Tag: EMSA

The capacity of EMSA's contracted vessel in Varna, Bulgaria, is now better equipped to handle potential oil spills

New regulation to strengthen EMSA's response to marine pollution

InterManager has posted on its website a news article to inform that this week, both the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines have unanimously passed bills to establish the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) as the single agency to enforce international standards on the country's seafarers.

EMSA has issued its Annual Report on Network of stand-by oil spill response vessels. The vessels are ready to respond to oil spills at sea caused by ships as well as by offshore installations following the request of a coastal State or the European Commission. By the end of 2013, the Network comprised 18 fully equipped vessels ready for immediate mobilisation. As of 1 March 2013, with the entry into force of Regulation (EU) No 100/2013, EMSA has a new mandate to respond to marine pollution caused by oil and gas installations. As one of the actions to implement this new task, in October 2013 EMSA vessels participated for the first time in an operational exercise scenario to test response to oil pollution occurring during offshore operations in the western Black Sea. To achieve the level of performance for pollution response required by the Agency, vessels and their crews participate regularly in training, drills and operational exercises.   The number of drills and exercises carried out annually has increased significantly over the years in line with the development of the Network. The figures for 2013 are summarised in the table below. Summary of Drills and Exercises carried out in 2013 ...

Concerns raised after EMSA's recent audit in Philippines Ship managers should put in place sensible contingency plans to guard against a worst-case scenario should Filipino officers potentially find themselves banned from working on EU-flagged vessels. This follows concerns raised by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) over the ability of the Philippine Maritime Administration to fully and effectively implement all provisions of the STCW Convention.This call by InterManager is intended to put perspective on anxieties about what the EU may ultimately decide with regard to the results of EMSA's most recent audit of the Philippines in October 2013. Meantime, the Philippine Government and industry representatives are working hand-in-hand to rectify original EMSA findings and Philippine sources are confident this continuing effort and work in progress will achieve the desired results for all stakeholders.To mitigate the immediate impact of any possible ban that may be promulgated by the EU, InterManager is calling on all ship managers to ensure their Filipino officers have extended the validity of their CoCs prior to any ban coming into force. The EU has indicated that, if ever a ban were to take effect, this would not be levied against valid and active CoCs. By extending the ...

EMSA has issued its Annual Report on Network of stand-by oil spill response vessels

SafeSeaNet interface gets makeover Two recent upgrades have improved the EMSA's SafeSeaNet service.Firstly, the interface now displays data on nautical charts, making it easier and faster to obtain information.Secondly, the 'incident report exchange' has been expanded based on feedback from a two-year consultationDetails on a vessel involved in an accident or incident will now be updated and distributed to Member State authorities along the planned route of the ship.Member States tested the new functions during a series of training sessions held in EMSA and Belgium and gave very positive feedback.Further training will be given in 2014 and Member States are invited to express their interest to participate.SafeSeaNet was established as a centralised European platform for maritime data exchange, linking together maritime authorities from across Europe. It enables European Union Member States, Norway, and Iceland, to provide and receive information on ships, ship movements, and hazardous cargoes. Main sources of information include Automatic Identification System (AIS) based position reports, and notification messages sent by designated authorities in participating countries.SafeSeaNet is a vessel traffic monitoring and information system, established in order to enhance:Maritime safetyPort and maritime securityMarine environment protectionEfficiency of maritime traffic and maritime transportSafeSeaNet supports:Safer seas and better protection of seafarers ...

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has been given a Multi-annual Funding envelope for its 'anti-pollution' activities. One of the conditions for receiving this is that the Agency submits a report to the Commission and the Administrative Board, by 31 January each year, concerning the financial execution of the detailed plan (comprising separate Action Plans) for the Agency's pollution preparedness and response activities and gives an update of the status of all actions funded under that plan. The activities of the Agency in the field of marine pollution preparedness and response are focused on providing operational assistance and information to Member States. The main service pillars are: The Network of Stand-by Oil Spill Response Vessels distributed along the European coastline CleanSeaNet: the satellite based oil spill and vessel detection and monitoring service The MAR-ICE (Marine-Intervention in Chemical Emergencies) Information Service in case of chemical spills at sea Cooperation and coordination with the EU Commission, EU Member States, EFTA/EEA Coastal Countries, Candidate Countries, Acceding Countries, Regional Agreements and other relevant international organisations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO); The provision of information through publications and workshops. Network of Stand-by Oil Spill Response Vessels At the end of 2013 EMSA maintained ...

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has been given a Multi-annual Funding envelope for its 'anti-pollution' activities.

EMSA adopted an action plan for response to marine pollution during its Administrative Board, 37th Meeting held in Lisbon, Porugal, on 23-24 November 2013. EMSA's Action Plan covers the response to oil pollution caused by offshore installations. The response to pollution caused by gas installations is not addressed due to the particularities of such incidents. EMSA's expertise and response capabilities are primarily focused on oil pollution in the marine environment. Gas emissions may include liquid condensates, which evaporate into the atmosphere, with limited residues persisting on the water surface, meaning that on-site recovery is not feasible. However, gas plumes from gas installation incidents can pose a significant hazard to responders and EMSA will therefore explore monitoring options for oil and gas incidents, taking into consideration recent technological advances in this area. The Action Plan provides: an overview of international and regional regulatory and cooperation structures for pollution response, addressing offshore installations in particular; information regarding particularities and challenges of pollution caused by offshore installations and response measures to marine pollution caused by such installations, including some case studies; a brief overview of both Member States' and oil industry's preparedness and response activities regarding oil pollution caused by offshore installations; and ...