The 2022 meeting of the OSPAR Commission was hosted by Denmark in a hybrid format. Katrine Nissen, Marine and Nature Director of the Ministry of Environment of Denmark, welcomed delegates to Copenhagen. Together with Richard Cronin — the Chair of the meeting and outgoing OSPAR Chair —, they reflected on the good collaboration within OSPAR to address common challenges at national, global and EU levels, as well as to seek solutions for the Northeast Atlantic.

‘We are living on borrowed time. The triple challenge of biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change has pushed us beyond our planetary limits. Never before has the ocean faced such pressure from human activity. Through OSPAR, the countries of the North-East Atlantic and the EU demonstrate their commitment to work in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration to take action to protect, conserve and restore the North-East Atlantic’, said Richard Cronin.

The meeting examined progress in implementing the ambitious Strategy which had been agreed by Ministers in Cascais in 2021, as well as progress with the development of OSPAR’s Quality Status Report (QSR) 2023, and the second Regional Action Plan to tackle marine litter (RAP ML 2) in the North-East Atlantic, to be launched on 28 June at a side event at this year’s United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon (Portugal).

Likewise, the scope of the conservation work of existing Marine Protected Area in international waters (NACES MPA) was reviewed, in order to expand it.

Key outcomes of the meeting included:

• The OSPAR Network of Marine Protected Areas now comprises 583 MPAs, including 8 MPAs collectively designated in the high seas. Combined, the MPAs have a total surface area of 1 490 552 km2, covering 11 % of the OSPAR Maritime Area. By designating more than 10 % of marine and coastal waters as MPAs, OSPAR has achieved Aichi Biodiversity target 11 of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
• The Fifth Periodic Evaluation of Progress towards the Objective of the OSPAR Radioactive Substances Strategy 2010 - 2020 concluded that Contracting Parties have successfully fulfilled the 2010 – 2020 objectives and prevented pollution of the OSPAR Maritime Area by ionising radiation. The Chair of the Radioactive Substances Committee, Dr Justin Gwynn (Norway), stood down as Chair after 12 years, leaving behind a significant legacy of achievement.
• The Global Ghost Gear Initiative, European Boating Industry, and Nuclear Transparency Watch were approved as new observer organisations and were welcomed to the OSPAR family. OSPAR’s observer organisations represent a broad range of interests and expertise related to the marine environment and the uses of marine resources.
• 9 common indicator assessments of trends in marine birds, marine mammals and in non-indigenous species in the North-East Atlantic. These assessments will contribute to OSPAR’s next full assessment of the health of the North-East Atlantic.
• Status assessments highlighting the status of 19 OSPAR Listed species as well as the threats and pressures they face were approved.
• Following on from the 2021 Ministerial commitment, OSPAR agreed a structure to 2025 to increase its work in the Arctic building on a successful policy workshop held in Dingle, Ireland in February 2022.
• Ane-Marie Løvendahl Eskildsen (Denmark) was voted in as the new Chair with Maude Jolly (France) elected as Vice-Chair and Jorge Ureta Maeso (Spain) continuing as Vice-Chair.

More information:

• Summary record
• Press release