Dec 11, 2015 - scenarios and were considered in the political and administrative context of each area. The scenarios ana
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Paula Creedon +00 44 (0)20 7430 5200
For immediate release
11 December 2015
BE‐AWARE II identifies ways to reduce the environmental impact of oils spills
The BE‐AWARE II project, coordinated by the Bonn Agreement, has identified the most effective measures for reducing the environmental damage by future oil spills in the Greater North Sea and its approaches. The project developed its conclusions by modelling the outflow of oil from all predicted spills under ten different oil spill response or risk reducing scenarios for 2020, such as additional response equipment and new shipping traffic separation schemes. These scenarios were combined with mapping of the environmental and socioeconomic vulnerability to identify the most cost‐efficient measures to reduce the environmental damage. The key outcome of the project is risk management conclusions that will guide the Bonn Agreement States in their future development of risk reduction and response measures in each project sub region. These priority measures identified by the project were based on the analytical results for effectiveness and cost‐efficiency of the different scenarios and were considered in the political and administrative context of each area. The scenarios analysed the potential improvement provided by: traffic separation schemes, vessel traffic services, AIS alarms around wind farms, e‐navigation, Bonn Agreement Accord de Bonn
Impact of all oils spills in 2020
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emergency towing vessels, enhanced night time oil detection capability, dispersants only response and a 50% increase in equipment. The prioritised lists for each project sub region are outlined in the Summary Report which can be found at www.bonnagreement.org/ba2report along with online versions of the impact, damage and vulnerability maps. The project was a two year initiative (2013‐2015), co‐financed by the European Union (DG ECHO), with participation from the Bonn Agreement Secretariat, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The main project contractors were COWI A/S, with technical support provided by Health, Safety & Environment Consult. ENDS Note for editors 1) The Bonn Agreement (Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances, 1983) is the mechanism by which the North Sea and Irish Sea States, and the European Union (the Contracting Parties), work together to help each other in combating pollution in the North Sea and Irish Sea Area from maritime disasters and chronic pollution from ships and offshore installations and to carry out surveillance as an aid to detecting and combating pollution at sea. Based on a German initiative, this important Agreement on the protection of the marine environment was concluded in 1969 in the former federal capital of Bonn. Since then, Germany has been the Depository of the Bonn Agreement. In 1983 and 1989, the Agreement was extended and adapted to take account of the latest developments. The North Sea and Irish Sea States are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 2) Project partners, co‐financiers and consultants: Project Coordinator: Bonn Agreement Secretariat Project Partners: DG Environment Belgium Defence Command Denmark PREMAR MANCHE, France RWS Zee en Delta, Netherlands Norwegian Coastal Administration Swedish Coast Guard Maritime and Coastguard Agency, UK CEREMA, France Project Co‐financiers: Irish Coast Guard Havariekommando, Germany Consultants: COWI Health, Safety and Environment Consult, Denmark 3) European Union: DG ECHO Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection EU Civil Protection Mechanism
Bonn Agreement Accord de Bonn
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