The SCP/RAC participated in the Regional Meeting on the further implementation of the Regional Plan on Marine Litter that took place in Tirana (Albania) from 19th July untill 20th July 2016. The two-day meeting entitled ‘Joint commitment for a marine litter-free Mediterranean Sea’ was organized jointly by UNEP/MAP’s MEDPOL Programme and the IPA-Adriatic funded DeFishGear project. Some 85 delegates participated in the meeting. The meeting was organized with the support of the Agricultural University of Tirana and MIO-ECSDE.
Italy has ratified the "Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Preventing Pollution from Ships and, In Cases of Emergency, Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea" (Prevention and Emergency Protocol). The country deposited the instrument of Ratification on 30 June 2016, as confirmed by the Government of Spain, Depositary of the Barcelona Convention.
The United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) agreed on a joint work plan for the period 2016-2021, to contribute towards creating solid knowledge base and awareness among policy makers, civil society and the public at large, about the state of the marine and coastal environment in the Mediterranean and its sustainable development.