Brussels, 23/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger has convened a second meeting on 14 July - the first was on 11 May - with representatives of oil and gas companies operating in Europe and offshore and national surveillance authorities for discussions on the safety of oil and gas platforms. They will discuss the timeliness of reviewing Community legislation in this area, following the accident in the Gulf of Mexico in the United States. “No regulatory regime alone can give us 100% guarantees of safety. Much depends also on the attitude and practices of operators and on having an operational system available. I wish to make sure that the necessary legislation is in place and effectively implemented and that, at the same time, all possible efforts are made by the industry to avoid a similar accident and consequent oil spill. Politics and business need to work together to ensure that the European environment and the public are as safe as they possibly can be,” Oettinger said in a press release. At the meeting on 11 May, he asked industry representatives from OGP, BP, BP Group, ConcocoPhilips, Apache, Chevron, ENI, ExxonMobil, Nexen, Repsol, Shell, Statoil, Maersk O&G, and Total to complete a questionnaire indicating the preventative measures they have in place to inform the discussions on 14 July. The Commission is currently analysing the existing EU and national legislation and will complete its assessment on this basis. Depending on the results, Oettinger will bring forward new legislative and policy proposals this autumn.
EU legislation provides the framework for safety of operations as well as environmental protection both in general and in case of an accident. Oil platforms are regulated under the Directive 94/9/EC which sets minimum industrial safety standards. The control of the platforms falls within the competence of national authorities. Workers on oil platforms are protected under the framework directive for health and safety of workers 89/391/EEC. As on- and off-shore drilling of oil is a high-risk sector, the EU has also adopted specific legislation, directive 92/91/EC which contains detailed minimum health and safety provisions, in particular from fire and explosions, escape facilities and alarms systems. In the event of accidents, offshore drilling operations are subject to the relevant EU environmental legislation, including directives on environmental impact assessment, habitats and wild birds directives, environmental liability, and the water framework directive for coastal waters. While the responsibility lies with the affected coastal state, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) supports pollution response action. EMSA has a fleet of oil recovery vessels under contract in the different EU seas, which can be mobilised on request under the Civil Protection Mechanism of the EU. (E.H./transl.rt)