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European Union lawmakers
approved a series of proposals last Wednesday to
strengthen shipping safety and prevent oil
spills but the package still faces tough
negotiations with the bloc’s governments.
The European Parliament’s package will clearly
define tougher duties for states under whose
flags ships operate and will clarify vessel
owners’ liability and insurance obligations.
The proposed rules would also introduce a
stricter ship inspection regime and create
“places of refuge” at ports or bays for ships in
distress which would be overseen by independent
authorities in each country.
The measures are dubbed the “Erika III” package
after a tanker which sank off the coast of
France in 1999, spilling its cargo of oil.
“In the aftermath of the accident with the Erika
and the Prestige, we finally have succeeded in
developing a quick and efficient system for
giving assistance to ships in difficulty near
our coasts,” Belgian lawmaker Dirk Sterckx said
after the vote recently.
The Prestige tanker sank off the Galician coast
of Spain in 2002 causing a major oil slick.
The package would also make insurance compulsory
-- some 5% of EU shipping is uninsured -- and
allow compensation for passenger injury or loss
of baggage in line with other forms of
transport.
But some EU countries oppose creating a refuge
for ships in distress, fearing this would expose
their ports to financial and environmental risk.
Some governments are also reluctant to accept
new EU rules on flag states’ obligations and on
the civil liability of those responsible for
environmental disasters, preferring laws to be
enforced at a national level.
EU transport ministers are scheduled to debate
the proposals in October and further
negotiations with the parliament are likely
before the final shape of the legislation
emerges. |
