European Conference, 9-10 February 2004

European Conference on The Role of Baltic Local Authorities in Responding to Major Oil Spills, Helsinki, 9-10 February 2004

Euregio is represented in the conference by the participants of Euregio’s rescue working group and representatives of the cities of Tallinn, Helsinki and Harju County.

Organisation

The Conference will be organised by the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRAE) in co-operation with the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities

Venue :

The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities

The House of Municipalities (Kuntatalo Toinen linja 14)

FIN – 00530 Helsinki

Background

The risk of oil spills has recently been the topic of fierce debate in the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea and, in particular around the Gulf of Finland. Oil tankers, often from Russian oil ports close to St. Petersburg, that do not always comply with modern safety standards, sail through this environmentally sensitive zone. To aggravate the situation further, in winter, oil tankers can become stuck in ice and when certain weather conditions prevail this can cause hull damage.

Purpose

By organising a conference on such a specific theme, the CLRAE will be able to contribute to co-operation in the Baltic Sea area by bringing in experience from other parts of Europe, notably areas which have had the bad fortune of experiencing major oil spills, such as municipalities in Spain and France.

The Conference will bring together local and regional authorities, representatives of the various Baltic Sea organisations, representatives of the shipping industry (oil tankers in particular), port authorities, coastal emergency services etc. to jointly discuss ways of reducing the risks of major oil spills and how to respond in the event that they nevertheless occur. Co-ordination, mutual assistance and the flow of information between local authorities in such an emergency situation, also across borders, will be among the central elements in the discussion. Such co-operation may entail up-to-date exchange of information on any accidents, whereabouts of problematic transports or events, and exchange of best practice. The need for municipal contingency plans in the event of oil spills will also be addressed, bearing in mind that the municipality level is the most immediately effected, regardless of formal division of responsibilities between different administrational levels. An overview of the prevailing international and European law, with regard to sea transport of oil will also be provided.

Programme

MONDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2004

09.30 – 10.00 REGISTRATION

10.00 – 11.10 OPENING SESSION

President of Session: Mr. Keith WHITMORE, (UK) President of the Committee on Sustainable Development of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CLRAE)

Mr. Jan-Erik ENESTAM, Minister of the Environment, Finland

Mr. Pekka SAURI, Deputy Mayor of Helsinki, Finland

Mr. Tiit NABER, Ambassador-at-large, Chairman of the CBSS Committee of Senior Officials” (CSO)

Mr. Per Boedker ANDERSEN, President of the Union of Baltic Cities

11.10 – 11.30 Introduction to the general theme

Keynote address: Mrs Inese VAIDERE, President of HELCOM: Responding to Oil Spills in Europe

11.30 – 12.00 Coffee break

12.00 – 13.30 Theme I: The Local Government Experience in Responding to Oil Spills

President of session: Mr. Alan LLOYD, (UK) Vice-President of CLRAE

Mr. Guy LENGAGNE, Rapporteur on sea pollution for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, France.

Mr. Manuel VAZQUEZ VAZQUEZ, Mayor of Illa de Arousa (Pontevedra) Spain

Mr. Jacques MANGOLD, General Manager of VIGIPOL (France)

Mr. Jacob Lysholm SOERENSEN (Denmark)

Debate

13.30- 15.00 Lunch

15.00- 17.00 Theme II: Prevention and Preparation: Training, Co-operation and technical solutions in Responding to Oil Spills

President of Session: Mr. Calin CHIRITA (Romania), Vice-President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Mr. Kalervo JOLMA, Head of Unit, Environmental Emergency Response, Finnish Environmental Institut

Mr. Jari LUUKKONEN, Marine Officer, on WWF Finland voluntary based oil combatting troops

Mr. Tapio VÄLINORO, Executive Director of the Regional Council of Kymenlaakso, on trans-border co-operation

Mr. Francois DESRENTES, CPMR (Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (France), on “maritime safety: the added value of interregional cooperation

18.30 Reception offered by the City of Helsinki

City Hall, Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13

TUESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2004

09.30 – 10.15 Theme II: Prevention and Preparation: Training, Co-operation and technical solutions in Responding to Oil Spills (continued)

Mr. Tönis LEPP, Manager of Copterline in Estonia, on the rescue service between Helsinki and Tallinn

Mr. Neeme SUUR, Estonia, Member of the CLRAE Committee on Sustainable Development on training of local authorities

10.15 – 11.00 Theme III: The Legislative Framework

President of Session: Mr. Neeme SUUR (Estonia), Member of the CLRAE Committee on Sustainable Development

Ms. Nihan UNLU, Legal Officer of the International Maritime Organisation, on general relevant stipulations in International Law

Mr. Fernando Gonzalez LAXE, Professor of Law at the University of Coruna, Spanish expert on International law on the Prestige case

Debate

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break

11.30 – 12.00 Theme IV: The Response of the Industry

President of Session: Mr. Igor BEZRUKAVNIKOV, Mayor of Astrakhan (Russia)

Mr. Vladislav DIDENKO, General director of OOO “SMNP Primorsk” on Action undertaken by the Primorsk port concerning the environmental safety of the Golf of Finland

Ms. Saila HIIRSALMI, representative from Card P&I Club, “The the role of liability insurer” , Helsinki

Debate

12.00-13.00 CLOSING SESSION

President of Session: Mr. Halvdan SKARD, President of the Local Chamber of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Mr. Pekka NOUSIAINEN, President of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities.

Adoption of Conference Declaration

13.00 Optional study visit to the Fortum Oil Port and short sightseeing in tour the old town of the City of Porvoo