Europe cautious on new safety moves

Citation

Tutt, N. (2001), "Europe cautious on new safety moves", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 10 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2001.07310aab.001

Europe cautious on new safety moves

Europe cautious on new safety moves

EU member states have given a cautious reception to a second round of maritime safety measures in the wake of last December's break-up of the Erika oil tanker, according to diplomats.

They were commenting after the commission held talks with member states and industry groups at which the commission scaled down its proposals for liability and compensation for oil spills. "There was a much more calm approach from the commission side because the bottom line was that the only aspect [on liability compensation] is the question of an extra EU layer on the top of the international oil pollution fund," one diplomat said.

"On liability for more players, the commission said at this stage it would not touch these points and would see what happens now in the international working party," he added.

The commission has proposed an EU compensation ceiling of as much as US$1 billion and would follow yesterday's International Maritime Organisation deal to raise the international ceiling by 50 percent to $260 million.

Concerned

Member state officials told the commission this week that they are concerned an EU top-up could put at risk the higher international ceiling while the need for a higher ceiling has not been made out, the official continued.

"We need some proof of that figure (the $1 billion ceiling). I am not sure that the Erika has been figured out. It could be completely covered by the international fund," he said.

The commission has cited a $400 million compensation figure for the Erika but the official said claims are typically three-times over-estimated.

Most member states are opposed to an EU top-up fund, though Spain and France supported it, with the Spanish expressing anger over failure to receive compensation for an eight-year-old oil spill.

Levy

Finland, which is concerned by any spills in the shallow Baltic Sea, favours an international fund, he said. Any top-up fund would, like the international fund, be paid for by a levy on oil importing companies, he said.

A second aspect of a second post-Erika package, for closer monitoring of ships entering EU waters with hazardous cargoes, also raised questions from member states.

Northern member states told the meeting that the law of the sea has the concept of "innocent passage" for vessels in international waters.

A non-EU flagged vessel could face significant reporting when passing through EU waters and this must not run counter to international law, they concluded.

Nigel TuttLloyd's Casualty Week, Vol. 322 No. 5,27 October 2000