Black Sea Commission: Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution

The Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Black Sea Commission) is the intergovernmental body responsible for implementing the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Bucharest Convention), the principal regional agreement for protecting the Black Sea marine environment. Established following the Convention's adoption in 1992, the Commission coordinates cooperation among the six Black Sea coastal states: Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Türkiye, and Ukraine. Through its Permanent Secretariat based in Istanbul, Türkiye, the Commission promotes measures to prevent and reduce marine pollution, conserve biodiversity, strengthen environmental monitoring, coordinate responses to marine emergencies such as oil spills, and support the sustainable management of Black Sea ecosystems. It also facilitates scientific cooperation, policy development, information exchange, and implementation of regional action plans aimed at restoring and protecting one of Europe's most environmentally significant marine regions.