The Convention and its three Protocols were adopted by the Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution held in Bucharest on 21 April 1992 , and deposited with the Government of Romania .

Basic objectives of the Convention are:

• To prevent pollution by hazardous substances or matter;
• To prevent, reduce and control the pollution from land – based sources;
• To prevent, reduce and control the pollution of the marine environment resulting from emergency situations;
• To prevent, reduce and control the pollution by dumping;
• To prevent, reduce and control the pollution caused by or connected with activities on the continental shelf, including exploration and exploitation of natural resources;
• To prevent, reduce and control the pollution from or through the atmosphere;
• To protect the biodiversity and the marine living resources;
• To prevent the pollution from hazardous wastes in transboundary movement and the illegal traffic thereof;
• To provide framework for scientific and technical co-operation and monitoring activities

The name “ Bucharest Convention” actually refers not only to the framework convention itself, the Convention for the Protection of the Black Sea , but also to its five Resolutions, and three Protocols: the Land-Based Sources Protocol, the Emergency Response Protocol, and the Dumping Protocol.

The Convention, as well as the Land-Based Sources Protocol and the Emergency Response Protocol, entered into force on 15 January 1994 , in accordance with Art. XXVIII of the Convention, i.e. sixty days after their fourth ratification.

Responsible for the achievements of the Convention purposes is the Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea , assisting in its activities by the Permanent Secretariat.

In order to support the Black Sea Commission with the best possible advice and information on topics which are key to the implementation of the Convention and of the BS –SAP, Advisory Groups and Activity Centers have been designated to work under the coordination of the Permanent Secretariat.

As a result of economic difficulties and the need to resume host country agreements, there was a considerable delay before the Secretariat became operational. This finally occurred in September 2000 and it is now fully functional, albeit with reduced number of staff.

The GEF Intervention in the area was the engine for action in the Black Sea region