IMO’s Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response (OPRC 90) requires states to plan and prepare for marine pollution incidents. REMPEC, the IMO administered pollution emergency response centre in the Mediterranean, facilitated a meeting in Larnaca, Cyprus (6 December) between Cyprus, Greece and Israel, to follow up on the Implementation Agreement on the Sub-regional Marine Pollution Contingency Plan the three countries signed in May. The meeting saw considerable progress in ensuring the efficient implementation of the common contingency plan and addressing operational matters and trans-national issues. REMPEC officials provided valuable input to the discussions based on their extensive experience with developing national and (sub)regional contingency plans in other parts of the Mediterranean.
Officials from Cyprus, Greece and Israel also took part in a Sub-Regional Workshop (4-5 December) on Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage, which included a visit of the Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Centre “Zenon”. The workshop was organized by REMPEC, 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.