The sea area covered by the Oslo Convention 1972, the Paris Convention 1974 and the OSPAR Convention 1992 is the North-East Atlantic. This is defined as extending westwards to the east coast of Greenland, eastwards to the continental North Sea coast, south to the Straits of Gibraltar and northwards to the North Pole. This maritime area does not include the Baltic or Mediterranean seas; the Helsinki and Barcelona Conventions apply in these sea areas.

More precisely, this maritime area is defined in the OSPAR Convention 1992 as follows:

"Maritime area" means the internal waters and the territorial seas of the Contracting Parties, the sea beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea under the jurisdiction of the coastal state to the extent recognised by international law, and the high seas, including the bed of all those waters and its sub-soil, situated within the following limits:

1. those parts of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and their dependent seas which lie north of 36 north latitude and between 42 west longitude and 51 east longitude, but excluding:

• the Baltic Sea and the Belts lying to the south and east of lines drawn from Hasenore Head to Gniben Point, from Korshage to Spodsbjerg and from Gilbjerg Head to Kullen;
• the Mediterranean Sea and its dependent seas as far as the point of intersection of the parallel of 36 north latitude and the meridian of 5 36' west longitude;
2. that part of the Atlantic Ocean north of 59 north latitude and between 44 west longitude and 42 west longitude.

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