Brussels, 24/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The SAFEMED II project, which is supported by the EU and aims to harmonise the legislation of all Mediterranean countries in terms of maritime safety and security and the prevention of pollution caused by ships in the Euro-Mediterranean area, will be extended by one year. The current programme, which began in 2009, was due to finish at the end of this year. SAFEMED I, which was developed in cooperation with the Euro-Mediterranean Transport Forum (EUROMED), was implemented between 2006 and 2008. Its management was entrusted to the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean (REMPEC) of the IMO (International Maritime Organisation), in the framework of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of the regional seas programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Here is the working programme between now and the end of 2012. “New deliverables include a regional workshop on Long-Range Identification and Tracking of Ships (LRIT), an updated study on maritime traffic flows in the Mediterranean Sea, various activities addressing ballast water management, and several regional and national training courses: regional training course on the HNS 2010 protocol, training for port state control officers in connection with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and training for International Security Management (ISM) auditors”. (FB/transl.fl)