Innsbruck, 07/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - During the informal meeting of European defence ministers in Innsbruck (Austria) (see related article), French Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie suggested to her EU counterparts on 7 March that together they should seek solutions to the problem of dismantling thousands of military (and civilian) vessels that are rotting away in the world with all the ensuing harmful ecological consequences. She above all called for a European working group to be set up to find synergies that could be operated in this field. According to some sources, the Austrian EU Presidency, as well as some Member States such as Germany and Sweden, was receptive to the arguments put forward by France. Ms Alliot-Marie explained to the other defence ministers that there were two centres in France for the destruction of decommissioned ships, in full safety, but that such installations were lacking for the dismantling of civilian and warships.
Alliot-Marie made her suggestions following the fiasco caused by President Chirac's decision on 15 February 2006 to repatriate the former French aircraft carrier Clemenceau whilst it was en route for India to be dismantled and have the asbestos removed. At the time of Chirac's decision, the former French flagship was in international waters in the Indian Ocean, a fortnight at sea from India. The ship is now heading back for France. After the Clemenceau affair, Jacques Chirac demitted that the question of end-of-life ships was very serious because dangerous waste should not be exported and marine cemeteries are not an acceptable solution.