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The `International Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea (ICPBS)' was
established to implement the `Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea against
Pollution'.
This Convention is a `shoreline convention', i.e. it itself holds no power over the inland
activities of the States within the hydrographic drainage area discharging to the overall
Black Sea (Black Sea proper, Sea of Azov).
The `International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR)' was
established to implement the `Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and
Sustainable Use of the Danube River'. This Convention is a `hydrographic basin
convention', i.e. it itself holds power over the transboundary impact via the drainage
network of the River Danube Basin (valid only for Contracting Parties to this Convention).
This Memorandum of Understanding becomes effective as soon as it has been agreed upon
in the respective Meetings of both Commissions mentioned and an exchange of letters has
taken place. It looses its effectiveness as soon as one of both the International
Commissions mentioned notifies the other.
This Memorandum of Understanding constitutes a framework for implementing common
strategic goals. Representatives of the ICPBS and the ICPDR with the assistance of
UNDP/GEF and UNEP set up on December 8 and 9, 1997, a Joint Ad-hoc Technical
Working Group (`the Group') in a Meeting at Constanta, Romania. The following
elements of this Memorandum of Understanding correspond with the results of `the
Group':
· For the purpose of this Memorandum, the term `overall Black Sea' encompasses the
Black Sea proper and the Sea of Azov as water bodies receiving inputs via inland
waters. Both the Black Sea proper and the Sea of Azov are in regard to their ecology
and their response to discharged pollution completely different water bodies and their
ecosystems are to be considered separately.
· The term `wider' Black Sea Basin' refers to the basin determined by the hydrographic
boundary of all inland waters discharging to the overall Black Sea
· The results of the studies on the `Ecological Indicators of Pollution in the Black Sea'
carried out in the frame of the activities of the Joint Ad-hoc Working Group, have
given evidence of recovery in Black Sea ecosystems. However, the ecological status
of the 1960s ­ which is deemed to be the goal to aim for ­ is not yet reached.
· There is in general agreement that the status of the ecosystems of the Black Sea and
the Sea of Azov is largely affected by nutrients discharged within the wider Black Sea

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Basin, and to a large extent by the riverine input into the overall Black Sea.
Information of a possible role of other sources of pollution and their impacts on Black
Sea ecosystems was not yet available.
· The size of the pollution loads reaching the overall Black Sea (dispersion both in time
and in space for the Black Sea proper and the Sea of Azov) are either not known, or
information is missing on the comparability of the data available.
· `The Group' was aware of the decline of the economic activities in the countries in
transition, the possible impact of them on the discharge of pollution, and the reversal
of such a trend in case of future economic development (concerning in particular
agricultural and industrial activities).
· The data available to `the Group' to undertake its assessment ended at best with
values for the year 1997.
In order to contribute to safeguard the Black Sea from a further deterioration of the status
of its ecosystems the `Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution'
and the `Commission for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River' agree to
the following common goals:
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