AGREEMENT

for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances

(Bonn Agreement)

THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM, THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK, THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY, THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN, THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY,

RECOGNIZING that pollution of the sea by oil and other harmful substances in the North Sea area may threaten the marine environment and the interests of coastal States,

NOTING that such pollution has many sources and that casualties and other incidents at sea are of great concern,

CONVINCED that an ability to combat such pollution as well as active cooperation and mutual assistance among States are necessary for the protection of their coasts and related interests,

WELCOMING the progress that has already been achieved within the framework of the Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil, signed at Bonn on 9 June 1969,

WISHING to develop further mutual assistance and cooperation in combating pollution,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

This Agreement shall apply whenever the presence or the prospective presence of oil or other harmful substances polluting or threatening to pollute the sea within the North Sea area, as defined in Article 2 of this Agreement, presents a grave and imminent danger to the coast or related interests of one or more Contracting Parties.

Article 2

For the purpose of this Agreement the North Sea area means the North Sea proper southwards of latitude 61

N, together with:

(a) the Skagerrak, the southern limit of which is determined east of the Skaw by the latitude 57

44'00'',8N;

(b) the English Channel and its approaches eastwards of a line drawn SO nautical miles to the west of a line joining the Scilly Isles and Ushant.

Article 3

1. The Contracting Parties consider that protection against pollution of the kind referred to in Article 1 of this Agreement is a matter which calls for active cooperation between them.

2. The Contracting Parties shall jointly develop and establish guidelines for the practical, operational and technical aspects of joint action.

Article 4

Contracting Parties undertake to inform the other Contracting Parties about:

(a) their national organization for dealing with pollution of the kind referred to in Article 1 of this Agreement;

(b) the competent authority responsible for receiving and dispatching reports of such pollution and for dealing with questions concerning measures of mutual assistance between Contracting Parties:

(c) their national means for avoiding or dealing with such pollution, which might be made available for international assistance;

(d) new ways in which such pollution may be avoided and about new effective measures to deal with it;

(e) major pollution incidents of this kind dealt with.

Article 5

1. Whenever a Contracting Party is aware of a casualty or the presence of oil or other harmful substances in the North Sea area likely to constitute a serious threat to the coast or related interests of any other Contracting Party, it shall inform that Party without delay through its competent authority.