Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-09-21-Speech-2-642"
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"en.20100921.22.2-642"2
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"Mr President, honourable Member, ladies and gentlemen, this topic remains very high on my agenda. Most recently, on 7 July, we debated here in plenary five key areas for action for ensuring the best possible safety worldwide for offshore operations in Europe and neighbouring regions. We are now investigating which measures are necessary and appropriate. One aspect is checks and controls. We want to ensure that the highest safety standards are consistently applied within the EU. This requires close cooperation – closer than at present – with and between national regulators in the Member States, which currently bear a substantial responsibility, and which are responsible for inspections and for the regulations and compliance therewith.
We want to ensure that the Member States apply uniform controls on offshore activities that are equally stringent across Europe. Under current law, the authorisation of offshore activities also falls within the remit of the Member States. Prior to this summer, my advice was to apply caution in respect of offshore activities and to make this subject to ongoing work or the granting of licences, particularly when working in extreme conditions and circumstances. Some EU Member States, including Italy, have decided to take this preventive approach. The Commission will then take steps to guarantee a high level of security worldwide. We are talking for the time being about European regions, specifically the Mediterranean. We have a common interest in the environment here, because an accident in EU waters could rapidly have devastating consequences for the southern coast of the Mediterranean and
. We have therefore been in contact with the competent ministries in Algeria and Libya and proposed to the ministers that we actively cooperate in this area. The environmental quality of the Mediterranean cannot be divided.
The Commission is working to propose high security standards worldwide. We are therefore in discussion and in contact with US authorities and with the Capitol. In my opinion, European legislation should include clear rules on liability. Improvements can be made in this area, in particular, expansion of the geographical scope of existing environmental law in order to allow greater coverage of aspects such as biodiversity and consequential damage. The directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law will enter into force at the end of this year. If necessary, we will propose further legislation.
As regards a code of conduct for enterprises operating in the Mediterranean, then we and the Member States want to and must ensure that the industry takes all possible measures to improve security, to bring about the highest level of prevention and to develop disaster recovery plans. This should be done not just for European waters, but for all waters – including those neighbouring the EU. We must check this aspect in authorisation procedures and demand proof that the operator has the technical capability to deal with critical situations. We must also demand evidence of financial capacity; in other words, that an operator is capable of bearing the costs of the damage caused by a worst case scenario. This could be subject to mandatory insurance if appropriate.
In a few weeks’ time, the Commission will present a communication on the security of oil and gas drilling in the offshore sector containing measures such as those outlined above, in order to ensure the highest degree of security for European citizens and the environment. We will also submit this communication to the parliamentary Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, where we will be happy to engage in more in-depth consultations on this matter."@en1
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