COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2021/176

of 5 February 2021

on the conclusion of the amendments to the Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances (Bonn Agreement) with regard to the extension of the scope of application of that Agreement and on the accession of the Kingdom of Spain to that Agreement

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 192(1) and Article 196(2), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a)(v) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament (1),

Whereas:

(1) The Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances (‘the Bonn Agreement’) (2) was concluded by the European Economic Community by Council Decision 84/358/EEC (3) and entered into force on 1 September 1989. The Bonn Agreement was amended in 1989. Those amendments were approved by Council Decision 93/540/EEC (4) and entered into force on 1 April 1994.

(2) By Council Decision of 7 October 2019, the Council authorised the Commission to conduct negotiations on behalf of the Union with regard to amendments to the material and geographical scope of the Bonn Agreement.

(3) In accordance with Article 16(1) of the Bonn Agreement, the Contracting Parties considered a proposal for an amendment to extend the scope of application of the Bonn Agreement to improve cooperation on surveillance in respect of the requirements of Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, signed in London on 2 November 1973, as supplemented by the Protocol of 17 February 1978 (‘the MARPOL Convention’). In addition, the Contracting Parties also considered the amendments to the Bonn Agreement and its Annex due to the accession of Spain to that Agreement in accordance with Article 20 thereof.

(4) The Commission has, in accordance with Council Decision of 7 October 2019, negotiated those amendments to the Bonn Agreement, which have been adopted by unanimous vote by two decisions at the thirty-first meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Bonn Agreement held in Bonn from 9 to 11 October 2019.

(5) Those amendments to the Bonn Agreement should be approved on behalf of the European Union,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 The amendments to the Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances (‘the Bonn Agreement’) with regard to the extension of the scope of application of the Bonn Agreement and on the accession of the Kingdom of Spain to the Bonn Agreement, which were adopted by the Contracting Parties at their thirty-first meeting held in Bonn from 9 to 11 October 2019, are hereby approved on behalf of the Union (5).

Article 2 The President of the Council shall designate the person(s) empowered to make a notification, on behalf of the Union, provided for in Article 16 of the Bonn Agreement (6).

Article 3 This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, 5 February 2021. For the Council The President A. P. ZACARIAS

(1) Consent of 19 January 2021.

(2) OJ L 188, 16.7.1984, p. 9.

(3) Council Decision 84/358/EEC of 28 June 1984 concerning the conclusion of the Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances (OJ L 188, 16.7.1984, p. 7).

(4) Council Decision 93/540/EEC of 18 October 1993 approving certain amendments to the Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances (Bonn Agreement) (OJ L 263, 22.10.1993, p. 51).

(5) The texts of the Decisions on the amendments to the Bonn Agreement are published on pages 3 and 6 of this Official Journal.

(6) The date of entry into force of the amendments to the Bonn Agreement will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by the General Secretariat of the Council.