A Regional Initiative to Fight Marine Pollution in the Mediterranean

Coastal and marine ecosystems play a complex and vital role in supporting economic prosperity and social welfare in developing countries. They sustain the livelihoods of millions of poor households; provide multiple ecosystem services that are essential for life, yield vast amounts of food, and play a critical role in driving weather and climate.

Today, marine resources are threatened by oil pollution, land-based sources of pollution, habitat degradation, overexploitation of some fishery stocks, and climate change.

The seminar will gather representatives of about 12 countries from both north and southern shores of the Mediterranean, and participants will be invited to look at issues that are common to the various countries, specifically with regard to coastal zone and marine pollution in the Mediterranean within the framework of the Barcelona Convention of 1995 and the 2002 Protocol.

The seminar constitutes the first official meeting of the Mediterranean Network of Prosecutors. It is also held in the context of the up-coming “Sustainable MED” Program, expected to be shortly launched by the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa Region.

The objective is to create a network of investigators and prosecutors to, initially, fight voluntary marine pollution in the Mediterranean.

The network is intended for prosecution services of Mediterranean countries which have expressed an interest in fighting marine pollution.

The objectives of the network are:
To promote the exchange of information and experience;
T o identify best practices and facilitate the adjustment of national legal and regulatory frameworks;
And to promote awareness of the various actors engaged in the fight against marine pollution and to identify their training and capacity needs.
It is expected that, over time, the network will contribute in promoting greater operational cooperation in investigation and prosecution. Practical initiatives will be considered, such as case studies, harmonization in drafting techniques for prosecution forms, the organization of joint training sessions, joint analysis of national legislation, and the establishment of joint information and alert systems.

This idea was inspired by the earlier experience of the network of investigators and prosecutors for the North Sea, established with the support of the European Union and based on the magistrates network’s approach to facilitate law enforcement.