PRESS RELEASE: https://www.ospar.org/news/ospar-launches-2nd-marine-litter-regional-action-plan-at-the-united-nations-ocean-conference-in-lisbon-portugal

OSPAR's Second OSPAR Regional Action Plan (RAP ML 2) sets out the policy context for OSPAR’s work to address marine litter within the North-East Atlantic and directly contributes to delivering the marine litter objectives of the North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy 2030. The RAP ML 2 describes priority thematic areas and defines key actions where the OSPAR Commission can best contribute to tackling this ubiquitous challenge.

You can read the full text of the RAP ML 2 here

Action overview table

Follow the hyperlinks in the table for more information on each of the actions

Action Number

Action Title

Lead & Support

Completion status

Theme A: Actions to reduce land-based sources of marine litter

A.1.1

Prevent and reduce plastic waste by coastal municipalities and cities

Germany

A.2.1

Prevent the release of bio-carriers to the marine and riverine environment

Sweden and France

Support from Surfrider

A.2.2

Reduce macro litter losses in wastewater treatment systems

France

A.3.1

Monitor, prevent and reduce riverine inputs of macro litter to the marine environment and share knowledge on micro litter monitoring

France, Belgium, Netherlands

Support from Germany and KIMO

A.4.1

Define measures and strategies for the phasing out or restriction of use of single use plastics prone to become marine litter in complement to the EU SUP Directive

France and Seas at Risk

Support from Denmark and Netherlands

A.4.2

Reduce the impact of expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene (EPS / XPS) in the marine environment – development of OSPAR products:

Portugal

Support from Denmark

A.5.1

Prevent inputs of microplastics from selected land-based sources in the marine environment

Germany

Support from Netherlands and Seas At Risk

A.5.2

Reduce microplastic contamination from artificial grass

KIMO and United Kingdom

Support from Norway and Sweden

Theme B: Actions to reduce sea-based sources of marine litter

B.1.1

Harmonise practises related to the provision and use of Port Reception Facilities

Belgium

Support from Netherlands, Portugal and KIMO

B.1.2

Reduce microplastics from ship greywater discharges

Lead tbc

SAR can support

B.2.1

Manage end-of-life recreational vessels

United Kingdom

Support from Belgium and Sweden

B.3.1

Identify the need for measures to reduce the unintentional release of microplastics resulting from paint, anti-fouling paint and other marine coatings used by [commercial] marine vessels

Lead tbc

B.4.1

Prevent, locate, retrieve and handle ALDFG

Sweden as task manager for the part on the Gap analysis on the application of the FAO guideline

Support from Germany, Spain and ACOPS

B.4.2

Stimulate circular design and developments in waste management of fishing and aquaculture gear

Netherlands and UK

Support from Denmark

B.4.3

Promote practical solutions for reducing the impact of certain specific fishing related items, such as net cuttings and dolly rope

Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and KIMO

Support from Seas at Risk

B.4.4

Address recreational fishing as a source for marine litter

Portugal

Support from Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Sweden

B.4.5

Raise awareness and improve education in the fishing sector, including the strengthening of the OSPAR recommendations on Fishing for litter and on Sustainability Education Programmes for Fishers

Netherlands

Support from KIMO

B.4.6

To identify and understand the main sources of entanglement of sea turtles in the Eastern Atlantic and to develop adequate management measures

Spain

B.4.7

Prevent and reduce marine litter from aquaculture

United Kingdom

Support from Norway and Sweden

B.5.1

Plastic materials in the marine environmentIdentify

United Kingdom through Offshore Industry Committee (OIC)

B.5.2

Plastic substances contained in offshore chemicalsDevelop

United Kingdom through Offshore Industry Committee (OIC)

Theme C: Cross cutting actions

C.1.1

Prevent microplastic pollution resulting from plastic pellet, powder and flake loss

Netherlands and United Kingdom

With support from Denmark, France, Germany, KIMO and Seas at Risk

C.2.1

Understand the location of litter accumulations

Portugal and Spain

With support from the CleanAtlantic project

C.3.1

Improve evidence base on harm in relation to marine litter

Germany

C.4.1

Bridge the gap between monitoring and policy

United Kingdom

Support from Denmark, Ireland, Norway and marine litter monitoring expert group leads