Protection of the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic, OSPAR Convention 1997: storage of carbon dioxide streams in geological formations (amend. Annexes II and III)

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report drawn up by Anna ROSBACH (EFD, DK) amending, under the consultation procedure, the proposal for a Council decision concerning the approval on behalf of the European Community, of the Amendments of Annex II and Annex III to the Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention) in relation to the storage of carbon dioxide streams in geological formations.

The committee approves the proposal for a Council Decision as well as the amendments to Annexes II and III of the Convention.

Through these amendments, MEPs wish to recall in two new recitals that:

·        the  amendment of the OSPAR Convention supplements the measures recently taken at Community level on the storage of carbon dioxide under Directive 2009/31/EC;

·        the Community and its Member States should, if possible simultaneously, approve the amendment of Annexes II and III of the OSPAR Convention by 1 June 2010. Otherwise, there would be a risk of discrepancies in the links between Community and Member State international law.

Another amendment insists that Member States which are Contracting Parties to the Convention shall endeavour to take the necessary steps with a view to depositing their instruments of ratification or approval simultaneously with those of the European Community and the other Member States and as far as possible not later than 1 June 2010.