Brussels, 10/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - Last week's Transport Council adopted conclusions on the sinking of the "Prestige", urging Member States to take concrete steps. Here are the details of these conclusions (other than measures affecting single-hulled oil tankers: see EUROPE of 7 December, p.8):
At Community level: Member States should: (1) enter into agreements with their respective industries ensuring that older single hulled vessels do not carry heavy grades of fuel. To that end, the Commission will develop a standard agreement and work with Member States so that such measures are established world-wide; (2) adopt measures enabling certain countries to limit the traffic of ships carrying hazardous or polluting goods within 200 miles of their coastline. For its part, the Commission should study measures aimed at limiting the presence of single hulled oil tankers over 15 years old carrying heavy grades of oil within the exclusive economic zone of the Member States or within 200 miles of their coastline; (3) rapidly establish places of refuge for ships in distress no later than 1 July 2003 (by examining with the Commission the financial compensation for the places of refuge) and contribute to the setting up of similar measures internationally; (4) include ships in transit on European coastlines in the obligation of pilots to make a report. The Council welcomes the Commission's intention of proposing "appropriate sanctions" for all persons having caused (or participated) in an accident through gross negligent behaviour and urges it to examine a common mechanism whereby all the actors concerned (oil and shipping companies, shipowners, charterers and insurance companies) provide the means to combat such disasters.
Internationally: the Council backs all efforts made internationally to improve the working conditions of seafarers, as well as ongoing work within the IMO aimed at developing a flag State code and a compulsory model audit scheme aimed at ensuring that flag States carry out their duties under international conventions. Furthermore. It calls on Member States to work within the IMO to develop requirements relating to the protection of large fuel oil tanks of all categories of ships against collision and stranding, and supports the Commission's efforts at elaborating co-operation programmes with candidate countries, countries of the Mediterranean and Russia regarding maritime safety and pollution prevention.