Brussels, 09/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EU Council approved, on behalf of the Community, the decision endorsing modification of Annex 5 of the international convention on the protection of the maritime environment in the North-East Atlantic (Ospar Convention). The new Annex V, approved by the parties to the Convention during their last conference (Sintra, Portugal, 22-23 July 1998), stipulates that the measures required will be taken to protect and preserve the ecosystems and the biological diversity of the maritime area, and to restore, whenever possible, the marine areas affected. It also provides for the contracting parties to cooperate for the adoption of programmes and measures needed for the control of identified human activities, according to relevant criteria, listed in Annex 3 of the Convention: a) extent, intensity and duration of human activity; b) current and potential adverse effect on certain species; c) communities, habitats and specific ecological processes; d) the irreversibility or durability of these effects.
EUROPE recalls that the Community has been part of the Ospar Convention since 7 October pursuant to a Council decision.