Oil Spill Conference Held in Adriatic

International Maritime Organization (IMO)-supported 4th edition of the Adriatic Oil Spill Conference (ADRIASPILLCON 2019), was held in Opatija, Croatia (28-30 May).

"Planning for any marine pollution incident requires ongoing communication, collaboration and cooperation. Regional and sub-regional contingency planning is an effective way to share resources and expertise," said the UN body in a press release.

The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), the IMO-administered pollution emergency response centre in the Mediterranean, shared its extensive experience and expertise in building capacity on oil spill preparedness and response in the wider Mediterranean region and in supporting other sub-regional contingency plans.

The regional conference provided an opportunity for States to discuss the level of preparedness of the region to respond to oil and chemical marine pollution, as well as to consider the mitigation of the risk and challenges of (future) offshore activities in the Adriatic Sea.

Participants at the conference represented States; regional and international institutions; the oil, chemical and shipping industries; academia; individual experts; specialised companies and equipment manufacturers.

IMO funded the particiaption of six representatives from Albania, Bosnia  and Herzegovina and Montenegro, through its Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP).