Considerations on COM(2019)379 - EU position at the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Bonn Agreement on the Ministerial Declaration and the Bonn Agreement Strategic Action Plan (BASAP) 2019 - 2025

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dossier COM(2019)379 - EU position at the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Bonn Agreement on the Ministerial Declaration and the Bonn Agreement ...
document COM(2019)379 EN
date October  7, 2019
 
table>(1)The Agreement for Co-operation in Dealing with Pollution of the North Sea by Oil and Other Harmful Substances (‘the Bonn Agreement’) (1) was concluded by the European Economic Community by Council Decision 84/358/EEC (2). The Bonn Agreement entered into force on 1 September 1989. The Bonn Agreement was amended in 1989. Those amendments entered into force on 1 April 1994. The European Economic Community approved those amendments by Council Decision 93/540/EEC (3).
(2)The Bonn Agreement celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2019. On that occasion, the Contracting Parties intend to adopt a Ministerial Declaration during the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Bonn Agreement in the presence of Intergovernmental Organisations and Observers from neighbouring regions, responsible for dealing with pollution of the Greater North Sea and its approaches by oil and other harmful substances to be held in Bonn on 11 October 2019 (‘the Ministerial Declaration’).

(3)Acknowledging 50 years of successful cooperation within the framework of the Bonn Agreement and recognising the common benefit of further invigorating regional cooperation to prevent, prepare for and respond to accidental and illegal marine pollution from maritime activities in the Greater North Sea and its approaches, the Ministerial Declaration seeks to set out a common vision of a Greater North Sea and its approaches, free from accidental, avoidable and deliberate pollution from shipping, offshore oil and gas operations and from other maritime activities.

(4)As a strong commitment to pursue such a vision, the Ministerial Declaration is to attest to the re-invigorated efforts by the Contracting Parties to the Bonn Agreement to accomplish agreed objectives and to achieve better prevention, preparedness and response to marine pollution in the Greater North Sea and its approaches. To that effect, the Contracting Parties intend to adopt the Bonn Agreement Strategic Action Plan 2019-2025, which is to be annexed to the Ministerial Declaration and sets out ambitious strategic aims, operational objectives and actions for their implementation for the period 2019-2025.

(5)It is important to establish the position to be adopted on the Union’s behalf during the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Bonn Agreement, as the decision to be adopted at the meeting will have legal effect in the Union.

(6)As the Union is a Contracting Party to the Bonn Agreement and is interested in enhancing cooperation in dealing with pollution of the Greater North Sea and its approaches, it is appropriate to sign and support the Ministerial Declaration, which endorses the Bonn Agreement Strategic Action Plan 2019-2025 annexed thereto,