(Established: 1998)

Status

Intergovernmental commission

Mission

The Oslo and Paris Conventions are the regulatory agreements for the prevention of pollution in the maritime area of the North East Atlantic arising respectively from disposal from ships and aircraft and discharges from land (including atmospheric emissions). The maritime area is defined as the area seaward of nationally designated base lines. Implementation of the Conventions is by Commissions of the Contracting Parties.

Activities

The Oslo and Paris Commissions develop and implement a strategy for the prevention of pollution in the Convention area, taking into account both scientific and technical considerations as well as environmental management policies. Scientific and technical advice is drawn from established research programmes in the member countries as well as from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) which provides formal advice as well as data handling services for the Commissions.

In 1992 the Oslo and Paris Conventions were renegotiated and a single convention for the protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic was signed. This Convention known as the OSPAR, has been ratified by all of the signatories to the Oslo and Paris Conventions and entered into force in March 1998. The OSPAR Convention is structured with a Framework text setting out the overall principles of the Convention and the legal and managerial aspects. The detail of the Convention is expressed in four separate annexes dealing with inputs from land-based sources, dumping and incineration at sea, disposal at sea from offshore installations and structures, and monitoring and assessment.

The Programmes and Measures (PRAM) Committee is responsible for taking forward action under the first three annexes of the Convention. The Assessment and Monitoring (ASMO) Committee collects and makes available scientific information on the status of Convention waters. These two senior committees are serviced by a number of working groups.

United Kingdom Interests

Lead Department

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Contact: John Roberts, Head of Marine and Waterways Division, Water and Land Directorate, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6DE. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7944 5260  Email: John.Roberts@defra.gsi.gov.uk

The Department of Trade and Industry has responsibility in relation to offshore installations.

Other Interested Departments and Organisations

Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department, Fisheries Research Services, Marine Laboratory, PO Box 101, Victoria Road, Aberdeen, AB11 9DB.

Northern Ireland Department of the Environment, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3SS

Wales Office

Department of Transport

Ministry of Defence

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Perspective

Government Departments work closely on the input to the Commission’s work. UK policy is that action should be based on sound science and a clear view of the costs and benefits of the action proposed. An assessment of the status of the Convention’s waters was completed by the year 2000. In December 2000 the OSPAR Commission published five regional Quality Status Reports including those for the Greater North Sea and the Celtic Seas.