REMPEC Focal Points

In consultation with all 22 Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment  and the Coastal Region (Barcelona Convention), a network of national focal points was established to ensure an efficient exchange of information with relevant authorities.

REMPEC National Focal Points

Considering the scope of work of REMPEC, the following Focal Points are nominated by each Contracting Party to coordinate the activities mandate to the Centre: 

• Governmental Focal Point : An office or an officer of either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Environment which is usually the same office or officer fulfilling the role of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) Focal Point having general responsibility for the implementation of the provisions of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols and for coordination, at the national level, of MAP activities;
• Prevention Focal Point : An office or an officer of the national authority responsible for maritime affairs (i.e. maritime transport, shipping and related matters), dealing with prevention of pollution from ships; 
• International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) Focal Point : An office or an officer of the national authority responsible for preparedness for and response to accidental marine pollution, if possible designated as such in the relative national contingency plans; the responsibility for preparedness for and response to accidental marine pollution varies from country to country and may fall under the responsibilities of, for example, the national authority in charge of maritime affairs or the national authority in charge of environment or the national authority in charge of civil protection; 
• 24-hour Focal Point : A national centre or contact point responsible for receiving reports on marine pollution accidents which is easily contactable on a twenty-four hours basis and capable of processing the said reports and alerting the competent national authorities responsible for initiating the relative response action; [It is expected that this information is consistent with the same information submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for inclusion in its ‘List of National Operational Contact Points Responsible for the Receipt, Transmission and Processing of Urgent Reports on Incidents involving Harmful Substances, including Oil from Ships to Coastal States’ (MSC-MEPC.6/Circ.14 – Annex 2) and which is available on the IMO website. 
• Mutual Assistance Focal Point : A competent national authority [or an officer] responsible for dealing with matters related to mutual assistance in case of emergency.

The nominated Focal Points are regularly updated on the respective country profile:

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of REMPEC Focal Points are defined by the Decision IG 17/5 of the Contracting Parties:

The REMPEC Focal Point shall be designated by the relevant Ministry or body of the Contracting Party, in consultation with the MAP Focal Point.

The REMPEC Focal Point should be an appropriately empowered person appointed by the Contracting Party's body.  They will be responsible for policies related to marine pollution from maritime activities and measures for combating it. If this body is not the same as or part of the body responsible for marine pollution emergencies, it is advisable to consider designating two REMPEC Focal Points: one responsible for preparing for and responding to marine pollution accidents, and the other responsible for prevention of pollution from ships.

The name and functions of the designated REMPEC Focal Point shall be communicated by the MAP Focal Point to the MAP Secretariat and to the REMPEC Director, as well as to concerned bodies in the Contracting Party.

Tasks

REMPEC Focal Points shall be responsible for:

• Maintaining the relations between REMPEC and governmental/administrative bodies;
• Regularly providing REMPEC with the information specified in Articles 4 and 7 of the Prevention and Emergency Protocol, and any other information relevant to its implementation;
• Contributing to the preparation of REMPEC Focal Point meetings through comments and proposals either made on their own initiative or relating to documents prepared by REMPEC, after consultation with relevant Contracting Party authorities as necessary;
• Attending meetings of REMPEC Focal Points and reporting on their conclusions to governmental/administrative bodies and to MAP Focal Points;
• Disseminating REMPEC technical and information documents, guidelines, studies, and other materials, to concerned authorities and other stakeholders within the Contracting Party;
• Following, in consultation with MAP Focal Points, the implementation of relevant decisions and recommendations of the Meetings of the Contracting Parties, including monitoring, in particular, the implementation of the Regional Strategy for prevention of and Response to Marine Pollution from Ships;
• Liaising with NGOs, the academic and scientific community and socioeconomic actors concerned with REMPEC activities;
• Communicating to MAP Focal Points all information and providing them with the documents needed for the execution of their tasks, including reports on implementation of and compliance with the Prevention and Emergency Protocol, as appropriate;
• Liaising, as appropriate, with the authorities responsible for the implementation of relevant IMO and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions;
• Liaising with local representatives of international financial facilities, institutions and programmes for the support of projects related to implementation of REMPEC activities;
• Ensuring that the Contracting Party's component of the regional communication and information system is always fully operational;
• Providing assistance, as appropriate, to REMPEC in organizing national, sub-regional and regional training activities, meetings and exercises;
• Assisting REMPEC in creating and maintaining up-to-date databases relevant for responding to oil spills and releases of other hazardous and noxious substances, and for prevention of pollution from ships, including in particular “country pages” on the REMPEC website;
• Facilitating work within the Contracting Party, as appropriate, by the Mediterranean Assistance Unit, following its activation in the event of a serious marine pollution accident;
• Regularly informing REMPEC on: (a) relevant Contracting Party authorities in charge of oil pollution preparedness and response; (b) Contracting Party operational contact points (operational 24 hours a day) responsible for receipt and transmission of marine pollution reports; (c) the Contracting Party authority entitled to act on behalf of the State to request and render assistance in case of emergency; and (d) Contracting Party authorities responsible for prevention of pollution from ships; and
• Assisting REMPEC in the identification of relevant experts for specific initiatives or consultations.

Support measures

In order to fulfil their tasks, it is advisable for REMPEC Focal Points to receive the following support, as appropriate:

Contracting Party bodies shall:

• Involve REMPEC Focal Points in the formulation and implementation of Contracting Party policies, strategies and projects related to the prevention and combating of marine pollution from maritime activities;
• Transmit to REMPEC Focal Points all necessary information, in particular for following up those recommendations of the Meetings of the Contracting Parties addressed to Contracting Parties; and
• Provide REMPEC Focal Points with adequate resources as required for the execution of their tasks, within the context of broader fiscal and staffing policies and priorities in the Contracting Party.

REMPEC shall:

• Provide Focal Points with all information and training needed for the execution of their tasks, including technical details considered useful for proper understanding and evaluation; and
• Provide support, including appropriate training, to Focal Points to enable them to carry out their tasks.

NOTE: In the event of marine pollution emergencies, all communications between REMPEC and the competent authorities of the Contracting Party concerned shall be established and maintained through the Contracting Party's Centre or Contact Point, operational 24 hours a day, which will be responsible for further dissemination of all such communications within the Contracting Party.