CELEX: 51992PC0564
Language: en
Date: 1992-12-23
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION CONCERNING THE CONCLUSION OF A COOPERATION AGREEMENT FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE COASTS AND WATERS OF THE NORTH-EAST ATLANTIC AGAINST POLLUTION

26 . 2 . 93                                     Official Journal of the European Communities                                No C 56 / 13
              Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the conclusion of a Cooperation Agreement for the
                           protection of the coasts and waters of the north-east Atlantic against pollution
                                                                 ( 93 / C 56 / 02)
                                                              COM(92) 564 final
                                            (Submitted by the Commission on 23 December 1992)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,                                     Whereas, as a result of those negotiations, on 17 October
                                                                               1990, the Cooperation Agreement for the protection of the
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European                         coast and waters of the north-east Atlantic against
Economic Community , and in particular Article 130s                           pollution was adopted and then signed in Lisbon on behalf
thereof,                                                                      of the Community on the basis of a Council mandate;
                                                                              Whereas the Lisbon Agreement fills in a gap as far as the
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,                           north-east Atlantic is concerned , in international action
                                                                              relating to accidental marine pollution, the Baltic Sea , the
Having regard to the               opinion of the          European           North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea being already
Parliament,                                                                   covered by multilateral agreements for cooperation in case
                                                                              of accidental marine pollution ;
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social                       Whereas it is necessary for the Community to approve that
Committee,
                                                                              Agreement in order to play its part in achieving its
                                                                              objectives alongside Member States , especially in
Whereas the first two action programmes of the European                       consideration of the . Council Decision 86 / 85 / EEC of
Communities on the environment (*) emphasize the                               6 March 1986 establishing a Community information
importance for the Community of dealing with pollution                        system for the control and reduction of pollution caused
of the seas in general and make provision inter alia for                      by the spillage of hydrocarbons and other harmful
Community measures to deal with pollution caused by                           substances at sea ( 4 );
transport and shipping; whereas they specify that the task
of protecting sea water constitutes a matter of priority
with a view to maintaining vital ecological balances ;
                                                                              HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS :
Whereas the third action programme of the European
Communities on the environment ( 2) emphasizes that, in                                                  Article 1
the event of an accident , the authorities in the Member
States concerned must be able to intervene quickly in a
coordinated manner and with sufficient means;
                                                                              The Cooperation Agreement for the protection of the
                                                                              coasts and waters of the north-east Atlantic against
                                                                              pollution as adopted in Lisbon on 17 October 1990 , is
Whereas the fourth environmental action programme ( 3 )                       hereby approved on behalf of the European Economic
confirms that the control of pollution from oil spills                        Community.
remains a valid priority and , indeed, that the priority
attributed to marine pollution is increasing; whereas it                       The text of the Agreement referred to in the first
recognizes that considerable attention must be paid to                        paragraph is attached to this Decision.
other dangerous substances transported by sea, as well as
to oil ;
                                                                                                         Article 2
Whereas the Commission has participated, on behalf of
the Community in the negotiations to prepare an                               The President of the Council of the European
international Cooperation Agreement for the protection of                     Communities shall deposit the instrument of approval with
the coasts and waters of the north-east Atlantic against                      the Government of Portugal as provided for in
accidental pollution;                                                         Article 24 (2 ) of the Agreement.
(») OJ   No C 112 , 20 . 12 . 1973 , p . 1 ; and
      OJ No C 139 , 13 . 6 . 1977 , p . 1 .
( 2 ) OJ No C 46 , 17 . 2 . 1983 , p. 9 .
( 3 ) OJ No C 328 , 7. 12 . 1987, p . 23 .                                    (<) OJ No L 77, 22 . 3 . 1986, p. 33 .