REMPEC and the Pelagos Agreement Strengthen Cooperation for the Protection of the Mediterranean Marine Environment – Nov 12, 2025

    REMPEC and the Pelagos Agreement Strengthen Cooperation for the Protection of the Mediterranean Marine Environment

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    The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) and the Pelagos Agreement have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing cooperation for the protection of the marine environment in the Mediterranean, with particular focus on the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals. 

    The MoU marks a significant step forward in strengthening synergies between the two institutions, both of which share a common mandate to promote the prevention and response to marine pollution and the conservation of marine biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea. 

    Through this new partnership, REMPEC and the Pelagos Agreement will collaborate on activities related to: 

    • the prevention of, preparedness for, and response to marine pollution incidents, including those affecting marine mammals and their habitats; 
    • the exchange of information, data, and best practices on marine environmental protection; 
    • the promotion of capacity-building and training initiatives for relevant national and regional stakeholders; and 
    • the development of joint awareness-raising and outreach activities aimed at supporting sustainable maritime activities within the Pelagos Sanctuary and the wider Mediterranean region. 

    “This MoU formalizes an already close collaboration between REMPEC and the Pelagos Agreement,” said Ivan Sammut, Head of Office of REMPEC. “By joining forces, we reinforce our shared commitment to a clean and healthy Mediterranean Sea, where marine biodiversity can thrive alongside sustainable human activities.” 

    The signing of this MoU contributes to the implementation of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocol concerning Cooperation in Preventing Pollution from Ships and, in Cases of Emergency, Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea (Prevention and Emergency Protocol), as well as to the objectives of the Pelagos Agreement. The MOU also aligns with the objectives of the Mediterranean Strategy for the Prevention, Preparedness, and Response to Marine Pollution from Ships (2022-2031). It also supports the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) and the global efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water. 

    About the Pelagos Agreement 

    The Agreement on the Creation in the Mediterranean of a Sanctuary for Marine Mammals, known as the Pelagos Agreement, was signed by France, Italy, and the Principality of Monaco in 1999. It aims to ensure the protection of marine mammals and their habitats through coordinated management measures across the waters of the three countries.