ARCOPOL aims to improve prevention, response and mitigation capabilities against oil, HNS (Convention on the Carriage of Noxious and Hazardous Substances by Sea) and inert spills and to establish the basis for a sustainable Atlantic network of experts. The main objectives are: 1) To incorporate outputs from EROCIPS (Interreg IIIB) into strategic national, regional and local response levels. 2) To encourage development of transferable transnational techniques that strengthens statutory and non statutory emergency response. 3) To improve response capabilities in the event of HNS and inert spills and to include them in emergency action plans. 4) To improve the level of awareness and training of the potential responders and to increase the degree of stakeholder involvement. 5) To further encourage cross boarder collaboration between neighbouring countries to improve response strategies and enhance mutual aid capabilities, facilitating joint cross border training and exercises in the partner regions. 6) To improve mitigation capabilities by assessing current claim and compensation mechanisms as well as ecological damage compensation procedures and by developing guidelines, tools and standard methodologies.