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The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has launched a tender for stand-by oil spill recovery vessels in the Southern Baltic, Bay of Biscay, Central Mediterranean, Western Mediterranean and Black Sea.

Open information meetings about the tender will be held during the month of February in different cities. Please find details below regarding the meeting locations and dates.

1. 11 February 2011 - Danish Maritime Authority, Vermundsgade 38 C, 2100 Copenhagen.

2. 17 February 2011 - Institut Français de la Mer - Armateurs de France, 6ème étage – salle C, 47 rue de Monceau, 75008 Paris.

3. 18 February 2011 - Dirección General de la Marina Mercante, C/ Ruiz de Alarcón 1, 28071 Madrid.

4. 22 February 2011 - Bulgarian Maritime Administration – Varna Directorate, 5 Primorski blvd, 9000, Varna.

Prior registration is not required, although an e-mail confirming participation in the meeting can be sent to NEG12011@emsa.europa.eu.

The contract duration is four years with the possibility of renewal. The deadline for applications is 16 March 2011.

For further details please visit the following address below:

http://www.emsa.europa.eu/end182d272.html

About EMSA

The EMSA’s network of stand-by oil pollution response vessels Regulation 724/2004/EC gives EMSA the task of assisting EU/EEA Member States in their response to ship-sourced pollution within the Community.

The EMSA has built a network of stand-by oil pollution response vessels that covers the whole of the European coastline, and serves to 'top up' the existing pollution response capacity of member states.

The network is based on contracted vessels which are equipped with oil spill response equipment as per EMSA requirements. The vessels carry out their 'normal' commercial operations on a day-to-day basis, but when needed can be adapted at short notice to serve as oil spill response vessels.

With state-of-the art equipment, such as oil slick detection radars, sweeping booms and skimmers, the vessels can be scrambled into action at the command of the member state.