Marine pollution, accidental and deliberate, is one of the major threats to the marine environment of western Europe. This region represents one of the most intensely industrialised areas of the world where chemical, radioactive and hydrocarbon materials are routinely discharged into the marine environment and carried by cargo ships. The region also contains one of the highest concentrations of shipping and includes several of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. There are several tragic examples of accidental marine pollution from tankers and other ships carrying other forms of dangerous cargoes. As we have just heard, two of the most recent were the Italian chemical tanker, which sank in the English channel, and also the Maltese registered oil tanker, the Erika, which sank off the coast of Brittany causing major environmental havoc. Now, more by good fortune than planning, there has not yet been a major accident with a ship carrying radioactive materials. Historically the marine environment has been used as the ultimate dumping-ground for much industrial waste. Although industrial and radioactive discharges continue from a range of sources, the practice of direct dumping with little thought for the future is now widely regarded as unacceptable. However, the legacy of the years when materials were simply dumped remains and has sometimes returned to haunt us, often with very severe consequences. It is a lesson which tells us that, when we attempt to throw things away, they do not actually go away because there is no such place as 'away'. This report acknowledges the need for establishing cooperation in the field of accidental marine pollution. Furthermore, there is a need to broaden the definition of accidental marine pollution to include operational, historical, radioactive and other harmful substances. Although much attention is rightly paid to the impact of marine accidents, in terms of chronic pollution it is the operational spills and discharges of hydrocarbons, radioactive materials and other harmful substances which, because they go largely unnoticed, are a cause of major concern. In terms of the environment, whether a substance is accidentally or deliberately discharged is of no consequence, the environmental impact remains. Furthermore, although the direct dumping of industrial materials, including military dumps of redundant munitions, is largely a practice which has been abandoned by Member States, the sights of such dumps continue to present a real threat to fisheries and in some cases a threat to human safety. Often fishermens' lives are at risk, as is the health and welfare of the public who either visit the coast or live by the sea. The transboundary nature of the marine environment, which means that pollution in one area can impact on a wider region, leads to the need for a Community-wide framework for cooperation in the field of accidental marine pollution. Sharing information regarding hydrocarbons, radioactive substances and other harmful materials carried at sea or discharged into the sea, or which have been dumped as part of a historical dumping regime, is a vital prerequisite to facilitating the preparation and coordination of any responses necessary to mitigate the environmental and human health impacts of pollution incidents. Effective mitigation requires a rapid response. The longer an accident is allowed to go unchecked the wider the impact. Hence, it is too late to start trying to get information after an accident has actually occurred. Knowledge about the type and extent of potential pollution problems is also a prerequisite for correct preparation in terms of techniques, personnel and equipment at appropriate locations. It is also necessary to be clear about the risks to the public and the environment and to alleviate justified public concern with accurate assessment of the risks. The public's trust in the authorities is important and must be ensured with adequate responses. Furthermore, the public have a right to know what preparations have been made, what types of material are threatening and what impacts are to be expected. To this end, publication of information is a vital component in the establishment of a way for the general public to obtain information, emergency phone contact numbers, etc. During the conciliation procedure the European Parliament delegation was able to reach a compromise with the Council, which is close to the original amendments on all the major questions. The definition of accidental marine pollution includes a reference to munitions dumping. A definition of harmful substances in line with the water framework Directive was added in order to cover but not, unfortunately, explicitly mention radioactive substances. The cooperation includes exchange of information and mapping of munitions dump sites. The polluter-pays principle is recognised, and the Member States should take this into account in order to provide compensation for damages. Nature protection organisations are also included in cooperation at local level. We did actually achieve most of what we wanted in the conciliatory procedure, maybe not exactly as we wanted, but we are happy with the result.

Political group: Verts-ALE