The Balkans and the Black Sea region is a strategic, although sensitive area, which requires a multilevel approach to enhancing mutual understanding aimed at deepening economic relations and cross-border cooperation. At the crossroads of Europe, Middle East and Central Asia, the region is in the centre of gravity for investments and geopolitical influence of world’s superpowers during a time of larger region-wide and global change. At the cross section of public and business sectors, Balkans & Black Sea Cooperation Forum aiming at identifying, strengthening & promoting economic relations, business opportunities, cross‐border cooperation and sustainable growth & development across the Balkans, the Black Sea region and beyond.

HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission – Helsinki Commission) is the governing body of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, known as the Helsinki Convention. The Contracting Parties are Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden. HELCOM was established about four decades ago to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental cooperation. Its vision for the future is a healthy Baltic Sea environment with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable economic and social activities. It also includes cooperation mechanisms for fisheries and navigation safety.

BALTFISH was initiated in 2009 as a flagship project within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSBSR. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in December 2013 by the ministers in the eight member states in the Baltic Sea Region, and thus changing the status of BALTFISH from a flagship project to a permanent fisheries forum. BALTFISH works on two levels. There is a high-level group (HLG) composed of the Member States fisheries directors and invited officials from the European Commission. There is also the BALTFISH Forum Seminar composed of representatives from Member States, the European Commission and the Baltic Sea Advisory Council as well as representatives from other relevant stakeholders in the Baltic Sea fisheries.

The Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation (BSRBCC) is a flexible regional tool for daily inter-agency interaction in the field of environmental protection. It also aims to combat cross-border crime in the Baltic Sea region, with a particular focus on the maritime environment. Cooperation Partners are Police, Border Guards, Coast Guards and Customs Authorities. The BSRBCC Border Guard Chiefs meet annually and is responsible for the cooperation initiative, and approving the operational strategy. It also has an operational and economic mandate for cooperation. The BSRBCC presidency, which is for one year, is supported by a secretariat, which includes representatives from the last, current and next Presidency, thereby ensuring continuity. The Baltic Border Committee (BBC) prepares and implements the cooperation strategy through joint operations, where national representatives integrate national action and local cooperation into wider cooperation as necessary. Each MS operates a 24/7 National Coordination Centre (NCC), whilst the Presidency maintains an International Coordination Centre (ICC).

The Baltic Sea Task Force on Organised Crime (BSTF-OC) was created in 1996 in Visby (Sweden) through a decision of the Heads of Governments of the Baltic Sea States. It comprises 11 personal representatives of the Heads of Governments of the Baltic Sea States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden). Officials from Interpol, Europol, the EU Council and the Secretariat of the Council of the Baltic Sea States have the status of observers at the BSTF meetings.

The Barcelona Convention aims to address in a holistic manner all sources of pollution, which may threaten the marine environment of the Mediterranean and its coastal areas. In particular, the Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Preventing Pollution from Ships and, in Cases of Emergency, Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea is the legal framework within which regional cooperation in the fields of prevention of and response to marine pollution from ships is developing. A regional strategy aims to improve the follow-up of pollution events and monitoring/surveillance of illicit discharges. The 22 Contracting Parties are Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the EU.

Convention on mutual assistance for detection and repression of customs fraud between France and Spain: joint operations, information exchange, area of operation for vessels and aircrafts, operational assistance, meetings.

The Black Sea Cooperation Forum was established in 2000, between the Coast Guard / Border Authorities of the Black Sea states, namely Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russian Federation and Georgia. The main purpose is to enhance peace, stability and maritime security in the Black Sea area, by increasing regional co-operation, and improving good relationship. Its tasks include enhancing existing interaction among border/coast guard agencies to prevent illegal activities, as well as strengthening the safety and security of navigation in the Black Sea. It conducts counterterrorism and weapon of mass destruction non-proliferation activities. It aims to help improve cooperation in the areas of fishery protection, search and rescue, marine pollution, marine environmental protection, information exchange, personnel exchange programs, joint/shared training.

The Bonn Agreement is the mechanism by which ten Governments, together with the European Union, cooperate in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances. The signatories to the Agreement are the Governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the European Union. Spain joined as a Contracting Party in 2019.

The Bucharest Convention was signed in Bucharest in April 1992, and was ratified by all six legislative assemblies of the Black Sea countries (i.e. Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine) in 1994. It is the basic framework of agreement and has three specific Protocols, dealing with the control of land-based sources of pollution, the dumping of waste, and joint action in the case of accidents (such as oil spills). The implementation of the Convention is managed by the Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (also sometimes referred to as the Istanbul Commission), and its Permanent Secretariat is in Istanbul, Turkey.