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1. This Regulation establishes a European Maritime Safety Agency (‘the Agency’) for the purpose of ensuring a high, uniform and effective level of maritime safety, maritime security, prevention of, and response to, pollution caused by ships as well as response to marine pollution caused by oil and gas installations.

2. To that end, the Agency shall cooperate with the Member States and the Commission and provide them with technical, operational and scientific assistance in the fields mentioned in paragraph 1 of this Article within the limits of the core tasks set out in Article 2 and, as and when applicable, the ancillary tasks set out in Article 2a, in particular in order to help the Member States and the Commission to apply the relevant legal acts of the Union properly. As regards the field of response to pollution, the Agency shall provide operational assistance only upon the request of the affected State(s).

3. By providing the assistance referred to in paragraph 2, the Agency shall, where appropriate, contribute to the overall efficiency of maritime traffic and maritime transport as set out in this Regulation, so as to facilitate the establishment of a European Maritime Transport Space without Barriers.