Another accident at sea underlines the need for further safeguards - Commission
Loyola de Palacio, the Commission Vice president in charge of transport and energy has expressed her 'deep concern' over repeated accidents in European waters, which endanger the marine environment and European coastline. 'I would like to stress again the high priority of the Commission's proposals on marine safety, which should be implemented as soon as possible,' she said after the most recent accident in the Baltic Sea on 29 March, just south of Denmark. The accident happened when chemical tanker 'Baltic carrier', loaded with some 30,000 tonnes of medium heavy oil, collided with the bulk carrier 'Tern', which had a cargo of sugar. There were no casualties, but some 1900 tonnes of oil spilled into the sea. 'The fact that this was reportedly a new, double hull vessel has helped the avoid an even bigger catastrophe,' said the Commission The Commission is encouraging more double-hulled boats to be built in the first of two sets of measures on marine pollution, which it has put to the Council and the European Parliament. These are dubbed 'Erika I' and 'Erika II' The first, which is due to be approved very soon, according to the Commission, covers tighter controls on ports, as well as on classification societies, and the accelerated use of double hull oil takers. 'Erika II' is due to be discussed in the next transport Council on 5 April. This covers stricter control of maritime traffic, better compensation for damage from coastal pollution, and establishing a European maritime safety agency.