HELCOM Response Group to hold its regular meeting 8-10 September 2004

The delegations of the Contracting Parties will exchange information on the progress made in establishing their national abilities and organizations for response to pollution at sea. The Meeting will furthermore continue discussions on the revision of the HELCOM recommendations in response field with a view to strengthen the sub-regional capacity. A number of coastal countries are going to present their findings on how to improve and establish new cooperation in the Gulf of Finland, in the Eastern Gotland Basin and Gulf of Riga and in the South-Eastern part of the Baltic Proper.

The Meeting will discuss reports of the recent HELCOM aerial surveillance flights, e.g. CEPCO North and CEPCO South, during which special aircraft from several coastal countries jointly monitored areas with high likelihood of operational oil spills. Contracting Parties are planning to adopt the revised pollution observation log and annual reporting format to be used for HELCOM aerial surveillance activities. The revision will ensure that aerial surveillance data from Baltic Sea and North Sea is comparable and can be analysed together.

The Meeting will also analyse the lessons learned during HELCOM international oil spill response exercise BALEX DELTA held near Warnemunde, Germany, this summer.

According to the agenda the coastal countries are going to discuss the need to develop a HELCOM recommendation on the detection, investigation and prosecution of offenders of anti-pollution regulations.The Meeting will also look into problems in responding to high density oils and oil in ice.

Contacts

HELCOM Secretariat

Mr Nikolay Vlasov
Information Secretary
Tel: +358 9 6220 2235
Fax: +358 9 6220 2239

Mr Tadas Navickas
Professional Secretary
Tel: +358 9 6220 2242
Fax: +358 9 6220 2239