1

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

« Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium 19-20 October 2006

MIMAC 2006 : International conference on Marine Incidents Management

Current developments in the risk policy of the North Sea: from a tripartite to a quadripartite Bonn Agreement responsability zone.

Eric DonnayFPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment

Directorate-general EnvironmentMarine environment unit

2

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Outline• Background• The Bonn Agreement• The risk of marine pollution• From a tripartie to a quadripartite zone of responsibility• Summary and conclusions

3

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

BackgroundThe Torrey Canyon accident (18th March 1967)

4

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

BackgroundThe Torrey Canyon accident (18th March 1967)

Lessons learnt:• Need for specific response techniques• Need for international cooperation

5

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Background1969:« Agreement for cooperation in dealing with the pollution of the North sea by oil »

1983: Scope extended to harmful substances other than oil

… :Accession of Ireland, realignement of zones of responsibilities

6

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Background

7

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

BackgroundEuropean Mechanisms:• Community framework for cooperation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution.• Community mechanism for reinforced cooperation in civil protection assistance and intervention.

European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)

8

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

BackgroundInternational (IMO):• OPRC 1990.• OPRC-HNS protocol 2000

9

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Bonn AgreementBonn Agreement area:

10

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Bonn AgreementScope and activities:

• Promote sharing of information and resources in response to marine spills.• Encourage sharing of surveillance ressources as an aid to detecting and combating marine pollution and prevent violation of anti-pollution regulations.• Encourage Contracting Parties to come to the aid of others by providing pollution response assests and other ressources when needed.

11

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Bonn AgreementMain activities:

• Aerial surveillance of marine pollution

•Pollution combating

12

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Bonn AgreementCurrent developments:

• Accession of Ireland

• Realignment of the responsibility zones

13

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Bonn AgreementProducts:

• Guidelines and standard procedures:– Aerial surveillance handbook– Bonn Agreement counter-pollution manual

14

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

The risk: assessment and evolutionSources of marine (oil) pollution:

15

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

The risk: assessment and evolutionTypes of ship-sourced marine pollution:

• Operational (tank washing, illegal discharges)

• Accidental

16

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

The risk: assessment and evolutionCauses of accidental ship-sourced marine pollution:

• Grounding• Structural failure combined with bad weather• Collision

17

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

The risk: assessment and evolutionSituation and trends : tanker oil spills in the world (ITOPF)

18

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

The risk: assessment and evolutionSituation and trends : Bonn Agreement aerial surveillance

19

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

The risk: assessment and evolutionSituation and trends : Belgian aerial surveillance programme

20

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

The risk: assessment and evolutionAreas of concerns:

• General increase of volume of cargo transported by sea – Increase of the vessel’s traffic in the North sea.• Change in oil trading patterns – Increase of the export of Russian oil trough the Baltic and the North Sea.• Generalisation of the use of HFO and – Increase of the size of vessels and the size of bunkers.

21

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

The risk: assessment and evolution

22

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

The risk: assessment and evolution

23

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

The risk: assessment and evolutionTherfore :

• The risk “zero” does not exist.

• Preparedness is essential (adequate response equipment and trained personnel)

24

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Tri- to quadripartite zone of responsibilityThe southern part of the North Sea is characterised by:

• The concentration of the main shipping routes between the Dover Strait and the mouth of the river Scheldt.

• A very intense vessel’s traffic.

25

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Tri- to quadripartite zone of responsibility

26

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Tri- to quadripartite zone of responsibilityPerspectives for the future :

• Reinforced cooperation leading to an optimal use of the pollution response capacity:

– Optimal deployment of assets – Complementarity,– Interoperability

27

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Summary and conclusions1. The risk:

• The risk will always exist.• Main source of concern: General increase of

transportation of oil and HNS in the North Sea and of exportation of Russian oil.

• Risk analysis is important and must be updated regularly.

28

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Summary and conclusions2. Response:

• Preparedness: need for specialist pollution response equipment and trained personnel.• Sustainability trough regional and sub-regional cooperation• Quadripartite zone of responsibility is a basis for reinforced cooperation aiming at increasing the efficiency for dealing with marine pollution.

29

FPS PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD CHAIN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

MIMAC 2006, « Provinciaal Hof », Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 October 2006

Thank you …