Your draftsperson supports the general level of funding proposed and is aware that, year on year, the pattern of requirement for commitment and payment appropriations for anti-pollution activity will vary depending on the dates and duration, as well as financial implementation of contracts for ship use signed by EMSA.

For the purposes of implementing these new tasks of preventing and responding to pollution, the Administrative Board of the Agency adopted on 22 October 2004 an Action Plan for Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response, which determines the Agency's oil pollution response activities and is aimed at optimum use of the financial resources available to the Agency (hereinafter ‘the Action Plan’).

The EUR 154 million allocated to the European Maritime Safety Agency for 2007-2013 will hopefully help to implement the action plan to combat maritime pollution, to set up a framework of specialised stand-by vessels to take action in the four priority zones and to set up a satellite image service centre to support the activities of the Member States and the Commission in the fight against spills from vessels, among other tasks in the fight against pollution.

(4) For the purposes of implementing these new tasks of preventing and responding to pollution, the Administrative Board of the Agency adopted on 22 October 2004 an Action Plan for Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response, which determines the Agency's oil pollution response activities and is aimed at optimum use of the financial resources available to the Agency (hereinafter "the Action Plan").

(11) Regard should be had to the existing agreements on accidental pollution, such as the Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances, 1983 (Bonn Cooperation Agreement), which facilitate mutual assistance and cooperation between Member States in this field, as well as to the relevant international conventions and agreements for the protection of European maritime areas from pollution incidents, such as the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990 (OPRC Convention) developed under the auspices of the IMO, the Convention for the Protection of t ...[+++]he Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic of 22 September 1992 (OSPAR Convention), the Barcelona Convention, the Helsinki Convention and the Lisbon Agreement.

(d)support with additional means in a cost efficient way pollution response actions in case of pollution caused by ships as well as marine pollution caused by oil and gas installations, when a request has been presented by the affected Member State under the authority of which the cleaning operations are conducted, without prejudice to the responsibility of coastal States to have appropriate pollution response mechanisms in place while respecting existing cooperation between Member States in this field.