Although the maritime sector brings substantial economic and social benefits, it also has an impact on the environment and the health of EU citizens. Air emissions from ships can be detrimental to human health. They can also contribute to water acidification and changes in nutrient and oxygen levels in the marine environment, with consequences for biodiversity.

This is particularly relevant in the Black and Caspian Seas, both of which have a large costal population, and which are hugely diverse in terms of the aquatic flora and fauna that populate both basins. The Caspian Sea alone is home to 130 different fish species, rare lotus fields, and the native Caspian Seal, while the Black Sea is home to bottlenose dolphins and about 180 species of fish, including tuna, anchovy, herring, mackerel, and white sturgeon.

BCSEA II: sustainability in focus

BCSEA II will promote sustainability among the non-EU countries that form part of the project through a range of actions:

• The project will raise awareness of the importance of pollution prevention for its beneficiary countries. At the same time, ratification where necessary and implementation of MARPOL Annex VI will be the first building block in its activities to ensure the implementation of minimum requirements related to air emissions from ships.
• BCSEA II will contribute to the objective of supporting the transition to alternative sources of power through studies to demonstrate both the added value and the potential of developing the necessary infrastructure in the region.
• The project will also offer technical support on the issue of the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens, and the implementation of the Ballast Water Management (BWM) and Anti-fouling (AFS)
• BCSEA II will continue supporting the beneficiary countries’ compliance with the relevant international legislation on port reception facilities (PRF)
• To help beneficiary countries to prevent pollution in their waters and along their coastlines, the project will provide them with satellite surveillance through CleanSeaNet (the EU satellite-based pollution detection system) in support of the identification of potential or actual spills and polluters. Services like MAR-ICE and MAR-CIS will also help beneficiary countries increase their response capacity for marine pollution incidents involving chemical products.
• BCSEA II will help build capacity through training and learning, offering tailor-made training courses or access to common core curricula developed by the EMSA Academy.