The OSPAR Acquis: Decisions, Recommendations & Agreements

The OSPAR Acquis - the Decisions, Recommendations and Other Agreements that constitute the accumulated body of OSPAR measures and actions

The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic ("OSPAR Convention") replaces the former Oslo and Paris Conventions.

Decisions, Recommendations and all Other Agreements adopted under those former Conventions continue to be applicable unless they are terminated by new measures adopted under the OSPAR Convention. Any Decisions, Recommendations and Other Agreements adopted under the Oslo and Paris Conventions that were considered to no longer apply under the OSPAR Convention were revoked by OSPAR Decision 98/1.

Maintaining the OSPAR Acquis

The latest list of Decisions, Recommendations and Other Agreements applicable within the framework of the OSPAR Convention is available here.

At its meeting in 2009, OSPAR agreed that there was no need for the OSPAR Commission to carry out annual reviews of this list. The Secretariat keeps the list up to date as new or amended measures are agreed. The OSPAR Committees review the applicability of any Decision, Recommendation or Other Agreement that relate to their area of responsibility and inform the meeting of the Commission as appropriate (at least every 5 years) of any that need to be updated, or that are proposed to be set aside. Those Decisions, Recommendations and Other Agreements that are set aside are indicated by blue shaded text in the List of Decisions, Recommendations and Agreements.

The Commission reviewed the acquis in 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2017/18.

Implementation of OSPAR measures

Under the North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy (NEAES) 2010-2020 the OSPAR Commission was guided by its vision of a clean, healthy and biologically diverse North-East Atlantic Ocean, used sustainably. In seeking to deliver this vision the OSPAR Commission has harmonised policies and strategies and drawn up measures and actions to protect the marine environment. These are captured in the OSPAR Measures and Actions Programme (MAP), which maintains an overview of the implementation of the measures in the OSPAR aquis. This information is maintained in the OSPAR MAP Matrix.

In 2015 OSPAR published an overview of the ‘Existing OSPAR measures in support of MSFD programmes of measures’ (Publication 2015/665). This document provides a regional overview of OSPAR measures that support the achievement of good environmental status in marine waters under the EU MSFD.

OSPAR 2020 agreed a progress report on implementation of OSPAR measures in support of the review of North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy 2010-2020. The report builds on the information maintained in the OSPAR MAP Matrix.

Implementation successes

OSPAR’s measures and actions programme over the period 2010-2020 focused on:

  • the development of measures for the protection and conservation of biodiversity identified for priority action with programmes of action adopted for 40 species and 16 habitats and 3 rounds of implementation reporting completed;
  • consolidation of OSPAR’s network of marine protected areas, including in areas beyond national jurisdiction, which has resulted in 550 MPAs being nominated to the OSPAR MPA network, with annual implementation reporting through a data call to also maintain up to date information about the MPAs in an OSPAR MPA database;
  • the establishment of a risk-based approach for the management of produced water discharges from the offshore oil and gas industry to complement the OSPAR harmonised mandatory control system for offshore chemicals and promote the shift towards a reduction in the use of more hazardous substances;
  • the full implementation of the ban on the dumping or leaving in place of disused offshore installations;
  • the full implementation of the measure on the application of the BAT and BEP in nuclear facilities have resulted in a reduction of discharges from the nuclear sector
  • successfully phasing out all mercury cell chlor-alkali plants in the OSPAR Maritime Area as a result of its Contracting Parties fully implementing PARCOM Decision 90/3 on reducing atmospheric emissions from existing chlor-alkali plants;
  • development and implementation of the Regional Action Plan on marine litter, including measures on fishing for litter and sustainability education programmes for fishers.

OSPAR has also maintained a watching brief on the measures being taken by other competent authorities in the fields of management of land-based sources of hazardous substances and nutrients, the management of fisheries and other human activities with the potential to impact biodiversity. Where needed OSPAR brought matters of importance to the attention of the relevant authorities.

Strategy for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (NEAES) 2030

In 2021, at the Ministerial Meeting held in Cascais, Portugal, a new Strategy for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (NEAES) 2030 (OSPAR Agreement 2021-01) was adopted, together with an Implementation Plan to guide the work to deliver the Strategy.

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Found 421 Decs, Recs & Ags:

OSPAR’s Second Regional Action Plan for the Prevention and Management of Marine Litter in the North-East Atlantic (RAP ML 2) (2022 – 2030)

Adopted:
2022, Copenhagen
Reference Number:
Agreement 2022-05e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Human Activities
Language:
English
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CEMP Guideline - Sensitive Fish Species (FC1)

Adopted:
2022, Copenhagen
Reference Number:
Agreement 2022-04e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity
Language:
English
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CEMP Guideline - Marine Mammal By-catch (M6)

Adopted:
2022, Copenhagen
Reference Number:
Agreement 2022-03e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity
Language:
English
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Roadmap to support the achievement of OSPAR objectives in the Arctic. Editorial amendment 2023

Adopted:
2022, Copenhagen
Reference Number:
Agreement 2022-01e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity, Human Activities, Hazardous Substances & Eutrophication, Offshore Industry, Radioactive Substances
Language:
English
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Terms of Reference of the Coordination Group and Committees (Replaces Agreement 2011-04). Editorial amendment in 2023

Adopted:
2022, Copenhagen
Reference Number:
Agreement 2022-02e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity, Human Activities, Hazardous Substances & Eutrophication, Offshore Industry, Radioactive Substances, Other
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2018/01 on Radioactive Discharges. Consolidated text

Adopted:
2022, Copenhagen
Reference Number:
Recommendation 2018/01 as amended by Recommendation 2022/01e
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Radioactive Substances
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2022/01 amending OSPAR Recommendation 2018/01

Adopted:
2022, Copenhagen
Reference Number:
Recommendation 2022/01e
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Radioactive Substances
Language:
English
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CEMP Guidelines for the candidate indicator on ambient underwater noise

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Agreement 2021-05e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Human Activities
Language:
English
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Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic and the Bonn Agreement Contracting Parties

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Agreement 2021-04e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity, Human Activities, Hazardous Substances & Eutrophication, Offshore Industry, Radioactive Substances
Language:
English
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Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretariat of the OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic and the Cartagena Convention Secretariat

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Agreement 2021-03e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity, Human Activities, Hazardous Substances & Eutrophication, Offshore Industry, Radioactive Substances
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2003/05 to Promote the Use and Implementation of Environmental Management Systems by the Offshore Industry, as amended by OSPAR Recommendation 2021/07. Consolidated text

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
OSPAR Recommendation 2003/05, as amended by OSPAR Recommendation 2021/07. Consolidated text
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Offshore Industry
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2021/08 amending OSPAR Recommendation 2010/03 on a Harmonised Offshore Chemical Notification Format (HOCNF) (as amended by OSPAR Recommendation 2014/17 and OSPAR Recommendation 2019/03)

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
OSPAR Recommendation 2021/08e
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Offshore Industry
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2021/07 amending OSPAR Recommendation 2003/05 to Promote the Use and Implementation of Environmental Management Systems by the Offshore Industry

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Recommendation 2021/07e
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Offshore Industry
Language:
English
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Guidance on the Assessment of the Toxicity of Substances used and discharged offshore under the Harmonised Pre-Screening Scheme for offshore chemicals of OSPAR Recommendation 2017/01, as amended by OSPAR Recommendation 2019/04 (replaces Agreements 2002-04

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Agreement 2021-07e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Offshore Industry
Language:
English
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Strategy for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. Implementation Plan (English only)

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Agreement 2021-02e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity, Human Activities, Hazardous Substances & Eutrophication, Offshore Industry, Radioactive Substances, QSR 2023
Language:
English
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North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy 2030 (Replaces Agreement 2010-03e)

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Agreement 2021-01e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity, Human Activities, Hazardous Substances & Eutrophication, Offshore Industry, Radioactive Substances, QSR 2023
Language:
English
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Roadmap for further development of the North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea basin Marine Protected Area (Revised in 2022)

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Agreement 2021-08e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2021/01 on the Management of the North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea basin Marine Protected Area

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Recommendation 2021/01e
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity
Language:
English
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OSPAR Decision 2021/01 on the establishment of the North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea basin Marine Protected Area

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Decision 21/01e
Type:
Decision
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2021/02 on furthering the protection and conservation of Megabalanus azoricus (Azorean barnacle) in Region V of the OSPAR maritime area

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Recommendation 2021/02e
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2021/03 on furthering the protection and conservation of the houting, Wadden Sea populations of Coregonus oxyrinchus in Region II of the OSPAR maritime area

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Recommendation 2021/03e
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2021/04 on furthering the protection and conservation of Haploops habitat in Region II of the OSPAR maritime area

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Recommendation 2021/04e
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2021/05 on furthering the protection and conservation of kelp forest habitat in Region II, III and IV of the OSPAR maritime area

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Recommendation 2021/05e
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Biodiversity
Language:
English
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OSPAR Guidelines in support of Recommendation 2021/06 on the reduction of plastic pellet loss into the marine environment

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Agreement 2021-06e
Type:
Agreement
Work Area(s):
Human Activities
Language:
English
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OSPAR Recommendation 2021/06 on the reduction of plastic pellet loss into the marine environment

Adopted:
2021, Cascais
Reference Number:
Recommendation 2021/06e
Type:
Recommendation
Work Area(s):
Human Activities
Language:
English
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