ARCOPOL

The sustainability and improvement of maritime transport and the protection of coastal resources strongly depends upon the improvement of oil, HNS and inert spill prevention, response and mitigation capabilities of coastal regions. Such improvement can only be achieved by developing effective tools and action plans coupled with training and awareness activities at regional and local levels. ARCOPOL is proposed by a consortium bringing together most of the partners involved in EROCIPS (Interreg IIIB), a project that focused on the prevention, response to and mitigation of oil spills. Based on the experience acquired through EROCIPS, ARCOPOL aims to improve prevention, response and mitigation capabilities against oil, HNS and inert spills and to establish the basis for a sustainable Atlantic network of experts supported by adequate information, data exchange and management tools. The specific project objectives are: 

1) To incorporate outputs from EROCIPS into strategic national, regional and local response levels and to encourage development of transferable transnational techniques that strengthen statutory and non statutory emergency response.
2) Improve response capabilities in the event of HNS and inert spills and to include them in emergency action plans. This will be achieved by compiling and assessing current knowledge, practices and experiences and by developing tools, models, systems and procedures.
3) Improve the level of awareness and training of the potential responders and increase the degree of stakeholder involvement.
4) Further encourage cross boarder collaboration between neighbouring countries to improve response strategies and enhance mutual aid capabilities, facilitating joint cross border training and exercises in the partner regions 

5) Improve mitigation capabilities by assessing current claim and compensation mechanisms as well as ecological damage compensation procedures and by developing guidelines, tools and standard methodologies.
Marine pollution is a transnational issue as pollution originated in international or national waters will soon or later affect the coastline of several member states. This requires a coordinated transnational response where several regional and local governmental administrations from different regions and countries will become involved. ARCOPOL will give response to transnational problems by enhancing mutual aid mechanisms, promoting coherence of actions at regional and local level, fostering dialogue between all the actors and supporting the development of relevant information and knowledge about the coastal zone and the risks that threats it.
The project will be developed by a consortium involving partners from 5 countries of the Atlantic Area, where regional and local competent agencies and authorities as well as research organizations are well represented. It will be supported by an Advisory Body comprised of key authorities, experts and industry delegates and will look for the involvement of relevant stakeholders and organizations during the lifetime of ARCOPOL. This will create the basis for a sustainable network of experts on spill and HNS response of the Atlantic Area supported by adequate information and data exchange and management tools.