Minister welcomes ‘Bonn Agreement Working Group’
Dublin, Tuesday, 23 April 2002
Minister for the Marine & Natural Resources, Frank Fahey T.D. today welcomed an international group of experts to Dublin for a major counter pollution conference. His Department will host the Bonn Agreement OTSOPA (Operational, Technical and Scientific Questions Concerning Counter Pollution Activities) Conference in Dublin Castle from today until Friday next.
The Minister said, “We are all aware of the havoc that can be caused from pollution at sea. It is through the work of groups such as OTSOPA that we can help prevent and combat such pollution. Ireland has a good environmental record in relation to marine pollution and given the fact that 11% of EU waters are under our control we must continue to develop our capabilities and planning for dealing with marine pollution. The Irish Coast Guard are highly trained and equipped to deal with incidents and this Conference will assist and inform future counter pollution measures.”
The Bonn Agreement is an international agreement by North Sea coastal states, together with the EU to offer mutual assistance and co-operation in combating pollution, to use surveillance as an aid to detecting and combating pollution and to prevent violations of anti-pollution regulations.
The first Bonn Agreement was agreed in 1969 following some major oil spills. The Agreement was developed to encourage the North Sea States to jointly improve their basic capacity for combating oil pollution. In recent years the emphasis has been on the coordination of surveillance activities, including the opportunities offered by satellite surveillance. The results of joint and individual aerial surveillance programmes are assessed and published.
The Agreement is a network of professionals with responsibility for adequate pollution response. The members of the Bonn Agreement are Belgium, Denmark, European Community, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This is the first time that Ireland has hosted a Conference of the Bonn Agreement.
Representatives of these authorities ensure the execution of the Agreement. European countries are leaders in the field of surveillance and combating marine pollution. The members of the Bonn Agreement utilise this expertise with the plans and management of pollution incidents.
The Conference will be opened by Mr. Maurice Mullen, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Marine and Natural Resources and Director General of the recently established Maritime Safety Directorate.
Ends.
Note for Information
OTSOPA Bonn Agreement Working Group
Working Group on Operational, Technical and Scientific Questions concerning
Counter Pollution Activities (OTSOPA)
OTSOPA is a Working Group on Operational, Technical and Scientific Questions and is tasked with providing Contracting Parties with the necessary elements for decisions in these areas. Its tasks include:
· Executing a Work Programme as established by the meeting of Contracting Parties;
· Facilitating the implementation of the Bonn Agreement by Contracting Parties through operational, technical and scientific contacts and cooperation between representatives of Contracting Parties and, as appropriate, observers;
· Reporting to the meeting of Contracting Parties on its activities.
OTSOPA is responsible for the following areas of implementation of the Bonn Agreement:
· Factual updates of existing information in Bonn Agreement manuals and handbooks;
· Arrangements for all types of exercises and aerial surveillance activities;
· Arrangements for R&D collaboration within the Bonn Agreement framework, after Contracting Parties have identified and established the principle agreements on a case-by-case basis.
Accession of Ireland
BONN 2000 unanimously invited Ireland to accede to the Bonn Agreement. Ireland has indicated its intention of accepting this invitation.
BONN 2001 discussed the amendments to the Agreement and its annex that were needed both to enlarge the area (“the North Sea area”) covered by the Agreement and to give effect to the conclusions of BONN 2000 that the zones of responsibility should be adjusted to align with the boundaries of the exclusive economic zones (or equivalent jurisdictions) (“EEZs”) of the coastal States.
Subject to the procedural qualifications, BONN 2001 unanimously adopted a Decision which enlarged the area of the Bonn Agreement to cover the zones to the north and west of the existing Bonn Agreement area which are within the jurisdictions for the prevention of marine pollution established by Ireland and the United Kingdom and the part of the Norwegian Sea between that area and the Norwegian coast. This decision will take effect simultaneously with the accession of Ireland to the Bonn Agreement.
Ends.
For further information, please contact:
Tony Bass
Media & Communications Manager
Department of the Marine and Natural Resources
Leeson Lane
Dublin 2
Tel: +353-(0)1-619-9471
Fax: +353-(0)1-676-6161
Or
Tom Mc Loughlin
Press Officer
Department of the Marine and Natural Resources
Leeson Lane
Dublin 2
Tel: +353-(0)1-619-9662
Fax: +353-(0)1-676-6161