HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 12/6

Adopted 20 February 1991, having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention

DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF OIL DRIFT FORECASTING

THE COMMISSION,

RECALLING HELCOM Recommendation 11/13 concerning the development of national ability to respond to spillages of oil and other harmful substances,

RECALLING ALSO HELCOM Recommendation 10/10 concerning measures in order to minimize pollution from offshore installations,

BEING AWARE of the importance of early prediction of the drift of oil in connection with major oil spills for the efficiency of the response measures and by that the protection of the marine environment,

NOTING the necessity to strengthen the case against offenders of the regulations concerning discharge of oil into the sea and the need to find new ways to bring evidence to court in this matter,

TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION that the implementation of new systems for the support of the combatting operations in the Baltic Sea Area could be accelerated by cooperation between the Parties,

RECOMMENDS the Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention:

a)to develop and implement oil drift forecast systems to be used in connection with all major oil spills in the Baltic Sea Area not later than 1993 and to cooperate closely when developing these forecasting systems;

b)to facilitate the support of such forecasting techniques also in the event of a major oil spill before that time by making interim agreements on joint use of already existing systems;

c)to use oil drift forecasting as a mean to facilitate prosecution of offenders of oil discharge regulations and to bring further evidence to court for the prosecution of offenders of oil discharge regulations. The oil drift forecasting can also be used in the reverse mode, if appropriate;

AUTHORIZES the Combatting Committee to adopt technical guidelines for the implementation of this Recommendation and to supplement the Manual on Co-operation in Combatting Marine Pollution by a new chapter regarding oil drift forecasting.