Decision 28 COM 15B.75

28 COM 15B.75

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Recalling the decisions taken at its 26th (26 COM 21 (b) 57) and 27th (27 COM 7B.70) sessions concerning the Curonian Spit as well as Article 6.3 of the World Heritage Convention,

2. Notes the efforts of the two States Parties to cooperate at the site management level;

3. Expresses its serious concern that the Russian Federation may have already commenced oil exploitation of the D-6 oil field in the vicinity of the World Heritage property before a joint Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) could be undertaken between both States Parties;

4. Takes note of the request by the Lithuanian Government dated 22 June 2004 to inscribe the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger, in accordance with paragraph 82 (ii) of the Operational Guidelines (2002);

5. Further notes that an inter-governmental meeting took place on 16 April 2004 in Vilnius, Lithuania;

6. Decides to inscribe the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger on 1 February 2005 if no written agreement by the two States Parties to carry out an EIA in a transboundary context is submitted to the World Heritage Centre. This EIA should involve independent expertise, and should lead to the preparation of a joint work plan for monitoring, prevention/mitigation measures such as risk assessment, compensation measures and emergency plans, in order to ensure the conservation of the World Heritage property;

7. Further requests both States Parties to provide to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2005 a report on the state of conservation of the property, including information on the co-operation between the States Parties on a jointly agreed EIA process and joint work plan for monitoring, prevention/mitigation measures such as risk assessment, compensation measures and emergency plans, in order that the World Heritage Committee can examine the state of conservation of the property at its 29th session in 2005.