Strasbourg, 21/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption last week of the report by Irish Green member Patricia McKenna, the European Parliament amended the Council's common position on the draft decision establishing a Community framework for cooperation in the field of accidental or intentional marine pollution. The Parliament reintroduced, with clarifications in some cases, the amendments that it had made at first reading and that had not been taken on board by the Council. It insists in favour of the notion of "dangerous substances" to be defined in order to include all material covered by the international maritime code for dangerous goods and all ammunition dumping. The plenary did not gather a sufficient majority for reintroducing radioactive substances in the definition of dangerous substances. The Parliament hopes, also, to specify that accidental marine pollution must cover all dumping in the marine environment of harmful substances, from civilian and military sectors, as well as directly into the sea or surface waters on the coast or in river estuaries, or dumping of material submerged beforehand. It also calls on the Member States to cooperate for ensuring application of the "polluter pays" principle.
During the debate, Commissioner Margot Wallström accepted several amendments of the EP but was against including radioactive substances or munitions in definitions. She acknowledged that these products may be the source of pollution but that they should be covered by a different legal framework.