The 22 Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention are: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Türkiye, and the European Union.
Under the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, the Contracting Parties pledge to take appropriate measures to prevent, abate, combat to the fullest possible extent, eliminate pollution of the Mediterranean Sea Area, and to protect and enhance the marine environment so as to contribute towards its sustainable development.
They also pledge to implement the Mediterranean Action Plan to pursue the protection of the marine environment and the natural resources of the Mediterranean, meeting the needs of present and future generations in an equitable manner.
Represented by their competent Ministries, the Contracting Parties decide on the MAP policies, strategies, budget and programme of work at their ministerial-level meetings held every two years. They designate Focal Points— appropriately empowered individual representatives—who serve as official conduit for communication to review the progress of work and ensure the implementation of recommendations at the national level.
The Barcelona Convention as well as each of its Protocols are subject to ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
The Government of Spain, which assumes the functions of Depositary, records and provides information on the deposit of relevant instruments by the Contracting Parties, and of the date of entry into force of the Convention, Protocols and their amendments.
Click here to download the latest Status of Signatures and Ratifications of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols (Last notification received from the depositary: 29 October 2020)
The Contracting Parties are also obligated to report on measures taken to implement the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols as well as the recommendations adopted by their meetings. National implementation reports serve as the basis for the Meetings of Contracting Parties to assess compliance with the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols.
The process of national reporting provides Contracting Parties with an important opportunity to assess progress in implementation, build on achievements, identify common difficulties, lessons learnt and priority issues that need to be addressed within the framework of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols.
In 2008 the Contracting Parties adopted the Procedures and mechanisms on compliance under the Barcelona Convention and established the Compliance Committee to facilitate and promote compliance with the obligations under the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols.
