Cross-Border Risks in the Baltic Sea Region: Lessons to ... - Helsinki.fi

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are established. In Finland, the Fire and
Rescue Service is responsible on land, while
the Finnish Environment Institute is responsible
at sea. In Germany, the Central
Command for Maritime Emergencies
Germany (Havariekommando) of five
Länder and the Federal State is responsible
in a case of a collision at sea and also for oil
spills at sea and on shore.
There are not many agreements for combating
oil spills on land. However, here the
EU mechanism is available. Concerning pollution
at open sea, there are agreements
that are working, e.g. HELCOM's Response
Group's activities concern cross-border
cooperation. HELCOM is considered to be
successful, cooperation is practiced every
year and its functioning has been tested in
real accidents. Also the Copenhagen
Agreement is available for the Nordic
Countries. Within this agreement also exercises
are carried out. A dilemma for combating
oil spills at sea may be that there are too
many agreements at play and their aims and
tasks are not coordinated. A few, or preferably
one main authority or actor, would be
more ideal, but traditions, differences in culture
and the principles by which the countries
are run, will make this a long and cumbersome
job.
To facilitate international assistance, the
importance of using similar techniques and
methods or at least knowing about each
other's techniques is stressed. It will, for
instance, be difficult to implement new technologies
in an emergency situation. HEL-
COM has, as previously mentioned, agreed
upon recommendations on oil combat. In
addition, this cooperation is regularly tested.
Today, it is rather unclear how equipment
can be found and borrowed from other Baltic
Sea States, and how this can be done quickly
in an emergency situation. As for techniques
and principles on the actual cleaning
process, money plays a central role and the
motivation of each country depends on the
numbers and the seriousness of accidents
that they have faced in the recent years.
There is also a need to define and create
normative documents / manuals for emergency
situations. But here also the HEL-
COM manuals are a resource. The Espoo
Convention on Environmental Impact
Assessment in a Transboundary Context is
also a tool for preparing for the management
of accidents that may have transboundary
effects. There is a need to perform separate
risk analyses in the Baltic Sea Region.
However, the study displays that tools needed
in emergency situations, i.e. environmental
atlases, are available in most countries.
Most of the presented emergency situations
or exercises clearly show that many
accidents have cross-border effects. This in
turn implies a need for international cooperation
during emergency situations. In addition,
the severe consequences of an emergency
situation may require international
assistance. Consequently, there is a great
demand for different kinds of exercises to
continue and to improve international cooperation
in connection with emergency situations.
Not only tabletop exercises are needed,
even if they may be the most cost-effective,
but full-scale exercises with the actual
partners participating are necessary.
Studies show the important role exercises
have, a fact revealed for instance by the
good experiences received from the NOSE
exercise. The importance of training is also
highlighted by examples of what happens if
rescue personnel are not properly trained:
they can be a threat for themselves and the
society. Exercises are also a way for the
national systems to plan and prepare themselves
to be able to give and receive international
assistance. However, one should
investigate further how many of these activities
are already available, in order to avoid
duplication of the work.
Also the need of cross-sectoral work is
displayed. Jointly performed training and
exercises is one way to improve the horizontal
and vertical integration between different
sectors and levels. It is also important to
include the local level, since it is at this level
that emergency situations take place, even if
the responsibility is on another level.
During the tabletop exercise "Prestige-
Accident" in Stockholm, the importance of
establishing personal relations to make an
organisation work in a sufficient way during
emergency situations was stressed. The
establishment of "personal" networks are
facilitated by jointly performed exercises,
seminars and workshops, where an
exchange of experience and knowledge can
take place. These events also have a social
function, since they bring people together
and give faces to the persons you are suppose
to cooperate with in case of a real
emergency situation. The study clearly