The Ramoge Agreement
The RAMOGE Agreement is an intergovernmental cooperation agreement between France, Italy and Monaco for the preservation of the marine environment.
It was created on the initiative of Prince Rainier III and signed in May 1976, with the aim of preserving the common natural heritage of the Mediterranean.
It is a multidisciplinary coordination tool involving local administrations, scientific institutions and sea users to carry out joint actions in its area of competence.
These actions aim at:
Preserving ecosystems and biodiversity;
Raising awareness of virtuous practices among marine environment stakeholders and the general public;
Optimising the fight against marine pollution
The organisational structure of the RAMOGE Agreement consists of a Commission, a Technical Committee, Working Groups and a Permanent Secretariat
The RAMOGE Commission is made up of the delegations of representatives of the three member countries’ governments. The Commission is the decision-making body, establishes the programme of activities for the biennium and allocates the necessary budget for its implementation.
Biodiversity
protection
Mediterranean biodiversity is one of the richest worldwide. It is home to 25-30% of the world’s endemic species and 10% of the world’s marine species, although the Mediterranean Sea accounts for less than 1% of the world’s ocean surface. Most of these species are threatened mainly due to human activities, various forms of pollution and climate change.
In particular, find more information on the protection of Posidonia, and on the monitoring of emblematic species.
Since 2015, the RAMOGE Agreement has been carrying out exploration campaigns in its area of competence at deep-sea sites of ecological or biological interest, such as canyons and seamounts. These ecosystems, which are still largely unknown, are home to remarkable biodiversity. However, they are also subject to considerable anthropogenic pressures, underlining the importance of increasing our knowledge of these environments in order to preserve them more effectively.
Impacts on
the marine environment
The marine environment is threatened by many pressures disrupting its ecosystems, which may be related to human activities directly (waste dumping, impact of shipping and yachting) or indirectly (climate change, Ostreopsis ovata, non-indigenous species).
After the sinking of the oil tanker Haven in 1991, a plan to combat accidental pollution – called RAMOGEPOL plan – was adopted in 1993 under the RAMOGE Agreement. Its aim is to strengthen cooperation in the event of a major pollution incident and to share the available ships and aircraft of the three States.
Citizen
science
To preserve the biodiversity of the Mediterranean, the RAMOGE Agreement encourages the participation of all sea users in the census of emblematic and non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean.
Wednesday 12 November 2025
RAMOGEPOL 2025 (November 5th-6th) Anti-Pollution Exercise
Organised this year by the Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean, the RAMOGEPOL 2025 exercise simulated a major oil pollution incident at sea, leading to the activation of the RAMOGEPOL plan. This operation tested the ability of the three partner countries…
Friday 24 October 2025
OSCAR-MED RAMOGE 2025 Operation
As every year, the coordinated aerial surveillance operation OSCAR-MED 2025 enabled the partner countries of the RAMOGE Agreement to pool their resources to monitor a defined area of the Mediterranean and prevent any illegal pollutant discharges. For this edition, Italian…
Tuesday 07 October 2025
RAMOGE escape game avalaible online!
The RAMOGE Agreement unveils its first online escape game, an interactive and engaging adventure inviting players to discover the actions carried out to preserve the Mediterranean Sea. This game was fully designed and developed by Ms. Yeva GARGRTSYAN, a Sciences…
Wednesday 01 October 2025
Participation in the Sea Days in Menton
On Friday, 19 September 2025, the RAMOGE Agreement took part in the Sea Days in Menton, an event this year dedicated to cross-border cooperation with Italy, a theme at the very heart of RAMOGE’s mission. Throughout the day, primary and…
Thursday 11 September 2025
Citizen Science: Summer 2025 Diving Club Activities Recap
This summer, RAMOGE once again engaged with divers from the three countries of the Agreement to raise awareness about the importance of citizen science. Their observations are a valuable resource for monitoring changes in species distribution. As part of this…
