Much has been achieved by RAMOGE over the past two years in its fight against marine pollution in the Mediterranean. Now, Monegasque, French and Italian delegates have come together to set the projects for the years ahead, which include the creation of a new label to promote eco-responsible yachting.
The 53rd meeting of the RAMOGE Commission was held on Tuesday 19th January in a hybrid format, with face-to-face and virtual participation.
It was an opportunity for delegates from the three countries that encompass RAMOGE – Monaco, France and Italy – to assess anti-pollution activities that have been undertaken over the past two years.
Despite the difficulties surrounding the Covid pandemic, RAMOGE was able to pursue a large number of important projects for the preservation of the marine environment.
They were listed as follows: the conservation of emblematic Mediterranean species such corb, grouper, large mother-of-pearl, ferruginous limpet, and cystoseire; monitoring the problems posed by the microscopic algae Ostreopsis; promoting the results of RAMOGE exploration campaigns in deep areas; launching a study for the sustainable management of large-scale leisure and cruising; the creation of a guide for the prevention of marine litter intended for local communities in the RAMOGE zone; maintaning RAMOGEPOL antipollution exercises and OSCAR-MED operations of surveillance against illegal discharges in the Mediterranean; the referral of a proposed ban on paraffin discharges in the Mediterranean to the International Maritime Organisation; and the organisation of the ‘RAMOGE – Man and the Sea’ photographic competition.
After assessing the achievements of the past two years, members of the commission then set the work program for the 2021-2022 biennium.
In addition to the renewal of a large number of the activities already underway, RAMOGE’s new actions are: the creation of a RAMOGE label aimed at promoting eco-responsible yachting; the development of synergies with other sub-regional agreements to fight against marine pollution; and the production of educational kits to raise awareness among high school students about the preservation of deep environments using data and resources collected during RAMOGE exploration campaigns.
The RAMOGE agreement is an environmental protection treaty signed in 1976 between France, Monaco and Italy for the maritime areas of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, the Principality of Monaco and Liguria, designed to prevent and fight against marine pollution.
The geographical area of the agreement initially extended from Saint Raphael to Monaco and Genoa, hence the name RaMoGe – representing the first syllables of the names of these three cities. This area has been enlarged and now extends from Marseille to La Spezia.
At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, President of the Commission Giuseppe Italiano handed over the presidency to Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Department of External Relations and Cooperation, and head of the Monegasque delegation, for the new biennium.
Meanwhile, Tiziana Chieruzzi of the Italian delegation took over the Presidency of the Technical Committee, succeeding Benoît Rodrigues of the French delegation.
Photo by DR, Government Communications Department
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