HELCOM Response to discuss implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan

Helsinki, 11 December (HELCOM Information Service) - The HELCOM Response Group will hold its regular meeting on 12 – 14 December in Lisbon, Portugal, to discuss further measures to enhance the capacity of the Baltic Sea coastal countries to respond to major marine pollution incidents in the region, including oil spillages, as well as to improve the detection of offenders of anti-pollution regulations.

The implementation of the response segment of the Baltic Sea Action Plan to drastically reduce pollution to the Baltic Sea and restore its good ecological status, which was adopted on 15 November at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, will top the agenda of the Response Group Meeting. The Meeting will particularly discuss financing of the agreed actions within the response segment.

Assessment of risk of oil pollution from shipping accidents at sub-regional level will also be of primary focus. “The HELCOM Member States will inform on their work to assess the risk of oil and chemical pollution and available and missing emergency and response resources needed to meet these risks,” says Monika Stankiewicz, HELCOM’s Professional Secretary. “The Meeting is expected to discuss a possible project on risk assessment to be financed from EU funds.”

A swift national and transnational response to marine pollution incidents at sea is of outmost importance - the marine environment of the Baltic Sea is vulnerable and highly sensitive to any release of oil or other harmful substances. The Baltic Sea countries are working together to ensure swift response to the pollution incidents in the Baltic.  Over 30 sea-going response vessels are available in the region and a lot of attention is being paid to establish adequate emergency capacity as well as to meet the challenges of addressing the oil spills in ice. The preparedness of the HECOM states to jointly respond to pollution incidents has been several times demonstrated following the major oil spills of last decades. 

According to the agenda, the Meeting will discuss plans for upcoming HELCOM aerial surveillance flights, e.g. CEPCO North and CEPCO South, during which special aircraft from several coastal countries jointly monitor areas with high likelihood of operational oil spills. Additionally, representatives of the Member States will consider the invitation to participate in Super CEPCO flights which will be arranged next year in Denmark within the framework of the Bonn Agreement. Also, Lithuania will inform on the preparation of the annual HELCOM BALEX DELTA international oil spill response exercise, which will take place in September 2008 off Klaipeda.

The use of additional tools for identifying ships that illegally discharge oil into the sea is expected also to be one of the major themes at the Meeting. The delegations of the coastal countries will discuss the use of satellite information in detecting illegal spills at sea, as well as the co-operation on this issue with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), which launched its Satellite Service for monitoring the Baltic Sea region in April. The Meeting will decide on the increased number of satellite imageries needed in 2008 to detect illegal discharges of oil in the Baltic. The satellite service is provided by the EMSA’s CleanSeaNet, and is complementary to the aerial surveillance conducted by the HELCOM Member States.

The delegations are expected to discuss the issue of shoreline and oiled wildlife preparedness and response and how to identify the needed resources in this respect. The recently adopted HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan requires Member States to integrate the subject of oiled wildlife response into oil pollution contingency plans.

Representatives of the coastal countries will also exchange information on the progress made in establishing their national abilities and organisations for response to pollution at sea and continue discussions on strengthening of the sub-regional capacity co-operation in the response field.

The meeting will be conducted by Mr. Thomas Fagö, Chairman of the HELCOM Response Group.

Note to Editors:

The Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM, works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental co-operation between the countries bordering the sea - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and also the European Community.  

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," more usually known as the Helsinki Convention.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Thomas Fagö

Chairman of HELCOM RESPONSE

Tel: +46 (455) 353455

E-mail: thomas.fago@coastguard.se  

Ms. Monika Stankiewicz

Professional Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 643

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: monika.stankiewicz@helcom.fi

Mr. Nikolay Vlasov

Information Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 635

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi