropriate measures to prevent, abate, combat and control pollution in the protocol area resulting from offshore exploration and exploitation activities. They also commit to using the best available, most environmentally effective and economically appropriate techniques.

Responsibility for implementing some of the protocol’s detailed measures, such as a national monitoring system, lies with the countries and their competent authorities.

RELATED ACTS

Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution resulting from exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf and the seabed and its subsoil

Convention on the protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona convention)

Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (marine strategy framework directive) (Official Journal L 164 of 25.6.2008)

Last updated: 21.02.2014