The ADRIASPILL Conference 2026, held in Zadar (Croatia) on 21-23 April, brought together experts, institutions, and practitioners to address the prevention and response to marine pollution in the Adriatic Sea.
Organised by the ASAP project partner ATRAC, the event provided a key platform for regional dialogue in a shared and highly sensitive marine basin where risks are inherently transnational.
Within this framework, the CEI-Executive Secretariat , acting as Lead Partner of the ASAP project, presented the first results achieved, highlighting progress towards a more coordinated and effective response to accidental marine pollution.
A highlight of the programme took place at sea, where participants were introduced to ASAP’s initial outputs, including:
- Adriatic-wide risk and vulnerability assessments
- a shared database of anti-pollution resources
- the testing of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), notably during the Dubrovnik exercise in October 2025
- upcoming joint activities, including a new exercise planned in Slovenia in 2026
These results contribute to strengthening joint operational capacity and improving cross-border coordination, in line with the project’s objective of protecting the most sensitive areas of the Adriatic through common procedures.
On the margins of the conference, ASAP partners held a dedicated meeting to further develop and test SOPs through a workshop involving project partners and stakeholders, with a view to enhancing coordination mechanisms ahead of the next exercise at sea.
Discussions also addressed the integration of these procedures into broader regional frameworks, including the future Adriatic Contingency Plan, and explored options for ensuring long-term cooperation among Adriatic countries.
The activities carried out within ASAP are laying the foundations for a Permanent Coordination Platform aimed at ensuring sustained collaboration and a more effective joint response to pollution incidents across the Adriatic region.
In a semi-enclosed basin such as the Adriatic Sea, preparedness cannot be addressed at national level alone. The ADRIASPILL Conference confirmed that cooperation is already underway, with initiatives such as ASAP contributing to turning it into concrete operational practice.
