The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) has been invited to participate at and address the 11th Meeting of the Focal Points of the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), which was held in Malta on 15-17 June 2015.
REMPEC’s role and objective is to contribute to preventing and reducing pollution from ships and combating pollution in case of emergency in the Mediterranean.
In his opening statement, PAM Secretary General, Amb. Sergio Piazzi, underlined the importance for the Assembly to keep the readiness of REMPEC at the highest possible level, and suggested that some form of exercises in view of the high risk of incidents on the coasts of Syria and Libya, should be carried out.
“REMPEC is a UN project, shared by the Mediterranean countries, which also share its ownership. For this reason, it is fundamental for REMPEC to maintain its functions as a UN instrument here in Malta and, most importantly, to keep its autonomous operational nature, due to the limitations that some states or regional institutions may have in responding to emergencies in the territorial waters of countries either at war or with which they have no longer diplomatic relations”, PAM Secretary General added.
With reference to the ongoing discussions between REMPEC and the European Commission, Amb. Piazzi augured that an agreement is reached shortly and concluded that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean can also provide the support of both the participants’ national parliaments and that of the European Union.