BALMAS
Ballast water transferred by vessels was recognized as a prominent vector of movement of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens and was regulated by the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship´s Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM Convention). The BWM Convention sets the global standards on ballast water management (BWM) requirements, while recognizing that regional and local specifics have to be considered for its effective implementation. Adriatic countries recognized that the BW issue is very critical and complex, and that a key barrier is the lack of data (e.g. the presence and invasiveness of HAOP in Adriatic ports, BW uptake and discharge activities, sediment disposal, chemical pollution with BW) and knowledge(e.g. port baselines and monitoring, BW sampling for compliance control, risk assessment, how to deal with non-compliant vessels, early warning system, effectiveness of BWM systems and measures) to enable Adriatic countries to implement the BWM Convention requirements through a common BWM plan, and provide support to responsible authorities for faster and effective decision making with a decision support system (DSS). The BALMAS proposal integrates all necessary activities to enable a long-term, environmentally efficient, and financially and maritime transport sustainable implementation of BWM measures in the Adriatic.
IPA Adriatic CBC program
The IPA Adriatic Cross-border Cooperation Program is the result of joint programming work carried out by the relevant participating countries and is part of the cooperation process in the Adriatic area. The Program draws its strength and incisiveness from the wide experience, gained during the previous Program period producing concrete results from the studies and analysis financed in the past.
http://www.adriaticipacbc.org/