Recommendation for a Decision authorising the opening of negotiations on amendments to the Agreement for Co-operation in Dealing with Pollution of the North Sea by Oil and Other Harmful Substances (Bonn Agreement)

Summary:

Recommendation presented on 30 August 2019 by the European Commission concerning the opening of negotiations on behalf of the Union with regard to Spain's accession to the Bonn Agreement and to the extension of the scope of application of the Agreement.

Further information:

The Agreement for Co-operation in Dealing with Pollution of the North Sea by Oil and Other Harmful Substances (the Bonn Agreement) aims to combat pollution in the North Sea area and safeguard coastal areas from maritime disasters and chronic pollution from ships and offshore installations. The Agreement entered into force on 1 September 1989.

The present recommendation concerns the decision authorising the European Commission to negotiate the position on the Union's behalf in connection with the envisaged adoption of two decisions at the thirty-first meeting of the contracting parties of the Bonn Agreement, namely:

• to facilitate the extension of the scope of application of the Agreement with a view to improving cooperation on surveillance in respect of the requirements of Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention (MARPOL amendment), and
• to enable the accession of the Kingdom of Spain to the Agreement and to introduce the necessary consequential amendments to the Agreement (Spain amendment).