Conclusions for Part II: National Case Studies

This book (Part II of a volume on “Oil Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea”) has presented a review of knowledge on oil pollution in the Mediterranean Sea, through a series of national and regional case studies. Those chapters have used a range of data on oil extraction and production activities, oil transportation, satellite technology, aerial surveillance, and in situ monitoring, for example, to present a picture of trends in oil pollution in various areas of the region over many years. A range of legislative measures are in place to protect the marine environment of the region, including the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution (Barcelona Convention, 1976) and its Protocols. The Mediterranean Sea and its various regions, such as the Adriatic Sea, have special status for the prevention of pollution by oil from ships under International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and its Protocols (MARPOL 73/78 Convention). National Contingency Planning (NCP) and other activities take place under the aegis of the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Region (REMPEC), through which countries in the region can work together to cooperate in preventing pollution from ships, for example, and work together to combat pollution in the event of an emergency. NCP and oil pollution preparedness and response activities are discussed within a number of the national case studies. By bringing together the work of scientists, legal and policy experts, academic researchers, and specialists in various fields relating to marine environmental protection, satellite monitoring, oil pollution, and the Mediterranean Sea, these national case studies present a picture of oil pollution from a range of sources (shipping – accidental, operational, and illegal), offshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation, and coastal refineries, to present a picture of the current situation in the Mediterranean Sea.