EU courses in the field of marine pollution

Overview

The protection of the marine environment and the reduction of its pollution have been recognised as one of the most vital tasks to save our basis of life. It represents a difficult task due to reliance of modern societies on various types of utilisation and exploitation of the sea. A major source of marine pollution is resulting from ship operation, either accidents causing massive oil spills, or routine operations accompanied by spills of ballast water, water from tank washing and engine room effluent discharges. These threats to the environment, the sea and the coastlines require adequate response not only by national authorities. Due to the complex nature of the sea and the causes for pollution, marine pollution needs to be dealt at an international level. The Institut für Energie und Kreislaufwirtschaft together with its partners contributes to this comprehensive task by organisation and implementation of workshops and training courses under the Community framework for cooperation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution since 2002. From the start of the programme the institute welcomed participants of 17 maritime member states, Norway and Iceland. The superior aims of the workshops/courses are to promote the exchange of knowledge, experience and opinions among professionals, institutions, legislative staff and dedicated organisations, to contribute to the build-up and extension of European expert networks in this field in order to shorten communication times and paths in emergency situations and to promote implementation of necessary improvements, to promote the increase of the managerial and organisational capacities of the European institutions involved in marine pollution response and to exchange and discuss countries approach, problems and needs and to develop possible solutions/good practices. Workshops/Courses: Bioremediation of wastes from marine pollution (2002), Treatment of pollution waste (2002), Response to oil pollution (2003), Minimisation of environmental damage (2005), Minimisation of environmental damage II (2006), Response to chemical pollution (2007)