Strasbourg, 18/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - On the fringe of the debate on Tuesday afternoon in plenary (to which we shall return in detail), the United Left Group of the European Parliament briefed the press on the consequences that should be drawn from the oil slick caused in Brittany by the oil-tanker Erika (the debate was attended by Mrs Lebesque, who represented the community of Lorient and Nantes after this disaster). The president of the group, Francis Wurtz, mainly raised the problem of flags of convenience, recalling that over 40% of disasters recorded in the EU have been caused by vessels with such flags. Two applicant countries, Cyprus and Malta, hold most of the flags of convenience of the European fleet. This situation must be put right. Mr Wurtz also drew attention to the problem of the age of oil-tankers, and recalled that, out of the oil-tankers controlled in the EU for infringements, 15 were aged 15 or over, some 30 and one was "even more than 50 years old".
Co-leader of the Greens Group, Paul Lannoye, stressed for his part the problem of the "legal vacuum" existing in this matter. He spoke of the problem of responsibility for such disasters.