OSPAR Convention

OSPAR stands for " Oslo " and "Paris" and is an international treaty for the protection of the North Sea and the Northeast Atlantic.

Precursor and the Signatories

OSPAR (or OSPARCOM ) is named Oslo Convention and Paris Convention after the two precursors. OSCOM (1972 ) concerned the dumping, PARCOM (1974 ) the discharge of environmentally hazardous substances from mainland sources. After the conclusion of the contract on 22 September 1992 in Paris, both conventions were replaced by OSPAR. The term is used both for the contract and for the executive OSPAR Commission. The Office of the Secretariat, London.

Signatory states are Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the European Union. Finland, Luxembourg and Switzerland have over the Baltic Sea, the Moselle and the Rhine only indirect contact with the waters in question.

The OSPAR is responsible for everything that is introduced into the North Sea or the North Atlantic, sunk or is introduced in other ways. This includes wind turbines and oil rigs.