Brussels, 03/08/2010 (Agence Europe) - Stefania Prestigiacomo, Italy's Environment Minister, is the first EU minister to publicly rally to the suggestion made by European Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger that there should be a moratorium on oil drilling in deep waters. Cited by the British daily, The Financial Times, on 1 August, Prestigiacomo says that an international moratorium might be “appropriate” until the 21 Mediterranean littoral countries - European or not - find a “common voice”, while the British oil giant BP - despite the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico - starts up deep water offshore drilling off the coast of Libya.
By way of the agreement signed with Tripoli in 2007, BP is to begin drilling in the Gulf of Sirte within the next few weeks. Its new programme provides for five deepwater wells in water of at least 1,700 metres in depth, which is slightly more than the Deepwater Horizon drilling responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico after the explosion of the drilling platform off the coast of the United States in April this year. In addition to the controversy over obtaining the Libyan contract (BP is accused of having put pressure on the British authorities with a view to obtaining the release of a Libyan terrorist in order to gain the exploration contract off Libya, a contract worth $900 million), concern is mounting with regard to protection of the Mediterranean ecosystem. Italy, in particular, has expressed concern. Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini last week requested that the question of BP operations in the Gulf of Sirte be referred to the Union for the Mediterranean.
In The Financial Times, Italy's environment minister underlines the “serious concerns” of the Mediterranean littoral countries, and announces his support for the proposal made by Commissioner Oettinger for a moratorium on oil drilling in deep water (see EUROPE 10177 and 10182). Prestigiacomo states: “A moratorium could be a right approach for potentially dangerous drilling … to give Europe time to define a new and specific strategy for the Mediterranean especially in the light of the risk exposed by the Deepwater Horizon spill”. The British daily also highlights the lack of a unified energy policy in the Mediterranean, thus leaving exploration decisions up to the littoral countries. Early July, Italy approved a new legislation for banning offshore drilling at less than 5 miles from the coast and 12 miles from the perimeter of protected marine reserves. (E.H./transl.jl)