Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas

Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas
Name	Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas
Type	Environmental protection treaty
Location signed	Barcelona Convention
Date signed	1995
Parties	Parties to the Barcelona Convention and Mediterranean coastal States
Language	English, French

Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas is an international environmental instrument linked to the Barcelona Convention designed to safeguard marine and coastal biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Aegean Sea and associated regional waters. The Protocol operates within frameworks shaped by the United Nations Environment Programme, the European Union, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ramsar Convention, and regional bodies such as the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It informs action by national authorities including ministries in Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Turkey, and Egypt and intersects with initiatives by the World Wildlife Fund, BirdLife International, and the Mediterranean Action Plan.

Background and Purpose

The Protocol emerged from amendments to the Barcelona Convention during intergovernmental negotiations attended by delegations from United Nations, Council of Europe, Food and Agriculture Organization, World Bank, and Parties including Albania, Croatia, Israel, Lebanon, and Morocco to address pressures highlighted in reports by United Nations Environment Programme and case studies like Gulf of Gabès and Posidonia oceanica meadows. Its purpose is to provide legal instruments complementary to instruments such as the Bern Convention, the Barcelona System, and the Natura 2000 network to protect species and habitats under threats similar to those identified in the Mediterranean Action Plan and by research from institutions like CNRS and CNR.

Definitions and Scope

The Protocol defines categories familiar to instruments like the Convention on Migratory Species and the Convention on Wetlands by specifying "specially protected areas" and "specially protected areas of Mediterranean importance" in terms resonant with the IUCN protected area categories and concepts used by UNESCO biosphere reserves. It delineates maritime zones comparable to references in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and coordinates with national spatial plans in Spain's Catalonia, Italy's Sicily, and France's Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, aligning with listings such as the World Heritage Convention and data compiled by Mediterranean Observatory units.

Protected Area Designation Process

Designation under the Protocol follows procedures akin to those in the Natura 2000 selection process and the listing mechanisms of the Ramsar Convention, involving national proposals submitted to the Contracting Parties meeting of the Barcelona Convention and review by scientific bodies similar to panels under the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries. States such as Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus, Algeria, and Tunisia have navigated legal instruments comparable to the European Habitat Directive and bilateral agreements like the Treaty of Lausanne to formalize protections, while coordination with regional fisheries management organizations including the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean informs zoning decisions.

Management and Conservation Measures

Management measures promoted by the Protocol include zoning, species action plans, restoration projects, and restrictions on activities observed in case studies like the Gulf of Lions and Gulf of Corinth; these resemble strategies used in Monaco's marine reserves and in the Pelagos Sanctuary agreement between France, Italy, and Monaco. Measures reference best practices from IUCN guidelines, technical guidance by the Food and Agriculture Organization, and conservation tools employed in protected sites such as Port-Cros National Park and the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. The Protocol encourages integration with fisheries management by linking to data streams from the European Commission and scientific inputs used by the Blue Plan regional reports.

Governance, Compliance, and Enforcement

Governance under the Protocol relies on mechanisms comparable to reporting and compliance architectures of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, with periodic reports submitted by Parties and oversight by the Meeting of the Parties to the Barcelona Convention. Enforcement draws upon national enforcement agencies in Italy's Carabinieri, Greece's coast guard, and judicial processes observed in Spain's administrative courts, and is supported by cooperation with regional organizations like the European Environment Agency. Non-compliance procedures mirror diplomatic and technical assistance channels seen in the Kyoto Protocol era and in dispute resolution practices of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

Scientific Research and Monitoring

The Protocol mandates monitoring and research partnerships similar to collaborations between the Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM), Plymouth University, University of Athens, Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), and research programs funded by the European Research Council and Horizon 2020. Monitoring priorities include habitats such as Posidonia oceanica meadows, cetacean populations studied in the Pelagos Sanctuary, and impacts from maritime traffic mapped in projects with the International Maritime Organization and institutions like IFS and MEDPOL. Data exchange protocols echo those used by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and regional observatories like the Mediterranean Biodiversity Network.

Implementation Challenges and Case Studies

Implementation has faced challenges similar to those documented in Syria's coastal management, Libya's institutional transitions, and transboundary disputes involving Greece and Turkey, including limited funding from donors such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and coordination gaps observed in the Wider Black Sea Area initiatives. Successful case studies include management plans in Montenegro's coastal reserves, enforcement partnerships exemplified by the Pelagos Sanctuary trilateral agreement, and restoration projects supported by the European Investment Bank and NGOs like WWF Mediterranean and IUCN Med. Continued progress depends on integrating frameworks from the Convention on Biological Diversity, financing instruments like the Global Environment Facility, and multilateral cooperation modeled by the Mediterranean Action Plan.

Category:Environmental treaties Category:Mediterranean Sea