The Black Sea coastal zone is densely populated with approximately 16 million inhabitants and with 4 million tourists visiting the seacoast in summer seasons. For all Black Sea coastal zones except of Turkey , the demographic trends are negative.

A few decades of inadequate management of marine resources and pollution from the economic activities by the population in the Black Sea basin destroyed the ecosystem of the Black Sea and drastically reduced its biological resources.

The analysis of economic data shows a positive trend of stable growth of GDP in six the Black Sea riparian countries. At the start of the BSERP (Phase I) the annual growth of GDP in these countries in year 2002 was 4.3% for Bulgaria , 5.4% for Georgia , 4.3% for Romania , 4.3% for Russian Federation , 7.8% for Turkey and 4.5% for Ukraine (Source: The World Bank Group). From another perspective, these countries of the Black Sea region are facing serious economic and financial problems in responding to the objectives of the Convention of Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution and implementing measures for pollution reduction and for environmental protection. This shows the need to assist these countries and makes evident the responsibilities of the international community to respond to the regional and global concerns of environmental protection.

Romania and Bulgaria
Romania and Bulgaria are both Black Sea countries and they are also both located in the lower Danube River Basin. They are both in this sense, polluters and victims of pollution to the Black Sea. Both countries are still in a challenging period of political, social and economic transition. Romania and Bulgaria are in the process of EU Accession and have clear priorities in meeting the requirements for potential entry in 2007. The EU Council endorsed detailed roadmaps and adopted revised Accession Partnerships for Bulgaria and Romania.

Georgia , Russian Federation and Ukraine
Ukraine is a Black Sea country that contributes to Black Sea pollution as well as suffers from the degradation of Black Sea ecosystems. Ukraine has the longest coastal line of the Black Sea and is also located in the lower Danube River Basin. Georgia and Russian Federation they are both located in the Black Sea basin, and they are both polluters and victims of pollution to the Black Sea. All three countries face important economic problems and are in phases of political and social transition. Whereas environmental concerns are of high importance, the financial means for investments are very limited. Particularly critical is also the fact that their legal and administrative framework is still to a certain extent determined by the former central planning structures and therefore is not yet in compliance with the requirements of the process of economic liberalization and privatisation.

Turkey
Turkey is a country of the Black Sea basin that has the second longest coastal line along the Black Sea. Turkey contributes to Black Sea pollution as well as suffers from the degradation of Black Sea ecosystems. As regards the economic criteria, Turkey has significantly improved the functioning of its market economy, while macroeconomic imbalances remain. Also, Turkey ’s financial means for investments into environment protection and rehabilitation activities are limited. Turkey is EU Candidate Country that has to achieve a compliance with three sets of accession criteria – the political, economic and acquis criteria - established by the 1993 Copenhagen European Council.