2.2. Risk governance challenges in the Greek Search and Rescue Region (SRR)
Greece, owing to its great number of islands, has obligations over an extended Search and Rescue Region (SRR), presented in Fig. 1, overlapping in many cases with those of its neighboring countries. This authority is daily exercised on different occasions ranging from emergency medical help to rescue operations in endangered ships sailing in both the Aegean and Ionian Sea together with the saving of hundreds of thousands of immigrants trying to trespass Greek waters. Regarding the oil & gas industry, Greece is having three offshore platforms in the northern part of the Aegean Sea, situated on deep waters away from the coast. The onshore part of this industry is a SEVESO company that functions in close collaboration with local competent authorities. Its operation started in the late 60’s without any major accident on its offshore platforms up to day. The platforms are “treated” by the Greek legislation as “ships” and the SAR procedures followed are the ones followed in an endangered ship.