Barcelona Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean

KEY POINTS

Barcelona Convention

• There are 22 Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, an international convention involving 21 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (including 8 EU countries — Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Slovenia and Spain) and the EU.
• The convention requires its parties to take all measures, individually or jointly, to protect and enhance the Mediterranean marine environment and coastal region in order to contribute to sustainable development.

The aims of the convention are:

• protecting the marine environment and coastal region through action aimed at preventing and reducing pollution and, as far as possible, eliminating it, whether it is due to activities on land or at sea;
• assessing and controlling pollution;
• carrying out the sustainable management of natural marine and coastal resources;
• integrating the environment into economic and social development;
• protecting natural and cultural heritage;
• strengthening solidarity between countries bordering the Mediterranean; and
• contributing to improving quality of life.

The convention’s Contracting Parties commit to:

• introducing a system of cooperation and implementing an Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme with information and assessments to protect marine environment and coastal region of the Mediterranean and reduce or eliminate pollution in the Mediterranean in view to achieving Good Environmental Status¹;
• establishing marine protected areas (known as MPAs) and Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (known as SPAMIs);
• implementing Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)²;
• addressing land-based sources of pollution;
• addressing sea-based sources of pollution;
• contingency planning;
• cooperating in the fields of science and technology;
• working out appropriate procedures for the determination of liability and compensation for damage resulting from pollution deriving from violations of the provisions of the convention.

It was amended in 1995. The main amendments concerned:

• the extension of the Convention’s geographical field of application to the coast;
• the application of the precautionary principle;
• the application of the ‘polluter pays’ principle — see summary;
• the promotion of impact assessments;
• the protection and preservation of biological diversity;
• combating pollution from cross-border movements of dangerous waste;
• access to information and public participation.

The convention has 7 protocols attached to it:

Dumping Protocol

• Covers only pollution of the region of the Mediterranean Sea caused by ships and aircraft.
• Bans the dumping of certain types of waste and matter (certain toxic compounds, mercury, cadmium, plastics, crude oil, etc.).
• Requires the prior issue of national permits for other types of waste or matter such as arsenic, lead, copper, zinc, chrome, nickel, containers, scrap metal, and certain types of pesticides.

Prevention and Emergency Protocol

• Incorporates into the Barcelona Convention rules for cooperation between parties on preventing and, in cases of emergency, combating pollution in the Mediterranean caused by ships.
• Also endeavours to promote the development and implementation of international regulations adopted on the base of the International Maritime Organisation.
• Sets out operational measures which the parties must take in the event of pollution caused by ships (evaluation, elimination/reduction, information measures), as well as emergency measures which must be taken on board ships, in offshore installations and in ports (in particular the availability of and compliance with emergency plans).

Land-based Sources of pollution Protocol

• Covers pollution caused by discharges from rivers, outfalls, canals or other watercourses, or pollution emanating from any other source or activity (including airborne pollution of land-based origin) within the territory of a party to the protocol.
• Lists the substances of which discharge is prohibited, and the factors which should be taken into account in order to eliminate pollution from these substances.
• Also lists substances for which discharge is subject to authorisation by the competent national authorities.
• Stipulates cooperation regarding research and information, and the adoption of appropriate programmes, measures and standards aimed at reducing or eliminating the targeted substances.

Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity Protocol

• The protocol concerns:
  • specially protected areas in the Mediterranean and specially protected areas of Mediterranean importance;
  • the protection of natural resources in the Mediterranean region;
  • the preservation of the diversity of the gene pool; and
  • the protection of certain natural sites by creating a series of specially preserved areas.
• Requires parties to develop guidelines for establishing and managing protected areas and lists a certain number of appropriate measures which the parties must adopt, such as:
  • banning the discharge or unloading of waste;
  • regulating the introduction of any non-indigenous or genetically modified species.
• Sets out national or local measures which the Parties must take in order to protect animal and plant species throughout the Mediterranean area.

Offshore Protocol

• Covers a wide range of exploration and exploitation activities, and addresses a number of issues including:
  • 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.
• Parties are required, 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.

Hazardous Wastes Protocol

• Requires parties to cooperate when a huge quantity of oil and/or other harmful substances in the Mediterranean Sea, whether accidental or cumulative, presents a serious and imminent danger to the marine environment, the coast or the economic, health or ecological interests of one or more parties.
• Cooperation focuses on:
  • drawing up emergency plans;
  • promoting measures for combating oil pollution in the sea;
  • monitoring and exchanging information regarding the state of the Mediterranean Sea;
  • disseminating information on the organisation of resources; and
  • on new methods to prevent and combat pollution, and developing research programmes on the subject.

Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol

• Aims to set up a common basis for ICZM based on an ecosystem approach in the Mediterranean, entered into force on 24 March 2011.
• ICZM has 6 aims:
  • sustainably developing coastal zones by rational planning of activities;
  • preserving coastal zones;
  • sustainable use of natural resources;
  • preserving ecosystems and coastlines;
  • preventing and reducing natural disasters and climate change;
  • improving cooperation.

The EU is a party to all of the above protocols except the Hazardous Wastes Protocol.