Editorial note

The Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Preventing Pollution from Ships and, in Cases of Emergency, Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea adopted on 25 January 2002 has not yet entered into force. The Protocol will replace an earlier 1976 Protocol, which is currently in force. The text of the 2002 Protocol is reproduced below.

The Protocol requires Parties to co-operate to implement international regulations to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment from ships (Article 3(1)(a)) and to take all necessary measures in cases of pollution incidents (Article 3(1)(b)). Parties, in co-operating, should take into account as appropriate the participation of local authorities, non-governmental organisations and socio-economic actors (Article 3(2)).

Parties are required to endeavour to maintain and promote contingency plans and other means of preventing and combating pollution incidents (Article 4(1)). Parties shall also take measures to ensure the effective implementation in the Mediterranean Sea Area of the relevant international conventions in their capacity as flag State, port State and coastal State to prevent the pollution from ships (Article 4(2)). Parties must develop and apply monitoring activities in this regard (Article 5) and co-operate, as far as practicable, in the salvage and recovery of harmful substances released in specific forms of packaging (Article 6).

The Protocol requires Parties to disseminate and exchange information relating to marine pollution from harmful substances (Article 7(1)). Such information must be transmitted to the ‘regional centre’, which will communicate it to other Parties and, on the basis of reciprocity, to non-Party coastal States (Article 7(2)).