BASD - View Initiative

HOME

Mediterranean Oil Industry Group (MOIG)

Lead Organisation:

The International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA)

Where:

Mediterranean

Time period:

started in 1992 and is ongoing

Web link:

http://www.ipieca.org/MOIG/index.html

Partners:

Local governments in Mediterranean countries

Aims/Objectives:

	MOIG’s primary aim is to improve oil spill preparedness and response around the Mediterranean Sea, and build the capacity of local governments and local institutions to oversee these activities.
	To achieve this objective, MOIG:
	Promotes regional cooperation, within the oil industry and between governments and the oil industry on a national and regional basis by creating a regional network of industry oil spill response coordinators in all Mediterranean countries.
	Enhances preparedness and response to oil spill incidents in the Mediterranean region by acting as a regional forum for information exchange and discussion on oil spill matters and by making available industry resources of equipment and expertise for education and training.
	This partnership initiative is in line with Agenda 21 and in particular supports the following potential areas for partnerships as discussed during the WSSD preparatory process.
	Global network of related institutional support structures, including information systems, technology centres, and research and development institutions to promote greater transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries
	Partnerships to link regional centres of excellence that would contribute to the development of the knowledge capacity of developing countries
	Regional activities that can be replicated in other parts of the globe
	The initiative explicitly supports the objectives and goals of Chapters: 2, 17, 34, 36 and 37 of Agenda 21.

Measurable results and specific targets:

	The expected results are enhanced national and regional cooperation between government and industry including the establishment of national and regional contingency plans in the Mediterranean region. Enhanced capacity building in oil spill preparedness and response through training, workshops and seminars.
	The specific targets include the following:
	Assisting developing countries to ensure that their oil spill contingency plans are in place
	Encouraging the ratification of the various relevant international/regional conventions
	Ensuring consistent training and exercises to test the contingency plans.
	MOIG Newsletters are issued 2 to 3 times a year and reports are also given at IPIECA meetings, the REMPEC government focal points meetings and also at the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee meetings.

Implementation mechanisms and further application:

	At present MOIG is located within IPIECA, managed by the IPIECA Secretariat, with a chair and Vice-Chair from the MOIG member companies. It is envisaged that an independent Secretariat will shortly be established in Tunis, Tunisia recognising the three main languages of the Mediterranean, namely French, English and Arabic.
	The activities of the group are largely coordinated by oil company representatives from each of the countries in the Mediterranean region that sit on MOIG and through other key partner organizations that bring technical expertise to this group. MOIG also provides a regional industry interface to REMPEC (Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea), the first regional centre established in 1976 within the programme of regional seas of UNEP, dealing with prevention of pollution from ships and, in case of emergencies, with preparedness and response activities.
	In the Mediterranean region, REMPEC has established a network of governmental correspondents (Focal Points) which deal with the matter; via REMPEC they collaborate and work with MOIG (industry) representatives in order to be better prepared to respond to an emergency.