BCSEA: Environmental and maritime security in the Caspian and Black seas on the agenda of the meeting in Batumi
Next week, the second meeting of the Steering Committee of the EU-supported “Maritime safety, security, and marine environmental protection in the Black and Caspian Sea Regions” (BCSEA) project will be held in the Georgian port city of Batumi. The event will be attended by the specialists of the transport and maritime administrations of the countries participating in the project - Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Moldova, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Ukraine - as well as representatives from the European Commission’s Directorates-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) and for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE). The participants of the meeting will work on the coordination of new priority areas in which, BCSEA beneficiaries hope to receive more technical assistance from the European Union. Particular attention will be dedicated to encouraging the use of technical assistance aimed to increase the capacity of flag, port and coastal states, including support to drafting national legislation and procedures. The event will also aim to encourage the countries of the Black sea and Caspian basins to use tools and services offered by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). For example, the satellite-based monitoring system for marine oil spill detection and surveillance in European waters CleanSeaNet, the e-platform "Maritime Knowledge Centre" and the marine regulatory database RuleCheck. BCSEA project for 2017-2019 years, is designed to improve maritime safety and security, and to prevent marine pollution in the region. It does so by supporting the efforts of coastal states in implementing relevant international legislation, approximating their regulatory frameworks with EU legislation and improving the performance of their maritime activities. The focal point of the project in Turkmenistan is the State service of marine and river transport.
