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Denmark-Germany DENGER Agreement 1993

DENGER is a bilateral agreement between Denmark and Germany, which provides a Joint Maritime Contingency plan on combating pollution from oil and other harmful substances in the North Sea.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Countries involved

Marine Accident Investigators International Forum (MAIIF)

Source: MAIIF Website

The Marine Accident Investigators’ International Forum (MAIIF) is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of maritime safety and the prevention of marine pollution through the exchange of ideas, experiences and information acquired in marine accident investigation. It aims to promote and improve marine accident investigation, and to foster cooperation and communication between marine accident investigators. It aims to develop and sustain a co-operative relationship among national marine investigators in order to share knowledge in an international forum, and to improve maritime safety and the prevention of pollution via the dissemination of information from the investigative process. 

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response

North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum (NACGF)

Source: Defense Media Network

The North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum (NACGF), formed in 2007, aims to increase cooperation amongst member countries on maritime safety and security in the region. The NACGF is not policy or regulatory oriented, is non-binding, voluntary, and operates within existing legal frameworks. Its members are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland have observer status.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Maritime Border Control
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Fisheries Inspection & Control
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Search and Rescue
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Ship and Port Security
Maritime Customs Activities
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management

Copenhagen Agreement on the Cooperation in Combating against Pollution Incidents at Sea

Source: Copenhagen Agreement Website

Denmark including Greenland and the Faroe island, Iceland, Finland including Åland island, Sweden and Norway are parties to this agreement, which covers mutual notification, assistance and aerial surveillance of oil and other chemicals at sea. Very few countries have sufficient resources for combating oil spills and other pollution incidents on their own, and for that reason, it is important that nations cooperate closely with other nations on mutual assistance.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response

Netherlands-Germany NETHGER Agreement 1991

NETHGER is a bilateral agreement between the Netherlands and Germany, which provides a Joint Maritime Contingency plan on combating pollution from oil and other harmful substances in the North Sea.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Countries involved

Bucharest Convention - Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution

Source: Black Sea Commission Website

The Bucharest Convention was signed in Bucharest in April 1992, and was ratified by all six legislative assemblies of the Black Sea countries (i.e. Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine) in 1994. It is the basic framework of agreement and has three specific Protocols, dealing with the control of land-based sources of pollution, the dumping of waste, and joint action in the case of accidents (such as oil spills). The implementation of the Convention is managed by the Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (also sometimes referred to as the Istanbul Commission), and its Permanent Secretariat is in Istanbul, Turkey.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Countries involved

Mediterranean Coast Guard Functions Forum (MCGFF)

Source: Secretariat General for the Sea - CGF Ops Center

The Mediterranean Coast Guard Functions Forum (MCGFF) is a non-binding, voluntary, independent and non-political forum bringing together representatives from institutions and agencies with related competencies in coast guard functions in the Mediterranean. The aim is to facilitate multilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues such as maritime safety, security and environmental protection activities as well as creating partnerships to share experience and best practices on common problems.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Fisheries Inspection & Control
Maritime Border Control
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Search and Rescue
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Customs Activities
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Maritime Ship and Port Security

Bonn Agreement - Cooperation in Dealing with Pollution in the North Sea

Source: Bonn Agreement Website

The Bonn Agreement is the mechanism by which ten Governments, together with the European Union, cooperate in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances. The signatories to the Agreement are the Governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the European Union. Spain joined as a Contracting Party in 2019.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response

Black Sea Cooperation Forum (BSCF)

Source: BSCForum Website

The Black Sea Cooperation Forum was established in 2000, between the Coast Guard / Border Authorities of the Black Sea states, namely Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russian Federation and Georgia. The main purpose is to enhance peace, stability and maritime security in the Black Sea area, by increasing regional co-operation, and improving good relationship. Its tasks include enhancing existing interaction among border/coast guard agencies to prevent illegal activities, as well as strengthening the safety and security of navigation in the Black Sea. It conducts counterterrorism and weapon of mass destruction non-proliferation activities. It aims to help improve cooperation in the areas of fishery protection, search and rescue, marine pollution, marine environmental protection, information exchange, personnel exchange programs, joint/shared training.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Fisheries Inspection & Control
Maritime Border Control
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Search and Rescue
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Customs Activities
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Maritime Ship and Port Security
Countries involved

Barcelona Convention - Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Regions of the Mediterranean

Source: United Nations Environment Programme Website

The Barcelona Convention aims to address in a holistic manner all sources of pollution, which may threaten the marine environment of the Mediterranean and its coastal areas. In particular, the Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Preventing Pollution from Ships and, in Cases of Emergency, Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea is the legal framework within which regional cooperation in the fields of prevention of and response to marine pollution from ships is developing. A regional strategy aims to improve the follow-up of pollution events and monitoring/surveillance of illicit discharges. The 22 Contracting Parties are Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the EU.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response

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