HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 19/18

This Recommendation supersedes HELCOM Recommendation 7/12 concerning the application of the IMO guidelines for reporting incidents involving harmful substances.

Adopted 24 March 1998 having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention

REPORTING ON INCIDENTS INVOLVING HARMFUL SUBSTANCES  AND EMERGENCY DUMPING

THE COMMISSION,

RECALLING  Regulation 5 of Annex VI concerning reporting on incidents involving harmful substances and Article 9, Paragraph 4 concerning emergency dumping of the 1974 Helsinki Convention,

RECALLING ALSO  Regulation 5 of Annex VII concerning reporting procedure and Article 15 on notification and consultation on pollution incidents as well as Regulation 1, Paragraph 2. a) of Annex VII concerning pollution incidents which affect or are likely to affect interests of other Contracting Parties and Article 11, Paragraph 4 concerning emergency dumping of the 1992 Helsinki Convention,

RECALLING FURTHER  Article 8 and Protocol I (Resolution MEPC. 21(22)) of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78),

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT  HELCOM Recommendation 19/16 concerning co-operation in investigating violations or suspected violations of discharge and related regulations for ships, dumping and incineration regulations,

TAKING ALSO INTO ACCOUNT  HELCOM Recommendation 17/13 concerning the use by the Baltic Sea States of the Manual on Co-operation in Combatting Marine Pollution within the framework of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention) which contains, inter alia, a chapter (Volume I, Part II, Chapter 5) on the reporting procedures describing the POLREP BALTIC and ALGPOLREP systems, 

NOTING  with deep concern the number oil pollution incidents in the Baltic Sea Area,

CONSCIOUS  that efficient and effective reporting on incidents involving harmful substances is an essential tool in taking appropriate and timely measures to combat pollution and to investigate the matter,

RECOMMENDS  that the Governments of the Contracting Parties shall instruct ships flying the flag of the Contracting Parties to apply IMO Resolution A. 648(16) concerning General Principles for Ship Reporting Requirements, Including Guidelines for Reporting Incidents Involving Dangerous Goods, Harmful Substances and/or Marine Pollutants,

RECOMMENDS ALSO  that IMO Resolution A. 648 (16) shall be applied as far as practicable in cases of emergency dumping,

RECOMMENDS FURTHER  that for the purpose of notification and consultation on incidents referred to in Article 13 and Regulation 1, Paragraph 2. a) of Annex VII of the 1992 Helsinki Convention, the Governments of the Contracting Parties shall apply the POLREP BALTIC system in case of a need of preventing, reducing and controlling pollution,

REQUESTS  the Governments of the Contracting Parties to report on implementation of this Recommendation in accordance with Article 16, Paragraph 1 of the 1992 Helsinki Convention.