National oil spill response training course (IMO OPRC Model Course, Level 2) delivered by REMPEC in Montenegro

To ensure prompt and efficient response, training and practice are essential in any field, in particular when dealing with an emergency situation. This need is clearly reflected in Article 6 of the OPRC 1990 Convention, which calls for the establishment of programmes to train relevant personnel in oil spill preparedness and response.

REMPEC delivered from 19 to 21 June 2019, a National oil spill response training course (IMO OPRC Model Course , Level 2) in Bar, Montenegro, aimed at supervisors and On-Scene Commanders, to prepare national competent authorities to co-ordinate and manage the response and make decisions on response strategies and tactics to be used in clean-up operations.

This capacity building activity is part of a larger plan to protect Montenegro and the Adriatic against adverse effects of oil spills, which started with the support of REMPEC in the drafting of the National Contingency Plan adopted in April 2011, and which will follow with the preparation of the “Adriatic Sub Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan (ASOSCoP)” within the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR), as discussed during the IMO-supported 4th edition of the Adriatic Oil Spill Conference (ADRIASPILLCON 2019), held in Opatija, Croatia (28-30 May). These developments are encompassed in a wider approach supported by IMO and REMPEC, through the preparation of the National Action Plan of Montenegro for the implementation of the Regional strategy for prevention of and response to marine pollution from ships (2016-2021).