The agreement was signed in 1998 by the eight contracting parties to the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic sea Area (HELCOM)) – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Poland and Sweden. Russia was the only party to the Convention not to have joined the agreement.
Under the agreement’s terms, members of the Commission and representatives of the signatory countries are granted the rights, privileges and immunity required for them to be able to carry out their functions.