Conference on monitoring of oil spills at sea starts in Zagreb

A conference on the European system of monitoring and detection of oil spills at sea - CleanSeanet - started in Zagreb on Monday.

The purpose of the conference is to present the system for the satellite monitoring of oil spills and the legal and technical frameworks for the implementation of measures for prevention and punishment in cases of operational oil spills from ships.

The conference is being attended by officials from relevant government ministries, port authorities, the national protection and rescue service and other institutions.

Croatia has been a full member of the CleanSeanet service since 30 May 2008, which makes it an active participant in the European system of satellite monitoring and detection of oil spills. CleanSeanet is part of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).

The service of satellite monitoring is very expensive and EMSA has been providing it free of charge to EU members and Croatia.

Between 5,000 and 5,500 tankers pass through the Croatian Adriatic annually, carrying 70 million tonnes of oil, which calls for the systematic monitoring of the sea, the State Secretary for the Sea, Branko Bacic, said at the conference.

The head of the European Commission Delegation in Croatia, Vincent Degert, said that the Croatian maritime administration had established good cooperation with EMSA, but that Croatian legislation should be adjusted to EU standards for the sake of further improving the maritime sector. (Hina) 

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