BEING AWARE of the ecological, social, economic, cultural,
scientific and educational value of the Western European Waters, as
well as its vulnerability to damage by international shipping traffic
and activities in the area and the steps taken by Belgium, France,
Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom to address that vulnerability,
NOTING that the Guidelines for the Identification and Designation
of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas adopted under resolution A.927(22)
set out procedures for the designation of Particularly Sensitive Sea
Areas,
HAVING CONSIDERED the proposal from Belgium, France, Ireland,
Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom to designate the Western European
Waters as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area,
HAVING AGREED that criteria for identification of a Particularly
Sensitive Sea Area provided in resolution A.927(22) are fulfilled
for the Western European Waters,
1. DESIGNATES the Western European Waters as defined
in Annexes 1, 2 and 3 to
this resolution as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area.
2. INVITES Committee Members to note the establishment
of the new Mandatory Ship Reporting System as an Associated Protective
Measure, for ships entering the Western European Waters Particularly
Sensitive Sea Area in accordance with the provisions of SOLAS regulation V/11. The mandatory ship-reporting
system will enter into force at 0000 hours UTC time six months after
the adoption by the Maritime Safety Committee in December 2004.