25.9.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L 2567 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 19 September 2002 authorising the Member States, in the interest of the Community, to sign, ratify or accede to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (the Bunkers THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular Article 61(c), Article 67(1) and Article 300(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, Whereas: (1)  The International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (hereinafter referred to as the Bunkers Convention) was adopted on 23 March 2001 with the aim of ensuring adequate, prompt and effective compensation of persons who suffer damage caused by spills of oil, when carried as fuel in ships' bunkers. The Bunkers Convention fills a significant gap in the international regulation of marine pollution liabi- lity. (2)  Articles 9 and 10 of the Bunkers Convention affect Community secondary legislation on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments, as laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforce- ment of judgments in civil and commercial matters (). (3)  The Community therefore has sole competence in rela- tion to Articles 9 and 10 of the Bunkers Convention inasmuch as those Articles affect the rules laid down in Regulation (EC) No 44/2001. The Member States retain their competence for matters covered by that Conven- tion which do not affect Community law. () OJ C51E, 26.2.2002, p. 371. () OJL 12, 16.1.2001, p. 1. Convention) (2002/762[EC) (4) Pursuant to the Bunkers Convention, only sovereign States may be party to it; there are no plans, in the short term, to reopen negotiations for the purpose of taking into account Community competence for the matter. It is not therefore possible for the Community to sign, ratify or accede to the Bunkers Convention at present, nor is there any prospect that it will be able do so in the near future. The Bunkers Convention is particularly important, given the interests of the Community and its Member States, because it makes for improved victim protection under international rules on marine pollution liability, in keeping with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The substantive rules of the system established by the Bunkers Convention fall under the national competence of Member States and only the provisions of jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of the judgments are matters covered by exclusive Community compe- tence. Given the subject matters and the aim of the Bunkers Convention, acceptance of the provisions of that Convention which come under Community competence cannot be dissociated from the provisions which come under the competence of the Member States. The Council should therefore authorise the Member States to sign, ratify or accede to the Bunkers Convention in the interest of the Community, under the conditions set out in this Decision.