Second North Sea Ministerial Declaration

Filename: 1987-SecondNorthSeaDeclaration.EN.txt
Source:

Second International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea, London, 24-25 November 1987

Source: unofficial Text

The Ministers responsible for the protection of the North Sea of the Governments of:

the Kingdom of Belgium

the Kingdom of Denmark

the French Republic

the Federal republic of Germany

the Kingdom of the Netherlands

the Kingdom of Norway

the Kingdom of Sweden

the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as

the Member of the Commission of the European Communities

responsible for environmental protection

As agreed in 1984 at the First International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea held in Bremen, Federal republic of Germany, met at the Second International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea in London on 24 and 25 November 1987. After careful consideration they have reached agreement on further measures necessary for the protection of the North Sea.

They agreed to take further timely preventive measures to maintain the quality of the North Sea and to co-operate closely therein.

To this end they have resolved a comprehensive and detailed set of protective measures for the North Sea in relation to:

Inputs via Rivers and Estuaries of Substances that are Persistent, Toxic and liable to Bioaccumulate Inputs of Nutrients; Inputs of Pollutants via the Atmosphere; Dumping and Incineration at Sea; Pollution from Ships; Pollution from Offshore Installations; Discharges and Disposal of Radioactive Waste; Co-operation on Airborne Surveillance; The Special Needs of the Wadden Sea.

They endorsed the need for a further enhancement of scientific knowledge and understanding and welcomed the United Kingdom's invitation to host a preparatory meeting for a North Sea Task Force in early 1988.

They also agreed to hold a third International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea in the Netherlands, in early 1990, to review progress.

Ministerial Declaration

I. The participants at the Second International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea(1), held in London on 24 and 25 November 1987, being the Ministers responsible for the protection of the North Sea of the Governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom and the Member of the Commission of the European Communities responsible for environmental protection.

II. Recalling the importance to them all of the need to protect the environment of the North Sea, as they affirmed in the Declaration of the First International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea held in Bremen on 31 October and l November 1984;

III. Noting the essential role of international co-operation and agreed regimes, especially at regional level, in the management of the seas, as expressed in the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development;

IV. Welcoming the progress which has been made in the protection of the North Sea in the fields of action agreed upon at the Bremen Conference; but reaffirming the need for further action at both national and international level in all these fields;

V. Noting with appreciation the progress made in reviewing scientific knowledge of the condition of the North Sea and, in particular, the valuable contribution made by the Quality Status Report;

VI. Noting with appreciation the progress made in the integration of the environmental quality standards approach and the emission standards approach;

VII. Accepting that, in order to protect the North Sea from possibly damaging effects of the most dangerous substances, a precautionary approach is necessary which may require action to control inputs of such substances even before a causal link has been established by absolutely clear scientific evidence;

VIII. Recognising that to this end simultaneous and complementary action is called for:

(a) to reduce pollution at source by: (i) for point sources, the use of best available technology(2); and (ii) for diffuse sources, restrictions on the manufacture, marketing and use of such substances and products containing such substances; and

(b) to establish strict quality objectives as a guide to control decisions and as reference points for assessing environmental quality;

IX. Recognising also that some countries find it necessary to move faster in taking action to prevent pollution of the North Sea;

X. Recognising further that the measures adopted in this Declaration, and especially the application of the best available technology, should be applied in such a way as to prevent any increase in pollution in the North Sea, in other sea areas, or in other parts of the environment, or any risk to the health of industrial workers or the general population;

XI. Accepting also that, in order to protect the North Sea, this approach calls for specific measure in relation to:

Inputs via Rivers and Estuaries of Substances that are Persistent, Toxic and liable to Bioaccumulate; Inputs of Nutrients; Inputs of Pollutants via the Atmosphere; Dumping and Incineration at Sea; Pollution from Ships; Pollution from Offshore Installations; Discharges and Disposal of Radioactive Wastes; Co-operation on Airborne Surveillance.

XII. Recognising the vulnerability of the Wadden Sea, and its importance to the North Sea as a whole, and noting with concern that its ecological value is threatened by a variety of factors;

XIII. Noting that significant improvements in the scientific base and monitoring data are needed for a thorough assessment of the condition of the North Sea,

XIV. Noting that, building on the broad policy guidelines adopted at the First International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea, specific policy measures are required by specific dates including both national programmes and joint actions by the North Sea states, and that it would be desirable to hold a third Ministerial Conference to evaluate progress with the implementation of these measures;

XV. Decide to:

(i) reaffirm the principles for the use of Environmental Quality Objectives (EQO) and Uniform Emission Standards (UES) approaches set out in the Bremen Declaration, namely:

C8 Emissions normally should be limited at source: emission standards should take into account the best technical means available and quality objectives should be fixed on the basis of the latest scientific data. C9 If the state of knowledge is insufficient, a strict limitation on emissions of pollutants at source should be imposed for safety reasons. Cl0 Emissions standards and quality objectives should be reviewed periodically and appropriate time limits should be fixed for this. Cll With either approach adequate environmental monitoring is required. If it shows that the quality of the environment is insufficient, emission controls should be tightened or bans imposed.

(ii) accept that by combining, simultaneously and complementarily, approaches based on emission standards and environmental quality objectives, a more precautionary approach to dangerous substances will be established;

(iii) ensure that strategies to control inputs of substances which are toxic, persistent and liable to bioaccumulate, include both emission standards based on best available technology to eliminate or drastically reduce discharges from point sources, and appropriate controls (eg. restrictions on manufacture, supply and use) for diffuse sources of such substances and products containing such substances;

(iv) ensure that quality objectives based on the latest scientific findings should also form part of such strategies as an indication of the environmental goals to be attained, thereby guaranteeing the fitness of the water systems for appropriate uses, and the health of marine ecosystems, and providing a basis for monitoring and reference values for the assessment of environmental quality;

(v) note the progress that has been achieved and is continuing in developing and applying such integrated approaches by North Sea states and the EEC, and within the Paris Commission and ICES;

(vi) carry forward these conclusions by inciting:

(a) national governments and the international organisations mentioned above to explore further the scope for the greater integration of the approaches based on emission standards and environmental quality objectives, incorporating the principles set out above, and to make proposals;

(b) the Paris Commission: l. to assess the relative contributions of point sources and diffuse sources as inputs of the most dangerous substances to the North Sea and then examine the appropriateness of different methods of control; 2. to promote at an appropriate time, the exchange of experience of using ES, EQO and combined approaches, using as the basis for the exchange a limited, agreed list of examples of specific substances or groups of substances (which could include nutrients) and processes; and, 3. to support the development of agreed common quality standards based on the latest scientific information, experience, and use.

XVI. Therefore agree to:

Inputs via rivers and estuaries of substances that are persistent toxic and liable to bio-accumulate

l. accept the principle of safeguarding the marine ecosystem of the North Sea by reducing polluting emissions of substances that are persistent, toxic and liable to bioaccumulate at source by the use of the best available technology and other appropriate measures. This applies especially when there is reason to assume that certain damage or harmful effects on the living resources of the sea are likely to be caused by such substances, even where there is no scientific evidence to prove a causal link between emissions and effects ("the principle of precautionary action");

2. take measures to reduce urgently and drastically the total quantity of such substances reaching the aquatic environment of the North Sea, with the aim of achieving a substantial reduction (of the order of 50%) in total inputs from these sources between 1985 and 1995;

3. intensify, to this end, measures in hand to reduce inputs of the substances listed in Annex A, which are already the subject or specific action, and take positive action by setting concrete targets to reduce inputs of other potentially significant pollutants of the North Sea, including those from the sectors exemplified in Annex B, by:

(a) identifying the best available technology for particular processes giving rise to point source discharges of such substances or groups of substances; (b) identifying the principal diffuse sources of such substances or groups of substances giving rise to inputs to the North Sea; (c) defining strict environmental quality standards for such substances or group of substances; (d) making every effort to ensure that best available technologies are used when constructing new industrial installations giving rise to discharges of such substances or groups of substances; (e) making every effort to reduce inputs from existing industrial installations, particularly when quality or emission standards are not being met, using measures based on the use of best available technology, (f) taking measures to control the production sale and use of such substances, and products containing such substances, where diffuse sources represent a significance input to the North Sea; (g) adopting enhanced monitoring and inspection procedures to ensure compliance with regulations to reduce inputs to the North Sea, and adopting rigorous measures to ensure compliance or proceed against infringements;

4. note with approval the work being undertaken, especially in the Paris Commission, on other types of discharges which may pose environmental risk, such as those exemplified in Annex C, to evaluate the extent to which further action is required and the form it should take;

5. consider a number of waste streams, such as those exemplified at Annex D, containing hazardous substances whose fate cannot as yet be adequately accounted for and which may be causing a deleterious effect in the North Sea, in order to define and adopt the best practicable environmental option for disposal;

6. ensure that industries using dangerous substances instal appropriate facilities to prevent pollution as a result of accidents or to limit the consequences thereof;

7. urgently prepare plans of action to achieve the goals set out above;

8. establish, nationally and internationally, appropriate procedures for monitoring inputs to the North Sea and for reporting the results of such monitoring and the actions taken to reduce inputs;

9. invite the appropriate international bodies to undertake the relevant measures proposed above(3);

Inputs of Nutrients

l0. take effective national steps in order to reduce nutrient inputs into areas where these inputs are likely, directly or indirectly, to cause pollution;

ll. aim to achieve a substantial reduction (of the order of 50%) in inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen to these areas between 1985 and 1995;

12. urgently prepare plans of action to achieve the goals set out above;

13. pursue detailed elaboration of possible measures to reduce nutrient inputs within the framework of the Paris Commission Working Group on Nutrients;

14. consider the actions listed in Annex E in order to achieve these goals and implement these national plans of action;

15. pursue appropriate measures, including use of best available technology, that will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere from vehicles and combustion plants and so reduce inputs of these oxides to the sea;

Inputs of Pollutants via the Atmosphere

16. urge their respective Governments to ratify the Protocol amending the Paris Convention by the earliest practicable date(4);

17. encourage the Paris Commission to develop its monitoring programme from its present pilot phase, and to establish a comprehensive, long-term monitoring programme, making use of existing programmes where possible;

18. take measures on a national or international basis, as appropriate: a) to continue and refine the process of identification of priority industrial sectors, other point sources and also diffuse sources, by means inter alia of the emission inventory being carried out under the auspices of the Paris Commis-sion; b) to assess which emissions need to be reduced or, if appropriate, eliminated in order to protect the marine environment; c) to promote new, cleaner industrial technologies to reduce atmospheric emissions; d) to reduce emissions of pollutants from key industrial and other sectors, by taking appropriate action, including the use of strict emission standards based upon best available technology, if practicable within 4 years; e) to reduce atmospheric emissions of pollutants where possible even if the impact of these sources on the North Sea has not been confirmed beyond doubt;

19. take the necessary measures within national administrations to ensure that there is full cooperation between the authorities responsible for controlling atmospheric emissions and those responsible for the protection of the marine environment;

20. further promote and encourage the use of lead-free petrol for vehicles, aiming at the phasing-out of the use of petrol containing lead as early as possible, thereby eliminating a significant source of lead input to the North Sea;

Dumping and Incineration at Sea

21. accept as a matter of principle that: (a) it is important to end the dumping of polluting materials in the North Sea at the earliest practical date, (b) as from l January 1989, no material should be dumped in the North Sea unless there are no practical alternatives on land and it can be shown to the competent international organisations that the materials pose no risk to the marine environment;

22. take the following interim steps to this end: (a) phase out the dumping in the North Sea of industrial wastes by 31 December 1989, except for inert materials of natural origin or other materials which can be shown in the competent international organisations to cause no harm in the marine environment; (b) carry forward action to improve the quality of dredged materials disposed of in the North Sea, for example by reducing the inputs of toxic, persistent or bioaccumulable materials to rivers and estuaries, and ensure that, with immediate effect, Governments strictly adhere to the Oslo Commission Guidelines on Dredged Materials which have been agreed in order to prevent dumping of contaminated dredged material; (c) take urgent action, in the case of those countries that dispose of sewage sludge in the North Sea, to reduce the contamination of such sludges by persistent, toxic or bioaccumulable materials, so that they pose no hazard to the marine environment, and to ensure that the quantities of such contaminants disposed to sea by this pathway in the immediate future do not increase above 1987 levels; (d) undertake, in implementing this part of the Declaration, that wastes which they no longer dump at sea shall not be discharged to the sea by pipelines, and to apply measures in such a way as to prevent an increase in pollution of sea areas beyond the North Sea and in other parts of the environment; (e) monitor performance, and continue to discuss directly, and in the Oslo Convention and other fora, the whole question of alternatives, to the dumping of wastes at sea so as to achieve the objective of termination of pollution by this route at the earliest practical date;

23. support work within the Oslo Commission on the extension of the geographical coverage of the Oslo Convention so as to include internal waters behind baselines with the aim of securing effective international surveillance over all dumping activities and expedite this work with the aim of reaching agreement in principle by 1 January l988;

24. reaffirm the status of marine incineration as an interim method of waste treatment, as set out in the 1983 Protocol to the Oslo Convention, while continuing vigorously to promote alternative methods of treatment, disposal or elimination on land, and in this connection: (a) welcome the fact that several Governments have terminated the issue of new permits for marine incineration in the North Sea and note that these Governments are opposed in principle to the issue of any new permits for marine incineration in the North Sea; (b) where such action has not been taken, agree to take steps to minimise or substantially reduce, by not less than 65%, the use of marine incineration by 1 January l99l; (c) agree to phase out such operations by 31 December l994, and to seek urgent agreement to such a date within the Oslo Convention by 1 January l990; (d) agree not to export the wastes involved for incineration in marine waters outside the North Sea, or to allow their disposal in other ways harmful to the environment; (e) agree further that it is preferable that the waste to be incinerated be loaded in a harbour of the country from which it originates, and under full control of this country, instead of being exported to another country;

Pollution from Ships

25. initiate action within the International Maritime Organization, for designating the North Sea a Special Area for the purpose of Annex V of MARPOL 73/78;

26. keep under permanent review the ready availability, capacity and standards of service of reception facilities and operate stringent control procedures in ports including inspections to verify that ships dispose of residues and wastes to shore reception facilities in compliance with the requirements of MARPOL 73/78;

27. continue to ensure appropriate dissemination to seafarers of information on the availability of facilities for the reception of residues and wastes, and the procedures established for the use of such facilities in ports;

28. work together to promote the use of shore reception facilities for residues and wastes from ships, inter alia, by making such facilities available at reasonable costs or without charging special fees to the individual ships;

29. continue to co-operate under the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control so that after the detection of operational violations all reports on alleged pollution incidents are dealt with speedily and effectively, so as to ensure that ships reported in respect of an alleged pollution incident will be subject to stringent and wide-ranging inspection procedures in ports, that prosecution of a violation under MARPOL 73/78 will be facilitated, and that the documentation for prosecution of violation under MARPOL 73/78 will be improved;

30. continue their efforts, within the International Maritime Organization, to bring into force Annexes III and V of MARPOL 73/78 at the earliest possible time and further to take action by jointly agreeing to implement, on a regional basis, Annex V as from 31 December 1988;

31. initiate actions, within the appropriate international bodies concerned such as the International Maritime Organization and the International Standards Organization as may be appropriate, leading to improved quality standards of heavy fuels, and actively support this work aimed at reducing marine and atmospheric pollution;

32. endeavour to obtain early entry into force of the protocols adopted under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization in 1984 relating to liability and compensation for oil pollution damage;

33. continue the efforts within the International Maritime Organization to elaborate an instrument which would provide adequate compensation for damage caused by pollution from ships in connection with the carriage of harmful substances other than oil;

Pollution from Offshore Installations

34. invite the Paris Commission to consider and, if necessary, to tighten the criteria for the use of oil based muds;

35. invite the Paris Commission, in order to reduce the environmental impact of discharged cuttings, to establish strict standards to reduce their oil content, based on: (a) the optimal use of the best available solids control and cuttings cleaning technology; (b) the use of new mud formulations which of themselves will reduce residual oil on cuttings; (c) new drilling techniques to reduce the quantity of oil contaminated cuttings; or combinations of 'a', 'b' and 'c' above;

36. prohibit or strictly limit the discharge by offshore industry of chemicals with a potential risk for the marine environment by applying specific criteria, to be agreed upon by the Paris commission or in other appropriate fora;

37. welcome the enhanced cooperation on airborne surveillance proposed in paragraphs 46-50, and call on the Paris Commission to consider discrepancies between data on accidental spills reported by operators and those from airborne surveillance;

38. encourage the Paris Commission to continue its work on the improvement of monitoring and reporting programmes, the introduction of cleaner technologies and the strengthening of standards and control systems;

Discharges and Disposal of Radioactive Wastes

39. respect the relevant recommendations of the competent international organisations, and to this end to apply the best available technology to minimise any pollution caused by radioactive discharges from all nuclear industries, including reprocessing plants; into the marine environment;

40. take note of and welcome the current downward trend in inputs of radioactivity to the North Sea and the related extensive work concerning radioactive substances that has been and is being carried forward in various international fora;

41. agree that the design and construction of repositories for the disposal of radioactive wastes should aim to preclude pollution of the North Sea and interference with the legitimate uses of the sea;

42. report the development of such repositories for the safe disposal of radioactive wastes to the relevant international organisations and upon request to the Governments of the North Sea states;

The Wadden Sea

43. endorse the shared responsibility of the North Sea littoral states to protect the Wadden Sea against pollution and to safeguard the reproductive capacity of these regions which are important for the living resources of the whole of the North Sea;

44. welcome the Joint Statement of the Wadden Sea States (at Annex F), aiming at the reduction and ultimate elimination of pollution of this area in order to maintain and where necessary restore its important function for the North Sea as a whole;

45. declare their firm intention to give a high priority to the implementation of measures agreed in this declaration which are likely to have special significance for the protection of the Wadden Sea;

Airborne Surveillance

46. use airborne surveillance, when appropriate with bilateral or multilateral co-operation, as an Aid to enforcing anti-pollution regulations;

47. take appropriate action with the aim of improving and, where necessary, extending in other suitable frameworks, international co-operation on airborne surveillance of the North Sea which has been initiated in the Bonn Agreement;

48. continue to use the Bonn Agreement as the appropriate framework for the exchange of information on developments in the technology of remote sensing and for exchanging information about the results of co-operation trials to evaluate the technique;

49. continue to exploit the capability of airborne surveillance for providing information about levels of oil pollution in the sea;

50. continue to gain experience in the use of remote sensing devices with a view to improving the enforcement of existing regulations particularly with respect to the prosecution of offenders;

The Enhancement of Scientific Knowledge and Understanding

51. endorse the need for further development of harmonised methods for monitoring, modelling and assessment of environmental conditions at national and international level;

52. request ICES and the Oslo and Paris Commissions to consider together the optimal means to achieve these ends including the possible benefits of a joint Working Group (or Task Force) established by the three bodies, and to organise a harmonized programme of studies taking into account the proposals made in Annex G;

53. welcome the invitation of the Government of the United Kingdom to host the inaugural meeting of this Task Force in early l988;

54. request the above organisations to prepare and publish, taking the 1987 Quality Status Report as a basis, further reports on the quality of the North Sea at regular intervals, perhaps every 5 years, commencing in 1991;

Follow-Up

55. hold a third International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea at Ministerial level in the Netherlands in early 1990, in order to continue their joint efforts towards the protection and preservation the North Sea environment,and in particular to:

a) evaluate the measures agreed in this Declaration from a policy viewpoint, especially progress: (i) on the implementation of plans of action to reduce inputs of persistent and toxic substances via rivers and estuaries (XVI.7), and of nutrients (XVI.12); (ii) in the field of dumping and incineration at sea (XVI. 21-24); and (iii) on measures taken to protect the Wadden Sea (XVI. 43-45); and,

b) consider further the need for cooperation at the administrative level, and the role that the Ministerial Meeting of the Oslo and Paris Commissions in 1991 is to play in the protection and preservation of the North Sea environment;

56. recognise that appropriate resources will need to be made available to OSPARCOM and ICES for the implementation of the measures agreed in this Declaration that fall to them.

Footnotes

(1) For the purposes of this declaration the North Sea area compromises: a) the North Sea southwards of latitude 62 0 N; b) the Skagerrak, the southern limit of which is determined east of the Skaw by latitude 57 0 44,8N; c) the English Channel and its approaches eastwards of longitude 5 0 W.

(2) Throughout this Declaration, the term "best available technology" is understood to take into account economic availability.

(3) To the extent that in this Declaration reference is made to the participation of the European Economic community in initiatives within the framework of conventions to which it is a contracting party, this means that the Commission of the European Communities will make the appropriate proposals to the Council of Ministers.

(4) The EEC, France, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK have already concluded their acceptance of the Protocol.

ANNEX A

SUBSTANCES FOR WHICH DIRECTIVES, DECISIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS EXIST IN EEC OR PARCOM

Mercury Cadmium PCBs/PCTs (polychlorinated biphenyls/polychlorinated triphenyls) CTC (carbon tetrachloride) Organotin compounds Biocides: HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane e.g. lindane), DDT (an organochlorine insecticide), PGP (pentachloro phenol), PCC (polychlorinated camphenes), Drins (a group of organochlorine insecticides) Wastes from the titanium dioxide industry Oil from refineries and reception facilities

Examples of further actions which can be considered

* Revision of present EQS's and UES's * Implementation and follow-up on product control measures * Reduction programmes for discharges from for example the fertiliser industry, the titanium dioxide industry and the chloralkali industry * Programmes for phasing out of existing uses of PCBs/PCTs and drins

ANNEX B

EXAMPLES OF POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT POLLUTANTS

Persistent halogenated compounds from - organic chemical industry - pulp industry - pesticides manufacture and use - paper making industry Use of chemical products(including PACs (polychlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons)) Dioxins Grey List Metals

Examples of Actions which can be Considered

Reduction programmes for discharges from selected sectors Product Control Programmes for selected sectors

ANNEX C

SUBSTANCES OR GROUPS OF SUBSTANCES WHICH MAY POSE ENVIRONMENTAL RISK

Persistent surfactants, organic phosphorus and sulphur compounds Stable organic compounds (not halogenated) in the organic chemical and other industries Polyaromatic hydrocarbons e.g. in the aluminium industry

ANNEX D

EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC WASTE STREAMS CONTAINING HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

Waste Streams Hazardous Substances Inks, dyes, pigments, paints, laquers, varnishHeavy metals Chromium, copper, Wood preservativeschlorinated organic substances Photographic chemicals andSilver, cadmium, organic processing materialscontaminations Oil/water, hydrocarbon(water) mixtures, emulsions Oil Mineral oils and oily substances (e.g. cuttingOil sludges etc.) Liquids or sludges containing metalsHeavy metals Residues from substances employed as solventsOrganic contaminanes Halogenated organic substances not employed asOrganic contaminants solvents Residues from cleaning of Heavy metals, organic tanks and/or equipmentcontaminations, oil Residues from pollution control operationsVarious contaminants

BiocidesOrganic contaminants, heavy metals

ANNEX E

INPUTS OF NUTRIENTS: ACTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED

a) Best available technology should be used to reduce nutrients in discharges from waste water treatment plant, including the use as appropriate of:

(i) central collection of sewage for biological treatment; (ii) additional (tertiary) treatment to reduce phosphorus, and removal of nitrogen by nitrification and denitrification stages; (iii) restrictions on the nitrogen and phosphorus contents of sludges applied to arable land.

b) regulate, as necessary, the use of phosphate in detergents.

c) to reduce nutrient inputs from agriculture:

(i) the capacity of storage facilities should be large enough to ensure that waste is only applied to land at times when plants can use the nutrients within it; (ii) promote cultivation practices that ensure optimum use of nutrients, and avoid manure and fertilizer application at inappropriate times; (iii) proper management of livestock e.g. by the designation of minimum area per animal unit to avoid excessive nutrient run-off; (iv) establishment of protection zones for waters (including aquifers); (v) encouragement of research, monitoring and information designed to improve cultivation practices from an environmental standpoint, to record the scale of nutrient movement in aquatic systems, and to inform farmers about the environmental effects of agricultural practices and the best systems to pursue.

d) In order to reduce inputs of nutrients from industry, Government should scrutinise the discharge licences for chemicals, food and fertilizer industries and others that are a major potential source of nitrogen, phosporus and organic matter in the areas of the North Sea liable to eutrophication, and ensure that best available technology is taken account of by such industrial sources

ANNEX F

JOINT STATEMENT OF THE WADDEN SEA STATES

General Principles

1. The Wadden Sea States are determined to do their utmost in cooperation with the other North Sea States to further reduce pollution of the North Sea from whatever source with the aim to conserve and protect the Wadden Sea area. The Wadden Sea States are of the opinion that actions in this respect should be based on the principle of precaution and that emissions of all pollutants should be limited at source.

Harmful Substances

2. The Wadden Sea States agree to take measures, within the scope of their own responsibilities, to increase their efforts aimed at the reduction of pollution entering the Wadden Sea.

3. The Wadden Sea States are of the opinion that: (i) high priority must be given to measures to limit the impact of harmful substances on the environment of the Wadden Sea and that the work programmes of the international organisations concerned (IMO, PARCOM, OSCOM etc.) should recognise this; (ii) when preparing new international regulations priority should be given to PAHs, HCB, and other persistent organic compounds, zinc, copper, lead and chromium (iii) a considerable reduction of the inputs of nutrients needs to be accomplished.

4. The Quality Status Report indicates that existing international directives and regulations concerning cadmium, mercury, PCB, HCH and other relevant pollutants have not had substantial positive effect on the water quality of the Wadden Sea. The Wadden Sea States therefore urge all other North Sea States to take on short notice all measures required to effectively implement the directives and regulations.

Shipping

5. In order to further reduce operational and accidental pollution by shipping the Wadden Sea States agree and intend:

* to intensify and coordinate airborne surveillance and to link such operations to the port state control system as referred to in the Memorandum of understanding on Port State Control; * to streamline their national procedures for processing reports on alleged pollution incidents so that these reports can be dealt with speedily and effectively at an international level; * to consider establishing a system to provide information for vessels in order to minimize the risk of accidental pollution in the Wadden Sea and its adjacent area; * to reduce pollution by garbage from ships, in particular ensuring a complete ban on the discharges of plastics by implementing Annex V of MARPOL 73/78; * to promote public awareness to prevent pollution by litter.

Offshore Installations

6. The Wadden Sea States agree that new installations and equipment for the exploration and exploitation of oil or gas within the Wadden Sea area should be strictly regulated. They also agree that such new installations if placed in adjacent areas should be subject to appropriate regulations in order to avoid accidental and operational pollution.

Research

7. The Wadden Sea States intend to cooperate in joint and international scientific research in particular focussed on:

* the exchange of water, sediment, sediment-bound contaminants and nutrients between the North Sea and the Wadden Sea; * the exchange of contaminants between the air, water, sediment and organisms; * the effects of pollutants on organisms, especially with regard to fish diseases and reproduction; * the development of indicators to assess the quality of the Wadden Sea.

ANNEX G

REMIT FOR GROUP PLANNING AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY OF THE NORTH SEA

1. In preparing the Quality Status Report, it emerged that although a great deal is known about the North Sea, there are still shortcomings in the data for certain contaminants. This became particularly apparent when looking for trends in inputs, linking these to actual contaminant levels and trying to link those in turn to environmental changes.

2. A co-ordinated scientific programme needs to be developed in the North Sea, to provide more consistent and dependable data and to permit links between inputs, concentrations and effects to be established with greater confidence. Such knowledge is needed not only as a basis for further decisions but also to show the effectiveness or otherwise of measures already taken or planned.

Objective

3. To carry out work leading, in a reasonable time scale, to a dependable and comprehensive statement of circulation pattern, inputs and dispersion of contaminants, ecological conditions and effects of human activities in the North Sea.

Elements in the Programme

4. The following are the proposed elements in the proposed programme:

(1) Agreement on the substances and/or parameters to be measured; the methods to be used to measure or calculate these; the frequency and location of sampling and/or measurement; (2) A properly designed and managed quality assurance programme covering sampling and analysis for monitoring and research purposes; (3) More and better quality data to be collected in a harmonized manner specifically for the purpose of defining conditions in the North Sea; (4) Special programmes in specific areas of higher risk e.g. the Wadden Sea, Kattegat, British estuaries; (5) The development of models for: (a) assessment purposes which are able to make full use of the improved data base, (b) as management tools to determine the effectiveness of existing or planned control strategies.

(6) Research to fill gaps in our knowledge of causal mechanisms needed for the interpretation of results from (1) to (5) above, and which will be of use to all North Sea states. The Quality Status Report identifies several such topics e.g. impacts on marine ecosystems, indicators of biological change, fish diseases, nutrient enrichment, the development of techniques for assessing the dispersions of contaminants from sources, sediment