A step forward towards the protection of the Mediterranean Sea : EC proposes that EU accede to the "Offshore Protocol"
31 October
The European Commission proposed that EU contracting party of
Barcelona Convention accede one of its seven protocols, the
"offshore protocol" come into force on March 24th 2011 to protect
the Mediterranean Sea against pollution from offshore exploration
and exploitation activities. In particular, the construction of
platforms and rigs must respect international standards and
practice, and operators must prove that they have the technical
competence and the financial capacity to carry out the activities.
If the acti vities are likely to cause significant adverse effects
on the environment no authorization will be given. At present such
activities are increasing in the Mediterranean, and the area is
particularly vulnerable due to its semi-closed configuration and
significant seismic activity. EU ratification of the Protocol is
likely to stimulate ratification by other Parties to the Barcelona
Convention.