Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-11-30-Speech-4-006"
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"en.20001130.1.4-006"2
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". – Madam President, I believe it is beyond doubt that the Commission, like the French Presidency considers the question of maritime safety and environmental protection to be of extreme importance. In fact, it has been among the highest priority items on the Commission's agenda ever since the fatal sinking of the
11 months ago. Even more recently, only some weeks ago, another tanker, this time a chemical one, the
sank off the coast of France. Once again we were reminded of the potential disastrous consequences of such accidents.
The European public no longer tolerates oil spills or other environmental disasters caused by industrial accidents in shipping or otherwise. Indeed, citizens have the right to expect that ships are safe and that they can transport their cargo in an environmentally acceptable way without endangering the life and economy of people living on nearby coasts. Let me say that I saw the effects of the
accident myself whilst visiting the site and I know that it takes a very long time and a lot of manpower and, of course, money to clean up. The effects are disastrous. It is evident that, because of geography, it will always be the same regions that suffer the risks of maritime oil transports, despite the fact that the benefits of such transports are enjoyed by the Union as a whole.
We have taken this message very seriously indeed and it is exceptional that the Commission has acted so quickly and so consistently with six different legislative proposals within a year covering very different issues. All lie at the very heart of the regulations of shipping as a whole and I want to remind you that, in addition to the three proposals which are to be discussed here today, the ‘Erika II’ package, as Mr Gayssot has already mentioned, will be put on the table next week. This set of measures will propose the creation of a European maritime safety agency, a new European system for the adequate compensation of oil pollution victims and a new traffic surveillance system for EU waters.
This swift and focused approach resulting in the two ‘Erika’ packages and six proposals has created an enormous momentum. I believe it is fair to say that only after the
disaster did Member States and the international maritime community fully understand and feel the determination of the European institutions to improve maritime safety. They have realised that the determination remains even if such actions involve friction between the EU and the international maritime institutions and tension with the economic interests of the maritime industry.
Now that there are Commission proposals on the table we must not lose this momentum and forget the issue until the next accident happens. In order to make a real change for maritime safety, the three institutions, but in particular the two co-legislators, must adopt the texts. Legislation alone is not enough. Member States must also ensure that they have the proper means to implement it, in particular I am thinking of the necessary recruitment of port state control inspectors. Otherwise the benefit of the exercise will not be what the public expects from us. On behalf of the Commission, I can assure you that it is our clear intention not to spare any effort to make ships safer and our seas cleaner, both next year and in the years to come. This goes for all sectors of maritime transport.
I wish to conclude by thanking Mr Gayssot, President of the Transport Council of Ministers, for his encouraging comments. We hope and expect that the Transport Council, on 21 December, will add their part to the common determination among the European institutions to bring about a real improvement in maritime safety by the adoption of common positions on all three texts. The Commission is not ready to accept any compromise just for the sake of achieving a compromise.
Finally, I wish to thank this House and in particular the rapporteurs, Mr Hatzidakis, Mr Ortuondo Larrea, Ms McKenna and Mr Watts, for their understanding of the importance of the first ‘Erika’ package which is evidenced by the excellent work already done in such a limited time, and for the generally good cooperation between Parliament and the Commission in the field of maritime safety."@en1
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