EU Parliament approves tough maritime rules
The European Parliament approved stricter maritime controls that may ban 200 ships from using Europe's ports to limit the risk of accidents such as the sinking of an oil tanker off the Spanish coast five years ago.
The European Union (EU) assembly voted yesterday to widen inspections of commercial ships at EU ports and impose harsher penalties on vessels that fail safety standards. The number of ships banned by the 27-nation EU could increase to about 200 from 15 as a result, according to the European Commission, the bloc's regulatory arm, which is pushing for the tougher rules.
'Our aim is to eliminate the rust buckets that pollute our seas,' said Dominique Vlasto, a French member who steered the measure through the Parliament in Strasbourg. The legislation still needs the backing of EU governments, which may give their support in June.
The EU is seeking to give teeth to International Maritime Organisation rules on safety and the environment after oil spills from the sinking of the Prestige off Spain's north-west coast in 2002 as well as the wreck of the Erika off France's Atlantic coast in 1999.
With 25 per cent of the world fleet, the bloc also wants to ensure a level playing field and fight 'flags of convenience' used by ship owners to bypass shipping regulations. 'It's a good time for shipping; a lot of money is being made these days,' said Fotis Karamitsos, a maritime transport director at the commission. 'We don't want unfair competition.'
The EU has already decided to ban single-hull oil tankers, increased in-depth ship inspections sixfold to 4,000 a year and set an annual inspection target of 25 per cent of vessels in ports. The bloc also introduced criminal sanctions for maritime pollution and began publishing a blacklist of banned vessels.
The new measures endorsed by the EU Parliament would set a 100 per cent inspection target, create a 'risk profile' to allow targeting of the least safe vessels and allow for permanent bans. The proposals would also establish a minimum prohibition period of three months and add the names of ship owners to the blacklist.
'There are too many substandard boats that are getting through the mesh,' said EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot. 'We want to control all shipping.'
The Brussels-based commission proposed the tougher inspection rules in late 2005 and says most of the additional vessels that would be prohibited are cargo ships - a category that's not covered by the existing rules on banning.
The current list of 15 banned vessels includes 10 bulk carriers under the flags of countries such as Cambodia, Panama and Comoros, two oil tankers under the flags of Panama and St Vincent and the Grenadines, a chemical tanker under the flag of Cambodia and two passenger ships under the flags of Turkey and Honduras.
Over the past five years, the EU has banned a total of 54 ships. Of those, 64 per cent have been bulk carriers, 14 per cent chemical tankers and 9 per cent oil tankers. The strengthening of ship inspections is part of a package of draft maritime legislation from the commission that would also allow for fines against classification societies - the organisations that certify vessels.
The Parliament backed this proposal as well yesterday, citing 'significant failings' in the current certification system involving 13 classification societies recognised by the EU such as Lloyd's Register of Shipping, the American Bureau of Shipping and the Hellenic Register of Shipping.
More controversially, the maritime legislation proposed by the commission includes a third measure that would link international safety agreements to European law. This step would give EU regulators the power to take member states to court for failing to enforce standards covering matters such as dangerous goods, pollution prevention, traffic separation and personnel training.
EU governments including the UK, Germany and Sweden oppose this measure on 'flag-state obligations' and refuse to act on it. The Parliament gave its backing to this proposal last month in bid to press EU governments to advance the measure. The Parliament and commission say this provision, which encroaches on the sovereignty of EU governments, is a cornerstone of the new maritime package because it would bolster international agreements.
The European Union (EU) assembly voted yesterday to widen inspections of commercial ships at EU ports and impose harsher penalties on vessels that fail safety standards. The number of ships banned by the 27-nation EU could increase to about 200 from 15 as a result, according to the European Commission, the bloc's regulatory arm, which is pushing for the tougher rules.
'Our aim is to eliminate the rust buckets that pollute our seas,' said Dominique Vlasto, a French member who steered the measure through the Parliament in Strasbourg. The legislation still needs the backing of EU governments, which may give their support in June.
The EU is seeking to give teeth to International Maritime Organisation rules on safety and the environment after oil spills from the sinking of the Prestige off Spain's north-west coast in 2002 as well as the wreck of the Erika off France's Atlantic coast in 1999.
With 25 per cent of the world fleet, the bloc also wants to ensure a level playing field and fight 'flags of convenience' used by ship owners to bypass shipping regulations. 'It's a good time for shipping; a lot of money is being made these days,' said Fotis Karamitsos, a maritime transport director at the commission. 'We don't want unfair competition.'
The EU has already decided to ban single-hull oil tankers, increased in-depth ship inspections sixfold to 4,000 a year and set an annual inspection target of 25 per cent of vessels in ports. The bloc also introduced criminal sanctions for maritime pollution and began publishing a blacklist of banned vessels.
The new measures endorsed by the EU Parliament would set a 100 per cent inspection target, create a 'risk profile' to allow targeting of the least safe vessels and allow for permanent bans. The proposals would also establish a minimum prohibition period of three months and add the names of ship owners to the blacklist.
'There are too many substandard boats that are getting through the mesh,' said EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot. 'We want to control all shipping.'
The Brussels-based commission proposed the tougher inspection rules in late 2005 and says most of the additional vessels that would be prohibited are cargo ships - a category that's not covered by the existing rules on banning.
The current list of 15 banned vessels includes 10 bulk carriers under the flags of countries such as Cambodia, Panama and Comoros, two oil tankers under the flags of Panama and St Vincent and the Grenadines, a chemical tanker under the flag of Cambodia and two passenger ships under the flags of Turkey and Honduras.
Over the past five years, the EU has banned a total of 54 ships. Of those, 64 per cent have been bulk carriers, 14 per cent chemical tankers and 9 per cent oil tankers. The strengthening of ship inspections is part of a package of draft maritime legislation from the commission that would also allow for fines against classification societies - the organisations that certify vessels.
The Parliament backed this proposal as well yesterday, citing 'significant failings' in the current certification system involving 13 classification societies recognised by the EU such as Lloyd's Register of Shipping, the American Bureau of Shipping and the Hellenic Register of Shipping.
More controversially, the maritime legislation proposed by the commission includes a third measure that would link international safety agreements to European law. This step would give EU regulators the power to take member states to court for failing to enforce standards covering matters such as dangerous goods, pollution prevention, traffic separation and personnel training.
EU governments including the UK, Germany and Sweden oppose this measure on 'flag-state obligations' and refuse to act on it. The Parliament gave its backing to this proposal last month in bid to press EU governments to advance the measure. The Parliament and commission say this provision, which encroaches on the sovereignty of EU governments, is a cornerstone of the new maritime package because it would bolster international agreements.
