Oil spill emergency response in the Barents Sea : Cooperation between Norway and Russia

1. Oil spill emergency response in the Barents Sea: Cooperation between Norway and Russia Maria Ivanova (maria.ivanova@uit.no), Are K. Sydnes (are.sydnes@uit.no) Department of Engineering and Safety (UiT)

2. Content • Research objectives • Data collection / Informants • Cooperation mechanisms: multilateral (the Arctic Council, the BEAR); bilateral (the Joint Commission, the Joint Contingency Plan). • Some considerations regarding the cooperation on joint oil spill emergency response

3. Research objectives • To examine cooperation mechanisms • To study in detail the bilateral cooperation and the role of the Joint Contingency Plan. • To evaluate the bilateral cooperation

4. Data collection • Interviews Russian Informants (May 2010) • Department of Rosprirodnadzor in the North-West federal district. Department for Surveillance at sea (Murmansk region) • The Main Department of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia in the Murmansk region • Murmansk Basin Emergency Rescue and Salvage Department (MBASU) • Private emergency rescue unit “NavEcoService” Ltd. • “Industrial Safety Systems" LLC (contingency plans developer) Norwegian Informants (December 2009, July 2010) • Ministry of the Environment • Norwegian Coastal Administration • NOFO • Academic publications, reports, working programmes, law documents, information from web pages.

5. Cooperation scheme

6. Multilateral Cooperation • The Arctic Council • function - development of international policy and scientific recommendations • not a response but an advisory body • framework to facilitate the international cooperation on the issues related to the prevention, preparedness and response to all kinds of emergencies in the Arctic (EPPR Working Group) • exchange of information and experiences, cooperation on the development of assessment technologies, guidelines, etc. • The Barents Euro-Arctic Region • function – establish a platform for operative cooperation • 2008 Agreement on cooperation within the field of emergency prevention, preparedness and response (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia) • Barents Rescue training exercises

7. Bilateral Cooperation(The Joint Norwegian-Russian Environmental Commission) • function - policymaking • the main arena for the Norwegian-Russian bilateral cooperation in the field of environmental protection • intergovernmental agreement between Norway and Russia (1988 / 1992) • joint expert group on oil spill protection • Marine Environment working group (activity is project based)

8. Bilateral Cooperation (operative) • Based on: the bilateral Agreement on cooperation on the combatment of oil pollution in the Barents Sea (1994) and the Joint Contingency Plan for the combatment of oil pollution in the Barents Sea (1994). • The Joint Plan defines the main principles, mechanisms and procedures of the bilateral cooperation. • Formally: The Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs (Nor) vs the Ministry of Transport (Rus). • In practice: Norwegian Coastal Administration vs MBASU • The Joint Norwegian-Russian Planning group.

9. Preliminary conclusions • multiple levels • multiple institutions • fragmented mechanism • partially uncoordinated activities at institutional level • coordination provided by individuals/organisations (NCA and MBASU) represented in multiple international institutions (actor overlap)

10. Preliminary conclusions • Overall successful cooperation on the operative side but there are a number of issues that should be addressed: • low level of involvement at the ministerial level • uncertainties on the Norwegian side regarding the Russian system

11. Thank you for your attention!