Rempec to move to Lascaris Wharf

The Malta-based Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (Rempec), will move from its present offices in Manoel Island to Lascaris Wharf, in a building occupied by the Malta Maritime Authority's (MMA) Merchant Shipping Directorate, in the first half of next year.

A regional activity centre established within the framework of the Mediterranean Action Plan of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and administered by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Rempec is a specialised agency assisting Mediterranean states prevent and combat sea pollution.

"Rempec staff will leave the Manoel Island premises, which they have been occupying since 1976 when the centre was established," Rempec director Frederic Hebert confirmed.

Mr Hebert, a former commander of the French Navy Supply Corps, told The Times the exact date when Rempec will move into the Grand Harbour offices is still unclear as maintenance works may have to be carried out before the move takes place.

"We hope we will be settled there by early next year," he said.

The MMA Merchant Shipping Directorate is expected to vacate its offices at Lascaris Wharf at the beginning of 2007 and will move to the newly built Maritime Trade Centre.

Some years ago, Rempec had been offered the possibility of moving to Vittoriosa but the idea had eventually been dropped for practical reasons. Manoel Island, in fact, had been deemed a temporary place since the beginning.

The centre has recently been involved in the coordination of a clean-up operation of an oil spill in Lebanon following a massive oil leak from one of Beirut's power stations this summer. The oil spill affected extensive parts of the Lebanese coast, which is of natural and historical importance, and it also affected Syria.

"Besides dealing with such emergencies", Mr Hebert said, "Rempec will, in the coming year, also be dealing with issues such as illicit discharges by vessels, which is still a major issue in the Mediterranean."

Another issue, he said, was the entry into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention adopted by IMO in 2004 and which mainly aims at combating the spread of invasive species that are transported to new areas in ships' ballast water containing harmful organisms that may also introduce predators destroying indigenous species.

Rempec is also involved in the implementation of the Safemed Project, a European Union (EU) funded Meda Regional Project on Euromed Cooperation on Maritime Safety and Prevention of Pollution from Ships, which is being implemented in 10 Euromed Mediterranean partners, namely Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.