13: Maritime Office in Gdynia (PL)
The Maritime Office in Gdynia is a government authority responsible for monitoring the Polish territorial waters. MOG is responsible for monitoring the safety, security and environmental risks in Polish waters. The marine environmental protection is managed by MOG within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Poland’s sea waters as a full a member of the cooperative framework of the Baltic States under the provisions of the Helsinki Convention 1974 (as amended in 1992). Furthermore, MOG is a very proactive member within the joint Water Pollution Group and is currently the leading State in monitoring the Baltic Sea using airborne observation methods. MOG provides preventive measures for risk management of oil spills and water pollution risks generally around the Polish coast. These may emerge from offshore oil and gas installations, oil tankers and any other sea shipping activity.
Role in SANY IP:
SP5 (Marine risks) end-user
More information:
The Maritime Office cooperates with numerous institutions, particularly with those which address the specifications of the application of MARPOL 73/78 requirements. MOG regularly attends the international sessions of the Marine Environment Protection Committee within IMO (The International Maritime Organisation). Additionally, MOG monitors ship traffic activity through the Vessel Traffic System VTS which is based onshore a radar station, CCTV systems, Digital Global Positioning Systems and AIS system for maintaining the safety of ships’ traffic and their navigation through waterways and fairways infrastructure at ports.
The Maritime Office in Gdynia acts in Polish waters and the open sea within the framework of international agreements and Polish law. It also provides an experienced and capable platform for the maritime user community in Poland and the Baltic States for implementing environmental risk management, regulations, safety and security rules and actions at sea.
MOG is specialized in monitoring the risks which may be encountered by the maritime environment, especially risks of water pollution, safety and security at sea. It has a very active role on the protection of marine environment within the European Maritime Safety Agency, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and various environmental expert groups within the EU community. It is also proactively engaged in cooperation with the authorities of the neighbouring countries and those within the Baltic Sea particularly, for ships inspection, water pollution detection and information data exchange of maritime traffic.
Other projects / IPs with Maritime Office in Gdynia's participation:
- Helsinki Commission (HELCOM)
- International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- Paris Memorandum on Port State Control (Paris MOU on PSC)
- International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA)
- INTRASEA May 2004 – December 2005 – INTERREG IIIB project aimed at developing transport policy by the Baltic States. Participants: Sweden, Finland, Germany, Poland and Russia.
- BALTIC MASTER June 2005-December 2007 – INTERREG IIIB project aimed at increasing maritime safety in the context of setting PSSA in the Baltic Sea.
- CEPCO 1997-2003 – Coordinated Extended Pollution Control Operation.