Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-01-12-Speech-1-097"
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"en.20040112.7.1-097"2
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"Mr President, bearing in mind the severity with which breaches of the Highway Code are cracked down on, it is hard to understand the laxity from which those who pollute our marine environment and view the sea as a dustbin at present benefit, especially since most pollution by hydrocarbons stems from deliberate discharges rather than accidents. Every party involved in marine transport must be made to accept responsibility.
In our view, a system of criminal sanctions should be introduced, with heavy fines imposed, ships confined to harbour and sums demanded by way of guarantee. In France, the police port authority has recently set an example by imposing fines of EUR 250 000. Offending ships must be banned once and for all from EU ports in the event of repeat offences; joint Member State investigation teams must be strengthened, as permitted by the framework decision of 13 June 2002; and full use must be made of criminal investigations in the country in which the port is situated with a view to carrying out on-board inspections, hearing witnesses and taking samples. Cooperation must be strengthened between maritime police in detecting pollution and identifying the polluters; a European coastguard must be created in the long run; and Member States must be encouraged to transpose the European directives relating to safety at sea into their legislation, and must be penalised if they delay doing so.
At present, eight Member States, a number of which are quick to give lessons in ecology, appear not to respect Community legislation on classification societies and port state control. Let us not forget that, if the Erika I package had been respected, the
disaster could have been avoided. With the Motorway of the Sea project, the sea appears more than ever as an alternative to roads. For example, 350 000 lorries should embark each year at Montoire to travel to Spain. Strict, and strictly applied, maritime regulations are required, but they should be applied to everyone and not only to European ships."@en1
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