HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 15/4

Adopted 9 March 1994, having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention

ADDITIONAL MARITIME SAFETY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION MEASURES IN THE BALTIC SEA AREA

THE COMMISSION,

RECALLING Articles 3 and 7 and Annex IV of the Helsinki Convention,

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

BEARING IN MIND the 1982 Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control,

NOTING IMO's Assembly Resolution A.720(17) on Guidelines for the Designation of Special Areas and the Identification of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas,

WELCOMING the initiative of IMO to establish a Sub-Committee on Flag State Implementation as a means of strengthening the enforcement of international regulations,

RECOGNIZING the need for additional measures on maritime safety and the prevention of pollution in the light of recent tanker casualties,

RECOMMENDS that the Governments of those Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention which have not yet done so, accede to the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control either as full members or as co-operating parties to ensure a tight port state control network in the Baltic Sea Area in order to improve the protection of the marine environment and the safety of all ships travelling in it, irrespective of flag,

RECOMMENDS ALSO that the Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention which have identified particularly sensitive sea areas with a need of special protection, which can be achieved through routing schemes, areas to be avoided, or other requirements for shipping, communicate their findings to the Maritime Committee for further development of appropriate proposals to the IMO,

RECOMMENDS FURTHER that the Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention, actively participate in the work of IMO's Sub-Committee on Flag State Implementation, in order to promote effective and uniform implementation and enforcement of IMO regulations worldwide,

URGES the Governments of the Contracting Parties to ratify, as soon as possible, the Protocols of 1992 to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage and Fund Convention.