In 2006, three European projects were co-financed with a grant from the Community Framework for Cooperation on Accidental and Deliberate Marine Pollution, European Commission:

• European Oiled Wildlife Response Planning
• Handbook Impact Assessment
• Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation

As part of these projects, three workshops were organised and tools were developed with the view to improve the level of oiled wildlife preparedness and response in EU Member States, Norway and Iceland. A proposal for a European Oiled Wildlife Response Plan was developed based on the conclusions and recommendations that came out of the three Workshops.

The overall objective of the project “European Oiled Wildlife Response Planning” was to initiate the exchange of information and experiences between Member States, with a view to developing a set of tools and a draft international response plan by which Member States, individually and/or jointly, could achieve a higher state of preparedness for oiled wildlife incidents. A preliminary assessment was conducted at the start of the project in order to gain a clear idea of the existing infrastructure, views and needs of Member States. Data was obtained through the project partners and appointed individuals served as national contact points throughout .

A series of discussion documents was produced, followed by a European Oiled Wildlife Response Planning workshop, led by Sea Alarm, which took place on 12-15 June 2006 at the Centre de Documentation, de Recherche et d'Expérimentations sur les Pollutions Accidentelles des Eaux (Cedre) in Brest, France.The workshop provided the unique opportunity of bringing together authorities from European coastal states to discuss the lessons learnt from past oiled wildlife incidents and to explore national and international solutions for effective preparedness to future incidents in Europe.

Representations from a total of 14 countries attended the workshop, including authorities responsible for oil spill management and animal welfare issues and recognised NGOs. One of the main conclusions of the workshop was that the level of preparedness in Europe can be improved, and a number of activities, such as making effective pre-spill arrangements at national levels, were identified and listed as recommendations.

Based on the outcomes of this workshop and the two additional projects outlined below, a European oiled wildlife response plan was subsequently drafted. Although called a response plan, it is in fact a strategy that identifies the opportunities and lists a number of objectives and activities that that could be adopted and carried out at different national (including sub-national), regional and international (European or global) levels. Although not a formal European strategy, the document was presented to national governments and at each relevant international platform (e.g. European Commission, Helsinki Convention, Bonn Agreement, Barcelona Convention, Copenhagen Agreement). The plan also incorporates the findings from the impact assessment and rehabilitation projects described below, identifying the need for proper planning to implement these activities effectively and according to best practices.

Project partners:

• Sea Alarm (lead)
• Centre de Documentation, de Recherche et d'Expérimentations sur les Pollutions Accidentelles des Eaux (CEDRE)
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
• Istituto centrale per la ricerca scientifica e tecnologica applicata al mare (ICRAM)
• Finnish Environment Institute (SKYE)
• International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF)
• Oil Spill Response

Duration: february 2006 - august 2007

Results:

• A better understanding of the different views, experience and capacities of Member States;
• The issue of oiled wildlife response was addressed by delegates from competent authorities, industry and NGOs across Europe which led to the use of common language and understanding of the specific problems connected to an oiled wildlife incident;
• Internationally existing documentation on preparedness, response capacity, planning and strategy, scientific activities, etc. was identified, and where possible brought together and made accessible through this website. A European oiled wildlife response plan was developed that facilitates the quick sourcing and deployment of expertise, equipment and other resources in the case of future oil spill emergencies.