| | The OSPAR and the Bonn Agreement Secretariat attended the 22nd Inter-Secretariat meeting between Regional Agreement Secretariats, European Commission and EMSA (European Maritime Safety Agency) held on 3 and 4 February in Lisbon, Portugal.
Since 2005, the annual Inter-Secretariat meetings have provided a platform to promote the exchange of information and good practice among the regional sea areas in the field of marine pollution preparedness and response. For two days updates are shared, and topics of common interest are actively discussed to find synergies, avoid duplication and ensure coordination.
This week the rain did not stop falling in Lisbon while the discussions were ongoing.
Updates were given by the Secretariats and the Chairpersons of their relevant regional Technical Groups of the Regional Agreements in Europe (HELCOM, Bonn Agreement/OSPAR Commission, Lisbon Agreement, Barcelona Convention/REMPEC, Black Sea Commission, Copenhagen Agreement, EPPR/Arctic Council) and the relevant services of the European Commission (DG ECHO, DG MOVE, DG ENV) and EMSA.
Susana Salvador, the OSPAR Executive Secretary, informed about the outcomes of the OSPAR Ministerial Meeting in 2025 including the adoption of a decision to ban the discharges from Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) on ports and internal waters. She also referred to the work of the North Sea Network of Investigators and Prosecutors (NSN) which focuses on enforcement and prosecution of MARPOL maritime pollution offences, and which is considering to also cover non-compliance cases on OSPAR’s ban for EGCS discharges.
On behalf of the Bonn Agreement (BA), the OTSOPA Chair, Julie Rigaud-Marechal, informed about the adoption of the new Bonn Agreement Strategy (BAS) 2025-2035 and its Implementation Plan.
The co-convenor of the BA Intersessional Correspondence Group on Regional Priorities (ICG-RP), Anne Le Roux, provided an update of the 8 regional priorities identified by the Bonn Agreement reflecting the synergy with streams of work from other regional agreements.
The co-convenor of the two working groups established under the BA to address strategic/operational aspects and technical aspects of MARPOL Annex VI, Ward Van Roy, shared a project proposal submitted to the EU on monitoring air pollution from ships and enforcement of MAVI MARPOL Annex VI with the participation of partners from the main sea European basins.
The Chair of the BA Expert Assessment Panel, Ronny Schallier, presented changes introduced in the Common Marine Oil Pollution Detection/Investigation Report aiming for a harmonised approach with HELCOM and REMPEC. These discussions are also relevant for the work ongoing to implement the revised Ship Source Pollution Directive under the coordination of EMSA and DG MOVE.
Other issues that were discussed were using risk assessment to be better prepared for marine pollution and how to respond to incidents involving the release of plastic pellets. It was noted that progress has been made to respond to spills of low sulphur fuel oils but further work is still needed.
The Chair, Manuela Tomassini from EMSA, highlighted the active contribution from the participants and the fruitful discussions. She stressed the importance of this annual forum to exchange ‘good practice’ and discuss regional work and joint priorities.
OSPAR and the Bonn Agreement will host the next meeting in 2027. |
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