Agreement for Co-Operation in Dealing with Pollution of the North Sea by Oil

 

Article 1

This Agreement shall apply whenever the presence or the prospective
presence of oil polluting 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 purposes of this Agreement the North Sea area means the North
Sea proper southwards of latitude 61ภN together with

(a) the Skagerrak, the southern limit of which is determined by a line
joining Skagen and Pater Noster Sk„ren,

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

Article 3

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 co-operation between the Contracting Parties.

Article 4

Contracting Parties undertake to inform the other Contracting Parties
about
(a) their national organisation for dealing with oil pollution;

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

(c) new ways in which oil pollution may be avoided and about new
effective measures to deal with oil pollution.

Article 5

(1) Whenever a Contracting Party is aware of a casualty or the presence
of oil slicks 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 other Party without delay through its competent
authority.

(2) The Contracting Parties undertake to request the masters of all ships
flying their flags and pilots of aircraft registered in their countries
to report without delay through the channels which may be most
practicable and adequate in the circumstances:

(a) all casualties causing or likely to cause oil pollution of the sea;

(b) the presence, nature and extent of oil slicks on the sea likely to
constitute a serious threat to the coast or related interests of
one or more Contracting Parties.

Article 6

(1) For the sole purposes of this Agreement the North Sea area is divided
into the zones described in the Annex to this Agreement.

(2) The Contracting Party within whose zone a situation of the kind
described in Article 1 occurs, shall make the necessary assessments of
the nature and extent of any casualty or, as the case may be, of the type
and approximate quantity of oil floating on the sea, and the direction
and speed of movement of the oil.

(3) The Contracting Party concerned shall immediately inform all the
other Contracting Parties through their competent authorities of its
assessments and of any action which it has taken to deal with the
floating oil and shall keep the oil under observation as long as it is
drifting in its zone.

(4) The obligations of the Contracting Parties under the provisions or
this Article with respect to the zones of joint responsibility shall be
the subject of special technical arrangements to be concluded between the
Parties concerned. These arrangements shall be communicated to the other
Contracting Parties.

(5) In no case shall the division into zones referred to in this Article
be invoked as a precedent or argument in any matter concerning
sovereignty or jurisdiction.

Article 7

A Contracting Party requiring assistance to dispose of oil floating on
the sea or polluting its coast may call on the help of the other
Contracting Parties, starting with those which also seem likely to be
affected by the floating oil. Contracting Parties called upon for help in
accordance with this Article shall use their best endeavours to bring
such assistance as is within their power.

Article 8

Any Contracting Party which has taken action in accordance with Article 7
of this Agreement shall submit a report thereon to the other Contracting
Parties and to the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization.

Article 9

(1) This Agreement shall be open for signature by the Governments
mentioned in the preamble from 9 June 1969.

(2) These Governments may become parties to this Agreement either by
signature without reservation as to ratification or approval or by
signature subject to ratification or approval followed by ratification or
approval.

(3) Instruments of ratification or approval shall be deposited with the
Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.

(4) This Agreement shall enter into force two months after the date on
which six Governments have signed the Agreement without reservation as to
ratification or approval or have deposited an instrument of ratification
or approval.

(5) For each Government which subsequently signs the Agreement without
reservation as to ratification or approval, or ratifies or approves it,
it shall enter into force two months after the date of its signature or
of the deposit of its instrument of ratification or approval.

Article 10

(1) After this Agreement has been in force for five years it may be
denounced by any Contracting Party.

(2) Denunciation shall be effected by a notification in writing addressed
to the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany which shall notify
all the other Contracting Parties of any denunciation received and of the
date of its receipt.

(3) A denunciation shall take effect one year after its receipt by the
Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorized by their
respective Governments have signed this Agreement.

DONE at Bonn on this ninth day of June, 1969, in the English and French
languages, both texts being equally authoritative, in a single copy which
shall be deposited in the archives of the Government of the Federal
Republic of Germany which shall transmit a duly certified copy to each of
the other signatory Governments. This Agreement shall be registered with
the United Nations in conformity with Article 102 of the Charter of the
United Nations.

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Agreement for Co-Operation in Dealing with Pollution of the North Sea by Oil and Other Harmful Substances, Conventions: Chronological Index 1951-1970, Marine and Coastal conventions, Other Environmental conventions.