Description

The activities under this component will focus in two directions:

- to raise awareness of the need of the beneficiaries to accede to and implement those international conventions to which they are still not parties, to fully implement those to which they are already Parties, and to enact legislation with approximation to the EU acquis and to provide them with the necessary technical assistance and support in the process;

- to provide the beneficiaries with operational support in the area of marine environmental protection.

To that end the provision of the CleanSeaNet service (the European oil spill monitoring and vessel detection service, which was set up to support EU MSs’ actions to combat deliberate or accidental pollution in the marine environment) through the Integrated Maritime Services (IMS) launched within the past project will be continued to facilitate better environmental law enforcement. The beneficiaries bordering the Mediterranean Sea will also be provided with additional support to “top-up” their capacities to combat ship-sourced (Oil, Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS)) marine pollution through the EU Network of Stand-by Oil Spill Response Vessels, in line with the revised mandate of the EMSA funding Regulation. In addition, through workshops, seminars and provision of technical assistance (including external consultants) awareness will be raised and support provided to enhance the enforcement and implementation of environment related international and European legislation in order to approximate the beneficiaries’ standards to the European ones. Some of the areas covered will be air emissions from ships; ships recycling and greenhouse gases.

Expected output

• technical support to beneficiaries in order to boost and the appropriate implementation of the most updated international instruments on marine environmental protection;
• operational support to beneficiaries by continuing the provision of an access to EMSA’s network of Oil Spills Recovery Vessels;
• provision of CleanSeaNet service through IMS and monitoring of its follow-up;
• training of IMS operators;
• operational support to beneficiaries by providing access to THETIS-EU and appropriate training to Inspectors for implementation of EU requirements in the area of Port Reception Facilities and Content of Sulphur in Marine Fuel, provided that they enact relevant legislation with approximation with the acquis in those areas;
• support to implement the EU guidelines on Places of Refuge for ships in the need of assistance and incentivise cooperation with the Mediterranean EU MSs on this issue;
• technical support to comply with the regulation (EU) 2015/757, provided that they enact relevant legislation with approximation with such Regulation;
• provision of E-learning to maritime administrations’ staffs dealing with marine environmental issues;
• support to the preparation, execution and assessment of external emergency response plans to verify their compliance with the Directive 2013/30/EC as well as with the development of a catalogue of emergency equipment and services available.