EU Says Barcelona Convention Should Be Invoked to Deal With Syrian Oil Spill

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - The European Commission suggested on Wednesday that countries concerned invoke the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution, known as the Barcelona Convention, to address an oil spill in Syria.

"The Commission would further recommend that the relevant countries should activate the existing collaboration framework to respond to the oil pollution in the Mediterranean region which comes under the Barcelona Convention," Tim McPhie, the Commission spokesperson for Climate Action and Energy, said.

Due to reports of the oil spill moving toward Cyprus, the country requested technical assistance from the European maritime safety agency, with an oil recovery vessel already offered, the official added.

The spill was first detected a week ago at the Baniyas thermal station on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. A tank filled with some 15,000 tonnes of oil began to leak into the sea.