92002E3403

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3403/02

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE),José Mendiluce Pereiro (PSE) and Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(29 November 2002)

Subject: Ecological disaster caused by the Prestige oil spill

On 13 November 2002 the Prestige oil tanker had an extremely serious accident off the coast of Galicia.

As a result of the oil spill which followed, and which may still continue, Spain and Europe are now facing a major ecological, social and economic disaster.

In the wake of a series of similar disasters (the accidents involving the Urquiola in 1976, the Amoco Cadiz in 1978, the Cason in 1987, the Aegean Sea in 1992, the Braer in 1993, the Sea Empress in 1996 and the ERIKA in 1999) the European Union has adopted a large number of texts in this field. Nevertheless, all the signs are that the checks imposed on the transport of oil by sea do not guarantee adequate protection.

What measures will the Council adopt in response to the Prestige disaster with regard to maritime safety and the immediate consequences of the oil spill for the environment, economy and communities affected?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-3282/02, E-3403/02 and E-3438/02

(13 May 2003)

The Council would remind the Honourable Members that it has already taken the opportunity of the plenary part-session in Strasbourg in December 2002 and Question Time in January 2003 to give a full account of its position and intentions regarding the transport of dangerous products by sea.

The Council would therefore refer them to the conclusions adopted at its meetings on 6 and 9 December 2002 and to the conclusions of the Copenhagen European Council on 12/13 December 2002.

Since then the Council has begun examining a Commission proposal for a Regulation which would bring forward the dates for phasing out single-hull oil tankers and prohibit the transport of heavy grades of oil in single-hull tankers bound for or leaving European Union ports.

The Council would mention, in addition, that the European Council welcomed the action undertaken by the Commission to confront the economic, social and environmental consequences of the wreck of the Prestige, in the framework of the present financial perspectives, and its intention to examine the need for further specific measures. Amongst these measures it stated that questions relating to liability and the corresponding sanctions would also be examined. On the basis of a report by the Commission, the European Council undertook to address these issues at its forthcoming March meeting.