Mepielan eBulletin - Environmental Governance Regimes

First Universal Session of UNEP Governing Council

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The 27th Session of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC-26/GMEF) was held from 18 to 22 February 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya. Over 1300 participants from 140 countries, including ministers, representatives of UN agencies, civil society and industry attended the first Universal Session of the GC, following the decision of the United Nations General Assembly to strengthen and upgrade UNEP*, in which all UN members were for the first time entitled to vote, instead of the 58 members that constituted the Programme’s Governing Council.

Ministerial consultations and roundtables concluded with the adoption of a number of Decisions related inter alia to the Implementation of Paragraph 88 of the Rio+20 Outcome Document**, the State of the Environment, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), and the Advancing of Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability

In the adopted Decision on Institutional Arrangements and Rules of Procedures (UNEP/GC.27/L6), which refers to the implementation of paragraph 88 of the Rio+20 Outcome Document, the Governing Council recommends to UNGA the renaming of UNEP’s governing body to the UN Environment Assembly. Furthermore, the GC will ensure, by 2014, the active participation of all relevant stakeholders, particularly those from developing countries, drawing on best practices and models from relevant multilateral institutions and it will explore new mechanisms to promote transparency and the effective engagement of civil society in its work and that of its subsidiary bodies.

With respect to the Decision on the State of the Environment and Contribution of UNEP to meeting Substantive Environmental Challenges (UNEP/GC.27/CW/L.3) the Governing Council requests the Executive Director to review best practices and develop a set of transparent procedures related to the administrative processes, the selection of participants, the inclusion of diverging view points, as well as the government and peer reviews, in order to support a wide range of environmental assessments that the UNEP conducts so as to ensure that these assessments are of the highest quality and have maximum impact.

In the adopted Decision UNEP/GC.27/CW/L.2/Add.1 on Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) the GC authorizes the Executive Director to provide the secretariat and administrative arrangements in responding to the decision adopted by the Platform Plenary at its first session on administrative and institutional arrangements for the Platform as well as to finalize a host country agreement with the Government of Germany for the presence of the Platform Secretariat in Bonn.

Finally, in the preamble of the adopted Decision on Advancing Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability (UNEP/GC.27/CW/L.2/Add.3) the GC takes note of the Report of the Executive Director on the outcome of the World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability*** and stresses the importance of an independent and judicial process for the implementation, development and enforcement of environmental law. Furthermore, it emphasizes that environmental and sustainability auditing are important in ensuring transparency, access to information, accountability and that justice should be seen as an intrinsic element of environmental sustainability.

Notes
* For further information see “UN General Assembly Upgrades UNEP to Universal Membership Following Rio+20 Summit”, MEPIELAN E-BULLETIN

**Paragraph 88 of the Rio+20 Outcome Document the “Future We Want”:
88. We are committed to strengthening the role of the United Nations Environment Programme as the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. We reaffirm General Assembly resolution 2997 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972 establishing the United Nations Environment Programme and other relevant resolutions that reinforce its mandate, as well as the Nairobi Declaration on the Role and Mandate of the United Nations Environment Programme of 7 February 199730 and the Malmö Ministerial Declaration of 31 May 2000.31 In this regard, we invite the Assembly, at its sixtyseventh session, to adopt a resolution strengthening and upgrading the United Nations Environment Programme in the following manner:
(a) Establish universal membership in the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme, as well as other measures to strengthen its governance as well as its responsiveness and accountability to Member States;
(b) Have secure, stable, adequate and increased financial resources from the regular budget of the United Nations and voluntary contributions to fulfil its mandate;
(c) Enhance the voice of the United Nations Environment Programme and its ability to fulfil its coordination mandate within the United Nations system by strengthening its engagement in key United Nations coordination bodies and empowering it to lead efforts to formulate United Nations system-wide strategies on the environment;
(d) Promote a strong science-policy interface, building on existing international instruments, assessments, panels and information networks, including the Global Environment Outlook, as one of the processes aimed at bringing together information and assessment to support informed decision-making;
(e) Disseminate and share evidence-based environmental information, and raise public awareness on critical, as well as emerging, environmental issues;
(f) Provide capacity-building to countries, as well as support, and facilitate access to technology;
(g) Progressively consolidate headquarters functions in Nairobi, as well as strengthen its regional presence, in order to assist countries, upon request, in the implementation of their national environmental policies, collaborating closely with other relevant entities of the United Nations system;
(h) Ensure the active participation of all relevant stakeholders, drawing on best practices and models from relevant multilateral institutions and exploring new mechanisms to promote transparency and the effective engagement of civil society.

*** For further information on the outcome of the World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability see http://www.unep.org/DELC/worldcongress/

Sources: UNEP, UN News Centre, IISD Reporting Services
For Further information:
http://www.unep.org/gc/gc27/
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/default.aspx?DocumentID=2704&ArticleID=9417
http://www.iisd.ca/vol16/enb16110e.html
http://new.unep.org/newyork/Portals/129/Compiled%20L%20documents.pdf

UN General Assembly Upgrades UNEP to Universal Membership Following Rio+20 Summit

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

On 21 December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), at its 67th Session, adopted the Resolution 67/213 on the “Report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on its twelfth special session and on the implementation of section IV.C, entitled "Environmental pillar in the context of sustainable development", of the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development”. This landmark resolution effectively contributes to the enhancement of the international environmental governance within the context of the institutional framework for sustainable development promoting a balanced integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development as well as coordination within the UN system.

Following commitments by world leaders at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) last June to improve the institutional framework for sustainable development, this robust resolution marks the first major structural change to UNEP in its four-decade history as it allows full participation of all 193 UN member states at the UNEP Governing Council in February 2013.* The establishment of UNEP’s universal membership basically aims at increasing the agency’s role as the leading environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda by providing stronger political legitimacy to its decision-making processes. Furthermore, the resolution provides for UNEP to receive secure, stable and increased financial resources from the regular budget of the UN and calls for increasing voluntary contributions to fulfil its mandate. In the words of United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner: “The decision by the General Assembly to strengthen and upgrade UNEP is a watershed moment. Universal membership of UNEP's Governing Council establishes a new, fully-representative platform to strengthen the environmental dimension of sustainable development, and provides all governments with an equal voice on the decisions and action needed to support the global environment, and ensure a fairer share of the world's resources for all.”

Recognizing that political-science interface is a critical force in shaping sustainable environmental governance, the General Assembly resolution tasked UNEP with further strengthening the vital link between policy-makers and the scientific community. In addition, the resolution reflects the belief that the dissemination of science-based environmental assessments such as the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) series is a considerable factor that would lead to a strengthened and upgraded UNEP. Providing capacity building to countries and facilitating access to technology is considered as an equally decisive step towards the enhancement of UNEP’s role in a more effective governance system of sustainable development.

Besides, the resolution encourages the active engagement of the relative stakeholders (non-governmental organizations, youth, women, indigenous peoples, local governments, business, and other interest groups) in UNEP’s Governing Council and in global environmental decision-making to boost democratization in international environmental governance.

In a separate Resolution – Resolution 67/203 on the “Implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development" - the General Assembly welcomed the adoption of the ten-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns (10YFP), to which UNEP provides the Secretariat. UNEP is also tasked with establishing a trust fund for sustainable consumption and production programmes.

Fostering democracy, transparency and accountability in decision-making processes is a key for a strengthened and upgraded UNEP that effectively leads the sustainable environmental governance. Now it remains to be seen how the Member States will implement the provisions of the General Assembly resolution at the first meeting of the newly-enlarged Governing Council at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi on 18-22 February 2013. The meeting will be held under the theme 'Rio+20: From Outcome to Implementation'.

Note

* So far the UNEP Governing Council has been an intergovernmental body composed of 58 state representatives elected by the UNGA on the base of geographical allocation. In addition, previous efforts to ensure wider representation in the running of UNEP resulted in the creation of the Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GMEF), which brought together the world's environment ministers for high-level meetings in parallel with the Governing Council.

Sources: UNEP
For further information:
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/default.aspx?DocumentID=2700&ArticleID=9363&l=en
http://www.unep.org/rio20/Portals/24180/Docs/GA.RES.67.213.UNEP.pdf
http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/67/437/Add.1%20&Lang=E
http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N11/476/10/PDF/N1147610.pdf?OpenElement

MEDITERRANEAN SEA - The European Union Announces its Accession to the Barcelona Convention’s Offshore Protocol

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The European Union, by the Council Decision 2013/5/EU of 17 December 2012, has announced its accession to the Barcelona Convention 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, 1994 (the Offshore Protocol). According to Article 3 of the Decision, the Decision “shall enter into force on the date of its adoption”.

The Offshore Protocol has entered into force on 24 March 2011, following its ratification by the required minimum number of six Parties (Art. 32(4)), namely Albania, Cyprus, Libya, Morocco, Syria, and Tunisia. The EU has become the seventh Party to this Protocol, whereas some other E.U. Member States to the Barcelona Convention have also announced their intention to ratify the Offshore Protocol*. The Offshore Protocol is a powerful and important regional instrument which establishes a comprehensive conventional environmental regime specifically governing the protection of the Mediterranean Sea from offshore development activities, taking into account the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982. It covers a wide range of exploration and exploitation activities, and it provides for such crucial issues as the authorization system, the environmental management of harmful and noxious substances and materials used for, or resulting from, these activities, safety measures, contingency planning monitoring, removal of abandoned or disused installations, liability and compensation requirements and coordination with other Parties of the Barcelona Convention at regional level.**

“Major incidents experienced in some parts of the world, and linked to off-shore activities in ever deeper seas, have shown the necessity for common and higher regional standards to prevent the risk of acute pollution accidents. Through the implementation of this unique protocol, the parties to the Barcelona Convention are leading by example”, said Maria Luisa Silva Mejias, UNEP/MAP Coordinator, praising the step forward taken by the European Union.

According to the Council Decision, more than 200 offshore platforms in the Mediterranean are active and more installations are under consideration and these are expected to be increased after the discovery of large fossil fuels reserves in the Mediterranean. As is stated it is possible that soon mineral resources contained in deep sea and subsoil will be subject of exploration and exploitation activities.

Highlighting the importance of the Decision, the Council, stresses that an accident in a semi–enclosed sea, such as the Mediterranean, will have direct adverse transboundary consequences on the Mediterranean economy and the fragile marine and coastal ecosystems. Member States of the E.U. have already the obligation, within the realm of the “Marine Strategy Framework Directive” (2008/56/EC), to take all necessary measures to achieve and maintain good environmental status (GES) of the marine environment.***As is further stated, while the European Union commits to act in support of safety of offshore exploration and exploitation activities, taking into account the high probability of cross border effects related to such activities, the Member States and their competent authorities should be responsible for certain detailed measures laid down in the Offshore Protocol.

In addition, the Commission Communication entitled “Facing the challenge of the safety of offshore oil and gas activities”, adopted on 12 October 2010, identified the need for international cooperation for offshore safety and response capability and it recommended re-launching in close collaboration with the Member States concerned the process towards bringing into force the Offshore Protocol. Also, in the Council Conclusions’ on Safety of Offshore Oil and Gas Activities, adopted on 3 December 2010, it is stated that the Union and its Member States should continue to play a prominent role in striving for the highest safety standards in the framework of international initiatives and regional cooperation such as in the Mediterranean. In this context, the E.U. in its Resolution of 13 September 2011, stressed the importance of bringing into force the unratified Offshore Protocol, especially on the part of the protection against pollution from exploration and exploitation.

The Council Decision also mentions the important Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on safety of offshore oil and gas prospection, exploration and production activities. It notes that the Offshore Protocol concerns a field which is in large measure covered by Union Law, such as of the marine environment, environmental impact assessment and environmental liability. It further declares that the Offshore Protocol is consistent with the objectives of the proposed Regulation including those concerning authorisation, environmental impact assessment and technical and financial capacity of operators.

Finally, the Council Decision calls the Member States that are Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention to finalise the procedures to ratify or accede to the Offshore Protocol.

Notes

* Members States of the European Union which are Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention are: Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia.
** For a critical review of the Offshore Protocol see this Bulletin INSIGHTS by E. Raftopoulos, “Sustainable Governance of Offshore Oil and Gas Development in the Mediterranean: Revitalizing the Dormant Mediterranean Offshore Protocol”, MEPIELAN E-Bulletin, Thursday, 19 August 2010.
*** Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 adopted in July 2008 aims at achieving or maintaining a good environmental status by 2020 at the latest. It is the first legislative instrument in relation to the marine biodiversity policy in the European Union and it enshrines the ecosystem approach to the management of human activities having an impact on the marine environment, integrating the concepts of environmental protection and sustainable use.

Source: European Commission, Official Journal of the European Union, UNEP/MAP
For further information:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:004:0013:0014:EN:PDF
http://unepmap.org/index.php?module=news&action=detail&id=123
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/marine/ges.htm

The Caspian Countries Sign the Land-Based Sources and Activities Protocol (LBSA Protocol) to the Tehran Convention

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Caspian countries have taken an important step towards the specific operation and implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, 2003, (The Tehran Convention) by adopting and signing one more Protocol to this Convention, The Protocol for the Protection of the Caspian Sea against Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities (LBSA Protocol).

The LBSA Protocol was adopted and signed at the Fourth Meeting of the Tehran Convention Conference of the Parties (COP4), held in Moscow, from 10 to 12 December 2012, and hosted by the Government of the Russian Federation. Ministers and high-level government representatives of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan participated in the COP4 which was also attended by representatives from the European Union, UNEP, UNDP, IMO, FAO, and other international observers.

The LBSA Protocol addresses one of the major ecological threats to the Caspian environment and aims to safeguard coasts and waters from the detrimental effects of pollution from land-based sources such as agriculture, industry and urban settlements. The Moscow COP further laid the groundwork for implementing a sound environmental monitoring and reporting programme in the region, providing for harmonized and regular information and data exchange between the countries.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on earth. Covering a surface area of around 436 000 km² and being situated in a natural depression, the Caspian Sea receives its inflowing freshwater from nearly 130 rivers. The vast river system and extensive wetlands attract millions of migrating birds and are the habitat of diverse flora and fauna. Today, Caspian biota is threatened by over-exploitation, habitat destruction and pollution. The traditional Caspian sturgeon fishery is well-known for its caviar production. In recent years, however, the Caspian region has witnessed a serious decline in fish stocks.

It is to be noted that, in 1998, the Caspian Environment Program (CEP) was established as a regional umbrella program with the aim to prevent the deterioration of environmental conditions of the Caspian Sea and to promote sustainable development in the area for the long-term benefit of the Caspian population. The Caspian Environment Program, funded by the littoral states, the European Union and the international community through the GEF, has been a partner to the efforts of the Caspian States to negotiate and finalize the Tehran Convention.

The Tehran Convention is the first legally binding regional agreement signed by all five Caspian littoral States (Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Russian Federation and Turkmenistan), laying down the general requirements and the institutional mechanism for environmental protection in the Caspian region. Driven under the auspices of UNEP within the framework of the CEP and following a fast ratification process by all five Governments of the Caspian littoral states, the Tehran Convention entered into force on 12th August 2006. The Convention not only aims at protecting the Caspian environment from all sources of pollution but also targets the preservation, restoration and protection of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea. The Convention includes also provisions on sustainable and rational use of the living resources of the Caspian Sea, as well as provisions on environmental impact assessment and environmental monitoring, research and development.

The Tehran Convention contains so far two specifying Protocols:

The Protocol Concerning Regional Preparedness, Response and Co-operation in Combating Oil Pollution Incidents ("Aktau Protocol") adopted and signed at the Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) in Aktau, Kazakhstan on August 12, 2011.
The Protocol for the Protection of the Caspian Sea against Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities ("LBSA Protocol") adopted and signed at the Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP4) in Moscow, Russian Federation on December 12, 2012.

The development of two more specifying Protocols to the Tehran Convention, namely the Protocol on Conservation of Biological Diversity, and the Protocol on Environment Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, are being negotiated by the Contracting Parties to the Tehran Convention and they are expected to be finalized soon.

Source: UNEP, Tehran Convention
For further Information:
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2700&ArticleID=9356&l=en
http://www.tehranconvention.org/
http://www.tehranconvention.org/spip.php?article1

Ballast Water Management Convention: More HELCOM Member States Reach their Commitment to Ratify it – HELCOM Promotes Guidances for its Implementation

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

On 11 September 2012 Denmark ratified the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (the Ballast Water Management Convention) following Russia’s ratification on March this year. Sweden has also ratified the Convention, while the remaining coastal Baltic countries have indicated their intention to accede to the Convention by 2013 at the latest, according to the HELCOM Executive Secretary, Monika Stankiewicz.

This ratification by Denmark brought the number of countries to have ratified the Convention to 36, which exceeds the number stipulated in its entry-into-force criteria; however, around six per cent of the world’s merchant shipping tonnage is still needed to fulfil the other entry–into-force criterion of 35 per cent tonnage representation.

On 12 September 2012, the ΙMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu, in a keynote address to the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Conference in London, has called on ship owners to take prompt and decisive action to encourage their flag States to ratify the Ballast Water Management Convention as soon as possible, as well as to implement its provisions with immediate effect. Mr. Sekimizu emphasized the necessity for the this action as he explained that “the BWM Convention was adopted before we had sufficient practical experience of managing ballast water aboard ships, in particular in terms of using treatment systems. Entry into force of the Convention would provide the chance to improve it, by amending it as may be necessary”. He also added that “the Convention was adopted unanimously in 2004 and, since then, all the fourteen sets of required guidelines for its implementation have been adopted. To date, 28 ballast water management systems have been granted Type Approval by their respective Administrations, and dozens of other systems are in various stages of development. The tools for effective implementation of the BWM Convention are, therefore, in place”.

Helsinki Commission’ s persistent work towards the transport and introductions of aliens species to the Baltic Sea has resulted in the ratification of the BMW Convention by Baltic States. As movement of alien species is a global problem, HELCOM is cooperating with its counterparts in the North-East Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, OSPAR and REMPEC, respectively. Joining efforts with other European seas has already resulted in the adoption of guidance for voluntary measures on ballast water exchange by ships engaged in oceanic voyages, according to Ms. Stankiewicz.

As part of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan* all Baltic nations adopted the Road Map Towards Harmonised Implementation and Ratification of the 2004 BWM Convention, in which they all agreed to ratify the Convention no later than 2013 and to designate/identify clear national responsibilities for coordinating the national implementation of the Convention.

The latest HELCOM Project Study on Biological Survey Protocols and Target Species Collection (ALIENS 2), 2012, aims to propose a regionally harmonized method for granting exemptions from ballast water treatment for marine traffic in the Baltic Sea, in the framework of the Guidance adopted by the 2010 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting as part of the HELCOM Ministerial Declaration (HELCOM Guidance to Distinguish Between Unacceptable High Risk Scenarios and Acceptable Low Risk Scenarios –A Risk of Spreading of Alien Species by Ships on Intra-Baltic Ship Voyages).** This project will be instrumental in reducing the risk of transfer of alien species to the Baltic Sea when it enters into force.

The Project and its predecessors have provided much needed information to national administrations, along with providing best practices on how to conduct, evaluate and consult risk assessments as set down in the BWM Convention. Moreover, a recently established joint HELCOM-OSPAR task group on risk assessments will look into joint Baltic and North Atlantic approaches. The Group will have its first meeting in October 2012 and finalise its initial round of work by spring 2013.

Moreover, the Contracting Parties of the Barcelona Convention, the OSPAR Convention and the Helsinki Convention*** adopted the joint HELCOM/OSPAR/REMPEC Ballast Water Guidance****. This Guidance, applied from 1 October 2012 onwards, requires vessels in traffic between the sea areas of the Mediterranean, and the North Atlantic/the Baltic to have a ballast water treatment plan in place, to collect information, as well as to exchange all their ballast water tanks in specific offshore areas prior to port entry. The Guidance, has been recently communicated by IMO in circular BWM.2/Circ.39.

Notes

* The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, adopted on 15 November 2007 in Krakow, Poland by the HELCOM Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting, is a programme to restore the good ecological status of the Baltic marine environment by 2021, addressing all the major environmental problems affecting it.More specifically, Baltic Countries agreed inter alia on four main segments: (i) Towards a Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication, (ii) Towards a Baltic Sea undisturbed by hazardous substances, (iii) Towards a Baltic Sea with maritime activities carried out in an environmentally friendly way and (iv)Towards favourable conservations status of Baltic Sea biodiversity. In order to reach the goal Towards a Baltic Sea with maritime activities carried out in an environmentally friendly way they agreed on eight management objectives: (a) Enforcement of international regulations - no illegal discharges, (b) Safe maritime traffic without accidental pollution, (c) Efficient emergency and response capability, (d) Minimum sewage pollution from ships, (e) No introductions of alien species from ships. (f) Minimum air pollution from ships, (g) Zero-discharge from offshore platforms, (e) Minimum threats from offshore installations.
** See HELCOM Ministerial Declaration on the Implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, 20 May 2010, Moscow available at: http://www.helcom.fi/stc/files/Moscow2010/AlienSpecies.pdf
***Albania, Algeria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, The Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
**** General Guidance on the Voluntary Interim Application of the D1 Ballast Water Exchange Standard by Vessels Operating Between the Mediterranean Sea and the North-East Atlantic and/or the Baltic Sea (Agreement 2012-04): This Guidance was developed through the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention), the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention) and the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea (Helsinki Convention). It was based on a proposal by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) on a common approach to the issue of ballast water exchange for ships sailing between the Mediterranean Sea and the North-East Atlantic/Baltic area. According to this Guidance, in order to reduce the risk of non-indigenous species invasion through ballast water, vessels leaving the Mediterranean Sea and proceeding to destinations in the North-East Atlantic or the Baltic Sea (and vice versa) are expected to apply the voluntary guidelines in the Appendix from 1 October 2012. It should also be noted that HELCOM jointly with OSPAR have already previously adopted two sets of guidance for voluntary ballast water exchange in the high seas to reduce the risk of alien species’ transfer (OSPAR/HELCOM General Guidance on the Voluntary Interim Application of the D1 Ballast Water Exchange Standard in the North-East Atlantic, applicable from 1 April 2008, see the IMO Circular BWM.2/Circ.14 and OSPAR/HELCOM General Guidance on the Voluntary Interim Application of the D1 Ballast Water Exchange Standard by vessels leaving the Baltic Sea and transiting through the North-East Atlantic to other destinations), applicable from 1 January 2010, see the IMO Circular BWM.2/Circ.22).

Source: HELCOM Commission
For further information:
http://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/SecretaryGeneral/SpeechesByTheSecretaryGeneral/Pages/ICS2012.aspx
http://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/34-ICS-speech.aspx
http://www.helcom.fi/press_office/news_helcom/2012/en_GB/Progress_in_BWM/

NORTH SEA - The 20th Anniversary of the OSPAR Commission

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

On the 20th anniversary of the OSPAR Commission, held from 25 to 29 June 2012 in Bonn, Germany, the sixteen Contracting Parties to the 1992 OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic* agreed on several new and innovative legal measures:

To designate and manage a 7th extensive High Seas Marine Protected Area encompassing the water column of an area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge immediately north of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone,
To adopt protective measures for two species of seahorses (Hippocampus hippocampus and Hippocampus guttulatus) and the eelgrass beds (Zostera) where they live, and
To adopt a Recommendation for a Risk-based Approach to the Management of Produced Water Discharges from Offshore Installations together with supporting Guidelines.

State Secretary Jürgen Becker emphasised that OSPAR had paved the way for the definition of the ecosystem approach contributed to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and is now responsible for a significant network of marine protected areas.

In a special 20-year anniversary speech Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer underlined the essential role of regional governance. He praised the collective work of the OSPAR Commission, as it achieved not only to protect species but also to conserve systems. Dr. Töpfer stated that the new challenges for the OSPAR Commission are to prevent ocean acidification, plastic particles in the sea and increased exploitation of marine resources.

Throughout these twenty years OSPAR has in particular:

Banned dumping and incineration of wastes at sea;
Significantly reduced the input from the land of hazardous substances and nutrients;
Ensured discharges from nuclear power plants are the lowest recorded;
Regulated key aspects of the offshore oil and gas industry such as decommissioning;
Developed ecological quality objectives for a healthy ocean; and
Comprehensively evaluated the health of the North-East Atlantic in the Quality Status Report 2010.

Note

* The OSPAR Convention entered into force on 25 March 1998. It replaces the Oslo Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft, 1972 and the Paris Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources, 1974. The Convention has been signed and ratified by all of the Contracting Parties to the original Oslo or Paris Conventions (Belgium, Denmark, the European Community, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and by Luxembourg and Switzerland.

Source: OSPAR Commission
For further information:
http://www.ospar.org
http://www.ospar.org/content/news_detail.asp?menu=00600725000000_000020_000000

ARCTIC SEA – Negotiating New Agreement on Marine Oil Pollution Response

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Task Force, mandated by the Nuuk Declaration at the 2011 Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Nuuk, Greenland* to prepare an international instrument on Arctic marine oil pollution preparedness and response, held its forth meeting** from 18 to 20 June 2012 in Helsinki, Finland.

The Meeting, chaired by Co-Chair, Ambassador Karsten Klepsvik (Norway) with the assistance of the two other Co-Chairs, Ambassador David Balton (USA) and Ambassador Anton Vasiliev (Russia), underlined the importance of Arctic cooperation in the field of environmental protection and oil pollution response, especially now when the economic activities in the Arctic seas are increasing.

The Task Force has agreed to propose a legally binding intergovernmental agreement. The proposal is programmed to be ready for translation into French and Russian by the end of 2012 and, then, the translations will be distributed for domestic deliberations during the spring of 2013. According to the mandate, the Task Force should present the result of its negotiations at the Arctic Council’s Ministerial Meeting in May 2013.

So far, the work of the Task Force has made good progress, although some important issues are still open.

The legally binding agreement will probably have a few legally non-binding appendices. One appendix will contain an operative manual that probably will be developed and updated in close cooperation with the Arctic Council’s working group on Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR). Another appendix will list some fields for cooperation and exchange of available information between the Parties of the agreement.

The next meeting of the Task Force will be held in Reykjavik 9-11 October 2012. Before this meeting, a couple of working groups will facilitate its work by continuing the development of recommendations or best practices in the prevention of marine oil pollution and the planning for the operational manual for the Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic.

Notes

* In 1996, the Ottawa Declaration formally established the Arctic Council as a high-level intergovernmental forum to provide a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, with the involvement of the Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues and in particular, issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.

The Arctic Council consists of the eight Arctic States: Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Six international organizations representing Arctic Indigenous Peoples have permanent participant status.

** The first three meetings of the Task Force were held in Oslo, Norway in October 2011, in St.Petersburg, Russia in December 2011 and near Anchorage, Alaska, USA in March 2012.

Source: Arctic Council

For further information:

http://www.arctic-council.org

http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/oceans/emergency-preparedness/570-negotiations-in-helsinki-on-new-arctic-agreement-on-marine-oil-pollution-response

Τhe 12th Special Session of UNEP's Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Τhe 12th Special Session of UNEP's Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GCSS-12 /GMEF) was held from 20 to 22 February 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya. Nearly 1000 participants from 150 countries, including ministers, representatives of UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, and industry attended the Session.

Ministerial consultations focused on the two central themes of Rio+20: a Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development. As Mr. Federico Ramos de Armas, Spain’s State Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment and current President of the UNEP Governing Council, said that the Green Economy was viewed as a way to achieving sustainable development, poverty eradication and the creation of decent jobs “by increasing resource efficiency, supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production patterns and facilitating low-carbon development”.

With respect to International Environmental Governance, over 100 countries and the European Union have backed an upgrading of UNEP to a specialized agency of the UN as part of the Rio+20 outcomes. As Mr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP and Under Secretary General of the UN, underlined: “The world’s ministers responsible for the environment have sent a clear signal to the Rio+20 Summit – namely that there needs to be an urgent focus on scaling up implementation of sustainable development and that bold, transformative decisions need to be taken in four months' time in Brazil”.

The GCSS-12 /GMEF concluded with the adoption of two Decisions on “Consultative Process on Financing Options for Chemicals and Wastes” and on “Enhancing Cooperation and Coordination within Chemicals and Wastes Cluster”, as well as of a ten year programme “Work by the United Nations Environment Programme on Sustainable Consumption and Production”.

Finally, the UNEP ministerial statement, issued on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, commits "to make Rio+20 a success and develop concrete actions to address the pressing environmental issues that we face as a global community within the context of sustainable development".

Source: UNEP News Center, IISD Reporting Services
For further information:
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2667&ArticleID=9050&l=en
http://climate-l.iisd.org/news/gcss-12gmef-strives-for-climate-neutrality/
http://www.unep.org/gc/gcss-xii/

MEDITERRANEAN SEA - The COP 17 of the Barcelona Convention Adopts the Paris Declaration

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The 17th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP 17) to the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocols was held from 8 to 10 February 2012 in Paris, France. Delegates from 21 Mediterranean countries and the European Union attended the Meeting.

The Meeting welcomed the substantial progress made in 2011 in achieving the entry into force of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Protocol and 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 (the Offshore Protocol).* Furthermore, consultations covered a wide range of issues which led to the adoption of 14 Decisions on strategic issues, including the Decisions regarding the Implementation of the MAP Ecosystem Approach Roadmap, the Action Plan for the Implementation of the ICZM Protocol for the Mediterranean (2012-2019), and the Amendments of the Annexes II and III to the 1995 Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean. Finally, of particular importance were the Decisions related with the adoption of the MAP Programme of Work and Budget for the 2012-2013 Biennium and Governance.

The COP 17 concluded with the adoption of the Paris Declaration, which calls the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention for a strategic policy framework for “blue” economy, a version of the Green Economy applying to seas and oceans, to be adopted at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) in June 2012.

In the Paris Declaration, the Contracting Parties also:

•   Reaffirmed their political commitment to the sustainable development of the Mediterranean Sea and its coastal zones through an ecosystem approach to the management of human activities.
•   Agreed to develop a coherent, well-managed network of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean, aiming for a target of 10% of marine protected areas by 2020.
•   Decided to intensify their efforts to curb marine pollution from land-based sources, such as mercury, Persistent Organic Pollutants and marine litter, by adopting legally binding measures, and reduce pollution from offshore and marine-based activities though regional action plans.
•   Adopted the action plan for the implementation of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol, and encouraged all Contracting Parties to ratify it.
•   Agreed to work toward protecting the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction through the implementation of existing instruments and through the development of a multilateral agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
•   Supported the preparation by 2014 of a report on the state of the marine environment, including from a socioeconomic perspective.

As Mr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP and Under Secretary General of the UN, underlined: "The time has come for us to rethink how we manage our oceans. They are a key pillar for many countries of their economic and social development, and are vital in the fight against poverty. But too many of these essential natural resources are being degraded by unsustainable use, putting the ecosystems services they provide, such as food security and climate regulations for instance, at risk".

*See MEPIELAN E-Bulletin, Two Protocols to the Barcelona Convention System Enter Into Force: The “New and Innovative” ICZM Protocol and the “Dormant” Offshore Protocol, News, Thursday, 25 November 2010, available at http://mepielan-ebulletin.gr/default.aspx?pid=18&CategoryId=10&ArticleId=43&Article=MEDITERRANEAN-SEA---Two-Protocols-to-the-Barcelona-Convention-System-Enter-Into-Force:-The-%E2%80%9CNew-and-Innovative%E2%80%9D-ICZM-Protocol-and-the-%E2%80%9CDormant%E2%80%9D-Offshore-Protocol

Source: UNEP News Center, IISD Reporting Services
For further information:
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2667&ArticleID=9025&l=en
http://climate-l.iisd.org/news/barcelona-convention-parties-call-for-a-blue-economy-to-safeguard-the-mediterranean/

BASEL CONVENTION – Outcomes of the Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Basel Convention

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was held from 17 to 21 October 2011 in Cartagena, Colombia. More than 700 delegates from governments, UN agencies, civil society and the private sector attended the Meeting.

Ministerial consultations and roundtables covered a wide range of issues which led to the adoption of decisions on strategic issues, including the new Strategic Framework for the Implementation of the Basel Convention for 2012-2021 and the Indonesian-Swiss Country-Led Initiative (CLI) to improve the effectiveness of the Basel Convention.

The new Strategic Framework for the Implementation of the Basel Convention for 2012-2021 sets out a vision, guiding principles, strategic objectives, means of implementation, and indicators of achievements. The Strategic Framework aims at strengthening the environmentally sound management of such wastes as a contribution to promoting human health, sustainable livelihoods, and eradicating poverty.

The Indonesian-Swiss Country-Led Initiative (CLI) to improve the effectiveness of the Basel Convention led to the adoption of a Decision for the unblocking of an amendment that will ban the export of hazardous wastes from OECD to non-OECD countries, known as the Ban Amendment. The so-called CLI decision allows the Ban Amendment to come into force for those countries who wish to adhere to it, but also moves forward in establishing a regime for countries who wish to trade in waste to ensure the minimization of health and environmental impacts, ensuring adequate social and labour conditions and creating new economic opportunities. It clarifies the interpretation of Article 17(5) of the Convention, setting the bar for entry into force of the Ban Amendment. The amendment will enter into force once an additional 17 parties ratify it. The entry into force of the Amendment will send a powerful political signal and it will stimulate more Parties to ratify the Ban.

Note

Article 17(5) of the Basel Convention:
“Instruments of ratification, approval, formal confirmation or acceptance of amendments shall be deposited with the Depositary. Amendments adopted in accordance with paragraphs 3 or 4 above shall enter into force between Parties having accepted them on the ninetieth day after the receipt by the Depositary of their instrument of ratification, approval, formal confirmation or acceptance by at least three-fourths of the Parties who accepted them or by at least two thirds of the Parties to the protocol concerned who accepted them, except as may otherwise be provided in such protocol. The amendments shall enter into force for any other Party on the ninetieth day after that Party deposits its instrument of ratification, approval, formal confirmation or acceptance of the amendments.”

Source: Basel Convention, IISD Reporting Services
For further Information:
http://www.basel.int
http://www.iisd.ca/basel/cop10/?utm_source=lists.iisd.ca&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Linkages+Update+-+Issue+%23178+-+4+November+2011

CASPIAN SEA – Outcomes of the Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP III) to the Tehran Convention

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP III) to the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention) was held from 10 to 12 August 2011 in Aktau, Republic of Kazakhstan. This Meeting, among other things, adopted and signed a new important Protocol while it transferred the finalization and adoption of another Protocol for the next COP.

More specifically, the Meeting adopted and the Plenipotentiaries of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, and Russian Federation signed the Protocol Concerning Regional Preparedness, Response and Cooperation in Combating Oil Pollution Incidents (Aktau Protocol). The adoption of the Aktau Protocol by the five Caspian states marks a historic milestone in their determination to protect and preserve the Caspian Sea environment against the threats posed by oil pollution. It defines the responsibilities of the Parties to take coordinated measures to prevent and respond to the oil spills.

As regards the Draft Protocol, Protocol on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, establishing procedures for an EIA in a transboundary context, the Parties were not able to reach an agreement on the final text of the Protocol, although it was planned to be adopted and signed at the Third MOP of the Tehran Convention. This Draft Protocol contains provisions for implementation of the effective and transparent EIA procedures in a transboundary context to any proposed activity. The signing of the Protocol is now deferred to the Fourth Conference of the Parties.

Source: UNEP News Centre, Caspian Environment Programme
For Further information:
http://unep.org/NEWSCENTRE/default.aspx?DocumentID=2649&ArticleID=8832
http://www.caspianenvironment.org

New Partnership Needed to Ensure Future of Marine Environment: The New UNEP Guide to Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM)

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

In the context of the World Ocean Day 2011, UNEP produced, on 8 June 2011, a new important publication on the issue of ecosystem-based management (EBM), entitled Taking Steps Toward Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-Based Management: An Introductory Guide.

With this Guide, UNEP seeks to assist countries and communities to take steps towards making marine and coastal ecosystem-based management operational - from strategic planning to on-site implementation. The guide offers a comprehensive overview of the core elements of EBM and its main phases, including visioning, planning and implementation. Drawing upon worldwide practical experience and lessons, ranging from tropical ecosystems and polar ocean ecosystems to marine protected areas, such as that of California in the U.S, the publication offers guidance to marine managers towards achieving long-term sustainability, from initial planning of how to deal with environmental degradation to on-site implementation of action plans. The target audience of the Guide includes planners and decision-makers in local, national and regional governments as well as communities across a broad spectrum of interests and uses.

The new UNEP guide draws attention to the fact that the unprecedented degradation and decline in marine and coastal ecosystems, as a result of overfishing, pollution, coastal development, and the climate change impacts, necessitate the need for the adoption, by the relevant communities and stakeholders, of an integrated approach to the management of the coastal and marine environment and the development of a close partnership and cooperation between different marine users and maritime sectors, including the tourism, energy, shipping industry, fishing communities, and conservationists.

"The future role of marine and coastal ecosystems in human well-being depends increasingly on developing the capacity of countries to manage human uses and impacts in order to ensure that ecosystem health and self-repairing capacity is not undermined", said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

"Central to a transformational response to decades of overfishing, pollution and unplanned urban development will be moving from sectoral marine and coastal management to a joined approach that marries seemingly competing interests", added Mr. Steiner.

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) as a holistic, integrated approach that looks at marine and coastal ecosystems as units with many ecological and social links, can contribute significantly to the protection and sustainable development of marine and coastal environments. The new publication points out that best practices, synergies, and sharing knowledge across different sectors could make communites more resilient to environmental change and lay the groundwork for an effective marine management and equitable sharing of ocean marine resources. This could involve, for example, planning of marine protected areas in direct dialogue with other sectors like fisheries and off-shore energy exploration. In turn, this can provide for broad-scale healthy oceans rather than isolated 'pockets of biodiversity'.

The new UNEP guide also highlights that cross boundary cooperation and working with neighbours and even countries far away will be also needed for EBM to be effectively planned and implemented. The UNEP Regional Seas Programme is uniquely placed to assist, while also acting as a forum for practical engagement with other regional and international organizations, such as regional fishery management organizations, initiatives of the International Maritime Organization, and other relevant bodies. It can provide a basis for creating common agendas and building an EBM approach to sustainable marine development.

Source: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
For further information:
http://www.unep.org/NEWSCENTRE/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2645&ArticleID=8776

UNEP on International Environmental Governance

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The 26th Session of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC-26/GMEF) was held from 21 to 24 February 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya. Over 1000 participants from 140 countries, including ministers, representatives of UN agencies, civil society and industry attended the Session.

Ministerial consultations and roundtables covered a wide range of issues related to Green Economy and International Environmental Governance (IEG), thus contributing to the preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (also known as “Rio +20”), to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012.

With respect to International Environmental Governance, the basis for the discussions was the Nairobi-Helsinki Outcome of the Consultative Group of Ministers or High-level Representatives on IEG (the Consultative Group), established by the Governing Council in order “to consider the broader reform of the international environmental governance system, building on the set of options, but remaining open to new ideas” (Decision SS.XI/1 of 26 February 2010).

In the adopted Decision on IEG (UNEP/GC.26/CW/L.4/Add.1), the Governing Council stresses the importance of securing political momentum for, and efficient follow-up to, the international environmental governance process and welcomes the findings of the Nairobi-Helsinki Outcome*. Furthermore, it invites the Preparatory Committee (PreCom) of United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) to initiate a full analysis of the financial, structural and legal implications and comparative advantages of the options identified in the Nairobi-Helsinki Outcome utilizing the expertise of relevant United Nations system entities, including the United Nations Environment Programme and relevant stakeholders as well as major groups eligible to participate in the PrepCom.

* Note

Nairobi-Helsinki Outcome
Six methods of reinforcing international environmental governance:
1) Enhance the science – policy interface with the full and meaningful participation of developing countries; to meet the science-policy capacity needs of developing countries and countries with economies in transition, including improvement of scientific research and development at the national level; and to build on existing international environmental assessments, scientific panels and information networks.
2) Develop a system-wide strategy for environment in the United Nations system to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and coherence of the United Nations system and in that way contribute to strengthening the environmental pillar of sustainable development.
3) Encourage synergies between compatible multilateral environmental agreements and to identify guiding elements for realizing such synergies while respecting the autonomy of the conferences of the parties.
4) Create a stronger link between global environmental policy making and financing aimed at widening and deepening the funding base for environment with the goal of securing sufficient, predictable and coherent funding and increasing accessibility, cooperation and coherence among financing mechanisms and funds for the environment, with the aim of helping to meet the need for new and additional funding to bridge the policy-implementation gap through new revenue streams for implementation.
5) Develop a system-wide capacity-building framework for the environment to ensure a responsive and cohesive approach to meeting country needs, taking into account the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity Building.
6) Continue to strengthen strategic engagement at the regional level by further increasing the capacity of UNEP regional offices to be more responsive to country environmental needs. The aim of such strengthening should be to increase country responsiveness and implementation. Environmental expertise within United Nations country teams should be strengthened, including through UNEP.

Source: UNEP, IISD Reporting Services
For further Information:
http://www.unep.org/gc/gc26/
http://www.iisd.ca/unepgc/26unepgc/

BALTIC SEA - HELCOM and VASAB Agree on Maritime Spatial Planning Principles in the Baltic Sea Area

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

On 17 December 2010, HELCOM and VASAB (Visions and Strategies around the Baltic Sea)* agreed on ten Maritime Spatial Planning principles which regulate the development of coherent Maritime Spatial Planning in the Baltic Sea area.

This important development is a response to the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region indicating the cardinal role of HELCOM and VASAB in developing Maritime Spatial Planning in the Baltic region in cooperation with relevant stakeholders.

Following the HELCOM Moscow Ministerial Declaration, adopted by the HELCOM Moscow Ministerial Meeting on 20 May 2010, and the Vilnius Declaration adopted by the VASAB Ministerial Conference on 16 October 2009, HELCOM and VASAB established a joint, co-chaired HELCOM-VASAB Working Group on Maritime Spatial Planning. In December 2010, HELCOM and VASAB formulated Baltic Sea Broad-scale Maritime Spatial Planning principles, thus founding a firm basis for transboundary cooperation on Maritime Spatial Planning as well as Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Baltic Sea region, declaring the need for strengthening their synergies and the development of a future coherent terrestrial and maritime spatial planning for the Baltic Sea.

“The Baltic Sea is in great need of a developed, well adapted and coherent Maritime Spatial Planning to accomplish long term trade-offs between different and sometimes competing human activities, thereby providing a predictable framework for maritime economic investment and activities, for creating job opportunities and at the same time ensuring compatibility with good environmental status, thus promoting sustainable development of the marine areas and the Baltic Sea Region,” said Anne Christine Brusendorff, HELCOM’s Executive Secretary. “There is an increasing need and competition for marine space in the Baltic Sea which requires an integrated, cross-sectoral approach of managing human activities.”

Maritime Spatial Planning is an instrument for monitoring, evaluating, coordinating and allocating the spatial and temporal impact of human activities in marine areas, aiming to achieve an effective balance between economic, environmental, social and any other interests of maritime sectors in line with internationally and nationally agreed objectives. A common approach of Maritime Spatial Planning and sustainable management of the sea resources is required, as great differences still exist between the Baltic Sea Region countries.

The main Maritime Spatial Planning principle set by HELCOM and VASAB is the ecosystem approach. The ecosystem approach aims at a cross-sectoral and sustainable management of human activities to achieve a good status of the Baltic Sea ecosystem so that it can provide the services humans want and need. Maritime Spatial Planning will seek to protect and enhance the marine environment and contribute to achieving Good Environmental Status** according to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive*** and HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan.
Maritime Spatial Planning will be based on the best available and up-to-date comprehensive information of high quality. Thus the initial challenge for Maritime Spatial Planning is to find, collect, and adapt such information in order to form it into a relevant base for the planning process. Methods to transform marine data on ecosystems and other environmental issues, as well as information on maritime issues and their effects on the ecosystems, into effective planning measures will need to be developed.

Notes

*Visions and Strategies around the Baltic Sea (VASAB) is an intergovernmental forum for co-operation of ministers responsible for spatial planning and development of Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, the Russian Federation and Sweden.
** "Good Environmental Status" means the environmental status of marine waters where these provide ecologically diverse and dynamic oceans and seas which are clean, healthy and productive within their intrinsic conditions, and the use of the marine environment is at a level that is sustainable, thus safeguarding the potential for uses and activities by current and future generations, i.e.: (a) the structure, functions and processes of the constituent marine ecosystems, together with the associated physiographic, geographic, geological and climatic factors, allow those ecosystems to function fully and to maintain their resilience to human-induced environmental change. Marine species and habitats are protected, human-induced decline of biodiversity is prevented and diverse biological components function in balance; (b) hydro-morphological, physical and chemical properties of the ecosystems, including those properties which result from human activities in the area concerned, support the ecosystems as described above. Anthropogenic inputs of substances and energy, including noise, into the marine environment do not cause pollution effects. (Directive 2008/56/EC, Article 3(5)).
*** 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)

Source: HELCOM Commission
For further information:
http://www.helcom.fi
http://www.helcom.fi/press_office/news_helcom/en_GB/HELCOM_VASAB_MSP_principles/

MEDITERRANEAN SEA - Two Protocols to the Barcelona Convention System Enter Into Force: The “New and Innovative” ICZM Protocol and the “Dormant” Offshore Protocol

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On 22 November 2010, Syria deposited its instruments of ratification of two Protocols to the Barcelona Convention system, the Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean Protocol, 2008 (the ICZM Protocol) and 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, 1994 (the Offshore Protocol), thus bringing the total number of ratifications of both Protocols to six. After this latest development, both legal instruments will enter into force on the thirtieth day (30) following the date of the deposit of at least six (6) instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession (Article 39 of the ICZM Protocol, and Article 32(4) of the Offshore Protocol). Syria is the first among the Mediterranean Countries to have ratified the Barcelona Convention, its seven Protocols and all its amendments.

“At a time of serious concerns for our environment, as witnessed by the accident in the Gulf of Mexico and the record number of natural disasters linked to climatic variations, Mediterranean countries stepped up one gear in their efforts to protect our sea and coastal area. The leadership of Syria should be commended”, said Maria Luisa Silva Mejias, UNEP/MAP Deputy Coordinator and Officer in charge. “The entry into force of these two Protocols provides the region with unique and powerful legal instruments to address environmental threats linked to offshore platforms and coastal degradation. These developments will allow Mediterranean countries to activate a regional response mechanism in case an accident similar to the one on the Gulf of Mexico would happen, and will also allow for better preparedness and protection of our coasts against climate variability”.

The ICZM Protocol, 2008,* is a unique legal instrument in the entire international community, a key tool for the sustainable governance of coastal development, as it establishes an effective conventional regime ensuring that the environment and landscapes of the Mediterranean coastal zone are managed in harmony with economic, social and cultural actions and activities for the benefit of current and future generations. The Protocol adds provisions on the environmental impact analysis, the protection and sustainable use of coastal areas, particular coastal ecosystems, coastal landscapes and islands, economic activities and cultural heritage while it allows the countries to deal with the emerging coastal environmental challenges, such as the climate change. It also contains useful and innovative tools to help Mediterranean countries in addressing environmental threats to the coast such as 100 meters non-building line, institutional coordination, participatory approach, undertaking carrying capacity assessment and strategic environmental impact assessments, but also in building new modes of innovative knowledge through inter-disciplinary educational programmes, training and research.

The Offshore Protocol, 1994,** remains a powerful and important regional instrument, taking into account the provisions contained in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982. It establishes a conventional regime governing the protection of the Mediterranean Sea from pollution resulting from exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf, the seabed and its subsoil, covering the whole Mediterranean Sea. Being, however, negotiated and signed before the extensive revision of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols (a process which started in 1995), the Protocol, despite the importance of its entry into force, urgently needs to be revised and updated.***

Notes

* The six Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention that have ratified the ICZM Protocol are: France (2009), Slovenia (2009), Albania (2010), Spain (2010), EU (2010), and Syria (2010).
**The six Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention that have ratified the Offshore Protocol are: Tunisia (1998), Morocco (1999), Albania (2001), Cyprus (2001), Libya (2005), and Syria (2010).
*** For a critical review of the Offshore Protocol see this Bulletin INSIGHTS by E. Raftopoulos.

Main Source: UNEP/MAP for the Barcelona Convention
For further information:
http://www.unepmap.org
http://www.unepmap.org/index.php?module=news&action=detail&id=96

NORTH SEA – The Results of the OSPAR Ministerial Meeting 2010

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Third Ministerial Meeting of the OSPAR Commission in Norway ended on 24 September, making ground-breaking decisions for the protection of high seas biodiversity. The OSPAR Ministers established a vast network of unique and ecologically sensitive areas in the wider Atlantic, bringing the network of OSPAR's marine protected areas to cover an area of 433,000 km².

OSPAR Ministers established six Marine Protected Areas covering a total area of 285,000 km², protecting a series of seamounts and sections of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and hosting a range of vulnerable deep-sea habitants and species. These measures, which set a precedent on ocean governance for other regions, are agreed to be presented at the 10th Meeting of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity to be held in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010.

Furthermore, the OSPAR Ministerial Meeting adopted the North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy for the period 2010-2020. This new Strategy provides the regional platform for facilitating implementation of the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC), so as to deliver the ecosystem approach and achieve good environmental status in the North-East Atlantic by 2020.

To achieve a clean, healthy and biologically diverse North-East Atlantic, the Ministers gave also consideration to key human elements, by taking firm steps to prevent significant acute pollution from offshore drilling activities, combat eutrophication, promote the banning of the use and trade of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the reductions of the radioactive substances to zero and tackle marine litter.

The OSPAR Ministers, finally, adopted the Bergen Statement, which constitutes a political commitment to achieve these new goals.

During the Meeting, WWF awarded the "Gift to the Earth" to OSPAR in recognition of the leading work on the protection and conservation of marine biodiversity in the high seas.

Note: The MPAs established by the OSPAR Commission lie in areas of the North-East Atlantic that are beyond the jurisdiction of the coastal States. Four of the MPAs, Altair Seamount, Antialtair Seamount, Josephine Seamount and MAR North of the Azores, are for the Ηigh Seas above seabed that is subject to a submission by Portugal to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. For the seabed in these areas, Portugal has established MPAs under its national jurisdiction.

Source: OSPAR Commission
For further information:
http://www.ospar.org/
http://www.ospar.org/content/news_detail.asp?menu=00600725000000_000013_000000

MEDITERRANEAN SEA - Mandatory Deadlines and Actions Against Pollution Enter Into Force in the Mediterranean

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

For the first time, on the 16th of June 2010, specific and mandatory deadlines and actions for the reduction and elimination of chemicals, pesticides and pollutants originating from land-based industrial and agricultural activities have entered into force, according to the 3rd paragraph of the 15th Article of the Land Based Sources (LBS) Protocol. The deadlines and actions concern the countries parties to the Barcelona Convention and the Mediterranean Action Plan.

Concrete measures will be implemented between 2015 and 2019, at all coastal cities and urban centers, as well as at industrial activities in their proximity. Actions include the mandatory treatment for coastal cities and urban centers of their waste water, at levels set in the plans, before its release into the sea.

“Today marks the beginning of a new phase in the implementation of the Barcelona Convention, where our verbal commitments are framed by concrete deadlines for action”, said Maria Luisa Silva, UNEP/MAP Officer-in-charge.

The three regional plans were adopted at the 16th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (Marrakesh, November 2009) and are a powerful tool for the implementation of the 15th Article of the Land Based Sources (LBS) Protocol,which states that countries should adopt plans and programmes containing concrete measures and timetables.

Source: UNEP/MAP for the Barcelona Convention
For further information:
http://www.unepmap.org
http://www.unepmap.org/index.php?module=news&action=detail&id=93

MEDITERRANEAN SEA - Mediterranean countries agree on measures to address the risk of alien species invasions via ships' ballast water and sediments

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre’s (REMPEC) meeting was held in Istanbul from 1 to 3 June 2010 and was attended by representatives from eighteen Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (Albania, Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, EU, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey). The participants agreed on eight strategic priorities to efficiently address the risk of ships’ ballast water and invasive species in the Mediterranean and on measures to put into effect these strategic priorities at national, sub-regional and regional level. The Meeting was also attended by observers from the Mediterranean Network for Operational Oceanography Network (MOON), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Ocean Institute (IOI).

In addition, countries supported a proposal regarding voluntary interim arrangements on ship’s ballast water exchange in the Mediterranean, as indicated by the International Convention for the Control and management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004.

The delegations, also, unanimously decided that a notification of these voluntary interim arrangements will be sent to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) prior to the forthcoming Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, which is scheduled for November 2011. The countries representatives therefore requested REMPEC to facilitate this matter by officially liaising with the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention.

Source: Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC)
For further information:
http://www.rempec.org/news.asp?pgeVisit=Latest

BALTIC SEA - HELCOM - Moscow Declaration

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Ministerial-level Meeting of the HELCOM held in Moscow from 18 to 20 May 2010 ended with the adoption of the Moscow Declaration. The Declaration states the intention of the Baltic States to reinforce joint efforts in order to restore a good ecological status of the Baltic marine environment. The Meeting was attended by the Heads of State and Government of the Baltic States, an EU high level representative, business communities and non-governmental organizations.

The main objective of the Ministerial Meeting was to evaluate the first results of the implementation of the strategic HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, to radically reduce marine pollution and to restore its good ecological status by 2021.

The Declaration consists of many actions to improve the Baltic Sea’s environment, mostly in order to reduce the inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to the sea to fight eutrophication. During the Meeting, the Member States presented their National Implementation Programmes, depicting further actions to reduce eutrophication and the input of hazardous substances, so as to reach the objectives of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. The Member States also agreed on the elaboration of their National Implementation Programmes by 2011, in order to halt the biodiversity decline, to ensure environmentally safe maritime activities and response capacity, and increase public awareness. This assessment has been prepared to support the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. All National Implementation Programmes will be measured against this assessment. This assessment has been prepared to support the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. All National Implementation Programmes will be measured against this assessment.

Source: HELCOM Commission
For further information:
http://www.helcom.fi/press_office/news_helcom/en_GB/Moscow_Ministerial_outcome/
http://www.helcom.fi/stc/files/Moscow2010/HELCOM%20Moscow%20Ministerial%20Declaration%20FINAL.pdf

NORTH SEA - OSPAR Ministerial Meeting 2010

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Ministerial Meeting of the OSPAR Commission will be hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment in Bergen, Norway, from 20 to 24 September 2010. The 15 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and the European Union, that are Contracting Parties to the OSPAR Convention, are expected to take urgent actions for the protection of the marine environment, but also to celebrate some important achievements for the North-East Atlantic. Ministers and governmental representatives from neighbouring countries of the Baltic region (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Russian Federation), and the countries bordering the North Atlantic including Canada and the United States of America, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations have also been invited as observers.

Some of the thematic issues will be:

Actions and measures for the protection of marine biodiversity, including taking forward a coherent and well-managed network of marine protected areas, which may include areas beyond national jurisdiction;
Climate change and ocean acidification;
Achieving good environmental status in the North-East Atlantic by 2020, by providing the regional platform for implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

The North-East Atlantic Environment Summit will launch the Quality Status Report 2010, a major holistic assessment of the quality status of the North East Atlantic. The Quality Status Report 2010 will examine all the impacts that human activities have on the marine environment, such as offshore oil gas industries, offshore wind farms, maritime transports and fisheries, as well as the effects of radioactive substances and other contaminants and nutrient pollution. It will also guide OSPAR’s work and strategies through the post-2010 period.

Source: OSPAR Commission
For further information:
http://www.squizmix.com/ospar2010/default.aspx
http://www.ospar.org/html_documents/ospar/html/ospar_mm2010_en_online.pdf