Further sub-regional cooperation on marine pollution in the Eastern Mediterranean Region – Dec 06, 2018

Following the signature of the Implementation Agreement on the Sub-regional Marine Pollution Contingency Plan between Cyprus, Greece and Israel in May 2018, REMPEC facilitated a follow-up meeting which took place on 6 December 2018 in Larnaca, Cyprus.

During the meeting, the three countries made considerable progress on ensuring the efficient implementation of their common contingency plan, and addressed operational matters, trans-national issues and compliance with IMO’s Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response (OPRC 90). REMPEC provided valuable input to the discussions based on its extensive experience with developing national and (sub)regional contingency plans in other parts of the Mediterranean (see also the recent Meeting on the Sub-Regional Contingency Plan between Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia).

Ahead of the meeting, , REMPEC also organised on 4 and 5 December, with the support of the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC), the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (ITOPF), and the International Group of P&I Clubs, the Sub-Regional Workshop on Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage, which included a visit of the Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Centre “Zenon”. The active participation of the countries throughout the three days demonstrated the willingness to reinforce sub-regional cooperation on pollution prevention in the Eastern Mediterranean region.