[pic] | COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES |

Brussels, 26.10.2009

COM(2009) 585 final

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

establishing the position to be adopted on behalf of the European Community with regard to proposals for amending Annexes II and III to the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (SPA/BD Protocol) of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention) at the sixteenth meeting of the Contracting Parties

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1. The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention) aims to prevent, abate, combat and to the fullest possible extent eliminate pollution of the Mediterranean Sea Area and to protect and enhance the marine environment in that area so as to contribute towards its sustainable development. It is an intergovernmental treaty adopted as a Regional Seas Programme under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme. Since 1977 the European Community has been a Party to the Barcelona Convention[1] and in 1999 approved the Protocol concerning specially protected areas and biological diversity in the Mediterranean and the annexes thereto[2].

2. The meeting of the Contracting Parties is the decision-making body of the Convention with powers to adopt, review and amend as required the annexes to the Convention or to its protocols, on the basis of amendments proposed by Contracting Parties. A number of proposals have been made to amend Annexes II and III to the above-mentioned Protocol. These proposals were submitted for evaluation to the meeting of the National Focal Points held in Floriana (Malta) from 3 to 6 June 2009, with a view to being adopted at the sixteenth meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, which will take place in Marrakesh (Morocco) from 3 to 5 November 2009.

3. In accordance with Article 23 of the Convention, an amendment to the Annexes will become effective for all Contracting Parties on expiry of a period determined by the Contracting Parties concerned when adopting the amendment, except for those Contracting Parties which make a reservation. It is therefore necessary for the Council to take a decision based on Article 300(2), second subparagraph, of the EC Treaty, for the purpose of establishing the positions to be adopted on behalf of the Community at the sixteenth meeting of the Contracting Parties.

4. The proposals for amendments that have been tabled would not require any change in Community law. They do not conflict with the Birds[3] and the Habitats[4] Directives or the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)[5] . The Community should support these proposals on the basis of the following considerations: (1) they are scientifically sound; (2) for reasons of consistency between its internal and external action; and (3) the EC is committed to international cooperation for the protection of biodiversity, in accordance with both Article 5 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the target agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development “to significantly reduce the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010”.

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

establishing the position to be adopted on behalf of the European Community with regard to proposals for amending Annexes II and III to the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (SPA/BD Protocol) of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention) at the sixteenth meeting of the Contracting Parties

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 175(1), in conjunction with the second subparagraph of Article 300(2), thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Community is a Contracting Party to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention)[6] and has approved the Protocol concerning specially protected areas and biological diversity in the Mediterranean and the annexes thereto[7].

(2) The meeting of the Contracting Parties is the decision-making body of the Convention, and the powers conferred upon it include the capacity to amend as required the annexes to the Convention and to its protocols.

(3) For the sixteenth meeting of the Contracting Parties, which will take place in Marrakesh (Morocco) from 3 to 5 November 2009, Contracting Parties have presented proposals to change the taxonomic name of certain species and to give protection to several additional species by amending Annexes II and III to the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (SPA/BD Protocol) of the Convention.

(4) In accordance with Article 23 of the Convention, an amendment to the Annexes of the Protocol shall become effective for all Contracting Parties on expiry of a period determined by the Contracting Parties concerned when adopting the amendment, except for those Contracting Parties which notify in writing the Depositary.

(5) The proposals for amendments tabled would not require any change in Community law.

(6) The Community should support these proposals because they are scientifically sound, tie in with Community legislation and with the Community’s commitment to international cooperation for the protection of biodiversity, and are in accordance with both Article 5 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity[8] and the target agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 to significantly reduce the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

At the sixteenth meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention), the Commission shall present the following position of the Community at the voting on the proposals for giving protection to several species by amending Annexes II and III to the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (SPA/BD Protocol) of that Convention:

5. the Commission is hereby authorised to support the modification of the denomination of certain species on the list of species of Annexes II and III to the Protocol, in accordance with the Annex to this Decision[9];

6. the Commission is hereby authorised to support the addition of the following species to Annex II:

7. Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson;

8. Cystoseira genus, except Cystoseira compressa

9. Fucus virsoides J. Agardh;

10. Gymnogongrus crenulatus (Turner) J. Agardh 1851;

11. Kallymenia spathulata (J. Agardh) Codomier ex P.G. Parkinson;

12. Sargassum acinarium (Linnaeus) Setchell;

13. Sargassum flavifolium Kützing;

14. Sargassum hornschuchii C. Agardh;

15. Sargassum trichocarpum J. Agardh;

16. Sphaerococcus rhizophylloides J.J. Rodríguez 1895;

17. Tenarea tortuosa (Esper) Lemoine 1910;

18. Titanoderma trochanter (Bory) Benhissoune, Boudouresque, Perret-Boudouresque et Verlaque;

19. Ceryle r. rudis (Linnaeus, 1758);

20. Charadrius. alexandrinus (Linnaeus, 1758);

21. Charadrius leschenaultii columbines (Lesson, 1826);

22. Halcyons. smyrnensis (Linnaeus, 1758);

23. Larus armenicus (Buturlin,1934);

24. Larus genei (Breme, 1839);

25. Larus melanocephalus (Temminck, 1820);

26. Sterna caspia (Pallas,1770);

27. Sterna nilotica (Gmelin, JF,1789);

28. Squatina spp: Squatina aculeata ( Dumeril, in Cuvier, 1817) , Squatina oculata ( Bonaparte, 1840) Squatina squatina (Linnaeus, 1758);

29. Pristis spp - Pristis pectinata (Latham, 1794); Pristis pristis (Linnaeus, 1758);

30. Oxynotus centrina (Linnaeus, 1758);

31. Carcharias taurus (Rafinesque, 1810);

32. Gymnura altavela (Linnaeus, 1758);

33. Dipturus batis (Linnaeus, 1758);

34. Rostroraja alba (Lacepède, 1803);

35. Odontaspis ferox (Risso, 1810);

36. Rhinobatos spp - Rhinobatos cemiculus (E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817); Rhinobatos rhinobatos (Linnaeus, 1758).

37. the Commission is hereby authorised to support the addition of the following species to Annex III:

38. Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827);

39. Squalus acanthias (Linnaeus, 1758);

40. Mustelus spp: Mustelus asterias (Cloquet, 1821), Mustelus mustelus (Linnaeus, 1758) Mustelus punctulatus (Risso, 1826);

41. Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus, 1758);

42. Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788);

43. Heptranchias perlo (Bonnaterre, 1788);

44. Centrophorus granulosus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801);

45. Leucoraja circularis (Couch, 1838);

46. Leucoraja melitensis (Clark, 1926);

47. Sphyrna spp : Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834). Sphyrna mokarran (Rüppell, 1837) Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus 1758).

Done at Brussels, […]

For the Council

The President […]

Annex

Table I: Changes proposed to Annex II

Present name in the Annexe II | Proposed changes |

Magnoliophyta | Magnoliophyta |

Posidonia oceanica | Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delille |

Zostera marina | Zostera marina Linnaeus |

Zostera noltii | Zostera noltii Hornemann |

Chlorophyta | Chlorophyta |

Caulerpa ollivieri | Caulerpa ollivieri Dostál |

Phaeophyta | Heterokontophyta |

Cystoseira amentacea (var. stricta & var. spicata) | Cystoseira amentacea (C. Agardh) Bory de Saint-Vincent (including var. stricta Montagne and var. spicata (Ercegovic) G. Giaccone) |

Cystoseira mediterranea | Cystoseira mediterranea Sauvageau |

Cystoseira sedoides | Cystoseira sedoides (Desfontaines) C. Agardh |

Cystoseira spinosa (inclu C. adriatica) | Cystoseira spinosa Sauvageau (including C. adriatica Sauvageau) |

Cystoseira zosteroides | Cystoseira zosteroides C. Agardh |

Laminaria rodriguezii | Laminaria rodriguezii Bornet |

Rhodophyta | Rhodophyta |

Goniolithon byssoides | Titanoderma ramosissimum (Heydrich) Bressan & Cabioch (ex. Goniolithon byssoides) |

Lithophyllum lichenoides | Lithophyllum byssoides (Lamarck) Foslie (ex. Lithophyllum lichenoides) |

Ptilophora mediterranea | Ptilophora mediterranea (H. Huvé) R.E. Norris |

Schimmelmannia schousboei | Schimmelmannia schousboei (J. Agardh) J. Agardh |

Porifera | Porifera |

Asbestopluma hypogea | Asbestopluma hypogeal Vacelet and Boury-Esnault 1995 |

Aplysina sp. plur. | Aplysina cavernicola Vacelet, 1959 & Aplysina aerophoba Schmidt, 1862 |

Axinella cannabina | Axinella cannabina (Esper, 1794) |

Axinella polypoides | Axinella polypoides Schmidt, 1862 |

Geodia cydonium | Geodia cydonium (Jameson, 1811) |

Ircinia foetida | Sarcotragus foetidus Schmidt, 1862 (ex- Ircina foetida) |

Ircinia pipetta | Sarcotragus pipetta (Schmidt, 1868) (ex- Ircinia pipetta) |

Petrobiona massiliana | Petrobiona massiliana Vacelet & Lévi, 1958 |

Tethya sp. plur. | Tethya aurantium (Pallas, 1766) & Tethya citrina Sarà e Melone, 1965 |

Cnidaria | Cnidaria |

Astroides calycularis | Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766) |

Errina aspera | Errina aspera (Linnaeus, 1767) |

Gerardia savaglia | Savalia savaglia Nardo, 1844 (ex Gerardia savaglia) |

Bryozoa | Bryozoa |

Hornera lichenoides | Hornera lichenoides (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Mollusca | Mollusca |

Charonia lampas (= Ch. rubicunda = Ch. nodifera) | Charonia lampas lampas (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Charonia tritonis (= Ch. Seguenziae) | Charonia tritonis variegata (Lamarck, 1816) |

Dendropoma petraeum | Dendropoma petraeum (Monterosato, 1884) |

Erosaria spurca | Erosaria spurca (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Gibbula nivosa | Gibbula nivosa A.Adams, 1851 |

Lithophaga lithophaga | Lithophaga lithophaga (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Luria lurida (= Cypraea lurida) | Luria lurida (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Mitra zonata | Mitra zonata Marryat, 1818 |

Patella ferruginea | Patella ferruginea Gmelin, 1791 |

Patella nigra | Patella nigra (da Costa, 1771) |

Pholas dactylus | Pholas dactylus Linnaeus, 1758 |

Pinna nobilis | Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758 |

Pinna rudis (= P. pernula) | Pinna rudis (=pernula) Linnaeus, 1758 |

Ranella olearia (= Argobuccinum olearium = A. giganteum) | Ranella olearia (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Schilderia achatidea | Schilderia achatidea (Gray in G.B. Sowerby II, 1837) |

Tonna galea | Tonna galea (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Zonaria pyrum | Zonaria pyrum (Gmelin, 1791) |

Crustacea | Crustacea |

Ocypode cursor | Ocypode cursor (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Pachylasma giganteum | Pachylasmus giganteum (Philippi, 1836) |

Echinodermata | Echinodermata |

Asterina pancerii | Asterina pancerii (Gasco, 1870) |

Centrostephanus longispinus | Centrostephanus longispinus (Philippi, 1845) |

Ophidiaster ophidianus | Ophidiaster ophidianus (Lamarck, 1816) |

Pisces | Pisces |

Acipenser naccarii | Acipenser naccarii Bonaparte, 1836 |

Acipenser sturio | Acipenser sturio Linnaeus, 1758 |

Aphanius fasciatus | Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes, 1821) |

Aphanius iberus | Aphanius iberus (Valenciennes, 1846) |

Cetorhinus maximus | Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) |

Carcharodon carcharias | Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Hippocampus hippocampus | Hippocampus hippocampus (Linnaeus 1758) |

Hippocampus ramulosus | Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier, 1829 (ex Hippocampus ramulosus) |

Huso huso | Huso huso (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Lethenteron zanandreai | Lethenteron zanandreai (Vladykov, 1955) |

Mobula mobular | Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788) |

Pomatoschistus canestrinii | Pomatoschistus canestrini (Ninni, 1883) |

Pomatoschistus tortonesei | Pomatoschistus tortonesei Miller, 1969 |

Valencia hispanica | Valencia hispanica (Valenciennes, 1846) |

Valencia letourneuxi | Valencia letourneuxi (Sauvage, 1880) |

Reptiles | Reptiles |

Caretta caretta | Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Chelonia mydas | Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Dermochelys coriacea | Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) |

Eretmochelys imbricata | Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766) |

Lepidochelys kempii | Lepidochelys kempii (Garman, 1880) |

Trionyx triunguis | Trionyx triunguis ( Forskål, 1775) |

Aves | Aves |

Calonectris diomedea | Calonectris diomedea (Scopoli, 1769) |

Falco eleonorae | Falco eleonorae Géné, 1834 |

Hydrobates pelagicus | Hydrobates pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Larus audouinii | Larus audouinii Payraudeau, 1826 |

Numenius tenuirostris | Numenius tenuirostris Viellot, 1817 |

Pandion haliaetus | Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Pelecanus crispus | Pelecanus crispus Bruch, 1832 |

Pelecanus onocrotalus | Pelecanus onocrotalus Linnaeus, 1758 |

Phalacrocorax aristotelis | Phalacrocorax aristotelis (Linnaeus, 1761) |

Phalacrocorax pygmaeus | Phalacrocorax pygmeus (Pallas, 1773) |

Phoenicopterus ruber | Phoenicopterus ruber Linnaeus, 1758 |

Puffinus yelkouan | Puffinus yelkouan (Brünnich, 1764) Puffinus mauretanicus (Lowe, PR, 1921) |

Sterna albifrons | Sterna albifrons Pallas, 1764 |

Sterna bengalensis | Sterna bengalensis Lesson, 1831 |

Sterna sandvicensis | Sterna sandvicensis Latham, 1878 |

Mammalia | Mammalia |

Balaenoptera acutorostrata | Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804 |

Balaenoptera borealis | Balaenoptera borealis Lesson, 1828 |

Balaenoptera physalus | Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Delphinus delphis | Delphinus delphis Linnaeus, 1758 |

Eubalaena glacialis | Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776) |

Globicephala melas | Globicephala melas (Trail, 1809) |

Grampus griseus | Grampus griseus (Cuvier G. 1812) |

Kogia simus | Kogia simus (Owen, 1866) |

Megaptera novaeangliae | Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) |

Mesoplodon densirostris | Mesoplodon densirostris (de Blainville, 1817) |

Monachus monachus | Monachus monachus (Hermann, 1779) |

Orcinus orca | Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Phocoena phocoena | Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Physeter macrocephalus | Physeter catodon Linnaeus, 1758 (ex- Physeter macrocephalus) |

Pseudorca crassidens | Pseudorca crassidens (Owen, 1846) |

Stenella coeruleoalba | Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen, 1833) |

Steno bredanensis | Steno bredanensis (Cuvier in Lesson, 1828) |

Tursiops truncatus | Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) |

Ziphius cavirostris | Ziphius cavirostris Cuvier G., 1832 |

Table II: Changes proposed to Annex III

Present name in Annexe III | Proposed changes |

Porifera | Porifera |

Hippospongia communis | Hippospongia communis (Lamarck, 1813) |

Spongia agaricina | Spongia (Spongia) lamella (Schulze, 1872) (ex Spongia agaricina) |

Spongia officinalis | Spongia (Spongia) officinalis officinalis Linnaeus, 1759) & Spongia (Spongia) officinalis adriatica (Schmidt, 1862) |

Spongia zimocca | Spongia (Spongia) zimocca Schmidt, 1862 |

Cnidaria | Cnidaria |

Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) | Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Antipathes sp.plur | Antipathes dichotoma Pallas, 1766 & Antipathes fragilis Gravier, 1918 |

Crustacea | Crustacea |

Homarus gammarus | Homarus gammarus (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Maja squinado | Maja squinado (Herbst, 1788) |

Palinurus elephas | Palinurus elephas (Fabricius, 1787) |

Scyllarides latus | Scyllarides latus (Latreille, 1803) |

Scyllarus arctus | Scyllarus arctus (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Scyllarus pygmaeus | Scyllarus pygmaeus (Bate, 1888) |

Echinodermata | Echinodermata |

Paracentrotus lividus | Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) |

Pisces | Pisces |

Alosa alosa | Alosa alosa (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Alosa fallax | Alosa fallax (Lacépède, 1803) |

Anguilla anguilla | Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Epinephelus marginatus | Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834) |

Isurus oxyrinchus | Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 |

Lamma nasus | Lamma nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788) |

Lampetra fluviatilis | Lampetra fluviatilis (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Petromyzon marinus | Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, 1758 |

Prionace glauca | Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Raja alba | Raja alba Lacépède, 1803 |

Sciaena umbra | Sciaena umbra Linnaeus, 1758 |

Squatina squatina | Squatina squatina (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Thunnus thynnus | Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Umbrina cirrosa | Umbrina cirrosa (Linnaeus, 1758) |

Xiphias gladius | Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758 |

[1] Council Decision 77/585/EEC of 25 July 1977 concluding the Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution and the Protocol for the prevention of the pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by dumping from ships and aircraft, OJ L 240, 19.9.1977, p. 1.

[2] Council Decision 1999/800/EC of 22 October 1999 on concluding the Protocol concerning specially protected areas and biological diversity in the Mediterranean, and on accepting the annexes to that Protocol (Barcelona Convention), OJ L 322, 14.12.1999, p. 1.

[3] Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.

[4] Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

[5] Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy, OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 59.

[6] Council Decision 77/585/EEC of 25 July 1977 concluding the Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution and the Protocol for the prevention of the pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by dumping from ships and aircraft, OJ L 240, 19.9.1977, p. 1.

[7] Council Decision 1999/800/EC of 22 October 1999 on concluding the Protocol concerning specially protected areas and biological diversity in the Mediterranean, and on accepting the annexes to that Protocol (Barcelona Convention), OJ L 322, 14.12.1999, p. 1.

[8] Council Decision 93/626/EEC of 25 October 1993 concerning the conclusion of the Convention on Biological Diversity, OJ L 309, 13.12.1993, p. 1.

[9] Considering the relative uncertainty on the population structure and conservation status of the species Lamna nasus , Isurus oxyrinchus and Leucoraja melitensis , a close monitoring of these species is recommended and if updated scientific assessment so requires, the Commission will consider which additional protection measures for these species would be required. The Commission also endeavours to strengthen further the protection of these species in the context of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations.