EMSA marks 20 years serving the European maritime community

Claims Manager, Mark Homan, with the Greek Minister for Shipping and Insular Policy

The Director and staff at the IOPC Funds have congratulated the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) as it celebrates 20 years since its establishment.

Claims Manager, Mark Homan, attended a special conference to mark the Agency’s anniversary at its Headquarters in Lisbon, Portugal on 16 and 17 June 2022.  The conference, entitled ‘Charting EMSA’s course for the next 20 years,’ featured a variety of speakers, industry representatives and key EMSA stakeholders and focused on the most important issues facing the maritime transport sector now and in the future.

From the outset, when EMSA was established following the Erika and Prestige incidents, the IOPC Funds and the Agency worked closely together, sharing information, tools and expertise.  The two organisations have continued to cooperate on various pollution incidents and projects ever since and recently formalised that cooperation through an MOU relating to the use of EMSA’s  pollution response assets.  Both Secretariats are in regular communication, working together to create awareness, provide training and ultimately seek to protect the marine environment and respond quickly and efficiently to major pollution incidents.

In response to an invitation from EMSA to do so, the Director and staff recorded a short video message of congratulations for 20 years of providing invaluable services to the European maritime community and Member States (view here).  The IOPC Funds’ Director, Gaute Sivertsen, recognised that EMSA’s commitment and dedication had helped to provide safer seas, cleaner oceans and heightened the quality of shipping both within the European Union and further afield.  He wished the entire agency well on this special occasion and looks forward to the continued cooperation between EMSA and the IOPC Funds over the next twenty years and beyond.