SafeMed II Project
A software tool to help in the fight against substandard shipping is being developed by SafeMed II Project, an EU-funded regional technical assistance programme.
The SafeMed II Project is a 5.5 million EU-financed regional effort to enhance Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in the field of maritime safety and security, prevention of pollution from ships and marine environmental issues.
Its objective is to provide project beneficiaries with the technical advice and support required to ensure more uniform and effective implementation of international maritime conventions and rules, thereby reducing accidents and pollution at sea throughout the Mediterranean Region.
The project is being implemented by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), on behalf of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
“This decision-making application will be instrumental in improving safety of navigation, preventing pollution, and empowering Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) to be more efficient when inspecting a vessel. It is being designed specifically for the Mediterranean Memorandum of Understanding (Med MoU) on Port State Control, and in particular its SafeMed II Project Beneficiaries, namely: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey,” said Albert Bergonzo, SafeMed Project Officer – Maritime Administration.
The contract for developing the tool was awarded to the Korean Register of Shipping (KRS), following a public tendering procedure led by the IMO Secretariat.
An important objective of the software is to further harmonise procedures in the Med MoU and, in turn, further ensure that the relevant requirements of the international IMO and ILO maritime Conventions are applied to the ship being inspected by the PSCO.
Two versions of the tool will be available for PSCOs: online and standalone. The online version will be hosted with the Information Centre of the Med MoU in Morocco together with the Med MoU Information System, MEDSIS. For the stand-alone version, a laptop will be supplied to each PSCO of the Med MoU members that are also SafeMed II Project beneficiaries.
The Malta-based REMPEC assists Mediterranean coastal states to build up their national prevention, preparedness and response capabilities to prevent, be prepared for and respond to major marine pollution incidents. The Centre also facilitates cooperation between countries in combating accidental marine pollution from a range of hazardous substances including oil.
REMPEC is managed under the joint auspices of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Source: The Seafarer Times
