Baltic and European news
MEPs back stricter maritime safety rules
2273, 01/03/07
The European parliament's transport committee has backed a package of measures to strengthen EU maritime safety rules. The measures were proposed by the European commission in 2005 in order to better prevent shipping accidents and pollution (EED 24/11/05 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action=article&ref=19894).
A spokesman for the parliament said that the committee approved the entire package "almost unanimously" while making a number of amendments. The vote took place at a meeting on 27 February. A first reading vote in the parliament's full assembly is scheduled for April.
MEPs passed an amendment that would make compliance with international safety standards a pre-condition for registering a ship in the EU. The commission is proposing to integrate the standards into EU law, making compliance a binding requirement. Several member states strongly oppose this.
The committee agreed that port state controls should be reinforced and called for further additions to the rules. These include development of a database showing high-risk ships and indicating all ships due for inspection. It demanded that inland navigation be excluded from stronger liability rules for passenger ships proposed by the commission.
Follow-up: European parliament http://www.europarl.eu.int/, tel: +32 2 284 2111, and a press release
See also transport committee http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/tran_home_en.htm and meeting documents http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/organes/tran/tran_20070227_0900.htm (draft reports plus amendments).
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