The Interreg IIIB Maritime Safety Umbrella Operation (MSUO) invites you to attend the Best Practice in Local Contingency Planning one-day seminar, 16th December 2005, Southampton United Kingdom. The objective of the seminar is to bring together leading organization with experience in developing local contingency plans to deal with maritime incidents to discuss methodologies, share experience, disseminate best practice and provide guidance for Transnational Projects. Find attached a information sheet, registration form and provisional programme.

In order to respond rapidly and successfully to pollution from a shipping accident, local organizations and authorities responsible for containing and cleaning up pollution in all EU member states must know the steps that need to be followed during and after an accident. Local pollution contingency plans describe information and processes for containing and cleaning up pollution that occurs in a defined geographic area (such as a municipal, district, town council, regional administration, local authority, port/ harbors, council or sub-national government jurisdiction).

Incidents such as the Braer, Haven, Sea Empress, Erica and Prestige have demonstrated that well-designed local contingency plans assist response personnel in their efforts to contain and clean up pollution by outlining the steps that should be taken before, during, and after an accident. A well-designed contingency plan enables pollution response efforts to proceed smoothly and effectively, minimizes danger to cleanup personnel, reduces the overall costs of cleanup by avoiding unnecessary effort, and ensures that sensitive habitats and resources are protected.

The one-day seminar will provide best practice information on the development and implementation of local contingency plans, together with how these are linked to national level arrangements. The seminar will provide an opportunity to learn how to be better prepared for future incidents.

The seminar is open to anyone who has responsibility for the development of local contingency arrangements, national competent authorities, industry representatives and Interreg (or other projects) examining maritime safety issues.

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will host the event. If you wish to attend, please complete and return the registration form by 18th November 2005.