FLORIANA : The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) has moved. The new premises in Floriana, Malta were inaugurated by Mr. Robert Abela, Prime Minister of Malta (3 October) and IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim.
REMPEC, which is operated by IMO, coordinates efforts between Mediterranean countries to safeguard the maritime environment. The centre was established to coordinate response to oil pollution incidents in the Mediterranean Sea 45 years ago and has since expanded its remit to coordinate effective measures to address a range of environmental challenges, including ship-source pollution, climate change, air emissions, plastic and other marine litter, non-indigenous species, and other issues that may arise.
Highlighting the importance of the Centre, IMO Secretary-General Lim said that, as the oldest of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Seas Centres, it “continues to serve as a model for others to follow. REMPEC’s many achievements over the years demonstrate the importance and significance of having a Centre of this kind in the region.”
