Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-11-21-Speech-4-185"
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"en.20021121.7.4-185"2
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"Mr President, the wreck of the oil tanker
off the coast of Galicia is a great misfortune the like of which should never again have happened in the Union after the
accident. Member States have committed to the practice whereby loading ports are obliged to assess the condition of vessels and, if necessary, stop the ship from leaving without repairs being done if the risk is considered to be too great.
Unfortunately, this practice still does not apply to the applicant countries, and this ship had picked up its cargo at a port in the Baltic Sea. The risk is especially great in the Baltic, where there is heavy regular traffic and consignments often consist of materials and substances that the Baltic ecology simply would not be able to withstand if harmed by them.
As someone who lives on the Baltic coast I now wish to express my deep sorrow for the residents of Galicia and all those whose livelihood is now in great peril.
Obviously, making ports responsible for the condition of vessels to be loaded is not enough. The owners of freight must also be made accountable, as they also have an interest in ensuring that their consignments are organised responsibly and safely. Secondly, the practices of insurance companies and the terms and conditions they offer will have to be changed if necessary by means of Community legislation so that the cheapest option for a shipowner is not sinking his ship when it is in distress. Insurance law must be based on the notion that rescuing the ship must be possible and the cheapest option for the policyholder.
We have to switch to these practices swiftly and without making any exceptions. It is regrettable that the legislators should become wise and energetic only after an accident has happened. When, however, the accident has faded in people’s memories no wise or urgent measures are taken to avoid accidents in the future. On the contrary, everyone frantically starts looking after their own interests and the struggle to lengthen the periods of transition commences, as people want to dodge the regulations in the hope of getting off lightly. We need a
package as an extension to the
package, which the Commission should start drafting right away with a view to producing something quickly."@en1
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