The Norwegian Ministry of Environment initiated the HARP work in 1996 and gave the operational responsibility of this task to the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT). SFT commissioned the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) to start the planning of a project with the objective of developing harmonised quantification and reporting procedures for nutrients. John Rune Selvik (project owner representative/SFT) and Stig A. Borgvang (project leader/NIVA) co-ordinated the work (HARP Project co-ordinators) from 1996-2000.

The catalyst for the work was that, in 1990, Ministers at the Third North Sea Conference asked for harmonised reporting systems and procedures for nutrients. This request was reiterated several times, also at the 4th North Sea Conference (4NSC), and the issue has been part of the Oslo and Paris Commissions' Action Plan (OSPAR) since 1992.

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