The coastal states in the Baltic Sea region will take part in an oil spill response exercise off the coast of Helsinki in late August.
The exercise will be coordinated by Finland’s Environmental Administration SYKE, and vessels and crews from all of the Baltic Sea states as well as the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) will take part.
The Finnish authorities and volunteer corps will carry out their national oil spill response exercise on Tuesday August 28th.
The international segment of the drill will begin after the arrival of the large oil spill response vessels on August 29th.
The transport of oil in the Baltic Sea and especially in the Gulf of Finland has increased in volume significantly in recent years, giving rise to fears that a major spill is a very real possibility, particularly considering the problems associated with winter navigation.
