Giglio, 13/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 12 April, the Council and Parliament sang from the same hymn sheet in agreeing that the remit of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) should be extended to cover the prevention of maritime pollution, counter-piracy, the training of seafarers, and the creation of an EU maritime area without barriers, especially barriers due to red tape. Knut Fleckenstein (S&D, Germany), who was rapporteur on the issue, took the view that talks conducted in trialogue had reached a “reasonable” agreement, although he admitted feeling frustrated by the fact that there is not yet a legal framework, which considerably delays implementation of the guidelines agreed upon.
Prevention of pollution. The agreement revising EC Regulation 1406/2002 will be submitted to Coreper on 17 April, and to the parliamentary committee for transport and tourism on 24 April, before it is adopted in plenary, in May. Once formally adopted by both, EMSA's influence may then be extended to cover certain areas in particular. It is a major achievement for the EP that EMSA may henceforth follow a proactive approach when it comes to environmental disasters due to maritime pollution. EMSA will be able to prevent pollution from offshore oil and gas installations, and take action if required. “The agency will provide assistance to member states (…) and also develop an information-sharing system that will strengthen prevention, foster best practices and speed up the response to any disaster”, Fleckenstein explained after the debate.
Better training and counter-piracy measures. The Parliament was also keen to set out clear specifications for the training of seafarers, and to improve the profession's prestige to make it more attractive. Fleckenstein would have liked EMSA to contribute to giving the profession a more modern and interesting image, but he came up against the reticence of member states that showed little enthusiasm for the idea of joint action. EMSA could, moreover, be given a mandate for contributing to the fight against piracy, as the Parliament advocates. Finally, EMSA would be able to reduce bureaucracy and red tape in order to do away with the obstacles hampering a European maritime area.
Extended power a necessity. “The extension of the Maritime Safety Agency's mandate to include these competences is much needed in the EU, as recent cases of oil spills, growing levels of sea pollution and also cruise accidents like the Concordia have shown”, Fleckenstein said. The president of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), Jean-Yves Le Drian, who, at the same time, was chairing a conference on maritime safety and passenger transport on the island of Giglio, at the very spot where the cruise ship ran aground, also hailed the outcome of talks on EMSA, explaining to Agence Europe that: “Anything that gives extra powers to EMSA is to be supported. This organisation must play its full part as it is necessary to do more in the field of prevention.” He recommended, however, that more should be done to take maritime law forward, citing as an example the regulation in force for aviation. His association, the CPMR, also plans to do what it takes to bring about an Erika 4 package. (MD/transl.jl)