Black Sea Global Ocean Observing System 
The Black Sea GOOS Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

This MoU serves as the initial document for the Black Sea GOOS, as an informal association whose members seek to foster co-operation with the Global Ocean Observing System. The Black Sea GOOS was established with the participation of Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine with the recognition of the importance of existing systems in research and operational oceanography. It will also take full advantage of advances made other regional GOOS groups such as the EuroGOOS and the Med-GOOS, and by the various GOOS design panels. By signing, the MoU, countries become members of the Black Sea GOOS, and agree to co-operate in promoting the GOOS in the Black Sea basin.

1. The aims and objectives of the Black Sea GOOS are: 

- To contribute to international planning and implementation of the GOOS and to promote it  globally.

- To identify regional priorities for the use of operational oceanography.

- To co-operate with the Black Sea Environmental Programme (BSEP), the Permanent Secretariat of the Black Sea Commission (Secretariat for the Bucharest Convention) and other relevant bodies, to harmonise oceanographic activities in the region.

- To develop capacity of the regional countries and promote the level to sustain GOOS activities.

- To promote the development of technology and computer systems for operational oceanography.

- To facilitate a network for real and/or near time data exchange by the members.

- To provide high quality data and time series for a better understanding of and improving of the Black Sea ecosystem. 

- To find means to ensure the most effective use of existing technologies related to operational oceanography and marine meteorology.

- To assess the economic and social benefits from operational oceanography.

2. Activities

Black Sea GOOS activities will be designed to foster operational oceanography in the Black Sea basin. To collaborate with and to maximise the benefits from existing activities of the EuroGOOS and the Med-GOOS, promoting the integration of these activities within the framework of the GOOS. 

Members of the Black Sea GOOS will collaborate and support the following groups of activities:

2.1. Policy in Promoting GOOS

- To develop policies for the enhancement of GOOS and co-ordinating the best Black Sea participation in GOOS, identifying where greatest value is added by collaboration.

- To promote collaboration between the existing regional multi-national agencies and organisations, having expertise in oceanography, operational systems, and remote sensing of the ocean.

- To promote the collaboration with EuroGOOS through bilateral concurrence.

- To promote collaboration with the EuroGOOS and the Med-GOOS through joint projects and activities.

- To promote capacity building and exchange of know-how and personnel to the IOC.

- To promote studies and evaluation of the economic and social benefits produced by operational oceanography.
- To co-operate as appropriate with organisations concerned with rapid assessment of climate change, global environmental research and the impacts of climate variability and climate change.

- To provide as appropriate, expertise, WGs, consultants, etc., to the IOC, the SC GOOS, the I-GOOS and other relevant organisations.
- To provide as appropriate, expertise, WGs, consultants, etc., to the Black Sea Environmental Programme (BSEP) and the Permanent Secretariat of the Black Sea Commission.

- To publish the findings of meetings, workshops, studies, and other documents commissioned by the Black Sea GOOS members, joint representation at and to submit of documents to international meetings related to GOOS, and collective representation of GOOS to regional and national Agencies, when requested by members.

- To co-ordinate the GOOS data acquisition with existing regional and national data gathering under agreements and conventions. 

- To promote consulting to regional personnel.

2.2. Advancing Black Sea operational oceanography

- Promoting development of  regional operational oceanography in the Black Sea, taking into account the following Modules of the GOOS: (1) The Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC); and (2) The Coastal Ocean Observations Panel (COOP). 

- Promoting development of common operational data procedures and services, including data quality control and quality assurance, and data management for operational oceanography.

- Promoting research and pre-operational research that will solve problems relating to operational oceanography.

- Promoting the development of common infrastructure to implement operational Oceanography in the Black Sea.

- Promoting global Pilot Studies of GOOS operations.

- Promoting the development of common Black Sea operational oceanographic services and products to the Black Sea countries to attain sustainable development.

2.3. Promotion of Instrumentation and Technology

- To promote the development of low cost enhanced operational instrumentation, observing systems, data acquisition and data management systems, processing and interpretation systems, as well as data exchange.

- To support operational oceanography and services in collaboration with public and private sector organisations, NGOs and programmes concerned with oceanographic technology in the Black Sea.

2.4. Aid and Capacity building

- To promote aid, technology transfer, and collaboration among the Black Sea Countries within the framework of the GOOS.

- To strengthen collaboration with the EuroGOOS working group, on capacity building and with similar work stimulated through the Med-GOOS.

3. Membership

The Black Sea GOOS members will be organisations, preferably authorities willing to advance the GOOS in their country and actively contribute to fulfilling the aims and objectives of the Black Sea GOOS. The Maximum number of the members per country shall be agreed at the Annual Meeting.

Multi-national organisations of the Black Sea region and NGOs with a Black Sea emphasis (or components or subsidiaries of such organisations) provided that they have aims and objectives consistent with this MoU, may be invited to become Observers at the discretion of the Members.

4. Management of Black Sea GOOS

4.1 Black Sea GOOS Steering Committee

The Black Sea GOOS Ad Hoc Steering Committee is the body appointed by the Black Sea GOOS Workshop in Poti (Georgia) in May 2001. Each Black Sea country is represented by one member in the Ad Hoc Steering Committee designated by the country delegation at the Poti workshop. The IOC Black Sea Regional Committee chairperson is also the chairperson of the Ad Hoc Steering Committee. The Steering committee will serve to: 

• continue and strengthen links with the IOC,

• finalize and bring to the attention of the Black Sea countries the IOC Twenty-first Session of the Assembly (Paris, 3-13 July 2001) delegation of the for approval and signature of the Black Sea MoU,

• appoint and authorize a Black Sea delegation to participate and contact the EU meeting on 18-20 June 2001 in Brussels,

• appoint and authorize a Black Sea Scientific Committee to prepare and submit a joint Black Sea GOOS proposal to the EU,

• develop links with existing relevant organisations, programs, projects and subsidiary bodies, 

• make decisions for the set up of a Black Sea GOOS office, 

• collaborate with the IOC to organise a meeting for the election of the regular Black Sea GOOS Executive Committee upon the signing of the Black Sea GOOS MoU and transfer all responsibilities and relevant documentation to the elected Black Sea GOOS Executive Committee.

4.2. Black Sea GOOS Executive Committee

The first Black Sea GOOS Executive Committee will be appointed at the final meeting of the Steering Committee for two years. Each Black Sea GOOS country will be presented on the Executive Committee and will have one vote. The Executive Committee will appoint a Chairperson and an Executive Secretary. Note: All decisions of the Executive Committee are taken on a consensus basis.

The Chairperson and Executive Committee members will serve for two years, and be responsible for all the Black Sea GOOS activities between Annual Meetings. The committee will meet as necessary. They will be eligible for re-appointment for up to a maximum of three successive turns.

The Executive Secretary will report to the Chairperson and to the committee. He/she will prepare papers for any meetings and represent the Black Sea GOOS at international organisations, as required by the Committee. The GOOS Project Office Director and the EuroGOOS Director will be invited to attend the Black Sea GOOS committee meetings. The EuroGOOS Chairperson and Director will also invited be to provide continuity in the action of the EuroGOOS for the Black Sea, and co-ordination in the activities of the two organisations.

The Executive Committee group will meet once a year, and additionally upon the request from one member.

The Executive Committee will:

- execute the decisions made at the Annual Meeting,

- prepare matters for the Annual Meeting and make an annual report with relevant background material about each running project,

- prepare co-operation plans and propose activities at the Annual Meeting,

- propose activities related to other frameworks outside this co-operation,

- decide on additional member meetings when necessary. 

4.3. Annual meeting

The Black Sea GOOS organise regular Annual Meetings to be held in December in order to define the overall policy of the Black Sea GOOS, review the progress of ongoing activities and advise modern operational programs. These will also decide on new projects decide on activities related to other frameworks outside the Black Sea GOOS. At the Annual Meetings Black Sea GOOS members will make joint decisions. 

The participants at the Annual Meeting will consist of one representative per country, being the designated Black Sea GOOS Member for that country agreed by the Associate Members from that country. Each representative at the Annual Meeting will act as the intermediary between the Black Sea GOOS and the Associate Black Sea GOOS Members in his/her country. For meetings other than the Annual Meeting the Associate Members may participate in the proceedings directly. Efforts should be made to associate the Annual meetings with any other of the Black Sea GOOS international/national activities.

5. Data Policy

Exchange of data and products within agreed procedures is a key element of the Black Sea GOOS activities. The Black Sea GOOS data policy shall comply with the IOC and WMO data policy, but this musn't contradict the laws of the member states. 

6. Black Sea GOOS funding

Members and Associate Members shall bear their own costs for attending meetings and participation in the activities of the Black Sea GOOS. They could on voluntary basis support the commissioned reports and surveys, the organisation of meetings or Workshops, the hosting of WWW sites, consulting services to national and multinational bodies, financing publications etc. Whenever possible external funding shall be pursued. External money is administrated according to the application and the rules of the funding organisation.

7. Entry Into Force

Thes MoU enters into force for all its signatories once it has been signed by at least half of the member countries. After that it immediately enters into force at the time of signature for each successive signatory.

8. Duration

The Black Sea GOOS will continue until a decision of the Executive Committee.