RAMOGE – Meeting of the 50th Commission

The 50^th meeting of the RAMOGE Commission will be held on Wednesday 22 November 2017, chaired by the French delegation, represented by H.E. Ms. Marine de Carné de Trécesson, Ambassador of France to Monaco.

The purpose of this meeting is to provide an update on the work programme set in December 2016 for the years 2017-2018.

After celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the Agreement in 2016, in the presence of the Authorities of the three signatory states (Monaco, Italy and France), the work programme for the next two years, which is increasingly ambitious, takes into account challenges related to the ecological state of the marine environment and the pressures thus caused.

All the programmed activities target the following ten objectives:

• Protect notable ecosystems,
• Increase knowledge of the consequences of global warming,
• Harmonise monitoring networks,
• Promote measures to limit the impact of anchoring,
• Recommend measures to reduce marine waste from drainage basins,
• Raise sea users' awareness of responsible behaviour,
• Organise operations to monitor illegal discharges,
• Train pollution control teams from the three countries of the Agreement to undertake joint pollution recovery exercises,
• Promote RAMOGE cooperation in the Mediterranean basin,
• Encourage various audiences to adopt behaviour that respects the marine environment.

The RAMOGE Agreement focuses on undertaking scientific and operational activities to help protect the habitats and iconic species of the RAMOGE area, preserve areas of ecological interest, reduce the threat posed by marine waste, combat pollution and create networks for monitoring the marine environment in this area.

As a reminder, the RAMOGE area extends from La Spezia to Marseille.

Finally, RAMOGE relies on cooperation between the three States parties to achieve the synergies necessary for the effectiveness of its activities.

At the meeting of the Commission, representatives of the delegations will assess the progress of the various activities planned for 2017-2018.  The three major events this year, which fall under the missions assigned by the Commission, were:

• In April 2017, as part of Monaco Ocean Week, a colloquium was held on the rational management of anchorages, which was an opportunity to bring anchorage managers together and suggest techniques and methods that are the most respectful of the environment.

• In September, a colloquium was held at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in association with the Pelagos Agreement, bringing together municipalities from the PACA region and Liguria.  The purpose of this colloquium was to involve these municipalities in the issue of marine waste and encourage them to incorporate the idea in their waste management that, sooner or later, any waste discarded in the natural environment will be found in the sea.

• In October, an anti-pollution exercise was held off the coast of Hyères - Italian and Monegasque ships came to help French vessels deal with a simulated pollution spill, making it possible to strengthen coordination between the various human and material resources.

As a reminder, the RAMOGE Agreement, which was signed in 1976 and amended in 2003, is an instrument adopted by France, Italy and Monaco to ensure that the coastal areas of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region, the Principality of Monaco and the Liguria Region constitute a pilot area for integrated coastal management and for preventing and combating marine pollution.

Further Information:

www.ramoge.org