The implementation of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment in the Baltic Sea Region is supervised by the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). Nordic cooperation on the response to oil and chemical discharges is agreed upon in the Copenhagen Agreement. The Nordic countries have also agreed on cooperation to prevent oil pollution in the Arctic region with Canada, Russia and the United States. In addition, Finland has bilateral agreements on oil spill response cooperation with Russia and Estonia.
The International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) has been concluded under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization. The parties to the Convention have also adopted a Protocol to the OPRC relating response to damage from hazardous and noxious substances (OPRC-HNS Protocol). The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) complements EU countries' response resources with equipment for joint use as well as with leased response vessels.
