INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL-PROTECTION OF THE WADDEN SEA AND THE NORTH-SEA AND THE INTEGRATION OF POLLUTION AND CONSERVATION POLICIES

In the 1970's a number of legal international agreements and conventio ns regarding the protection of(marine) species and habitats (Ramsar, W ashington, Bonn, Bern, EC Bird Directive), and(marine) water quality ( Oslo, Paris, LDC, MARPOL, EC 76/464 Directive) were adopted. These ins truments have not been able to prevent a further pollution of the (mar ine) environment and a further loss or reduction of habitats and speci es. This initiated the development of political initiatives such as th e North Sea and Wadden Sea Conferences. Right from the beginning the t wo international political forums focussed on different aspects of the ecosystem, the Wadden Sea trilateral cooperation being dedicated to t he protection of species and habitats and the North Sea Conferences ma inly dealing with water quality. The reason for this separation must b e sought in the sectoral differentiation which exists in the national administrations as well as in the legal instruments. The last five yea rs have seen a step-by-step merging of the two approaches: at the last (3rd) North Sea Conference (The Hague, 1990) some clear decisions wit h regard to the protection of species and habitats were taken while th e Ministerial Declaration of the last (6th) Wadden Sea Conference (Esb jerg, 1991) contains some specific measures with regard to pollution.