The overall aim of the project Sub-regional risk of spill of oil and hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea (BRISK) is to increase the preparedness of all Baltic Sea countries to respond to major spills of oil and hazardous substances from shipping.
The numbers and the sizes of ships navigating in the Baltic Sea area have increased in recent years, and the transportation of oil and other hazardous substances in growing steadily. The risk of shipping accidents has increased as well. Early and well organized response operations can be a very effective tool for reducing the environmental effects of pollution accidents.
With HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (2007) the Baltic Sea countries have committed themselves to "efficient emergency and response capacity".
The BRISK project will last three years (2009-2012) and it is co-financed by the European Union within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) Programme 2007-2013. BRISK has been selected as a strategic project of the BSR Programme due to its importance for the sustainable development of the region. Its total budget is around 3.3 million, with approximately EUR 2.5 million to be allocated from the European Regional Development Fund.
The BRISK project is also one of the flagship projects of the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.
The BRISK project responses to an increased risk of accidents and environmental damages in the Baltic Sea. The overall aim of the project is to increase the preparedness of all Baltic Sea countries to respond to major spills of oil and hazardous substances from shipping and enhance sub-regional co-operation. The BRISK project will:
The BRISK project will focus on "medium-size" spills, i.e. spills which require assistance from several neighboring countries. The project area covers all transnational maritime areas divided into six sub-regions. The sub-regional approach is cost-efficient as countries can share their resources to build a common pool of response vessels and equipment sufficient for a given sub-region.
The project consists of five work packages (WP):
Admiral Danish Fleet leads the project, and 10 partners from 8 countries are involved in it:
