Action plan to boost oil spill response in the Black Sea

Countries bordering the Black Sea have outlined an action plan to strengthen the oil spill response capabilities of the region and better protect the marine environment.

Fifteen government officials from Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine developed the action plan during a workshop organized by IMO in Bucharest, Romania (10-12 July). The event was supported by representatives of the Black Sea Commission, the Oil Spill Preparedness Regional Initiative (OSPRI) for the Caspian Sea, Black Sea and Central Eurasia, and IMO.

The workshop promoted the effective implementation of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) Convention, while bolstering cooperation among countries in the region.

Participants were familiarized with the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Bucharest Convention) and examined the roles of key regional and international stakeholders in effective technical cooperation around oil spill response.

The action plan underlined the importance of regional and subregional agreement and consistency in planning (as set out in the OPRC Convention), especially as countries in the Black Sea region share many transboundary issues.

Countries shared their experiences and good practices and discussed preparedness gaps to be addressed in future regional capacity building efforts. The workshop was delivered through IMO's Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP).