EMSA OPR Vessels, EAS and MAR-ICE - Activities Report 2025. Sustainability and Technical Assistance

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) supports EU coastal states in responding to pollution from ships and offshore oil and gas activities. It provides a range of response services, including pollution response vessels, oil storage, dispersant stockpiles, and equipment assistance. These resources are available to EU and some non-EU countries upon request.

To maintain readiness, EMSA conducts regular training, drills, and exercises. It also offers expert advice for hazardous and noxious substance incidents through the MAR-ICE Network. In 2025 the Agency performed, with the active involvement of its Administative Board and national experts, a thorough review of the pollution response services aimed at ensuring their relevance for the years to come and deciding on actions to be undertaken to adapt the services to new pollutants.

In order to provide additional support to the EU Member States’ pollution response mechanisms in a cost efficient way, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) operates, in European waters, a range of pollution response services consisting of a Network of Standby Oil Spill Response Vessels, the Equipment Assistance Service (EAS) including specialised stand-alone equipment arrangements, as well as dispersant stockpiles. In addition the Agency is tasked to support Member States in case of marine incidents involving chemicals. Since 2009, EMSA is providing expert advice fohazardous and noxious substances (HNS) through its MAR-ICE Network.

To achieve the level of performance for pollution response required by the Agency, the contracted services have to perform regular training, drills, Equipment Condition Tests and exercises.