Commission proposes new resources for combating pollution at sea

EC IP/05/603, Brussels, 25 May 2005

The European Commission has proposed a financial package of €154 million over a period of seven years for the European Maritime Safety Agency to allow it to combat pollution caused by ships. The funds will enable the Agency to make specialised anti-pollution vessels available to Member States to recover pollutants and develop satellite images to detect pollution in good time. Jacques Barrot, Vice-President responsible for Transport said: “We must have a European system to combat pollution at sea in order to protect our coasts.” He added: “The Maritime Safety Agency needs adequate funding to help it combat pollution at sea”.

The EU funding for the Agency should cover a seven-year period corresponding to that of the new financial perspective (2007-2013). The funds are intended to strengthen the capability of the Member States to respond to pollution caused by oil and other substances using specialised anti-pollution vessels. Member States affected by oil slicks with which they cannot deal themselves will be able to call on the Agency to increase their capability for dealing with pollution by using additional resources for the recovery of oil at sea. This system of “reserve vessels” which the Agency will place at the disposal of Member States affected will have equipment for recovering pollutants from the sea. These resources will also help in the development of satellite imaging to enable pollution to be detected in good time and will underpin efforts by the Member States to prevent illegal discharges and accidental spillages of oil.

In 2004, EU legislation gave the European Maritime Safety Agency a mandate to combat pollution caused by ships. Carrying out these tasks calls for substantial funding which the Agency must be given on a multiannual basis in order to guarantee its financial security and to make it effective. In this way the Agency will be able to respond swiftly to any threat of serious maritime pollution on a European scale.

Set up in 2002 following the sinking of the Erika, the European Maritime Safety Agency is responsible for assisting the Commission in monitoring the implementation of EU legislation on security and safety at sea.

The EU funding proposed may be reviewed following the conclusions of the European Council which will establish the ceilings for the various heading in the new financial perspective (2007-2013).