Protection of the North Sea against pollution
Recommendation 1079
(1988)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 6 May 1988 (8th Sitting) (see Doc. 5881, report
of the Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local
Authorities, Rapporteur : Mr Ahrens). Text adopted by
the Assembly on 6 May 1988 (8th Sitting).
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Having taken note of the report on the protection
of the North Sea against pollution, presented by its Committee on
the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities (
Doc. 5881) ;
2. Recalling in this connection its previous initiatives aimed
at a large-scale European campaign against the pollution of water
and coasts, in particular :
a the
holding of a European parliamentary hearing in Paris, in July 1978
;
d the discussion of a report and the adoption of
Recommendation 997 on
regional planning and protection of the environment in European
coastal regions, in October 1984 ;
e the discussion of a report and the adoption of
Recommendation 1015 on
protection of the Mediterranean environment, in September 1985 ;
3. Noting that the inland waterways of the European continent
are the main sources of pollution of the North Sea ;
4. Noting that the air pollution of the European continent and
the United Kingdom and Ireland is also a considerable source of
pollution of the North Sea ;
5. Considering, therefore, that any policy for the protection
of the North Sea must first of all be applied to the protection
of inland waterways against pollution and to the reduction of air
pollution ;
6. Noting in this connection that, whereas pollution of waterways
by industrial and domestic waste has been considerably reduced in
recent years, there appears to have been an increase in agriculture-related
pollution ;
7. Noting also that oil pollution still accounts for much of
North Sea pollution, but that the proportion thereof that is due
to accidents is considerably less than that due to clandestine discharge
by ships, barges and oil rigs ;
8. Noting, finally, that pollution by heavy metals, such as lead,
cadmium and mercury, and pollution by chemicals, such as polychlorides,
aldrin, dieldrin and endrin, pose a serious threat to the ecological
equilibrium of marine life ;
9. Noting that many international conventions and Community directives
aimed at protecting inland waterways and the sea have been concluded
in recent years ;
10. Noting also that these international and European texts appear
to be inadequately applied by states, and that a special effort
will be required to ensure their full implementation ;
11. Noting also that the Conference of Ministers of the North
Sea States made a considerable effort to protect the North Sea,
12. While also recalling the terms of its
Recommendation 847 (1978), recommends
that the Committee of Ministers :
a invite
member states to review the situation regarding the application
of international conventions and Community directives on the protection
of coasts and seas, particularly the North Sea, as well as the various
international or Community texts on the protection of inland waterways
;
b invite the member states directly concerned to implement
without delay the decisions taken and proposals made by the 2nd
International Conference for the Protection of the North Sea, held
in London on 24 and 25 November 1987 ;
c invite member states bordering the North Sea, in particular,
to take all necessary legislative, administrative and technical
measures with a view to :
i reducing
the pollution of the inland waterways and air pollution ;
ii ensuring that ships' waste is stored and treated in ports,
and that any discharge of such waste at sea is severely punished
;
iii monitoring the compliance of ships with safety standards,
and denying them access to ports in the event of non-compliance
;
iv providing ships' crews with appropriate information on
safety requirements and regulations ;
v setting up a permanent international surveillance system
for the North Sea and inland waterways, using all available remote-sensing
and telemetric resources in order to detect and penalise all infringements
of regulations for the protection of seas and inland waterways ;
d work closely together with the EEC in the common battle
to protect the North Sea, so as to avoid duplication of activities
by the EEC and the Council of Europe.
