Brussels, 27/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - Discussing, at Germany's request, the sinking of the oil tanker Erika off the French coast, the General Affairs Council "stressed the need to take measures at European and international level to improve the safety of oil tankers, so as to prevent such disasters occurring again". On that occasion, it took note of initiatives envisaged by the Commission, notably to tighten legislation on the types of vessels allowed in Europe, improving and intensifying safety inspections on ships in European ports and regarding the identification of the financial liability of disasters.
With its "conclusions", the General Affairs Council wanted to provide political support for the Transport Council, which will have to deliberate on the Commission's initiatives. As the Commissioner for Transport, Mrs. Loyola de Palacio has announced on several occasions, the Commission should submit a communication on shipping safety to the Transport Council of 28 March. It will, among other things, propose aligning European legislation on that of the United States to get rid of oil tankers that do not have "double hulls". The International Convention of Marpol has banned the construction of single-hulled ships since 1996, and provides for the gradual elimination of single-hulled ships once they have reached the age of 25. Bringing this regulation forward, the United States will ban entry into its ports of single-hulled ships from 2010 and entry of double-bottomed or double-sided ships from 2015, and from then on only admit double-hulled ships.