New Offices of REMPEC Inagurated – May 02, 2008

The new offices of the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) at ‘Maritime House’, Valletta were officially inaugurated on the 2 May 2008 by the Hon Lawrence Gonzi, Prime Minister of Malta in the presence of Mr Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Mr Paul Mifsud, Co-ordinator of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  Prior to the unveiling of the commemorative plaque, Mr Mifsud, Mr Mitropolous and the Hon Gonzi addressed the distinguished guests which included Mr Lino Vassallo, Malta’s Permanent Representative to IMO, members of the Diplomatic Corps resident in Malta, Members of Parliament, senior Maltese Government officials and two former Directors of the Centre, Mr Philippe Le Lourd and Rear Admiral Roberto Patruno.  A reception hosted by Mr Frederic Hebert, Director of REMPEC, followed the inauguration ceremony.

REMPEC moved to the new offices, which were made available and refurbished by the Government of Malta, last December.  The Centre has been hosted in Malta since its establishment in 1976 and since then had always operated from its former offices in Manoel Island.  The new offices, which are prominently situated at the Valletta Waterfront in Grand Harbour, provide better and more modern office facilities for the Centre.