Basic project information
The project "Enhancing Oil Spill response capability in the Baltic Sea Region" (OIL SPILL) has the overall goal to strengthen oil spill response capability in the BSR at the levels of:
- Key responsible Ministries
- Operative Competent Authorities (CA)
- Key Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
- Relevant Universities as Knowledge Partners and
- The petrochemical industry
by enhancing cross-border and cross-sectorial co-operation structures, procedures and skills between and within relevant BSR stakeholders especially in shallow waters and coastal areas.
More information
Aims
Strengthen oil spill response capability in the BSR among:
- Key responsible Ministries;
- Operative Competent Authorities (CA); and
- Key Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
by enhancing cross-border and cross-sectorial cooperation structures, procedures and skills between and within relevant BSR stakeholders especially in shallow waters and coastal areas.
Objectives
The specific objective of the OILSPILL project is:
- To increase maritime safety and security based on advanced capacity of maritime actors.
Other relevant objectives are:
- Harmonisation of procedures & clarifying key legal issues;
- Enhancing training practices & equipment modernization;
Concept and approach
WP 1: Project Management
Lead Partner: University of Turku (FI)
WP 2: Horizontal & Vertical Cross-Border cooperation
WP 2 Leader: Ministry of Environment of Estonia (EE)
WP 3: Joint Exercises & Educational cooperation
WP 3 Leader: SW Finland Emergency Services
Expected impacts
- Identifying administrative or other procedures where cross-border harmonisation could be improved e.g. communication, training
- Building up (inter)national training schemes at all levels
- Organising relevant training events, incl. simulators
- Organising cross-border exercises and taking part in existing exercise schemes (e.g. Balex Delta, HELCOM…)
- Clarifying key legal issues e.g. in CA & NGO cooperation
- Speeding up adoption of state-of-the-art technologies
The consortium and contact persons
Finnish Environment Institute SYKE
Jorma Rytkönen
E-mail: jorma.rytkonen(at)ymparisto.fi
Ossi Tonteri
E-mail: ossi.tonteri(at)ymparisto.fi
Lead partner
University of Turku, Turku School of Economics
Prof. Lauri Ojala,Project Director
E-mail: lauri.ojala(at)utu.fi
Mr. Jarmo Malmsten, Project Manager
E-mail: jarmalms(at)utu.fi
Other partners
University of Turku (FI)
Ministry of Environment of Estonia (EE)
Southwest Finland Emergency Services (FI)
Danish Civil Protection League (DK)
Finnish Red Cross (FI)
Estonian Maritime Academy (EE)
Fire and Rescue Board of Klaipeda County (LT)
Östra Götaland Fire and Rescue Services (SE)
Lithuanian Red Cross Society (LT)
Klaipeda University Marine Research Institute (LT)
Neste Corporation, Logistics (FI)
Finnish Environment Institute (FI)
Latvian Maritime Academy (LV)
Associate Organisations
FEU – Federation of the European Union, Fire Officer Associations (LU)
State Fire and Rescue Service of Latvia (LV)
WWF Finland (FI)
Pro Bird Germany (DE)
Rogaland Brann og redning IKS (NO)
Estonian Fund for Nature (EE)
News and press releases:
First Newsletter
13.-14.2.2019
Oil Spill Kick off meeting was held in Turku, Finland. Venue: Turku School of Economics Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, 20500. More information and contacts: jarmo.malmsten(at)utu.fi.
01.04.2019
Project meeting highlighting the aspects of the WP2 were discussed by Estonian and Finnish experts at the SYKE premises, Latokartanonkaari 11, Helsinki, Finland. Main items to be discussed were Legal and Liability issues and Institutional and organisational co-operation. More Information and contacts: jorma.rytkonen(at)ymparisto.fi.
13.-15.06.2019
The first OILSPILL Workshop was held in June 2019 in Tallinn, Estonia. The focus was paid into current practices in a) regulatory aspects, legislation, b) oil spill contingency planning, and c) response coordination in the case of an oil spill in shallow waters and coastal areas. Other relevant topics were joint procedures and/or mandatory requirements to cope with the EU rules and possible recommendations for cross-border harmonisation of administrative or other procedures. More information and contacts: agni.Kaldma(at)Envir.ee.
14.08.2019
A full-scale OILSPILL exercise and workshop was held in August 2019 in the Port of Mersrags, Latvia. Here the national oil spill response procedures by Latvian Coast Guard, and local volunteers were introduced with device demonstrations and desk top exercise. More information and contacts: aleksandrs.pavlovics(at)taiib.gov.lv.
Rescue forces deploying oil booms during the “Puhas Meri 2018 Exercise” in Estonia. © Jorma Rytkönen
WORKSHOP ON THE COOPERATIVE MEASURES IN OIL SPILL RESPONSE ON SHORE BY AUTHORITIES AND VOLUNTARY FORCES
An expert workshop was arranged by OILSPILL and SÖKÖ projects at the premises of the Finnish Red Cross on 26th November 2019. The workshop was focusing into the new ways to enhance the cooperation between the competent oil combating authorities and voluntary forces. OILSPILL project was introduced jointly with the news by WWF and the Ministry of the Interior. The workshop delegates also worked with the alert procedures required to get voluntary people to work in cooperation with the regional rescue forces.
More information:
OILSPILL: https://blogit.utu.fi/oilspill/ and Mr. Jarmo Malmsten, e-mail: Jarmo.malmsten(at)utu.fi.
SÖKÖ project is run by the XAMK, the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences. Main aim of this project is to prepare instructions for regional rescue forces to cope with oil spills and shore protection activities with all the mandatory support activities. For more information, please contact: Ms. Justiina Halonen, e-mail: justiina.halonen(at)xamk.fi.
© Jorma Rytkönen
29th November 2019
OILSPILL project was highlighted at the Final Conference of the SBOIL Project in Rostock
The Final Conference of the SBOIL project (South Baltic Oil Spill Response Through Clean-up with Biogenic Oil Binders) was held in Rostock 29th November 2019. The main results were presented focusing into two main areas: 1.) the use of new oil spill response technology using biogenic oil binders and 2.) awareness rising in different administration levels and the public bodies. The programme of the Final Conference also included a demonstrative afternoon session, where the main components of this technology were shown. SBOIL was partly funded by the EU Interreg South Baltic Programme.
OILSPILL project was presented by Mr. Jorma Rytkönen of SYKE (Finnish Environment Institute). The main tasks and focus areas of the OILSPILL project were shown as well as the local partners around the Baltic Sea area. The presentation briefly presented some of the latest oil spill-related R&D efforts in Finland. Finally, Mr. Rytkönen delivered the greetings of Prof. Lauri Ojala (OILSPILL project director) to the delegates and invited them to follow the OILSPILL webb page and to define possible interesting items for their needs.
OILSPILL presentation at SBOIL Conference, pdf
More Information:
SBOIL project: www.sboil.eu