#MadeWithInterreg initiatives for a safer Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is one of the busiest seas in the world. Its shipping traffic is constantly rising and this results in a growing risk of accidents. Our Programme has helped increase maritime safety by providing EU funding to several projects. Read about how Interreg Baltic Sea Region projects DiveSMART-Baltic, ChemSAR, OIL SPILL, and R-Mode Baltic implemented solutions that empower maritime actors to face large-scale incidents at sea and in ports, test new technologies for safer ship navigation, and combat oil spills.
While shipping can be an alternative to road transport of goods and people, it can also become a danger for humans and the environment when accidents occur. The rate of accidents in the Baltic sea is quite high: HELCOM reported more than 600 ship accidents in the area between 2014 and 2017. Moreover, WWF reports one major shipping accident per year which results in oil spill larger than 100 tonnes. This poses a real threat to the marine ecosystem and people.
On the occasion of World Maritime Day, celebrated every year in order to raise awareness on the importance of shipping and other maritime activities, take the chance to reflect on how transnational cooperation can make a difference in making our sea more secure for everyone.
DiveSMART-Baltic: reinforcing search and rescue missions in an underwater environment
This Interreg project used EUR 1.72 million from the European Union to make the best out of limited diving resources in countries around the Baltic Sea. It brought together diving communities from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Sweden, offering them a unique opportunity to train search and rescue missions. Project partners clarified and harmonised how Rescue Coordination Centres, rescue services, coast guards, fire departments, police, and armed forces in the region should reduce their reaction time in case of accidents, ultimately improving the overall maritime safety in the Baltic Sea. Read more here.
ChemSAR: harmonising rescue operations in incidents involving hazardous & noxious substances
No country around the Baltic Sea has sufficient resources to tackle incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) on its own, hence almost any maritime chemical incident is international by nature. However, there are no standardised procedures that national rescue authorities and rescue services could use in case of maritime HNS incidents to harmonise joint search and rescue (SAR) operations. The Interreg project ChemSAR developed common operational plans and procedures for search and rescue operations in incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances. It offered an eLearning tool and a chemical databank for rescue authorities and services around the Baltic Sea to harmonise rescue operations, and in this way to save more lives and reduce the harm to the environment at the same time. For more information on the project and its achievements, visit our project library here.
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OIL SPILL: better cooperation in oil spills response across the Baltic Sea
Combatting oil spills in shallow waters and coastal areas is often complicated. A strong capability to respond to oil spills with the help of volunteers is essential to achieving optimum results and minimising environmental harm. OIL SPILL improved cooperation between competent authorities, NGOs, and volunteers in combatting oil spills in shallow and coastal waters of the Baltic Sea faster, more effectively, and more efficiently. Project partners identified administrative procedures which need cross-border harmonisation, they clarified key legal issues at the level of ministries, competent authorities, and NGOs, and they built up international and national training schemes. Discover more about the project and its results here.
R-Mode Baltic: a new technical system for safe ship navigation
R-Mode Baltic worked on a reliable and globally accepted backup system for coastal navigation. Project partners tested a new maritime positioning system called ranging mode (R-Mode) in the Baltic Sea. This new system allows positioning even in times when the global navigation satellite systems fail and provides position, navigation, and timing information that is crucial for safe navigation. The partners test broadcast signals transmitted via radio beacons to develop prototypes for ranging mode transmitters and receivers. Read more about the project and its achievements here.
These projects are just a few examples of projects funded by Interreg Baltic Sea Region on the topic of maritime safety and environmentally-friendly shipping. To view them all, visit our project library. Additionally, if you want to get inspiration on further ways to collaborate with us to build a safer and more sustainable future for our region, check the complete catalogue of our seed money projects, as well as our new Programme’s website.
Interreg Baltic Sea Region is a source of EU funding for smart ideas of how to shape the region. We provide more than money: We create an environment for working together to let great solutions become common practice.