A multi-regional manual for the response to maritime pollution incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) was recently jointly developed by the Bonn Agreement, HELCOM and REMPEC.

The new Marine HNS Response Manual – Multi-regional Bonn Agreement, HELCOM, REMPEC offers a comprehensive operational guidance for first responders and decision makers on marine incidents involving HNS. It also replaces the HELCOM Response Manual Volume 2, as agreed by the Helsinki Commission during its latest meeting in March 2021 (HELCOM 42-2021).

The guidance includes specific annexes for the Mediterranean, Baltic and Greater North Sea. The decision to develop the manual was taken during the Thirteenth Inter-Secretariat Meeting between Regional Agreement Secretariats, DG ECHO and EMSA that was held in Lisbon, Portugal in 2017.

The HNS manual was developed under the Western Mediterranean Region Marine Oil and HNS Pollution Cooperation(West MOPoCo) project in collaboration with the Bonn Agreement, HELCOM and REMPEC. Financed by the European Union’s DG ECHO, the project was further supported by Cedre, ISPRA and ITOPF.

The manual was also presented during the closure event of the West MOPOCO project that was held online on 14 April 2021. West MoPoCo supports Algeria, France, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Spain and Tunisia, in collaboration with Monaco, in their cooperation on oil spills and HNS marine pollution. The project was supported by HELCOM.

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