Mercator Ocean becomes Observer of the OSPAR Convention

Mercator Ocean becomes Observer of the OSPAR Convention

In July 2023, Mercator Ocean International (MOi) became Observer of the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. The OSPAR Convention, governed by the OSPAR Commission, works to address environmental issues affecting the North-East Atlantic region. OSPAR’s latest publication, the Quality Status Report 2023, provides a comprehensive assessment of the health of the marine environment in the North-East Atlantic. As an Observer, MOi will play a key role by supporting OSPAR with its expertise in the full value chain of Ocean services.

Supporting OSPAR in the Protection of Marine Environment

The implementation of the OSPAR Convention is governed by the OSPAR Commission, which issues recommendations and decisions and delivers regular assessments and reports. The signatory parties of the Convention include 15 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom) plus the European Union.

Having acquired Observer status, MOi participates in OSPAR meetings and supports the OSPAR Commission in shaping policy development. MOi is aligned with the major OSPAR objectives to protect the marine environment from the adverse effects of human activities and, in doing so, to safeguard human health and conserve marine ecosystems.

MOi can indeed support OSPAR and its experts by bringing scientific guidance in their local, national, and regional activities about Ocean Information such as Satellite and In Situ Observation, Ocean Forecast, Ocean Reanalysis and Ocean Indicators and how such products can support decision-making in the context of environmental policies in the five OSPAR regions. Support could also include the organisation of ad hoc training and capacity building workshops.

More on the OSPAR Convention

The OSPAR Convention originated from the unification of the Oslo Convention against dumping (1972) and the Paris Convention (1974), the latter of which covered land-based sources of marine pollution and the offshore industry. The name OSPAR itself is a portmanteau word of “OS” (Oslo) and “PAR” (Paris). The two conventions were unified, updated and extended by the 1992 OSPAR Convention. In 1998, the Convention was further extended to cover non-polluting practices that can harm the marine environment.

The activities of the OSPAR Convention are divided into six work areas: Biological Diversity & Ecosystems, Hazardous Substances & Eutrophication, Human Activities, Offshore Industry, Radioactive Substances and Cross Cutting Issues.