18/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - EP committee approves €160.5 million for EMSA. Members of the Parliamentary transport committee have approved the new budget and new tasks allocated to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), as negotiated in the institutional trialogue. On Tuesday 18 March they adopted the report by Knut Fleckenstein (S&D, Germany) by 30 votes to 5, with 1 abstention. The agreement sets out a €160.5 million budget for the agency's anti-pollution services during the 2014-2020 financial programming period. These will no longer be limited to surveillance and cleaning up marine pollution caused by ships. The responsibilities of the agency will also now cover environmental damage caused by offshore oilrigs. (MD)