OIL SPILL

Oil spill response in coastal areas needs more coordination

Combatting oil spills in shallow waters and coastal areas is often complicated. In contrast to the open sea, the division of tasks and responsibilities between competent authorities and other stakeholders such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is unclear near the coast. Most of the work involved in coastal oil spill response is an arduous, long-term operation. A strong capability to respond to oil spills with the help of volunteers is essential to achieving optimum results and minimising environmental harm.

More cooperation between authorities and volunteers

The objective of the project is to strengthen the oil spill response capability in the Baltic Sea region at the levels of key responsible ministries, operative competent authorities, key NGOs, relevant universities and the petrochemical industry. The focus of the OIL SPILL project is to strengthen oil spill response capability in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) by enhancing cooperation structures, procedures and skills between and within the relevant stakeholders. In the OIL SPILL project, the partners identify administrative procedures which need cross-border harmonisation, they clarify key legal issues at the level of ministries, competent authorities and NGOs, and they build up international and national training schemes.