Friday 14th of March the first meeting of the consultation body of 2014 took place in Bruges. Alterations and adaptations to the Oil Intervention Plan (OIP) were discussed. The OIP describes the procedures for combating oil pollution at sea, so that action can be swiftly undertaken and so that damage to the marine environment and the coast is kept as limited as possible. Attention was given to the safety of water sports enthusiast while undertaking the latest water sports activities. The consultation body closely follows the proceedings of the working group Places of Refuge. This is an initiative by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to streamline the legislation and operational guidelines with regard to places of refuge at sea for the whole of Europe. The coast guard partners furthermore took a closer look at the possibilities to cooperate in the field of schooling and training for On Scene Coordinators. To conclude, the preparations for a swift and efficient follow-up of environmental and shipping traffic violations at sea were discussed.
