Marine Environmental Protection (Overview)

Background:
Thus far, the use of the world's oceans has been linked to the mistaken belief in an inexhaustible supply of resources and an unlimited capacity for regeneration. The consequences are high ecological risks and considerable negative impacts on the marine environment. Even though the United Nations declared 1998 the "Year of the Ocean" in order to highlight the major importance of the oceans for a global balance, oceans often only become the focus of attention when there is yet another accident, or when packing for a holiday by the sea.

Dangers for the marine environment:
Threats are posed by inputs of persistent pollutants (i.e. substances that are non-degradable or not readily degradable in water) and excessive nutrient inputs via rivers, as well as the widespread transport of pollutants via the atmosphere (see info: Environmental Status of European Seas). As a result, organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which were formerly used as insulation, hydraulic or cooling fluids, can be detected in remote polar regions. Other hazards to the marine environment are caused by shipping (e.g. illegal disposal of wastes, accidents, problems caused by antifouling paints) and inputs of oil and pollutants from the offshore oil and gas industry. Marine ecosystems are also endangered by overfishing and other negative effects of fishing on marine species and habitats. A further threat is that of climate change and entailing effects such as sea level rise and shifts and changes in flora and fauna of certain sea areas.

German policy for protecting the marine environment in the 21st Century:
As pollution of and processes in the oceans do not stop at political borders, successful marine environmental protection can only be achieved by means of intensive international cooperation at regional and global level. The Federal Republic of Germany is therefore a Contracting Party to all relevant Conventions. Such intensive cooperation occurs inter alia within the framework of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, including the North Sea (OSPAR Convention) and the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention), the International Conferences on the Protection of the North Sea and their follow-up, the Trilateral Governmental Conferences on the Protection of the Wadden Sea and the Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea area (BALTIC 21).

For further information, you may consult the following links and documents:

Environmental Status of European Seas

• North-East Atlantic (cf OSPAR Website: Quality Status Report 2000)
• North Sea (cf OSPAR Website: Regional QSR 2000 – Greater North Sea)
• Wadden Sea (cf Website of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat: QSR 2004)
• Baltic Sea (cf Helsinki Commission Website Section: "The marine environment" which contains various reports)

North-East Atlantic (including the North Sea)

Please confer to the OSPAR Website for the following:

• Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (the "OSPAR Convention")
• Ministerial Declarations and Statements
• • Declaration of the Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki and OSPAR Commissions (2003) together with a
    Statement on the Ecosystem approach to the management of Human Activities and a
    Statement on the European Marine Strategy
  • Ministerial Meeting of the OSPAR Commission, Bremen Statement 2003
  • Results of the Ministerial Meeting of the OSPAR Commission 1998
  • Ministerial Declaration 1992
• The ecosystem approach to the management of human activities
• The six OSPAR Strategies:
• • Protection and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems
  • Eutrophication
  • Hazardous Substances
  • Offshore Oil and Gas Industry
  • Radioactive Substances
  • Monitoring and Assessment
• Measures of the OSPAR Commission (Decisions, Recommendations, Other Agreements)

Baltic Sea

Please confer to the Helsinki Commission Website for the following:

• Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki-Convention)
• Ministerial Declarations of the Helsinki Commission
• • Declaration of the Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki and OSPAR Commissions (2003)
  • HELCOM Bremen Declaration (25 June 2003)
  • Declaration on the Safety of Navigation and Emergency Capacity in the Baltic Sea Area - HELCOM Copenhagen Declaration - (10 September 2001)
  • Communiqué of the Ministerial Session on 26 March 1998
  • 15th Meeting of the Helsinki Commission (11 March 1994)
  • Declaration on Resource Mobilisation for the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environment Action Programme - Gdansk Declaration (24-25 March 1993)
  • Baltic Sea Environmental Declaration (9 April 1992)
  • Baltic Sea Declaration - Ronneby Declaration (3 September 1990)
  • Declaration on the Protection of the Environment of the Baltic Sea (15 February 1988)
• HELCOM-Recommendations