112. Notes that the Arctic waters are a neighbouring marine environment of particular importance to the European Union, and that they play an important role in mitigating climate change; stresses that the serious environmental concerns relating to the Arctic waters require special attention to ensure the environmental protection of the Arctic in relation to any offshore oil and gas operations, including exploration, taking into account the risk of major accidents and the need for an effective response; encourages those Member States that are members of the Arctic Council actively to promote efforts to maintain the highest possible envi ...[+++]ronmental safety standards in this vulnerable and unique ecosystem, inter alia through the creation of international instruments for the prevention of, preparedness for and response to, marine oil pollution in the Arctic, and, in particular, to actively propose policies for governments that cause them to refrain from authorising offshore oil and gas operations, including exploration, as long as an effective response to such accidents cannot be ensured;

The Union has acceded to the following instruments, establishing regional organisations, whose activities are also covered by the Agency’s objectives: the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention as revised in 1992) (10); the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution (Barcelona Convention) (11), and its 1995 revision (12) and to a number of protocols thereto; the Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and oth ...[+++]er harmful substances (Bonn Agreement) (13); the Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention) (14); the Cooperation Agreement for the protection of the coasts and waters of the north-east Atlantic against pollution, signed on 17 October 1990 (Lisbon Agreement) (15), with the Additional Protocol thereto, signed on 20 May 2008, which have not yet entered into force (16).

AJ. whereas every large-scale engineering structure erected in sea waters must, due to the associated risks, be subject to a particularly thorough and comprehensive analysis and environmental impact assessment which, if it is to produce reliable results, must cover at least one full growing season which in the case of some species could be as long as two years – a much longer period than the six-month study period proposed by the investor,

References to tritium releases into the marine environment and to the issue of organically-bound tritium are included in the Marina II study on the radiological exposure of the European Community from radioactivity in North European marine waters.

(a)in the context of the implementation of Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) , by contributing to the objective of achieving good environmental status of marine waters with its shipping-related elements and in exploiting the results of existing tools such as SafeSeaNet and CleanSeaNet.

Directed at the study of the structure, stability and dynamics of the marine environment with reference, inter alia, to the quality of sea water and fauna and flora.