Established in 2010

Environmental Governance Regimes

MEDITERRANEAN SEA- Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management Enters into Force in the Mediterranean

2014

On 8 July 2014 the Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean Sea entered into force in accordance with Article 15§3 of the Land Based Sources (LBS) Protocol. Importantly, the Regional Plan is a powerful tool for the implementation of the 15th Article of the Land Based Sources (LBS) Protocol, which states that countries should adopt plans and programmes containing concrete measures and timetables.

The innovative Plan was adopted at the 18th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, held from 3 to 6 December 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey and it primarily aims to ensure environmentally sound solid waste management, reduce waste volumes, recycle and promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production in the Mediterranean region.

The Regional Plan is an important step forward towards dealing with the problem of marine litter, a global issue dramatically affecting the coastal and marine environment. In essence, the landmarking Plan is expected to enable the Mediterranean countries to substantially reduce the marine litter deriving from both sea and land based sources thus curbing the marine pollution in this area.

Land-based marine litter in the Mediterranean results mainly from recreational and tourism activities, and household waste. It is estimated that plastics, floating, on beaches, and on the sea floor, make up to 83.0% of the land-based marine litter in the Mediterranean in addition to textiles, paper, metal and wood (17%). Moreover, marine litter from smoking related activities in the Mediterranean is much higher than the global average. Meanwhile, the participants argued that there are important knowledge gaps concerning marine litter generated from sea-based sources in the region.  It is also to be mentioned that for the purpose of the Regional Plan marine litter refers to any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment regardless of its size.

With this Plan, the Mediterranean region is pioneering the adoption of legally binding measures on marine litter. The timetable for the implementation of the Regional Plan compulsory measures is between 2016 and 2025, with most of the measures to be implemented by 2020.

Furthermore, it is worth stressing that the Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean Sea is the first regional effort to follow up on the Rio+20 global commitment to “take action to, by 2025, based on collected scientific data, achieve significant reductions in marine debris to prevent harm to the coastal and marine environment”.  The Plan is also in line with the main goal of the European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive to achieve Good Environmental Status  by ensuring that properties and quantities of marine litter do not cause harm to the coastal and marine environment by 2020. Notably, out of nine regional plans already adopted within the framework of the LBS Protocol, the Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean is the first to be fully based on the Ecosystem Approach principles to achieve Good Environment Status.

The entry into force of the Plan coincides with the update of National Action Plans (NAPs) to combat pollution from land based sources and activities.

“With this Regional Plan now entering into force, Mediterranean countries will be able to elaborate national policies and action plans on pollution control and prevention that will contribute to addressing one of the most difficult environmental issues in the Mediterranean sea”, said Gaetano Leone, Coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan. “The impacts of marine litter are not only environmental, but also economic, health- and safety-related, and cultural. The Regional Plan creates the momentum for Contracting Parties of the Barcelona Convention to look at marine and coastal pollution in an integrated manner” he added.

Source: UNEP/MAP
For further information:
http://www.unepmap.org/index.php?module=news&action=detail&id=158

About the author

MEPIELAN Centre
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MEPIELAN Centre is an international research, training and educational centre established by Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos at the Panteion University of Athens in 2008.

Before its establishment as a University Centre, MEPIELAN operated as a successful international research, training and informational programme (2002-2007) under the scientific direction of Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos and the aegis of the Panteion University of Athens, supported by the Mediterranean Action Plan/UNEP and the Greek Ministry of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.

MEPIELAN Centre is an accredited UNEP/MAP PARTNER (since 2013), a Member of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) (since 2016), and a Member of the Steering Committee of the MCSD (since 2019).

On 22 May 2022, MEPIELAN Centre proceeded to the development of MEPIELAN as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) for the more effective and efficient advancement of its Goals and Missions and furtherance of its activities. MEPIELAN Centre as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) is registered in Greek Law (Hellenic Business Registry, Reg. No. 16477300100) in accordance with Laws 4072/2012 & 4919/2022 as applicable

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