ATHENS – The Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) between the European Union and Canada and the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which were approved at committee level on Tuesday, were ratified in the Greek Parliament plenary on Wednesday.

At the plenary, the two agreements were ratified by wide majority that included votes of ruling New Democracy, main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, and PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL).

Regarding the EU-Canada agreement, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Greek Solution, and MeRA25 voted against it, while for the Seabed Authority only MeRA25 voted against it and the other two parties voted “present”.

Made up of 167 member states and the European Union, the ISA is mandated under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to organize, regulate and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area.