HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 14/9

Adopted 3 February 1993 having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention

REMOVAL OF ABANDONED AND DISUSED OFFSHORE UNITS

THE COMMISSION,

RECALLING Article 3 of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1974, (Helsinki Convention), in which the Contracting Parties undertake to take individually or jointly all appropriate legislative, administrative or other relevant measures in order to prevent and abate marine pollution and to protect and enhance the marine environment of the Baltic Sea Area,

RECALLING ALSO Paragraph 16 of the Baltic Sea Declaration adopted by the Baltic Sea Conference held in Ronneby, Sweden, 2-3 September 1990,

RECALLING FURTHER HELCOM Recommendation 9/5 concerning exploration and exploitation of the seabed and its subsoil,

RECOGNIZING the negative impact offshore units, which are no longer in use, may have on the marine environment of the Baltic Sea as well as the safety risks deteriorating offshore units may constitute,

CONSIDERING that Regulation 8 of Annex VI to the 1992 Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area provides for the disposal of disused offshore units,

CONSCIOUS that while awaiting the entry into force of the 1992 Helsinki Convention, the issue of disposing of abandoned and disused offshore units may become actual,

RECOMMENDS that the Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention ensure that abandoned, disused offshore units and accidentally wrecked offshore units are entirely removed and brought ashore under the responsibility of the owner and that disused drilling wells are plugged.