Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper describes the background, approach, challenges and results of the development of the Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic signed May 2013 by the eight member states of the Arctic Council at Kiruna, Sweden. The Arctic Council established an interdisciplinary task force in May 2011 to develop the Agreement. The Task Force included participants from the Arctic states, Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council, observers, industry representatives, and invited experts. The Task Force met five times over nearly a one year period. The objective of the Agreement is to strengthen cooperation, coordination and mutual assistance among the Parties on oil pollution preparedness and response in the Arctic in order to protect the marine environment by pollution from oil. The Agreement applies to oil pollution incidents that occur in or may pose a threat to any marine area over which a State whose government is a Party exercises sovereignty, sovereign rights or jurisdiction, including in its internal waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, consistent with international law. An Operational Guideline to the Agreement was developed by the Arctic Council's standing Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR) work group to provide tactical operating procedures for: notification; requests for assistance; provision of assistance; coordination and cooperation in response operations, including in areas beyond the jurisdiction of any State; movement and removal of resources across borders; procedures for conducting joint exercises and training; and a variety of other topics.