10. 1.84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 5/7 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the signing of the Protocol on cooperation in 
combating oil spills in the wider Caribbean region and the conclusion of the Convention 
for the protection and development of the marine environment of the wider Caribbean 
region and also of the Protocol on cooperation in combating oil spills in the wider 
Caribbean region 
COM(83) 733 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 14 December 1983) 
(84/C 5/03) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 235 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas at its meeting in Copenhagen on 7 and 8 
April 1978, the European Council took the view that 
the Community should make the prevention and 
combating of marine pollution, particularly by oil, a 
major objective of its action, and it requested the 
Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, 
and the Member States, to take appropriate measures 
as soon as possible within the Community and to 
adopt common attitudes in the competent inter­
national bodies concerning in particular the search 
for, and implementation of, effective measures to 
combat pollution; 
Whereas the first (') and second (2) programmes of 
action of the European Communities on the 
environment stressed the paramount importance to 
Western Europe of effective action being taken 
against the dangers inherent in the carriage of hydro­
carbons, including the threat of serious pollution of 
coastal areas from accidents on the high seas and 
(') OJ No C 112, 20. 12. 1973, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No C 139, 13. 6. 1977, p. 1. specified that the protection of marine waters to 
ensure that ecological balances are preserved is a 
priority task; 
Whereas the third programme of action of the 
European Communities on the environment (J), the 
broad lines of which were approved by the Council of 
the European Communities and the representatives of 
the Governments of the Member States on 7 February 
1983, specifically mentions the need to implement a 
policy designed to prevent pollution from oil spills 
and for practical measures to be taken in the event of 
accidents at sea; 
Whereas the European Communities have adopted an 
action programme on the control and reduction of 
pollution caused by hydrocarbons discharged at 
sea (<); 
Whereas the Council approved on 19 May 1981 the 
Protocol to the Barcelona Convention on the 
Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against 
Pollution concerning cooperation in combating 
pollution by oil and other harmful substances (5); 
Whereas the Council has adopted the following 
Directives: 
— Directive 76/464/EEC of 4 May 1976 on 
pollution caused by certain dangerous substances 
discharged into the aquatic environment of the 
Community (6), 
O OJNoC46, 17.2. 1983, p. 1. 
(4) OJ No C 162, 8. 7. 1978, p. 1. 
O OJ No L 162, 19. 6. 1981, p. 4. 
(*) OJ No L 129, 18. 5. 1976, p. 23. 
No C 5/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 1.84 
— Directive 82/176/EEC of 22 March 1983, which 
became applicable on 1 July 1983, concerning 
mercury discharges by the chlor-alkali electrolysis 
industry ('), 
— Directive 78/659/EEC of 18 July 1978 on the 
quality of fresh water needing protection or 
improvement in order to support fish life (2), 
— Directive 79/923/EEC of 30 October 1979 on the 
quality required of shellfish waters (3), 
— Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the 
conservation of wild birds (4); 
Whereas it is laid down in Article 24 of the 
Convention for the protection and development of 
the marine environment of the wider Caribbean 
region that no State or regional economic integration 
organization may become a Contracting Party to the 
Convention unless it becomes at the same time a 
Contracting Party to at least one Protocol to the 
Convention; 
Whereas it is laid down in the Annex to the Protocol 
that, on the basis of paragraph 2 (b) of Article 10 of 
the Protocol, the Contracting Parties have agreed to 
amend the Protocol at their first meeting in order to 
extend its field of application to spills of substances 
other than oil; whereas, in the meantime, the 
Protocol will apply, upon its entry into force, to spills 
of those other substances; 
Whereas the European Communities took part in the 
negotiations for the conclusion of the above-
(*) OJN0L8I, 27. 3. 1982, p. 29. 
O OJNoL222, 14. 8. 1978, p. 1. 
(3) OJ No L281, 10. 11. 1979, p. 47. 
(4) OJNoL 103, 25. 4. 1979, p. 1. mentioned Convention for the protection and devel­
opment of the marine environment in the wider 
Caribbean region; 
Whereas the European Communities signed the 
abovementioned Convention on 24 March 1983; 
Whereas the Protocol should first be signed and the 
Convention and the Protocol should then be 
concluded; 
Whereas the Treaty has not provided the necessary 
powers, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article 1 
The President of the Council is hereby authorized to 
designate the person empowered to sign, on behalf of 
the European Economic Community, the Protocol on 
cooperation in combating oil spills in the wider 
Caribbean region. The text of the Protocol is annexed 
to this Decision. 
Article 2 
The Convention for the protection and development 
of the marine environment of the wider Caribbean 
region and the Protocol annexed thereto on 
cooperation in combating oil spills in the wider 
Caribbean region is hereby approved on behalf of the 
European Economic Community. 
The text of the Convention is annexed to this 
Decision. 
Article 3 
The President of the Council shall deposit the act in 
accordance with Article XXVI of the Convention. 
CONVENTION 
for the protection and development of the marine environment of the wider Caribbean 
region 
THE CONTRACTING PARTIES, 
FULLY AWARE of the economic and social value of the marine environment, including coastal 
areas, of the wider Caribbean region, 
CONSCIOUS of their responsibility to protect the marine environment of the wider Caribbean 
region for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations, 
RECOGNIZING the special hydrographic and ecological characteristics of the region and its 
vulnerability to pollution, 
RECOGNIZING FURTHER the threat to the marine environment, its ecological equilibrium, 
resources and legitimate uses posed by pollution and by the absence of sufficient integration of an 
environmental dimension into the development process,