HELMEPA, the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association is this year celebrating 25 years of operation.

With the motto «to Save the Seas», Greek seafarers and shipowners voluntarily created HELMEPA, a unique collective effort for the prevention of marine pollution from ships with man himself and the Greek «filotimo» as weapons.
On Wednesday, June 6th 2007, at 19.00 hours, at Dimitris Mitropoulos hall of the Athens Concert Hall and at the presence of representatives of the State, the European Commission and the Diplomatic Corps as well as professionals from the Greek and international maritime community and its members, HELMEPA will present its work. It is about initiatives undertaken with the free will of all those who participate from both the maritime industry sector and that of the school community in Greece and elsewhere.
1982-2007: 25 Years of Voluntary Commitment «TO SAVE THE SEAS» HELMEPA is a UNEP/MAP Partner and an Alternate Member of the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development (MCSD)

Objective
HELMEPA, the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association is a voluntary, non-profit and non-governmental organization was jointly founded by Greek seafarers and shipowners in Greece. The mandate of this Association is to instill and nurture environmental consciousness within the Greek maritime community. The Environmental Awareness Sector of HELMEPA offers gratis to the wider public and especially the younger generation, environmental information and education so that each one of us becomes aware of the real dimensions of marine pollution and how we all relate to it.


Dear Mr. Nicolas Pappadakis,
On the behalf of the Committee and members of the Nautical Institute of Ukraine heartily congratulate the Governing Body and the whole Staff of HELMEPA on the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the Association!
In June 1982 on the initiative of George P. Livanos the representatives of the Panelenic Federation of Seamen and the Union of Greek Shipowners signed the agreement on the foundation of the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA) whose main purpose was «To Save the Seas». By this voluntary Act the maritime community of Greece has undertaken to eliminate the pollution of the sea, resulting from the operation of ships.
In the quickly changing World we live in, the 25th Anniversary of the activity of the Association is certainly an important landmark on its way to the achievement of high noble purposes put forward when founding the HELMEPA.
It is a well known fact that the most grounded practically and scientifically conventions, laws and regulations on the sea protection from pollution will act effectively only when every person engaged in the shipping consciously sure of the necessity of their implementation.
In this connection we are satisfied to note that in the course of the past quarter of a century HELMEPA has taken an organizational shape, strengthened in methodical and scientific sense and considerably extended its activity and influence not only within Greece but also in other regions of the world having heavy maritime traffic.
Today HELMEPA has won the international recondition as a public organization facilitating the formation of the ecological consciousness and culture among seafarers and all those engaged in transport operations at sea. The efforts of the Association in the cause of the protection of the sea environment from pollution serves the interests of all the Mankind and is in full compliance with the principles of the sustainable development of the World society as defined by the Rio-de Janeiro Conference (1992).
Manysided and effective activity of the Association aimed at the preservation of the cleanness of the Sea environment is well known, highly appraised and supported in Ukraine. We hope that a branch of HELMEPA – UKRMEPA with the same purposes and tasks will be founded in our country in the near future.
Receive our heartily congratulations on the Jubilee and wishes of every success to HELMEPA in achieving the noble purposes put forward.

Professor Vladimir Torskiy, FNI Honorary Secretary NI of Ukraine

SINCERE GRATITUDE