1Council Decision (EU) 2025/2504 of 27 November 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocols as regards the adoption of amendments to Annexes II and III to its Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean

Council Decision (EU) 2025/2504 of 27 November 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocols as regards the adoption of amendments to Annexes II and III to its Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 192(1), in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, Whereas: (1) The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (the Barcelona Convention) was concluded by the Union by Council Decision 77/585/EEC Council Decision 77/585/EEC of 25 July 1977 concluding the Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution and the Protocol for the prevention of the pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by dumping from ships and aircraft (OJ L 240, 19.9.1977, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/1977/585/oj). and entered into force on 12 February 1978. (2) The Protocol concerning specially protected areas and biological diversity in the Mediterranean (the SPA/BD Protocol) was concluded by the Union by Council Decision 1999/800/EC Council Decision 1999/800/EC of 22 October 1999 on concluding the Protocol concerning specially protected areas and biological diversity in the Mediterranean, and on accepting the annexes to that Protocol (Barcelona Convention) (OJ L 322, 14.12.1999, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/1999/800/oj). and entered into force on 12 December 1999. (3) Pursuant to Article 18(2), point (iii), of the Barcelona Convention, the Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols (the Meeting of the Contracting Parties) may adopt amendments to the annexes to those Protocols. (4) The 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties is to adopt amendments to Annexes II and III to the SPA/BD Protocol. (5) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf at the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties, as the amendments to Annexes II and III to the SPA/BD Protocol will be binding on the Union. (6) Since the envisaged amendments to Annexes II and III to the SPA/BD Protocol will update requirements regarding the protection of the Mediterranean Sea, affect certain Union international commitments and improve the protection of the environment, the Union should support their adoption. (7) This Decision, which sets out the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf, concerns matters falling within the competence of the Union in so far as they may affect common rules of Union law or alter their scope. In the area of shared competences, Member States retain their competence in so far as the Barcelona Convention does not affect common rules of Union law or alter their scope,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf at the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols shall be to support the adoption of the amendments to Annexes II and III to the SPA/BD Protocol.

Article 2

Minor technical changes to the position referred to in Article 1 may be agreed upon by the representatives of the Union, in consultation with the Member States, during on-the-spot coordination meetings, without a further decision of the Council.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption. Done at Brussels, 27 November 2025. For the Council The President M. Tesfaye