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The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) is making final preparations to begin its new Marine Pollution Expert Exchange Programme (EMPOLLEX) in June 2008.

Via this programme, national experts from participating countries will be given the opportunity to travel to other countries to gain or share professional experience in marine pollution preparedness and response. They will be given the chance to learn different response techniques, study the approaches taken within other services or organisations and follow training modules and/or attend workshops and exercises.

As part of the programme, experts will be asked to attend a one day EMSA workshop in Lisbon, where they will be given an overview of the work at European level in the field of marine pollution preparedness and response. Through the programme, EMSA aims to promote exchange of best practice and enhance networking and cooperation between participating states.

More details on the programme will be published shortly on the EMPOLLEX website at: http://www.emsa.europa.eu/empollex