The Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution (Barcelona Convention) was adopted on 16 February 1976 in Barcelona and entered into force in 1978.
The Barcelona Convention was amended in 1995 and renamed as the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean. The amendments to the Barcelona Convention entered into force in 2004.
The Barcelona Convention and its seven Protocols adopted in the framework of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) constitute the principal regional legally binding Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) in the Mediterranean.
“The Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention agree to individually or jointly take all appropriate measures in accordance with the provisions of the Convention and the Protocols in force to which they are party to prevent, abate, combat and to the fullest possible extent eliminate pollution of the Mediterranean Sea Area and to protect and enhance the marine environment in that Area so as to contribute towards its sustainable development. They cooperate in the formulation and adoption of Protocols, prescribing agreed measures, procedures and standards for the implementation of this Convention.”
Dumping Protocol
The Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft, was adopted in 1976 and entered into force in 1978. Its objective is for Contracting Parties to take all appropriate measures to prevent, abate and eliminate to the fullest extent possible pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by dumping of wastes or other matter.
In 1995, the Dumping Protocol was amended, and renamed Protocol for the Prevention and Elimination of Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft or Incineration at the Sea. The amendments to the Dumping Protocol have not yet entered into force.
The Protocol, as amended in 1995, prohibits all dumping activities with the exception of wastes or other matters listed in the Protocol: dredged material, fish wastes, vessels (until 31 December 2000), platforms, and inert, uncontaminated geological material.
The Mediterranean Pollution Assessment and Control Programme (MED POL) assists Contracting Parties in meeting their obligations under the Dumping Protocol, including through the development of specific Guidelines containing step-by-step procedures to evaluate wastes and other matter considered for disposal at sea: dredged material; fish waste or organic materials resulting from the processing of fish and other marine organisms; platforms and other man-made structures; and inert uncontaminated geological materials.
Click here for the official texts and status of signatures and ratifications of the Dumping Protocol
Prevention and Emergency Protocol
The Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Oil and other Harmful Substances in Case of Emergency was adopted in 1976 and entered into force in 1978. The Protocol was replaced by the Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Preventing Pollution from Ships and, in Cases of Emergency, Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea, which was adopted in 2002 and entered into force in 2004.
The Prevention and Emergency Protocol provides a regional framework for international cooperation and mutual assistance in preparing for and responding to oil and hazardous noxious substances (HNS) pollution incidents.
Parties to the Prevention and Emergency Protocol are required to maintain contingency plans, either nationally or in co-operation with other countries, backstopped by a minimum level of response equipment, communications, regular training and exercises. This applies to ships, platforms and ports. Parties to the Protocol are also called to provide assistance to others in the event of a pollution emergency and provision is made for the reimbursement of any assistance provided.
The Protocol provides for the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) to play an important coordinating role, including in assisting Parties to implement the Regional Strategy for the Prevention of and Response to Marine Pollution from Ships (2016-2021)
Land-Based Sources Protocol
The Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution from Land-Based Sources, was adopted in 1980 and entered into force in 1983. In 1996, the LBS Protocol was amended and renamed Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities. The amendments to the LBS Protocol entered into force in 2008.
The objective of the LBS Protocol is to take all appropriate measures to prevent, abate and eliminate to the fullest extent possible pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by from land-based sources and activities, by the reduction and phasing out of substances that are toxic, persistent and liable to bioaccumulate listed in the Protocol.
Under the LBS Protocol point source discharges and pollutant releases are subject to an authorization or regulation system by countries, taking into account factors ranging from the characteristics and composition of the discharges to the potential impairment of marine ecosystems and sea-water uses. Regional Action Plans and National Action Plans, containing specific measures and timetables, have been developed to implement the LBS Protocol. These address Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs); the Reduction of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5); the Reduction of Inputs of Mercury; the Management of Marine Litter; and Sustainable Consumption and Production in the Mediterranean.
The Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean is notable in that it is a legally binding instrument, setting specific measures and operational targets to achieve Good Environmental Status in the Mediterranean Sea, including a basin-wide marine litter reduction target of 20% of beach litter by 2024.
The Mediterranean Pollution Assessment and Control Programme (MED POL) assists Contracting Parties in meeting their obligations under the LBS Protocol.
Click here for the official texts and status of signatures and ratifications of the LBS Protocol
Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity Protocol
The Protocol Concerning Mediterranean Specially Protected Areas was adopted in 1982 and entered into force in 1986. The Protocol was replaced by the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (SPA/BD Protocol) which was adopted in 1995 and entered into force in 1999.
The SPA/BD Protocol provides the regional framework for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in the Mediterranean. Under the Protocol, Parties are called to protect areas of particular natural or cultural value, through the establishment of Specially Protected Areas (SPAs) or Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMIs), and to protect the threatened or endangered species of flora and fauna listed in the Protocol’s Annexes.
The Annexes to the SPA/BD Protocol also include the common criteria for the establishment of SPAMIs, and the list of species whose exploitation is regulated under the Protocol. The Annexes are updated by the meetings of the Contracting Parties, reflecting the evolving status of species and the establishment of new SPAMIs.
Regional Action Plans with specific actions to take to protect, preserve and manage the species listed in the Protocol have been developed, addressing the Conservation of Cartilaginous Fishes (Chondrichthyans); Cetaceans; Marine Vegetation; Bird Species; Marine Turtles; Coralligenous and Other Calcareous Bio-concretions; Mediterranean Monk Seals. The implementation of the SPA/BD Protocol is also complemented by Action Plans addressing Species Introduction and Invasive species, and Dark Habitats.
The Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC) assists Contracting Parties in meeting their obligations under the SPA/BD Protocol.
Click here for the official text and status of signatures and ratifications of the SPA/BD Protocol
Offshore Protocol
The Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution Resulting from the Exploration and Exploitation of the Continental Shelf and the Seabed and its Subsoil was adopted in 1994 and entered into force in 2011.
The Offshore Protocol addresses all aspects of offshore oil and gas activities in the Mediterranean and includes measures to reduce pollution from all phases of offshore activities, to respond to offshore pollution incidents and concerning liability and compensation.
The Protocol provides for the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) to play an important coordinating role, in support of its implementation.
The Offshore Protocol is complemented by the 2016 Mediterranean Offshore Action Plan.
Click here for the official text and status of signatures and ratifications of the Offshore Protocol
Hazardous Wastes Protocol
The Protocol on the Prevention of Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted in 1996 and entered into force in 2008.
The overall objective of the Hazardous Waste Protocol is to protect human health and the marine environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes. The provisions of the Protocol address the following principal aims: the reduction and, where possible, the elimination of hazardous wastes generation; the reduction of the amount of hazardous wastes subject to transboundary movement; and a regulatory system applying to cases where transboundary movements are permissible.
The Mediterranean Pollution Assessment and Control Programme (MED POL) assists Contracting Parties in meeting their obligations under the Hazardous Wastes Protocol.
Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol
The Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean, (ICZM Protocol) was adopted in 2008 and entered into force in 2011.
The ICZM Protocol provides the legal framework for the integrated management of the Mediterranean coastal zone. Under the Protocol, Parties are called to take the necessary measures to strengthen regional cooperation in order to meet the objectives of integrated coastal zone management. Such measures include those aimed at protecting the characteristics of certain specific coastal ecosystems (e.g. wetlands and estuaries, marine habitats, coastal forests and woods and dunes), those aimed at ensuring the sustainable use of the coastal zone, and those aimed at ensuring that the coastal and maritime economy is adapted to the fragile nature of coastal zones.
The Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC) assists Contracting Parties in meeting their obligations under the ICZM Protocol.
The Contracting Parties adopted in 2012 the Action Plan for the implementation of the IZCM Protocol. They also adopted the Common Regional Framework for ICZM in 2019.
Click here for the official text and status of signatures and ratification of the ICZM Protocol
