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OSPAR Commissionfor the Protection of the Marine Environment of the

North-East Atlantic

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15 States in the North East Atlantic catchments:

Belgium Denmark Finland

France Germany Iceland

Ireland Luxembourg The Netherlands

Norway Portugal Spain

Sweden Switzerland The United Kingdom

and the European Community

OSPAR -who are we?

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Mapping the sea

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The physical world

Mapping the seaLocations, projections, bathymetry

- From portolans to Admiralty charts

The living world

Evolution of current charts

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• 1969: the Torrey Canyon• 1970: ICES warning - concern for the land

means threats to the sea• 1971: preparations for Stockholm and the

Stella Maris• 1972:the Oslo Convention and Stockholm• 1974:the Paris Convention

First waves

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• 1992:UNCED and the need for integration• 1993:North Sea QSR - pollution isn’t the only

problem• 1997:Ecosystem approach - Kyoto protocol• 1998: New OSPAR annex on biological

diversity and ecosystems• 2002:WSSD commitments

The ripples spread

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• How else can we integrate the different sectors:– climate change

– pollution (land-based, offshore, shipping, dumping)

– use of sea space (fisheries, shipping, offshore)

– impact on species and habitats

The need for a strategy

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• WSSD commitments require the application of the ecosystem approach to the management of human activities.

• All international organisations need to show how their programmes fit in with this approach

• OSPAR and HELCOM have done so.bb

Ecosystem approach

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We have been working on marine issues for a generation, and have a body of experience to offer in the fields of hazardous substances, radioactive substances, eutrophication, offshore oil and gas industries, and the protection of marine biodiversity.

Role of Regional Seas Organisations (1)

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Main strength: We are required to be holistic• we must assess “the quality status of the marine

environment and its development” including both an evaluation of the effectiveness of …measures taken…and the identification of priorities for action”.

• the assessments must cover water, sediments and biota, as well as human activities and natural and anthropogenic inputs.

Role of Regional Seas Organisations (2)

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Regional seas organisations have a flexible range of procedures open to them, and have been innovative in deploying them. They can continue to play such an innovative role.

Role of Regional Seas Organisations (3)

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Implementing a marine strategy needs resources.

There needs to be a similar level of effort throughout the management of the hydrological cycle.

Is there a risk that the EC Water Framework Directive’s status will pre-empt resources?

Resource needs

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A European Marine Strategy must

• orchestrate the actions of all European States, the European Union and international bodies towards ambitious, clear and coherent objectives in all the fields affecting the marine environment

• win cooperation and commitments by all the various governments and organisations concerned.

This requires careful choice of the appropriate form of instruments.

Envoi