The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) has welcomed the outcomes of the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, held in Cairo between 2 and 5 December. The meeting adopted a wide package of decisions and commitments aimed at strengthening regional cooperation on maritime pollution prevention, offshore safety and low-carbon shipping.

Central to the outcomes was the Cairo Declaration, a 46-point ministerial statement reaffirming the commitment of Mediterranean states to conserve and sustainably use the region’s marine and coastal resources.

The declaration notes the approval of a regional roadmap aimed at guiding the shift toward low-carbon shipping across the Mediterranean, positioning it as a contribution to wider efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions from vessels. It also records the start of the Mediterranean Sea Emission Control Area for sulphur oxides and particulate matter (Med SOx ECA) and indicates that countries will examine the potential for designating the region as a nitrogen oxides emission control area (Med NOx ECA) under MARPOL Annex VI.

Regarding offshore activities, the declaration encourages stronger collaboration on pollution monitoring, data sharing and early-warning capabilities, and backs efforts to step up implementation of the Mediterranean Offshore Action Plan 2026–2035 under the Offshore Protocol.

Several decisions related to REMPEC’s work were adopted. These include Decision IG.27/11 on marine pollution from ships, covering the revision of the terms of reference for the Mediterranean Network of Law Enforcement Officials relating to MARPOL in the Mediterranean Sea (MENELAS) and the roadmap for transitioning to low-carbon shipping. Other decisions adopted were IG.27/12 on the Mediterranean Offshore Action Plan 2026–2035 and IG.27/14 on the MAP Programme of Work and Budget 2026–2027.

The centre noted that the decisions strengthen its mandate across enforcement, prevention, capacity-building and regional collaboration, helping to ensure that shipping and offshore operations develop in line with environmental, climate and wider sustainability goals.

REMPEC stated that COP24 provides a strengthened mandate for future work and expressed readiness to help translate political commitments into operational measures across the region.