Luxembourg, 24/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 24 April, Siim Kallas unveiled his three-stage strategy to improve the safety of passenger vessels, at a special conference on the subject in Brussels, organised by the European Commission. Kallas' staff have already been working since 2010 on improving passenger safety, and the Commission will publish legislative proposals by the end of the year.
The European transport commissioner is planning three stages to avoid “doing nothing whilst waiting for the next disaster” (in reference to tragic accidents such as those of the Titanic, the Estonia or the Costa Concordia) and he argues that it would be just as imprudent to do nothing more than react once an accident has occurred.
In Kallas' view, there is no point in legislating more if the existing rules have not yet been properly implemented in many member states. He therefore intends to check this implementation more. He has already organised inspection visits in collaboration with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Referring to “solid European rules”, he stressed that “these need to be correctly implemented”.
Kallas intends to present new proposals which would extend the existing rules to passenger vessels made of glass fibre, smaller vessels, sailboats and even historic vessels. He is also considering updating stability rules to ensure that boats react better in the event of accidents or damage. The Commission will work with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Lastly, he intends to seek guarantees from the industry and maritime sector that all possible measures have been set in place for greater safety. The European Cruise Council has announced voluntary commitments which go beyond what is required by the law on points such as: planning itineraries, secure access to walkways and access to lifejackets on board. (MD/transl.fl)