Host Nation Support on SAR and oil spill response

When an incident overwhelms national capacities and assistance is needed from abroad, the responsible authority in Norway has to make a formal request. DSB has established such a national contact point - international desk staffed 24/7 (reached by int@dsb.no or phone +47 975 11 658). This contact point can assist competent authorities with requests concerning international assistance. Host Nation Support (HNS) in SAR operations is defined by DSB as follows “HNS will constitute a concrete set of resources organised in a specific manner” (DSB 2014). This means that the Norwegian SAR-stakeholders have plans available to what to do and how to a) request, b) receive, c) support, and d) end the terms of HNS. This includes the elimination of administrative and legal obstacles and and adequate procedures to reduce mobilization time.

Capacities for cooperation in Norway are specifically defined by the nomination of the lead ministry, emergency coordination by the Government Emergency Management Council (GEMC), and support function by the Government Emergency Support Unit (GESU). GEMC is there to increase the potential for cooperation between the responsible ministries and coordinates strategic decisions and communication (Lægreid and Rykkja 2013).

This figure shows the international cooperation of capabilities of Norway when it comes to HNS. It illustrates the procedure for how Norwegian authorities can request assistance from abroad.

Figure 8: Illustration of procedure for how Norwegian authorities can request assistance from abroad (DSB, 2014)

When international assistance is requested, an assessment must be made of whether receiving this assistance will require extra resources on the part of Norway. The request for HNS is directed to the Civil Defense district, which has a 24-hour watch system. Norwegian Civil Defense and Norwegian Armed Forces may in addition provide escort-resources. DSB has to make a plan for HNS, involving Norwegian Civil Defense, Norwegian Armed Forces and other resources, make sure to arrange administrative support, clear customs, provide facilities, accommodation, transportation, logistics support etc. All emergency help from abroad (personnel, equipment or other resources) utilizes a special visa exemption, easing of quarantine regulations, exemption from import customs etc.

Special exemptions apply for different categories of resources, however goods may still have to be processed upon entry and go via staffed customs (in most cases during office hours 08:00-15:30). DSB provides HNS liaisons and acts as link, communicator, control between the Norwegian response leader organization and the foreign resources. Yet, also the sectoral authorities relevant to emergency preparedness including JRCC also have their own liaison responsible person.

HNS liaisons will work together with each sectoral authority’s leader and customs to ensure tracking the foreign resources when they leave Norway.

When it comes to the potential for cooperation in Host Nation Support from Norwegian side, it is the authority with “sectoral responsibility” such as the JRCCs and the Norwegian Coastal Administration which has the obligation to request assistance. If this authority has no arrangements with foreign capacities they may collaborate with another authority which has contact points with foreign entities, such as DSB in Norway holding fixed lines of communications and procedures with international organizations UN, NATO and EU. Yet in most cases, requests for assistance have to go through approval of the political leadership, and pass via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In case of acute pollution

or major oil spill, the Norwegian Coastal Administration will take care of this contact (DSB 2014).

An example of significant international cooperation was the forest fires in Southern Norway and Southern Sweden in the summer of 2018. Reinforcements were sent from the fire and rescue brigades, the Civil Defense as well as fire fighting helicopters and planes from several EU countries to strengthen the local forces.

Few countries have sufficient resources for combating major oil spills and other pollution incidents on their own over a longer time. NCA have the responsibility on behalf of Norway to follow up the different international agreements on mutual assistance. The following agreements and international cooperation is currently in place.

Copenhagen Agreement

Denmark including Greenland and the Faroe Island, Iceland, Finland including Åland, Sweden and Norway are parties to this agreement, which covers mutual notification, assistance and aerial surveillance of oil and other chemicals at sea.

Bonn Agreement

In order to limit acute oil and chemical pollution in the North Sea including Ireland, all countries bordering on the North Sea have entered into an agreement on mutual notification, assistance and environmental surveillance.

Norway–Russia Oil spill agreement in the Barents Sea

Norway and Russia have signed agreements on, among other issues, mutual notification, drills and combating acute oil spills in the Barents Sea.

NORBRIT Plan

Norway and the UK have developed the Norbrit Plan for joint counter pollution operations in the zone extending 50 miles either side of the median line separating the UK and Norwegian continental shelf.

Arctic oil spill agreement and Arctic Cooperation

The eight Arctic States signed in 2013 the Agreement on Arctic Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response on, among other issues, mutual notification, drills and combating acute oil spills in the Arctic.

The Arctic Council

The Arctic Council consists of eight countries that have interests in the Arctic.

NCA is involved in the Council’s work on acute pollution preparedness through the committee for Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR).

EPPR has established a Marine Environmental Response Expert Group (MER EG) with the primary task to follow up the Arctic oil spill agreement, often named MOSPA.

European agreements

Norway is a member of EMSA (European Maritime Safety Agency). NCA participates in the cooperation on Marine oil and chemical Pollution. NCA is Norway’s contact unit for notifications and request for assistance related to marine pollution via the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC). This is the similar role as DSB have for Civil Protection issues.

IMO (The International Maritime Organization)

NCA is involved in the IMO’s work on preparedness against acute pollution. NCA participates in the Pollution, Prevention, Response (PPR) sub-committee, which among other things follows up the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation. To a certain extent, the department also participates in the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC).

(Source: www.kystverket.no)

If NCA activates one of the agreements above and requests assistance, NCA will also have to establish the Host Nation Support (HNS) plan. This plan is based on the EU HNS Guidelines, IMO International Offers of Assistance Guidelines and the Norwegian guidelines from DSB. In case of major emergencies, HNS might be relevant with respect to addressing the international assistance and including other actors in response. Within oil spill preparedness the responsibility lies with the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Norwegian Coastal Administration. Requests for assistance from abroad will go through the established channels for which this sector is responsible (DSB, 2014).