ENVIRONMENT MINISTER EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY FOLLOWING ERIKA INCIDENT

ENVIRONMENT MINISTER EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY FOLLOWING ERIKA INCIDENT

Minister for the Environment Francis Zammit Dimech expressed solidarity with France following the Erika incident. He was speaking during the discussion on the recommendation by the Bureau of the Contracting Parties of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution and its Protocols to convene a regional meeting to discuss the issue of the risk of pollution due to navigation in the Mediterranean in the framework of the Mediterraean Action Plan.

Dr Zammit Dimech added that what is ultimately important is that we learn and draw lessons from this incident to avoid similar sad episodes.

The Meeting of the Bureau of the Contracting Parties convened in Malta under the Chairmanship of the Minister for the Environment to review progress made since the 11^th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution which was held in Malta last October.

The Bureau Meeting discussed at length the issue of delayed ratifications to the new and amended Barcelona legal texts with a view to find ways to urge the Contracting Parties to take immediate action. At the end of the discussion it was agreed that the Francis Zammit Dimech, as Chairman of the Bureau, will be writing to all the Contracting Parties to appeal to them to ratify the new and amended protocols which offer better protection to the Mediterranean.

It was confirmed by the Bureau that the Meeting of the Plenipotentiaries will be held in Malta next year to discuss the revised text of the Emergency Protocol.

In conformity with the unanimous decision by the 11^th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties which was held in Malta, the Bureau endorsed the request of the Palestinian Authority to take part in the activities of the Mediterranean Action Plan. As a first stage, the Palestinian Authority will be associated with the MED POL programme and will participate in the activities of the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development.

The next meeting of the Bureau of the Contracting Parties will be held in Syria around the end of October.