SUB-REGIONAL MEETING ADDRESSES MARINE LITTER FROM SEA-BASED SOURCES IN THE ADRIATIC
To better tackle the challenge posed by the marine litter from sea-based sources in the Adriatic Sea and to review the efforts made in the region targeting the matter over the past biennium, REMPEC gathered in Malta, representatives from all countries bordering the Adriatic Sea (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia).
The participants actively shared information and experiences with respect to the management of marine litter in their respective countries, including the policies, legislative arrangements, infrastructure and practices. Discussion on lessons learnt from REMPEC’s activities implemented over the past two years, including pilots carried out in the Adriatic Sea relating to the port reception facilities and the development of relevant guidelines (Operational Guidelines on the Provisions of Reception Facilities in Ports and the Delivery of Ship-Generated Wastes in the Mediterranean and Guidance Document to Determine the Application of Charges at Reasonable Costs for the Use of Port Reception Facilities or, when Applicable, Application of No-Special-Fee System in the Mediterranean) adopted by the 21st Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (COP21).
COP21 also led to the adoption of recommendations and conclusions, including future steps to strengthen the sub-regional cooperation by exploring ways to harmonize specific measures that would address the issue of marine litter in a more effective and coordinated approach and improve the capacity of relevant countries to better manage ship generated waste at the national and sub-regional level.
The Sub-Regional Meeting on the better management of marine litter from sea-based sources in ports and marinas in the Adriatic (Sliema, Malta, 29 to 30 January) was funded by the Cooperation Agreement between the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea (IMELS) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).