Fifth Meeting of the Barcelona Convention Offshore Oil and Gas Group (OFOG) Sub-Group on Environmental Impact – Feb 19, 2025

    Fifth Meeting of the Barcelona Convention Offshore Oil and Gas Group (OFOG) Sub-Group on Environmental Impact
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    The Fifth Meeting of the Barcelona Convention Offshore Oil and Gas Group (OFOG) Sub-Group on Environmental Impact was held in Lija, Malta between 19 and 20 February 2025. 

    The Meeting was organized by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), pursuant to the Programme of Work and Budget for 2024-2025 of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and was financed by the Mediterranean Trust Fund (MTF). 

    The Meeting was attended by government officials involved in the implementation and enforcement of the Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution Resulting from Exploration and Exploitation of the Continental Shelf and the Seabed and its Subsoil (Offshore Protocol) as well as other representatives from Contracting Party to the Barcelona Convention and observer organizations/Mediterranean Action Plan Partners. 

    The meeting approved the Mediterranean Offshore Action Plan (MOAP) within the framework of the Offshore Protocol, for the period 2026-2035. The updated MOAP ensures the continuity of the MOAP 2016-2024 while addressing new developments in the oil and gas offshore sector for the coming decade. It also considers measures to overcome challenges encountered in the implementation of the previous MOAP.

    The meeting also approved the Regional Offshore Standards and Guidelines on the Removal/Decommissioning of Installations and the Related Financial Aspects. These standards and guidelines include options for reuse, repurpose and removal of installations with the objective of protecting the marine and coastal environments under a common regulatory framework.

    The approved MOAP 2026-2035 and the Standards and Guidelines will be submitted for consideration of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) Focal Points Meeting, with a view to adoption by the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols (COP 24 – Egypt, December 2025).

    The meeting also reviewed the progress report on the implementation of the MOAP since the fourth meeting of the OFOG (Malta, May 2023) and outlined the Offshore Programme of Work for the 2026-2027 biennium.