Four years after the last one, the 5th ADRIASPILLCON took place in Opatija, Croatia from 16th to 18th May. The conference which is organized by ATRAC has received a very encouraging response since the begging of its conception. This year has also gathered participants from Croatia and all the countries in the Adriatic region (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia), as well as from other European countries. Among the participants were representatives of national and regional governments, oil and maritime industry, independent experts, academic institutions, specialized companies, and equipment producers. This year’s Conference addressed current oil spill preparedness and response related issues on the sea, as well as hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) incidents and problems related to marine debris.

ADRIASPILLCON 2023 discussed issues considered to be of particular interest to the Adriatic coastal States, which fall into one of the two thematic groups of the Conference:

1. Legal, organizational, administrative, and financial aspects of preparedness and response, including contingency planning and training;
2. Relevant practical, technical, and scientific aspects of response to marine spills of oil and other hazardous and noxious substances.

Relevant practical, technical, and scientific aspects of response to marine spills of oil and other hazardous and noxious substances.

The goals of ADRIASPILLCON 2023 were therefore to present the latest developments in the technical, scientific, legal, and organizational fields of dealing with accidental marine pollution, and to provide a forum where national, regional, and international institutions, oil, chemical, and shipping industries, individual experts, specialized companies and equipment manufacturers could share their knowledge and experience which were completely fulfilled.

Key international organizations that work on improving the preparedness and response systems to oil spills (IMO, REMPEC, EMSA, ITOPF, CEDRE, IOPC Funds, ISCO, OSRL, SEA ALARM, VIKOMA, DESMI, MEKE) also gave their support to the work of the Conference and participated in its programme as speakers / exhibitors.

Mr. Kerem Kemerli, from the Turkish company MEKE, welcomed the participants in the name of ISCO.