Activity Centers

The Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollutioni The Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution was signed in Bucharest in April 1992, and ratified by all six legislative assemblies of the Black Sea countries in the beginning of 1994. Also referred to as "Bucharest Convention", it is the basic framework of agreement and three specific Protocols, which are: the control of land-based sources of pollution; dumping of waste; and joint action in the case of accidents (such as oil spills). The implementation of the provisions of the Convention is supported by the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (also referred to as the Istanbul Commission), and its Permanent Secretariat, stationed in Istanbul, Türkiye. v  defines the role and functions of the Activity Centers as, inter alia, supporting to the activities of the Black Sea Commission. The Black Sea Strategic Action Plan 1996 further elaborates on this and defines the Advisory Groups/Activity Centers in the seven strategic sectors of the BSAP. The Strategic Action Plan for the Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation of the Black Sea 2009, adopted at the Ministerial Meeting/Diplomatic Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, 17 April 2009, elaborates on the further increase of their role efficiency.